Delhi High Court seeks DU stand in plea by St Stephen’s against admission minority students solely based on CUET

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to the varsity and UGC and listed the matter on May 24.

The plea refers to a September 2022 decision of the HC, which said: “Therefore, the right of the petitioner-college to conduct interviews and accord to them 15% weightage for the purposes of admitting students does not extend to non-minority students, and solely pertains to its minority students.” The present petition filed by the college states it is a minority institution, and its right to select students for admission and administer educational institutions under the Constitution cannot be interfered with or taken away by DU.

The college has contended that DU’s decision insisting on 100% weightage for CUET score for admission under minority quota is ultra vires to (goes beyond) Article 30 of the Constitution .

“The Delhi University has now resolved that for admissions during the current academic year (2023), even in regard to 50 percent Christian quota of seats, admission shall be only on the basis of CUET score and no interview and addition of 15 per cent marks for interview will be permitted,” the plea states.