Cut-offs may be higher this year

After more students came up with high scores in Class 12 CBSE and ISC exams this year, the Delhi University is expecting higher cutoffs for its undergraduate courses.

DU college principals have also warned students to brace themselves for higher cutoffs, especially in the first list.

“Almost 3,000 more students have scored above 95 per cent as compared to the last year. And nearly 15,000 more are above the 90 per cent mark.

Therefore, the cutoffs are likely to go higher,” said the Dean of Students’ Welfare J M Khurana, referring to this year’s Class 12 CBSE results.

With no increase in seats for undergraduate courses, the higher scorers – many of whom want to study in DU – are threatening to push the college cutoffs.

For instance, all stream toppers are from the Delhi NCR region and have expressed their desire to study in prestigious DU colleges.

The all-India topper Sarthak Aggarwal who scored a staggering 99.6 per cent had said that he wants to pursue economics honours from either Sri Ram College of Commerce or St Stephen’s College.

Earlier, the DU had said that vocational subjects would also be considered while calculating the best of four aggregate, based on which cutoffs are determined.

The university officials say that this may push the cutoffs even higher.

“Many students score high marks in vocational subjects. But the students will face a deduction of 10 percent of total marks if vocational subject is included in the best of four,” added Khurana.   

The college principals also express their apprehension.

“We can’t estimate how many students will be applying to our college. There is no option for students to select colleges in the OMR form. So on a precautionary note, colleges may fix high cutoffs,” said a principal of a college in the university’s north campus on grounds of anonymity.

The university officials, however, said that cutoffs in the second list will be more reasonable.

“We have asked all colleges to upload on their websites details of candidates immediately after admission. This will help colleges to post more reasonable cutoffs in the second list,” said a DU official.