Amid row with DU, Stephen’s defends ‘40-yr-old, SC-approved’ entry process

In an affidavit filed before a bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad, the college, a constituent of DU, said it has been following the same admission procedure for 40 years, adding that it was approved by the Supreme Court.

Defending its admission policy, St Stephen’s College on Wednesday told the Delhi high court that since it is a minority institution, it has the right to choose its candidates, amid a row with Delhi University over entries.

Amid row with DU, Stephen’s defends ‘40-yr-old, SC-approved’ entry process (Amal KS/Hindustan Times)

In an affidavit filed before a bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad, the college, a constituent of DU, said it has been following the same admission procedure for 40 years, adding that it was approved by the Supreme Court.

“The procedure followed by the college is consistent with minority rights granted by the Constitution of India to minority institutions and is used to promote world class education in India through St Stephen’s College,” the institution said, and added that the process was purely based on merit.

DU and St Stephen’s College are at odds over the latter’s insistence on following its own admission policy, which is allegedly in contravention of rules set by the varsity after the introduction of the Common University Eligibility Test (CUET). DU says the college may admit students under the minority quota on the basis of CUET scores (85% weightage) and an interview (15% weightage) that the college conducts, but it must consider only the test marks for the rest of the candidates. The college’s authorities have maintained that they will follow the same formula for all applicants, as it has been doing in the past.

The college has moved the court challenging a DU notice, directing the institution to follow the common DU rules for non-minority students. Through the affidavit on Wednesday, it also responded to a separate petition filed by a DU student who has challenged the college’s admission process in the court.

The college said the SC upheld its admission policy in 1992, and “categorically held that the right to select students is a part of administration and that the same cannot be taken away by DU”.

“Accordingly, the right of the respondent college to select students for admission to the college based on the interview being conducted by it was upheld by the apex court,” Stephen’s said.

DU has supported the petition filed by the student, Konika Poddar, and said that the college cannot admit students on its whims and fancies.

In its affidavit, Stephen’s also questioned the credibility of Poddar’s petition, and said the plea challenging their admission policy has been filed at the behest of DU.The petitioner-student is a first-year law student, and the college does not offer an LLB degree, Stephen’s said.

In a separate affidavit on Monday in support of Poddar’s petition, the varsity said Stephen’s can’t be allowed to bring discrimination through conduct of interview for students belonging to the non-minority communities.

“The Law is well settled that aided minority educational institution cannot admit students under the unreserved category as per its own whims and fancies,” it said.

“The college is an aided minority educational institution enjoying privileges under the University and, therefore, is bound by its rules and regulations,” DU said.

Senior advocate Arun Bhardwaj, representing Poddar, said that when there is 50% reservation in admissions, then “the colour of the minority has already been given”. He added that the college does not require any extra selection procedure for the general category.

The matter will now be heard on July 15.