After Delhi University's Vice-Chancellor, Yogesh Singh constituted a committee to suggest an alternative strategy for optimal admissions in undergraduate courses, the Delhi University Academic Council passed a plan to conduct Common Entrance Test for admissions in UG courses from the next academic year.
However, the proposal will also require approval from the University's Executive Council before it is implemented. And the Executive body is likely to meet next week. Meanwhile, the Academic Council of Delhi University had to arrive at this decision after going through a report prepared by the 100-member committee headed by DS Rawat, who is the dean of Examinations.
The committee has studied the lower admission rate from certain state boards and higher admissions of students from particular state boards for the UG courses. Hence, they have suggested an entrance exam to secure admissions from the next academic year. According to them, out of 39 boards of education, the highest number of students applying and securing admissions in DU are from CBSE. The second-highest number of students are from the Kerala State Board. Interestingly, the mean admissions percentage from Kerala Board is 98.34 per cent and it is the highest among all the other state boards.
Around 37,767 students admitted to Delhi University are from CBSE, 1,890 students are from Kerala Board, 1,824 are from Haryana State Board, 1606 are from Indian School Certificate and around 1,329 are from the Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan. The committee also stated that there is a significant variation in the marking scheme across different boards of India and it is required to instill significant equity in the process of admissions for undergraduate programmes.
At least 16 elected council members recorded their dissent against the introduction of an entrance test. In their dissent note, they outlined that students will have to deal with increased pressure if an additional entrance exam was put in place. These members also noted that one was not sure if the CET will allow students to shift streams, like they are allowed to do under the current system which is based on cut-off lists made on the basis of Class 12 scores, stated a report from Hindustan Times.
