New Delhi: Uncertainty looms large in the minds of the students who lost a year in their hope of getting admission to the College of Art (CoA), which is caught in an affiliation tussle between Delhi University (DU), a central university, and Ambedkar University (AUD), which was formed by the Delhi government.
Many have even given up their hope of making it to the CoA, a fine arts college, as there seems to be no end to the impasse that began in March last year. The ongoing tussle between the two universities has been further complicated by a third party, a parent, petitioning the Delhi High Court last month seeking resumption of admissions.
Ashish Sehgal, who has filed the petition, said his son was forced to drop a year as the college did not admit students in the 2021-22 academic session. As a result, he said, about 500 seats went vacant in the college.
“Many in my family have studied from this college and I want my son to continue the legacy. Its reputation is on par with some of the best arts colleges in the country. But now with the drop year and such uncertainty, we can’t wait any longer. He will enrol in a commerce course,” Sehgal added.
In an interim order on Sehgal’s petition, the court on 17 May ordered AUD to hold CoA admissions. On 30 May, DU challenged the interim order.
Another aspirant, who refused to be named, is contemplating if she should even opt for the college. “I wanted to study in the College of Art but now, with the change of affiliation, I am considering to remove it from my list of colleges. The CUET (exam for admission to central universities) gives me hope to pursue studies in DU.”
While CoA Dean Professor Satyaketu Sankrit couldn’t be reached for comment by calls and texts, a college official asserted that they were focused on ensuring the admissions take place.
“For now, we are focused on making sure the entrance test (for admissions) takes place seamlessly,” the official added, without giving further details as the case is sub judice. The next date of hearing is 13 July.
On his part, DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh said his administration moved court to ensure that the affiliation row was resolved once and for all. Last year, Singh had instructed the college to conduct admissions in line with DU rules, but the directive went unheeded.
“Last year, CoA did not carry out admissions despite DU’s insistence to start the process. It is the college’s fault. Even this year, the college administration seems reluctant to start admission,” he said.
“It is happening now only after the court gave directions to AUD to start the admissions,” Singh added. “It is important to note that AUD is conducting admissions not as the affiliate body governing CoA, but as per court’s directions.”
DU is not only calling for resumption of admissions but also insisting that the fine arts college is brought back under its aegis. At its last meeting on 30 May, the DU Executive Council — the varsity’s highest decisionmaking body on academic and administrative matters — decided to challenge the high court’s interim order on admissions.
“On 17 May, the high court gave an interim order instructing that as of now admissions be conducted under Ambedkar University, but CoA is an integral part of DU… The university filed a review petition on 30 May after the council decided that the college should remain with it,” council member Seema Das told ThePrint.
What triggered the row
The Delhi government announced a merger of the CoA with Ambedkar University in March last year. Funded by the Delhi government, the college had been affiliated with DU since its inception in 1942.
The college was said to be facing “various difficulties”, as a result of which the government took the call of merging it with AUD.
The then Lt Governor Anil Baijal gave in-principle approval to the merger, but the DU council objected to the de-affiliation and merger of the college with AUD. Admissions were stalled as a result.
DU professor and ex-council member Rajesh Jha said a college panel had decided to go ahead with the merger last year. “The college formed the committee that decided to merge with Ambedkar University. Students or professors of the college were not consulted by this committee,” he said.
The tussle took another acrimonious turn in the last week of May after Professor Sankrit, the Dean of Letters at AUD, was given the additional charge of Dean, CoA. The DU council called the appointment “an encroachment on the jurisdiction of the University of Delhi”.
(Edited by Tony Rai)