DU may rely on certificates for sports quota admissions, considers cancelling ECA admissions: Report

Representative Image (Manoj Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Delhi University (DU) may not conduct try-outs for sports quota candidates and instead depend on merit certificates for admissions to its undergraduate courses this year (FY20-21) due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Hindustan Times reported.

University officials told the paper that admissions for extracurricular activities (ECA) may also be halted as no certification body exists for the same. DU has a total 5 percent quota for sports and ECA candidates in each course.

DU Admission department Head Shobha Bagai acknowledged the lack of certification for ECA categories, but called it a “huge risk” to call candidates for trials. “Also, it will not be possible for students to travel from different states to appear for the trials. So, we are considering if admissions can be given on the basis of certificates issued by authorised sports bodies,” she said.

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On the matter of how ECA candidates will be shortlisted Bagai said candidates submit certificates issued by local bodies or residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), but since authenticity cannot be confirmed, admissions for the category may be forgone this year.

She did however add that they may consider submissions such as performance videos for selection. “All these are being considered. We need to discuss these issues with our statutory bodies before taking a decision,” she said.

The move comes after DU said that admissions for all courses this year would be done online.

DU colleges offer the quota in 27 disciplines such as hockey, football, cricket, swimming, tennis, basketball, athletics and archery among others. Usually for the sports category, trials carry 60 marks with merit certificates allotted the remaining 40 marks.

For ECA category, trials carry 75 percent marks and merit certificates the rest 25 – for 14 activities including theatre, debate, fine arts, music, dance and creative writing among others.

The current COVID-19 situation and resultant social distancing requirements however means colleges will give in-person trials a skip, it said.

Many however are also hopeful that a betterment in the COVID-29 situation may come and the University should wait till July to take a decision. “Many students also depend on talent instead of academics for admission and the administration should not forego the ECA category,” Rajesh Jha, a member of the executive council, Delhi University, said.

”There is a possibility that things will return to normal by August and we may be able to conduct trials for sports admissions then. We can call students in small batches for the trials to maintain social distancing,” University sports council member Pankaj Sinha said.