Udaipur : Despite many students wishing to pursue PhD studies in Sociology, 90 percent of the seats are lying vacant in the department at the Arts college of Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur. Scholars from the general category have been demanding for the filling of vacant seats by giving chances to those who have scored higher marks.
The vacant seats are said to be the result of higher level of qualifying marks for the general caste that is a minimum 50 percent score in the Research Eligibility Test organised by the university for the intake of research students. While the minimum qualifying level for the SC and ST candidates is 40 percent, its 10 percent higher for the general category candidates that has led to the high number of unfilled seats in the subject. ” In The RET 2020, 55 students appeared of which 38 were from Udaipur center and 17 from Jaipur. While 11 of the 17 students passed from Jaipur, on the contrary in Udaipuronly 6 of the 38 were passed.
This is really a set back for students from South Rajasthan” Amit Paliwal, a research aspirant says. Similarly in 2018 only 2 of the general candidates cleared the exam while 4 students passed in the test held in 2019. General category students from the University demand that officials fill up seats for PhD left vacant in sociology subjects for 2020-21 which is around 65 in number.
“This situation has been prevalent for 4 years now and we request the university administration to give a patient hearing to our grievance. Hundreds of youths are eager to find admission for the doctoral studies” Chandan Kumar Mishra, a NET qualified candidate said.
The students also complain of the discriminatory provisions for the reserved seats. ” In 2019, under the special drive rule, the university decreased the minimum eligibility criteria for the reserved seats from 45 percent to 40 percent. This is a violation of rights of the general caste as the relaxation gap should not be more than 5% as per the law” Paliwal says who despite three consecutive attempts failed to find admission.
The students have approached even the people’s representatives for relaxation of rules. Chittorgarh MLA Chandrabhan SIngh, MP CP Joshi and Mavli legislator Dharmnarayan Joshi have written to the VC seeking relaxation to the general category students so that the seats do not remain vacant.