Universities and colleges across Punjab including the Rawalpindi district have denied admissions to students with less pass percentages.
Punjab matric and intermediate boards had passed several students in their matriculation and intermediate examinations under special circumstances, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
All colleges and universities in Punjab have maintained high merit for admissions, which has created problems for the students who were passed with grace marks under the coronavirus policy.
The students with lower first, second or third divisions in their matric and intermediate examinations have been refused admission by all girls and boys colleges in Punjab, including in the Rawalpindi district. Government colleges have set the criteria of 600 marks for arts and 750 to 800 marks for science in the first year.
The new admission criteria has put the students in deep trouble and, on the other hand, it has proved blessings in disguise for private colleges that have announced admissions to all students with less pass percentage.
Similarly, students seeking admissions to public universities also face the same situation as institutions of higher education have set high merit for admissions to third years.
The students, including Zeeshan Malik, Pervaiz Nasheer, and Viki Roshan, questioned the new criteria stating that why they were passed with grace marks if they were not to be given admissions.
They demanded of the Punjab government to take immediate notice of the matter and allow admissions to all the students.
The parents, including Haji Abraham and Masood Bangash, said that students could not continue their studies during the coronavirus pandemic and they could not be held responsible for it.
Meanwhile, Colleges Acting Director Sher Ahmed Satti asked the students to apply for admissions in colleges and higher secondary schools which are close to their homes.
He said that big colleges can only enrol students according to the available seats. He said that owing to the shortage of seats, all passed students could not be accommodated. However, he said, if seats were available in any college, they should not remain unfilled.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2021.
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