Bangalore, January 12: The state department of collegiate education plans to introduce a centralised system of admission to under-graduate programmes in the state.
Bangalore and Shimoga districts will implement the new system as a pilot project for admission to courses leading to a bachelor’s degree in the Arts, Commerce, Science, computer applications or business administration in academic year 2010-11. A system of centralised admission for the Master’s programme at Bangalore University came into effect this year.
A meeting was held on Monday with managements of private colleges, including also those receiving aid from the state, to work out the modalities of introducing the system as a pilot project in Bangalore and Shimoga.
Nearly 40 colleges from Bangalore, 10 from Shimoga and two from Tumkur participated at the meet.
State higher education minister Aravind Limbavali said, “The intention of the project is to help students. If the pilot run is successful, we will implement it throughout the state.” Limbavali said that the system would be similar to the counselling process for admission to professional college.
Representatives of the managements of different colleges welcomed the move.
Sheshadri Iyengar, secretary, MES College, Bangalore said, “The idea is a good one, and will make things easier for the students. The problem, however, is that fewer students now enroll in the arts and science courses. The government has to address this
issue first.”
Gokulraj from Acharya Patashala said, “The main thing is the fee structure. A centralised admission system would mean that the government has to fix a proper fee amount.”
“We would not want such a system in the rural areas of the state — as it is, we have so many things to deal with in our institutions situated in the rural areas,” said one educator. “We currently face tremendous responsibility in running colleges, and we are not ready to take on any more in our rural schools,” said Dr Thimmaiah, of the Golden Valley education trust.
Conducting centralised admissions for general degree courses was one of the decisions taken at the Inter-University Board meeting at Belgaum in June 2009.
—Agencies