Changes likely in web counselling

Updated on: Monday, November 30, 2009

Web counselling that gave sleepless nights to engineering aspirants and other professional course seekers in the State may come with some changes next year given the controversy it generated despite having its own advantages.

If sources are to be believed there is a strong division within the officials with some supporting the present mode while some others arguing to bring in a few changes to drive away apprehensions among students and parents. There is a section which wants the old mode of online counselling to be brought back as it is more comfortable and has acceptance among students.

A review of web counselling with Technical Education Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana recently saw several new suggestions coming up.

A few officials wanted the first phase of admissions to be done online and the remaining through web counselling. “Students anyway have to come to the counselling centres at least once for certificate verification. So why not conduct online counselling when they are coming there?” asked an official. At least, this will drive away apprehensions they have over web counselling mode.

Disadvantages

Despite several advantages like minimising the admission time, giving more time for students to choose their choice of course and college, web counselling had a distinctive disadvantage too. It denied the students to know the seats which were already taken. For an 18-year old student keen on entering into a good professional college it is necessary to provide that kind of comfort. It becomes all the more necessary given the non-technical and rural background of majority students.

In fact, the biggest drawback of students and the complaints were with regard to this factor. In the previous online counselling students had the facility of knowing the seats already taken. But now all the 2.5 lakh seats are open for lakhs of aspirants. It is difficult to judge which one is best for the rank secured among such a huge number. Ultimately, the choice of every student narrows down to just 10 to 15 colleges and asking them to choose from thousands of options has only created confusion.

Some academics have also rejected the argument of minimising the admission time. Despite web counselling the admission process went on for three months which was the same case with online counselling too. “Colleges put pressure on APSCHE and Technical Education Department to have three phases using their political influence. Moreover, there were separate counselling for both Christian and Muslim minority institutions and that too in different phases,” reminded an official. So why introduce a system that is good but not convenient to lakhs of students just citing cutting down admission period?

Some academics suggested that it will be more practical to have a mix of online counselling in the first phase followed by web counselling for the left over seats. Success of web counselling in MBA and MCA courses cannot be related to engineering courses given the social background of students and the sensitivity attached to EAMCET in the State.

Changes likely in web counselling

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