Srinagar, Dec 22: The students pursuing a five-year integrated course in Cluster University Srinagar (CUS) are up in arms against the varsity administration over the mode of awarding degrees.
Aghast with the university decision, the students from all the constituent colleges of CUS on Thursday assembled in the University premises and staged a protest to press for their demand.
One of the protesting students pursuing five years integrated course B.sc and M.Sc complained that the University does not generate their separate Bachelors degree after completing their three years course in the Varsity.
“They informed us that they will generate only one degree after completion of five years,” the students said.
The CUS students have come on roads because of the apprehensions that they will not be able to apply for any posts advertised by any recruiting agency in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The recruitment bodies of J&K like JKPSC and SSRB did not allow us to sit in graduate level posts saying that we were lacking the basic requirement of having minimum qualification of bachelor’s degree,” a protesting student complained to Greater Kashmir.
“We came with our plea to the University but they are not agreeing to fulfill our demand,” he said.
Notably, the Universities offering admission in a five year integrated programme have kept an “exit option” for the students after completing a three years course.
However, the students are demanding to get their bachelors degree irrespective of continuing their degree arguing that the move will help them to appear in different exams.
“But the university administration does not provide us bachelor’s degrees which will cost dearly for our future,” the student said.
The students said they have been informed that only one degree certificate will be provided to them after completing 10 semesters.
“While Cluster University has denied us three years degree, Central University is providing separate marks sheets of bachelor’s and master’s to the students,” said another student while displaying separate degree certificates provided by the Central University of Kashmir (CUK).
The students said they have been informed by the authorities at JKPSC and JKSSB that students not having bachelor’s degree will not be eligible to sit in exams.
“Our simple demand is that we should be provided separate transcripts of bachelor’s and master’s degree,” the students said.
The Registrar CUS, Prof. Khurshid Ahmad Mir said the students are being misled over mode of awarding degrees for five years integrated programmes.
“These students are pursuing honours (five years integrated) degree in the subject and are awarded integrated B.Sc and M.Sc after last semester,” he said.
He however said the students after qualifying 6th semester are awarded bachelor’s (honours) degree if they opt for the exit option.
“Otherwise we cannot award dual degrees on one admission. We are following university statutes,” he said.
He, however, said the students who want to appear in any graduate level exams can approach the varsity administration and apply for bachelor’s degrees.
“That time we can provide him with a provisional degree to appear in any exam conducted by JKSSB or JKPSC. And in case the candidate gets selected after appearing in the exams, he/she can surrender the provisional degree and take the original degree and discontinue the course in the University,” he said.
He said they are not denying bachelor’s degree to students but at the same time they cannot award two degrees to the students for one course.