AISF members stage a protest at Patna Women’s College on Thursday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, June 30: The confusion is over. Patna Women’s College will admit students according to its revised strength — 250 in science and 600 in humanities.

For the past one week, students and their parents were confused over the number of seats available for admission in the college. There were rumours that the Patna Women’s College administration would stick to its earlier capacity and would not follow the decision of Patna University to increase the number of seats in its constituent colleges.

The clarification from the college came after some students under the banner of All India Students’ Federation today entered the institution raising slogans against the college administration. They accused the institution’s authorities of acting like “dictators”.

For half-an-hour, there was tension on the college campus as Patna Women’s College never saw such unruly scenes despite being a constituent college of the Patna University.

The students’ body claimed that the college administration was confusing the students and their parents by not coming up with a statement on the increase of seats.

Hearing the slogans, the principal of the college, Sister Doris D’Souza, reached to the spot of agitation. She tried to pacify the students, saying that the college was bound to give admission to students according to the increased number of seats.

D’Souza said: “There is no doubt or confusion over the fact that the college will give admission to students as per the increased number of seats. By July 15, our admission process will be over. You can check our admission register,” she said.

The principal also said: “We have given our consent for the increase in the number of seats at the principals’ meeting of the Patna University headed by vice-chancellor Sudipto Adhikari.”

On June 23, the Patna University decided to increase the seats in its major colleges after the state human resource development (HRD) department gave a go-ahead. One of the biggest beneficiaries of it was Patna Women’s College. Its number of seats in the science stream increased form 64 to 250. In humanities, the strength increased from 300 to 600.

The principal’s statement regarding the admission to the college according to its revised strength would bring relief to a large number of students whose names did not figure in the first and second admissions lists. They would now be optimistic to see their names in the lists yet to be published.

Snehlata Sinha, who had come for admission of her daughter, Sweta, said: “My daughter has secured 71 per cent but her name neither appeared in the first list nor in the second. The college administration’s silence on the increased seats had worried me. But after the principal’s statement, I have no doubts in my mind.”

Several others like Snehlata would heave a sigh of relief after D’Souza’s statement on the strength of the college. They would now be able to wait patiently for the next admission lists of the college.

A student seeking admission to the college, said: “I spent sleepless nights after my name did not figure in the first two admission lists published by the college. But now I am sure of getting a chance with so many seats in the college.”