St Stephen’s will not reconsider decision to hold interviews for all applicants, writes to DU V-C 

In a press statement put on the college website, Principal John Varghese said, “The college will follow the CUET mandate of the University of Delhi. All applicants to the college shall take the CUET test administered by the NTA. This is the minimum eligibility criteria and it will be followed strictly by the college.”

He said interviews will be conducted for “all applicants” shortlisted by the college from the CUET list and that 85% weightage will be given to the CUET score while 15% weightage will be given to interviews. “This is the admission process — time-tested, proven and guaranteed through a landmark judgment delivered by the highest court of the land — that will be followed for admission to the college,” he said.

“In keeping with the spirit of the constitutional rights guaranteed to the college, there shall be no discrimination between minority and non-minority applicants with respect to the 85%+15% formula for admission to the college,” Varghese said, adding that all these points had been communicated to the V-C and other officials. Varghese did not respond to calls and texts by The Indian Express.

V-C Singh also confirmed to The Indian Express that Stephen’s had “refused” to relent.

On Monday, following a meeting with the college principal, Singh had told The Indian Express that Stephen’s was insistent on holding interviews, and that they had been told to reconsider. He had said a decision on the matter would be taken by the university once it received a response from Stephen’s.

Singh said he finally received a response from the principal on Wednesday evening. “They have refused (to reconsider). I have got this in writing. The Admission Committee of the university will now meet in the next day or two and take a final decision,” he said.

St Stephen’s College is one of the six minority colleges of DU. It reserves 50% seats for Christian candidates.

Contrary to DU’s decision that admissions even to minority colleges will be held only through CUET scores, DU authorities had received a request from St Stephen’s to allow them to hold interviews across all categories. However, Singh had clarified that the college had been communicated that they should hold admissions to the general seats only on the basis of the CUET score. For the remaining 50% reserved seats, they could go ahead with the 85:15 ratio.

However, in its admission policy released on its website, the college has said that “it reserves the right to proceed with admissions as per its own admission policy guaranteed to it as a minority institution and as per past practice”.