Students who have qualified in the Ph.D. entrance exams are finding it difficult to get registered for the course because of a spat between university officials on a new ordinance. Two students who got the first and second ranks in the Ph.D. entrance exam (Economics) conducted by Bangalore University (BU) have not been able to register for the Ph.D. programme because there is no one to guide them in the Economics faculty.
A woman candidate who secured the first rank under the reservation category in the provisional list published by the MBA department also can’t register for the Ph.D. because she can’t get a guide. Three project fellows working in the internationally recognised P. Vishnu Kamath Lab of Central College have failed to get Ph.D. registration because the university has delayed in issuing an appointment letter.
Complaints like these have flooded the office of the Bangalore University (BU) registrar (evaluation) office after the recently concluded Ph.D. admission counselling. Two years ago, when Bangalore University came out with the Ph.D. ordinance, it was seen as a model. But technical glitches in the rules and noncooperation by the faculty have ensured that even meritorious students, who have secured top ranks in the entrance exams, have not been able to enrol themselves.
Speaking to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity, a student said that the ongoing Ph.D. admission process is an example of how even after reforms some vested interests are influencing the whole Ph.D. admission process at BU.
“To put an end to the nepotism, the University had decided to hold counselling and allot guides based on the vacancies available and ranking of students. But now lecturers themselves are rejecting the students. On the other hand, the few guides who are well known internationally were not allowed to fill the vacancies. Because of the poor rapport between the registrar and vice chancellor, students are finding it tough to get a solution for their problems. As they are economically weak no one can approach the court also,” he said.
Speaking to this newspaper, Prof. K.V.Acharya, BU syndicate member said this is a classic example of misrule in the university. “If the VC had consulted with the entire faculty before bringing in the Ph.D. ordinance everybody would have joined hands with him. Now research students are paying the price for the autocratic mind-set of the VC,” he said.
“Ph.D. admission process was initiated long back. But unfortunately it is marred by a number of controversies. I hope at least now the concerned will wake up and solve the problems of the students,” he added.