JNU Admission Policy: University's Stand On Weightage In Admission 'Illegal', Says ASG
New Delhi:
JNU's stand of giving weightage to written and oral exams in the ratio of 80:20 for admissions in M.Phil and PhD courses was today termed as "illegal" by its own lawyer in the Delhi High Court, who claimed the decision was taken "under pressure" from agitating students. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), told the court that it was an "illegal decision" and the Vice Chancellor (VC) had taken the step "under pressure" from and "hooliganism" of agitating students.
The students are opposing a UGC notification to cap at eight the number of students per professor to undertake the M.Phil and PhD courses in the university.
The UGC norms prescribe that 100 per cent weightage should be given to viva-voce (oral exam) for taking admissions in these courses, while JNU currently follows the 80:20 or 70:30 weightage to written and viva-voce.
The varsity in its affidavit had said it has modified the weightage prescribed by UGC for admission to the two courses.
But the stand was opposed by the ASG, who represented JNU.
Justice V K Rao, who was hearing the arguments, observed that what was argued in court by JNU "was not in consonance with what was filed in the affidavit".
The court reserved its judgement after hearing arguments of JNU and of the students challenging the admission policy formulated pursuant to the notification. The students have also challenged the procedure followed for adopting the notification, issued on May 5, 2016.
Senior advocate Arvind Nigam, appearing for the students, said the varsity cannot resile from its affidavit and asked whether the VC had filed the document in court under duress.
He said if the weightage criteria can be modified it shows that the UGC notification was open to "tweaking" to suit the needs of the varsity.
Nigam also said that if the cap of a total of eight students was implemented from this academic year, it would result in a "zero year", that is no admissions, in various courses for the current and coming years.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The students are opposing a UGC notification to cap at eight the number of students per professor to undertake the M.Phil and PhD courses in the university.
The UGC norms prescribe that 100 per cent weightage should be given to viva-voce (oral exam) for taking admissions in these courses, while JNU currently follows the 80:20 or 70:30 weightage to written and viva-voce.
The varsity in its affidavit had said it has modified the weightage prescribed by UGC for admission to the two courses.
But the stand was opposed by the ASG, who represented JNU.
Justice V K Rao, who was hearing the arguments, observed that what was argued in court by JNU "was not in consonance with what was filed in the affidavit".
The court reserved its judgement after hearing arguments of JNU and of the students challenging the admission policy formulated pursuant to the notification. The students have also challenged the procedure followed for adopting the notification, issued on May 5, 2016.
Senior advocate Arvind Nigam, appearing for the students, said the varsity cannot resile from its affidavit and asked whether the VC had filed the document in court under duress.
He said if the weightage criteria can be modified it shows that the UGC notification was open to "tweaking" to suit the needs of the varsity.
Nigam also said that if the cap of a total of eight students was implemented from this academic year, it would result in a "zero year", that is no admissions, in various courses for the current and coming years.
Click here for more Education News
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
