DU struggling to fill OBC seats

Admissions in the reserved category did not pick up even after fourth list. Mallica Joshi reports.

The Delhi University may have reserved 27 per cent seats for Other Backward Caste (OBC) students but colleges are having a tough time filling the allotted seats.

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Many OBC seats remained vacant even after admissions for the fourth list closed on Friday. While Hansraj College has managed to fill up 65 per cent of OBC seats, Kamla Nehru College filled up 40 per cent of the seats and Lady Shri Ram College has filled up 55 per cent.

Admissions to the OBC seats have to be filled by August 6, failing which the reserved seats will be converted into general category seats. Colleges can have a percentage differential of up to 10 per cent between the cut-offs for the OBC category and that for general category students. "We have put up notices all around the college indicating the vacancy in OBC category. Hopefully we will get more students," said Meera Ramchandran, principal, Gargi College.

Meanwhile, students applying under the OBC category for BA (Programme) at Hansraj College are disgruntled. "Even though the college is not able to fill seats in the category, the college authorities have increased the cut off rather than decreasing it," said Sunil Kumar, an applicant.

The second cut off for the course was 74 per cent but went up to 75 per cent in the third list and was 74.5 per cent in the fourth list.

"If they keep increasing the cut off how will they be able to fill the seats?" said Kumar.

College authorities, meanwhile, have not decided whether to lower the cut off or not.

"This is a decision that the staff council will have to make. We will look into the matter," said Rajendra Prasad, principal, Ramjas College.