Against rules two research centres disobey V-C notice regarding cap on form fee
Going against a Mumbai University directive, some city colleges
have "overcharged" candidates for PhD admission forms.
At least two management institutes -Chetna's RK Institute of Management and Research
in Bandra and Anjuman-I-Islam's Allana Institute of Management Studies on DN Road-charged applicants Rs. 1,500 for PhD admission forms.
A directive by the vice chancellor issued in November 2010 clearly states that research
centres should charge Rs. 100 for PhD admission forms.
HT has copies of the receipts issued by the two institutes charging Rs. 1,500 for
the PhD admission form. Admissions to the PhD programmes began in April.
Vidya Hattangadi, director of Allana Institute, said the institute charged candidates
Rs. 1,500 because they wanted only serious candidates to apply. "We have only five
approved PhD vacancies so we did not want to interview too many candidates and waste
their time as well. "Thirty-six candidates applied for a PhD at the institute.
Jayashree Bhakay, in-charge director of RK Institute said that candidates had been
informed about the charges.
"We charged what is there in the receipt and students were informed of the charges
earlier itself, "said Bhakay.
The student (name withheld on request), who bought the forms from the two institutes,
sent complaints to the university vice-chancellor, Rajan Welukar and the controller
of examinations, Vilas Shinde, on July 20.
"The vice-chancellor's directive states that research centres should charge Rs 100.
We have no complaints from any candidates of institutes charging any different as
yet but if they complain we will look into the issue," said Shinde.
This is the first year that the PhD entrance test was conducted in February after
the University Grants Commission issued guidelines in 2009. The results were declared
March 30.
Aggrieved students said that they had been cheated. "If the directive
says Rs 100 why should we pay more? I applied to six institutes in the state and
every other institute charged Rs 100 other than these two. It is a large sum and
an added expense," said a candidate, who did not want to be named.
Courtesy: HIndustan Times
