President Abdul Hamid on Thursday gave his consent to arrange national admission test instead of ongoing multiple admission tests to enrol new students in both public and private universities to ease the sufferings of students and their guardians.
The president gave his consent while a delegation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) led by Chairman Prof Kazi Shahidullah submitted the Annual Report 2021 with 17 recommendations at Bangabhaban on Thursday evening.
During the meeting, members at the university apex body spoke about the current enrolment system of both public and private universities in the country, adding: “The method is used as a source of income which is derogatory to the teacher community.”
They proposed and suggested arranging the national admission test to get rid of all sorts of problems.
When asked what the national admission test would look like, multiple UGC members told Dhaka Tribune about the approach of International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or medical admission test, as examples.
In this case, the president gave consent to the university apex body to organize the national admission test, adding that it will be introduced as its own admission system.
The university authorities will admit the students on the basis of the score obtained following the admission test, said a UGC member who participated in the meeting.
At that time, some members of the UGC informed the president that currently a number of university vice-chancellors to teachers are taking Tk1 lakh to Tk3 lakh from the entrance exam income.
They cited an example and gave information about the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, who took Tk3 lakh, admission committee members got Tk2 lakh and general teachers took Tk1 lakh from the entrance exam.
The president expressed surprise over knowing the information at the meeting.
Currently, 20 universities hold combined admission tests while Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University and Chittagong University hold separate admission tests.
At the meeting, the commission also informed that some private universities are unwilling to implement commission directions showing the excuse of the national election year.
The commission members said that the implementation of the directive has nothing to do with national elections.
Referring to the issue of elections, the president also asked the question in response: “What does that have to do with it?"
Recently, the commission issued some directions to private universities including shifting to permanent campus instead of conducting academic activities at temporary campus.
UGC members want their status upgrade
UGC Chairman Prof Kazi Shahidullah informed the president about the upgradation of the present post of the commission members like other government designation posts including secretary or respectable upgradations.
They said, the present status of the members of the commission are not appropriate or analogical with their activities.
Citing an example, they mentioned designations of Indian and other neighbouring countries university apex body members are high and compatible like government high officials.
In the meeting, the president gave tacit consent to the change, according to meeting sources.
