More trouble awaits OBCs

The process of admission under the OBC category may get even more confusing around the time of the second cut-off list. Ritika Chopra examines.

The process of admission under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category may get even more confusing around the time of the second cut-off list. With relaxation in cut-off marks for OBC candidates being as little as .25 to 1 per cent in several colleges, most OBC candidates, who are admitted to a college at the time of the first list, will automatically qualify for admission in the general quota once the cut-off marks are lowered in the second list.

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This is Delhi University’s interpretation of a criterion (mentioned in the letter dated June 20, which was sent from the Dean Students’ Welfare Office to all colleges and a copy of which HT has seen), which allows an OBC candidate (or any other reserved category student) to be absorbed in the general quota if he/ she is covered under the cut-off marks meant for the general category. Colleges, however, are unaware of this interpretation. This could, in all probability, lead to discrepancies in OBC admission across colleges.

Take a hypothetical situation for instance. Say, the first cut-off for a subject in College A is 80 per cent for general category and 79 per cent for OBC. At the time of the second list when the general cut-off is lowered from 80 to 79 per cent, then all candidates which took admission under the OBC quota at the time of the first list (ie. 79 per cent) will then automatically be moved to the general category and the newly vacated seats will be filled in by more OBC applicants.

This hypothetical situation could turn into a reality for Economics (H) in Ramjas College, B.Com (H) and History (H) in Hindu College where the difference between the general and OBC cut-off is only .5 per cent. But not all colleges have interpreted the rule as the Dean Students’ Welfare officials have. “We haven’t been informed about the inter-migration between categories by the university. I cannot comment on this right now, but if this is true, then we will have bring this up before the admission committee as soon as possible,” said Kavita A. Sharma, principal, Hindu College.

“How can we change the category of a student who has already got admission under the OBC quota at the time of first list admission. That, OBC seat will, in my opinion, be considered as taken and cannot be vacated again by moving the candidate to the general category,” said KS Verma, admission in-charge. Ramjas College.