Delhi University: RS member writes to Javadekar over vacant MPhil, PhD seats

With students from SC, ST, OBC failing to qualify for admissions to MPhil and PhD courses at Delhi University, Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha, who is also a teacher at the varsity, raised the issue in the House and submitted a note to the Minister for Human Resource and Development Prakash Javadekar. The issue was raised during the zero hour on Thursday. As reported by The Indian Express on July 26, with the new University Grants Commission (UGC) norms in place, several MPhil and PhD seats in Delhi University are set to go vacant this year.

Under the new rules, an applicant has to score at least 50% in the entrance exam to be eligible for the interview. Since the eligibility criteria applies both to general as well as reserved category students, no SC, ST or OBC candidate has qualified for the interview in some courses.

Jha’s note submitted to Javadekar said, “The eligibility criteria of scoring minimum 50% in entrance examination for MPhil/PhD interviews has left students, especially from SC, ST and OBC sections, in a state of deprivation. Criteria has been provided in the UGC Regulation 2016 for MPhil/PhD. Implementation of this criteria along with introducing online test in a hurried manner has cost students coming from socially and economically weaker background very heavily across universities. The result of DU bears the testimony of social exclusion too.” He requested a review on an urgent basis, and asked for cancellation of ongoing interviews.

“In the absence of any eligible candidates in the reserved category, seats will not be filled this year, and thus, will be lost forever. So departments should be allowed to conduct tests afresh so vacancies can be filled up. This anti-student and anti-social justice criteria must be reviewed on urgent basis, to which the minister has given favourable assurance,” Jha said.

Meanwhile on Friday, aspiring candidates and student organisations protested and demanded scrapping of the eligibility criteria. “This is a violation of the reservation norms and social justice in admission process,” said a student. The All India Students’ Association (AISA) called it an attack on higher education.

“If DU implements this policy, it will not only lead to vacant seats in most of the departments, but will also ensure that students from socially oppressed communities are shown doors as 50% minimum eligibility for everyone is against provisions of reservation policy,” AISA said in a statement.

Another student organisation, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, submitted a memorandum to the university administration and requested for “scrapping of the new ordinance”.

UGC had come up with the new rule in 2016, and it was passed in DU’s Academic and Executive Councils (EC) last year. This is the first time that admissions are taking place under this rule.
News source (Indian Express)