19 December,2016 08:48 AM IST | | Pallavi Smart
After the fiasco that this year’s process has been, parents demand that they be allowed to join the admissions committee to ensure a smoother process
Parents met on Saturday to discuss their plan of action
No longer on board with the way that medical admissions are conducted, parents of medical aspirants are now demanding that they get on the admissions board to ensure a smoother process.
Demand representation
After the fiasco that this year's process has been, with repeatedly changing decisions causing delays and much confusion, parents are demanding that they also be represented on the admission committee of the Directorate of Technical Education and Research (DMER) so there is better communication between the authorities and the candidates. The committee of parents met on Saturday to discuss their plan of action to ensure a smoother process this time around, and they intend to meet the state government soon with their demand. They plan to form an all-India forum, as the issue prevails across the country.
Mahendra Chaudhary, whose daughter missed admission last year due to the chaos, said, "There is no one presenting the parents' perspective during the decision-making process. Students are at a loss and are continuously under tremendous stress. Parents have to now come forward to make the process student-friendly. It will also help avoiding delays, as parents' representation will already be there in the committee. So, instead of asking for our opinion after the decisions are declared, we can have a say during the process."
Most of these decisions are taken in New Delhi, and parents hope to reach out to the government well in time so they can join in when the committee work begins in January-February, planning the admission process for April 2017.
Gamut of issues
Another parent Ruhi Kapoor said, "From the syllabus to fee structures, admissions are in complete chaos. We saw it very closely last year. There was no clarity and we had to wait for ministers to make announcements. Now parents and students can be at peace if they are represented at the committee. We will not have to wait till the last minute to get clarity."
Those who went through the experience this year have come forward to help those whose kids will appear for entrance exams in 2017. One such parent, Girish Kukarni said, "My daughter's admission was completed last year. But we know what we had gone through. It was very overwhelming to receive support from parents at that time, so I am extending mine this year. The government has clearly shown its inability to think of students during admissions. Our representation in the committee will bring positive changes."
