The Assam government has decided to withdraw its previous decision to reserve 75 per cent seats in undergraduate courses for state board pass-outs across all government-run colleges.

Key Points:

=> The board based reservation will exist in the colleges of rural areas, while seats will be open for students from all boards in the colleges in urban areas.

=> The 75% reservation of seats for Assam board students will not be applicable in urban areas. In urban areas, students from all boards will have to compete for a seat in degree courses. It will be purely on the basis of their merit.

=> The 75:25 formula for the entire state would have deprived a large number of meritorious students from a seat in undergraduate courses. But lack of clarity from the education department still persists and some of the leading city colleges.

=> Cotton University announced admission of eligible candidates into under-graduate programmes based on a set of criteria. The merit list for admission of eligible candidates will be prepared on the basis of scores from an entrance test conducted by the university.

=> The CBSE and CISCE students and their parents have expressed serious concern over reservation of 75 per cent seats in the first semester of degree courses for state board pass-outs, notified by an order of the state higher education directorate.

=> Under such circumstances, it was feared that a few private colleges in the urban areas may benefit, while many students will be compelled to move out to rural colleges in search of seats.

=> Many academicians and students are still demanding the withdrawal of board-based reservation.