St. Stephen’s College has filed an appeal with the Delhi High Court, challenging a recent order that directed the prestigious institution to admit seven students based on seat allocations made by Delhi University. The appeal is set for a hearing on Tuesday before a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The controversy began when a single judge ruled on September 6 in favor of the seven students, who faced significant uncertainties due to an ongoing dispute between St. Stephen’s College and Delhi University. The judge pointed out that the students were caught in a predicament through no fault of their own, as the college’s indecision left them unable to proceed with their admissions or consider alternative options.
The court highlighted how this prolonged uncertainty not only affected the students’ chances of securing admission at St. Stephen’s but also blocked them from participating in subsequent rounds of seat allocation, thereby denying them other potential educational opportunities.
The students in question had sought admission under the “single girl child quota,” a supernumerary quota fixed by DU which reserves one seat in each program at every college for single girl children. They argued that although they were allocated seats for the BA Economics (Honours) and BA program courses at St. Stephen’s by the university, the college failed to complete their admission processes in the stipulated timeframe.
While Delhi University supported the students’ petitions, St. Stephen’s College resisted, arguing against the university’s stance that it must accept all candidates allocated seats through the university’s Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS). The college maintains that it can only admit students within its sanctioned limit.
The single judge’s verdict noted that the seat matrix for the current academic session had been prepared by the college itself and submitted to DU. According to the judge, this matrix indicated that St. Stephen’s offered 13 different BA programs, each with a specific allocation of seats for various categories, which should have accommodated the students as per the university’s allocation.
