Revision as of 11:50, 28 May 2018

Admissions

Documents aspiring students must submit

The Times of India, May 30 2016

Manash Gohain

13 documents you need to upload for DU registration

The registration process for undergraduate courses in Delhi University will be different this time as aspirants will have to upload their academic certificates and other documents. Earlier, they were only required to fill the form. The university has issued a list of 13 documents that will be required during registration, though all of them will not be mandatory for every aspirant. There will be one centralised registration form, expected to be an exhaustive one, for all categories of aspirants. Some documents that are mandatory for all candidates are Class X and XII certificates and marksheets; a scanned copy of signature; recent photograph; character certificate; transfer and migration certificates (for aspirants who completed their schooling outside Delhi).

According to officials, the university has made the complete process online and there will be no option of physical submission of documents. All the documents need to be self-attested. The officials added that the candidates should be careful in filling the form as incomplete forms will be rejected The online registration forms will be available from June 1 and the university is likely to notify the details on May 31.

On the online application forms, aspirants will get the details of colleges and the courses they offer. They will also get to know which colleges offer which sport under the ECA category . Those registering will also get to know the eligibility criteria through the form. Around 22 colleges will offer concession on cutoff for female candidates.

Mathematics will be compulsory for economics honours aspirants. Also, a candidate will be allowed to take economics even if she has not studied the subject at the Class XII level. the form.

Canteens, cafés, dhabas

2016

The Times of India, Jun 27, 2016

Samir Devnani

Outside the classrooms, Delhi University's many canteens, tea stalls and chhola-kulcha stands provide a space where students can bond over a variety of pocketfriendly food items. Attracting a large number of `outsiders' are Panditji's at Gwyer Hall and Anna's at PG Men's Hostel. Anna's canteen still attracts alumni by the dozens. Manish Chauhan, who graduated from SGTB Khalsa College in 2009, still hangs out with his friends here. They get together nearly every evening at the canteen sharing a communal smoke, dosas and kathi rolls. The vegetarian kathi roll and masala dosa here still come for Rs 30 a plate; paneer dosa is for Rs 40.

Nirpendar Kumar, who graduated from Hindu College in 2014, eats only at DU canteens. “My seniors took me and my classmates to Anna's first,“ said Kumar, who subsequently initiated his juniors and still returns for veg pulao every now and then.

Deepu's tea stall on the DSE premises was established in 1970 and is still going strong. Visitors enjoy the student-friendly credit system the stall has instituted.

Some college canteens are similarly famous despite restricted entries. The Shri Ram College of Commerce has a bustling canteen which caters to about seven major colleges, but all are not affiliated to DU. Kumar Sanjay Singh of Aradhya Caterers believes that if colleges relax the access for canteens, it'll be better for business.

South Campus lies close to dozens of private cafeterias and restaurants, but also has a canteen in the premises.Another popular eatery for lovers of South Indian food is at Sri Venkateswara College.

Centralised registration

2016: Stephen's, JMC decide to join

The Times of India, May 24 2016

Stephen's, JMC to join centralised registration

Manash Gohain

The minority institutions affiliated to DU will be part of the centralised online registration system in 2016, the university admission committee decided.These institutions will, however, continue with their own admission policy for selecting students.

The committee also decided that 50% of the marks in the trial would be the eligibility mark for the sports and extracurricular activity (ECA) categories. In an earlier meeting, the committee had decided that the ECA trial cutoff would be at least 35%.

The minority institutions like St Stephen's and Jesus and Mary colleges opposed the move, said committee sources. But they were told that only registration would be part of the centralised system, said R N Dubey , a member of the admission committee. The Sikh minority colleges will also be covered by the decision.

Following a letter from the HRD ministry , DU will offer 5% of its seats to Kashmiri migrants who are registered in Delhi or Jammu. “A maximum of 10% point relaxation can be granted in the cutoff to fill up these seats, which will be in addition to the regular seats,“ said a source.

DU generally declares the admission policy by the second week of May . However, while the university is going to start the online registration process later this week, there is still no official word on the policy . The university is finalising details, said sources.

Though sources said the admission process would start on May 28, there is no official confirmation yet. Earlier, the university used to conduct its first open house around this time.

Colleges

Autonomous colleges

See graphic.

What autonomy means for a college; The Times of India, March 4, 2017

2017: Colleges that upgraded facilities

Krittika Sharma & Satabhisa Bhaumik, These colleges have spruced up infra for all-round education, May 21 2017: The Times of India

Infrastructure in colleges, Delhi University, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya college, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma college, Daulat Ram college, Hans Raj college and Ram Lal Anand college; Krittika Sharma & Satabhisa Bhaumik, These colleges have spruced up infra for all-round education, May 21 2017: The Times of India

Several Delhi University colleges have been trying to improve their infrastructure. This was also necessitated by need for repairs, especially in the case of Daulat Ram College where classroom roofs were coming apart. As the fresh batches start joining this year, many colleges hope they would be able to provide some much-needed facilities for all-round education.

Deen Dayal Upadhyay College has moved into a sprawling campus spread over 11.5 acres this year, putting on offer facilities and space like never before. Come this admission season, brand new classes and freshly painted buildings are all set to welcome the newest batch of applicants.

The principal, S K Garg, said it had only been eight months since they moved to the new campus and a lot of work was still under progress. “But now, with more space, we have new hostel blocks and accommodation for the faculty . Our campus is eco-friendly ­ it has an in-house sewage treatment plant and a rainwater harvesting system, and we are planning to set up a composting plant. Our solar panels are being installed,“ he said. The new building gives the faculty its own lab to conduct research, for which Rs 3 crore has been allotted. One of the most striking parts on the campus is the library . “It is spread over three floors, 10,000 square feet each, complete with an e-resource centre,“ said Garg. The e-resource centre will give access to a range of online journals, including the best like the Oxford and Cambridge publications.

Last year, the dilapidated condition of the decade-old Daulat Ram College building led to a number of roof collapses, which pushed the administration to finally earmark funds for renovation.At present, a part of the college is out of bounds for students because of the construction work, but most parts of the building are ready with smart classes and hi-tech science labs. Principal Savita Roy said the work was carried out in phases so that the college kept running.“We managed to create a lot more space and rooms on the campus because of this construction work, which can now accommodate more students and activity centres,“ she told TOI.

The old canteen has been converted into an auditorium, while the canteen has been moved outdoors. Along with that, classrooms have been revamped with new desks and chairs, tiled floor, stronger roof and smart boards with projectors.

Similarly , Hansraj College too has upgraded its facilities, and added a yoga room and a gym to the campus. “We have also renovated our auditorium and constructed another seminar hall.CCTVs are also being installed,“ said Rama Sharma, principal of the college. The campus will also house a creche for the kids of employees. However, Sharma said the college is falling short of funds. “Till now we had been using UGC funds for renovation costs, but we are slowly going low on funds. I have made several requests to all stakeholders for generation of funds,“ she said.

Ram Lal Anand college too has expanded its library and added an elevator to the college for disabled students.Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College has added two seminar halls, a conference room and a new floor with 14 classrooms -each can accomodate 50.“Several other academic and sports facilities have been added,“ said Gyantosh Jha, principal of ARSD.

Community Radio (DUCR)

During the admission season

Mohammad Ibrar, DU radio to answer your queries, May 25, 2017: The Times of India

Help is in the air for students and parents anxious to get their queries addressed about admissions to Delhi University colleges.

The varsity's Community Radio (DUCR) has launched two programmes -DU ki Hulchul and Admission Express -on its FM frequency 90.4 MHz to help admission seekers. Apart from that, the broadcasters will also reach out to their intended audience on social media through Facebook Live and YouTube videos.

DUCR will continue to air the special programmes twice daily till May 30, when the cutoff lists are released. “After that we will have a special programme on cutoffs. We will make videos in front of colleges and provide information about their infrastructure, cutoffs, courses and faculty . These videos will be live on our Facebook page and can be viewed on YouTube as well,“ said Deepak Kumar, an MA political science student at Kirori Mal College, who has been volunteering at DUCR for three years.

“We also have an app called DURadio that can be downloaded by students of south and off-campus colleges as the radio station has a range of only 13km,“ said another broadcaster Anil, a student of Delhi School of Economics and a graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce. The broadcasters said that the programmes are for those who could not attend the Open Day . “Our volunteers recorded the Open Day so we could play it for those students who couldn't attend it. More volunteers will join us after their exams get over,“ said DUCR assistant consultant, Isaac John. The volunteers are usually students from colleges like Miranda House, IP College and others where they get training in a real radio studio.

In DU Ki Hulchul, information on the admission process, cutoffs, Open Days and admission dates are broadcast. Admission Express airs recordings of Open Day sessions and gives information about colleges. They also broadcast the dean of students' welfare's sessions with aspirants.

“Earlier, we had a mobile phone number and WhatsApp to answer the queries of students. We have decided to use Facebook now because our studio was flooded with continuous calls last year,“ Deepak Kumar said.

Students manning the radio station believe that by viewing the 30-minute videos and listening to the broadcasts most students and parents can get their doubts resolved. However, they don't have a live response system. “We need updates and better equipment, which is possible only after we have a consultant's approval. But the post has been vacant for months,“ said a volunteer.

Cut-off marks

Delhi University: subject- wise ‘cut-off’ lists, 2011-2015, for 10 leading colleges, including LSR, SRCC, Hindu and Sri Venkateswara ; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, May 24, 2016

Delhi University: College- and subject- wise ‘cut-off’ lists, 2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, May 23, 2016

Delhi University, the quota for extra-curricular activities, including sports; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, June 4, 2016

2016

See graphic.

Cut-offs in Delhi University, college-wise, 2016; The Times of India, May 30, 2017

English proficiency courses

The Times of India, Jun 07 2016

While study material in Hindi is still scarce for most subjects in Delhi University, there's help available with English. Several colleges run English proficiency courses, free or self-financed, to help students who struggle with the language. Indraprastha College for Women launched an English course as a part of its “Diversity Integration Programme“ last year. The 40session course ends in a certificate for those with at least 85% attendance. The modules were designed and originally delivered by a retired teacher from the English department of the college. “We have students from different backgrounds and the average student's English communication and language skills are very poor. But proficiency in English is important for accessing further levels of higher education and also employment,“ says principal Babli Moitra Saraf.

The course is free, has already run for two semesters and is meant primarily for final-year students. It runs a computer literacy programme as well. Several colleges run the English Language Proficiency Course, a largely self-financed programme that was originally designed by teachers from the Institute of Lifelong Learning and Department of Education. It is a standard 80-hour curriculum, delivered over three months, and has been popular despite running into patches of funding trouble.

Manoj Garg, convenor for the classes at Acharya Narendra Dev College, which is primarily a science-teaching institution, says that they get as many as 100-120 applications for a 35-seat batch that includes a test after 76 hours.

Extra-curricular activities quota

Hard work is required

Satabhisa Bhaumik & Smriti Verma, Every minute counts if you are in DU under ECA quota, June 9, 2017: The Times of India

Requirement To Participate In All Activities Hurts Attendance

Students applying for admission to Delhi University under ECA category should be ready to strike a balance between academics and extracurricular activities. Many times these students miss out on the five marks set aside for attendance in each subject. These marks add up to 20 to 25 marks in a student's overall aggregate in each semester.

The admissions in-charge for ECA, DU, Shalini Chandra, said that students taking admission under the ECA category should have a strong commitment towards their activity .

“Students are expected to devote at least three hours every day if they have taken admission under the ECA category. But this is variable as more hours are spent on activities during the college fest season, while there is no activity during exams,“ said Chandra.

The students' orientation to the college society , where they attend workshops or are mentored by seniors lasts for around six to eight months, till the college fest starts.

“We often miss out on classes and have to perpetually juggle with studies and participation in the activities, which can get exhausting. Besides, there are tons of other issues like permission problems, cost factor (for participation) and erratic timings,“ said Ujjwal Parashar, an ECA (debating) student of Hansraj College.

During admissions, ECA students are required to sign an undertaking that they will perform for the college at events. College representatives said students are given attendance when they go to perform at competitions and events.

Students who attend clas ses regularly manage to secure marks set aside for attendance, which often help them bridge the final gap and secure 60% marks, while others miss out on first division marginally .Few colleges like Kirori Mal College offers attendance benefit of upto 33%.

“Delhi University gives a relief in percentage on account of their talent during admission. So ECA students should wisely strike a balance between performances -that is expected of them -and academics to clear their three years of graduation properly ,“ said Geetesh Nirban, spokesperson of Kamala Nehru College. The college offers 23 seats under ECA category .

Colleges have fixed timings for ECA practice sessions, which usually don't clash with regular classes. However, students taking part in these may miss out on afternoon or extra classes. Thereafter, students are given the minimum attendance marks which often fail to give them more than 1% benefit in their semester exam marks.

“Things get hectic during the fest season when we usually have practices and performances every day . However, we get sufficient time to study during exams if we manage our time well,“ said Gargi Vashisht, ECA (dramatics) student in Hansraj College.

Principal of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College Gyantosh Kumar Jha said that students who travel to other cities or go out in the day for competitions are given attendance accordingly so that they don't face any problem during exams.“We have a separate attendance register for ECA students, maintained by the cultural convenor of the specific society .This is taken into consideration when the final attendance is calculated,“ he added.

International students

Converting `foreign' grades

Delhi University norms for foreign students; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, June 3, 2016

The Times of India, June 3, 2016

Delhi University converts the grades that students of international boards, such as International Baccalaureate or University of Cambridge, obtain to CBSE or state board-level marks to bring parity among those seeking admissions. For example, if a student has secured a score of seven in IB board, then hisher marks are considered in the bracket of 96-100%. Somebody who gets 6 is considered in the 83-95% bracket

2017: 2,735 applications received for undergraduation

Satabhisa Bhaumik, MISSION ADMISSION - Over 2,700 from foreign shores try for DU, May 27, 2017: The Times of India

Number of international students, some facts, 2016-17; Satabhisa Bhaumik, MISSION ADMISSION - Over 2,700 from foreign shores try for DU, May 27, 2017: The Times of India

With the admission season all set to begin, Delhi University has received 2,735 applications from foreign nationals in 2017 for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Till now, there has been an increase of 10% in the number of applications by foreign students as compared to last year. The last date for submitting forms is expected to be extended till June 15.

Out of all the applications received till now, maximum are from Tibetan students -mostly residing in India -followed by those from Nepal and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, DU has also received 75 applications from United States nationals, mostly comprising students born in US and raised in India.

The number of students applying to the university for undergraduate courses have always been the highest as compared to postgraduate co urses over the years. “There has been a considerable rise in the number of applications this year as compared to 2016 and we are expecting more forms once the deadline is extended,“ said Ashutosh Bharadwaj, officer on special duty , admissions. “The students will be allotted colleges on the basis of merit according to their choice of course preference,“ he added.

While the maximum number of students opt for subjects like B.Com (Hons), B.A (Hons) Political Science and B.A (Hons) Economics, a course in an Indian language like Sanskrit or Hindi is a favourite among European students. The university received 26 applications from British nationals and few also from students based in countries like Italy and France.

“The students hardly put across any specific college preference but mainly choose to study at an institution close to their hostels in North Campus,“ said an administrative member of the Office of International Students and Scholars. Most of the foreign students stay at the International House hostels in North Campus.

The university also received 120 applications from students belonging to 20 countries in Africa. Maximum students applied from Ethopia (38) and Nigeria (48).

Staffing issues: teachers, principals

4,500 teachers, 28 principals not appointed/ 2012-17

Manash Gohain, 28 of 66 DU colleges headless for years, Jan 23, 2017: The Times of India

Staff shortage looms large over Delhi University colleges. While the premier government institution has failed to appoint over 4,500 teachers in the past five years, the problem is going to become worse as over 42% colleges are currently headless and the numbers are going to rise as superannuation of more principals is on the anvil next month. Teachers claim that the biggest casualty has been governance and decision making at the colleges. Many see the non-appointment of permanent principals by the previous administration a ploy to run the colleges at their whims and fancies.

Of the 66 colleges, 28, including Hans Raj and Hindu, have been running via officiating principals for over five years. Top colleges like Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and Kirori Mal (KMC) too don't have permanent principals.

The permanent principal of SRCC, P C Jain, superannuated in October 2014. The principal's post in Hans Raj fell vacant in 2009 with the superannuation of S R Arora, while Hindu has been under an officiating principal since 2008. The governing bodies of Hindu and SRCC had sent names for appointment of new principals in December 2016, but the DU administration is yet to approve them.

Former principals believe that there has been total callousness and indifference on the part of the university administration.

P C Jain said, “Vested interests have prompted nonappointment of permanent principals. Thousands of teachers have long been protesting for the appoint ments, yet no action has been taken. We want to create centres of excellence, yet the institutions have been running headless for the past 4-5 years. Is this the way to run educational institutions in the country?“ Slamming the university administration, colleges and other authorities, Jain said, “There is so much of callousness and complacency . It's shocking that people sitting at responsible positions are not responding to the requirements. If this can happen at DU, think about the fate of other institutions.“

“The biggest casualty in such a situation is governan ce and decision making,“ said Rudrashish Chakraborty , an English teacher with KMC.

Most the posts fell vacant during the tenure of the previous administration. “It is a ploy to not fill up the posts so that the DU administration can dictate terms into the functioning of the colleges, including appointments,“ said Abha D Habib, DU executive council member.

Assuring that the matter would be taken up on priority, DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi said, “This major issue has been taken up by the administration on priority. We will fill up all the positions soon.“

Teachers: 2017, appointment

Manash Pratim Gohain, A first in 7 years: Delhi University will hire 378 teachers, Jan 30, 2017: The Times of India

As vacancies mount to around 4,500, Delhi University has finally started recruiting teachers. For the first time in more than seven years, the university has announced it would be filling up 378 posts of permanent teachers across departments.

Sources said the HRD ministry had asked DU to fill up most vacancies by the end of this year, following which the varsity has sought rosters from its colleges. While the current hirings were restricted to the departments, recruitments in colleges will follow soon, the sources added.

On Friday , the university invited online applications for 378 posts of assistant profes sors across 41departments and centres, which includes 187 general category posts, 100 OBC, 55 SC, 29 ST and seven posts for persons with disabilities.

This is the first major recruitment in DU since 2009. In April last year, the DU ad ministration formed a committee to facilitate the hiring process. The Academic and Executive councils passed the University Grants Commission's amendment on teachers' recruitment in December 2016, paving the way for the university to start hiring in a big way . In December 2016, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar had said that his ministry would push for a recruitment drive in all major institutions and that all vacant positions should be filled by 2018. DU teachers have been protesting against the hiring freeze for a long time. On its part, the ministry has stated that ad hoc appointments should not exceed 5% of faculty strength.

"There has been pressure on the university from the ministry to fill up the positions. However, even before that the university administration has started working towards that. But the university is yet to get the complete roster of all the colleges with the vacant positions. Therefore, it is starting with recruitments at the department level. Appointments in colleges will follow," said a DU official. According to MHRD sources, the university has been asked to fill most vacant positions by year-end. "If it gets difficult to fill up such a large number of positions in a year's time, the ministry has asked the university to fill at least 75% of the vacancies," said a senior HRD official.

On the recruitment of 378 assistant professors, DU said the last date for receipt of the online applications was February 16, 2017, or within two weeks of publication of the advertisement.

DU is also expecting aspirants from abroad to apply ."We would like to make as many recruitments as possible this year itself so that the ad hocism does not continue. I hope all ad hoc teachers, along with aspirants from other regions of the country , will apply in big numbers. DU would also like to see bring Indian scholars studying or working abroad to come and join us," said DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi.

See also

In addition to pages about individual colleges, please see:

Campus Law Centre, Delhi University

Delhi University

Delhi University campus: maps, graphs, facts

Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU)

Delhi University: history