5,000 more seats on offer at DU this year

Delhi University (DU) will have a massive 5,000 additional seats on offer this year. The capacity of DU has been increasing following the decision to provide for a 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Class (OBC) students, without reducing the general category seats.

Delhi University (DU) will have a massive 5,000 additional seats on offer this year.

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The capacity of DU has been increasing following the decision to provide for a 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Class (OBC) students, without reducing the general category seats.

The increase was to be effected in stages over three years, this year being the last.

OBCs will get the first choice of a large number of these seats. But they may not be able to take full advantage.

Last year, a conservative estimate showed as many as 1,000 OBC quota seats were converted to general category across 60 colleges.

The conversion was according to Supreme Court orders.

This year seats have increased by 54 per cent, to 54,000.

With OBC seats increased to almost 14,500 (out of total 54,000), general category students are hoping for a repeat of what happened in 2009.

"Colleges like Kirori Mal College, Hansraj and even Hindu had a second round of admissions for the vacant OBC seats last time," said Kavita Khanna, a student.

Supreme Court's orders say the gap between general category and OBC cut-off marks cannot be more than 10 per cent. Last year, most colleges still couldn't find enough OBC candidates despite the gap.

"The 10 per cent rider does not let all OBC hopefuls find admission in popular courses and colleges," said Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, deputy dean, students Welfare, DU.