: The Telangana Government has almost decided to scrap Eamcet–II for admissions to MBBS course in the light of past experience when the Supreme Court ruled similar step in such cases but the official announcement is likely only on Monday.
This was the outcome of a meeting chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with some of his Cabinet colleagues, senior officials and newly appointed Vice-Chancellors of universities in the State to discuss the imbroglio originating out of the leakage of Eamcet question paper ahead of the exam on July 9.
Action plan
Sources said the Chief Minister made up his mind to abolish the exam after listening to the suggestions of the participants at the four-hour meeting. He is said to have enquired from them the feasibility of going ahead with admissions to MBBS on the basis of Eamcet – 2 ranks, disqualifying the students who benefited from leakage. He also discussed the action plan to conduct Eamcet – 3 if it became inevitable after enquiring the options not to conduct the test at all. But, he is said to have observed restraint when he was informed that not cancelling Eamcet – 2 would invite legal complications. The consequences of taking up admissions without scrapping Eamcet – 2 were explained to him.
Senior police officers who were present told Mr. Rao that students who secured admissions on the basis of Eamcet– 2 ranks would be deceived if the matter went to court. The question papers were leaked in the past on 80 occasions across the country. And, there was re-exam on all occasions which the Supreme Court approved. Mr. Rao also perused Supreme Court verdicts in such cases, the sources said.
The meeting discussed the rigours and hardship that the students faced with consecutive exams for MBBS admissions. Mr. Rao and others expressed anguish at the mental agony caused to the students by the unfortunate leakage of paper.
Therefore, it was decided to act tough against question paper leakages that were common in the combined State. The culprits, people who instigated the crime and the beneficiaries should be punished by stringent laws. Parents who aided their children get admissions by the wrong route were no exception.
Exemption
As a matter of relief, the government was examining exemption to students from payment of exam fee and permitting them to take Eamcet – 3 on the basis of earlier registration.
Mr. Rao decided that the government will handout strictest punishment to culprits with a view to ensuring that people shuddered to commit such offences in the future.
It was stated that Mr. Rao discussed with education officials the possibility of holding such exams on-line like GMAT, GRE and JEE.
KCR decided that
the government would hand out strictest punishment to the culprits
