The Hindu : New Delhi News : Students’ outfits find fault in JNU admission policy

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Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
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Students’ outfits find fault in JNU admission policy

Parul Sharma

‘Net decrease’ in seats for research students: SFI

NEW DELHI: The two main students’ organisations at Jawaharlal Nehru University are at loggerheads with the administration over the admission policy being followed this year.

While the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has claimed that instead of a hike in the seats following an 18 per cent overall increase (including 12 per cent reservation for the Other Backward classes), there has been a “net decrease” in the seats for M.Phil/ Ph.D. this year compared with 2007-08.

On the other hand, the All-India Students’ Association (AISA) has alleged non-fulfilment of the OBC quota in the admissions.

Four SFI and as many AISA activists, including two JNU students’ union office-bearers, have been on an indefinite hunger strike to drive home their protests.

“Till last year, the seats offered were always greater than the actual intake at various centres. The University was to give admissions to all those who sought admission from the offer list. It was the offer that was the upper limit to the number of students who could join a specific programme. On the contrary, in the new system, the intake sets the upper limit,” the SFI pointed out.

However, the director of admissions, K.C. Upadhyaya, said the Academic Council had decided that there will be no offered list this time round.

“Till last year, there was an offered list to meet the shortfall. The logic was that the number of seats should be fulfilled. However, this time the Council decided to go strictly by the intake list as there has already been an expansion of 18 per cent. If we go by the offered list, how can we accommodate these extra students along with this recent increase,” he asked.

The AISA-led JNUSU has claimed that there have been “misinterpretations and violations” of the cut-off and relaxation rules for the OBC candidates.

“Despite the relaxation norms adopted by JNU, the 12 per cent OBC quota has remained unfulfilled and at many centres, not a single OBC student had been admitted. In accordance with the Supreme Court directions, a maximum relaxation of 10 points can be given to an OBC candidate,” said Sandeep Singh, JNUSU president.

In response to this claim, Prof. Upadhyaya said: “How can the eligibility requirement be the cut-off as demanded by the students? There are different eligibility criteria for different courses. We have been giving a relaxation of 10 marks to the OBCs and are following the Supreme Court guidelines properly.”

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