The A.P. State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) Chairman, L. Venugopal Reddy, has asserted that it was the competent authority to conduct admissions in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and notification for engineering admissions will be issued on July 30 as per the Admission Committee’s decision two days ago.
In the backdrop of the Telangana government expressing its reservations over the Admission Committee’s decision to go ahead with the counselling process, Prof. Reddy told the reporters that they had to take a decision as per the Supreme Court’s observation that counselling can begin even while taking up the petition filed by the Telangana government seeking extension of admission dates.
Prof. Reddy said the APSCHE would also implead in the case to explain the facts and seek appropriate directions. The next hearing of the case is on August 4.
Quoting a Supreme Court direction, Prof. Reddy said that admission process should start by August 1 of the academic year and all seats should be positively filled by August 15. He said the apex court had also stressed that authorities don’t have the power to change the deadlines.
‘Panel decision binding’“In obedience of the Supreme Court decision, the APSCHE decided to start the certificate verification from August 7,” he said.
He also reminded that as per Section 75 of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, the State Council of Higher Education is the competent authority for both the States and the decision was also in conformity with Section 95 of the A.P. Reorganisation Act providing for common admission procedure for 10 years.
Prof. Reddy, while refusing to elaborate further in the issue, said that the Admission Committee’s decision on issuing the notification on July 30 has to be respected.
Earlier, Prof. Reddy met the AP Chief Secretary, IYR Krishna Rao, and spoke to Telangana Higher Education Secretary Vikas Raj to explain the Admission Committee’s decision, and the legal implications if the counselling process was not taken up.
The Telangana government is said to be annoyed with the Admission Committee’s decision and it was expressed through a letter written by Mr. Vikas Raj to the APSCHE officials arguing that the matter was sub judice.
Nalgonda Staff Reporter adds: Minister for Education G. Jagadish Reddy said the Telangana government would conduct Eamcet counselling after the Supreme Court verdict, which is expected on August 4.
The Minister appealed to the students from Telangana not to worry over the delay in counselling or over fee reimbursement scheme eligibility. “We will allow no Telangana student to suffer,” he maintained.
