Delhi University has released first cut-off list for college admissions
The Delhi University's first cut-off list has touched the 100 per cent mark again this year with three off-campus colleges setting the maximum bar as admissions began today after a week's delay over the university's controversial four-year undergraduate programme.
The "100 per cent cut-off" for arts students seeking to study computer science at Acharya Narendra Dev, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee colleges raised many eyebrows as nearly three lakh students began the campus circuit for admissions.
The 100 per cent cut-off for computer science at Ram Lal Anand College last year and for B.Com (Hons) at the Shri Ram College of Commerce in 2011 had sparked a major outcry.
"A 100% cut-off doesn't tell you the college is good. It tells you something is really, really wrong with our education system," tweeted author Chetan Bhagat this morning.
The marks needed for commerce and arts courses are also high. Students expect the threshold to drop by the second, third and fourth lists. The university has notified that it will release eight cut-off lists this year.
The Hindu College has announced a 97.25-99.75 per cent bar for commerce and 97.5-99 per cent for economics.
Most colleges have set a 90-plus benchmark for their commerce courses, with the maximum touching 99.75 per cent.
The high cut-offs have seen no distinction between the university's elite and most coveted colleges and those that are usually not the first choice of students and located outside the campus.
Even for English courses, colleges like Hindu have asked for 98.5 per cent. The first ever cut-off marks for a new journalism course in six colleges are above 90 per cent.
Hindu College principal Pradyuman Kumar justified the high cut-offs saying it reduces too many applications.
"We don't want to deprive kids but can't help if there are only so many seats and so many with high marks," Dr Kumar told NDTV. He added that subsequent lists put up by colleges would have much lower cut-offs.
The university last week scrapped its controversial Four Year Undergrad Programme or FYUP, which was introduced last week despite strong opposition from students and teachers. Students will be admitted this year on the old three-year course.