In one of the most eagerly awaited verdicts in the state's education echelons, the Nainital High Court directed the government and government-aided colleges to enroll students on allocated seats on the basis of merit. With this verdict, admission process in various government and government-aided colleges in the state will begin from Saturday. Regarding the installation of biometric system for teachers' attendance in the government and government-aided colleges in the State, the High Court may give its verdict on Tuesday, it is learnt.
However, leaders of various students' groups who expressed disappointment at High Court's verdict have decided to meet Uttarakhand Chief Minister over this issue soon. Moreover, former students' union president of DAV (PG) College Anshul Chawla said, "We have decided to stage a demonstration against the college principal Devendra Bhasin for having failed to ensure basic amenities in the college. This principal has failed to foster the right academic ambience in the institution too."
Meanwhile, DAV (PG) College Principal Devendra Bhasin said that admission process in the college will begin from Monday. In cognisance of High Court's order on Thursday, admissions will be held on sectioned seats and on the basis of merit,he added.
Moreover, students who are eying admissions in various Bachelor degree courses in Dehradun-based government and government-aided- colleges - DAV (PG) College, DBS (PG) College, MKP (PG) College and SGRR (PG) College -and who were desperately awaiting the Uttarakhand High Court's fresh order to the State Government regarding admissions expressed satisfaction over the Court having given its verdict regarding admissions on sanctioned seats. However, leaders of various students' groups sounded disappointed on High Court's verdict directing colleges to enroll on sanctioned seats on merit basis. Some students' leaders opined that state government might not have defended the students' cause effectively in the High Court. According to them, around 30, 000 students were allowed to enroll in this college in the previous years and following the High Court's verdict, only 12, 000 students would be allowed to get enrolled in the DAV (PG) College. "Then where the remaining students would goIJ State government had released GO for setting up 15 degree colleges in various districts with the direction to government officers to ensure that the new academic session commences from this year. The government officers are yet to implement this order," a student leader said.
However, DBS (PG) College OP Kulk shreshtha said, "We released merit list for admissions in various bachelor degree courses around 15 days ago. Now with the pronouncement of High Court's verdict on admissions on Friday, decks are cleared for the admission process to begin from Saturday." MKP (PG) College principal Indu Singh said, "We will start admission process with the allocation of seats on various bachelor degree courses for the college by HNB Garhwal University. Following High Court's order, caste- based reservation policy on admissions will be implemented in the college too." Mention worthy, in compliance with the earlier High Court order, the State Government had directed the government and government-aided colleges affiliated to HNB Garhwal University to allow admissions on sanctioned seats on various Bachelor and Post- Graduate degree courses. However, with the leaders of various students' groups going on the path of stir against the cap on admissions on various degree courses, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat seemed to have caved in and directed the colleges to follow last year's admission process this year too. later, the Government had submitted a supplementary affidavit in the High Court and HC had appointed a senior advocate as court commissioner with an instruction to submit a report over the issue after meeting the college principals, students' leaders, University officials and others. Finally, High Court gave its verdict on Friday to clear the air on the emotive question of admission.