HC throws a lifeline to Engineering colleges

Hyderabad: The High Court on Monday gave interim relief to 174 private engineering colleges by allowing them to participate in the ongoing EAMCET (engineering, agriculture and medicine common entrance test) online counselling process in the State.

These colleges were earlier barred from making admissions on the ground that they failed to maintain stipulated standards.

The court directed the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, (JNTU-H) to permit these colleges to participate in the ongoing web counselling of EAMCET 2014 admissions in Telangana State, forthwith, which are having requisite qualified faculty in their colleges.

Justice A Rajasekhar Reddy, who heard a batch of writ petitions by the 174 college managements challenging the decision of the varsity in disaffiliating them on the ground of lacking facilities, in his order ruled that the colleges shall also give an undertaking that they would fulfill other deficiencies pointed out by JNTU-H in a month from the date of closing the admission process.

The Telangana State Council for Higher Education has not included these 174 colleges in the web counselling process. While directing the varsity to include the petitioners' colleges in the list of counselling, the HC asked these 174 colleges to put in place the prescribed faculty as per relevant regulation of JNTU. The judge made it clear that JNTU-H has liberty to take action if the colleges failed to fulfill the undertaking within the time limit stipulated by this court.

The judge observed that the JNTU-H did not communicate refusal of affiliation to the colleges, but straightaway deleted the names of the petitioners' colleges from the counselling list, which practically amounts to refusing of affiliation and this action of the varsity is arbitrary and in violation of natural justice.

The judge said that JNTU-H has not followed its own regulations before taking the decision. Referring to the submission of the advocate-general that the colleges can prefer appeal against the decision of the JNTU-H under the Universities Act, the judge in view of the deadline fixed by the Supreme Court to complete the admissions process by August 31 said that the varsity is also not able to take a decision in this matter at this point of time.

The judge also ruled that JNTU-H cannot reduce the intake capacity once the AICTE has approved it. The college management consortium approached the High Court on August 18 seeking a stay on the counselling process, which was turned down by the HC earlier.

Interestingly, the certificate verification that was started on August 17 and web counselling in both the states has come to an end on August 25. On August 26 and 27, students are allowed to change their options selected during the web counselling.

AP Higher Education Council chairman L Venugopal Reddy said that it was up to JNTU-H to decide on the extension of the counselling dates if it finds necessary.

Telangana Engineering and Professional College Managements Association convener N Goutham Rao said that there would be an extension of one day in the counselling process.

Meanwhile, the consortium of minority engineering colleges welcomed the HC order giving interim relief to the 174 engineering colleges, including 36 minority colleges allowing them to participate in counselling as per the schedule.

The Federation of Minority Educational Institutions general secretary Zafar Javeed welcomed the order and said that counselling for the Muslim and Christian minority colleges for single window II (SW II) would take place as per schedule from August 27. This counselling would be held
at the A P Veterinary Hall, Shantinagar and at centres in Vijayawada and Nellore.