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Amidst the hustle and excitement of the new academic year, St. Stephen’s College faced serious allegations of exceeding the limit set on admissions through the minority Christian quota. Two months later, the Delhi High Court ruled that admission should be granted to 18 out of 19 students, concluding that one student’s admission exceeded the five per cent limit.

St. Stephen’s College alleged in the Delhi High Court that Delhi University failed to confirm the admissions of 19 candidates under the Christian quota. The college had allocated seats to students by considering 13 specialisations under the larger Bachelor of Arts Program course as a single course. The college claims to have sent its list of selected Christian candidates on August 24th, 2024. However, the students still needed to receive fee payment links on their portals, implying that their admissions remained unconfirmed. Furthermore, the college mentioned that it operates under Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, which safeguards the right of minority communities to establish and manage educational institutions. The college argued that the university’s interference with its admission process violates the institution’s constitutionally enshrined right.

Delhi University countered by stating that St. Stephen’s College was misappropriating the minority quota. The University stated that despite operating under Article 30 guidelines, the college cannot surpass the five per cent limit set for admissions through the Christian quota.

The court found that in Hargun Singh Ahluwalia vs. v. Delhi University & Ors., it was held that the 13 subject combinations within the BA Program Course were distinct programs, having different seat matrices. Hence, the seat matrix provided by Delhi University is to be followed by all colleges without any deviation. St. Stephen’s decision to formulate a new matrix by treating all 13 subject combinations as a singular program, was thus, not in line with previous judgements. Justice Jaswant Sharma, thus ruled that, 

St. Stephen College, being an aided minority educational institute also, cannot claim to have absolute unbridled powers to exercise discretion against the policies framed by the University to which it is affiliated.”

The Court also found 14 students to be eligible as per the seat matrix. Four students were admitted by applying the five per cent excess allocation policy. One allocation was, however, found to be beyond the specified seat matrix, since the college had admitted six students in the BA Program (Economics + Political Science), while only five allocations were permitted within the seat matrix prescribed by the University. 

Therefore, the judgement emphasises that although St. Stephens is a minority institution with a certain degree of autonomy, it must adhere to the regulatory framework set by Delhi University.

Read Also: St. Stephen’s College Faces Allegations over Minority Quota Violations in Admission Process

Featured Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Sakshi Singh 

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With new academic sessions in full sway across DU, St. Stephen’s is still embroiled in headlines over its admissions concerning  single girl child quota.

A quick recap of the situation up until now: Delhi University had initiated admissions under single girl child quota for the academic session 2024-25.  

As reported by DU Beat, under the new mandate, one seat per program in every college is reserved for a single girl child to promote gender equality and inclusivity. 

Haneet Gandhi, Dean of Admissions , stated:

Our primary aim for this initiative is to promote the education of the single girl child. Secondly, we are encouraging people to address population control and respect couples raising a single girl child and giving her proper education.

St. Stephen’s College, already at loggerheads with Delhi University over extra allocation percentages took legal recourse for admissions under the single girl child quota, citing the university’s interference in its admission process as unconstitutional and violative of its rights as a minority institution.

The college considered 13 subject combinations within the BA Program as a single whole, thus, reserving only one seat for a girl child across all combinations. This formulation of a distinct seat matrix by Stephen’s, different from one provided by Delhi University was violative of the university guidelines.

Thus the court ruled that, 

St. Stephen’s College, being an aided minority educational institute also, cannot claim to have absolute unbridled powers to exercise discretion against the policies framed by the University to which it is affiliated.

Therefore, it was seen that although St. Stephen’s is a minority institution with a certain degree of autonomy, it must adhere to the regulatory framework set by Delhi University. While some students were admitted after the court’s decision, many remain uncertain as the dispute between the college and the university continues.

The latest development in the case is formation of a three member committee by Vice Chancellor Yogesh Mishra to be directly in contact with Principal of St. Stephen’s, John Verghese, over admissions issues including those pertaining to the single girl child quota. Constituted by Professor Harendra Nath Tiwari, Alok Pandey and Maya John, proper communication will be undertaken towards the resolution of these issues.

 

Featured Image Credits: Free Press Journal

 

Read Also: St. Stephen’s College Faces Allegations over Minority Quota Violations in Admission Process

 

Afza Khan

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The Debating Society of St. Stephen’s College (SSC) decided to cancel their tournament, in light of the state of affairs within the national capital. 

On 26th February, the debating society of St. Stephen’s College decided to cancel its annual debate tournament, which was supposed to begin on 28th February. Members of the society held a meeting in the afternoon to discuss this, owing to the circumstances within Delhi. The decision was publicly announced through a Facebook post, which contained a statement regarding the same. 

Members of the society apologized for causing inconvenience to the participants, and admitted that they should’ve taken this decision earlier, as atrocities against people had been taking place over the past few months. Through the post, the society announced that it would refund the registration fees, and reimburse outstation teams for their flight tickets as well. The society declared that it cannot guarantee the security of the participants in such circumstances, especially ones coming from outside Delhi. 

With regards to the causes of cancellation, the post said, “…continuing with MukMem this year would further the feeling of normalcy which tries to isolate us from what has been happening around us. Being engrossed with the organization of a tournament seems extremely redundant right now and many of us feel that we cannot separate our life in DebSoc from our lives as people living within a city in which brutally violent communal riots aided by the State machinery are taking place and Muslim lives are being threatened with impunity. The violence has been taking place all over North-East Delhi and other parts of the city and is the worst Delhi has seen in years. However, it is our privilege and the comfort of the spaces we generally occupy that allow us to be so indifferent and carry on with our lives despite the violence and suffering all around us.”

One of the organizers of the tournament, in the condition of anonymity, said, “It becomes important to recognize the normalcy associated with such events, which celebrate certain things with utmost isolation to what’s happening around the world. The nature of MukMem itself is celebratory, which we, as organizers aren’t comfortable with right now”. 

Members of the society also ensured each other and the participants that they would spend the days reserved for the tournament in doing constructive work to aid those affected by the atrocities. They’re also aiming to ask people around their college for donations and use some of the money reserved for the tournament to help the affected people. With all the preparations for the tournament already done, the organizers found it difficult to call it off, but had no choice due to the ailing condition of Delhi.

Featured Image Credits: Debating Society, SSC

 

The Hiking Club, St. Stephen’s College organised its 15th National Climbing Competition, from 31st January to 2nd February 2020. The event was a ravishing success with participation in varied categories like lead and speed climbing, between various age groups.

The Adventure Club of St. Stephen’s College, called The Hiking Club, organised its 15th National Climbing Competition. The event commenced on 31stJanuary and went on to 2ndFebruary 2020.  The event was incentivised with prizes worth Rs. 60,000, making the gymnasium of the college echo with loud cheers and hoots.

The National Climbing Competition is an annual event, which awards the player who can climb the set distance in the shortest time. This year’s edition of the Annual Competition was adjudged by Mr Rohit Solanki and Mr Chandan Kumar.

Participants from all over Delhi put on their competitive shoes while eyeing the prizes up for grabs. All participants were full of enthusiasm and eagerly waited for their turns. The results of the competitions were announced on 1stFebruary and 2ndFebruary, and they are:

In the ‘Under 16 Boys Speed’ category, Sachin Saroj bagged the first position, Manujee in the second position and Kabir won the third position.

In the ‘Under 16 Girls Speed’ category, Arshpreet Kaur emerged as the winner, and Simran Kaur and Nandini Dhir came second and third respectively.

For the ‘Open Women Speed’ category, Shivpreet Pannu got the first place, Shivani Charak and Siya Negi, emerging at the second and third place, repectively.

For the ‘Open Men Speed’, Inder Singh was declared the winner, and Bhuvnesh won the second place, while Sarvan bagged the third place.

For the ‘Under 16 Boys Lead’ category, Sachin Saroj again bagged the first place. Manujee and Vansh Bhardwaj bagged the second and third position respectively.

For the ‘Under 16 Girls Lead’ Category, Arshpreet Kaur won the first place, and Nandini Dhir came second, followed by Simran Kaur at the third place.

In the ‘Open Men Lead’ category, Sachin Saroj emerged as the winner, followed by Abhishek Mehta in the second position and Inder Singh in the third place. In the ‘Open Women Lead’ category, Shivpreet Pannu bagged the first place, followed by Shivani Charak and Siya Negi at the second and third positions.

 

Feature image credits- Gyanarjun Saroj for DU Beat

Suhani Malhotra

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Delhi University’s (DU’s) St. Stephen’s is set to provide short-term courses on Public Policy and International Relations, and other disciplines.

On 12th January, Saturday, St. Stephen’s  College of the Delhi University launched a special centre, namely St. Stephen’s Centre for Advanced Learning (SCAL), for conducting certificate and advanced level courses across a variety of new disciplines. This includes a short-term certificate course on Public Policy and International Relations (PPIR).

An official statement said provided that the SCAL’s PPIR course is to be held over a period of six weekends at the College. It is designed so as to allow young graduates to gain a better understanding of the field, vis-a-vis, “how it is framed, theorized, formulated and implemented”.

The first batch of students for the same is highly diverse and comprises of entry-to-mid-senior level professionals from the fields of banking, development, consultancy, NGOs, politics, and healthcare. The course deals with a variety of topics including policy formation, development, and implementation, policy economics, international relations, international security and diplomacy, and more.

The official statement also suggested that SCAL will involve its intellectual alumni with vast experience and expertise in the said field, across Government Ministries, Departments, and Corporate boardrooms. This includes current and former ambassadors, bureaucrats, and leaders from various fields.

Shashi Tharoor, Congress Minister of Parliament (MP), Mani Shanker Aiyer, diplomat and MP,  and Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, are some of the listed resource persons for this course. An inaugural programme was hosted in the College for the same on Saturday during which an inaugural lecture was delivered by Tharoor.

Other discipline-specific courses have also been planned and announcements regarding this will be made soon on the College website, provided the official statement.

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

Aditi Gutgutia

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This petition had been filed against the order, on 11th July, by a single judge dismissing the plea of the professors, challenging inclusion of Supreme Council members in the admission process.

The bench consisting of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the Delhi University (DU), St Stephen’s College, its Supreme Council, its Principal and the University Grants Commission seeking their stand by 16th October. This comes after three professors filed a complaint against the inclusion of a member of the Supreme Council in the matters of selection of Christian students.

The Supreme Council is much more powerful than the governing body. It comprises of the clergy and members of Church of North India and also includes its nominees.

The petitioners — N P Ashley, Abhishek Singh and Nandita Narain — who are members of the college’s governing body were opposed to the alleged “interference” of the church in the admission process, claiming it was against the norms of the institute.

Including the Supreme Council would make the decisions of the governing body invalid, as it hold greater power and including its member into the selection committee could mean an unfair analysis of students who are selected. Merit would end up becoming secondary and faculty would have very limited say in the admission process.

The college that takes up its students through a rigorous entrance and interview engages in the same to filter out the most deserving candidates for the seat. This would not be possible if a Supreme Council member becomes a part as it would directly affect this process of selection.

According to their petition before the single judge, the Supreme Council, in a meeting held on 12th March, had decided to have an additional Christian member, nominated by it or the governing body, to be part of the interview panel.

(Extracts from Hindustan Times)

 

Featured Image Credits: Shawn Wilson

By Stephen Mathew

[email protected]

In response to the petition filed by the professors of St. Stephens College, opposing the inclusion of a member from the Church of North India (CNI) in the admission process of Christian students, the Delhi High Court has sought response from the Varsity.

The Delhi High Court, on Tuesday, 24th September, requested a response from the Delhi University (DU) and St. Stephen’s College on a plea opposing the inclusion of a members from the Institute’s Supreme Council in the interview panel for admission of Christian students.

The Delhi High Court sent a notice to St. Stephen’s College following a plea by three faculty members challenging the decision of the College to have an additional member, from its Supreme Council, in the interview panel for admissions of students.

The decision was challenged in the High Court by the members of the Governing Body of the college- Nandita Narain, Associate Professor from Department of Mathematics, N.P. Ashley, Assistant Professor from the Department of English, and Abhishek Singh, Assistant Professor from the Department of Economics, for allegedly going against the Constitution of the College.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar has issued a notice to the DU, the College, its Supreme Council, its Principal, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking their stand by 16th October on the petition by three professors of the institute.

The petition filed by the Governing Body opposed the increased involvement of the CNI in the admission process by including a member of the Supreme Council in the interview panel. The Supreme Council includes six members from the Governing Body of the CNI. The Chairperson of both the Governing Body and the Supreme Council is the Bishop of Delhi, Bishop  Warris K. Massih,  and the Member Secretary of both is the Principal of the college, Professor John Varghese.

According to the petitioners this decision is in direct violation of the Clause 4 and 5 of the Constitution of the College, which reads

  1. The Supreme Council of the college shall have the control of the religious and moral instruction of students of the college and of all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian College of the Church of North India; and, in addition, shall appoint, after proper advertisement, the Principal of the College who shall be a member of the Church of North India or of a church that is in communion with the Church of North India.”
  2. The Supreme Council of the college shall have no jurisdiction over the administration of the college.”

The response by the University, St. Stephens College, Supreme Council, and the UGC is awaited, which would be clear only by 16th October.

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

SriyaRane

[email protected]

A prestigious institution in the country, the University of Delhi (DU) is a hub for students looking to make a career, and houses the best colleges in the field of science, commerce and arts courses in the country.

The University of Delhi not only offers the mainstream courses, but also offers certificate and diploma courses in languages such as Romanian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian. As the world is turning into a global village and different foreign firms are entering the Indian markets, there are a large number of job opportunities that are being created to tackle the demand by these firms.

There are many factors that one should consider while choosing a foreign language to learn in DU, some of these factors being: difficulty level, personal preference, interest, target country or region, sectors or industries, possible immigration, and future goals, etc. French, Spanish, German, Chinese, and Japanese remain the most sought-after languages for most of the students interested in pursuing foreign language courses in DU. However, in recent years, demand for Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Korean and Arabic has also been on the rise.

Ayush, a Literature student from Kirorimal College who pursued Mandarin language from St. Stephen’s College found the experience to be ‘mixed’ and said, “The faculty was brilliant and I was able to learn the language as well as the culture, since our teachers made sure we celebrated Chinese festivals and devoured Chinese cuisine. Although, it was a task to handle the academics as the exams for the language courses start around ten days before the semester exam. Over all, it was worth it!”

Another student of Philosophy from Miranda House, Rupali Gujral, who pursued Spanish language from Hansraj College stated, “The fees was very feasible and although it did become a little hectic to juggle academics and language course, it was pretty amazing. I would advise students to go for it preferably in the first year itself as it is less tedious then.”

Application forms for the courses can be obtained from the respective colleges. St. Stephen’s College has made their registration process completely online. Colleges release merit lists based on the composite scores of best four subjects studied at Higher Secondary level. Once enlisted in the said merit list, students are required to report to the respective college and complete their admission. Self-attested documents including class 12 marksheets and class 10 marksheet-cum-certificate are required to be submitted along with the fees.

Considering the myriad options that DU has to offer and its wide-ranging opportunities, DU Beat brings you all the information you need about Language courses at DU.

(i) Delhi University – North Campus Colleges

  1. St. Stephen’s College, University Enclave – Certificate, Diploma & Advanced Diploma in French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Japanese. Certificate and Diploma in Arabic, and Certificate in Persian.
  2. Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Pitampura – Certificate in French, German, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
  3. Satyawati College, Ashok Vihar – Certificate & Diploma in French and German.
  4. Daulat Ram College*, Maurice Nagar – Certificate, Diploma & Advanced Diploma in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
  5. Hansraj College, Malka Ganj – Certificate, Diploma & Advanced Diploma in French and German.
  6. Ramjas College, Maurice Nagar, Delhi University – Certificate course in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese & Chinese, Diploma in French, Japanese & Chinese and Advanced Diploma in French.
  7. Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Pitampura, Near Sainik Vihar – Certificate course in French and German.
  8. Mata Sundri College*, Mata Sundri Lane – Certificate course in French, Spanish and German.
  9. Miranda House*, Patel Chest Marg – Certificate course in French, Spanish and German.
  10. SGTB Khalsa College, Mall Road – Certificate course in Spanish, Russian, German, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
  11. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Karampura – Certificate course in Russian.
  12. Hindu College, University of Delhi – Certificate course in French, German, Spanish and Russian.
  13. Zakir Husain College, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg – Certificate course in Russian.
  14. LakshmiBai College*, Ashok Vihar – Certificate course in Chinese and Japanese.
  15. Kalindi College*, East Patel Nagar – Certificate course in Chinese language.

(ii) Delhi University – South Campus Colleges

  1. Jesus & Mary College*, Chanakyapuri – Certificate course in French.
  2. College of Vocational Studies, Sheikh Sarai Ph-II – Certificate course and Diploma in French and German.
  3. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Netaji Nagar – Certificate course in French, German and Spanish, and Diploma in Spanish and  German.
  4. Acharya Narendra Dev College, Govindpuri, Kalkaji – Certificate in Russian; Certificate & Diploma in French, Spanish and German & Advanced Diploma in Spanish.
  5. Kamla Nehru College*, August- Kranti Marg – Certificate, Diploma & Advanced Diploma in French
  6. Bharati College*, Janakpuri – Certificate in Russian, French, Chinese and German, and Diploma and Advanced Diploma in French and German.
  7. Sri Venkateswara College, Dhaula Kuan – Certificate course in German and Chinese.
  8. Gargi College*, Siri Fort Road – Certificate course  in German.
  9. Lady Shri Ram College*, Lajpat Nagar 4 – Certificate course in Russian.

*Women’s  colleges of DU.

Certificate level requires candidates to have passed 10+2. For Diploma and Advanced Diploma level, certification and Diploma is required respectively in the corresponding language. Admission will be given on merit or entrance test.

All the colleges offer convenient time slots for the classes on all the days. The fee structure too is pocket friendly  varying from INR 12,000- INR 19,000 depending on the course and time slot one chooses.

It’s time to finally replace your ‘Proficiency in English’ to ‘Proficiency in Spanish/French/any other language’ that you want!

Happy learning!

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Bhagyashree Chatterjee                                   [email protected]

 

After a row on the interview panel, another controversy surrounding discrimination in admissions has come up against St. Stephen’s College.

St. Stephens College released its cut-offs on 24th June 2019. Since then, there has been uproar amongst the Naga Students’ Union of Delhi regarding higher cut-offs for students from Christian Scheduled Tribe (CST), as compared to Christians from Other than Church of North India (COTH).

In a letter to the Principal, the Union said, “It is evident that there is high discrimination against students falling under CST category, where the cut-off marks have been kept much higher than the COTH”, as told in a report in The Hindu. The Union also added, “There is no rationality on how CST and COTH differ as far as the teaching of Christianity is concerned.” They called this difference a violation of their Constitutional Rights.

Comparing this year’s cut-offs to the last year’s, one can easily see that there has been a drastic change because last year the cut-offs for these quotas were either similar, or were lower for Christian ST’s in almost all courses.

In the list of 2018-19, the cut-off for B.A. Programme for COTH was at 88% (Commerce and Science) and at 85.5% (Humanities), while for CST, it was at 86% (Commerce and Science) and at 83.5% (Humanities). In this year’s list, the cut-off for COTH is at 88% (Commerce and Science) and at 86.5% (Humanities), while for CST it is set drastically higher at 96% (Commerce and Science) and at 94.5% (Humanities).

Similarly, this change in cut-off has also been observed in the B.Sc. Mathematics Course where, in 2018-19 for COTH, the cut-off was at 90.5% (Commerce and Science) and at 89.5% (Humanities), while for CST, it was at 82.5% (Commerce and Science) and at 81.5% (Humanities). In this year’s list, the cut-off for COTH is at 82.5% (Commerce and Science) and at 81.75% (Humanities), while for CST it is again set higher at 92.5% (Commerce), at 92.75% (Science) and at 91.75% (Humanities).

On contacting the Governing Body of St. Stephen’s College, we received no response regarding this matter.

 

Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

 

Sakshi Arora

s[email protected]

St Stephens is the only college in the University that admits its students based on an interview. This interview may or may not be after an entrance test.

Arts-based courses certainly have an entrance prior to the interviews. The weightage given to the interview is 10%. The entrance has a weightage of 5% and the BFs carry 85% weightage in terms of admissions.

Be wise, they are not searching for your knowledge of the subject, of course, you need to have a certain amount of knowledge but it’s not primary. What they seek is your confidence, your character and your personality. The part that shows your Stephanian spirit. The quality in you that showcases your ability to fit into the culture that Stephens portrays. The fact that you can be a Stephanian out in the world after three years is what they want to find in you. They are looking for that spark or character rather than a know it all. Knowledge is abundant in all those who have cleared the cutoff but not all have the X factor.

All you have to make sure is that you present the best version of yourself in the 20 minutes of time that you sit in front of the Panel.

What is it that makes you different? your personality, your confidence, your understanding and your maturity. How capable a person you are? Diana Oommen who cleared the interviews for English, History and Philosophy in St Stephens and is now a Philosophy student shares her experience “When I was asked my opinion on the Medieval history of India during the Mughal period, I gave the panel an answer that was incorrect, the teacher corrected me stating that it’s not the right answer. ” My response was that even if my answer is wrong I am here today to correct myself. I have been able to learn this from you and thank you for telling me that this is the case and not the way I thought of it” The Panel was impressed by her answer. Thus, your ability to handle a situation calmly without being argumentative or aggressive is a quality that they seek she says.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind as you approach your interview

  1. The candidate receives a call letter from the college. It is also a formal invitation to attend the interviews. If you have received one, then congratulations! Your SOP (statement of Purpose) has surely left an impression. You must keep the dates in mind. Also, do read the college prospectus carefully as the college tends to make changes in their admission procedures annually.
  2. Based on the courses you have applied for, you would have to prepare yourself. Here your SOP plays a very vital role. It becomes central to the way your interview might proceed, the information provided in your SOP gives out to the panellist, the kind of person you are. Thus, your interview may be on the lines of how you have presented yourself. For example: If you have mentioned a certain book that you like in your SOP for English Honours. You should have read it thoroughly enough to be able to answer questions on the same if asked.
  3. If you have applied to the college on the basis of quota, then you must carry original and photocopied relevant documents without fail. Make sure you double check your file so that you have everything at hand. The prospectus gives you clear instructions for the documents you need to have. *YOU MUST NOT FORGET YOUR CALL LETTER* Time is the essence if you are not aware of the nearby places you might get lost and thus, It is fundamental to have a clear understanding of the route you plan to take to reach the college. It is advised that you carry additional photocopies and passport size photographs along with a pen, glue and whitener.
  4. Dress to impress: You cannot compromise on your appearance, Men must wear light coloured formal shirts, Formal pants and black or brown formal shoes. Women should prefer western or Indian formals and semi-formals. There have been instances where candidates in shorts and casuals have been turned away! Try to avoid Jeans, T-Shirts, Sneakers etcetera. It is advised to not colour your hair during the interview dates.
  5. The entrance test for arts mainly examines your analytical skills, your writing style and your ability to express. It gives the panellist, who will have your paper at hand during the interview, an opportunity to form an opinion of your thought process. They might ask you the reasons for writing certain things in the entrance, be attentive to your answers. Be calm so that you do not forget what you wrote.
  6. The interviews are based on hourly slots. If you are lucky it might happen very early, if not then try to relax, listening to some music, going through your SOPs or (if you are a Christian) going through the bible would help. Based on the number allotted you would be made to sit in a line. It’s here that you meet many of your future batch mates. Carry certificates along, in case you have won various awards and prizes. That is always a plus.
  7. The key to a good impression of your personality is to be balanced in your presentation. If you sound too confident it is not a good sign. Basic etiquettes are definitely an add on. The interview happens in the principal’s office. The office is a huge space. It might seem intimidating, but the panellist would give you time to calm your nerves. Do not forget to ask basic questions like ” May I come in?”, ” May I sit?” and thank you. Be aware of the time when you greet them. The panel would have five individuals. The Principal would be at the centre, and two panellists each by his side (This might vary with an additional member being there in the panel). One of them would be observing you throughout the interview, observing your posture and responses. After general questions like “why the course?” and “why the college?” The panellist would then move on to questions pertaining to the course. For a Science based course, there are two questions that are always asked, one is a theory-based question and the other an application-based question, Students may be asked to draw graphs or solve questions in front of the panel. For arts, the students may be asked questions on authors or books they might have read or mentioned in their SOP.
  8. If you are a Christian student, be well versed with the Bible. Gather information on various Biblical characters. Know the different books and have a Biblical verse learned already. ” What is your favourite Bible verse?” is a very popular question for Christians.
  9. The panel is clearly aware of your academic potential but is prepared. Honesty is an ultimate if you do not know an answer, a polite ” I am sorry”,” I do not know the answer” or ” I am unable to recall the answer for the time being” would do. Being argumentative with the panel is negative. Humility is highly appreciated, it should not be confused with self-doubt. Be optimistic in your answers. Try to be pleasant with a smile, if you are confident cracking a joke or two won’t do any harm. The panel may ask you questions that might seem confusing. If you do not understand a question, politely ask them to repeat the same. Do not consistently look at the person who has posted the question, you are talking to the whole panel.
  10. Carry a handkerchief, if you are sweaty. do not fidget, try to keep your tone at a moderate volume. Stammering or stuttering is big ‘ NO’. Gather your thoughts, the panel won’t mind a few seconds of silence.
  11. The interview is very haunting at times but does not be disheartened. Students who came out crying (because they thought they underperformed) have been selected. We never know what the panel is looking for. The panel tries to make the selected crowd as diverse as possible so that the students have a great learning experience. It’s completely okay if you are not the state topper or the national topper if you have cleared the cutoff, your chances of getting in are as real as of the others. Remember the selection ratio may be as high as 1: 10, One person selected for every ten individuals interviewed, the competition is there, but you are as good as any other player so relax. If you have any unique quality or talent, you can certainly inform the panel of the same.
  12. As you get out, be aware of the DOORKNOB. Many students lose their cool when they are unable to open the door. It’s just a gentle turn and you are out. A parting smile and a thank you would be a great way to end the session.
  13. You would get many hints as you go through the interview, about whether the panel is pleased or not. Be alert of their reactions.

These are some of the tips that you need to keep in mind. DU beat wishes you all the very best! For any further queries on admissions do not forget to DM us!

 

 

Featured Image Credits- LiveMint

 

Stephen Mathew

[email protected]