DU admission 2022 likely through CUCET only; Academic Council to decide tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Admission to Delhi University colleges from the next academic year could be solely based on Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores, if a proposal in this regard is cleared by the university's decision-making bodies. The university's academic council will meet on Tuesday to discuss changes in the admission process to colleges in view of the university adopting the entrance test system.

With the implementation of CUET and based on decisions taken in the meeting, the Delhi University (DU) will be doing away with the earlier system of admission under which it used to announce cut-offs based on Class 12 board results. Moreover, the minimum Class 12 board exam marks to take CUET, will be the passing marks.

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The DU's academic council will meet on March 22 to discuss changes in the admission criterion since the varsity has decided to opt for CUET from the 2022-23 academic year. The decisions taken in the academic council meeting are likely to be taken up in the university's executive council meeting, scheduled for March 25. The executive council is the highest decision making body of the varsity.

The Standing Committee of the Academic Council in its meeting on March 17 had recommended that admissions to the varsity be solely based on CUET scores. According to the minutes of the meeting, the members said that it will not be feasible to include any other criterion based on marks obtained in board examinations. The minutes stated that the members felt that the eligibility criterion must be inclusive to invite a large number of candidates from across the country. "Minimum criteria should be rephrased as the candidates must have passed the Class XII examination or equivalent thereto from a single recognised board," read the minutes of the meeting.

Admission through CUET

The members have suggested that candidates must appear in CUET in only those subjects in which they have cleared Class 12. In case, the subject studied in Class 12 is not mentioned in CUET, members proposed that candidates must appear in the subject that is similar or closely related to the subject they have studied in Class 12. "Merit will be calculated on the basis of combination of subjects in which a candidate has appeared in CUET as mentioned in the programme-specific eligibility," the minutes read.

The standing committee was also of the view that admission to all supernumerary seats, excluding foreign students, be done through CUET. It proposed that for admission to courses under the faculty of music and fine arts, and B.Sc in physical education and sports, combined CUET score and performance based test, with 50 per cent weightage to both, will be given.

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It was also decided that admission to minority colleges like St Stephen's and Jesus and Mary, will also be done through CUET. During centralised counselling, separate merit lists will be generated for unreserved and minority candidates as per the reservation policy, for these colleges. Under the cut-off system, these colleges released separate cut-offs and candidates willing to get admission to these colleges had to fill two forms -- a college specific form and the university common form.

However, members have decided to recommend that admissions in the School of Open Learning (SOL) and the Non-Collegiate Women Education Board (NCWEB) will be according to the past practice. For the NCWEB, cut-offs are released, while for SOL, different subjects have separate eligibility criterion and different marks requirement. The committee also recommended that the National Testing Agency (NTA) may be requested to add geology, environmental studies, languages in section-II (domain specific subjects) of CUET. If these subjects get included, appropriate modification will be made in the programme specific eligibility.

CUCET structure

According to the tentative structure of CUET, there will be three sections. Section-I will have questions on reading comprehension, verbal ability, synonyms and antonyms. Candidates can opt one out of 13 languages for this section. Section-II will be subject specific and 27 subjects have been listed so far under it. Section-III will have two sub-sections -- general tests for vocational and open eligibility programmes.

Meanwhile, the members have suggested holding admission to post graduate and Ph.D programmes for the academic session 2022-2023 through the Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET), which will be conducted by the NTA according to past practice. However, they are likely to table certain relaxations in the eligibility condition in the light of the new National Education Policy (NEP), with due approval from statutory bodies. It was decided that in the post graduate registration form, additional fields should be made to capture data related to CGPA, GPA and percentage.

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The issue of admission for the College of Art, which was not being undertaken by the University of Delhi for the last few academic Sessions, was taken up for discussions in the standing committee meeting. The Delhi University was informed that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has in-principle approved the merger of the College of Art (COA) with the city-government run Ambedkar University, subject to its de-affiliation from DU. "The standing committee recommended that admission of the College of Art may be taken up by the university, in case it is not de-affiliated with the Univerity of Delhi," the minutes read. DU has not yet approved the de-affiliation.