An investigation into the affairs of the University of Karachi (KU) Postgraduate Admission Committee (PAC) has revealed that the varsity had illegally exempted its teachers from the May 6 entry tests of MPhil/MS and PhD because of pressure from the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS).
Besides, the varsity did not publish the results of MPhil/MS and PhD tests to allegedly favour some candidates on political grounds.
According to reports, KUTS pressurised KU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser for granting exemption to its teachers from the entry test of MPhil/MS and PhD to ensure their enrolment in postgraduate programmes.
A KU official, who wished anonymity, said that KUTS representatives met with VC Qaiser a few days before the test and pressurised him to exempt the teachers.
At first, the newly-appointed VC refused KUTS’s demand and said that the varsity could not grant exemption to teachers according to university rules, but he was pressurised into granting the exemption.
Qaiser said that the second irregularity took place when PAC did not publish the marks of the test on its website and only displayed names of the successful candidates. It was observed that the varsity granted admissions to some candidates on political grounds.
Departmental Research Committees (DRCs) have been asked to send the names of successful candidates instead of their overall score in the test.
The heads of many departments complained about the existence of extra names in the final list of successful candidates and asked the admission committee to take action, the undisclosed official claimed.
PAC Convener Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi said that the varsity has decided to exempt only those teachers who were appointed after test and interviews in various departments.
She said that the varsity has decided to grant a two-year exemption to teachers who were appointed in KU after tests and interviews in various departments post-2009.
“The National Testing System exempts the candidates who pass their exam from every test up to two years, so the varsity has also decided to exempt those candidates who have already passed entry tests and interviews during the selection process,” she maintained.
“The teachers who were appointed in KU without tests and interviews have been asked to appear in the test and interview and clear them for enrolment in MPhil/MS and PhD,” she clarified.
These teachers who were granted exemption have already passed the test set by four externals and have cleared panel interviews, she said, adding, “I don’t think that these teachers should appear in tests and interviews.”
Quoting an example, she said that the Department of Sociology chairperson has sent the name of a teacher serving since the past 13 years for exemption, but the committee has turned down her application, as she was not appointed in the varsity after test and interview.
When she was asked about the university’s law on exempting teachers from interviews, she could not provide an answer.
To a question regarding out-of-turn admissions in MPhil/MS and PhD on political grounds, she admitted that the varsity did not publish marks of the candidates because of a faulty IT system and rejected reports of out-of-turn admissions on political grounds.
She said that the heads of DRCs have been asked to send names of successful candidates instead of their scores because of IT-related errors and the varsity only displayed names of the successful candidates, but it does not mean that the varsity favoured any candidate on political basis.
But when she was asked to comment on complaints of heads of some departments regarding extra names of candidates in the final list, she could not provide an answer.
However, KUTS President Prof Dr Muttahir Sheikh narrated a different story. He claimed that favouritism is on its peak in the varsity and teachers are being appointed only on political grounds.
“Had these teachers been asked to appear in the test, I’m sure that many of them would not have been able to clear it,” said Sheikh.
“The chairmen or heads of many departments have formed their own camps and they do not allow fresh candidates to teach. Whenever KU forms a selection board comprising staff from these departments, they go for their blue-eyed candidates,” he said, adding that to save the varsity from shame and to avoid derailing of the system, KUTS asked for exemption of teachers.
On the other hand, there are some teachers who were appointed in various departments through the proper channel and they deserve to teach in the varsity, but are now facing threats from their chairpersons concerned because those teachers wish to remain neutral, he said.
“KUTS saves such teachers from victimisation, and if they appear in the tests, they can be targeted by the heads of those departments where merit is meaningless and favouritism is on its peak,” he added.
