A blacklisted Plus Two science college in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, June 27: Out of the 11 private junior colleges blacklisted by the higher education department, seven have been accorded conditional approval to admit students for the coming academic session.

The department has instructed the colleges to achieve the set of norms set down by the state government in three months’ time.

These institutions had earlier been debarred from the Plus Two admission procedure for failing to fulfil the prescribed norms within three years of establishment.

“We reconsidered our decision after receiving the affidavits from seven colleges pleading for more time to satisfy the state government’s criteria.

“If they fail to meet the requirements within three months, we would impose restrictions on admission from next year,” secretary of higher education department, Chandra Shekhar Kumar, said.

Although the authorities of these seven colleges are relieved to a certain extent, they are also apprehensive about the number of applications going down due to the negative publicity.

“Our image has been badly affected after our college figured in the list of blacklisted institutions. The college land is in the name of a private trust and we have to transfer it to our name in three months. That would not be much of a problem. But the real concern is whether students would prefer to apply to our college or not,” Parshuram Das, director of Irodov College of Science here, said. Parents are also reluctant about their wards applying to these colleges, which have a dubious record. “If a student takes admission this year and the recognition of the college is again withdrawn next year, where would he go?

“What if he is not able to secure a transfer to a better college because of his associated with a defamed college? It would reflect poorly on their career record,” said Sujit Kumar Panda, a parent.

The rest of the four colleges — New Age Plus Two Science College, Jaya Krushna College, Tamando, (both in Bhubaneswar), Sri Baladev Jew Mahila (Junior) Mahavidyalaya, Buguda and Supriya (Junior) College, Bhaliagada, Rangeilunda — are still debarred.