Protest in DU: Now teachers, students want fair sports trials

The faculty is also demanding decentralisation of admission process under sports category

Protest in DU: Now teachers, students want fair sports trials

The faculty is also demanding decentralisation of admission process under sports category

There seems to be no end to the protests in Delhi University this year. After the row over the implementation of the semester system, now the sports departments of various colleges are sitting on dharna to press for fair trials and presence of technical staff during the admission process under the sports category.

Fair play: On Wednesday, teachers and students gathered outside the
Faculty of Artsu00a0to press for fair sports trials and decentralised admissions
under the sports category. File pic

After the University gave its final nod to the decentralisation of the admission process this year, the sports heads of the colleges have demanded that admissions under sports category be decentralised as well.

Ironically, it was only last year that the University had for the first time centralised sports admissions. However, the admissions through this centralised process were marred with allegations of large-scale corruption while the aspiring students claimed they deserved fair trials.

Exception
On Wednesday, teachers and students gathered outside the Faculty of Arts to press for fair sports trials and decentralised admissions under the sports category. "The entire centralised process was a great mess last year. Now, when the university has ended the system of centralised forms for college admissions, why has it left out sports, which is an equally important discipline?" said a physical education professor, who did not wish to be named.

Under scanner
A number of teachers claim that the University did not have a single physical education teacher present when the sports trials were held last year. Also, a few colleges like St Stephen's, Hindu and Hansraj had a trend of recording the trials of the games on videos and through pictures.

"However, there are no authentic records or pictures of the trials that were held in 2010. The whole process of granting admissions under sports category was a hurried affair and did not have any qualified sports authority to approve the participants," said another sports official from the University. When contacted, Sudarshan Pathak, Coordinating-director of University's sports council refused to discuss the issue.

"I cannot comment on the issue right now. The decision on the trials depends on the university. It would be better if you directly contact either the Dean, Students' Welfare or the V-C in this matter," she said.