PANAJI: The seats in the state professional colleges, including engineering and pharmacy colleges, as reserved by the All-India Council for Technical Education for girl students and economically backward students are found to be merged in the general category of seats, thus creating confusion among parents and students.

As per the information received from the directorate of technical education, a total of 56 seats had been reserved for girl students and economically backward students in various engineering and pharmacy colleges in Goa. Out of these 56 seats nearly 50 per cent seats had been reserved for economically backward students, while 33 per cent of the seats were reserved for the girl students. Strangely, these seats have disappeared during the categorisation of seats by the DoTE and appear to be included in the general category. DoTE sources informed that these 56 seats are unreserved seats, but there is a provision of waiving of fees for such students. The admission form ‘B’ also does not have a provision for mentioning whether the student is a male or female, which clearly indicates that the reserved seats for girl students have just disappeared from the said category.

The prospectus released by the DoTE for professional degree courses 2010-11, on its page no 4 and 5 mentions about the reservation of seats in various categories. The footnotes below table 2.1 on the prospectus also give details about the waiver of fees for students in different categories. Incidentally, these footnotes maintain that out of the total 56 reserved seats, 50 per cent are for economically backward students, 33 per cent are for girl students and 16.6 are for physically handicapped students. It is further noted that in the event of non-availability of students in a specific category as above, benefit would be given to any other candidate of other categories, according to the merit.

The decision of the DoTE to divert these 56 reserved seats in the general category has defeated the basic purpose of their reservation. Barring the reserved seats for handicapped persons, the prospectus has no mention of seats reserved for economically backward as well as girl students.

The DoTE will announce the selection list of the students in various professional colleges on June 26. The parents have demanded that the confusion as regards the abovementioned reserved seats be immediately resolved before the announcement of the selection list.