The upcoming academic year may be tough for aspirants seeking admission to Delhi University’s various BSc programmes. The university has changed the eligibility criteria, including an increase in the overall percentage score, and made subjects such as English, Physics, Chemistry and Maths compulsory for some of the science courses, making it difficult for students who have an aggregate below 60%.
For instance, aspirants applying to BSc (Hons) in Mathematics will have to secure an overall percentage score of 60% or more marks in Mathematics, which until last year, used to be 50% in the subject and an aggregate of 45% in the qualifying examination.
The required aggregate score for commonly applied courses, such as BSc (Hons) Chemistry, Physics, has also been increased from 55% to 60%.
Until 2018, the overall percentage required for getting into courses used to be 55% of the relevant subject (Physics, Maths, Chemistry, etc.) and 50% in one compulsory language. However, this year, a 50% score in English has been made mandatory.
According to the dean of students’ welfare, Rajeev Gupta, the criterion was fixed on the basis of recommendations made by the various departments. “The percentage for admissions is generally high and the difference in eligibility criteria won’t matter much,” said Gupta.
However, teachers had a different stance on the new criterion, saying that the university’s statutory bodies were not involved in the deliberations by the administration.
{{/usCountry}}However, teachers had a different stance on the new criterion, saying that the university’s statutory bodies were not involved in the deliberations by the administration.
{{/usCountry}}“The administration has arbitrarily taken this decision of changing the criteria without involving the statutory bodies. For admission in both Maths and Computer Science courses, the minimum marks required in Maths has been increased to 60%. The same has been done with the science courses. It may affect students who got more than 95 marks in two subjects but were unable to get 60% marks in the third one (maths),” said Ashok, assistant professor, Physics, ARSD College, and an executive member of the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA).
He further said that for instance, if a student gets 99 marks each in Physics and Chemistry respectively, and 59 in Math, then that student may suffer due to this arbitrary change.
“Also, the deduction (introduced this year) in marks of science students who want to take admissions in English will adversely affect such students,” he said.
Even in BSc in Physical Science and Applied Physical Science courses, the overall required percentage has been hiked from 45% in the aggregate of three subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Maths) to an aggregate of 60% in all three subjects, as well as a 50% score in English.