Telangana pre-empts Eamcet move by setting up TSCHE

The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday sent its two deputy chief ministers to meet Governor ESL Narasimhan to protest against the setting up of the Telangana State Higher Education Council (TSCHE), deepening the Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (Eamcet) counselling crisis.

Deputy Chief Ministers K E Krishna Murthy and Nimmakayala China Rajappa met the governor and submitted a letter protesting the formation of a separate council, while saying that the state's Higher Education Council has the authority to supervise and conduct common entrance tests for both the Telugu-speaking states for 10 more years—a safeguard provided in the AP State Reorganisation Act.

The deputy chief ministers, in the letter, said the Government Order Ms No 5 (issued for constituting the TSCHE) is blatantly illegal and inimical to the interests of innocent students—in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh—whose academic schedule and future education prospects will be affected through no fault of theirs.

The AP government quoted Section 95 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 as saying: “In order to ensure equal opportunities and quality higher education to all students in the successor states, the existing admission quotas in all government or private, aided or unaided institutions of higher technical and medical education (as provided under Article 371D of the Constitution) shall continue as such for a period of 10 years during which the common admission process shall continue.”