DUSU moves HC against Delhi Univ decision to consider only Class 12 marks for admission

Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) moved to the Delhi High Court on Friday challenging the varsity's decision to consider only 12th standard marks for the admission of students from the Kerala state board. The petition was filed through advocate Ashish Dixit and as the counsel for the university was not present at the hearing, the court directed the DUSU counsel Ashish Dixit to serve the petition.

Justice Prateek Jalan of the Delhi HC asked the DUSU to satisfy the court on the union's locus standing in filing this petition on the next date of hearing, which is on November 10.

What did the DUSU claim?

DUSU, in its plea, said that it was approaching the high court against the "arbitrary, irrational and unfair conduct" of authorities who have violated the fundamental and legal rights of innumerable students. It mentioned that in terms of the consistent policy, certain state boards including the Kerala government's Directorate of General Education (Higher Secondary Wing) gives combined marks of both class XI and XII on the mark sheets. The policy explicitly states that to determine grades of students, combined marks of both XI and XII shall be considered, it said.

“The respondent no. 2 (DU) has unilaterally and arbitrarily decided in its admission process of 2021-2022 that students would only be required to fill marks of XII standard. When the admissions began for the sessions 2021-2022, the colleges raised and conveyed objections with regard to mark sheets containing marks of both XI and XII,” the plea said.

The plea added that initially, the university directed that such cases be kept on hold, however, within a few hours, the admissions office of DU circulated an email to colleges asserting that the Admission Advisory Committee has decided that only marks of XII standard shall be considered.

DUSU's previous agitation with Kerala board students 

The Delhi University Students Union is the representative body of the students from most colleges and faculties. Apart from this, each college has its own students union, for which elections are held every year. In the past, several of the office bearers of Delhi University Students Union have gone on to hold public offices in state and central governments.

Previously, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a petition which alleged a "disproportionate" number of admissions of students from Kerala state board in Delhi University, saying fixing of cut-offs was a matter of the varsity's admission policy. The earlier petition was filed by a DU-aspirant seeking a "scaling mechanism" for marks scored by students from different boards in order to provide a level playing field.

Image Credits - ANI/Rep