Disputable decisions at minister's Calicut University adalat too

Kozhikode: Amid the controversy over awarding grace marks to a failed BTech student in MG University following an adalat inaugurated by higher education minister K T Jaleel , it has emerged that a similar adalat – –chaired by the minister in Calicut University too – –had taken many questionable decisions.

The adalat held at CU on March 2 had led to regularising an irregular MSc Physics admission secured by a student without minimum 50% marks at Palakkad Victoria College years ago, despite the varsity turning down the student’s plea several times earlier.

The issue was presented in the academic council meeting earlier this month as per the minister’s directive after the student, who secured admission through sports quota, approached him at the adalat.

Also, it was on the basis of the decision taken at the adalat that the syndicate decided to allow people who left colleges a quarter century ago (from 1995 onwards) to write special supplementary exams. Academics have said that the decision would affect the confidentiality of the exam and lead to issues with providing new degree certificates to the candidates.

Another decision taken as per the resolution of the adalat was allowing BTech students of 2004 and 2009 admissions to take one special internal improvement exam and to consider the highest internal mark scored by the candidate as the internal marks for the internal improvement session.

Many academics said that taking decisions in adalats attended by the minister and imposing them on the academic bodies of the varsity impinge on the autonomy of the varsities. They said that many decisions have led to allegations of adalats being used as platforms to dilute varsity’s rules to serve special interests and has become a short cut to dole out concessions to select students.

“We have seen cases in which adalat is used to push many agenda items which had been rejected by the varsity. The decision to regularize the MSc Physics admission of the student, who didn’t have the minimum eligibility, was rejected by the varsity several times and the varsity section concerned had also pointed out that certificates submitted by him to prove his sport credentials were not as prescribed by the varsity. But all those objections were overruled to regularize the admission saying that it was approved by the adalat,” an academic council member of the varsity said. Former syndicate member R S Panikkar said that it was unfortunate that such adalats, held earlier to resolve grievances of students arising out of bureaucratic bottlenecks, are now being used to advance special interests and even interfere in the administration of the varsities.