Tura, August 23: The NGOs from Garo Hills want the state government to prevent students from switching over from one stream to the others stream in midway with the academic year, so that it will not block others students who are eligible for the courses.
The redundancy in the candidate selection for specialised education relating to candidate’s nomination and admission to various State sponsored colleges like Engineering, Health, Fisheries, Veterinary, Agriculture, Horticulture, Home Science, Sericulture & weaving, Forest, Dairy Tech etc. under Meghalaya State Quota. The matter to be lucidly discussed pertains to the problem specific to Garo Hills.
The NGOs from Garo Hills would like to espouse the cause of numerous students who have lost the opportunity over the years to pursue their career in various applied streams of education for the simple reason that students selected for a particular stream is allowed to change stream midway thereby impeding the chance and opportunity of some eligible students.
The concept of free and all opportunity for students to pursue their stream of interest and choice is an admirable option but when it disrupts the chances of others just because of the freedom of students to apply for admission to every course inconsequential or irrelevant to their choice and tendency makes one question the selection system under the Meghalaya State Quota. The poignant point to be discussed here is the loss of opportunity to numerous Garo students who could have become officers but have languished due to their stunted chances.
Every year the candidates are nominated to study in various streams under Meghalaya State quota based on the merit of either State or National Entrance exam. These candidates are allotted the seats in various States and Central Universities.
However, it is a bare fact that every year some of these student-candidates though selected and already admitted in their respective allotted Colleges which they have knowingly or unknowingly but willingly applied for and have signed an undertaking to undergo the course return to seek for another admission in other streams, in different colleges, in the same academic year through the same State quota.
This is of great concern for the state and the eligible aspiring candidates, Firstly, the eligible students left out in the waiting list based on merit cannot be admitted stead of the vacated seat in the college against the seat once someone has occupied and withdrawn midway.
The students in the waiting list are deprived of their opportunity to pursue specialised studies in a particular college because they cannot seek admission in the vacated seat either because of the rigmarole and intricacies involved in the state quota or more precisely, the colleges cannot admit a student midway of the academic year.
Huge funds invested by the government for procuring these college seats under the prescribed state quota for tribals is wasted due to the fact that the seats vacated midway of the academic career cannot be filled by other aspiring candidates. Some students who apply for various courses appear on the merit list in two three colleges and due to the conduct of giving preference to students in the merit list creates a barricade for students in the waiting list to gain entry. not only these aspiring students in the waiting list are being deprived of their rights under the state quota, these seats are lost to the Garo community as a whole depriving specialised education to many over the years.
The NGOs from Goar Hills under the leadership of the Garo Student Union, request all the concerned Departments who have or are yet to help nominate candidates for the Year 2016 – 17 to procure the available seats for the students in various colleges.
The GSU and others NGOs from Garo Hills has estimated that for this year, around eight students may not be able to pursue specialised courses in colleges because some students have decided to switch courses midway. Switching of courses happen mostly for MBBS courses when the entrance exam results are declared later than the entrance exam results for other courses.
They pointed out that, students who have successfully cleared the entrance exam for Engineering Colleges and have availed seats suddenly switch to MBBS courses which in effect impede other students from gaining entry to engineering colleges. If we calculate the loss of seats reserved by the state quota over ten years it can be reasonably presumed that around 50-60 seats are lost which means the system has been detrimental to 50-60 students who could have otherwise pursue specialised education.
Reference may be made to the advertisement notice to Bsc.(Agri) &Bsc.(Horti) course 2016 -17 by the Director of Agriculture, which clearly states that candidates who join any of the courses under state Quota for MBBS/BDS/BE/B Pharm/BVSC etc will not be considered for Bsc (Agri )/Bsc(.Horti) courses .
Under the above reference, a pertinent question needs to be asked whether there is a co-ordination among departments for the prevention of a student being allotted a seat under the state quota in different courses by various departments in the same year.
Since this lacuna in the system allows a student to reserve seats for various courses under the state quota there must be coordination among the departments to restrict the blockage of seats under the state quota. Since norms have been laid down by some departments it must be followed by all the departments to allow the maximum number of students to procure the allotted seats under the quota system.
The duplicacy in seat allotment to the same student in the same year must be prevented for the greater interest of Garo Hills so that maximum students are allowed to avail the opportunity of the state quota. Therefore, the concerned departments must consider the matter seriously while nominating the candidates and so that no duplicacy and re allotment of seats are made against any Government quota for the Year 2016 – 17.
This NGOs the state government, to consider our suggestion that a strict rule be followed to prevent duplicacy in seat allotment to colleges by, Preventing the switching of courses by students midway in the academic year. Enforcing the bond signed by the students should they switch courses and coordinating the departments to ensure that a student does not reserve seats in several different colleges offering different courses by applying for many courses thereby depriving others.
It would be helpful to the students if a consultancy services are rendered to the students to determine their aptitude and tendency for a particular course by the concerned departments before nominating or reserving a seat for them under the state quota. Restrict the students from seeking entrance to different colleges under the state quota.
