Anna univ loses 2 MTech courses in state’s quota war with Centre

Anna univ loses 2 MTech courses in state’s quota war with Centre

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.01.2021

Admission to two centrally-sponsored M Tech courses at Anna University has been cancelled this year following the Centre’s insistence that the university follow only 49.5% reservation and not the state government’s 69% quota policy in admitting students.

The Union government’s department of biotechnologysupported courses of M Tech Biotechnology and M Tech Computational Biology programmes offer ₹12,000 and ₹12,500 respectively as stipend to a total of 45 students.

“As the central government rules of reservation were not acceptable to the government of Tamil Nadu, Anna University is unable to proceed with the admission to the DBT-supported MTech Biotechnology and MTech Computational Biology programmes for the academic year 2020–21,” the university announced on its website on Saturday.

The decision has left many aspirants heartbroken as the demand for these courses increased following the Covid-19 pandemic.

MTech Biotechnology course is being offered since 1985 at Anna University and MTech Computational Biology has been on from 2014-15.

Students may have to waste a year

Students qualified in Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test and Graduate Aptitude Test in Biotechnology (GAT-B) said they found themselves stranded and might have to waste one academic year.

“My daughter is within top 100 ranks in GAT-B exam. We are disappointed by the decision by the university. They should admit students even without any stipend, as there is huge demand for these courses,” a parent from Chennai said.

K Muthukumaran, whose daughter was waiting for MTech biotechnology admission, said, “TN wanted 69% reservation whereas the Centre insisted on 49.5% reservation. Due to the conflict over quota policy, Anna University kept postponing admissions to these two courses for the last three months. Meanwhile, the admissions to MTech biotechnology in other institutions got over.”

Till last year, the admissions for these two courses were conducted at all India level. Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi used to conduct Combined Entrance Exam for Biotechnology (JNU CEEB) for admitting students at MTech biotechnology while Pondicherry University used to conduct all India entrance test for computational biology course.

This year, however, the Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad took over the responsibility of conducting both the entrance exams and the name of exam was also changed as Graduate Aptitude Test in Biotechnology (GAT-B). Instead of conducting both entrance test and admissions, the RCB announced that the admissions would be conducted by respective institutions.

Since it is a central government-sponsored course, DBT followed 49.5% reservation in all India admissions till last year. Anna University sought clarification from state governmentsover the reservation policy to be followed in admissions to these two programmes. “The state government directed the university to follow 69% reservation, for which DBT, which is funding these programmes, did not agree. We have no other way but to cancel the admissions to the two popular courses,” an Anna University official said.

When askedwhether the varsity could have followed 69% reservation by increasing the intake,theofficialsaidtheAllIndia Council for Technical Education will not give permission to increase intake in the middle of an academic year and faculty members will not be sufficient.