Fresh leash of life for diploma candidates, as COA urges MHRD to revisit decision

COIMBATORE : The council of architecture has shot off a letter to the higher education department under the human resource development ministry, urging it to allow diploma holders in architecture to sit for BArch examinations. The council had earlier made it mandatory for candidates to have 50% marks in physics, chemistry and mathematics to sit for the exams. 

In its earlier letter to the higher education department explaining its decision to make physics, chemistry and mathematics marks mandatory, the council had mentioned that candidates who have secured 50% aggregate marks in Plus Two or an equivalent exam with 50% score in physics, chemistry and mathematics would only be eligible for admission to the architecture course. 

The ministry, the council said, hadn’t considered the word ‘equivalent’ in its approval letter. As a result, candidates with a diploma in architecture or architectural assistantship, which are equivalent to Plus Two exam by the Centre or state, were dropped from the eligibility criteria. The council said it had received representations from stakeholders saying the move would affect the future of diploma holders in architecture. The council had already submitted a revision to the ministry to allow 10+3 architecture diploma holders with mathematics for BArch admissions.1

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While at this moment there is nothing to say which way the decision of the MHRD will swing, stakeholders nevertheless see a ray of hope. Ushma Anerao, who is the Dean of architecture at Gujarat Technological University (GTU), is one such optimist. She said a number of seats in architecture colleges go vacant, and disqualifying diploma candidates will make the situation only more acute.

She also sounded aggrieved that from last year onward the polytechnics have been teaching mathematics, in tune with the criteria set by the council for admission. But now, with change in criteria, suddenly diploma candidates find themselves ineligible mid-stream which will hurt their prospects.

There are 10 polytechnic colleges in Gujarat offering diploma course in architecture with total intake capacity of around 600.2