Slugfest at Osmania Press Meet
HYDERABAD: A press conference to announce the achievements of Osmania University (OU) turned into a slugfest between student leaders and university management on Wednesday.
The students demanded to lower the cut-off marks for the university’s PhD eligibility test conducted in January 2015, to accommodate more students. The management contended that the students should have opposed the exam instead, as lowering cut-off marks would be preposterous.
The PhD Eligibility Test is conducted by the university as the first step to get admission to the programme for 62 subjects. Qualified students have to attend an interview of the department concerned where they will be tested on various parameters.
A total of 10,828 students appeared for the exam, in which 6,747 qualified. Interview dates are yet to be notified.
The cut-off marks for this year’s exam were fixed at 50 for general category, 45 for BC, and 40 for SC & ST. However, after students requested the cut-off marks were lowered to 40 (General),35(BC) and 30 (SC&ST).
On Wednesday, students demanded to bring down the cut-off marks to 30,25, and 20 respectively.
Representatives of various student organisations said that they have submitted a representation to OU registrar E Suresh Kumar in this regard. They threatened to commit suicide in front of the Arts College if their demands were not accepted.
“Publications and other criteria can be used to filter the students during interviews,” said Palwai Nagesh, a student.
Replying to the demands, Suresh Kumar said that registrar’s post does not grant him powers to take a decision on this issue. “I will forward the demands to Vice-Chancellor, who will take it to the standing committee comprising the university professors,” he said.
Ranjeev R Acharya, principal secretary of Education department is the in-charge vice chancellor of Osmania University.