Institute creates extra seat to admit NSUI member

Centre for Development Communication, which admits 22 students every year after conducting an entrance test, had to accommodate Narendrasinh Zala following Gujarat University V-C’s advice
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, July 31, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009073120090731033711437651c5d7d)
The Gujarat University (GU), it seems, has separate rules for admitting students and youths associated with political groups. The varsity’s vice-chancellor, Parimal Trivedi, recently issued an edict to an institute affiliated with the GU to offer admission to a member of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) by creating an extra seat.

The Centre for Development Communication (CDC), which admits 22 students every year after conducting an entrance test, was asked by Trivedi to accommodate NSUI member Narendrasinh Zala as the 23rd the student.

Narendrasinh, who is a former senate member of the GU, was one of the 180 students who took CDC’s entrance test on May 31. He even appeared for personal interview and group discussion at the institute. Narendrasinh could not make it to the first merit list of 22 students, but his name figured in the waiting list, which was declared earlier this month.

At least four students in the waiting list were more eligible than Narendrasinh to get admission in the institute, which teaches mass communication. Yet, surprisingly, Trivedi asked CDC’s in-charge director, Malti Mehta, to admit him by adding an extra seat. Sources in the GU claim Trivedi did this to pander to the students’ union. The sources also claim that this year, Trivedi has helped over 550 youths associated with students’ groups to get admission in various colleges.

“We usually admit 22 students, and that too strictly on merit,” Mehta said. This academic year, however, we admitted an additional student after the GU vice-chancellor advised us to do so.” Ahmedabad Mirror tried to contact Trivedi, but he was unavailable.

The chairman of a six-member committee that assists the mass communication institute to select students said that he had not seen the final merit list. “I and other members of the panel were not shown the final merit list. We have written to the GU V-C in this regard,” the panel’s chairman, Baldev Patel, said. “If a person has been given out-of-turn of admission, it is up to the institute’s director to look into the matter.”

Another member of the panel, who didn’t want to be named, said he was surprised at Narendrasinh’s inclusion. “His performance in personal interview and group discussion was quite average,” the panel member said. Meanwhile, a student whose also name figured in CDC’s waiting list said that an additional seat should be created for him, too.

“If the institute can accommodate Narendrasinh, it can also admit me,” the student, who didn’t want to be named, said. “Narendrasinh has also secured admission in a journalism course of the GU. Why is he being given special treatment?”