Students queue up for admission in Cotton College. File picture

June 8: Tension ran high among students seeking admission to the prestigious Cotton College.

The century-old college is set to witness the highest ever cut-off marks for getting admission to the higher secondary courses in the science and the arts streams.

“According to a preliminary estimate, the cut-off percentage for the science stream will not be less than 90 per cent while in the arts stream, the figure is expected to be more than 75 per cent,” principal Indra Kumar Bhattacharyya told The Telegraph.

The college will admit 500 and 160 students in the science and the arts streams.

Last year, the cut-off percentage in the science steam and the arts stream were 83 and 72 per cent. In 2006, it was 85 per cent for the science stream and 71 per cent for the arts stream.

A senior professor associated with the admission procedure of the college attributed the unprecedented rise in the cut-off marks to an increase in the overall pass percentage and a rise in the number of rank holders and those who have got distinctions and star marks in the High School Leaving Certificate examination this year.

“We have so far received more than 5,000 application forms this year. Being a government college, there will be provisions for seat reservations for the SC, ST and the OBC candidates in the two streams. So there will be a tough competition among the general category students seeking admission. The cut-off percentage for the science stream in the evening shift too will not be less than 85 per cent,” the teacher said.

The secretary of Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), D. Mahanta, said the board had been able to declare the best ever matric results this year.

“The total aggregate marks obtained by students have gone up considerably. The total marks secured by the first rank holder is much higher than that secured by the topper in 2007. So the cut-off marks for Cotton College and other colleges will definitely go up,” Mahanta said.

Sangeeta Saikia who has secured 84 per cent with letter marks in five subjects, is spending sleepless nights.

“I have a dream of studying science in Cotton College. But I am very tense about the cut-off marks.”

“I have submitted application forms in B. Borooah College and Srimanta Sankar Academy Junior College,” she said.

Bhattacharyya said the process of finalising the cut-off marks would begin tomorrow despite the Assam bandh called by the Opposition parties.

“I am confident of publishing the final list of candidates by late Monday evening,” the principal said.