KARACHI, June 27: A large number of students, belonging to the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, have appealed for relaxation in rules pertaining to the holding of supplementary examinations.

Talking to Dawn, a representative group of the students belonging to 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 batches, said that the batches were recognized by the NED University which had been conducting their examinations from time to time.

They attributed their failure to clear the examinations to the delayed holding of examinations, irrelevant examination faculties, bitterness the DCET and the NED University and certain administrative problems of the college. These factors, they claimed largely contributed to their failure in clearing the examinations within the stipulated period of seven academic years, as required by the Pakistan Engineering Council for awarding membership to passing out graduates of engineering education institutions.

They said that the offices of the chancellor and vice chancellor of the NED University had been approached for holding of one more examination in their case that could help some 600 students save their career from devastation.

In response to a request from the affected students, the students’ representatives claimed, the VC of the university had acknowledged the problems faced by the college students. He had written to the affected students that the university administration had also realized their problems.

Independent sources expressed the view that relations between the university and college had not been ideal since the time of their disaffiliation. As such, there existed a room for moving the PEC for relaxation in some of its regulations on the grounds of maladministration over the previous years.

Not agreeing that the number of affected students were around 600, a senior DCET teacher, however, said that it might be beyond 200, but that many, too, should not be deprived of academic opportunities.

There are examples where students had been allowed extra examinations in relaxation to rules or court’s orders and, therefore, the NED University and DCET administration should move PEC for a re-examination in the case in question. These batches, according to the teacher, have been facing abnormalities in the wake of ‘not so good’ academic relations between the two institutions.

The students referred to a recent notification from the PEC and said that the council had already agreed that any candidate who had obtained a Bachelor degree in any accredited programme of engineering in a period of more than seven academic years before June 6, 2003, would be considered for registration by the PEC.

The Principal of DCET, Dr Muhammad Saleem Chaudhry, said that he was already in touch with the NED University on the issue and was of the view that since the number of students in question was big, they should be given a chance to appear in examination.

It is learnt that the Students Action Committee, formed for the purpose, had also communicated to the Sindh governor, who is also chancellor of the NED University, to look into their grievances.

The students maintained that certain negations in the professional parameters of engineering academics had been observed in the past by authorities concerned and, as such, reverting the students after so many years to intermediate level would be unfair.