Sikh students demand minority seats at Government College University (GCU)
Lahore: The only two Sikhs students who applied for admission to the Government College University (GCU) have been rejected because of a lack of minority seats at the institution, the students said on Thursday.
The students – Vijendar Singh and Joginder Singh – said the GCU should reserve minority seats at the university, as it had reserved seats for sportsmen, children of teachers, etc. Vijendar said his score (723) in matric (class 10) was good and his chances for admission at the GCU would have been brighter if there had been minority seats at the institution.
GCU Registrar Professor Faisal Khurshid said the admission applications of the Sikh students had been rejected because they had not met the merit requirements of the institution. He said the university followed government rules and enrolled students strictly on merit. He said that if there had been reserved seats for minorities, and the Sikh students had qualified, the university would have accommodated the Sikh students.
Demands: Guru Nanak Gee Mission President Dr Mimpal Singh said, "Sikhs wish that their children be called Ravians." He said most Sikhs did not have the resources to compete with the majority. He added that he had been asking the government for reserve seats for minorities at educational institutions for many years. Dr Mimpal added that major minorities in Pakistan had representation in the provincial and national assemblies but the Sikhs had been ignored in that respect. He urged the government to pay attention to the problems of the Sikh community. Daily Times
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