Delhi LG approves admission to vacant seats at IP University

New Delhi: Delhi LG VK Saxena has approved admission of students on the basis of aggregate score of CUET against the seats that remained vacant after exhausting the complete merit list of CLAT (UG) in 2023-24 academic session in the five-year integrated law programmes of GGSIPU, Raj Niwas officials said on Tuesday.

In a file addressed to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the LG expressed his concern that his approval has been sought much after the commencement of academic session 2023-24, thereby causing unnecessary harassment to aspiring students of these much sought after professional programmes, officials said.

Sources in the Delhi government said the LG's comments on the admission to vacant seats was unfortunate. It is the Delhi government's initiative that has prevented any vacancy in private colleges of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU).

"Many seats were left vacant as only CLAT scores were considered. This why it was decided that any remaining vacancies would be filled via CUET scores. This is being done for the first time by any university," a source said.

The Delhi government has allowed CUET score to be considered as the admission criteria, so that all vacancies are filled, the source stressed. "It doesn't suit the LG to try and take credit for efforts being made by an elected government. As a constitutional head, the LG should not be indulging in such practices of purloins of the credits," the source said.

According to Raj Niwas officials, Saxena, who is also the Chancellor of the GGSIPU has approved admission of students on the basis of aggregate score of CUET in three subjects (English, Legal Studies and General Test) seats that have remained vacant after exhausting the complete merit list of CLAT (UG).

Raj Niwas officials said the LG approved the admission procedure keeping in view the larger interests of the students, but said that the proposal for regulating admission in BA, LL.B/BBA LL.B Programme in GGSIPU for the academic session 2023-24, has been submitted in the month of September, "causing inordinate delay in filling up the vacant seats in these courses".

The LG, in his note, advised that to ensure timely processing of such proposals and to "avoid unnecessary delays" in the future to ensure timely commencement of academic activities.

The LG further directed to process future proposals related to regulation of admissions procedure through the Admission Regulatory Committee in terms of the provisions of Delhi Professionals Colleges Or Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Non-Exploitative Fee and other measures to ensure Equity and Excellence) Act, 2007, they said.

Under the provision of Section 4 of the said Act, an Admission Regulatory Commission has been notified on April 13, 2023 with the approval of Delhi LG. It has been provided in this section that the Admission Regulatory Committee shall regulate the procedure of admission in institutions and suggest the guidelines to the government, to ensure a fair, transparent, merit-based and non-exploitative procedure to be adopted by the government under the provisions of this Act.

GGSIPU had submitted that the university has been admitting students in the relevant courses on the basis of CLAT (UG) till 2022-23.