Students at receiving end over centralised admission process

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, May 30

Thousands of students studying in nearly 250 colleges are at the receiving end due to a deadlock between the managements of the institutes and the state government on the issue of conducting admissions through a centralised portal.

Though the Higher Education Department has rolled out a schedule for the centralised admission process, the government-aided and unaided colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Punjabi University, Patiala, and Panjab University, Chandigarh, are reportedly defiant and have resorted to direct admissions.

While the department has directed the managements to upload the seat details by tomorrow, the colleges have chosen to boycott ongoing semester examination.

As a result, the PU has postponed tomorrow’s exam and the GNDU has announced that exams would be conducted at its constituent colleges from tomorrow onwards. A list of new examination centres was released this evening.

A principal said, “After we decided to protest tomorrow, the GNDU shifted the centres to the government colleges. The Government College Teachers’ Association has written to the higher authorities that the colleges were understaffed and the exams should be postponed. Thus, the GNDU has set up centres at its constituent colleges. Private colleges have been asked to deposit question papers at the new centres.”

Dr Ajay Sareen, principal, HMV College, said, “We have to inform 400 students that tomorrow their exam will be held on the GNDU campus, Ladhewali, which is 11 km away.”

Dr Gurdev Singh, chief, Principals’ Association of GNDU Colleges, said, “Students studying at Guru Nanak College, Phagwara, have been asked to appear for the exams at GNDU College, Phillaur. The new centre does not have required infrastructure.”

Rajinder Mohan Chhina, president, Joint Action Committee of College Managements, said, “Ahead of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Education Minister Harjot Bains had promised us that they would do away with centralised admissions, but they have backtracked.”

Harjot Bains, Higher Education Minister, said, “In December 2022, the colleges had gone to the HC, which had passed the speaking orders. If they have any objection, they can appeal. Ahead of the bypoll, we just assured the JAC that we will give them a hearing.”

Principal Secretary Jaspreet Talwar said, “Schedule for centralised admissions is out and the colleges should have no issues. The private universities are not in our ambit. The staff at colleges has been trained and students can apply at several colleges with same registration.”

Won’t benefit colleges

The centralised admission process will not be successful in colleges where availability of seats in courses is much higher than the number of aspirants. It will only benefit private universities as these do not come within its ambit. — Rajinder Mohan Chhina, president, joint action committee

Will lead to transparency

The colleges have to understand that the centralised admission process is for the larger good of the students. We will get data to release scholarship schemes. It will lead to transparency. — Harjot Bains, Higher Education Minister

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