Testing times: Student allowed to sit GCU examinations

Says she was told her admission had been cancelled a few days before the exams.

LAHORE:

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan of the Lahore High Court on Monday directed the Government College University administration to allow an MPhil student to sit her exams.

The administration had barred the student from sitting the exam after she failed the Graduate Assessment Test [a prerequisite].

The petitioner said she had been admitted to the GCU’s history MPhil 2013-15 programme after clearing the entrance test and interview. She said she had passed the GAT and had been issued a student card. She said she had been attending her classes regularly.

Last week, the university administration announced the first semester’s examination schedule...the first exam is scheduled for February 10.

The petitioner said she was told on Friday that she could not sit the exam as she had not qualified the GAT. She said they told her that her admission had been cancelled as she had not secured 50 ‘accumulative marks’ in the GAT.

She said the criterion for MPhil admission was passing the GAT with 50% marks...she had scored 51.62% . The petitioner said the requirement for 50 ‘accumulative marks’ had not been mentioned in the admission schedule or any of the advertisements. She said she had submitted an application to the vice chancellor, but it had been rejected.

She requested the court to direct the respondents to allow her to take the exams.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2014.