DU Admission Row: St. Stephen’s College Ordered to Admit 7 Students Amid Policy Dispute
In a significant development on Friday, the Delhi High Court ordered St. Stephen’s College to admit seven students whose admissions had been put on hold due to an ongoing dispute between the college and Delhi University (DU). The court’s ruling brought relief to students who had been caught in the middle of a protracted admission row.
The controversy stemmed from a policy disagreement between DU and St. Stephen’s regarding the allocation of additional seats under the university’s newly introduced single girl child quota. St. Stephen’s had halted the admission of 22 students, arguing that the allocations exceeded its capacity. Among the affected students, 12 were admitted under the single girl child quota, a policy that the college termed “unconstitutional” in court.
The Dispute: Extra allocations and College capacity
The dispute began when DU, after consultations with colleges, allocated 5% additional seats in each program. However, St. Stephen’s College argued that the university made allocations beyond its permissible capacity. The college maintained that DU had allocated more students than the seats available, labeling them “extra allocations”.
The university, on the other hand, claimed that the extra admissions were in line with the agreed 5% policy, arguing that it had adhered to the allocation limit based on the college’s capacity. The disagreement resulted in the college putting the admission of 22 students on hold.
Among the affected students, seven approached the Delhi High Court for redress — six filed a joint petition, while another student, Aleena Imran, approached the court independently.
Court Ruling: Relief for students
During the hearing, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma acknowledged the plight of the students and expressed regret that they had to turn to legal recourse to secure their admissions. “It is unfortunate that the candidates, who have just crossed the threshold of their school education, had to step into the court premises before stepping into their dream college,” the judge remarked.
The court observed that the uncertainty over securing admission to St. Stephen’s College had put the students in a difficult position. They not only faced delays in joining their preferred college but also missed out on opportunities to explore admission in alternative institutions.
The specific case of petitioner Aleena Imran highlighted the complexities of the dispute. She had applied for the B.A. (Hons.) Economics program under the general category. Of the 50 seats available in the course, half were reserved for minority students, while four were reserved for SC/ST communities, leaving 21 seats for general category applicants. The college argued that DU had allocated one extra seat, increasing the intake beyond its permissible limit.
In response, the court clarified that fractions in seat allocations should be rounded up, as “humans cannot be divided into fractions”. Justice Sharma added that rounding down would undermine the spirit of the policy, ruling in favor of the students.
Student relief and reactions
The ruling was met with relief by the petitioners, who had been anxiously waiting for clarity on their admission status. Aleena Imran, one of the seven students, expressed gratitude for the outcome. “Finally, we can look forward to going to college. We are grateful that it all worked out. We haven’t received any information from the college yet, but we hope to join classes either on Saturday or Monday,” she said.
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Another petitioner, Nishika Sahoo, shared her excitement, although acknowledging that she and others would need to catch up on the classes they had missed. “We met some of our teachers during the orientation session last week and have been in touch with some of our friends who are attending classes. We will have to catch up over the next few days,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the families of the remaining 15 students whose admissions were also put on hold but had not approached the court, expressed hope that the relief granted to the seven students would be extended to them. T. Sinha, the mother of one such student, voiced her concerns, stating, “We are hoping that the admission portal will be opened for us too, allowing us to pay the fees and complete my daughter’s admission.”
Broader implications
The case underscores the broader challenges posed by policy disputes between universities and their constituent colleges. While the single girl child quota was introduced with the intent of fostering inclusivity, its implementation has resulted in administrative friction, particularly with colleges like St. Stephen’s, which have historically maintained a degree of autonomy in their admission processes.
Justice Sharma’s ruling serves as a reminder of the need for clarity and cooperation between institutions and the university to avoid placing students in difficult situations. As the court’s decision paves the way for these seven students to join St. Stephen’s, the larger issue of how extra allocations are handled remains a point of contention that may require further negotiation.
For now, the focus remains on ensuring that the affected students can resume their academic journeys without further delay or obstacles.
