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Shri Ram College of Commerce, popularly known as SRCC has declared its first cut-off. The college will offer two courses- FYUP in Economics and FYUP in Commerce.

FYUP in Economics

General: 97.5%
OBC: 95.75%
SC: 95.25%
ST: 94.25%
PWD (VH) : 95.25%
PWD (HH): 97%
PWD (OH): 97%

The cut-off has been declared the same for all streams. Hence, humanities, commerce and science students will compete with the same cut-off. As a rider, students in the general category need to have a minimum of 70% marks in mathematics. With such high cut-offs, a 70+ in Maths should certainly be a given.

FYUP in Commerce

The most prized course in Delhi University does not come at 100% this time. The cut-off starting at 97% for Commerce students and going up till 99% for students without a Commerce background, comes somewhat expected from SRCC’s track record of high cut-offs. When compared to Kirori Mal College’s 99.75%, SRCC’s 99% is certainly justified better.

Eligibility Categories
A: 12th with all four papers of Accounts, Business Studies, Economics, Maths
B: 12th with any three papers from Accounts, Business Studies, Economics, Maths
C: 12th with any two papers from Accounts, Business Studies, Economics, Maths
D: 12th with any one paper from Accounts, Business Studies, Economics, Maths
E: Others

srcc-1

All the best candidates!

For cut-offs of other colleges, please refer here.

kings miranda
With the onset of the summer vacations, probable activities that are worthwhile start lurking in one’s head. It was then that I came across a flier which read “King’s comes to you! King’s College London and Miranda House welcome you! Apply now!” And it certainly was one of those moments when I realized the perks of studying in a prestigious college like Miranda House and in the University of Delhi.

The King’s College London Summer School at Delhi was organized in collaboration with Miranda House, University of Delhi and Think Education, an educational organization which works to create opportunities for promising students worldwide. It was a high quality and intensive academic programme open to students from around the country. The session 1 was held from 4th June-14th June 2013, and the session 2 from 17th June – 28th June 2013. It was in the first session that I studied the spectacularly interesting subject of International Relations. The concept of a ‘summer school’ being a new one to the students of  the University of Delhi was met with looks of apprehension; yet the KCL session saw around 80 students from various universities in attendance. Our tutor for this course was Dr. Diana Bozhilova, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Hellenic Studies at KCL, and also a dynamic lady with amazing knowledge in a subject which takes one years to study.

Being an absolute newcomer to the varying subjects of Political Science, Economics, Philosophy, Law and Sociology; most of us had trouble adjusting to the hefty curriculum, but the interactive approach and the alternating group activity plus lecture schedule made it all easily understandable and also enjoyable. We all breezed through heavy duty subjects like ‘global governance, international relations theory, the workings of the United Nations, historical origins of the European Union etc’. One afternoon we would make strategies to overcome problems in the European Parliament, whereas on another, build a clean city from scratch. We saw documentaries and videos ranging from sea piracy to that of a gender bias, which was definitely a wonderful break from the monotonous classroom sessions we all usually have to endure. The experience was one both mentally and emotionally enriching, as I made friends from places I never thought I would, with many of them here to stay. The summer school gave us an excuse to eat out, have fun, discuss theories over coffee and laugh over anecdotes recited by many of us.

The summer school not only taught me what the study of International Relations means, but also helped me decide what I would want to pursue later on in life. It helped me experience what it means to study in a foreign classroom, in a completely different setting and with a vast curriculum. It really helped broaden my horizons; while having fun. This summer school is one experience which I would never forget. Given a chance, I would definitely attend it again. I can proudly say that I returned with a greater sense of self after attending The King’s College London Summer School at Delhi.

Here’s how the newly-introduced Four Year Undergraduate Programme is going to affect the students aspiring to study English literature and the course itself, at the University of Delhi:

Topics changed or added or removed
The number of papers for English Honours has been reduced from 23 to 20 that are included in the Discipline Courses1 (DC1). Choosing Popular Fiction or European Realism, Literary Theory or Modern European Drama has been done away with, and for good, since now the students have the opportunity to study varied literature. Choicelessness is definitely bliss here, especially for students who hope to study more and more literature.

Enriching or diluting?
With the addition of new material the course has definitely been enriched. There is a wider range in terms of the DC1 syllabus now.

Structure
The semester system will not be affected due to FYUP. Two semesters annually, much like the three-year system, with the addition of another year and two more semesters. In English, syllabus has been shuffled, new topics added and existing syllabus has been clubbed together.

More practical or theoretical now?
Through the Applied Courses, there is scope for a more practical knowledge rather than the theoretical study of DC1 and DC2. Class presentations and discussions, if conducted properly, regularly and for everybody, will surely help the students in fields outside the theoretical realm of the course that is English Honours.

Affect on students
Covering all the topics within the stipulated time might turn out to be a Herculean task, leaving behind only those students who can handle the pressure and time crunch.

Exit points
The option of leaving the course after two years will produce a large number of students who will not have a proper degree or qualification in terms of employability. It cannot be determined whether a person who has studied English literature for only two years might be able to land up a good job; the chances do not seem very appealing.

Employability
Expansion of the course will definitely be able to help students of English in gaining better jobs, provided that the student covers all four years of the course.

Final verdict
FYUP has taken the University with a storm, and the results can be determined only after four years have passed. Although it is felt that more time and discussions should have been spent on the Programme, many feel that FYUP is good for the students. The development of the syllabus has been done within few weeks, with not enough consideration given to how the colleges are going to manage faculty, time and space. Since this is how the system going to be now, we hope it turns out for the best.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

NSIT
Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, a leading engineering college in New Delhi and currently a part of Delhi University, has now been granted the status of a university and would be called NSIT University, Delhi. The Cabinet meeting which was presided over by the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, gave its approval to upgrade NSIT into a university. Dikshit said “NSIT, which has emerged as a premier technological institute for education and research in the area of engineering and technology and has carved a niche for itself nationally and internationally.”

She further added that the upgradation shall improve the standard of education of students and boost up the quality of students. It has been agreed by the Delhi Government as well as the Board of Governors of NSIT that in the process of transformation of NSIT into a State university, the name ‘NSIT’ would remain intact thereby maintaining a brand linkage with the past.

Presently, the institute is affiliated to University of Delhi for its academic programmes. The institute has at present six under-graduate programmes in the areas of technologies and three post-graduate programmes for M-tech degrees along with research programmes for PHD degrees in all engineering disciplines and applied sciences.

At the very foundation of NSIT, which was formally known as Delhi Institute of Technology (DIT) in 1983, it was envisaged that the institute would eventually aim for becoming a university. It was granted administrative autonomy in 1986 with the direction to keep in mind the long-term goal of achieving the status of a university. The institute applied for the grant of Deemed-University status earlier also, However, Delhi Government was at that time not willing to sacrifice 85% reservation of seats for Delhi students and thus the idea was shelved. But in the recent times the Delhi government has granted university status to many institutes like DTU, IIIT, Ambedkar, G.G.S. IP University and IGIT and now NSIT being a new addition to the list, the government is aiming to make Delhi an educational hub.

However students differ with the government’s decision on many fronts. Many students have shown their discontent by writing mails, meeting government and principal.

Kushal Sagar, one of the student of NSIT apprises that NSIT is not ready for such transformation as it lacks infrastructure. It has been said that the funding given to the institute as a state university would improve and hence the for infrastructural growth will increase but in recent past we have had sufficient funds available for the betterment of our infrastructure but they haven’t been put up to any good use till now. He further added that another blow for the students is the loss of brand value of DU, on which they used to bank upon while applying to foreign universities. This transformation will too have a bearing upon the placements as central universities are given more preference over state universities.

The students also fear that with the introduction of Meta courses and four year degree courses in DU, the quality of students shall deteriorate and they will face more stiff competition from the new changes occurring in the field of science in DU.

The students are of the view that they would have welcomed the change if NSIT would have been upgraded to an NIT or IIT, thereby maintaining the central character and retaining the tag of an ?Institute of National Importance while achieving full autonomy or  the complete control could be passed on to Delhi University.

Some people say that this move was initiated by the government just because the government wants to project to the common man that during their tenure, they have established a number of universities and thus, disregarding the quality they are targeting only on the quantity to gain vote bank. The conversion would result in recruitment of faculty, administrative staff and students on the basis of donation and approach. University will be under the influence of local MLAs and MPs which will lead to deterioration in the quality of education.

polsci-wp
The University of Delhi has been through a lot in the past two years. The shift from an annual system to a semester mode has been quick, tremendous, and a whole new experience – just the way all change has ever taken place. And just while we were all settling in, the University is going to see yet another new way of life – the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). Through this article, we look at how it has affected the Political Science course offered by the University.

The Course
Analysing the University’s undergraduate Political Science course in particular, the first thing that strikes a person is that in the foundation year, there are very few subjects (out of eleven) that would be vaguely related to political science – namely Governance and Citizenship, Indian History and Culture, Environment and public health, Geographic and socio- economic diversity. While courses like IT, Mathematics and Literature may help enhance vocational skills, they have very little to do with the subject itself.

The structure of the course has obviously changed, and the university has tried to make it more comprehensive by introducing twenty major subjects (Discipline Course 1) related to the students’ particular subject of interest, six minor subjects (Discipline Course 2) for additional information and knowledge, and four skill based Applied Subjects. While this well defined way of functioning will give students an in depth research perspective to political science, the fear of reading material being too short (as laid down by the university) to provide greater understanding – especially in a research driven subject like political science – is quickly seeping in. Yet, many feel that the course may become more practical, with all knowledge being coupled with important skill based learning.

Mind Body and Heart Courses and ECA
Some also see this as a way of making Political Science a less rigorous course, with co curricular activity being given importance, along with skill building and overall development with courses like Mind Body and Soul. But the essence of a research driven subject, the idea of creating a generation of academics who understand in depth political theory and have the potential to lead revolutions is slowly diminishing.

Freedom of Choice
While students will now be able to make an informed choice about exactly what honours degree they’d like to pursue, there has also been certain curtailing of free choice, with the eleven foundation courses being compulsory along with one applied language course. These courses like Information Technology, Science and Life, Business, Entrepreneurship, and Management are from varied streams and may not really equip a student studying Political Science.

(Political Science 2013 Cut-offs)

Exit Points
Under the FYUP, the mid course exit points provided after two years and three years respectively may also prove to be the easier way out for some. Fear is that it would serve to the disadvantage of students from underprivileged backgrounds and women students. Since the first year is only a foundation year, these exit points in a course like political science may lead to graduates with half baked knowledge on concepts that are built over time –like theories of politics, international relations and global politics, governments and constitutions.

Employability
Amidst all protests and petitions against the FYUP was the Vice Chancellors argument of the new system improving employability and placement patterns of the university. For a subject like political science, whose scope is so diverse, students would benefit more from quality education than from unguaranteed, but apparently easy jobs.

Final verdict
Like every course, Political Science too, has been affected by the FYUP –for the better in some ways, and for worse in others. The final verdict, though, can only be given after this batch of students completes their graduation. Ruin or reform, this change is finally taking place despite protest from a substantial part of the university, and each course can only accept it and make it work for itself.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

Illustration Credit: Bidisha Mandal

While class 12 pass-outs sit wide eyed about the FYUP, current DU are students also anxious to see how the new system pans out. Amidst all this chaos we shall in the coming days try to bring you some reasonable goods, bads and uglies about the FYUP.

While we have already listed the positives, here are a few apprehensions that students, parents and teachers alike hold:

  • Employability: Will the FYUP actually lead to an increase in the overall employability of a student? Increasing the employability was one of the main arguments put forward for the main system. However, with the DUSU conducting large scale job fair, with a central as well as college specific placement cell is there a need for a system face lift just to increase employability?
  • Work Load: We all are aware how the workload almost doubled with the coming of the semester system. And given that a big apprehension is that with the FYUP the workload shall also balloon out of hand. Courses are being added- sometimes some courses being diluted (more on that in a bit) but given the overall increase in subjects and projects (1 per week in some places) will the students be left with decent amount of free time?
  • The Course: Adding courses, diluting the main (major) course, mind body and heart courses, WHAT is even happening on the academic front? While the syllabus that has been rolled out for most courses is decently structured, will someone help us understand the real deal, given that even the teachers are quite unaware?
  • Dropouts: While the University uses the euphemism of ‘mid- course multiple exits’ we all know they are talking about the majority of students who dropout each year without completing their course. The issue is that the dropouts do not have a degree to speak for their time spent in college. What our question is, is whether the degree given to dropouts (after completion of 2 or 3 years) be simply a confidence certificate to half knowledge, or not?
  • Post Graduation: Yes, once the FYUP is in place PG shall be of only one year, good, maybe, maybe not? It is feasible for those who stick on with DU, but for those, and most of us who turn to other universities for PG it means a total of 6 years to be spent in college- given that other universities still have a 2 (sometimes 3) year PG Programme.
  • Extra Curricular activities: DU has been an ECA inclined person’s delight, even in the face of the semester system. So, are compulsory ECA and Mind Body Heart courses really that necessary? Even if they are, will the FYUP calendar and work load mess with the sacrosanct fest season?
  • Infrastructure: How can a University that is already suffering from a crisis of room to take classes in afford to make itself fully technically equipped to live up to the FYUP’s benchmarks? We’re afraid that the dedication with which they approach the practical subjects shall be half hearted.
  • Teachers: It is an obvious fact that there is a shortage of academic staff, the number runs in the hundreds. And the staff members who are already part of the system is reluctant to embrace the FYUP, will the students suffer in this tug of war?

We hope the University comes out to answer these questions in a clear, student friendly format.

(Also See: Why the Four Year Undergraduate Programme might not be such a bad idea)

Amidst the hype around the newly introduced four year undergraduate programme, we have been discussing what could be right and what could seriously go wrong. With that wave of discussion as well as confusion, majority of us (except the VC of course) have criticized the FYUP. Here is a flip side of the coin. A few pointers on why the FYUP might not be that bad an idea:

  • Practical Knowledge: Foundation Courses covering an array of subjects from Arts, Science, Social Sciences and Commerce backgrounds, will equip students with appropriate communication skills, mathematical ability and other such skills that are required to face real life challenges. Students are also expected to study Application papers, to encourage application-based knowledge. In the final year, students shall be expected to pursue two Research based papers/ Innovation projects, something which does not exist under the current framework for majority of the courses. Hence, the FYUP might encourage the assimilation of knowledge, and not just learning for an upcoming examination.
  • The professional ‘tag’: Supporters of the FYUP are selling the idea stating that it is a more professional course and will create employable youngsters. If we stick to social myths, a B.Tech has been the way to go. If you want to earn money, you do not do a B.Sc./B.A but rather a professional course such as B.Tech. Even with general ‘academic’ courses being awarded with a professional tag, it might actually create more employable students.
  • Integration of Sports and ECA to the curriculum: Until now, sports and ECA have not been an active part of the curriculum. With the FYUP, students have the option to gain course credit from these activities. Hence, students who often contemplate about leaving passion in these fields due to academics can actually stay on and pursue them and gain credits from the same. Heads up for encouraging extra-curricular activities!
  • Better opportunities for higher education: For students wishing to go abroad for their masters, countries such as America have had limited options. The reason being majority of reputed colleges such as the Ivy League institutions require four years of undergraduate study. People who want pursue education at these places, opt to spend a year in other interim courses to bridge the requirement. With the FYUP in place, you would be eligible for applying fresh out of college.
  • Multiple degree options: While most people have been debating that the multiple degree option in the FYUP is meant to create disparity, the fact that the course gives a ‘choice’ is one to be appreciated. For example, if my economic condition does not allow me to finish my education and I leave after two years to get job, I have a diploma and have the option of turning it into an honours degree in the future. It’s about choices.
  • Digital awareness: Not everyone grows up amidst internet access and the FYUP acknowledges that. Creating foundational courses that work on to giving basic IT understanding to everyone is a positive step. Access to laptops might work in the right direction as well. With such approach the idea is to bring everyone on the same level before the real education in their major begins.
  • A step towards an International model: Adopting the credit system leaves room for studying a certain course at your pace. We can also assume that soon like the international system, community work and internships will also contribute to your credit score. If one rather wants to concentrate on training on field, you can work on that. If someone wants to get the fundamentals right, they can work on that bit. Again, it’s about giving the student a choice of how they wish to approach their under graduation.

These are a few things that strike right about Delhi University’s four year programme. By stating these we don’t wish to contemplate that everything about the FYUP is great, but rather stress on the fact that apart from the negative debates, there exists positivity on the subject as well.

(Also See: Apprehensions about the Four Year Undergraduate Programme)

Every year, St. Stephen’s College has its own procedure for admissions. After the forms are filled, there is a release of cut-offs followed by interviews. Admissions are based on marks obtained in the Qualifying Examination(s) and on interviews held for candidates whose marks are above the cut-offs. The interview list will be out on Saturday, 22nd June. (For entire Admissions 2013 coverage click here)

Here is St. Stephen’s category wise cut-off for 2013:

Eco

Economics received the highest BFS cut-off when compared to the other courses at St. Stephen’s. The cut-off happens to be almost the same when compared to that of 2012. For the general category, the course has a requirement of 85% marks in Maths while students under the SC/ST category have an additional qualifying criteria of 80%.
Number of seats available in Economics: 100

Maths

Mathematics cut-offs have surely risen when compared to the previous year’s cut-off. For the general category, commerce students now require a BFS of 97 instead of 96.25 last year while science students need a 96.5 instead of the 96 that was present last year. The biggest leap is required by Humanities students who would now require a 94.5. The rise in cut-off is not exclusive to the general category since other categories also show a higher percentage requirement for the course than before. The BFS score should be inclusive of the applicant’s mathematics score.
Number of seats available in Mathematics: 50

english

English with its tag of one of the most sought after courses in the college, does show a slight rise in the course cut-off. Until last year, while other courses were providing admissions for English on the basis of CATE (Common Aptitude Test for English), Stephen’s has always chosen candidates on the basis of the cut-off and the interview. When compared to 2012, the cut-off for the generally category has seen a slight rise of 1% for commerce students and 0.5% for humanities students. Students from science still need an extremely high percentage of 98%, same as last year. The SC/ST category also shows a significant rise of 2-3% for students from all the three academic backgrounds.
Number of seats available in English: 60

history

History sees a slight rise in the cut-off with an increase of around 0.5-1% for the general category. The SC/ST category however, shows a steep rise of 2-3% when compared to the 2012 cut-off of St. Stephen’s.
Number of seats available in History: 60

philo

Philosophy under the general category has shown the maximum rise. The difference between the cut off for the two years reflects a change of up to 5.5%.
Number of seats available in Philosophy: 10

Sanskrit

Sanskrit with a 65% BFS requirement across all streams and categories, continues to stay the same as last year.
Number of seats available in Sanskrit: 10

chemistry

Chemistry has received a 1% rise for the general category cut off changing last year’s 95 PCM requirement to a 96 this year. With regards, to the SC/ST category the change is again significant with a difference of 4%.
Number of seats available in Chemistry: 60

physics

Physics cut off records a rise of around 0.67% across all the categories. The subject continues to stay one of the most sought after courses of the college.
Number of seats available in Physics: 60

Update: Students can check the Interview Schedule here.

image
Another year, another batch and yet another bunch of earth shattering cut offs. If you’re a class 12th student about to enter college, you’re in for a treat. SRCC and St. Stephens are having yet another bumper year with all the aspiring economists vying for a golden ticket. All the budding engineers are hoarding to get into IIT Delhi (or any other, for that matter).And all the others students pursuing different streams are holding their breath as they eagerly await the first cut offs.

Among the various questionable changes being introduced in the curriculum from this academic year, the introduction BMS-Bachelor of Management Studies- is the most engaging. It is a four-year undergraduate program that has been formulated after combing BBS, BBEand BFIA. To everyone’s surprise,More than 22,000 students have applied for the course. So it’s just going to be you and 21,999 other students competing for a few hundreds seats, to say the very least. Not to dampen your spirits further and to make this article actually worth reading, let’s focus on what exactly is the entrance exam going to be like.

The marks are distributed as follows:

50% The Entrance Exam
30% The Board Result
20% Personal Interview

In order to actually reach the personal interview round, an applicant first needs to clear the written exam. Here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts that can be helpful in preparing for the exam:

  • The Test Structure: The exam will have a total of 100 questions. Although there is no set syllabus, the exam aims to test:
    • General/ Business Awareness
    • Quantitative Abilities (Mathematics)
    • Reasoning Skills
    • English.

    The format of the exam itself is still the same, so practicing from past year papers can be of great help. Practice questions can also be found on the Facebook pages of prominent institutes like Pratham, IMS, Edumentor etc. Another very useful website I stumbled upon is ‘www.indiabix.com’. It has general practice questions on most of the sections for BMS. Also, continue reading the newspaper (no, not HT City and the Delhi Times, but the main paper).

  •  Segment wise Division: Every candidate has only 120 minutes to complete the exam. So it’s better to think of a strategy before entering the exam hall. The section on General Awareness is the shortest, so that should be attempted first. The Mathematics and Critical Reasoning sections, being the lengthiest, should follow it. The English Section is relatively easy so that can be attempted in the last, keeping in mind the time constraints. It’s better to attempt an entire section at once as it helps to maintain a flow of thought.
  • Negative Marking: 1 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer and correct answers fetch you 3 marks each. So if your unsure of an answer, it’s better to leave it blank. Also, DO NOT mark multiple answers for the same question.
  • The Examination Day– Irrespective of what you have or haven’t done, stay calm and confident. Do not clutter your mind with new things. Either you know it or you don’t know it and there is nothing you can do to change that a few hours before the exam.
  • Last Minute Worries– Last minute hassles can cause more troubles than the exam itself. Make sure that all your documents, stationery, admit card etc. are in place well in advance. Read all the instructions carefully a day or two before the exam to make sure you don’t ignore an important instruction.

Keeping all pointers apart, work hard; there is no substitute for that. Study smartly and plan your time well. These two always seem to work.

All the best!

Illustration Credit: Megha Sarogi

(For entire Admissions 2013 coverage click here)

dinesh singhRespected Mr. Dinesh Singh,

This letter is to congratulate you on your relentless pursuits to making Delhi University a world class university. I am fully aware that due to the “hurried” changes in the degree program, you have received more brickbats than bouquets, but this letter is an exception.

It has been around three years that you’ve been elected the VC of the best university in India. In your interviews you’ve maintained that the preparations for implementing the four year undergraduate programme (FYUP) started as soon as you held office. Even then you made the smart decision to implement the semester system, just to replace it with FYUP after two years. Your uncanny future planning is admirable, sir.

You’ve claimed rather vehemently that FYUP is going to increase the employability of students. I fully trust you when you imply that by studying non-core subjects more than core subjects in the span of 4 years, a pass out will be the preferred choice. I also believe you that by giving multiple exit points and still “benefiting” from the studies, a drop out with a B.A degree will get a job without really specializing in his 2/3 years of study.

Sir, I appreciate your concern for the students who wish to study in U.S.A after completing their graduation in India. Your decision to make structural changes (increasing the span from 3 years to 4 years to suit the USA model) rather than focusing on the quality of the structure (the quality of core disciplines, lessening the burden of non-core subjects) is admirable. Because you see, spending a year extra without learning extra is the goal, USA and all.

I understand you value quality education, that’s what FYUP is all about after all, isn’t it? Therefore I applaud your decision of making students study the disciplines that are in no way related to the field they want to major in. The fact that you’re making an English major aspirant from humanities background study biochemistry perfectly makes sense. Because the value of science foundation courses is so important in literature after all, that it would have been better to delete a Shakespeare text and replace it with physics.  Also, since not everyone has studied biochemistry at the high school level, college level bio-chemistry is going to be pretty much same to high school bio chemistry, so that everyone is able to study, thereby not taking college level studies a notch up. I perfectly see where you’re taking quality education with this.

You, respected sir have created an ideal university, where professors keep shouting and administrators turn a blind eye. Where students aren’t able to learn and nobody listens. Where cut offs keep rising and quality education keeps going downwards.

Congratulations sir. My heartiest wishes to you in your endeavour to achieve life, liberty and happiness, and perpetual deafness.

Yours sincerely
A student who being in second year is facing the misfortune of not studying in FYUP.

Image Credit: South Campus website