Applying online: Students in rural areas caught napping
The deadline was over even before many students in the region could apply online for seats in the coveted postgraduate courses of Panjab University in Chandigarh. May 5 was the final date for submitting forms on the Internet for sitting in the entrance tests.
The deadline was over even before many students in the region could apply online for seats in the coveted postgraduate courses of Panjab University in Chandigarh. May 5 was the final date for submitting forms on the Internet for sitting in the entrance tests. Being in the middle of final-year university examinations in this region, village students remained unaware of the offer. Also, they received no alert.
The students and their parents have now appealed the university to extend the deadline.
"Punjabi University, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar are yet to begin the intake procedure," said Sukhdev Singh, a teacher of history at Government Rajindra College. "The PU has completed its process of admission even before the finishing of final examinations in other universities of the state."
"University alerts should come online as well as in the print media," said the teacher. "Since all the prior information was online alone, most students in the region, who come from rural background and don't have the Internet, missed it. They worked three years to enter a reputed university, and now, they are disheartened."
"The advertisement, if any, didn't reach rural students," said student Talwinder Singh. "The big city candidates have an advantage. Most village students work hard through the college for this one shot at joining a good university."
Trishu, a final-year student, was disappointed that the entire procedure was online. "How will the students in villages know?" she said. Village students were least regular on the Internet and there was no alert in any of the other media, said Malkeet Singh, another final-year student.
"We want the university to extend the application deadline," said Rishi Raj, father of a final-year student. "Bachelor's-degree examinations are still on and students are busy. Many aspire to join only the PU."
"My last examination was on May 6, and on May 7, as I opened the PU website, I was shocked to find the deadline over," said Yasmine, also in final year of college. "We are not regular Internet users. Our focus was on good scores."