File picture of OJEE candidates during a choice-slocking process at a counselling centre in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, June 10: Authorities of the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) have advised students to go through the choice-locking process themselves instead of falling into the trap of marketing consultants and agents. The counselling for various courses under the OJEE-2012 is expected to start from mid-June.

OJEE committee secretary Priyabrat Sahoo said that last year, there had been several cases of students being cheated by middlemen while selecting colleges as per their preference.

“However, we could do little about it since it is a web-based system. Once a choice is locked, it is difficult to change it. So this time, students need to be extra careful. They should avoid taking the middlemen’s help, and in case they do, they need to stay alert about the final list of colleges and courses selected,” he said.

He said students, mostly from the rural areas, fell prey to the marketing agents working in close association with private college owners.

“The agent, on behalf of the candidates, selects the college from where he can get a commission. Students, usually unaware of the changes in their list of preferred colleges, often come to us complaining that they have never chosen the colleges allotted to them,” said Sahoo, adding that students should never disclose their password to strangers.

Old Town resident and a guardian Jyoti Ranjan Mohanty said the counselling should be expedited to tackle the self-styled consultants and agents, who cheated misinformed students and parents.

“Let there be web-based counselling, but choice-filling, choice-locking and seat allotment must be done on the same day and as per the merit list to avoid any irregularities. The candidates should be asked to come to the nodal centres for the purpose, instead of completing the formalities at cyber cafes where there are chances of them being misguided by middlemen,” Mohanty said.

The OJEE authorities said a candidate could fill in as many as 500 choices on the number of institutions. They have also advised students to deposit the admission fees after the first round of allotment of colleges and courses to avoid problems.

“To avoid any hassle, students and parents must not dilly-dally with payment of the admission fee,” the OJEE official said.