Delhi HC Restricts DU From Allocating Extra Seats Under 'CSAS' On St. Stephen's College's Plea

The St Stephen's college moved high court against the new common seat allocation system (CSAS) (UG) 2024, which allows the Delhi University (DU) to allocate extra students for under graduate admissions to all its colleges in the initial rounds.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed seven students to attend classes in St Stephen's college while issuing notice to Delhi University (DU) and these students in the plea filed by the college against a previous high court order upholding admissions under Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS).

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed DU not to make any further allocation of seats till the further orders.

The St Stephen's college challenged a single-judge’s order by the Delhi HC which granted admission to these candidates on the basis of the seats allocated by the DU.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on January 28 next year.

“The seven students who had approached the court are permitted to attend the classes till further orders. However, it is directed that the university shall not make any further allocation,” the bench said.

On September 6, the Delhi High Court upheld the new common seat allocation system (CSAS) (UG) 2024, which allows the Delhi University (DU) to allocate extra students for under graduate admissions to all its colleges in the initial rounds.

 A bench of justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said that the CSAS is binding on all DU colleges and the new rules clearly mentions that the university may allocate extra students in the initial rounds in order to ensure that academic session commences on time. 

The high court directed St Stephen’s College to grant admission to seven students, who were denied admission despite being allotted a seat by the Delhi University (DU). The college had refused admission to the seven students terming the new policy as "unlawful and arbitrary.”

Earlier, the high court upheld CSAS, which has a provision to allocate extra seats in the initial round. The St. Stephen’s college had disputed the policy.

“It is also noteworthy that this policy of DU, of allocation of extra students in the initial rounds is not a new one and has been in place for the last two years. For the previous academic years, this policy had been mentioned in the bulletin of information itself, and the respondent no.3 (St Stephen’s college) herein had diligently followed the same by allowing extra intake in the initial rounds, not only for the unreserved category students but for Christian minority students also,” the high court single bench order noted.

Justice Sharma further observed that students had to face undue hardship due to the ongoing dispute between the university and the college over the seat matrix and the manner of calculation of allocated seats.

“Thus, this court holds that the CSAS, which is binding on all colleges affiliated to DU, clearly mentions that the university may allocate extra students in the initial rounds in order to ensure that academic session commences on time. Therefore, the contention raised on behalf of respondent no.3 (St. Stephen’s College), that Delhi University’s policy of allocating extra students in the initial round is impermissible in law and arbitrary, is bereft of any merit,” the high court single judge had ruled. The St Stephen's college has challenged this order.

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