State varsities await govt norms on ‘clustering’ before UG admissions

Affiliated & minority colleges, which have not been included in the clustering programme, are enrolling students from May 24 to June 23Ranchi: State universities and their constituent and affiliated colleges are awaiting govt guidelines on the proposed clustering of institutes before starting their undergraduate (UG) admission process this year.The higher and technical education department has prepared a proposal for college-wise clustering of subjects so that a particular set of streams are offered by each institute.For instance, Doranda College, affiliated to Ranchi University (RU), which has science, humanities and commerce streams at present, will offer physical science, mathematical science, life science, earth science, computer science, environmental science, and education, while Marwari College, Ranchi, will teach only business studies and education.Student unions have organised a series of protests against the clustering proposal claiming that it would deprive candidates of studying the subjects of their choice in one institute.Education minister Sudivya Kumar has held meetings with all vice-chancellors and college principals to seek their views on the proposal. The state govt would take all stakeholders into confidence before arriving at a decision, he added.On the admission to UG courses, the VC of Vinoba Bhave University, Chandra Bhushan Sharma, on Monday said, “We are awaiting the state govt’s decision on the cluster system, the nature of its implementation, and amendments, if any. Thereafter, we would begin the students’ enrolment into UG courses.”Seconding the view, RU’s dean (Students’ welfare) S K Sahu said, “We are prepared to start the UG admission through the chancellor portal. But the university has sought advice from govt on the cluster system first.”Sources said the universities were keeping themselves informed about each other’s UG admission plans while planning their strategies.Several university officials are of the view that clustering of colleges would also be contradictory to the New Education Policy (NEP), which plans to offer multi-disciplinary courses to students. Others said that clustering and multi-disciplinary courses could be implemented simultaneously city-wise as students would be able to opt for their chosen subjects in different colleges.Meanwhile, affiliated and minority colleges, which have not been included in the proposed clustering programme, began UG admissions on May 24. The process would continue till June 23.Universities like Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University and Jamshedpur Women’s University, which have a single campus, are also accepting applications for admissions.