Admission to PhD courses in the 100-year-old Osmania University have once again run into controversy. And this time, it is reportedly under pressure from aspirants.
The department of Business Management, University College of Commerce and Business Management, OU, added 19 candidates to the second merit list, against four permitted vacancies. This has now snowballed into a controversy and has cast a shadow on PhD admissions to other departments as well.
Close to 400 applications were received from candidates seeking admission to the PhD course. The PhD selection committee, which scrutinized applications and held interviews of the candidates, had sent the first list to the university. The issue began with the university announcing the first list with about 70 candidates being admitted to the PhD programme.
Aggrieved over not getting admission, several aspirants and some student leaders approached the administration alleging discrepancies in the seat allotment. The varsity authorities constituted a grievance committee, which recommended four admissions over and above the first merit list. Taking this as a shot in the arm, the aspirants reportedly pressured members of the PhD selection committee for admission.
Sources in the department said three committee members admitted 18 candidates to the second list without following the order of merit ‘due to compulsion’.
“While the committee had six members, three faculty members have prepared a list of 18 candidates without the consent of the rest and sent it for the administration’s approval. Some aspirants, along with student leaders, visited residences of the committee members and warned them with dire consequences if their candidate failed to get admission. So a conditional approval was given to the second list. The issue has resulted in one professor resigning from the committee as well,” a professor said.
The university authorities after scrutinizing the second list outrightly rejected it and wanted the department to send a fresh list by following the order of merit. However, to the utter surprise of the varsity officials, the department forwarded the same list, interestingly, adding one more candidate to it.
Speaking to #KhabarLive, Prof. S Ramachandram, OU Vice-Chancellor, said the second list was not approved by the varsity. “Candidates will not be given admission without merit. The university is looking into the issue and an appropriate decision will be taken soon,” Prof Ramachandram said. #KhabarLive
