AIEEE counselling called off,students left in the dark

The reason cited by the authorities was a letter received from the Chandigarh Administration,stating that the defence quota had not been properly defined at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) and Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET). The letter added that the same needed to be looked into and the admission procedure would be resumed only when the issue was resolved.

Talking to Newsline,Dr V K Rattan,incharge of the counselling process,said: “Our hands are tied as the letter has come from the Administration. We do understand the concern of students and their parents that they have come from far-off places but we really can’t do anything until we get a nod from the Administration to resume the counselling.”

Angry parents,meanwhile,were seen raising slogans outside the gymnasium hall in Panjab University while authorities were trying to pacify them.

A parent Ashok Gupta,who had come from Chennai for his son’s admission,said,“I have been waiting here since noon as the counselling was to start at 12.30 pm but it was only around 3.15 pm that we were informed that the counselling had been called off. I was supposed to catch a flight in the evening but not only have I missed the flight,we are still groping in the dark about the next counselling date.”

Abhishek,a student who had come from Delhi,said,“This is sheer harassment and the worst thing is that we are not being given the next date for admission. The entire procedure of counselling is a complete failure where authorities don’t know what to do. No one seems to be bothered about people who have come here from far-flung places.”