St Stephen's College to follow DU admission policy as SC rejects plea against HC

The college cannot hold interviews for the general category or non-minority students and will have to admit them only on the basis of CUET or Common University Entrance Test scores.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay an order of the Delhi high court asking St Stephen's College to follow the admission policy prescribed by Delhi University.

Supreme Court of India. (File image)

The college cannot hold interviews for the general category or non-minority students and will have to admit them only on the basis of CUET or Common University Entrance Test scores.

Hearing St Stephen's plea against the Delhi HC order, a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and C Ravikumar said, “We find no reason to stay the judgement. Therefore, the application for interim relief is dismissed."

One of the top-ranked colleges across the country, St Stephen's had moved the apex court against the HC order asking it to follow the admission policy of Delhi University.

In its September 12 order, the high court had asked the Christian minority institution to follow the admission policy formulated by Delhi University according to which 100 per cent weightage has to be given to the CUET score while granting admission to non-minority students in its undergraduate courses.

The college cannot conduct interviews for non-minority category students, the court had said, adding that admission should be as per the CUET score alone.

The Delhi University welcomed the top court's order and said aspirants will face "no issue" as undergraduate admissions will be conducted as per schedule.

DU registrar Vikas Gupta said the university will announce the first list of seats for admission to undergraduate courses on Wednesday by 5pm.

The release was earlier deferred as the SC was set to hear St Stephen's plea against the high court order on Wednesday.

(With agency inputs)