By IANS,
New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Students aspiring to join Delhi University for undergraduate courses were aware that admission cut-offs this year would be high, but they were clearly left baffled when the qualifying marks soared sky high – even touching 100 percent in one college. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal termed the development as “very sad”.
The Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) fixed the cut-off for its B.Com (Honours) course at 100 percent for non-commerce aspirants. For B.A. Economics (Honours), the cut-off is 98.25 percent.
On Wednesday when the admission process began in the varsity and the first cut-off list was put up on the college notice boards, students were seen reacting with disbelief. For a number of courses, the jump in the cut-off was huge – by as much as 13 percent.
Ashima Sharma, a student who wants to pursue B.Com (Honours) from the SRCC, one of the top-notch colleges on the campus, said: “I have got an aggregate of 98 percent which, everyone told me, was a good percentage to get into any college. But 100 percent is just impossible!”
“I am really disappointed. But then, the college authorities told me not to lose hope and come back for the second cut-off list,” she added.
Similarly, Ashu Rana, who wants to graduate in Geography, said she will wait for the second list. “I still have hope left,” she said.
Reacting to the high cut-offs, especially the 100 percent mark in the SRCC, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said: “This morning I got the news that the cut-off in one college is 100 percent. I felt very sad, especially for the parents and the children who work so hard and get 97 and 98 percent, and one college says that if you are in science stream unless you have 100 percent you will not get admission.”
“I am informed by the vice chancellor that only one student in this entire list has 100 percent marks in science stream and he may never take commerce. The idea is to exclude everybody who is from science stream and not to allow them an opportunity to go to commerce,” Sibal said at a joint press conference with Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh.
Singh in turn said: “I agree with the minister, most colleges have not adopted such procedure which may disqualify a deserving candidate. So, I will add that four more cut-off lists will come. It’s only in one or two colleges that it has happened, and I hope the situation will be rectified”.
He attributed the high cut-offs “largely” to students getting high marks in the school leaving examinations. “That is why colleges are much more cautious with their cut-offs,” he said.
This year the varsity did away with the application process for admission to its undergraduate courses. So, the colleges declared the cut-offs on the basis of last year’s marks.
SRCC principal P.C. Jain defended the high cut-off in his college, saying that science students should not be disappointed because they have “many more options”.
“I think science students shouldn’t be disappointed with the cut-off, there are a lot more options for science students. More IITs, IIMs are coming up. Can commerce students go for engineering or medical? Those who do not get admission tend to criticize the criteria, but criterion have to be followed and honoured,” Jain told IANS. He added that students should be “patient” and wait for the second and third cut-off list.
Most of the colleges fixed very high cut-offs for various undergraduate courses in DU this year. In the science courses too, the cut-offs have seen a big jump.
For instance, in Daulat Ram College, the rise in the cut-off for B.Sc. Chemistry (Honours) was 13 percent over last year and Gargi College saw a rise of 12 percent.
Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, dean of the Students Welfare Office, said: “Colleges have exercised caution before declaring the first list. Aspirants are advised not to get discouraged. Most of the colleges are expected to announce four more lists.”
Those students who meet the cut-off of the first list can take admission June 16-20.
The university will declare the second list June 21. With a total of five lists this year, unlike four in the past, the admission process will continue till July 13.
Delhi University’s academic year begins July 15.