Delhi University Introduces Single Girl Child Quota for 2024-2025 Session

In a landmark move aimed at promoting gender equity and supporting the education of female students, Delhi University (DU) has announced the introduction of a quota for single girl children across all its programs, effective from the 2024-2025 academic session.

This significant announcement was made on Tuesday, coinciding with the commencement of DU's admission process for undergraduate courses.

Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS)

DU officials have launched the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) for undergraduate (UG) admissions into 69 colleges and departments, which collectively offer a total of 71,000 seats. Vikas Gupta, the DU Registrar, confirmed that aside from the introduction of the single girl child quota, there will be no major changes in the admission policy this year. The new reservation will be part of the supernumerary seats, ensuring it does not affect the general seat allocation but instead adds opportunities for eligible candidates.

Previous Initiatives and Admission Phases

This initiative builds on DU's past efforts to support disadvantaged groups. Last year, the university introduced a supernumerary category for orphan students, providing one male and one female seat in each program of every college. The admission process will occur in two phases: the first for registration on the CSAS portal and the second for seat allotment.

Mid-Entry Option and Registration Details

To accommodate applicants who miss the initial registration, DU will offer a mid-entry option. These candidates can register by paying a non-refundable fee of Rs 1,000, but they will not be able to claim seats already allocated during the initial phase. The CSAS portal is currently open for student registration and will remain accessible for about a month.

CUET Scores and Key Dates

Continuing the practice from the previous year, admissions to DU will be based on the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including PhD programs. The second phase of admissions will commence following the announcement of CUET UG results, which are expected on June 30.

SOL and NCWEB Programmes

Registrations for the School of Open Learning (SOL) and the Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) programs will start on June 3. While admissions to Bachelor's programs in SOL and NCWEB will be based on Class 12th marks, some postgraduate courses in SOL will also consider CUET scores.

Programmes and Application Statistics

SOL will offer admissions to nine UG and eight PG programs, whereas NCWEB will provide 12 combinations of BA programs and BCom Pass in its 26 affiliated colleges. This year, DU received over 25.99 lakh applications through CUET UG. The most sought-after courses included BTech with over 1.60 lakh applications, BCom Hons with 1.24 lakh applications, BCom with 1.17 lakh applications, and English Hons with 99,792 applications.

Important Dates

For postgraduate, BTech, and the 5-year integrated law programs, the first list of allocations is tentatively scheduled to be announced on June 20. Students and parents are encouraged to keep an eye on the official DU website and the CSAS portal for the latest updates and detailed information on the admission process.

The introduction of the single girl child quota by Delhi University is a commendable step towards fostering gender equality in higher education. It highlights the university's commitment to inclusivity and its proactive approach to addressing societal imbalances.