Open quota convenor admissions to undergo major change in Telangana

15% open quota for admissions into undergraduate engineering and pharmacy programmes may be opened to all students in the country

Hyderabad: The open quota convenor admissions to the undergraduate engineering and pharmacy programmes in the State are set to undergo a major change. The 15 per cent open quota, which is so far restricted to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh students alone, may be opened to all students in the country.

This means Telangana locals have to compete with students from the rest of the country to get admission under this quota. This is one of the norms that were set to be suggested by the committee constituted by the State government with TGCHE Chairman Prof V Balakista Reddy as chief for determining the local and local status of students for higher education admissions in the State.

Admissions to professional programmes such as engineering and pharmacy are carried out in two categories — convenor and management. As for government and university colleges, 100 per cent of the seats are filled by the TGCHE under the convenor quota. In the case of private colleges, 70 per cent are filled under the convenor category, and the remaining 30 per cent can be filled by management.

Any change to open quota can only be brought in through a Presidential order, amending the existing order that allocates 15 per cent quota to both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh students as part of common admissions for the 10-year stipulated in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014.

Since the 10-year common admission period concluded between the two Telugu-speaking States during the academic year 2023-24, the State government constituted the committee to determine the local and non-local status of the applicants.

“Since one of the committee members is out of the country, we will be submitting the report with recommendations to the government soon. Once the 15 per cent open quota is decided, the TG EAPCET notification will be issued,” said a senior official.

The TGCHE already announced dates for the common entrance tests, scheduling the TG EAPCET from April 29 to May 5. The agriculture and pharmacy entrance test is on April 29 and 30, while the engineering entrance exam is from May 2 to 5. Similarly, the TG ECET and EdCET have been slotted on May 12 and June 1, respectively.

The UG and PG law entrance tests are on June 6, and TG ICET for MBA admissions is on June 8 and 9. The TGCHE scheduled the TG PECET and PGECET from June 11 to 14 and June 16 to 19, respectively.