Non-existent subject combination allotted

OFFICIALS AND varsity employees managing the under graduate admissions of Allahabad University (AU) at the Pravesh Bhawan seem unaware of the requisite guidelines governing the process.

Around a dozen students have been allotted a subject combination that simply does not exist in AU this year!

Surprisingly, the combination allotted to the students by the officials is not only absent in the UG admission information booklet but is also of the very department of which the BSc Admission Chairman himself belongs to.

Sources inform that at a time when the Pravesh Bhawan is buzzing with activity due to the ongoing BSc, BA and BCom admissions, the officials  concerned allotted Zoology, Chemistry and Industrial Fish and Fisheries as the subject combinations to around a dozen students of BSc (Bio) group on July 20 even though this combination has already been placed in abeyance for the current academic session.

The error came to light only when the freshers reached the Zoology Department with their subject combination for enrolment. Much to the surprise of the students, they were informed by the dealing clerk that this subject combination simply didn't exist this year.

"Worried, we again reported back at the Pravesh Bhawan and took up the matter with the officials there. After a lot of delay, we were then allotted Botany as the alternative subject," informed one of the affected students.
However, now another question has arisen over the matter. Insiders point out that these students should have been allotted subject combinations only after taking the entire merit at that moment into consideration as Botany is usually allotted to students who figure in the top of the merit list whereas Zoology, Chemistry and Industrial Fish and Fisheries is allotted to students whose merit is a lot lower.

Critics point out that if this was done, it could have been possible that many of these affected students would not even have found themselves making it past the cut-off of the merit list. They claim that chances exist that these students may have actually benefited due to official oversight but at the cost of the eligible others.

When contacted, the Head of the AU Zoology department Prof Pratima Gaur confirmed that the subject combination of Zoology, Chemistry and Industrial Fish and Fisheries has indeed been kept in abeyance for this year. She informed that the decision in this regard was taken in a meeting of the Board of Studies and that the decision was also conveyed to admission committee well in time.
"I have no information as to what has been printed in the admission information booklet and I am also not aware if any student with this combination came to my department for enrolment or not," she said.

BSc Admissions Chairman Prof Krishna Kumar said that the subject combination of Zoology, Chemistry and Industrial Fish and Fisheries has not been deliberately allotted. "The combination could have been allotted due to a printing error and some students did approach us for getting it rectified. We have done the needful and as soon as any other student reports to us with this problem, we will take care of that too," he said.