MillenniumPost
Delhi

JMI students protest against merit-based admissions this year

new delhi: Students of Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday spoke out to the administration after reports emerged that the university is considering merit-based admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses this year in case it is unable to conduct entrance tests due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jamia's student wing All India Students Association (AISA) took out a statement saying it is rejecting Jamia administration's attempt to take merit-based admission. They said that the university PRO had hinted at conducting admissions based on merit for the upcoming

sessions.

"Some aspirants noted that while uploading the marksheets on the Admission portal a message appeared which read "Merit list would be prepared based on the data entered by you here. This fairly concludes that instead of going ahead with the erstwhile model of admission via entrance test, the university administration has decided undemocratically and arbitrarily to adopt a merit-based admission process for all the courses this year, which is discriminatory and elitist," AISA

said.

Meanwhile, many students also raised the issue saying the process will not let those with modest backgrounds apply to the

university.

"Well, I completed 12th from Uttar Pradesh Board and I didn't score well, as I expected, but I was eligible for giving entrance exams. I had been preparing for it since last year and even applied for three courses. I wouldn't be able to take admission if it will be merit-based. I want the JMI administration to let us give entrance exams like it used to happen every year," said Sarah, a second-year student from the university.

A circular issued by the university's office of controller (examination) on August 20 asked candidates who had already applied to upload their marksheet on the admission portal.

The university's admission portal displays a message, saying, "Please reconfirm that you have filled all academic details properly. Merit list would be prepared based on the data entered by you here. No further claims for changes will be entertained."

Meanwhile, officials at the university said that they are still working on the final decision.

"Merit-based admissions create a huge opportunity for backdoor entry which is an unfair disadvantage for deserving students. Merit-based admission process is for privileged students — the financially sound, the upper caste, the residents of big cities and a status quoist procedure. Jamia is dominated by middle and low family income students," AISA Jamia

said.

It must be noted that 76 per cent students of Jamia hail from UP, Bihar, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. Nearly half of the students – 45.4 per cent – belong to Tier-III cities, small towns and villages, AISA

Jamia added.

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