Kohima, July 12: The North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (Nerist) at Nirjuli in Arunachal Pradesh has allegedly misled waitlisted candidates by assuring them of admission but leaving them in the lurch.
Several aggrieved parents said they would move court if the institute does not address their grievances. "The unfortunate students will now lose one academic year as all higher secondary schools and colleges have closed admissions for the academic year 2015," one of the parents said.
Nerist, a deemed university under the HRD ministry, declared the results of its entrance examination, NEE-I, NEE-II and NEE-III on its website www.nerist.ac.in on May 1 this year.
In the third week of May, it also published the common counselling letter (call letter) to both the selected, waiting and extended waitlisted candidates. However, during the super session to the common counselling letter, the institute dispatched through post a separate call letter signed by member secretary NEE K.K. Rajesh, dated May 22, 2015, individually to the waitlisted candidates.
The parents said this call letter stated: "Congratulations! Based on your performance in NEE-2015, you have been placed in the selected list. Your admission will be on July 7, 2015. You are therefore invited to attend counselling according to the scheduled date at 9.30am in the institute."
All related official communication letters between the institute and the students were also made available to the media today to support the claims by the parents.
The aggrieved parents said besides informing the waitlisted candidates on the documents required during counselling, the letter also asked them to bring the admission fees for the first semester in cash as well as the hostel fees and caution money in the form of demand drafts.
The waitlisted candidates were further advised to bring their bedding, clothing and mosquito nets while coming for admission.
However, contrary to the call letter dated May 22, most of the waitlisted candidates were denied admission on the counselling day.
"Our daughter was also on the waitlist and initially we were hesitant to go as we were not sure whether she will get admission. But the latest counselling letter dated May 22 clearly mentioned that she was placed in the "selected list" and that her admission would be done on July 7. But to our utter disappointment she was denied admission," said the parents of a waitlisted candidate who had come all the way from Imphal for the counselling.
Nerist has denied any wrongdoing against allegations that some candidates for the new academic session were wrongly denied admission.
Nerist entrance examination member secretary Rajesh today said students are selected for admission by a committee after thorough scrutiny.
Speaking from the institute, Rajesh said "everything was done according to rules" and that the controversy arose because of "communication gaps".
Stating the institute's stance on the issue, he said waitlisted candidates are required to come to Nerist with their documents and attend a counselling session. He said a candidate in the waitlist is given a seat only if a vacancy arises i.e. if any candidate in the selected list does not take admission in the institute.
He also cited a specific case from Nagaland where a general category candidate's mother had sought admission for her daughter in one of the vacant ST category seats.
