Court Restrains DU Aspirants from Attending St Stephen’s College
Just days after a single judge of the Delhi High Court directed St Stephen’s College to provisionally admit six Delhi University (DU) aspirants, a division bench has issued a new order. The court has restrained these students from attending St Stephen’s College, instead allowing them to opt for their second-choice institution.
Dispute Over Admission Policy
The division bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, issued this directive in response to an appeal by St Stephen’s College. The college has been in a contentious dispute with DU over its admission policies. The college appealed against the single judge’s August 23 interim order, which had directed St Stephen’s to provisionally admit the six DU aspirants.
The single judge, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, had also instructed DU to reopen its portal specifically for these six students. This would allow them to deposit fees and secure admission to their second-choice college if their plea to attend St Stephen’s did not succeed.
College’s Argument and Court’s Response
Representing St Stephen’s College, Senior Advocate Romy Chacko argued that the six aspirants should continue in their second-choice colleges. He highlighted that DU had allocated more students to St Stephen’s than the college’s sanctioned intake allows. According to the college, its sanctioned intake is 50 students, with 25 seats reserved for minority students, five for other reserved categories, and the remaining 20 for general category students. However, DU allotted 36 general category students to St Stephen’s.
Chacko contended, “We don’t have the infrastructure for this… The university’s order to admit all 36 students is beyond our capacity.” He further argued that DU’s actions effectively bypass the single judge’s directive, which also allowed students to opt for their second-choice college.
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Court’s Decision and Next Steps
During the hearing, Acting Chief Justice Manmohan remarked, “Why is the university creating this mess? You’re playing with lives, careers… Please tell your university that their conduct has been noted and that better sense will prevail.”
The division bench has directed both parties to file their responses and submissions. Meanwhile, it has ordered that the students not attend classes at St Stephen’s College. The court also advanced the hearing before the single judge bench to September 4, earlier than the originally scheduled date of September 11.
This ongoing dispute between St Stephen’s College and DU over admission policies highlights the complexities involved in educational administration and its impact on students’ futures. The final resolution remains to be seen, but for now, the affected students are caught in the middle of this legal tussle.
