Our Indian education system’s school boards can be as temperamental as Simon Cowell’s manner of judging contestants at the X Factor: Whimsical and capricious.
Acknowledging this anomaly, the University of Delhi (DU) allows scope for admission through the Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.
PERSONALISED EXPERIENCE
Taran Gulati, an ECA candidate who was admitted to DU through the ECA category ‘Divinity for Minority Colleges’ in 2016 told DU Beat, “Since only a few colleges accept students through this category, not many apply for the same. Moreover, very few seats are available for this category.”
She added, “However, this doesn’t affect the standard of competition. There is considerable competition, and the preparation required is remarkable. This is because you have to be knowledgeable in the elemental aspects of Sikhism, as well as be skilled at cultural aspects such as reciting the Ragas or Gurbani.”
COMMON ECA GUIDELINES
- Trials will be held at two levels: (i) Preliminary trials (ii) Final trials.
- The trials of both these levels shall be the conducted by an ECA Committee appointed by the University Admission Committee.
- “Candidates will get a relaxation of only up to 15% in cut-offs if they apply for the ECA quota,” says Suchitra Gupta, Deputy Dean of Culture and Youth Affairs in DU.
This implies that not more than 15% relaxation in academic merit vis-à-vis unreserved category applicants (for the last relevant cut-off) may be given for admission to specific programmes. In simpler terms, if the cut-off for a particular course is 90%, then the ECA candidate will get a relaxation of upto 15%. This means, to be eligible for admission to a course whose last relevant cut-off was 90%, the candidate must have score at least 75% in his qualifying examination.
SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
- No accompanists will be allowed.
- The students should be prepared in the following:
- Ragas and contributors of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib
- Teachings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib
- ‘Nitnem Banis’
- Concept of Haume, Naam, Langar, Sewa in Sikhism and the Sikh code of conduct
- Historical Gurudwaras of Delhi and their history
- ‘Ardaas’
- Playing the instruments while reciting Gurbani
- An applicant being selected in the final list does not guarantee admission. Admission is subject to the availability of seats in a course and college.
COLLEGES WHICH ADMIT STUDENTS THROUGH THIS CATEGORY
Only 4 minority colleges admit students through this ECA category. The colleges are- Mata Sundri College, SGND Khalsa College, SGTB Khalsa College and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce.
SOME TIPS TO ACE THE TRIALS
- Candidates must understand the essence of the ‘Nitnem Banis’ which is a collaboration of different banis that were designated to be read by sikhs. The ‘Nitnem Banis’ usually include the ‘Panj Bania’.
- Candidates may take reference from http://www.searchsikhism.com/concept-of-guru , which will provide them with comprehensive guidance in the key concepts of Sikhism
- The trials almost always have questions revolving around the historical ‘Gurudwaras’ of Delhi. To prepare on the same, candidates can take reference from https://www.worldgurudwaras.com/historical-gurudwaras/india/delhi
THE TRIALS
- The preliminary round will be held on the 14th and 15th of June 2018, from 9am, at Kamla Nehru College.
- Following this, the list of the short-listed candidates for final round will be notified on the university website.
- In the final round, the applicants must carry all the relevant certificates in original (and a self-attested photocopy) for evaluation. The certificates will account for 25% of the total weightage while the trials in the final round will account for 75% of the weightage.
OBLIGATIONS
The selected candidates will have to submit an Undertaking at the time of admission stating that the candidate will perform for the College for the entire period of the candidate‘s undergraduate programme of study. The college has a right to cancel their admissions if they violate the undertaking during their stay in college.
Feature Image Credits: DU Beat
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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