Will admit 30% more students to reserved seats under CUET: Delhi University V-C

20% extra seats will be added in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) and general category as well, said DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh.

Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh on Thursday said the university will admit 30% extra students to seats reserved for SC/ST (Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe) aspirants, during the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) counselling, so as to ensure that these seats do not remain vacant till the last round of admissions.

The Delhi University. (HT Photo)

Singh said by admitting extra students across categories, the university wanted to ensure that enough students from varying backgrounds get a change to study at the central university.

“We will be admitting 30% more students in the SC and ST categories during the initial rounds of CUET counselling to ensure that these seats do not remain vacant. Even if we end up with some extra students, that shouldn’t be a problem,” said Singh.

He added that 20% extra seats will be added in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) and general category as well. “Until now, seats under the reserved categories would remain vacant till the very end. From this session onwards, vacancies will be minimum. By two-three rounds of counselling, sufficient students should get admitted,” said Singh.

Last year, the varsity had undertook special drives to fill seats under the reserved categories. A report prepared by a DU panel on admissions also highlighted how under-admissions in the reserved categories was a cause of concern.

Ahead of the CUET, Singh said if two students secured the same CUET score, marks scored by students in class 12 will be used as a tiebreaker.

On Monday, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had announced that CUET for undergraduate admissions will be conducted on be held between July 15 and August 20, and not August 10 as earlier stated, owing to the “large number of applicants and combination of subjects”.