Official accused of forcing students to change dept

JAMSHORO: A group of students has accused the director of the Centre of Excellence in Arts and Design of forcing them to change the discipline to which they had sought admission from ceramics design to fine arts.

The centre, an affiliate of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, clearly mentioned in its prospectus that it had a functioning ceramics design department with a teaching faculty, said Abdul Salam Mirani, a student.

But a year after admission and completion of foundation the director was forcing them to quit the department of their choice and join fine arts, he alleged.

He said that he had completed the foundation year, which was a preparatory study compulsory for all students of various departments before joining their departments of choice.

“I should be allowed to study in the department of ceramics design but for unknown reasons the director has put restrictions on it and is forcing us not to join it,” he said.

Sajjad Ali Khilji, another student affected by the unwritten ban, said that the centre had infrastructure for the department of ceramics design and the administration had invited admissions to it in 2008-9 and 2010 as well.

He said that students were forced to join fine arts department every year after they had passed the foundation year. He had interest in studying ceramic design and did not want to quit it, he said.

He complained of what he called the director’s authoritative behaviour and said “he was pushing me to study a subject in which I have no interest and thus he is rendering my future barren.”

He said that he did not understand why it had been banned to study the ceramics design when everything, from teachers to equipments and building, were available.

Khalil Ahmed, another student who had chosen ceramics design as department of his choice, said that he was being pressurised to give up his choice and join the department of fine arts.

He said the centre reserved only six seats for admission to the department from all over the country. Four students had chosen the ceramic design department and completed the foundation year, he said.

The fourth affected student is Sajjad Shar.

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