AMU  STUDENTS UNION TO OPPOSE COMMON ENTRANCE TEST

ALIGARH November 14:

Addressing the students of the Aligarh Muslim University, the President of AMU Students’ Union, Abdullah Azzam said that the Common University Act and Common Entrance Test proposed by the central government shall not be allowed in AMU. He said that it was one of the prime duties of the Students’ Union to preserve and protect the unique character of the University and he will do everything to attain this goal.

Reacting over the central government’s reported move, Abdullah, in his speech at the installation ceremony of newly elected AMU Students’ Union, stated that a working group will be constituted by the AMUSU including faculty members to study the proposed Common University Act and its implications for the AMU.

He lamented that an effort was on to tarnish the image of the University by a section of media. He said that vested interests are engaged in threatening the special character of the University.

Abdullah urged the University to initiate bus services for girls to commute within the University campus. He demanded that a foolproof system be evolved to enable girls of Women’s College to visit the Maulana Azad Library. He urged the Vice Chancellor to take concrete steps for the development of the University and stick to his decisions that are well meant. He assured full cooperation by AMUSU.

AMUSU President urged the University administration to appoint a professional HR personnel to ensure maximum placement for AMU students, activating the Residential Coaching Academy in a meaningful manner, preparing a database of AMU alumni, providing better residential and dining facilities to the students and making a list of companies.

Abdullah Azzam urged the University to file a defamation suit against the English daily responsible for publishing stories aimed at tarnishing the image of the University and put a ban on it in University Campus.

The Vice President, Masoodul Hasan demanded to close the Kendriya Bhandar outlet and reopen the gate near Senior Secondary School (Boys). He asked the University to start a bachelor course in Mass Communication and launch the Campus Radio.

Shahzeb Ahmad, Honorary Secretary of the Union raised the issue of minority character of the University. He urged the University administration to provide admission to M.Phil. students in PhD with no retest. He also demanded early convening of the meeting of AMU Court.

In his presidential address, the AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah, who is also the Patron of the AMU Students’ Union, reiterated that he, as a guardian of the University students, was very much concerned with their problems and issues. He said that a number of development initiatives have been taken to improve the residential conditions in all residential Halls and special focus is laid on providing better residential, academic and sports facilities to the girl students of the University. He said that recently two new buses have been given to Women’s College and construction of a separate Sports Complex for girls is on anvil. A new residential Hall for women is under construction and Women’s College library is being upgraded to make it self-sufficient.

Addressing the students, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah said that a new government was in place and the university would have to initiate a dialogue with the new dispensation so that its genuine interests are preserved and protected. He said that having a good relationship with the new government to create a positive atmosphere was necessary.

Shah, however, made it clear that in recent meetings with HRD officials, he had strongly conveyed the feelings of the University regarding imposition of the proposed Common University Bill and Common Entrance Test as it would erode the basic structure of the University’s existing ethos.

Shah said, “I will prefer to resign if such an attempt is made to damage the University’s autonomy by imposing any such Common Act and Common Entrance Test”.

The Vice Chancellor said that special attention has been paid on convening selection committee meetings to appoint teachers on long pending vacancies. He said that it was a record number of selection committees convened during his period.

The Vice Chancellor affirmed that boys and girls of the University were like his children and neither he nor the students needed to be afraid of each other. He said that girl students are pride of this university. He warned the students of diabolic designs and vested interests out to create misunderstanding between them and the University administration and disturb the peaceful academic atmosphere in the University campus.