Thursday, March 11, 2010
By By Khalid Khattak
LAHORE
IN the absence of Higher Education
Commission (HEC) guidelines on sports quota,
public sector universities across the
country are filling seats on this quota at
their discretion.
This practice is resulting in lack of a
uniform policy regarding admissions to the
universities on the basis of sports. The
data collected by The News revealed that
while a number of universities have been
ignoring the sports quota for admissions,
the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, (UAF)
has taken the lead by admitting 126 students
on the quota to various undergraduate
programmes in September 2009. Interestingly,
the UAF prospectus shows that only 21 seats
were to be filled on the quota. The UAF
administration claims that the seats, filled
through the quota, are in conformity with
the HEC directions and no anomaly has taken
place.
However, a comparison of the UAF with some
other universities, dealing with agriculture
education, exposes that the university had
laid extraordinary emphasis on filling seats
on the sports basis.
The News learnt that the NWFP Agricultural
University, Peshawar, admitted only eight
students on the sports quota in September
2009 intake against a total of 1,492 seats
in undergraduate programmes, the Sindh
Agriculture University, Tandojam, 15 against
over 1,100 seats, and the University of
Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS),
Lahore, 13 against over 400 seats excluding
evening programmes.
Interestingly, the Pir Mehr Ali Shah (PMAS)
Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, did
not enrol even a single student on the
sports quota in September 2009 intake.
The UAF Undergraduate Prospectus (Session
2009-2010) clearly showed there were only 21
seats allocated for admission to various
undergraduate degree courses on the sports
basis. According to the break-up, 11 of the
seats were for BSc (Hons) Agri Sciences:
Agriculture/Agricultural & Resource
Economics/Food Science & Technology/Animal
Science, 1 BSc (Hons) Agriculture for DG
Khan Campus and 2 for Depalpur Sub-Campus, 1
for BSc (Hons) Poultry Science at Toba Tek
Singh (TTS) Sub-Campus, 4 for Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine (DVM), 1 for BSc (Hons)
Home Economics and 1 for BSc Agricultural
Engineering.
But as many as 57 students were given
admission on the sports quota to the UAF’s
Agriculture Faculty (under pool admission),
23 in its DVM programme, 21 in BSc
Agricultural Engineering and the rest in
other programmes. A total of over 1,400
students were enrolled in the UAF in
September 2009.
A comparison of allocation of sports seats
in institutions offering five-year DVM
degree programmes in the country also showed
the UAF had ‘outshined’ the rest. At
present, there are 10 public sector
veterinary institutions offering the
five-year DVM degree programme in the
country.
According to the details, the Faculty of
Veterinary Sciences UVAS had enrolled four
students on sports quota, UVAS College of
Veterinary Sciences, Jhang, 1, UAF’s Faculty
of Veterinary Science 24, Faculty of
Veterinary Science, Sindh Agriculture
University, Tandojam, 2, Faculty of
Veterinary Science, NWFP University of
Agriculture, Peshawar, 1, Faculty of
Veterinary Science, Gomal University, DI
Khan 0, Faculty of Veterinary Science,
University Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, 0,
Faculty of Veterinary Science, Lesbela
University of Agriculture Water and Marine
Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan 0, Faculty of
Veterinary Science, Bahauddin, Zakariya
University, Multan, 0, Faculty of Veterinary
Science, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, 1.
When contacted, Dr Alamdar Hussain Malik,
Secretary/Registrar of Pakistan Veterinary
Medical Council (PVMC), also confirmed that
as per the record available with the
council, the Veterinary Faculty of the UAF
had admitted students on sports quota more
than any other institution in the same
faculty.
“I cannot recall that such a huge enrolment
against the sport quota has been under taken
in the past in veterinary faculty of any of
the 10 public sector institutions of the
country,” he maintained.
Dr Alamdar further said normally two to four
students were allowed to enroll on sport
quota, adding that the recent move of the
UAF authorities indicated that quality of
education and merit was not a priority of
the institution.
“The HEC is also required to probe the
matter and also take remedial measures to
ensure such a practice is not followed in
future.”
Sources in the UAF said the extraordinary
admissions on sports basis had become a
subject of a heated debate not only in the
university circles but also among the
faculty of other universities. They said the
faculty was divided over the seats mentioned
in the prospectus as according to some
faculty members, the number mentioned in
prospectus was final because prospectus was
an official document duly approved by
various statutory bodies of the university,
including the Academic Council, however,
some viewed that the VC was authorised to
make changes. They said there were rumours
that most of the admissions were made under
pressure from different quarters as unlike
admission on self-finance scheme, those
enrolled on the sports quota had to pay
normal fees.
When contacted, UAF Faculty of Veterinary
Dean Prof Dr Akbar Lodhi said he had taken
over as dean after the admission process,
agreeing that the number of admissions on
sports quota was certainly high in his
faculty.
“The sports quota should be low while more
and more admissions should be made on open
merit for professional degrees,” he said.
When asked why there was difference between
sports seats mentioned in the university
prospectus and those actually enrolled, Dr
Lodhi said the Academic Council had
authorised the vice-chancellor to bring
about changes.
UAF Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr
Muhammad Ashfaq, when contacted, confirmed
that around 50 students were enrolled in his
faculty alone on the sports basis. Talking
about prospectus, he said it was based on
rough estimates.
Dr Ashfaq said as per the HEC guidelines,
four percent of the total admissions were to
be made on the sports quota.
UAF VC Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said he did
not remember exactly how many admissions
were made on the sports quota, adding,
however, he knew four percent of the total
admissions had to be made on the quota.
“I can give you exact details after going
through the record,” he added.
The News later made many attempts to call
him on his cell phone and finally learnt the
VC had left for Iran.
PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi,
VC Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan did not
attend phone calls despite repeated
attempts. However, the university’s Public
Relation Officer (PRO) Muhammad Musa Kalim
confirmed that no student was enrolled on
the sports basis.
“No admission is made on the sports quota at
PMAS Arid Agriculture University,” he said,
adding that “however, besides open merit,
admissions are made on provincial and quota
for the disabled.”
NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, VC
Prof Dr Said Khan Khalil said the university
had followed one percent sports quota policy
in the recent admissions.
When contacted, HEC Executive Director Dr
Sohail H Naqvi said he did not know exactly
the admission policy in universities on
sports quota.
“If I recall earlier there was policy of two
percent quota and later the Cabinet
introduced four percent quota,” he said.
Dr Naqvi agreed that there was a need of
uniform implementation mechanism for
admissions on sports basis in the
universities, saying that the procedure
should be transparent so that only good
players could be inducted on the quota.
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