St Stephen's says no to new DU admissions policy

St Stephen's College will continue to follow its old admission policy this year, arguing that it does not need to follow the new admission blueprint decided on by Delhi University.

St Stephen's College will continue to follow its old admission policy this year, arguing that it does not need to follow the new admission blueprint decided on by Delhi University.

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Principal Valson Thampu told HT that since the Supreme Court had concluded that St Stephen's has a right to conduct its own admission process, it would not change its policy based on new DU plans.

"We do not expect the university to make rules and regulations with reference to St Stephen's College. But the university too must keep in mind the special character of the college in allowing us to conduct our own admission process," Thampu said.

Clarifying that the College was not looking for confrontation, Thampu, however, said that the new DU admission policy "appears to not have been thought through properly."

He said, "To expect institutions to announce cut-offs based on past experiences is hard to understand. Scores vary significantly from year-to-year in specific subjects."

Colleges, under the new policy, may have to admit more students than the seats they have, if these students clear the cut-offs set by the institution.

But Thampu made it clear St Stephen's will not admit all students who clear their cut-offs, but will instead continue to conduct interviews for students to finalise their selections.

"You cannot bring institutions under an obligation of that kind," Thampu said. "We are committed to taking the very best. While marks are one indicator, we believe they are not the sole indicator of a student's aptitude."