BHUBANESWAR: An estimated 4,500 students missed this year’s academic session because the second Diploma Entrance Test (DET) did not take place. Last year, Orissa Private Engineering Schools Association (OPESA) was brought under the ambit of Orissa Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee) Act, 2007. Under this Act, there is a provision for DET to be conducted a second time if the seats are not filled up. But this year, DET has not been conducted yet, though many seats lie vacant. Repeated appeals to the Government to conduct the second DET seem to have fallen on deaf ears. OPESA has been requesting the Government since August to conduct the test. “The Government simply maintains that steps are being taken,” said the officials of OPESA. According to a conservative estimate by OPESA, over 4,500 students, mostly from the rural regions, are waiting for the DET so that they can take admissions and many have shifted to other states. The second DET was conducted in the past two years. Earlier, institutes under OPESA conducted their own DETs to fill up seats. But now they can not do anything until the Government takes a decision. After second DET, around 2,900 students got admission in 2009 and 2,700 in 2010. More students could have been taken, had there been no confusion in e-counselling and manual counselling. Though e-counselling aims at minimising stress, it takes much longer to complete. OPESA is still hopeful that if the Government conducts a second DET even now, then they may be able to fill up the seats and start the academic session. On enquiry, they said it was not too late to start a session as there are 90 days for a semester, they can complete the session in time. The officials appealed to the Government to conduct the tests soon after HSC results are declared.
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