Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Feb 2: Scores of students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday held a protest demonstration outside the Human Resource Development or HRD Ministry here demanding rollback of University Grants Commission’s admission notification which gives about 100% weightage to viva for admission in MPhil and PhD courses in central universities.
The students holding various placards were shouting against HRD Ministry and UGC which had issued the notification in May 2016. JNU adopted the notification in Dec 2016. Some students are on hunger strike at JNU demanding withdrawal of the notification.
After the protest at HRD Ministry, office bearers of JNU Students Union submitted a memorandum with the ministry.
Students’ Objections and Apprehensions
Students are apprehended that if this notification is implemented there will not just be a massive cut in seats for M.Phil/PhD, the students will also face discrimination on various backgrounds too.
The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) said this was anathema to what was proposed by the Abdul Nafey Committee, which had recommended a reduction in weightage in viva voce (interview) from 30 per cent to 15 per cent.
Before the UGC notification came, the entrance test and viva voce were given weightage of 70 and 30 per cent respectively.
“We are being pushed towards 100 per cent viva-based admission process. It will open the doors for 100 per cent discretion, discrimination and favoritism in admissions,” said JNUSU president Mohit K Pandey.
Meanwhile, JNU administration has assured the students that it will look into their demand.
“The University stands by social justice and reservation policy, and has been seeking to bring more transparency in the admission procedure. The administration also assured to look into their concerns about the new M.Phil/Ph.D Admission Policy by bringing the matter to the notice of the UGC,” the university said in a statement on Monday.
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