M A I N   N E W S

Students admitted in excess
GJU conducts CEET, keeps MDU in dark
Jatinder Sharma

Rohak, May 3
Guru Jambheshwar University (GJU) has, in a clandestine manner, admitted students in excess of the sanctioned strength to a Gurgaon-based engineering institute by allegedly keeping the affiliating university, MDU, in the dark.

Although the engineering institute is affiliated to Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), the admissions were made by the GJU after the common engineering entrance test (CEET) conducted by it last year.

Interestingly, the GJU has even gone to the extent of giving a blanket approval to the institute to adjust the excess students against possible dropouts.

Vide its letter dated December 15, 2000, it told the Director/Principal of the institute that “the excess admissions may be adjusted against any dropouts due to the withdrawal/cancellation of admission, not reporting at the institution by the prescribed date, remaining continuously absent etc.

The university has been corresponding directly with the institute without sending copies to the MDU. Due to a faux pas, the MDU registered all students admitted to the institute.

The institute, when it got affiliation with the GJU, was allowed at intake of 60 students each in the electrical and telecom engineering and computer science and engineering by the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). However, it increased the intake to 90 students before the CEET was held by the GJU.

The GJU admitted 94 students in a clandestine manner and did not inform either the MDU or the AICTE. The MDU learnt about the admissions only after it registered the students. Its communications sent to the GJU seeking clarification and reasons for the excess admissions have so far failed to evoke any response from the GJU.

An official of the AICTE told The Tribune on telephone that they were not aware of the lapse. “If the report is confirmed, action can be taken against the university and the college,” she said.

Not only this, the GJU admitted students to Baba Mastnath Engineering College, Asthal Bohar, last  year even though the MDU had imposed a ban on admissions in that institute.

The action of the GJU had embarrassed the MDU as the incident had hit the headlines. Perturbed over the adverse publicity, the GJU had ordered an inquiry into the “scandal”. The report of the inquiry, however, is still awaited.

Academicians blame the state government for this because of the frequent transfers of engineering colleges from one university to another. When the GJU was created by an Act of the state legislature on October 20, 1995, all institutes of technology, management, environment, pharmacy and energy in Haryana were affiliated to it. On July 15, 1998, all institutes affiliated to it were transferred to the MDU. Again on August 21, 2000, these colleges/institutes were re-affiliated with the GJU but again on October 31, 2000, they were brought under the jurisdiction of the MDU.