Protest At Osmania University. Delays APSET Results

Students at Osmania University held a Protest demanding changes in the eligibility criteria delayed the announcement of A.P.State Eligibility Test (APSET) on Thursday. University's Vice Chancellor confide to his lodge by a group of students when he was getting ready to release the results. These students belonged to the Telangana Vidyarthi Parishad (TVP).

The protest was held for about three hours. In the mean time the VC had tried to convince the students that the norms were framed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and altering them was impossible, but students did not give up the protest.

Other Senior Teachers from the University who reached the venue also tried to impress upon them that APSET was a prestigious exam given to the OU and such protests would only harm the university's image. But students were insisting on changing the norms before the release of results itself.

The major demand was to reduce the minimum eligibility mark for SC/ST and BC students. Other student groups were, however, in favor of the release of results. After a long time, when finally VC agrees to take up this issue with the higher authorities if the students gave a representation. The representatives of other students groups also joined a submitted a representation with their demands like reducing the overall cut-off percentage, working out separate cut-off percentage for every subject and reimplementation of reservations in deciding the eligibility in each subject.

Among the 96,954 students who attended for the test in 24 subjects, 32,655 candidates secured more than the minimum qualifying mark. However, oly 8,004 were declared eligible for Assistant Professorship and Lectureship. The cut-off percentage was decided by a committee consisting of UGC representatives and Vice Chancellors of some State universities. This tear the cut-offs percentage was 65% for General candidates, 60% for BC candidates and 55% for SC/ST and Physically challenged.

The cut offs were said to be higher for Telugu, Education and Physical Education due to high number of qualified candidates. In such case, the cut off percentage is increased to ensure that not more than 25% of the appeared candidates get eligibility.