All candidates fail in M Phil enrolment test

Another anomaly in post-graduate admissions-2012 in the University of Karachi (KU) has exposed its teaching standards where all candidates of a department, who appeared in test, held for enrolment in M Phil, have failed to clear the exam.
The departmental research committee (DRC) of Physics department scaled down the basic criteria for enrolment in M Phil, which was approved by the KU academic council like Department of Economics and sent the names of 25 candidates to Board of Advance Studies and Research (BASR).
However, the chairman of the department Prof Dr Tahseen Rahim claimed that five candidates have passed the test as per criteria set by varsity but he had sent names of 25 candidates to BASR for interviews. BASR seized results of Physics department after detecting irregularity in results of M Phil test.
An official of the KU Post-Graduate Admission Committee (PGAC), who wished not to be named, told Pakistan Today that 68 candidates were appeared in M Phil test in Department of Physics earlier this month but none of them can pass the test.
However, DRC of Physics department had sent names of 25 candidates by declaring them pass in the test to BASR and sought permission from varsity for holding interviews of these candidates on May 24 as per schedule,” he recalled.
“Few days before some of the students of Physics department, who requested for reassessment of their results, approached PGAC and claimed that the DRC favor some of blue-eyed candidates in the test, he said, adding that PGAC then asked chairman of Physics department to send the copies of all students who appeared in the test for reassessment.” “The chairman of the department hadn’t sent the answer sheets and results of students as yet,” he added.
“In the meanwhile, a professor of three-member DRC of Physics department on condition of anonymity told me that none of 68 candidates can pass the test and the DRC given grace marks to some of the candidates to ensure their enrolment in M Phil. “The professor told me that the DRC has marked candidates 2 ½ for each correct answer instead of one,” he disclosed. We have seized results of the Physics department and blocked its results on our website until matter resolved,” he added.
Chairman Department of Physics Prof Dr Tahseen Rahim when approached for comments, he rejected the claims of PGAC official and said that five students have passed the test out of 68. “I sent names of 25 students by declaring them pass as our DRC feel that these candidates have potential of research in future,” he added.
“Our DRC set tough paper for M Phil candidates but later realized that some of the students who could not pass test due to few marks should be called for interviews and if they failed to convince the DRC then they would not be given admission,” he said. To a question, he said BASR has seized results of Physics department and asked to send answer sheets and marks scored by all candidates for reassessment, but we will take interviews of all the 25 candidates who were declared pass by our DRC,” he insisted. “I have talked to PGAC Convener Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi and I requested to her to scale down the basic criteria and take interviews of those candidates who have scored 45 marks in the test as well,” he claimed.
PGAC Convener Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi talking to this scribe rejected the claims of Prof Dr Tahseen Rahim and said that she hadn’t allow the chairman for scaling down basic criteria from 50 marks out of 100 to 45. She said BASR has asked the chairman for submission of answer sheets of all the 68 candidates for reassessment some a week ago but the BASR haven’t received the copies as yet. Besides, I asked the chairman verbally five times during this period for sending answer sheets to BASR but he does not comply with my order and we have decided that the interviews of successful candidates would not be held on May 24 and the interviews would be held until BASR reassessed results of Physics department,” she concluded.
MBBS VI semester to start from May 28: The Director Academic Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro informed here on Tuesday that regular classes of 3rd Year MBBS VI semester will be started from May 28.
The summer vacation will commence from July 22, 2012 , he said and informed that attendance of the students will be recorded through electronic device, installed at the entrance gate of the main campus building and lecture hall.
He advised the concerned students to attend their classes regularly and must bring the RFI Cards, which issued to all students.