Delhi University to Use Class XII Marks to Fill Vacant Seats Post Regular Admission Rounds

New Delhi: Delhi University (DU) will use Class XII marks to fill any remaining vacant seats after the completion of regular admission rounds, according to an announcement by Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Thursday. This decision follows the University Grants Commission's (UGC) issuance of a standard operating procedure (SOP) aimed at ensuring all seats in undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses are occupied.

The UGC emphasized that leaving seats vacant for an entire academic year not only wastes resources but also denies many students access to quality higher education. Reacting to the directive, Singh told ANI, "We welcome the directive by UGC. We are equally sensitive to the fact that seats in any course should not remain vacant. We will use Class XII marks to fill the vacant seats in UG programs."

Last year, DU struggled to fill around 5,000 seats despite employing multiple methods. The new SOP allows universities to conduct their entrance exams for UG and PG courses if seats remain vacant after regular admission rounds. However, Singh clarified, "We will not hold an entrance exam but will ensure all seats are filled in the university."

The admission process for the academic year 2024-25 is currently underway, with Delhi University offering over 71,000 seats across more than 65 colleges through the Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG). The process began on May 28, with approximately 270,000 students registering on the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal.

However, the start of phase two of the admission process has been delayed due to the postponement of CUET UG results. The university aims to proceed swiftly once the results are announced to ensure all available seats are filled.

The UGC guidelines state that CUET scores will remain the primary criteria for admitting students to central universities. However, students who appeared in CUET but did not initially apply to a specific university for certain courses may still be considered. Additionally, universities may conduct an entrance examination or a screening test at the departmental level to fill vacant seats if necessary.

The SOP also allows for the relaxation of domain subject-specific criteria, enabling universities to consider students for admission to particular courses regardless of the domain subject papers they appeared in during CUET.