GNDU extends admission deadline for rural, border area students

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, catering to a longstanding demand from students, had announced a 5 per cent reservation in undergraduate courses (except law and pharmacy) for students from rural and border areas. However, after the first round of counselling, a number of these reserved seats remained vacant, largely due to a lack of awareness among students about the reservation policy.

In a special decision on the behest of student representatives, the university has now extended the deadline for applying under this specific reservation category. Eligible students have been given a final chance to apply for the vacant seats in various courses under the rural and border area categories until July 17.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Karamjit Singh said many students either did not select the border or rural category during the application process or inadvertently missed it, due to which a significant number of seats remain vacant. “Now, these candidates are being given one last chance to register under the appropriate category. This long-pending student demand, we hope, give a new direction to the future of the youth of border and rural areas by bringing them towards higher education.”

Interested students can report to the IT Solutions Office, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bhawan (Opposite Main Library), GNDU, with their Border or Rural Area Certificate. Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr Palwinder Singh, said the university has allocated an additional 5 per cent of seats in various courses for rural and border area students. He also stated that after July 17, admissions will proceed strictly on the basis of merit and the counselling schedule will be announced on the university’s official website.

As per the university, for the border area reservation, a student must have studied in a school located within a 16-km radius of the international border for more than five years. For the rural area reservation, the student must have studied in a school situated in a rural area for at least two years.

Jaskaran Singh, a member of the student organisation Sath, said teams of volunteers have been deployed to help students from border areas with their applications. “We’ve been receiving numerous calls from students seeking assistance, and we are actively supporting them. Due to lack of awareness, many eligible students missed the opportunity. That’s why we approached the Dean and the Vice-Chancellor to request this extension,” he added.

Dr Palwinder Singh noted that the final tally of students admitted under the reserved categories will be available only after July 17.