One cutoff per course likely at DU colleges

NEW DELHI: Delhi University's stand on additional eligibility criteria may leave cutoff lists looking different this year. The cutoff 'ranges'-with multiple minimum scores for the same course, each assigned to a different category of applicants based on subjects included in their best-four aggregates or performance in certain subjects in school-may be replaced by single cutoff scores.
Additional eligibility criteria have been used by North Campus colleges as part of a "screening process", explains V K Kawatra, principal, Hansraj College. Till 2014, Hansraj issued ranges for all of its arts and social science programmes.
For instance, at Hansraj, the cut-off marks for English was 96-97% and commerce (honours) 97.25-99.75%. Similarly, Hindu issued four separate cut-off scores for BCom (Honours)-97.25% (commerce with at least 97% in accountancy and 60 in mathematics and English), 99.25% (science), 97.5% (social science and humanities) and 96.5% (for a language, sociology and any two academic subjects).
Now, the other criteria have been abolished, and the penalty for not including the subject applied to in best-four or including one that's not taught in DU or considered vocational has been fixed-2.5 percentage points would be docked from best-four aggregates in all cases.
"Cutoff ranges were meant for subjects open to students from all streams-the humanities and social sciences. Earlier there weren't so many takers but now there is major rush," says principal Anju Srivastava. "If additional criteria are not allowed-such as a minimum score in mathematics for economics-we will have to go for a single cutoff straightaway. That may be a problem as there is already a lot of competition and the numbers eligible will now increase. You need to fix some other criteria," says Kawatra. In many cases, the 99% and 100% cut-offs were intended to deter students from other streams from applying.
Neither Kawatra nor Srivastava has received formal directions from the university. However, Srivastava adds that, in the "formal and informal discussions" among teachers at Hindu, they have decided to keep cutoffs "very stringent". Dyal Singh's I S Bakshi hasn't received any official communication either but says he, too, will "release only one cutoff".
"We can't give preference to a particular subject or language as we usually do. And the student's eligibility-and final best-four score-will have to be verified at the time of admission by the admissions committee," he says. Janki Devi Memorial has only just received directions and will likely issue single cutoffs, too. "We will probably issue one for academic subjects," says Shashi Tyagi, principal, Gargi College. She believes this will make it smoother for students. "Earlier, they'd go to colleges to check what its criteria are. Now, the policy will be uniform."