AIEEE candidates wait to for counselling for documentation and choice locking at a nodal centre in Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, July 26: The slowing down of the server created confusion at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), a nodal centre under Orissa Joint Engineering Entrance Examination (OJEE). Many candidates who had turned up at the venue from other states with their parents to attend counselling for documentation and choice locking were visibly irked.

Though document verification and choice locking was scheduled at 10am, the process could only start around 1pm thanks to the slow server. The aspirants, who had qualified after appearing for the All-India Engineering Entrance Examination-2011 (AIEEE), were seen standing in a long queue and waiting for several hours. “We have been waiting since 10am, but the verification process has not started because the internet connection failed,” said Kunal Kashyap, who had accompanied his friend for choice locking.

Not only students, their parents too had to wait outside the rooms for choice locking for a long time. “I had taken leave for a day to accompany my son for the document verification and choice locking process, but this four-hour delay has caused a lot of inconvenience. Getting a reservation for my return journey is not going to be an easy task,” said S.D.N. Kumar, a parent who had come from Jharkhand.

Coupled with the problem of slow server, fewer computers caused frustration among the candidates and parents alike. “Only five computers are there for choice locking and everyone is not computer-savvy, so it takes time for choice locking and the slow server has added to the problem,” said Ramshankar Tiwary, another parent who had come with his ward from Jamshedpur. He criticised the representatives of various private engineering colleges for “a disorganised procedure for choice locking”.

The technical snags were rectified after installation of wireless internet connections. “It normally takes much more time if you are using internet data cards and the process would be delayed further if the 3G connection is used,” said Saswat Behera, a parent.

On the other hand, Abhimanyu Das, a faculty member of OUAT and in-charge of the nodal centre, held the erratic BSNL network responsible for the confusion. “We have informed BSNL authorities about this problem but they have done nothing so far,” he said. According to Priyabrat Sahoo, secretary of OJEE committee, the problem was caused due to slow internet connection and had nothing to do with the OJEE website. Sahoo said another source of confusion was the presence of representatives of private engineering colleges at the nodal centres.

“The involvement of private colleges in the choice locking process was brought to our notice and we drove these agents out of the nodal centres yesterday. They still continue to turn up at the venues to woo candidates,” he added.