21 researchers deprived Ph D admissions in pharmacy over trivial issue

Aurangabad, April 28:

A total of 21 selected candidates were deprived of Ph D admissions within the jurisdiction of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) because of a trivial issue.

The university implemented Ph D admission process from January 2021 to February 2022. More than 3,500 candidates in four faculties including Science and Technology, Commerce and Management Science were declared eligible for the admissions.

Before the selection list, Bamu displayed 93 vacant seats for pharmaceutical and fine chemical subjects within its jurisdiction. Of them, 41 vacant seats with eight research guides were shown at the research centre of the Government College of Pharmacy (GCP). A total of 21 selected students appeared for Departmental Research Committee (DRC) at GCP in the second week of February.

However, GCP Principal Dr V K Mourya sent a letter to the university on February 15 stating that the centre has a maximum intake of 10 seats while two students are already working in the research centre. He also asked the university to give admissions only to seven students as per the existing infrastructure and facilities. Therefore, the university did not issue provisional confirmation letters to the candidates.

Talking to this newspaper, a group of the students said that the GCP Centre has required experienced research guides and facilities and all of them can get admission.

“The letter of principal has misguided Bamu which has not issued ‘Provisional Letter of Admissions’ to us and halted the admission process. Significantly, the research guides have given consent letters to the students. This means that they are ready to guide us. GCP is one of the best institutes in Marathwada. The Government has done big investment at the college where required innovation and research is expected,” they said.

Officers from Ph D section said that they are ready to increase the intake of the college on the line of other research centres.“We have sent a letter GCP asking to send us a letter for this purpose. All the aspirants are from the same college which gets 50 per cent fees if seats increase,” they said. When contacted, GCP Principal Dr Mourya was not available for the comment.