By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University, first time in its history, is going to conduct admission tests for various courses at some outside centres besides its campus.
Keeping aside objections to its 17th January, 2008 decision regarding holding admission tests at Bhopal, Kolkata, Pune and Kozikode also, AMU administration has made it clear that admission tests will be held at those centres as scheduled. However, to avert any legal tangle to its decision, AMU approached the Supreme Court on 16th April seeking clarification from the apex court.
Giving details of the entire issue, a statement issued by the university on 17th April said the AMU Executive Council at its meeting held on 17th January 2008 had unanimously resolved to hold admission tests at those centres in addition to Aligarh for admission to MBBS/BDS, B.Tech./B.Arch. and class XI/Diploma in Engineering courses. The decision was approved at the Executive Council meeting held on 8th March 2008. At the end of the meeting, however, some members expressed apprehension about the admission test centres outside Aligarh and felt that the matter should be fully examined at a special meeting of the Executive Council.
So a special meeting was held on 31st March wherein it was reported to the Executive Council that the last date for submission of applications for majority of courses like MBBS, BDS, B.Tech. and MBA was over by 15th March and the Hall Tickets were under preparation. At the meeting it was felt that it would not be advisable to withdraw the decision in the interest of students and parents who have applied from different parts of India. But, the matter was put to detailed deliberation. Majority of the members were of the view that the 17th January decision should not be reversed.
The press release says that the objections raised by some members of the Executive Council over the decision did not carry any force in the light of the Ordinances (Academic) as amended up to 2007. No violation of any sort is involved in the decision to conduct admission test at centres outside Aligarh. Hence, the Executive Council, with a majority vote, upheld its decision taken on 17th January.
However, AMU called an special emergency meeting of the Executive Council on 8th April to consider the question whether opening of new entrance examination centres at different places outside Aligarh will have the effect of disturbing the status quo which AMU is bound to maintain as per the Supreme Court order dated 24.04.2006. The Executive Council considered the opinion of learned Justice Saghir Ahmad, Retired Judge in Supreme Court and Member of the Executive Council in this regard. The Executive Council appreciated the points raised by Justice Saghir Ahmad and resolved unanimously to seek a clarification from the Supreme Court. The university has made it clear that it would abide by the directives from the Apex Court.
In the meantime, the university is rigorously working to conduct the admission test as per the directives of the Supreme Court. It is preparing detailed contingency plans to conduct the admission tesst at five centres in the country if permitted by the Supreme Court or conduct the tests at Aligarh itself. Vice-Chancellor Prof. PK Abdul Azis clarified that the administration was taking all steps to conduct the admission tests in the best tradition of the Aligarh Muslim and assured candidates that there was no need to worry about the admission tests.