The Delhi High Court has instructed DU to ensure fair allocation of PG seats to St. Stephen’s College. The court emphasized the importance of avoiding disproportionately low allotments. The Court urged DU to explore the possibility of formulating a policy or guidelines for distributing seats in postgraduate courses among various colleges. This would ensure a more transparent and equitable allocation process.
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Overview of changes in St. Stephen’s Seats Allocation
In the case of St. Stephen’s College v. University of Delhi and Ors, the Delhi High Court recently issued an order to DU. It directed DU to ensure that the allocation of PG seats to St. Stephen’s College is not disproportionately low. Justice C. Hari Shankar urged DU to consider establishing guidelines for such allotment among colleges. The Court suggested that factors such as the infrastructure available at each college should be considered. Additionally, the number of UG students enrolled in specific courses could also play a role in determining seat allocations.
Flexibility Granted to DU in Seat Allocation
However, the Court clarified that these suggestions are not binding. It granted DU the flexibility to adopt any objective criterion it deems appropriate for seat allocation. Additionally, the Court ruled that St. Stephen’s College may interview minority candidates applying for PG courses. It specified allocating 15% of the marks to the interview and 85% to the CUET score. Conversely, non-minority students should not undergo interviews. Their admission should be solely based on CUET scores, as per the court’s order.
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St. Stephen’s PG Seats Allocation Model
Justice Hari Shankar issued these directives following a plea filed by St. Stephen’s College. The plea alleged that DU was disproportionately allotting PG seats to the petitioner college. It claimed this was in comparison to other colleges. St. Stephen’s argued that the lack of objective guidelines for seat allocation was problematic. It gave DU unchecked control over seat distribution, according to their argument. The college claimed that DU’s stance was influenced by its refusal to include university representatives in its selection committee. Additionally, it pointed to DU’s past practice of conducting additional interviews for PG candidates as a factor.
Interview Process for Minority and Non-Minority Candidates
The Court took note of the ongoing Supreme Court proceedings regarding interviews for non-minority students applying for UG courses. It agreed with St. Stephen’s decision not to conduct interviews for non-minority PG applicants. DU expressed no objection to this stance. It assured a fair allocation of PG seats to St. Stephen’s College in line with other institutions. Consequently, the Court found it unnecessary to delve into the merits of DU’s allocation method for PG seats.
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Legal Representation
Advocates Romy Chacko, Shakti Chand Jaidwal, Prashant Kumar, and Sachin Singh Dalal represented St. Stephen’s College. Advocates Mohinder JS Rupal and Hardik Rupal represented Delhi University.
