Flouting norms for NRI seat, Government Arts College, Chandigarh, admitting 1 student less

Akashdeep Virk

Chandigarh, July 14

One of the country’s oldest institutions, Government Arts College, Sector 10, is allegedly flouting norms established for the NRI seat. According to the latest prospectus issued by the college authorities, an NRI seat has been included in all-India pool (outside UT pool) for the BFA Applied Art course.

The course has six sanctioned seats for all-India pool, three for open category, one each for SC and ST categories and one for NRI category.

However, according to the guidelines laid down by the Panjab University (its affiliating body) and Dean, International Students, Panjab University, an NRI seat is reserved ‘over and above’ of the total number of sanctioned seats.

In 2007, the Arts College college principal had written a letter to the university authorities demanding clarification whether the seat for foreign nationals shall be created over and above the sanctioned intake or reservation shall be given among the existing intake. To this, the university had replied that the seat must be reserved within the existing intake. But according to the latest rule by the Dean (International Students), the reserved NRI seat has to be ‘over and above’ the total number of sanctioned seats.

Like past years, the seat is likely to remain vacant and cannot be converted into other category as per university’s decision and the directions of the Supreme Court. Every year, this results in one less admission to the course against the sanctioned number of seats.

The college offers 60 seats under the BFA degree. The degree has been divided into five courses and each course has 15 seats with nine under UT pool category and six under all-India pool category. With 303 students competing for 24 all-India pool seats and 96 applicants competing for 36 UT pool seats this year, one admission less because of this discrepancy is a major issue.

“This practice has been followed for the last 14 years. I observed this last year when I was the part of the admissions committee. Some of us tried to bring this to Panjab University’s notice and wrote a letter demanding necessary action on it. But, we didn’t receive any reply,” said KS Sahi, a teacher of the college and president, Arts College Teachers’ Association.

Meanwhile, the principal of the college, Alka Jain, remained unavailable to comment on the issue.