In a significant development, the Supreme Court has rejected the pleas of Delhi University and the University Grants Commission (UGC) against St Stephen’s College’s admission policy. The college had adopted an 85-15 formula for minority applicants, where 85% of the overall score is based on the university’s Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and the remaining 15% is determined by performance in interviews.
The bench of Justices AS Bopanna and PS Narasimha heard the special leave petitions filed by the university and the UGC against an interim order of the Delhi High Court. The high court had allowed St Stephen’s College to proceed with its 85-15 scheme for minority students in the current academic session.
During the hearing, Solicitor-General for India Tushar Mehta argued that interviews introduced subjectivity and resulted in unfair outcomes. He claimed that seats filled through interviews had become “payment seats.” However, St Stephen’s College vehemently objected to this statement, stating that admissions had already been made in accordance with the interim order of the Delhi High Court.
SG Mehta repeated his concerns about meritorious students being excluded due to the college’s insistence on conducting interviews. He argued that minority institutions could enroll minorities but could not insist on interviews. He requested the court to set aside the interim order and allow admissions to proceed based on Delhi University’s admission scheme.
Senior Advocate A Mariarputham, representing St Stephen’s College, objected to this request. He informed the bench that the admission process for the academic year 2023-24 had been completed, with the list of provisionally selected candidates already sent to Delhi University. The admitted candidates had paid their fees and commenced classes on August 16.
The bench, taking into account the ongoing admission process, decided not to interfere with the high court’s interim order. However, they requested the high court to hear the submissions of all parties and dispose of the petitions as quickly as possible to provide certainty in the matter.
The controversy stems from the admission policy introduced by Delhi University last year, which made CUET scores the sole eligibility criterion for admission to colleges under DU. St Stephen’s College, as a minority institution, initially followed an 85-15 formula for non-Christian applicants. The college claimed that its status allowed it to make autonomous decisions regarding admissions. However, Delhi University insisted on admission criteria based solely on CUET scores for non-minority students, leading to a legal battle.
The Delhi High Court quashed Delhi University’s communication mandating a single merit list for all Christian candidates but directed St Stephen’s College to follow the university’s admission policy for non-minority students. The Supreme Court refused to stay the high court’s order, resulting in St Stephen’s College conducting interviews with 15% weightage only for minority students in the last admission cycle.
This year, Delhi University announced that CUET marks would be the sole criterion for admission for all categories of candidates, including minorities, leading to a fresh round of litigation. St Stephen’s College challenged the university’s notification in the Delhi High Court, which granted interim relief to the college and directed that the admission policy established in the previous year’s judgment be followed for the academic year 2023-24.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain the pleas against St Stephen’s College’s admission policy provides a major relief to the college. The court’s decision affirms the college’s authority to conduct interviews for minority students while adhering to Delhi University’s admission policy for non-minority students. The high court has been requested to expedite the disposal of the pending petitions to bring certainty to the admission process.
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