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Admissions 2015

Open Day #5: BMMMC entrance is back, SGTB Khalsa also an offline application centre

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Delhi University continued its attempts to answer queries and clear doubts of DU aspirants today during its 5th Open Day. Hundreds of aspirants have been flocking to Conference Centre, North Campus each day to resolve their queries and to get to know the intricacies of the admission procedure in the coming month.

The session was moderated by Mr.Gurpreet Tuteja, Deputy Dean of Admissions, University of Delhi. The admission committee projected a comprehensive presentation focusing on myriad queries and information that is of utmost prominence and importance. Beginning with a brief introduction about the University and affiliated colleges, the presentation further covered details about the admission procedure and reservation policies.

As applications begin tomorrow, special emphasis was given on reminding students the important dates. Online registration for Common Admission Forms begin on 28th May, 2015. Offline registration shall begin from 5th June, 2015. The cost of the forms is Rs. 100 for General and OBC Categories and Rs. 50 for SC/ST/PwD Categories. The last day for registration, both online and offline is 15th June, 2015.

Offline forms will be available on the following centers:
1. ARSD College
2. Gargi College
3. PGDAV College
4. Dyal Singh College
5. S.G.T.B Khalsa College*
6. Rajdhani College
7. Shyam Lal College
8. Maharaja Agrasen College

*Added to the list later by DU in place of SGGS College of Commerce.

The first cut off shall be released on 25th June, 2015. A period of three days would be given before the release of subsequent cut offs. “It is not mandatory for candidates to submit the offline forms to the same center they took them from. They can be deposited to any of the centers,” Mr. Tuteja announced.

With this, details regarding Sports Quota reforms as per university guidelines were discussed. The introduction of B.A. (Hons.) Multimedia and Mass Communication in Indraprastha College for Women was also announced which will also have a system of entrance examinations. More details of the BMMMC entrances are expected on Thursday.

The presentation ended with an interactive question-answer session – aspirants directly spoke to University officials.

“The session was very helpful. All our doubts were more or less cleared. Though we expect the University to be more active in online declarations which will avoid our need to attend such Open days.”, said Shubham, a B.Com aspirant from Gurgaon.

The session saw substantial turnout and was well-managed overall. The aspirants were seen satisfied post discussion with most of their queries being solved. Open Day sessions shall continue till the end of this week.

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Admissions 2015

Admissions 2015 – Calculation of Best of Four percentage

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With the Delhi University admission season just round the corner, the University is ensuring that all information regarding the admission procedure and policies is vivid to the aspirants. Admission in the University of Delhi is done on the basis of the ‘Best of Four Subjects’ percentage.

Delhi University Guidelines have divided the calculation of best of four percentage into three categories; one each for admissions in B.A. (Hons.) Courses, B.A. Programme and B.Com Programme Courses and Science Courses respectively.

A. Procedure for calculation of ‘Best of Four’ Subjects Percentage for B.A. (Hons.) Course:

The best of four subjects should include-

i.) One Language (Core/Elective/Functional)
(In case a candidate has studied both elective and core in any language(s), then the core language will be treated as language while elective language can be considered as an academic/elective subject)

ii.) The subject in which admission is sought
      (If the subject in which the candidate is seeking admission in the Honours course is not included in the Best of Four, he/she is entitled to a disadvantage of 2.5%)

iii.) Any two other academic/elective subjects as per List A.
(If any subject not included in List A is considered while calculating the Best of Four by a candidate, he/she is entitled to a disadvantage of 2.5% for each subject considered which is not included in List A)

List A

The following subjects are considered elective/academic and can be included in the Best of Four-

Physics English Italian Punjabi
Arabic French Mathematics Sanskrit
Bengali Geography Music# Sociology
Botany Geology Persian Spanish
Chemistry German Philosophy Statistics
Commerce** Hindi Physical Education## Urdu
Computer Science History Political Science Zoology
Economics Home Science Psychology

** Accountancy shall be considered equivalent to Commerce wherever any board (such as CBSE) is not offering Commerce as a subject.

# Music will be treated Academic/Elective only for Honours in Music.

## Physical Education will be treated Academic/Elective only for Honours in Physical Education.

More Guidelines:

1. Admission to certain courses such as B.A. (Hons.) Journalism, B.A. (Hons.) Applied Psychology and B.A. (Hons.) Hindi Patrakrita shall follow the procedure of calculation of the Best of Four Subjects percentage as per certain other subjects, given as follows:

B.A. (Hons.) Course:

Follow Guidelines/ Procedure of:
B.A. (Hons.) Journalism B.A. (Hons.) English
B.A. (Hons.) Hindi Patrakarita B.A. (Hons.) Hindi
B.A. (Hons.) Applied Psychology B.A. (Hons.) Psychology

 

2. For admission to B.Com (Hons.), the Best of Four percentage should include one language (core/elective/functional), the subject Commerce (or Accountancy in case of boards that do not offer Commerce as a subject; eg., CBSE Board) and any other two elective subjects mentioned in the list A. The candidate should have studied and passed Maths at the qualifying level exam in order to be eligible for the admission to the course.

3. Admission to B.A. (Hons.) Social Work will be based on Best of Four Percentage including one language and three academic/elective subjects as per List A.

4. The subject ‘Informatics Practices’ will be equivalent to Computer Science for admission in B.Sc. (Hons.) Computer Science only.

5. The candidates must have studied and passed Mathematics at qualifying exams for admission to B.A. (Hons.) Economics and Commerce.

6. The University may define any other relevant subjects as Academic/Elective for a particular Honours Course.

Admissions to Honours in any Language Course:

1. For admission to Honours in any language course, an advantage of 2% in the Best of Four percentage may be given to those candidates who have studied the elective language.

2. In case any candidate has not studied the language at qualifying exam and is seeking admission to Honours in that language, he/she may be given a disadvantage of 5% in the Best of Four Percentage.

3. For admissions to Honours in English and Hindi, the candidate must have studied and passed the respective language in the qualifying exam and has to be included for calculation of Best of Four percentage.

 

B. Procedure of calculation of Best of Four Percentage for B.A. (Programme) and B.Com (Programme) Courses:

The following subjects have to be included in the calculation of the Best of Four percentage:

i.) One Language (Elective/Core/Functional)

ii.) Any three elective subjects can be chosen.
     (A disadvantage of upto 5% may be imposed on the Best of Four percentage in case of change of stream, which the college will have to notify beforehand by either uploading on their website or informing the University)

iii.) For admission to B.A. (Vocational) only, related vocational subjects may be treated at par with academic/elective subjects.

iv.) If a candidate opts for MIL (except Hindi) as a subject, an advantage of 10% may be given in Best of Four in those colleges where MIL is offered as a subject.

C. Admissions to Science Courses:

i.) The basis of selection for Mathematical Sciences,/Science/Home Science Courses remains unchanged.

ii.) The subjects included for the basis of selection (PCM/PCB/PCMB) must have at least 70% component of theory exam (theory exam does not include internal assessment/continuous evaluation etc.) in the qualifying exam else a disadvantage of 10% shall be imposed on each subject.

Examples of Calculation of Best of Four Marks:

Preferred Course Option Subjects and Marks Calculation of Best of Four Best of Four Marks
Honours in Commerce Economics (95),
Accountancy (98),
Business Studies (94),
Mathematics (92),
English (95)		 (A) English (95) +
(B) Accountancy (98) +
(C) Economics (95) +
(D) Business Studies (94)[Since Accountancy is considered in case of Commerce not being offered as a subject]		 95.5%
Honours in Commerce Economics (92),
Accountancy (92),
Mathematics (98),
English (90),
Music (95)		 (A) English (90) +
(B)Mathematics (98) +
(C) Economics (92) +
(D) Accountancy (92)[Music is considered Elective/Academic subject for Honours in Music only]		 93%
Honours in Economics Mathematics (90),
Physics (88),
Chemistry (91),
Economics (75),
English (93)		 (A) English (93) +
(B) Chemistry (91) +
(C)Mathematics (90) +
(D) Physics (88)		 90.5% – 2.5% = 88%[Since the course in which admission is sought is not considered in the Best of Four percentage]
Honours in English English (88),
Entrepreneurship (92)
Accountancy (81),
Economics (83),
Web Designing (96)		 (A) English (88) +
(B) Economics (83) +
(C) Entrepreneurship (92) +
(D) Web Designing (96)		 89.75% – 2.5% – 2.5% = 84.75%[Since Entrepreneurship and Web Designing are not a part of the list of elective subjects mentioned in List A]

 

Image Credits: dailymail.co.uk

 

Arushi Pathak
[email protected]

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Admissions 2015

Teachers, DU lock horns as depts. refuse to draft CBCS syllabi

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In a span of one week, 2 departments of Delhi University (DU) in their respective General Body Meetings (GBM) have decided to reject Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and disassociate themselves from the drafting of syllabus.

Under CBCS, contents of courses are divided into ‘credits’ which students can earn “at their own pace with seamless mobility,” as the UGC has said. Under the system, a student may choose to earn some credits of even a course different from the one they applied for from another college and, potentially, another University. CBCS is dubbed by the UGC as a “cafeteria-approach of education”. The system is, according to UGC’s directive, to be introduced in the coming academic year with the new batch. It has been relentlessly opposed by teachers.

The GBM of the History department was convened on 16th May and the same of Mathematics department was called on 21st May to discuss the directive of the Jt.Registrar of DU to draft the syllabus of various courses in accordance with the proposed syllabus of the UGC. Universities are only allowed to deviate a maximum of 20% from UGC’s proposed syllabus.

The History department adopted the resolution to reject CBCS unanimously. While voting was not allowed at the Maths department’s GBM, a thumping majority backed the resolution to reject the change.

The most notable points of objection raised by teachers include the requirement of all Universities to teach a common syllabus and the risk of privatisation of education. Teachers of the history department maintain that different regions of the country have varied socio-cultural realities and learning needs and allege that the syllabus given by the UGC is diluted.

Teachers allege that the matter of CBCS was brought on the table at an Academic Council meeting under the head of “Any Other Matter” and no discussion was allowed. Going beyond alleging the DU administration for thrusting the reform upon the University, teachers of the two departments accused the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) for “pushing CBCS onto all Universities without discussion with the primary stakeholders, i.e. teachers and students on the desirability, feasibility and long-term implications of such a systemic change”.

Last week, DU’s media spokesperson Malay Neerav told Times of India that the University will not go ahead with CBCS if the councils do not approve of it.

Featured image credits: DUTA website

Ishaan Gambhir
[email protected]

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Bazinga

Bazinga: Delhi University all set to throw an after-exam party

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Disclaimer: Bazinga is DU Beat’s weekly column of almost believable fake news!

In this exam season, students are flipping with exam phobia. Students take to unhealthy living and unhealthy food. They run around while sleeping for 2-3 hours every day or not sleeping at all! Everyone feels the exam heat, and teachers are no exception. Their workload increases and the process of allotting marks and distributing copies can be a tedious one. So this year the Varsity has decided to give a post exam party of sorts where all the teachers, as well as the students can celebrate the end of the exam maha yuddh. The varsity this year had appointed additional squad members to keep an eye on invigilators and supervisors, alike. So with more than required number of teachers in every room no one time had time for breaks, courtesy of exam-malpractices. “Exam time brings with it increased workload for us as well, and this year it was even more so. A party like that would be welcome refreshment”, said a senior official sharing her views on this.

Even more unexpected was where this idea came from which was, if reports are to be believed, from VC Dinesh Singh. Apparently the VC knows when to throw a party. Calling it ‘Exam ke Baad‘ they are planning to have games and few local DJs to turn it up, adding to the fun. The cost for all this is surprisingly economical. The university has tie ups with numerous local ventures and for a contract they have agreed to sponsor the event allowing DU to go forward with negligible cost. Also with most students leaving home for the summer, less turn ups are expected from outstation students. The venue for this has yet to be decided, but it will happen in three or four campuses simultaneously, both South and North. No more details have been given.

Bazinga is DU Beat’s weekly column of almost-believable fake news!

Feature image source: globe-views.com

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Top Picks

5 things a fresher shouldn’t expect out of DU

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The new session is right around the corner. Several DU aspirants are waiting to see what their much-awaited college life will be like.
College will definitely bring changes in your life and though the expectations are humongous, to save yourself from disappointment here is a list of things freshers should NOT expect in their first year of college.

#1 – Weekend parties
Oh yes, this is something we all look forward to and there will be weekends where you would be swarmed with parties but there will also be weekends when you will wonder how you are still alive despite the boredom.
On the bright side, this period gives you the strength to stand yourself on those lonesome nights of despair.

200337945-003

#2 – Boring teachers
If you think your teachers are going to be a bunch of boring old professors then you are majorly wrong. Delhi University has a variety of professors and I don’t mean to sound like a geek but some of them will blow your mind with the kind of things they have to teach and the personal efforts they put in every student’s learning. So, yes, be ready for some really cool teachers that might just teach you a thing or two about life.
At the same time, be ready for those boring old professors too.boring teachers

#3 – Minimal Studying
Well this one is half true because you will spend more than half of your semester ignoring the books and exploring everything that the campus has to offer but you will regret this as soon as the semester exams approach and you are left fumbling about in the middle of the night with a bunch of incoherent notes and half finished assignments.
You can always save yourself the trouble, though, and pay a little attention in class. minimal studying

#4 – Love
Oh yes, this one is a myth all right. Let’s just accept we are no Rani Mukerji and there is no SRK waiting for us to fall in love. Some of the lucky ones might find the right ones but more often than not you will just find a couple of awkward creepy moments and remain single all throughout your college life.
The good news is, all the best people in this world are content single ones. love

#5 – No early morning classes
Remember in school when you thought ‘hey, let’s just wait for college; we won’t have to get up early anymore’? Yeah, that’s not going to happen. There will be early morning classes and you would have to drag yourself to them (after you are lagging behind in attendance). So it is better to give up hope right now.

late classes

However don’t let all this bring you down, college life is a process of change and we hope yours is a pleasant one!

All the best freshers!

Isheeta Sharma
[email protected]

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Campus Central

5 facts about DU you probably didn't know

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#1 – In 1922 when the University was first established there were only three colleges (St. Stephens, Hindu and Ramjas College) with two faculties of Arts and Science and 750 students. Currently, there are 16 faculties, 77 colleges, 86 departments, 132435 regular students and 261169 students part of informal programmes. Way to go, DU! #2 – Hari Singh Gaur who was the founder Vice Chancellor of Delhi University was also a part of the Royal Society of Literature in London. History students will know about it but for others this was a literary organization founded by King George IV in 1820 and played a major role in the history of Britain. Hari Singh Gaur became a member of it after his book ‘Sleeping westward and other poems’ despite all types of discrimination he had to face in London. Proud to have had such a leader, aren’t we? #3 – The Cluster Innovation Center is a one of its kind attempt by Delhi University to break the traditional norms attached to education and especially, humanities. Under the CIC, students are given a B.Tech in Humanities instead of the normal B.A and get to be a part of not just one college but various colleges every semester. The students are trained practically instead of just theoretically. DU definitely is breaking all standard rules of education! #4 – The Northern Ridge which falls under the North Campus of DU is not just a place for your evening walks and the hub for love activities but is also a place of historical importance. The Flagstaff Tower in the ridge which would look like any other ancient building is actually where the Revolt of 1857 finally came to an end. The ridge also has the Ashokan Pillar which was shifted from Meerut to Delhi by Firoz Shah Tughluq in 1356. Would be more careful around it now, wouldn’t you? #5 – 1st May is annually celebrated as the Founder’s Day of Delhi University. I am sure half of us did not know this! What is more is that there is a proper function including a flag hoisting ceremony every year since 1922!]]>

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Bazinga

Bazinga: DU to cap noise pollution during fests.

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Disclaimer: Bazinga is a piece of fiction, not to mention a funny one. Don’t re post it as BREAKING NEWS. We will use the Avifors spell and turn you into a bat.

Many times we measure the fun quotient of a DU college fest by the amount of noise it generates, by the number of surrounding colleges it disturbed and not the quality of music used to cause such commotion. The sources and decibel range of this noise goes from idle student gossip (about 50 decibels) to ‘star nite’ speakers (about 130 decibels)  with streetplay competitions somewhere in the middle, or the higher side depending on how close you are to the dholak.

While it is disturbing for many attendees, research has shown that this form of noise pollution sparks off a diabolical race to the highest decibel among colleges. Each college wants to set itself at the top of the noise pollution/ fun factor chart and this leads to volumes being cranked up to obnoxious levels. This has led the University to take action on all college fests banning the use of more than 2 speakers throughout the fest. What must also be noted is that the speakers can only be ordered from a particular vendor, one which the University controls and regulates. A tender to become a University regulated speaker vendor has been floated.

Students are outraged by this decision and have planned a ‘We will listen to music on our earphones outside the VC’s office!!’- form of protest against it. The earphones for this protest will of course be supplied by the DUTA. In addition to the earphones being red in colour and made in China, they shall also have ‘There is still time to roll back the FYUP… c’mon guys, please?!’ inscribed on them.

imagecourtesy:www.oktatabyebye.com

Disclaimer: Bazinga is a piece of fiction, not to mention a funny one. Don’t re post it as BREAKING NEWS. We will use the Avifors spell and turn you into a bat.

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DUB Speak

In’fest’ed with the Fest Bug: A fresher’s perspective

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(Picture this in black & white and slow- mo) You’re grudgingly dragging yourself to an early morning class, the world around you is a scene of despondence and despair as your classmates are unwillingly following suit, when suddenly (shift to colourful mode and normal speed) something on the notice board catches your sleep deprived eye. You move in closer, inspect the poster announcing a college fest and with a thankful tear in your eye you mutter, “It is time!” (Cue hallelujah- type music, confetti optional).

tumblr_mkxnewxFa11qzfjkho1_400

Theatrics aside, fest time has to be the most exciting time of the year, especially (but not only) for freshers. Plucked from the maddening board examination pressure and jolted into the prickly thorns of the FYUP, it is finally time to revel in that glory of DU which we had painted rosy pictures of in our heads. The anticipation for a great month and a half ahead is already evident. The definite dates are up, the Facebook event pages have been created, and I’m sure that in the secret garden of our hearts, the outfits have also been, or are in the process of being, decided.

But let my overly- evident thrill not take away from the venting space my laments against the four year programme that it deserves. Foundation course teachers have decided to finish off with a majority of the presentations and projects before the fests arrive, resulting in a mad rush to get everything done. Scuttling from the World Wide Web to the library and back again, the coming month has turned way more hectic than what we bargained for. Staying up All Night to Get Lucky has taken a whole new meaning with us, burning the midnight oil hoping against hope to meet the onslaught of deadlines. On the plus side, we do get one extra fest season.

30-Rock

So here’s to looking forward to a great fest season that surpasses expectations. Wait, let me rephrase that, optimism and expectations will only get you so far. So here’s to looking forward to a fest season which isn’t a complete dud, or at least, to a few flattering profile picture- worthy photos!

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Admissions 2013

Journalism and Mass Communication in DU receives over 59,000 applications

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The conventional courses that have long been the choice of most students, might be a thing of the past. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the applications for the Journalism and Mass Communication course in Delhi University have risen to 59,583 this year, taking a huge leap from last year’s 2,200.

Whether the sudden popularity for the course is due to the lack of an entrance examination or due to the course incorporating mass communication into the curriculum is something only applicants can tell.

It is perhaps the high demand that is leading onto the cut-offs for the course also being so demanding. While the lack of an entrance is being criticized, the fact that it didn’t happen as a lack of time is known to few. As a clarification to all existing beliefs, the syllabus for the FYUP in Journalism and Mass Communication has been a taxing process for the faculty. It was only in the first week of March that the syllabus with all the theory bits intact was finalised. With no time for the preparation of an entrance left, the only option for the University was that of opting for a cut-off. This does not at any point mean that there will not be an entrance for the course in the future

The fact that 59000 aspirants are vying for less than 250 seats is one statistic to be concerned about. Moreover the fact that most students have filled in the course as a second or third preference leads us to believe that the professional degree seems to be a back-up favourite for the aspirants.

The course is offered in six colleges namely Lady Shri Ram College for Women, I.P. College for Women, Kamala Nehru College, Kalindi College, Maharaja Agrasen College and Delhi College of Arts and Commerce. While LSR’s first cut off is at a high 97.5 for Humanities/Science students and 98.5 for Commerce students, Kamala Nehru College is offering the course at 94-96%. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, which is the first choice for most male candidates is again at a high 97.5 for the first cut-off. Maharaja Agrasen has a cut-off of 95, while Kalindi has a 93 cut-off for the course. I.P. College for Women, the latest addition to the ‘gang’ of Journalism colleges in Delhi University has set the bar at 93-97 for the course.

What is rather astounding is that while the ‘back-up’ course comes with a 97.5 percent requirement, courses such as Political Science and Sociology which are the first preferences of many top candidates are at a lower cut-off between 95-96. The reason for the unrealistic inflated cut-offs happens to be mere paucity of seats.  The entrance based past of the course doesn’t help either, as the teachers were also unsure of what to expect.

Other apprehensions revolving around this year’s procedure are around the lack of aptitude for the course in the applicants. One might have scored more than 95% but that does not in any place mean that the person has a sound understanding of the media or of current affairs.

With such high cut-offs, sources tell us that the course has not found many takers after the first cut-off in colleges such as LSR and DCAC.

With 59,000 plus applications, does it mean that the ‘professional’ degree is suddenly hugely popular? Or does it refer to the fact that earlier only the students who were genuinely interested in the course gave the entrance examination and now with that rider away, many candidates have simply kept it as a ‘choice’?

Image credits: Guillaume Brialon

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