The University of Delhi has withdrawn the interview schedule for PhD admissions to its Hindi Department following protests by students over the short notice given to candidates and concerns about the shortlisting process.
The department had issued an interview notification on the evening of October 27, asking shortlisted candidates to report at 9.15 am the following day. The schedule covered October 28, 29, 30 and 31, as well as November 2. Following the protests, the university withdrew the notification until further orders. No revised interview dates have been announced.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) led protests outside the Hindi Department, demanding greater transparency in the admission process. They questioned why candidates had been given less than a day to prepare for the first round of interviews, particularly those travelling to Delhi from other states.
Students question shortlisting and interview notice
The interview notification required candidates to report at 9.15 am on October 28, with the first session scheduled to begin at 9.30 am. According to the published schedule, 45 candidates had been called for the morning session and another 27 for the afternoon session.
Students argued that the limited time between the announcement and the interviews made it difficult for applicants to arrange travel and prepare. A candidate from Uttar Pradesh told NDTV that they had emailed the university about the process but had not received a response.
The number of candidates called for interviews was another point of contention. ABVP and DUSU questioned why only a limited number of applicants had been shortlisted when the department reportedly had more than 150 PhD seats.
The student organisations demanded that all applicants be given an opportunity to appear for interviews. They also sought adequate representation for candidates who had qualified through the National Eligibility Test (NET) and those applying under the ‘Only for PhD’ category.
DUSU president Yash Dabas questioned how applicants from outside Delhi could reach the university within 18 to 20 hours of the notification being issued. He also alleged that some candidates appeared to have been given preferential treatment. These allegations have not been independently established.
ABVP’s Delhi University secretary, Akshay Pratap Singh, told that the organisation would continue pressing for its demands and would not tolerate discrimination.
Fresh dates and admission criteria awaited
The withdrawal has put the scheduled interviews on hold, but it does not mean that the entire PhD admission process has been cancelled.
Candidates are waiting for the department to announce a revised schedule and clarify whether it will change the number of applicants called for interviews or the shortlisting criteria. The university has not confirmed whether all eligible applicants will be invited to the next round.
Applicants should wait for an official notification from Delhi University before making travel arrangements. The university’s next announcement is expected to clarify the revised interview dates and the next steps in the selection process.