Punjab AAP for fresh admission criteria for UT college admissions

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislative wing spokesperson and Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu on Wednesday demanded that all admissions being done in government and government-aided colleges in Chandigarh for the coming 2018-2019 academic session should be halted and fresh admissions done on the 60:40 ratio between Punjab and Haryana students.

“Since Chandigarh is the capital of both states, students who pass out of UT schools should also be eligible,” he said.

Sandhu described the present system “highly discriminatory to Punjab and Haryana”, despite Chandigarh being their joint capital.

“At present, 85 percent seats in government colleges are reserved for students who pass out of Chandigarh schools. Students from Punjab and Haryana schools are eligible for only the remaining 15 percent seats left open for students from rest of the country.”

He pointed out that by not having a reservation quota for BC and OBC students in college admissions, the UT Administration was violating not only the Central Government norms but also the norms of the two states and the Panjab University.

The nation-wide reservation system for SC/ST, BC and OBC should be followed, he demanded.

AAP MLA said that he was writing to the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore demanding that the admission process in all colleges be stopped till the fresh admission system which is fair to both Punjab and Haryana is rolled out.

The admission system affects as many as 10 government and government-aided colleges in Chandigarh including the Government College for Men, Government College for Girls, DAV College, SD College and SGGS College.

He urged Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take up the matter at the highest level.

Incidentally, the demand for halting the college admission process comes a day after the Punjab Chief Minister objected to Chandigarh Administration raising its own cadre of employees, thus eroding the 60 percent share in the Administration.

Responding to his concern, the UT Administrator had offered to order an audit of the employees of Chandigarh to ensure that the 60:40 ratio is maintained.

“While the concern on employees is important, the issue of college admissions in UT is even more serious as the Punjab and Haryana students are practically scooped out of the whole admission process in UT colleges,” Sandhu insisted.

UT Administration reportedly adopted the 85:15 norm for admissions only a few years ago. Sandhu also said that his party would be exploring the option of moving Punjab and Haryana High Court, if the criterion was not altered.