New Delhi: Students applying to Delhi University (DU) next year onwards will not have to lose out on their dream college due to high cut-offs. Their eligibility will instead be determined through entrance exams.
DU’s Executive Committee (EC) — a statutory decision-making body that helps with implementation of policies and measures — approved the decision of conducting entrance exam-based admissions Friday. This means the central university will do away with the system of cut-offs from the academic year 2022.
The decision comes after cut-offs touched 100 per cent in seven DU colleges for over 11 courses earlier this year, which was criticised by students.
In November, a nine-member panel was set up by DU, tasked with suggesting an “alternative strategy for optimal admissions in undergraduate courses”.
The panel, appointed by the university’s V-C Yogesh Singh, had proposed three options — granting admission on the basis of entrance tests from next year, considering 50 per cent marks from Class 12 exams and 50 per cent from an entrance test, or maintaining the status quo (keeping the cut-off system as it is). The EC has approved the option of conducting entrance exams.
Whether DU will devise its own entrance exams or adopt the central government’s Central University Common Entrance Test (CUCET), is yet to be worked out.
“As of now, the decision that entrance exams will be conducted next year onwards has been taken. How these exams will be conducted and which exam will it be are modalities that are being worked out,” DU Registrar Vikas Gupta told ThePrint.
In an interview with ThePrint, V-C Yogesh Singh had said that the shift to entrance exams will help students from all states get a fair chance of admission into DU.
Students from states where boards are less lenient with grading miss out on the opportunity due to high cut-offs, he had further said.
On 10 December, the Academic Council of the university — its highest academic body, responsible for maintenance of standards of instruction, education and examination — had approved the decision of conducting entrance exams. However, 16 members of the council had voted against the decision.
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New team, maternity leave for ad-hoc staff
According to reports, there was a spate of resignations a day ahead of the EC meeting. Pro-vice-chancellor P.C. Joshi, director of south campus Suman Kundu, proctor Neeta Sehgal and dean of students welfare Rajeev Gupta submitted their resignations Thursday.
At the Friday meeting, a new team of supervisory heads of DU was formed.
Professor Balram Pani is now the dean (colleges), Dr Sriprakash Singh is director of south campus, Dr Pankaj Arora is the new dean of student affairs, Rajni Abbi is the proctor, and Payal Maggo is director of the Campus of Open Learning.
Another significant decision taken by the EC during the meeting was approval of paid maternity leave benefits for ad-hoc teachers and contractual staff.
“Maternity benefit for ad-hoc staff is an issue we had been raising for quite some time. We are glad that the V-C agreed to make provisions for it. In case during their maternity leave their tenure lapses, they will be reappointed and helped in the process, the V-C assured us,” Rajpal Singh, a member of the EC, said.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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