Kalady: The Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady has decided to expel eight students who got admission to a post-graduate Master of Arts course despite not clearing the qualifying Bachelor of Arts programme.
The MA students, who have not submitted their BA certificates, have been given time till Friday to submit these. Those who do not submit their certificates will not be allowed to continue their studies.
The next syndicate meet will decide on taking action against the university staff who were responsible for these students securing the post-graduate admission. It is suspected that the failed students would not have got admission without the knowledge of the teachers and other employees concerned.
The admission loophole
The Sanskrit University has a provision that permits students, who are awaiting the BA final-year results, to apply for the MA course. This is because the results of the BA final semester would not have been declared when the PG applications are often invited.
Students who have cleared five of the six semesters of their BA course and have appeared for the sixth-semester exam are eligible to apply for the MA course. Those who have secured MA admission in this manner have to clear the sixth semester and submit the BA certificate before December 31.
Taking advantage of this provision, some students who had failed in the previous semesters got admission for MA. After this issue came to limelight, around 30 students, who had secured admission like this, dropped out of the studies.
Vice-Chancellor in-charge Dr M K Jayaraj ordered the expulsion of eight students who were continuing their PG studies. Dr Jayaraj is the Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University but also holds the charge as V-C of the Sanskrit University.
The University allegedly conducted a re-appearance exam so that the students who had failed to clear BA could pass. The order was issued on the day the former VC's tenure ended. But retired VC Dr Dharmaraj Adat has said that no order had been issued to conduct such an exam.