New Delhi: Alleging discrimination against reserved category students in PhD admission in the Department of
Economics, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University (DU), Academic Council (AC), Executive Council (EC) and Finance Committee members of DU demanded from the Vice-Chancellor to immediately intervene in the admission process for delivering justice to the students from backward class.
Through their letter Dr. J.L.Gupta (Member finance committee), Dr. Seema Dass – EC Member, Rajpal Singh Pawar – EC Member, Dr. Alok Pandey – AC member, Dr. C.M.Negi – AC Member, Dr. Sunil Kumar – AC Member, Dr. Mamta Chaudhary- AC Member and others drew the attention of the DU VC towards the significant irregularities in PhD admission against the students from the reserved categories, especially the scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) and asked him to take necessary action.
Referring to the notification they said in the letter that 11 seats were held for the unreserved candidates, two each for SC and SC. Meanwhile, to deter the students from the marginalised sections to apply in the DSE, the cut-off marks obtained in CUET for PhD for the department have been raised to 55 percent for UR and 50 percent for SC/ST against the University of Delhi’s criteria of 50 percent UR and 45 percent reserved categories.
Further, when results were declared, 14 (fourteen) candidates were selected from the UR category, whereas one seat each from the SC and ST was not filled conspicuously. Unfortunately, even after 100 years of the university’s history and more than 75 years of the country’s independence, the attitudes towards the weaker sections of society have not changed, especially in eminent institutions like DSE. If the students are not allowed higher education in these premier institutions, how the way would be paved for the deprived section to move on the higher development ladder? Such pernicious acts from the widely acclaimed schools of learning require strong action at VC level so that the culprits were suitably exposed and punished and justice is delivered to the deprived students.