With the St. Stephen’s College refusing to do away with its interview process for admissions, the Delhi University (DU) on Friday said it is “firm” on its decision to declare “null and void” all admissions made by the college in violation of the Central Universities Entrance Test (CUET) guidelines.
The university and the college are at loggerheads over the admission process, with both sides refusing to back down.
The college, asserting its minority institution character, has said it will accord 85% weightage to CUET scores and 15% to physical interviews. The college, in an admission notice on its website last month, said it will conduct interviews for all categories of candidates — a stand strongly opposed by DU which wants interviews to be conducted only for reserved category students.
On Thursday, St. Stephen’s College principal John Varghese had written to DU, conveying that the college will retain its “tried and trusted” interview process during admission and asked the university to “avoid creating an unpleasant situation” for students seeking admission in the college.
However, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the college will have to follow the admission guidelines issued by the university. “We will again convey to them that they will have to follow the admission guidelines issued by Delhi University. They will have to conduct admission to unreserved seats solely based on CUET scores. We are firm on our decision,” Mr. Gupta said.
He questioned the need for a separate mechanism for admission when the CUET is already in place.
“The decision taken by the college to retain its stellar, tried and trusted interview process and other related steps in the admission process shall continue. All candidates who apply to the college shall face the same admission procedures, without discrimination,” Mr. Varghese had said in his letter to Mr. Gupta.
The college also said that it reserves the right to proceed with admissions in accordance with its own admission policy guaranteed to it as a minority institution.
