Delhi High Court allows St Stephen's College to give 15% weightage to interviews for admission of Christian students this year

The Delhi High Court recently allowed St Stephen’s College to give 85% weightage to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and 15% to interviews for admissions under the Christian minority quota..However, the College will give 100% weightage to CUET scores for admissions under the unreserved category.A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad passed an interim order on July 21 while dealing with a plea filed by St Stephen’s. .The College had challenged the decision of the Executive Council of Delhi University (DU) and a notification dated December 30, 2022 insisting on 100% weightage for CUET scores for minority quota admissions.The Court was told that DU’s notification is in violation of the High Court’s order of September 12, 2022. In this order, the High Court had said that the College cannot give weightage to interviews for admission through non-reserved categories. The Court, however, had allowed it to hold interviews for reserved category students.This order was appealled before the Supreme Court, where the matter is pending adjudication..After considering the case, the Bench noted that in its decision of September 2022, it had recognised that it is for the minority institutions to decide what would be best for the minority community. For that purpose, conducting an interview cannot be said to be contrary to the interest of the minority institution.The Court further said that allowing the petitioner college to admit students from the minority community by giving 85% weightage to their CUET scores and 15% weightage to their interview, would be best for furthering their interest.The UGC communication is prima facie in conflict with the right of the St Stephen’s College under Article 30(1) of the Constitution of India and the High Court’s decision, the Court underscored.“A reading of the impugned notification dated 30.12.2022 shows that it is a mere repetition of the decision taken by the Executive Committee of Respondent No.1 vide its meeting dated 08.12.2022. A conjoint reading of the aforesaid judgment, the minutes of the meeting dated 08.12.2022 and the impugned notification dated 30.12.2022 prima facie shows a complete lack of reasoning as to why the judgment of this Court has been given a go-by by the Respondents and indicates non-application of mind on their part while making the impugned decision,” the order stated..Therefore, as an interim measure, the Court directed that the policy framed by it shall be followed for admission into the Academic Year 2023-24, and the College will give 85% weightage to CUET scores and 15% weightage will be given to the interview.“For non-minority candidates, the College will adopt the marks secured in the CUET alone as the sole eligibility criteria. The admissions made in the College would be subject to the final outcome of the instant writ petitions,” the Bench added..Senior Advocate A Mariarputham along with Advocates Romy Chacko, Prashant Kumar, Ankit Sharma, Sachin Singh and Anuradha Arutham appeared for St Stephen’s College.Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee and Advocates Mohinder JS Rupal and Hardik Rupal appeared for DU.University Grants Commission (UGC) was represented through Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Apoorv Kurup as well As advocates Ojaswa Pathak, Apoorva Jha, Akhil Hasija, Shivansh Dwivedi and Kirti. .[Read Order]