60 and counting, courtesy BOPEE Number Of Vacant Seats At NIT Likely To Touch 70 Government Unmoved By CET Mess MUDASIR YAQOOB SmallerDefaultLarger Srinagar, Aug 27: The number of seats that fell vacant at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar due to delay caused by cancellation and re-examination of Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) has reached 60. The number is expected to go up to 70 in coming days, meaning 70 J&K students lost opportunity to get engineering berths this year due to the alleged blunders by BOPEE. The seats will now remain unfilled for next four years depriving the local students from availing the benefit. The seats fell vacant when students selected in NIT under State’s reserved quota withdrew admissions after being selected in CET. As the CET got delayed this year, the admission process at the NIT had been closed by the time BOPEE declared results. In the past, the vacated seats used to get allocated to other candidates in the waiting list. “Around sixty seats in JEE (Mains) have fallen vacant accruing out of those who left it after getting admissions in CET. The number is increasing and it is expected that the number could reach 70. The seats will remain unfulfilled for next four years resulting in loss to State share as admissions have been declared closed,” said an official at NIT Srinagar. Blaming BOPEE for the mess, the official said: “Loss to the State share at NIT occurred due to the blunders committed by BOPEE which first cancelled two papers due to paper leak and subsequently postponed other two resulting in delay in selection process, meantime admissions were closed at NIT.” Dean Academics, NIT Srinagar, Prof. Merajudin Mufti told Greater Kashmir that the number of seats falling vacant is expected to increase in coming days. “I’ve gone through 33 applications received by NIT wherein students have submitted that they are withdrawing admissions after getting selected in CET 2013. The number of students vacating seats is increasing each day.” He said the NIT Srinagar officials are not authorized to fill the vacant seats as such decisions fall within the jurisdiction of Central government, adding, “But we strongly feel that the seats should be filled in the interest of society at large.” Negating the BOPEE claims that it has not been informed about the vacant seats, Prof. Merajudin said: “We have sent them details by post with credentials of students who have withdrawn admission after being selected in CET. We have also sent them a copy of details through mail.” He said the number of seats shown vacated in that communication is less as around 10 more representation had been received for withdrawal of admissions, adding, “And the number is expected to go higher in coming days.” Repeated attempts to have comments on the issue from Minister for Administrative Reforms, ARI and Trainings, Sakina Itoo, went futile as her mobile phone remained switched off. The minister has so far failed to take notice of the alleged blunders by BOPEE and fix responsibility of the responsible officials. Secretary ARI and Trainings, GH Tantray, said he would intervene to ensure that revised key is made public. “Inquiry report will be submitted to government after 15 days once the counseling of students is concluded. The responsibility in paper mess will be fixed accordingly,” he informed. Senior Cabinet Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar said action would be taken against officials found guilty after inquiry into the matter is completed and submitted to government. He said that government will make efforts to fill the engineering seats to benefit deserving students. On June 22, following paper leak of CET question paper at some centers in Srinagar, the BOPEE postponed the Biology and cancelled Chemistry papers. It fixed July 5 as fresh date for conduct of these two papers but only to postpone them again. Though ministers including Muhammad Akbar Lone and Ali Muhammad Sagar had assured that the loss of time of students due to paper mess would be compensated by declaring results within shortest period of time, BOPEE chairman RD Sharma termed their assurances a political gimmick. Taking suo-moto cognizance of news reports in Greater Kashmir on leakage and cancellation of papers, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had treated the report as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and initiated proceedings.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 05:47:17 +0000
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