St Stephen’s asks DU to allow interviews after CUET kicks in

On March 17, it was decided that admissions to all minority colleges (including SSC and JMC) affiliated to DU will only be through CUET.

Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh said on Thursday that the central varsity was examining St Stephen’s College’s request to continue with the practice of holding interviews as part of its undergraduate (UG) admission process.

Aspirants of Delhi University undergraduate courses stand in queue to get the centralized admission form at St Stephens College in New Delhi. (File Photo/HT)

“Minority institutions have some special privileges. They can take 50% students from minority groups and we respect that. However, they want some weightage for interviews as well. I have received a request from Stephen’s College and they have sought around 15%, or at least some weightage, for interviews. We are examining the request,” Singh said.

St Stephen’s administration did not respond to requests for a comment.

The V-C said he was of the view that admissions to 50% open seats at St Stephen’s should be done through CUET (Central Universities’ Entrance Test) and for minority seats, the college could allocate 15% weightage to interviews.

“Students coming to the college in the open quota should be admitted through CUET solely, in my view. That said, we will examine the request and take appropriate steps,” said Singh.

Fifty per cent of the seats in minority colleges are reserved for students belonging to the community that runs the college. St Stephen’s College and Jesus and Mary College are two Christian minority institutions under Delhi University. These two colleges issue their own cutoff lists, separate from the consolidated cutoff list issued by the university dusring the admission cycle. St Stephen’s also conducts interviews as part of the admission process.

Last week, DU’s academic council passed a proposal making CUET score the sole criteria for admitting students to undergraduate courses in all colleges, including minority-run institutions, from the 2022-23 academic session.

“It was decided that admissions to all minority colleges (including St Stephen’s College and Jesus and Mary College) affiliated of the Delhi University will be only done through CUET. During centralised counselling, separate merit lists will be generated for unreserved and minority candidates as per the reservation policy,” said the minutes of the varsity’s academic council’s standing committee meeting, held on March 17 this year.