Defending its decision of scrapping the extracurricular activities (ECA) trials, Hindu College said the admission process through ECA is fraught with malpractices.
“College has been receiving complaints, in writing, about malpractices in such admissions. One such complaint was forwarded by the Chancellor of the University, through the Vice Chancellor, to the governing body for appropriate action,” said chairman of governing body, S N P Punj.
According to the Delhi University guidelines, the colleges are allowed to admit up to 5 percent of students on sports or extracurricular basis. “This is enabling, but non-mandatory clause. The option to admit, or not, students under these categories rests with the college,” added Punj.
Even though it is prerogative of the university to ascertain ECA quota, the Deputy Dean of Students’ Welfare Gulshan Sahani said the university had raised objection to cancellation of trials. He argued that it was a blatant deviation from standard practice.
However, some DU colleges like Shri Ram College of Commerce, St Stephen’s and Indraprastha College for Women have not been making admission under ECA for several years, citing difficulties in conducting ECA trials.
Hindu College said many faculty members had also been expressing their concerns regarding violations of university rules. “The governing body did not wish to have aspersions cast on the integrity of the admission process affecting the hard-earned reputation of the college.
Accordingly, it took a decision, as a first step, not to make any admissions on ECA basis this year,” the college said in a press statement.
The college governing body has also decided to conduct an inquiry against those guilty of malpractices.
Punj said due to the row over four-year undergraduate programme, college could not put a disclaimer in their prospectus. “When the issue was brought to our attention, we had a public notice put up on the college notice board and also on the college website,” he added.
