A central university here is facing allegations of granting admission to two students in PhD courses even though they did not figure on the merit list.

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University had conducted an entrance test in June for admission into PhD courses for the 2023-24 batch. Nearly 450 candidates had appeared in the test. Around 100 of them passed the written test, 90 qualified in the interviews and 80 students enrolled themselves.

However, the university reopened the admission process and granted admission to two more PhD students on August 29 without any notice. Both the students were not on the merit list.

“This is a gross injustice to other students. If more students had to be given admission, a revised merit list should have been notified after lowering the cut-off. Whoever was eligible should have been given admission. But without following a transparent process, the university gave admission to two students in PhD,” said Kamal Bhardwaj, a student leader.

Some students met vice-chancellor Murlimanohar Pathak on Friday and questioned the “opaque” admission process but failed to elicit any explanation.

“The admissions have been granted illegally. The students will hold a protest on this issue next week,” said another student.

They also alleged that some students pursuing BEd in the 2022-24 batch were wrongly given admission to the PhD programme for the 2023-24 session in June this year.

“The rules prohibit students from pursuing two degrees simultaneously. The BEd students are supposed to complete their course in 2024-25. They can take admission in any regular course only in the 2024-25 session. But some students have taken admission to the PhD programme of the 2023-24 batch,” said a student.

Pathak denied any wrongdoing by the university. He said both the students had pursued Masters in Sanskrit with a specialisation in Darshan. They had sought admission for PhD in Jain Darshan. They had qualified in the entrance test but were not found suitable for the course in the interview.

“Since they had done Masters in Sanskrit with specialisation in Darshan, they are allowed to pursue PhD in any branch of Darshan. We have the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta branch in Darshan. Both the students later changed their preference and wanted to pursue PhD in Vishihstadvaita Vedanta. The departmental research committee held interviews and found them suitable,” Pathak said.

On BEd students getting admission into PhD, Pathak said the course work and activities would practically start from the 2024-25 session even though the PhD batch is of 2023-24 session. “The period of the course will be counted from the dates when they pay fees and complete admission. There is no irregularity,” Pathak said.

He also said the University Grants Commission had in 2022 allowed students to pursue two academic degrees simultaneously.