HYDERABAD, July 5: Strongly reacting to allegations levelled by unsuccessful students of the 93-batch during a protest outside the Karachi Press Club , the authorities of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology have denied that the university management had demanded Rs50,000 to Rs200,000 from any student for the award of degrees or for giving 400 grace marks to two students.

In a statement issued here on Monday, the university registrar said that only 63 students of the 93-batch were declared failed and not 150 students as claimed by the protesting students.

In order to set the record straight, the registrar said students were admitted to degree courses and required to complete their studies in four academic years (eight terms).

Candidates admitted to architecture discipline, he said, were required to complete degree course in five years (10 terms). He said that the failure candidates of 93-batch had opportunity to clear subjects (theory and practical) in seven academic years as per rules and regulations of the university and Pakistan Engineering Council.

He said that the failure candidates had not only availed the prescribed opportunity but they were also provided two extra chances to appear in examination with 96-batch in Oct 2001 and subsequently in the special supplementary examination held in 2002.

He said that some of the students had failed in five to nine subjects (300 marks), some had remained absent and did not avail extra opportunity of special supplementary examinations and some availed the opportunity of special supplementary examination but still remained absent in few subjects.

He said that one of the protesting students, Maqsood Alam, son of Mir Badshah, was debarred for one year on the recommendations of the discipline committee for impersonation.

The registrar categorically denied that the university had ever constituted two member committee as alleged by the students for formulating recommendations to grant 400 grace marks.

He made it clear that there was no legal provision to award degrees to protesters who were not eligible having exhausted maximum chances that were available to them.