On Monday, Delhi University (DU) released the allocation list for Christian candidates in its minority colleges, including Jesus and Mary College. However, when it came to St. Stephen’s College, another minority institution under DU, the university faced some issues. DU noted that there were certain “crucial and alarming aspects” in the allocation list for Christian candidates submitted by St. Stephen’s, which prevented them from moving forward with the allocations for that college.
St. Stephen’s College has released an allocation list for Christian candidates who have been awarded admission amidst an ongoing disagreement between Delhi University and the college regarding the selection procedure for reserved seats. The official website of the college has this list available.
List for Christian Candidates Released by St. Stephen’s College
Admissions to any program at Delhi University are made through the university’s dedicated Common Seat Allotment System (CSAS) portal. Once the allocations are made, colleges must verify and accept them before submitting the finalised list to the university for uploading onto the centralised portal.
Concerns regarding St. Stephen’s College’s excess of the authorised quota for Christian candidates in its revised seat distribution list have been brought up by the university. The institution also noted that some spots in specific BA courses remained unfilled, even though qualified applicants were on hand to take their place based on their CUET results.
According to DU Registrar Vikas Gupta, all seat allocations should be uploaded on the CSAS portal, and students are required to complete their fee payments through the same system. He emphasised that the university has clear procedures in place, and any violation of these rules by colleges will not be the responsibility of the university. Gupta also urged students to be cautious and follow the proper processes to avoid any issues with their admissions.
There has been no response from St. Stephen’s College Principal, John Varghese, or the admissions in-charge, Sanjay Kumar, regarding the recent developments. Multiple attempts were made on different occasions to get the college’s perspective on the allegations, but no reply was received.
Delhi University and St. Stephen’s College have long been at odds, mostly over the college’s autonomy. This year, the argument became more heated when the college turned away twelve applicants who were young girls living alone. Due to the fact that these students enrolled under Delhi University’s recently implemented quota reserved for single-girl child candidates, accusations were made by both parties against one another.
The college has claimed that Delhi University instructed them to admit students beyond their allotted seat capacity. The Delhi High Court’s ruling to ban six students from attending classes until further notice on August 29, the first day of the new academic session, brought attention to this issue.
The college had granted provisional admission to these candidates. A one-judge court had earlier, on August 23, granted the youngsters relief and acknowledged their innocence. The court noted that these students had successfully passed the CUET exam and completed all necessary formalities. Despite their merit, they were left uncertain about their admission status, causing them undue stress and leaving their future in suspense.
