Dearth of quota clarity leaves EWS seats empty at Lucknow University

LUCKNOW: Out of 304 seats allotted in undergraduate courses at Lucknow University under the economically weaker section (EWS) quota, applications have been received for only 108.
Candidates and teachers are citing lack of awareness, inadequate publicity and delay in issuance of certificates by the district administration as the main reasons behind the lukewarm response.
There are 3,048 undergraduate seats at LU of which 10% are reserved for EWS candidates. The admission process is almost over, but 77% of these reserved seats had no claimants till this report was filed on Wednesday.
Many candidates didn't click on the EWS option in the online form as they did not have the mandatory certificate in hand while applying. "We were afraid of being denied admission altogether if we were unable to submit the quota certificate," said a candidate, not willing to be named.
Gitika Upadhyay, a BSc candidate who got selected under the EWS category, said there was confusion over eligibility, as the district administration did not clarify the same to candidates who did rounds of tehsils for certificates. "Hence, many did not opt for the quota. I, however, took a chance and got lucky. I have already applied for the EWS certificate and will submit the same to LU as soon as it is issued to me," she added.
Teachers feel the provision of reserved seats was not properly promoted by the government. Lucknow University Teachers' Association (LUTA) president Neeraj Jain said, "The reservation policy should have been publicised in a better way by the state and its academic institutions, so that no deserving applicant missed the opportunity."
Dean of student welfare at LU Dhruvsen Singh argued that every new provision took time to reach the masses. "The case is same with EWS (quota). Many candidates are still not aware of what the quota is and how it can be availed of," he said.
Singh maintained that many candidates had more queries about funds and scholarships for underprivileged students than the EWS admission quota.
He added that faculty members in different university departments had spread the word about seat reservations, but their reach was understandably limited.