Math in best of 4 for Eco Hons: DU aspirant’s concerns reach High Court
The petition argues that this change in eligibility criteria was only made known to applicants a day before the application process began, when instead, it should have been publicly notified a year ago, so that applicants could have “strategised” and “prioritised” accordingly.
Days after airing concerns at DU’s ‘open session’ regarding removal of mathematics as a part of ‘best of four’ subjects for admission to Economics (Honours), the request has now reached the High Court.
A petition filed by a school graduate seeking to apply for the Economics course reads: “That by the introduction of this arbitral (sic) change in the merit-based admission, the petitioner will suffer grave loss of not securing a seat in one of the prime institutions of the respondent University.
The petitioner has secured a meritorious percentage of 98.75 in her BFS if Mathematics is not included… the Petitioner would now be constrained to include Mathematics in her BFS bringing her percentage down to 97.75 thereby losing a whole (percentage point) in the process.”
The petition argues that this change in eligibility criteria was only made known to applicants a day before the application process began, when instead, it should have been publicly notified a year ago, so that applicants could have “strategised” and “prioritised” accordingly.
The information bulletin for the ongoing admission process for the university’s undergraduate programmes was published online on May 29. It included a change in the eligibility criteria for application to the economics programme. While the applicants’ best of four score (BFS) had to include a language and any three other subjects till last year, this time, mathematics has been included as a compulsory inclusion along with a language.
Referring to the revised rule as “unfair” and “discriminatory”, the petition has requested the order be quashed. The matter has been listed for June 12.
Another plea, filed by lawyer Charanpal Singh Bagri in the High Court, claimed that the varsity’s decision to amend the criteria at the last moment was in violation of the principle of natural justice.
To this, the HC sought to know the stand of the Centre and Delhi University by June 14, saying that there was arbitrariness in how criteria was amended just a day before opening of registrations for admission. Meanwhile, some members of DU’s academic and executive councils have written to the vice-chancellor asking for the reversal of criteria.
“It is important to note that these changes do not have sanction of the academic council… The students have been caught unaware…and they must be given sufficient time to adapt themselves to these changes,” the letter read.
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