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Punjab University's Co-Curricular Admissions: A Numbers Game or Fair Play?
The University of the Punjab recently released its list of selected candidates for Pharm-D and LL.B programs, based on co-curricular activities and reserved seats. A worthy endeavor, in principle. A selection committee made the recommendations after category-wise trials. We have names, programs, and the co-curricular activity that supposedly clinched the deal: Usman Nazar (English Debate, Pharm-D), Sidra Mubeen (Naat, Pharm-D), and so on. A neat, presentable list.
But what does this actually mean? Let’s break it down. The university is, in effect, allocating valuable seats in competitive programs based not solely on academic merit, but on… extracurricular talent. Now, before anyone cries foul, there’s a rationale here. Universities often seek to create a diverse student body, representing a range of skills and interests. A student body comprised only of academics would be a dull place indeed.
The Diversity Discount?
The question, as always, is one of balance. What percentage of seats are we talking about? The announcement doesn't say. Is it 5%? 10%? If it's a tiny fraction, the impact is negligible. If it's a substantial chunk, we need to ask harder questions about opportunity cost. How many students with stellar GPAs might have been edged out by someone whose debating skills were deemed more valuable? And, crucially, who makes that determination, and what are the metrics? What are the relative weights applied?
The announcement also mentions "reserved seats." Again, details are scant. Reserved for whom? Students from specific regions? Socioeconomic backgrounds? While the intent behind such reservations is usually to address historical inequalities, the devil is always in the execution. Are these reservations genuinely benefiting those most in need, or are they simply creating new forms of inequity? (I've seen enough well-intentioned policies backfire to be perpetually skeptical.)
Shoukat Ali was selected for LL.B based on Urdu Debate. Aneesa Muhammad Mateen got in for a combination of Urdu Debate and Dramatics. Okay. Rahim Naveed made the cut for Sufi Singing/Music (Instrument). Fair enough. These are all demonstrable skills, presumably judged against some standard. But how do you quantify the value of, say, Sufi singing compared to a near-perfect score on the entrance exam? What is the "conversion rate" of a well-intoned Sufi song to GPA points?
The Three-Day Dash
Then there's the deadline: selected candidates have three working days to complete the admission process. Three days. That's it. Fail to meet that arbitrary deadline, and your spot goes to the next person in line. Why three days? Is this some kind of efficiency drive gone mad? (I find it hard to believe that a university bureaucracy, known for its glacial pace, is suddenly operating with such breakneck speed.) What if a student is out of town? What if they have a legitimate reason for delay? The policy smacks of inflexibility and a lack of empathy.
The university’s statement says failure to comply within this time frame will result in the seat being declared vacant and offered to the next eligible candidate. This creates a zero-sum game, where one person's misfortune becomes another's opportunity. It also creates a sense of urgency and pressure that is hardly conducive to making a sound decision about one's future. It’s like those “limited time offer” sales tactics—designed to force a decision, not to serve the customer.
I've looked at enough of these announcements to know that the real story is often hidden between the lines. What we don't know about Punjab University's selection process is, frankly, more interesting than what we do. The lack of transparency regarding the criteria for evaluating co-curricular activities, the percentage of seats allocated through this route, and the rationale behind the three-day deadline raises serious questions about fairness and equity. The List of selected candidates in Pharm-D and LL.B on the basis of Co-Curricular reserved seats - Punjab University is available on the university website.
Smoke and Mirrors?
The real numbers are missing. Until we see them, this whole process feels more like a PR exercise than a genuine attempt to create a diverse and talented student body.