New Delhi: Forum of Academics for Social Justice has written a letter to the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University Professor Yogesh Kumar Singh and Registrar Dr. Vikas Gupta demanding that before the commencement of the admission process for SC, ST, OBC quota in UG, PG, PhD courses in Delhi University colleges, subject wise, the data of reserved category admissions in science, commerce and humanities subjects of the last five years should be called for and checked. It will become evident that in the last few years, colleges have given more admission than the sanctioned seats, while the reserved seats are not filled in proportion. These colleges do not follow the UGC guidelines and reservation circulars/instructions issued by the Ministry of Education. As is known, this time admission to DU is being done through Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score. Also, the admission schedule for undergraduate courses is being released on Monday, 12 September. At the same time, the session for postgraduate courses will start at the end of October. In addition, the process of admission to PhD is expected to be done in November.

The Forum has written in the letter that it wants to draw the Vice Chancellor’s attention to very important matters. Under this university, there are 86 departments where postgraduate degrees, PhD, certificate courses, degree courses, etc. are conducted. Similarly, Delhi University has 90 colleges in which undergraduate, postgraduate studies are offered. Every year more than 70 thousand students are admitted in these colleges and departments in the subjects of science, commerce and humanities at the graduation level. It has been mentioned in the letter that according to the reservation policy of the Government of India, there is a quota of SC - 15%, ST - 7: 5%, Other Backward Classes (OBC) - 27% and EWS- 10% reservations, apart from PWD, Wards, ECA, Sports, Kashmiri Migrants etc. supernumerary quota.

The Chairman of the Forum and former member of Academic Council of Delhi University, Dr. Hansraj Suman, has written in the letter that complete guidelines for admission in the academic session 2022--23 in Delhi University will be issued on Monday, 12 September. After this, counselling will be held in October for allotment of seats, which will lead to admissions in different colleges. Dr. Suman stated that apart from 70 thousand seats, colleges increase the number of seats at their own level by 10 percent every year. Most of the colleges do not fill the seats of reserved categories in appropriate proportion of the increased seats. He has also said that 10 percent reservation has been given for economically weaker students of general category which has led to an overall increase of 25% in the total no. of seats to be filled in DU. In this way, according to the statistics of the university, more than 75 thousand seats are up for grabs this year. He explains that every college release high cut off list at the time of admission, due to which reserved category seats remain vacant every year. The Dean, Students Welfare, runs a special drive after the fifth cut-off list to fill the reserved seats; even then, only a slight relaxation is given in the cut-off. Consequently, the seats of SC, ST, OBC quota are never filled. These seats remain vacant every year. Colleges, saying that students are not available on these seats, later convert these seats to those of general categories. Dr. Suman says that while students are available, they are not able to take admission only because colleges do not lower their cut-off to accommodate them. The college administration can fill the seats by reducing the cut-off realistically and sufficiently, provided they have a genuine intention of filling the reserved seats.

Dr. Suman states that the UGC has issued strict instructions that SC, ST, and OBC cells should be established in every university/college/institute. The function of these cells is to get timely solutions to the problems of caste discrimination, appointment, promotion and admission etc. Along with this, from time to time, it has to prepare and send to UGC, Ministry of Education etc. reports of reserved teachers/staff/students. He has also informed that Grievance Cells have been made in Colleges for the teachers/staff/students of the reserved categories, but these cells do not do any work; they exist only on paper. The teachers appointed in the cell say that they have not been given any power on the basis of which they may represent to the University. Along with this, such teachers are appointed by the principals in the cell who are their favorites without following any democratic or rotational method. He says that if the Grievance Cells perform their roles properly, then there would not be any problem related to the admission of students to colleges, the appointment of teachers, and promotions, but these cells obey the diktats of the principals.

Dr. Suman has informed the Vice Chancellor that every year rules are blatantly violated by the colleges in this regard. Therefore, the Forum requests him to seek data from the colleges/departments of the students before the start of the admission process. He says that, if possible, DU should constitute a monitoring committee for the colleges in which the teachers of the reserved category should be included, apart from the current and former academic council members. The committee should visit these colleges and talk to the teachers/staff/students about their problems. He has emphasized that some of the biggest problems in quite a few colleges include the roster of teachers, permanent appointments, promotions and pensions of teachers and administrative employees, problems related to admissions, non-availability of scholarships, remedial and special coaching for SC, ST, and OBC Students. The proposed Monitoring Committee should talk to SC, ST, and OBC students about the problems faced by them and prepare a report on the status of facilities in the colleges which should be sent to UGC, Ministry of Education, SC, ST Commission, and Parliamentary Committee. Apart from this, this report should be made public in the media so that the common people can know how the mechanisms of redressal of discrimination are applied in universities/colleges.

The UGC / Ministry of Education issues circulars related to the reservation policy of the Central Government from time to time which has to be uploaded on the university/college/institute website so that the teachers/employees/students of reserved categories can get the benefit of relevant facilities. However, none of the colleges put up these circulars, the roster, student admission statistics, number of vacant teachers' posts, backlog posts details, etc. on their websites. He has written in the letter that the Forum demands of the VC that it should be made mandatory for all the colleges to upload these documents on their website.

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