Students again caught in confusion over CET

Chennai, Nov 7 (UNI) Aspirants for admission to professional courses in Tamil Nadu are again on the horns of a dilemma due to confusion over conduct of the Common Entrance Test (CET) for 2007-08.

Even though the State government had said CET would be abolished, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) announced that the CET would stay, stirring a hornet's nest.

Quoting the Supreme Court directive, AICTE Chairman Prof Damodar Acharya categorically said here last evening that CET for admission to engineering courses could not be scrapped by the State Government.

'The Supreme Court had said the students have to clear CET for admission and the State government cannot abolish CET. The test would be held for the 2007-2008 academic year,'' he said.

'As far as we are concerned, there is no question of scrapping CET. The AICTE Act is very clear about the conduct of CET for admission to professional courses,' he reiterated.

Mr Acharya's announcement comes amid steps being taken by the government to do away with CET from the coming academic year.

'To lessen the burden and hardship faced by students in view of CET, the government constituted a high-level expert committee headed by former Anna University Vice-Chancellor M Anandhakrishnan to recommend measures to be taken for abolition of CET from 2007-08.

The committee held two sittings at Chennai and Madurai and elicited views from students, parents and educationists. It was yet to submit its report. It was said that rural students favoured abolition of CET, while urban students wanted its continuance.

Reacting to Mr Acharya's statement, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy told UNI the AICTE Chairman had echoed what the Supreme Court said. 'We are processing it and the Expert Committee was expected to submit its report to the government by the end of the month'.

When contacted by UNI, Anna University Vice-Chancellor D Viswanathan refused to comment on Mr Acharya's remark, stating the government was taking some steps. 'I should not comment on it at this stage. The government is in the process of taking some steps.' The previous AIADMK regime led by Jayalalithaa twice made abortive attempts to scrap CET. Last year the government issued a notification abolishing it, but it was struck down by Madras High Court.

Whatever be the recommendations of the committee's report, the ball is in the Tamil Nadu government's court to see there is no last minute confusion as has been the case in the last couple of years.

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