Two DU colleges switch to Class 12 marks as CUET leaves 2,000 seats vacant
Delhi University (DU) has permitted two of its constituent women's colleges to admit students based on their Class 12 board examination results this year, after nearly 2,000 seats remained vacant under the university's centralised Common University Entrance Test (CUET) admission process.
Aditi Mahavidyalaya in Bawana and Bhagini Nivedita College (BNC) near Najafgarh have begun separate admission rounds for the academic year. Both colleges are located far from DU's North Campus — Aditi Mahavidyalaya is about 31 km away, while BNC is roughly 59 km away.
Since DU introduced CUET and its Common Seat Allocation System in 2022, these two colleges have reported hundreds of vacant seats every year. This year, Aditi Mahavidyalaya filled no more than 40% of its seats, leaving around 1,000 vacant. BNC has around 985 vacant seats, according to its admission prospectus.
The two colleges were established to cater to students from rural and semi-urban areas around Delhi. Their persistent vacancies highlight the difficulty of applying a uniform centralised admission mechanism to institutions with very different catchment areas.
Last year, DU conducted a mop-up round based on board results to fill vacant seats across the university. This year, for the first time, the university has allowed the two colleges to conduct admissions separately.
"We granted permission for separate admissions because seats were not being filled. This is primarily because the colleges are on the outskirts," a DU official said.
The colleges are accepting applications both online through their websites and offline. Both completed their first round of admissions on Friday and will begin the second round next week.
Students arriving at Aditi Mahavidyalaya for admission said they came from nearby localities. Four recently admitted students waiting outside the college for a rickshaw lived within a 15-minute ride from the campus. Only one of them had attempted CUET.
Neelam Rathi, principal of Aditi Mahavidyalaya, said the centralised system, where students list college preferences on a common portal, does not suit institutions intended to serve students from the surrounding rural belt.
"Those who apply for CUET want to be in the campus area and do not want to travel far. Many also prepare for competitive examinations and want to be near coaching hubs," she said. "We are happy that the university has allowed us to conduct separate admissions. It will motivate girls from nearby areas to pursue higher education."
Rashi Bharadwaj, a 17-year-old resident of Nangloi, said she almost missed out on DU admission because her CUET score was lower than her Class 12 board marks. She has now secured a seat at Aditi Mahavidyalaya through the board-based process.
At BNC, faculty members are managing admissions in a separate room and briefing parents about local public transport links. Rashi's father, Puspendra Kumar, a businessman, said distance was initially a concern.
"I came today to check the metro train and bus routes. Going to any other DU college would be equally far, so we think this is a good choice," he said.
Some students also cited limited awareness about CUET and the centralised admission process. Radha, 17, who recently got into Aditi Mahavidyalaya, said she had never appeared for CUET.
"Our teachers never told us about CUET and the information came suddenly. I'm glad to have secured admission on the basis of my Class 12 results," she said.
Another student from Bawana said that while CUET was mentioned in school, the information seemed meant for high achievers. "My teacher would call the toppers out of the classroom and speak to them. I thought it was not meant for students like me. For many students, the examination centres were also far away," she said.
Sumaiya Khan, 18, from Ramgarh, who was also seeking admission, expressed relief that the separate process allowed her to continue her education without moving far from home.
