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“Suddenly, there are no seats.”
- MA Student, Jawaharlal Nehru University
When Jawaharlal Nehru Universtiy (JNU) released its much delayed prospectus for the academic year 2017-2018, it led to shock and disbelief in the student community across India.
Furthermore, the entrance exam has been delinked from the interview for MPhil/PhD candidates; which means that despite scoring well in the entrance exam, the admission of a candidate will be dependent on a candidate’s performance in the oral interview.
While the JNU administration maintains that these changes are according to the UGC regulations specified in the 5 May 2016 notification, students of the University say that this move jeopardises the socially inclusive nature of the University.
In the new session, there are no seats for the integrated MPhil-PhD course in physical sciences, computational and integrative sciences. Reputed centres like the Centre for Historical Studies and English Studies will also not take a single MPhil or PhD seat this year.
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The cut in seats in MPhil/PhD was expected in JNU after the Delhi HC dismissed the students’ plea against the UGC notification dated 5 May 2016. But no one expected the number of seats would be slashed so drastically.
This is what has ostensibly led to the reduction in number of seats. Speaking to The Quint, AK Poddar, Assistant Registrar (Admission) of JNU says,
But the faculty at JNU argue that the prospectus is in ‘complete violation of the observance of the UGC regulation’ since it is the academic body which can decide the number of research students in the University. Ayesha Kidwai, President of the JNUTA says,
But why wasn’t the Academic body in JNU consulted before making the cuts?
AK Poddar explains the decision of the administration and says,
Meanwhile, the students are angry at the administration for not increasing the number of professors and associate professors in the University. As Mohit K Pandey, President of JNUSU says, “The high quality of research in JNU will suffer a setback. There are vacant seats lying in the University, why should the students suffer for the fault of the JNU admin?”
This year, the JNU admission process will be a two-step process for MPhil and PhD students; a qualifying entrance exam and an oral interview, which will effectively decide the admission of a candidate. The 100% weightage given to an oral interview is a departure from previous years, when the final score would include a percentage of the qualifying exam too. And it is a move which will negatively impact candidates from marginalised backgrounds looking for admission in JNU.
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Shreya Roy Chowdury of Scroll.in writes that as per the 2012 JNU committee, which was formed to look into allegations of discrimination in viva in the university, “the gap in performance between general and reserved category students was wider in the case of viva-voce than the written test.”
Now prospective candidates stare at 100% viva weightage.
‘Deprivation points’ are a maximum of 12 points which are given to candidates from certain districts of India; which are specified on the basis of female illiteracy, percentage of agricultural workers, rural population, and households having no latrine within its premises. Kashmiri migrants and transgender candidates are also eligible for these points which are given for each education level attained by the candidate.
It has been an old practice in JNU to encourage students from weaker sections of society to attain higher education. In 2017-18 though, ‘deprivation points’ are no longer applicable for MPhil/PhD students. As Mohit K Pandey says, it is a move which is being seen as an “attempt to destroy JNU’s model of social inclusion”.
On 2 March 2017, Jawaharlal Nehru University was awarded the annual Visitor’s award for the ‘Best University.’ During the ceremony, the President lauded JNU for ‘its unrelenting pursuit of academic excellence.’ But in the face of dwindling research students, will JNU be able to pursue academic excellence? Will the new UGC regulations make higher education and research inaccessible for a student from a marginalised community in India?
With its principles of social justice and inclusion being eroded at the base, will Jawaharlal Nehru University survive?
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)