The Pondicherry Central University has ruled out 25% reservation for local students as demanded by major political parties in the Union Territory.
Addressing his first press conference here on Tuesday since assuming office in November last year, Pondicherry University Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh said no Central University followed a reservation policy exclusively for local students.
Asked about a recent resolution passed in the Assembly seeking reservation for local students, Mr. Singh said there was no clause about providing reservation to local students in the agreement reached between the territorial administration and university during the land transfer.
“There is no scope for any reservation except for the statutory ones,” he said. When asked about reservation for local students in certain departments, he said those were given during the the university’s inception.
CAT scores
The university has decided to admit students in the programmes of Management Studies and International Business from the next academic year based on their scores in the Common Admission Test (CAT).
The university will short-list candidates based on their CAT scores and invite them for the selection process, scheduled in the third week of March 2019.
Applicants are advised to check the university website, www.pondiuni.edu.in.
In the last four years, students were admitted to the five MBA courses based on scores obtained in the entrance test conducted by the university.
However, they will conduct their own entrance test for Banking Technology, Tourism Studies and Insurance Management course.
The admission procedure was changed as the university felt the entrance test conducted by CAT was more competitive and it would be helpful to get more academically sound students.
Also because recruitment agencies and firms gave preference to students who cleared CAT examination, he said.
Annually 80 to 85% of the MBA students got placed in companies, he added.
The university has given in-principle approval to establish Sri Aurobindo Chair, Dr Karunanidhi Chair and Tamil School of Language and Performing Arts before the next academic year.
‘No saffronisation’
On the strike by students seeking better hostel amenities and against alleged attempt to “saffronise” the university campus, he said, “There were a few issues earlier. The university is on the move now. A lot of things are being done to improve the academic and infrastructure facilities. There is no scope for saffronisation.”
“The students are free to take part in union activities, but the university will not encourage political activism on the campus”, the Vice-Chancellor added.