Bhubaneswar, July 14: The issue of affiliation has surfaced once again. And at the receiving end are over 2,000 students who, despite securing good ranks in the recently concluded Orissa Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE), are unsure if they would get admissions.

These students belong to Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor in Computer Science (BCA) courses in nearly 20 colleges running under Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Delay in publication of their fifth and sixth semester results is causing them sleepless nights. Students who have appeared for their back papers are also awaiting their results.

The online registration for MBA and MCA courses has already started and would go on till July 19. A candidate is required to visit one of the 23 nodal centres between July 16 and 19 to produce the original marksheets of their last qualifying examinations.

“The counselling will start day after tomorrow and we do not have our results with us yet. How can we take admissions when the first thing the officials at the nodal centre will ask for is our original marksheet? We are really nervous and don’t want to lose a year,” said Sambit Mohanty, a student of BCA at NIIS College, Bhubaneswar.

Parents are also worried about their children’s future. Kumar Mithilesh, a guardian of a girl aspirant, who has secured rank 33 in the OJEE is unhappy about the callousness of the authorities. “Since the last seven days, I have been visiting the examination controller’s office but in vain. What will happen to our children? They are being punished for no fault of theirs,” said Mithilesh.

Around 60 aggrieved students from nine colleges met vice-chancellor of Utkal University Prashant Kumar Sahoo today and demanded immediate publication of their results. However, Sahoo said the results of some colleges have been withheld since they are no longer affiliated to the university. “The authorities of the colleges concerned must contact us and deposit the affiliation fees along with an undertaking,” he added.

On the other hand, principal of NIIS College, Bhabani Sankar Rath said the college authorities have a valid affiliation. “We have already spoken to the Utkal University authorities and they have assured us to publish the results as soon as possible,” he added.

Utkal’s PG council chairman, P.K. Sarkar questioned the authenticity of the affiliation that the private colleges concerned claim to have. “If the colleges are genuine, then shouldn’t the authorities come to us instead of sending their students?” asked Sarkar.

However, he assured that the results would be published in the interest of the students as soon as possible provided the concerned colleges submit an undertaking to this effect.

Examination controller of the university, Sadashib Pradhan said the results were being processed and would be out by Friday evening.

A similar row over affiliation had come to light last year when students enrolled in various five-year integrated self-financing courses under BJB (Autonomous) College staged protests demanding recognition of the courses from the university.

They had taken admission assuming that the courses were being offered by BJB (Autonomous) College but later found out that it was a collaborative venture between the college and two private bodies, called Heritage Vision and Pratibha Education Trust, and that the courses were yet to receive affiliation. The issue was finally resolved and students got their registration numbers.