What’s in a name? Well, a lot apparently in the admission season of Panjab University in Chandigarh and Chandigarh University in Punjab. Candidates are confused and the PU’s single window enquiry office is flooded with calls about courses at an institution 24 kilometres off at Gharuan village.

An enquiry official at the PU said: “We get these calls all year but the frequency shoots up in the admission season. Students call us to say we had called them to offer seats in BCom (bachelor or commerce) or BBA (bachelor of business admintraion). We have to then clarify that they have called up Panjab University in Chandigarh, not Chandigarh University in Punjab.”

Last year, a student who joined the PU mass communication course realised that it was Chandigarh University he wanted to go. He confused the names and landed at Panjab University. This March a candidate aspiring to join the PU called up Chandigarh University to enquire about the CET (common entrance test). The CU help desk clarified to the candidate that they have their own admission test.

Prabhdeep Singh, head of the CU media centre said: “We follow the international convention of naming universities after states. As far as the confusion among students is concerned, every parent has a Smartphone to be able to search where is CU and where is PU?”