Mission admission gets tougher in DU

Scoring 90 per cent or more in Class XII may earn you laurels but does not guarantee you a seat in a top college.

The Delhi University released its first cut-off list for admissions to under-graduate courses in its colleges on Tuesday. This year cut-offs marks have increased by 0.25 per cent. Premier colleges like Sri Ram College of Commerce, Kirori Mal College, Hansraj College have all increased their cut-offs.

The cut-offs are so high that even toppers are finding it difficult to get into college. Are the high marks needed for admission prove the good quality of our colleges or do they prove flaws in our educational system and the shortage of institutions?

CNN-IBN’s Sagarika Ghose asked this on India 360 to a panel comprising Hindu College Principal Kavita Sharma, Radio One RJ Sangram and career counsellor Praveen Malhotra.

Marks make a mark?

When Kavita Sharma was asked if incredibly high cut-offs any mark of the academic mark of students, she said, “Not really because marks are a very small part of what the student is all about. So I really think we need to have a re-look in the entire admission process on the one hand. And the marking schemes in the Board exams on the other hand.”

“We need to out in more paradigms into the admission process. In the 1986 National Policy for Education, and also in 1992, it was said that we would develop a national testing service and we need a SAT like exam rather than judging people on a quiz like exam,” she said.

But are young people scoring high marks because they are genuinely getting better or is it that standards have collapsed?

“They are better students because they have mastered the art of studying for exams. But that doesn’t necessarily reflect how overall bright, balanced and creative they are,” said Praveen Malhotra.

As a career counselor would she say that their marks play no role in future employability?

“Not at all. That will depend on what course you have done at the post-graduate level, work experience and what else you bring to the table other than your academic scores,” said Malhotra.

New careers

Professor Yashpal, a former University Grants Commission chief, in an article has said that the bright students does not compromise with the system, and therefore cannot get the marks. It’s the not so bright student actually who are compromising and therefore get into the system and score the marks.

“Not necessarily so,” said Malhotra.

Would you believe that increasingly the new careers that the young people are choosing don’t really need high marks?

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“If you say that a cut-off percentage of Hindu college has gone up to 95 per cent now, it doesn’t mean less people are scoring 95. Everybody is the same. The top 100 people will still get into it. And I see no reason to cry about it,” said Sangram.

When asked if he thought it was important to get 95 per cent, he said it wasn’t.

Malhotra pointed out that toppers are very insecure, narrow-minded, single-track people who may or may not be employable.

“They could be employable. But the pressure of being a topper is an additional baggage that you have to carry throughout,” said Malhotra.

She added that there was parental pressure to excel all the time too.

So does that mean they have sacrificed their youth, social life and friends and just gone for that one exam that they have cracked?

“Many of them who are not just taking school exams, but also competitive exams,” said Malhotra.

Demand and supply

It is clear that the demand is outstripping supply. Should we then have more colleges in Delhi University?

“Not just Delhi University. But universities and colleges across the country,” said Kavita Sharma.

Is there also not also a culture of mediocrity that the toppers are bringing in because we are not necessarily seeing some original work or thought being created?

“It’s like a quiz like exam so there is no conceptual knowledge gained, skill of writing or building up arguments, thinking out of the box. We are not testing any of these. All that we are testing is – do you have the right answer as given in the marking scheme. If you have it you get full marks, if you don’t you don’t get your marks,” said Kavita Sharma.

Do you think brands make a difference? Is it still important to get into St Stephens, SRCC, Hindu, St Xavier’s?

“The most important thing is to find out what is it that you want to do in life. You have your skills one hand and opportunities in the other. You need to find the space when they come together. And that is something that out schools and colleges clearly fail to do,” said Sangram.

But do you think we are moving into an era where it doesn’t really matter which college you are into?

“Yes. Now we are. There’s lot more to do now,” said Sangram.