Delhi University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh Thursday said Class XII marks will be considered as the tiebreaker formula in case of students with the same Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score vying for the same seat during admissions this year. He also said the university would admit extra students to ensure that maximum seats are filled during the first round of counselling, and expressed hope that CUET will be held twice a year from next year. “We have decided that if there is tie between two students’ CUET scores, the marks of the best three class XII subjects will be counted as a tiebreaker. If that is all the same, then we will consider the four best subjects. If it still remains tied, then the score of best five subjects will be counted,” Singh told The Indian Express. He said if the score still remains tied, then age will become a factor and the older applicant will get the preference. Singh also said there is no subject that has to be mandatorily be counted in the best of three. “Language is not mandatory in the best-of-three or best-of-four calculation. Any three subjects with the highest score can be counted in this,” he said. Reiterating what he had said in April while announcing admissions, Singh said that DU would admit more students than seats in case of withdrawals or dropouts. “We will admit 20 per cent ‘extra students’ in the general and OBC categories and 30 per cent extra in the SC/ST category in the first round of counselling. We want to ensure that maximum seats are filled in the first round itself,” he said. The move is especially aimed at filling up SC/ST seats, many of which remain vacant. Special drives are conducted every year by DU to fill these seats. The decision comes in the backdrop of the V-C announcing the constitution of a committee at the end of April to look into the “shortfall” in the enrolment of SC/ST students. Singh also said he had requested the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Government of India to conduct CUET twice a year from next year and “hoped” that the same would be implemented. “I'm not very sure if it will happen but we have requested the UGC and the Government of India to conduct CUET twice a year in the interests of students. The UGC Chairman has also today said the same," he said. Singh, however, clarified that this does not mean that admissions to DU will take place twice a year. "It is only so that the students have more chances and so that we can consider the better score, which will help them," he said. Singh also said DU will hold open days and address queries of students before the CUET results are out so that there is no confusion. “The process will explained properly. Students will get the opportunity of filling out their college and course preferences on the DU portal and based on their scores, they will be allotted colleges according to their preferences," he said. “I would request students to prepare for the exam with a cool mind and not panic. The process of normalisation which is being brought about by CUET will make it a level playing field for all applicants," said Singh. The CUET is being conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) from July 15 to August 10. Around 14.9 lakh candidates have applied for the test across the country, and DU has received over 6.5 lakh applications. Like last year, the university will have offer 70,000 UG seats for admission. Admissions for the upcoming academic session will be a landmark step in the history of the university which has always conducted UG admissions through cut-offs calculated on the basis of class XII marks. Over the years, however, the cut-off system has come under criticism with skyrocketing cut-offs touching 100% in several colleges due to inflated class XII board marks, throwing into question the value of these scores.
