What We Can Do to Reform the University Admission Process in India

The recent row in Jadavpur University over scrapping of admission tests for six undergraduate courses in Humanities reminded me of answering questions on ghazal, western classical music, Kafka and literary devices in plays years ago on a sultry July morning. I somehow managed to wade through those few hours with whatever little knowledge I had gathered from readings which were unrelated to the school curriculum. The controversy provided me with an opportunity to dispassionately think about an ideal admission procedure.

Selection based on school leaving marks saves time and money. It also saves us from the hassles of conducting and grading thousands of answer scripts. It is public knowledge that shortage of teaching faculty in universities forces only a handful of teachers to participate in the evaluation process. Given the huge number of applicants, monotony and boredom is bound to set in among those evaluating the scripts, which invariably affects the quality of assessment. Hence, marks-based admission may seem to be a better alternative.

On the other hand, admission tests help in weeding out the “undeserving” ones based on their writing and analytical abilities. It also gives an impression of bringing parity as there are huge disparities in the curricula of regional and central boards. With the rise in the number of applicants and very high scores at the +2 level, admission tests allow a comparison of candidates within a particular discipline.

This brings us to the question of evaluation process in general. The above mentioned link between manpower shortage, repetitiveness and quality of assessment is present even during the evaluation of board examination scripts. One must remember that evaluation is now only a test of memory and is anything but retention and application of knowledge. It has been often observed that a student whose name did not figure in the merit list of higher secondary examination ended up outscoring others in competitive exams. Therefore, it is safe to say that there is no close correspondence between the two – board examination marks and entrance test scores.

Though both the processes promise fairness, there is nothing to romanticise about either method as both are replete with loopholes. Before hailing the mobilisation of students, teachers and alumni through signature campaigns and boycotting of admissions against the university’s decision by the intellectuals of Kolkata and elsewhere as necessary, it is also equally if not more important, to do an objective analysis of the existing admission system.

An assessment of the nature of questions asked in the tests for undergraduate admissions is essential to gauge what kind of candidates the universities pitch for. The question papers are usually a combination of objective and subjective questions. The objective part is fairly simple and often, ‘scoring’, as even when one does not know the answers, guesswork may fetch points. It is the subjective section which tests the knowledge and reading/writing/analytical skills of the candidate. The candidate is expected to have prior exposure to and a fairly comprehensive knowledge of texts and literature related to the discipline. It is here that I have my reservations. The difficulty level of the questions would reveal that in reality the pool of “deserving” candidates is limited to those coming from urban schools or from upper class, elite and educated backgrounds. A student from a rural school, who might be otherwise hardworking, diligent, inquisitive and willing to learn, has high chances of being rejected not only because of her limited knowledge but also for not possessing the necessary writing skills.

It is not entirely her fault to be counted among the “lowest common denominators”, as one must remember that the Indian school system itself is cumbersome, text-based and places emphasis rote learning which hardly allows any scope for outside reading; and matters are worse in rural/remote schools. Therefore, as much as the entrance test aims to eliminate the “incompetent” and the “non-meritorious”, it bars a large section of students particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds (socio-economic and geographical) accessing higher educational (irrespective of caste) institutions. Entrance test then becomes a formal discriminatory mechanism which goes against the very spirit of fairness.

In order to truly make undergraduate admissions a level playing field, a change in the procedure across universities and colleges throughout the country is necessary. In the short run, the admission process itself has to be a combination of various criteria. Weightage should be given to school leaving marks, entrance test, interview (where seats are few) and deprivation points. Perhaps, looking at the example of Jawaharlal Nehru University (MA admissions) would suggest that introduction of “deprivation points” gives an edge to students from distant places. It is indeed a successful model to emulate, as many such disadvantaged students go on to excel in academics, which is the ultimate contribution of a university.

In case of the deprivation point system, Quartile one includes the most backward/deprived areas and the next level is quartile two and points are awarded on a scale of one to five depending upon the backwardness of the schools of the applicants. Such practices should be implemented at the undergraduate level too as it would ensure that a large number of deprived students gain greater access to institutions of excellence which they otherwise may not consider applying to.

The system should be such that an admission test is held after the initial elimination round based on marks. The applicants should be given enough time to prepare for the test and travel to the test centres. There should be a set syllabus for the same to maintain uniformity across universities and colleges. Recently, a similar method was introduced at Goa University for admission to postgraduate courses where candidates were asked questions on their third year syllabus in college. However, the syllabus has to be changed at regular intervals so that the ills of a standard pattern, predictability of questions and rote-learning could be avoided.

Reforming the university admission process is not an answer to the problems which plague the Indian education system in general. Entrance test  cannot be the sole criterion for sorting the meritorious from the non-meritorious or a measure of merit, as it would continue to breed elitism; it can only be a component of the entire process. A systemic overhaul of primary and secondary education is urgently needed, so that higher education could be made more inclusive and just.