In the ongoing tiff between the administration and PhD research scholars, the paper for fellowship screening exam had allegedly leaked leading to students demanding for the cancelling of a screening test.
The government announced in October that it would limit intake to four autonomous organisations, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRTI), Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research & Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI) and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI), which provide the fellowships to SCs, STs, OBCs and Marathas, respectively. A Common Eligibility Test was set up to screen students in December, which was met with protests.
Yesterday, January 10, a second time a screening test was conducted after it was found, in December, that the first screening test paper was exactly the paper of ‘SET-2019’.
C and D question paper sets were not sealed
Students alleged that that paper had been leaked because they noticed that the C and D question papers were not sealed. As a result, the students left the exam hall and protested by boycotting the exam.
“No one wants to take responsibility for these exams. Students come from extremely rural places in Maharashtra for these exams. This is the second time an exam has been cancelled because of the mistake of the administration. These students want the exam cancelled because they have already spent their physical and mental energy on this process twice,” said Kuldeep Ambekar, President, Student Helping Hands, a Pune-based student organisation.
CET has said that there was no leak in the exam but students are demanding that this exam be declared void.
“We marched for 6 kms yesterday protesting the exam leak. Students protested in front of BARTI and SARTHI. Students want this exam completely cancelled and this mismanagement of the exam is exacerbating student dissent.” Nitin Andhale, a PhD student and a candidate taking the CET exam said.
