HYDERABAD: Eamcet-2011 for admissions into engineering and medical colleges will be held amidst tight security on May 22. Officials decided to beef up security at all entrance examination centres in the state since a gang indulging in largescale malpractice was busted last year.
At a media conference held in the city, Eamcet officials said that cellphone jammers will be installed at all the problematic centres in the state, including the ones in Kurnool, Kadapa and Tirupati. Students will be frisked before entering the examination centres. If found with any electronic device of data transfer, including cellphones and pagers, candidates will be disqualified.
In the previous year (Eamcet-2010), several students, who had registered for the medical stream of the examination, had carried bluetooth enabled cellphones to get "experts" dictate them answers from outside. A gang of medical students were arrested for organising the crime.
This year, the Eamcet authorities will also collect the thumb impression of candidates who appear for the examination to prevent incidences of impersonation. The JNTU authorities have also employed special observers to check on candidates writing the examination. Police personnel at examination centres will be doubled this year. Even district collectors will employ a team of officials to carry out random checks at examination centres.
JNTU officials said that security is being beefed up as per the instructions of the state government and AP State Council of Higher Education ( APSCHE).
The officials also said that students, who have been repeating the medical stream test for the past few years, are now under police scanner. "There are 12,247 students who are currently writing the examination year after year. The police have their biodata. This, however, will not lead to any sort of inconvenience to genuine students," said D N Reddy, vice-chancellor, JNTU and chairman, Eamcet committee. He said that students have the right to repeat the test as there is no upper age limit for medical entrance examination.
JNTU authorities said that this year a total of 2.78 lakh students will appear for the examination under engineering stream. For medical stream, 68,518 students have registered.
"Every student applying for Eamcet engineering stream would get a seat as there are about 2.8 lakh seats in colleges in the state. We are expecting a sanction of more seats from AICTE," said D N Reddy.
Eamcet officials said that the first key to Eamcet question paper will be released four days after the exam is conducted. Eamcet results (marks) will be announced within 15 days of the exam. Eamcet ranks will be announced in the first week of July.
