The Directorate of Admissions and Competitive Examinations (DoACE), Office of Dean Academic Affairs and Directorate of IT and SS of the Kashmir University are jointly battling the outcry triggered by a botched up Post-Graduate admission process in the varsity more than six months after the admission notification number 01 was issued.
As per the notification on-line applications were invited from eligible candidates (Bachelors) for appearing in the Kashmir University Entrance Test (KUET) for various PG programmes.
The said admission notification issued by the Admission Directorate on May 19 of 2021 invited applications for 41 Masters Programmes being offered in the University, while mentioning the necessary eligibility criteria for these programmes for Open Merit and Reserved Category aspirants.
“Candidates who have passed their qualifying examination under Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) are eligible/can apply for admission to PG Programme/s only in subjects where he/she has earned/obtained at least 24 credits in Core or Generic Elective Courses at the UG level,” the admission notification number 1 read.
After holding the Entrance Test and admitting candidates to various PG programmes, and after having issued the selection lists as well, it has now come to the fore that after completion of one full semester of the 2021 admission process several candidates who have passed their qualifying examination under CBCS, have been admitted to various PG programmes despite not possessing the minimum 24 credits in the Core or Generic Elective Courses at the UG level.
In one department, where this discrepancy was detected initially, such candidates (at least 20) who did not possess the minimum 24 credits were categorically denied admission.
However, this did not happen with other departments where more candidates (some say the figure is over 100) were admitted under this botched up admission process, raising questions over the sanctity and credibility of the entire admission process at the Valley’s highest seat of learning.
Officials at the KU have now constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Dean Academic Affairs Prof Farooq Masoodi to decide on the fate of these illegal and unconstitutional admissions.
Whatever the outcome of the committee, the concerned university authorities cannot escape the blame for this serious botch up which has marred the merit of hardworking aspirants who deserved the admission in place of the undeserving candidates.
“After studying hard for the KU Entrance Test (KUET) and even after possessing the necessary academic credits, we couldn’t make it to the final selection because some other candidates who were not eligible as per admission norms figured in the final selection in a very shoddy manner,” said a group of KUET aspirants who possessed good academic credits in the qualifying examination under CBCS.
The candidates said it was not merely a human error because the University invited online applications and it was expected that this online system would be fool-proof. “But it has proved to be a damp squib. We are devastated,” the aggrieved aspirants said.
“How did the Online System of the University accept application forms of candidates with less than 24 credits? Why didn’t it reject such forms. Either the Online System of the University was grossly flawed or it was tampered with easily to facilitate entry of ineligible candidates,” they asked
The aggrieved candidates said they were not in favour of cancellation of admission of ineligible candidates. “We only want officials who messed up this whole admission process to be punished for slaying our merit and prospect of making it to PG programmes,” the candidates said.
The students said they do not want this to happen with anyone else in future. “The J&K Lieutenant Governor should ensure strict punishment to such irresponsible officials who play with the career of hardworking youth,” the aggrieved aspirants said.
Officials in the University of Kashmir, however, are passing the buck rather than fixing the responsibility for this never-seen-before discrepancy and lapse which smacks of an academic ineptitude in the University.
“First, this Online Admission System has been developed in-house by the University’s Directorate of Information Technology and Support System. It shouldn’t have accepted any forms under CBCS category having less than 24 credits as per the terms and conditions listed in the Admission Notification 01. How did it happen is the primary question,” said one Head of the Department, who wished not to be quoted by name.
Secondly, he said, the Admission Directorate should have checked these credits much before issuing the final selection lists.
“The office of Dean Academic Affairs should also have stepped in at the right time to evaluate the whole admission process well in time to avert this kind of a serious situation which has brought into question the whole admission process in the University and tarnished its credibility among people,” the HOD said.
A top officer in KU’s office of Dean Academic Affairs, who wished to remain anonymous, said this (24-credit requirement for PG admission) was incorporated from the previous academic session for the first time so that the student has a sound base of his/her subject at PG.
“(But) probably the software from our side did not have this (option of 24-credits); otherwise this software could have barred such candidates from submitting their application forms,” he said.
He claimed this problem has come up in some language departments.
“The figure (of such admissions) is also not as high, it is less,” he said.
However, Dean Academic Affairs KU Prof Farooq Masoodi, when contacted, said he would certainly wish to fix the responsibility in this case (of admission botch up) “if my apex authorities direct me to do so,” thus acknowledging the gravity of the issue.
Another top administrator at KU also said this credit system (of 24 credits) was introduced for the first time in KU.
“These candidates in some language subjects were otherwise eligible and had qualified the Entrance Examination also, but later on it surfaced that they were short of some credits and had still made it in the final selection,” he said.
He said a committee has been constituted by the university to examine the matter. “We are waiting for its recommendations to proceed further. The committee recommendations are expected within a week’s time,” he said.
However, the aggrieved aspirants, while asserting that the university must take a lenient view of such admissions, said “even if it is one candidate who has been admitted or it is only one department where he/she has been admitted, it is still unjustified and completely against the admission policy.”
The aspirants said it was irrelevant whether they were short of only one credit or 10 credits or 20 credits or whether it is a language or non-language department.
“We have lost one year for none of our faults and for the next year we are not sure whether we will make it or not. Students believe in the University system, but it is sad that even this so-called online system is not genuine,” the aggrieved aspirants said.
The aspirants said it is also not true that these students belong to only language departments. “Amongst these entries, one non-language department candidate who has done his graduation from an outside J&K institution is short of at least 10 credits,” an aspirant claimed.
Whatever the arguments and defense, it is important for the Kashmir University to restore the credibility and sanctity of its admission process which has taken a huge hit with this lapse and discrepancy.
It must fix the responsibility before people lose faith in its admission process.