UNCERTAINTY RULES the campus over under-graduate and post-graduate admission tests of Allahabad University (AU) for the new session. While in the past, the entire admission process and details of the admission programme used to get finalised by this time of the year, this time round even the rough sketch of the admission tests has not been finalised, thanks to delay in the framing of the requisite new ordinances and finalising of the minutes of the all-important March 26 meeting of the varsity's admission committee.
With the AU Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe being on leave till April 16, it is apprehended that the admissions could get delayed by as much as a month-and-a-half and, insiders fear, it could even affect the new academic session.
In the past, AU had ailed by late academic sessions and it took a lot of efforts on the part of the authorities to get it back on track and ensuring that admissions, classes, examinations and declaration of results took place as per the set academic calendar. However, this year, the second admission test to take place in the varsity after its attaining the Central status seem set for a delay.
Last year, by the time the central status was conferred on AU, the admission process was already underway and it was decided to complete it as per the old ordinances and have the next admission tests as per the new ordinances. But till date the framing of ordinances, especially those concerning the admission process, are yet to be completed.
As a result, neither the admission advertisements that appeared by March end every year have been published nor are there hopes of the sale of admission forms beginning by second week of April as done in the past. Till date, all the varsity has been able to do is appoint directors for the various admissions tests. The VC on March 8 had announced the appointment of Prof AP Sinha as the director of the Under-Graduate Admission Test, Prof A Satyanarayan as director of the Post Graduate Admission Test and Prof BP Singh as the Director of Law Admission Test.
{{/usCountry}}As a result, neither the admission advertisements that appeared by March end every year have been published nor are there hopes of the sale of admission forms beginning by second week of April as done in the past. Till date, all the varsity has been able to do is appoint directors for the various admissions tests. The VC on March 8 had announced the appointment of Prof AP Sinha as the director of the Under-Graduate Admission Test, Prof A Satyanarayan as director of the Post Graduate Admission Test and Prof BP Singh as the Director of Law Admission Test.
{{/usCountry}}Following this, a meeting of the AU admission committee was also held on March 26 and a number of important decisions taken. However, the minutes of this meeting are yet to be finalised and the VC has proceeded on a long leave in the meantime. As a result, only after the VC returns and signs the minutes can the process move a little forward even though issues regarding admissions under Urdu quota, reduction of seats and admissions of employees' wards are not yet clear.
The VC has already appointed a committee under Dean (Arts) Prof KG Srivastava to decide on the issues and its report would have to be considered before finalising the admission process. Moreover, with the new Act making no mention of the admission committee, its recommendations would need the approval of the Academic Council and then the Executive Council before being brought into force.
While people directly involved with the admission tests confess that unless all points are cleared it is impossible to even print the admission bulletins as they need to mention everything clearly in them. When contacted, the acting AU Vice-Chancellor Prof Janak Pandey admitted that delay was taking place but said, "The university is determined to begin its admission process after getting all points sorted out at the earliest."