'Admit all reserved category students based on actual intake'

Even after 3 cut-off lists, some colleges not taking these students

After reports of Delhi University colleges flouting rules regarding admissions of reserved category students, the varsity has come out with a notification that states that admission should be on the basis of actual intake and not the sanctioned strength.

“Calculations of the number of seats reserved for the reserved category (Scheduled Castes/Tribes and Other Backward Classes) are to be done on the basis of total admissions made in each course. Kindly ensure that the percentage of reservation for the SCs (15 per cent), ST (7.5 per cent) and OBCs (27 per cent) is calculated on the basis of the actual admissions made in each course excluding the supernumerary seats on account of sports/extra curricular activity (ECA), foreign students, children/widows of eligible armed forces personnel (CW category), persons with disability (Pwd) and not on the basis of sanctioned intake,” stated a July 5 notification by the deputy registrar (academic).

As per officials, even after three cut-off lists, there are colleges which have not started admitting reserved category students, especially SC/STs.

Many DU colleges like Hansraj have come out with an additional eligibility criteria (AEC) for several of its courses for reserved category students. “For reserved category students as per rules there cannot be an AEC,” said a member of the central enabling committee for SCs/STs.

“Many lesser known colleges have over admitted students as they kept the cut offs low like previous years. With a change in the under-graduation pattern to four years, the programme courses were scrapped in which many students with lower percentages used to take admissions. Such a system led to students taking up honors courses who would have otherwise opted for programme courses. For these colleges, the massive rush was unexpected,” said a principal of a South Delhi college.

Another reason for huge rush in many DU colleges was scrapping of the option of choosing a college at the time of filling the admission form. “Even when one applies for universities abroad, there are various grade colleges from which the students choose.

For colleges it helps in understanding the number of students who have applied, maximum and minimum percentage for courses, thus making a cut off list which will accommodate students as per the sanctioned strength, which was missing this year,” said a teacher from Kirori Mal College (KMC).

This year several colleges also refused admissions to students meeting the cut off list percentage citing reason of over admissions. “In the general category, there have been steep over admissions. The colleges have to admit reserved category students on the basis of the total number of admissions in the general category," added the teacher.

And then, “The major constraint for the colleges will be of infrastructure and faculty,” the teacher further said.

After the OBC expansion, the intake of students have seen a steep increase. Even prominent colleges like Ramjas have a skewed teacher to student ratio in several of its courses. In several Science classes in the college, about 100 or more students are admitted. Many DU colleges are facing similar infrastructure problem since the OBC expansion.