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JU teachers' apex body opposes WBJEE board's decision to hold 'decentraliised' counselling
JU teachers' apex body opposes WBJEE board's decision to hold 'decentraliised' counselling
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Kolkata, The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association on Friday opposed the WBJEE board's decision to conduct decentralised counselling, saying the move could deprive meritorious students already admitted to engineering colleges of an opportunity to upgrade to their preferred departments.
In a statement, JUTA said the directive on decentralised counselling had raised "profound questions" about fairness and the admission process.
The teachers' body said students who had already secured seats in engineering colleges or universities would no longer be eligible for upgrade, while vacant seats would be made available to lower-ranked candidates who had not secured admission elsewhere.
"This implies that high-ranking students already admitted to the university or other relatively prestigious colleges and institutes are on the verge of losing the opportunity to get into their preferred departments," JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy said.
The leading professors' association argued that the opportunity for upgrade should first be offered to students with higher ranks, as they had participated in the admission process with that expectation from the outset.
"How can they be deprived halfway through the process?" the association asked, arguing that bypassing higher-ranked candidates in favour of lower-ranked students was contrary to the principles of natural justice.
JUTA questioned whether such a rule could be justified either morally or legally, saying that filling vacant seats in universities like JU in this manner could result in "grave injustice" to meritorious students as well as educational institutions.
The association also raised objections to provisions allowing admission to engineering colleges based on class 12 board examination marks.
"Why will WBJEE board allow students to get admitted to engineering colleges or universities based on class 12 marks when admission is supposed to be based on marks and ranks obtained in the WBJEE?" it asked.
According to JUTA, such a provision would amount to a dilution of the prescribed eligibility and merit criteria.
The teachers' body also questioned how the authorities would establish parity between WBJEE and JEE-Main scores while preparing a common merit list, pointing out that the two examinations have different levels and evaluation processes.
JUTA said that, preferably, JEE-Main results should be given priority for students seeking admission to engineering courses in government or private institutions, with WBJEE results considered thereafter.
"In the interest of education," JUTA demanded an immediate review and withdrawal of the notification and said every student should be allowed to participate in the decentralised counselling process.
The association said the admission process should ensure fairness and protect the interests of students who had secured higher ranks in the entrance examination.
Higher Education Minister Jannath Chattopadhyay could not be contacted for his comment.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
