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Journalism of Courage
PUNE, MAY 19: Even as the Vice-Chancellor of University of Pune Dr Arun Nigavekar urged the 45-odd college principals to apply for an academic audit by the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC), the admission process to senior degree-level courses was widely discussed at a meeting held at Fergusson College on Tuesday.
As per the Maharashtra Universities Act ’94, the university is required to frame the rules six months prior to the commencement of the admission process. For the last three years, uncertainty has always prevailed over the admission process to the first year degree-level courses, principals pointed out.
“It’s always a wait and watch game,” several principals rued while stating that either the State Government issued a circular which created panic about the its proper implementation. While the two broad guidelines of merit and the reservation policy are followed while admitting students, much confusion has prevailed as students of junior colleges attached to senior divisions have to go through anxious moments as they are not assured a seat in their own college.
Can the university and college representatives sit across the table and chalk out a plan of action and evolve some kind of machinery to regulate the process for the next academic year?, queried principals who objected to the “trial and error” system that they had been following over the years.
Among the other issues that were taken up included the dwindling number of students opting for the commerce and science streams and the urgent plea by the principals to check the trend. Apart from stressing on the importance of the credibility of the educational system, Nigavekar also highlighted the need to take steps to raise financial resources to aid the students and faculty. Nigavekar pointed out that schemes of the University Grants Commission (UGC) were not availed of because principals were not aware of them.
