Hyderabad: Education institutes state that the 10 per cent quota for the economically backward class is going to open a Pandora’s box in the admission process in the engineering, medical, legal and other professional courses in the country as verification is going to be the biggest challenge. The economic survey of 2015-16 has 97.3 per cent people in the gross taxable income of Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs.
Given this huge number even if half of them opt for professional courses, the number of people in the 10 per cent quota are going to increase drastically.
Dr Bhaskar Rao, president of medical college associations said, “There is going to be a major competition in the 10 per cent quota as those who are appearing will fall back on their economic status for admission. But are the seats going to be increased? The biggest challenge is going to be the yardsticks set for verifying the economic backwardness. In the case of caste certificate a single document helps in the verification process. But in the case of economic backwards the income of both parents will have to be seen. What if one parents income is not being shown in the tax net?”
To add to this, the cut-off percentage in the 10 per cent quota will be the basis on which admission will be given. President of engineering colleges in Telangana Mr G. Goutham explained, “In every category, the marks of the students will make them eligible for admission. Hence the score card is important. Compared to the general category where there is competition, the score card will be less but students will have to qualify to get admission.”
With the JEE, NEET and CLAT exams for 2019 to be held this new quota is worrying the parents. Those who have been enrolled in various coaching centres for the right scores are now looking at further reduced seats in general category in a sceptical manner. A senior professor with an educational academy explained, “It is not that students from economically backward class are less competitive. But now with this edge there is going to be a large representation in that category. Do we have colleges and institutions to accommodate them? An aspiration is being created but will it be fulfilled and will that in turn entail a job or an employment?”
