Delhi HC refuses stay on DU’s warning to St. Stephen’s college regarding admission
India Today
The Delhi High Court has refused to grant a stay on the University of Delhi's admission warning to St. Stephen's College.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court declined to stay Delhi University’s letter for now that asked St. Stephen’s College to withdraw its prospectus for the undergraduate courses 2022-23. The concerned prospectus for UG courses gave 85% weightage to CUET and 15% weightage to interview for admission into unreserved seats. However, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta issued a notice on the stay application and petition filed by St. Stephen’s College.
The matter was listed for further hearing on July 6 with a similar petition which was submitted by a law student.The law student’s petition sought directions to the college to admit students to its ‘unreserved seats’ only on the basis of a student’s score in the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), according to DU’s mandate.
The petition read, “On April 20, the college refused to follow the instructions of Delhi University and issued a press release and admission notice stating that the college will conduct interviews for both reserved and unreserved seats and give 15 per cent weightage to interview and 85 per cent weightage to CUET marks at the time of admission in its undergraduate courses.”
St. Stephen’s College has contested the varsity’s letter that asked it to withdraw its prospectus for the UG courses for the academic year 2022-23, which provided 85% weightage to CUET and 15% to college interviews for admission to its unreserved seats.
As the college’s counsel urged the court to clarify that the DU would not insist on taking action against the college, the HC bench stated, “We are not going to say anything. You may stick to your stand”.
The bench further added, “If you are not complying with their other directions you don’t comply with this also. Who is stopping you?”
The counsel for the college argued that “If we withdraw the prospectus, the matter becomes infructuous.”Then the HC bench then further replied, “Don’t do it.”
