BITS,Pilani has NOT accepted Reservations!

I know, most of you would have read Times of India, with front page headlines, “Deemed Varsities Say Yes to Quota”. For those who didn’t, here is an excerpt of the same:

“In a major setback to the anti-quota campaign, private unaided institutes like BITS Pilani, Manipal and Symbiosis on Thursday

unanimously

agreed to implement the 27% reservations for OBC’s.

The Vice chancellors of the eight deemed universities across the country met the union HRD minister Arjun Singh here and decided in favour of the governments proposal. The meeting was also attended by the chief ministers of most states. The vice chancellors said the quota implementation would be in a phased manner..They also agreed on the variable fees structure and reducing fees.”

The statements in italics above are false!!The decision was not unanimous, as no representative of BITS was present at the meeting!!
                Truth is , BITS Pilani has NOT accepted reservations at all !!
       Here is a mail that each and every bitsian received within hours of the false news coming out.This was sent to us by the institute itself:
A group of deemed universities including some prestigious ones today backed HRD Minister Arjun Singh’s move for reservation in unaided institutes but BITS, Pilani, strongly opposed it. “BITS, Pilani was invited but could not attend the meeting.In fact the institute has already submitted a note to the ministry expressing its views on reservation of seats in admissions for the weaker sections,” said M K Kashiramka, BITS, Pilani Chief Public Relations Officer. According to BITS, merit must be the only criteria for admissions, he said adding so as to ensure homogenous input into the higher education system.External link about this

         Shortly after we received this mail.BITS Pilani has put a notice regarding the same on their official website, the link being here

A paragraph about it goes like this:
       “NDTV and certain other news channels have put a news item in which it is claimed that certain unaided deemed universities have promised to implement reservation for SC/ST & OBC in which BITS, Pilani’s name is also mentioned. BITS, Pilani could not attend the said meetingconvened by the Hon’ble Minister of HRD on 26th October, 2006. In fact BITS, Pilani had already submitted a Note to the Ministry expressing its views on reservation of seats in admissions for the weaker sections. According to BITS, merit must be the only criteria for admissions so as to ensure homogenous input into the higher education system. Provision has to be made in the schools to give special coaching so that candidates of weaker sections can compete with other students.

This was just an informative post..no personal views on the whole thing as of yet..though I must say that BITS is fighting pretty hard. Somewhat like David vs Goliath.Lone standing rock against a rising tide.Keep it up BITS Pilani!!