PU to probe controversial PhD admissions at ICS

Committee hears candidate who raised objection

LAHORE: A committee formed to review the alleged wrong answer key and marking and favouritism for the admission in the PhD programme at the Punjab University Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) held its first meeting on Monday, in which the members heard the candidate who had raised the objection to the admissions.



The candidate, Khurram Shahzad, who is also the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the PU, presented his reservations over the process, which he claimed victimised him, while also given some candidates additional marks so that they could be admitted to the PhD programme. The candidate had demanded that the full record of all the candidates be probed by the committee formed to review his case.

Shahzad had also filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the alleged favourtism and irregularities in the admission process at the PU ICS. The petitioner submitted to the court that the answer key of five objective type questions in the entrance test exam were wrong while there were confusions in other questions.

He submitted to the court that he had attempted a few of the questions with correct answers but his answers were marked wrong. The court on September 8 ordered Dean Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences to probe the matter and submit a report to the court. After which, the committee was formed to probe the matter, however, the ICS had challenged the formation of the committee.

Meanwhile, the PU ICS had raised objections to the formation of the committee. According to the university sources, the PU ICS had decided not to share the full record and marked answer sheets with the committee as it deems it illegal. The sources said that this demand, to have the committee review all the candidates’ records, was one of the basic demands of the candidates.

The candidate feels that he is victimised, while the PU ICS unduly gave additional marks to some blue-eyed candidates. This is a serious objection and the committee can only determine if the accusation is true or not by reviewing all the answer sheets. However, the PU ICS has decided to resist the committee’s demands and not share the answer sheets with them,” the sources said.

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In the regard, PU ICS had also written a letter to the varsity registrar objecting to the formation of the committee. In the letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, asks the varsity admission to display the merit list of the successful candidates who had secured admission in the PhD programme. The merit list was withheld after the matter became controversial.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2017.