LUMS, FAST flout HED directive on admissions

LAHORE: Several private engineering education institutions in the province have violated the Punjab Higher Education Department’s (HED) requiring the standardized admission test concerning entrance exams and completed their admissions processes based on tests organized independently.

The Punjab government had issued a notification in May, making it compulsory for all prospective engineering students in the province, whether seeking admission in public or private engineering institutions, to take the University of Engineering and Technology’s (UET) entrance examination. The notification, which was circulated among all the public and private engineering universities, directed the institutions to admit students on the basis of UET entrance exam results and the marks or grades obtained in FSc or A level examinations.

UET’s entrance exam was scheduled for August 8, but was postponed because of the flood situation. A UET spokesman said that the exam would be held once the situation in the eight districts of the province improved.

However, according to the websites of several private engineering universities, they started giving their own entrance exams for admission in July, and some are starting classes from August 9.

Dr SA Tabassum, the convener of UET’s entrance exam, told The Express Tribune that the intention behind the Punjab government directive was to provide a uniform standard to determine whether or not a candidate was capable of successfully undertaking an engineering education. He said that the FAST University of Computer and Engineering Sciences and the COMSAT had conducted had conducted their own entrance exams in early July, LUMS’ NOP test was held in June, and NUST’s entry test on July 18. While other engineering universities including the University of Lahore, the University of Central Punjab and the University of South Asia had also conducted independent entrance exams and appeared not to be relying on UET’s entry test. He said that only public engineering institutions were following UET’s entry test.

Two professors, belonging to the FAST University and COMSAT respectively, told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, that these two universities would start their engineering classes from Aug 9. They said the admitted students have been directed to attend classes from Monday.

One of the HED’s officials dealing with universities’ affairs across the province, told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that not only did most private universities violate HED’s entrance exam directive by conducting their own, the students admitted by them had yet to receive the final results of their FSc examinations. The results are to be announced on September 4 and should in principle be the most important determining factor in university admissions. He said that almost all the universities concerned had good relations with HED’s secretary, who is not willing to take any action against them.

The secretary, Ahad Khan Cheema, was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2010.