From upcoming session, seats at St Stephen's College to be filled through CUET: DU VC Yogesh Singh
Last year, a row between St Stephen's College and the DU administration made headlines when the college refused to accept the varsity's admission criteria, claiming it was a minority institution.
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FollowDelhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh said that, like last year, the university would conduct admissions through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) this year; however, the process will be much smoother as the university is well prepared. He also said that the CUET Exam be held twice a year.
While talking to PTI, Singh said, "The last time was the first, and we faced some problems. The ideal scenario would be to hold CUET twice a year. The best performance should be considered, and I am hopeful that the UGC will do so," Singh said.
The VC said that despite several initiatives to fill all 70,000 university seats, approximately 5,000 seats remained vacant last year. "It wasn't due to the CUET, but because a few courses aren't very popular, and they end up with few takers," he explained.
"Previously, some seats were also vacant. Seats in certain categories remained vacant in some colleges. Seats in minority institutions are also vacant," he highlighted.
Last year, a row between St Stephen's College and the DU administration made headlines when the college refused to accept the varsity's admission criteria, claiming it was a minority institution.
The varsity then granted permission for the prestigious college to interview minority undergraduate students for admission. The admission process at the college began only after the Supreme Court's order when it conducted interviews for seats reserved for Christian candidates.
Singh said that the issue had been resolved and that the college would only accept applications through the CUET beginning this year. Singh announced that admissions to all DU colleges would be handled solely through the CUET, with no interviews. After St Stephen's College refused to accept the varsity's admission criteria,
Singh also listed the university's priorities for the coming years: "We need to improve the university's infrastructure and launch new projects, such as buildings and courses. We wish to raise our international standing. Several projects are in the pipeline. Two academic buildings and few hostels." The university is counting on a Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) loan that should be approved this year.
In response to the expansion outside of Delhi or abroad, the vice chancellor said that the administration still needs to consider' establishing campuses in other parts of the country. "And we welcome collaboration outside of India. There are currently no plans to expand DU outside of India," he said.
Despite the UGC guidelines, Singh said that the DU would continue to give honours degrees to students who chose a three-year course.
In draft norms released in December, the University Grants Commission (UGC) said that students would only receive an undergraduate honours degree after completing a four-year course. However, DU refused to accept the standards, saying that students pursuing a three-year programme would continue to receive honours degrees.
(With inputs from PTI)
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