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SC directs UGC, Exams CG to hike Varsity intake by 4,928
A Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Justices Nimal Gamini Amaratunga and K. Sripavan on Monday directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Commissioner General (CG) of Examinations to admit 4,928 additional students into the universities this year. This is the third alternative among four alternatives of increased intakes suggested by the UGC, in order to redress the grievance of students who sat the 2011 Advanced Level (A/L) examination under the old syllabus.
The Supreme Court directive to the UGC to hold discussions with the universities and admit 4,928 students, over and above the normal annual intake of 21,000 students, was despite Attorney General (AG) Palitha Fernando pointing out that there would be logistical problems at the Medical and Engineering faculties to accommodate the increased intake.The first, second and fourth alternatives suggested by the UGC to admit additional numbers were 3,675, 3,048 and 4,457 students respectively.
The AG told Court that these suggestions were made following three days of discussions among all Counsel appearing for the petitioners and the UGC as per the directives of the Supreme Court on June 25.
Court further ordered the UGC and the CG Examinations to release before September 10, the district and all-island rankings calculated on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment dated June 25, taking into consideration that candidates who sat the A/L exam under the new and old syllabuses as two separate groups.
Earlier, on June 25, the Supreme Court, in a judgment on a Fundamental Rights application filed by a group of students, annulled the Z-Score calculated by amalgamating both groups of students together and held that the Z-Score should be calculated separately for the two groups.
Thereafter, around 500 students who sat the 2011 A/L examination under the old syllabus, complained to the Supreme Court, that the respondents – the UGC and the CG Examinations – had once again failed to calculate the Z-Scores as well as the district and all-island rankings properly, resulting in a large number of candidates failing to gain admission to universities, although their previous Z-Scores were sufficient to gain admission.
These students also stated that they missed out on following diploma courses in other Government institutions, as they were hopeful of gaining university admission on the basis of their earlier Z-Scores, and hence, did not apply to follow those courses.
They sought Court direction compelling the respondents to issue fresh all-island and district rankings on the basis that candidates who sat the examination under the new and old syllabi are two distinct groups, and accordingly devise an appropriate and reasonable scheme for university admissions.
The AG undertook to direct the CG Examinations to help the UGC issue rankings prior to September 10, 2012.
Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, Sanjeewa Jayewardene and Saliya Pieris appeared for the students.The case is to be mentioned on September 12.
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