JOIN USOut of 540 colleges under BU, 125 didn't get even a single student whereas there were less than 50 students in 135 others. While just one student was admitted in 30 colleges, fewer than 15 students secured admission in 45 others.
According to a BU official, the fact came to light when 125 colleges were found not to have submitted their admission statement by August 31. "Some colleges might have admitted students later due to delayed affiliation and hence they couldn't submit the statement on time," the official said.
The University may be one of the largest in respect of number of affiliated colleges (678 including B Ed colleges), but the Vice Chancellor wanted to prove that just half of them are actually functioning properly. "Since there are few or no admissions at more than 300 colleges, they could easily be closed down reducing BU's size and thus snubbing calls for trifurcating it," a senior professor told Deccan Herald on condition of anonymity.
Blaming the Local Inspection Committees (LICs) which recommend affiliation of colleges to BU's Academic Council for the mess, however, is not correct, he said.
"LICs, in their history, have never recommended disaffiliation of any college if there was no admission. Actually, they have no authority at all to suggest closure of a college," the professor told.
Another aspect, according to the professor, is that colleges enjoy considerable political clout. They take affiliation for granted on account of their political linkages. Besides, poor pass percentage at the pre-university level is to be blamed. "Many students who pass PUC opt for professional courses. Hence, there is a drastic reduction for admission," he noted.