Entrance tests must go

  THANK GOD, good sense has prevailed over the Punjab government. It has abolished the system of admission to the universities and colleges on the basis of tests. Will the other governments follow suit? It is a million-dollar question!

With the introduction of entrance tests, a professional career has become just a matter of luck. Not to speak of admission to an engineering, MBBS, MBA, MCA, law or commerce course, even for getting admission to an arts course there is an entrance test. It is very difficult to clear entrance tests. When seats are 20 and applicants are 20,000 what can a student even with 97 per cent marks do?

The mad rush for becoming a doctor, engineer, executive or a CA has emptied the pockets of an average Indian. One entrance test costs more than Rs 2000.

Today the education system has gone beyond the reach of the common man.

Entrance tests are only helping in the exploitation of the common man. It is high time policy-makers decide to bury it forever.

VILAS KUMAR
Chandigarh

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Library needs lavatory

Shimla has a good library called the State Library. It has a reasonably good collection of books, old as well as the ones not so old. The collection is kept in two separate wings. The main wing located near The Ridge itself holds the comparatively new publications along with a few daily newspapers and a lot of magazines, especially those catering for the young. It has, in addition, a good reference section.

The second wing, located near the Central Telegraph Office, has some rare books. Here one can sit and read for hours. Unfortunately, this wing has no urinal or lavatory. While male readers manage their urgency quietly in the open in one of the nearby corners, women readers have to undergo inconvenience.

Keeping in mind the good collection of old reference books in the second wing, it is highly desirable that the authorities concerned make immediate arrangement for a lavatory for women, if not for men as well.

K. L. NOATAY
Shimla

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B'deshis as fundamentalists

This refers to the article "Killers of Mujibur Rahman" by Mr Kuldip Nayar (November 25) in which he has stated that "He (the Bangladeshi) has punished dictators and revolted against fundamentalists." However, the facts are just the opposite. Bangladeshis are more fundamentalists than their Punjabi counterparts. They were the first to indulge in communal killings in Calcutta (known as the great Calcutta killings) and Navakhali. They spontaneously responded to the call of "Direct Action" in 1946 by Jinnah and the Muslim League to obtain Pakistan.

Since the Punjabi Muslim was dominating all fields, including the armed forces after the creation of Pakistan, the Bengali Muslim was feeling suppressed. The fight was between two groups for their own selfish ends, and not because Bangladeshis are liberal.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

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Magadh University

Apropos of the news-item "Scam in Education Department" (Nov 19) in which Magadh University, Bihar, has been mentioned as an unrecognised institution, I want to draw your attention to the fact that Magadh University's name is included in the list of the recognised universities issued by the UGC. Moreover, the Equivalency Calendar of Panjab University, Chandigarh, also accords full recognition to the examinations conducted by Magadh University.

The Governor of Bihar, Mr Sunder Singh Bhandari, being its Chancellor, the courses and degrees of this university are fully recognised by the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Bar Council of India, and the Central as well as state governments for purposes of further study and jobs.

The UGC has identified about 45 fake universities. Strangely enough, the UGC Act, 1956, vide its Section 24, lays down a fine of just Rs 1,000 for running fake universities. Educational offences should not be taken so lightly. A deterrent punishment should be stipulated for those running education shops called universities.

SHASHI K. BEDI
National General Secretary,
Shiv Sena
Jalandhar