TIRUCHY: Allegations of irregularities have surfaced in admissions to MSc Medical Physics programme at Bharathidasan University (BDU) after a BC Muslim (BCM) candidate and academicians alleged a lack of clarity in the implementation of the reservation policy by university authorities.
The complaint was submitted to University Registrar R Kalidasan on June 22 by M Nayeema Begum of Vellore, whose son B Mohammed Hassan, had applied for admission to the 2026-27 batch.
According to the representation, Hassan paid the prescribed entrance examination fee, appeared for the entrance test on June 12 and secured the 13th rank in the merit list.
However, when he approached the department for admission after the results were announced on the same day evening, he was allegedly informed that no seat was available under the BC Muslim category as the programme has only 11 seats and the 3.5% BCM reservation could not be accommodated.
The petitioner contended that if no BCM seat was available in the programme, candidates from the community should not have been permitted to participate in the selection process. The representation sought admission in accordance with merit and the applicable reservation rules and urged the university to ensure proper implementation of the reservation roster.
Former state president of the Association of University Teachers, K Pandiyan, alleged that the university’s implementation of the reservation policy appeared inconsistent. He pointed out that categories such as Scheduled Tribe (1% reservation) and Scheduled Caste (Arunthathiyar) (3% internal reservation), whose quotas also translate to less than one seat in an 11-seat programme, have been accommodated through roster system.
“Even if a seat cannot be earmarked every year because of the small intake, the university should follow the 200-point roster cyclically so that BCM candidates receive their due share over successive admission cycles,” he said.
Pandiyan further alleged that no BCM candidate had been admitted to the programme last year despite applicants from the category participating in the admission process and being listed under the BCM category in the rank list.
T Aasif, state vice-president (Zone III) of the Association of University Teachers, said reservation benefits are meant for all eligible communities and alleged that excluding one community from the reservation process amounted to an injustice.
Registrar R Kalidasan did not respond to calls or messages seeking clarification on the reservation procedure followed for the programme.
A senior Higher Education Department official told TNIE that the department had received the complaint and directed the university to keep the admission list on hold until the relevant government orders governing reservation were examined.
“There appears to be ambiguity in the implementation of the reservation policy in this programme. We have asked the university to keep the admission list on hold. The applicable government orders will be examined before a final decision is taken,” the official said.
