Close to 30 students from Birla College in Kalyan have received expulsion letters stating that their attendance is below 20%, right in the middle of an academic year
City colleges emphasize the importance of compulsory attendance time and again, and warn students on the same. But never before has any college issued expulsion letters to its students for lacking in attendance, right in the middle of an academic year.
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Entrance to the Birla College in Kalyan. The college campus is spread over 20 acres. The college currently has 8,500 students enrolled in various courses. Pic/Sharad Vegda
Close to 30 first-year BSc-IT students from Birla College in Kalyan have been at the receiving end of such letters, informing them that their admission stands cancelled. Several students, who have scored above 80% in their HSC examination, have received the same letter as well.
The letter sent to 30 first-year BSc-IT students informing them of their low attendance
Some of them have also provided notes to the college to prove their attendance in lectures, but they are still allegedly being threatened with a Transfer Certificate and many have been barred from attending lectures as well.
Barred from lectures
The father of a student who received one of the letters said, “My son scored 84% in his HSC exams without attending any coaching classes, how can the college allege that he has less than 20% attendance since June? He has been attending lectures as well as practical sessions regularly.”
He added that the letter stating that his son’s admission stands cancelled came earlier this month and the college has not even allowed these children to attend regular classes. mid-day has accessed a copy of the letter.
It has been signed by the college principal and clearly states that the student’s attendance is not as per university standards that state a minimum of 75% attendance. ‘Your attendance is less than 20%.
Therefore your admission in FYBSc (IT) stands cancelled. You are hereby asked to meet Dr Avinash Patil (vice-principal) immediately on receipt of this letter,’ states the letter. Many students have also demanded that the college show them their attendance records so as to prove that they have attended lectures, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
“I personally checked how many lectures I’ve attended and it is above 60% but when I mentioned this to the attendance department, I got yelled at for doubting the authorities. We’ve been told to pick up our Transfer Certificates (TC),” said a student.
Some students have also been given the option of getting transferred to a college in Dombivli if they cancel their admissions from this college. Others have alleged that the college has admitted more students than permitted by the university and are now trying to cut down the strength to avoid an altercation with university authorities.
‘Adhering to rules’
When mid-day spoke to the college principal, Naresh Chandra, he refuted allegations of overshooting admissions and stated that the college is very strict with attendance of students. “University rule clearly states that students should have 75% or more attendance and we check attendance very regularly,” he said.
According to the rules put down by the University of Mumbai, students need to show 75% or more attendance in the full academic year. However, cancelling students’ admissions due to low attendance in the middle of an academic year is unheard of.
Chandra also denied that students are not being allowed to sit for lectures. “We have asked students to go to the attendance department and check their records if they think they are being fooled. Only in cases where students have very little attendance have we given them a warning,” he added.
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