Hindustan
Times: Patiala: Monday, 14 September 2015.
The Netaji
Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS) is raising eyebrows because of the
non-transparent admission process it followed for admission in the diploma
course in sports coaching for the current academic session.
The NIS
authorities are giving vague answers to the questions filed under the Right to
Information Act, 2005 by some candidates who were not selected for the course.
The course of
diploma in sports coaching is a popular and prestigious diploma awarded by the
institute. Students who complete the course are sought after for jobs in the
field of sports coaching.
However, the
documents received in a RTI reply by Prabhsimran Singh, an applicant for the
diploma, expose the flaws in the process followed for admission as well as the
flouting of norms for finalising the selection of candidates.
Jaswinderpal
Singh, father of Prabhsimran, who had filed the RTI petition, said ineligible
candidates were admitted by the institute while ignoring their performance.
Even the final list of selected candidates was not displayed or prepared for
obvious reasons.
He said that
apart from unsatisfactory or incomplete replies, NIS even changed the questions
on which the information was sought. Shockingly, in reply to a RTI question
asking for the number of seats for which candidates were called, NIS says that
110 applications were received. The institute failed to reply on the number of
vacant seats for the course.
Singh further
said basic criteria for admission state that only those candidates who bring a
no-objection certificate (NOC) from the parent institute or employer can be called
for the interview. However, two candidates called for the interview and finally
selected by the institute did not have a NOC.
Apart from
this, NIS also failed to reply about the number of vacant seats for which
candidates were called for the diploma course in hockey. In an arbitrary
manner, NIS selected 19 candidates in academic year 2013-14 while it selected
24 candidates in academic year 2014-15. Only 14 candidates were admitted in the
diploma in the current session.
“The
documentary proofs clearly show that NIS is indulging in favouritism and
arbitrariness as they have deliberately overlooked essential qualifications
apart from ignoring guidelines and procedures to be followed for admission.
While a B category player and medal winner was not given admission by the
institute, another candidate who has no medal and is listed as D category
player by the district sports officer was given admission,” Singh said, while
releasing documents procured under RTI.
When
contacted, NIS deputy director and public information officer VS Chauhan said
he had replied to the RTI applications which were handed over to him by the
academics incharge. He admitted that two RTI first appeals have already been
filed against NIS over the issue.
On the other
hand, academics incharge TL Gupta said the admission process was transparent.
He admitted that one candidate was selected without the necessary NOC but said
he was not allowed to join classes. Gupta said he has already taken up the
matter with the higher authorities and RTI replies will be filed within due
time.
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