Don’t create hurdles in filling up vacant seats left after OJEE counselling: Orissa High Court

By Express News Service
CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the State authorities to repair the modalities for admission of scholars towards vacant seats in non-public engineering schools after completion of OJEE counselling.

The Court directed for admission of scholars on the premise of entry-level qualification and eligibility standards prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The Odisha Private Engineering Colleges Association (OPECA) had moved the High Court after the federal government declined to increase the advantages of a round issued by AICTE on August 19, 2020 for admission into BTech programs.

Keeping in view of the situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the AICTE had allowed PGDM / MBA establishments to pick out candidates on the premise of advantage within the qualifying undergraduate examination to refill vacant seats. However, the federal government in an order on January 7, 2021 had turned down OPECA’s plea saying, “In this connection, it is submitted that, the AICTE circular relates only to PGDM/MBA institutions only. No views of AICTE have been received regarding extension of such benefits to engineering courses”.

Acting on OPECA’s petition on Thursday, the division bench of Justice Sanju Panda and Justice SK Panigrahi mentioned, “On going through the records and considering the submission made by counsel for the parties, this Court is of the opinion that, the order dated 07.01.2021 passed by the Deputy Secretary to Government, Skill Development and Technical Education Department is an error apparent on the face of it”.The bench additionally mentioned, “In view of the above, this Court sets aside the order passed by the government on January 7, 2021 and directs the State authorities not to create any unnecessary obstacle/hurdle in allowing the petitioner’s institution to take admission of the students in BTech (Engineering) course for the current academic session 2020-2021”.

The Court’s course got here after it was submitted earlier than it that AICTE had already in an order on January 6, 2021 clarified that, “In such view of the matter, there is no need of issuing any general circular extending benefits, at par with the circular dated 19.08.2020, in respect of BTech engineering stream. Considering the extraordinary situation prevailing all over the country due to the pandemic and varying field situation in different states, the State government may take suitable decision with regard to modalities of admission into engineering courses including prescribing for any extended time limit for such admission for the academic session 2020-2021”.