JU allows admission to dropouts

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 27

The admission process for undergraduate courses in degree colleges of Jammu was concluded today amid a high drama after a notification issued by the University of Jammu (JU) allowed admission to dropout students, irrespective of the number of dropout years.

The notification, issued a few days back, was circulated to all government and non-government degree colleges instructing them to admit eligible candidates to the first semester, without giving a mention about the duration of their gap-period.

Sources claimed that after the notification there was a heavy rush of candidates with dropout cases, which badly hampered the admission of fresh candidates for the academic session 2016-17.

“Earlier, before the commencement of admissions, it was decided that the dropout cases only of academic session 2015-16 will be considered but the notification had virtually opened gates for cases wherein there was no mention about the number of years,” a source said.

“The adjustment of students of the 2015-16 academic session was very difficult along with fresh admission seekers. It was also mentioned in the notification that dropout students seeking admission were treated at par with fresh candidates and not under second preference. Isn’t it a mockery of admission process by the JU authorities who succumbed under students’ pressure so easily?” he maintained.

“It was difficult for fresh aspirants to seek admission in the new academic session because of heavy rush of dropout students,” said Manish, an aspirant. “Even the students who had earlier taken admission in session 2010-11 also approached college authorities for fresh admission after the issuance of JU notification,” he claimed.

“The colleges are already admitting aspirants more than their intake capacity and with the admission of dropouts this year after the notification, it is likely to create a chaos like situation,” a college official said.

Prof Keshav Sharma, Registrar, JU, told The Tribune that the decision was taken by JU in the best interest of students. When asked whether the admission of dropout students would bring extra burden on the colleges, he said “No, there will be nothing like that”.

Pertinently, around 40,000 aspirants had applied for admission to pursue undergraduate programmes in the academic session 2016-17. The first cut-off list by colleges was issued on June 27 followed by second and third list on July 3 and 10 respectively. After that, the admission process was started.