Only 255 PU students clear fellowship exams in 2017-18

Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 14

Just 255 students from Panjab University had cleared fellowship/entrance exams in 2017-18, according to a report prepared by the university’s Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC).

The examinations include the Agriculture Research Scientist-NET; the University Grants Commission-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (UGC-CSIR) National Eligibility Test (NET); Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET); Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE); Common Admission Test (CAT); Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT); Indian Engineering Services (IES) exam; and various civil services examinations and also tests for military service.

It is based on reports provided by various departments for the purpose of preparing PU’s report for the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF)-2019. The information will be submitted before the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for the rankings in 2019 as parameter for performance in exams.

UIPS, best-performing dept

The best-performing department at the university was the UIPS where 43 students were reported to have cleared GPAT and two cleared CAT.

From the PU Regional Centre at Ludhiana, 27 students cleared CAT.

Maximum number of students (20) from the Economics Department cleared NET. One student from the department also cleared the Indian Economic Services Examination and two cleared civil services exams.

The Political Science Department has 16 students clearing NET; Zoology and School of Communication Studies (SCS) have 10 each; Geology has nine, Microbiology has four; Computer Sciences, Anthropology and Social Work have three each, while Sanskrit and Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology have two each.

A total of eight students were reported to have cleared various civil services examinations from PU. Three cleared exams for entry into military.

The University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology (UICET) reported 13 students to have cleared GATE.

Seventeen students from Dr HS Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital cleared the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS).

As many as 62 departments either have nil contribution or did not report to the IQAC about their students clearing the exams. Prominent among those include University School of Open Learning (USOL), University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), University Institute of Applied Management Sciences (UIAMS), University Business School (UBS), Physics, Public Administration, Punjabi, Sociology, Music, Mathematics, Laws, History, Hindi, English, Bio-Chemistry, Bio-Physics, Botany, Chemistry, Education and Department of Evening Studies.

Reasons

There are various reasons for less number of students clearing examinations other than conducted for academic courses. “Either the department does not keep a track of its students achievements or it does not report the achievements of its students,” said Prof Rajivlochan, Director, IQAC.