Only perfect students need apply for a place in Delhi University

Only perfect students need apply for a place in Delhi University

    By Avneet Arora
    POSTED: 02 Jul 2013 11:10 AM
  
Students applying for a place in India's prestigious Delhi University have always known it is difficult to get in, but no one expected that the qualifying grade would have to be an almost perfect score.

NEW DELHI: Gaining admission into India's top ranked Delhi University has never been easy. To even be considered for undergraduate courses, students need to score above 90 per cent for their 12th grade board exams.

This year, it has become even more difficult to get in, as the cut-off grade has reached almost 100 per cent.

It is not only the popular courses that are tough to get in -- even a newly introduced computer science course offered by one of Delhi University's lesser-known colleges has taken the competition to another level.

Rajesh, who is a parent, said: "The competition has become very tough. From the children, the pressure has come onto us also, because we know from the beginning that cut-offs are so high. And our children, even after studying so hard, aren't sure if they will get in."

Economics, commerce, English and journalism are among the most sought after courses -- only half a per cent of applicants, or at best, 10 per cent will be accepted.

However, university administrators said there is still hope for students who did not make the first cut.

Dr Gulshan Sawhney, deputy dean of students welfare at Delhi University, said: "What's happened is that there is an additional eligibility criterion -- if you are a student who did maths with computer science, then there is one cut-off. Whereas if you didn't do those subjects, there is a slightly higher cut-off.

"So there is no need for confusion on this -- if a student has 95 per cent, they are eligible for this. And if you're not on this list, I would recommend you wait till the second list comes out and it is possible you will be on that one."

The university's cut-off grade, which soared past 95 per cent for most courses this year, sparked protests in a few colleges. Student organisations are calling for changes to the admission criteria, which they said favours the rich.

Alok, a research scholar at Delhi University, said: "Most of the students in this country study in government schools. So they cannot compete with those who graduate from private schools. In a way, children of the labourers who toiled to construct this very university building are being denied admission."

With 7,000 students scoring above 95 per cent in 2013, it is hard to hold colleges responsible for the high cut-off grade. But the call to review admission criteria remains a valid one. With a curriculum that promotes rote learning and lax grading standards, it is hard to imagine a bright future for the education system if it doesn't change its approach.

- CNA/ac

- wong chee tat :)