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Delhi University (DU) managed to announce its first cut-off list on time despite uncertainty brought on by the teachers’ agitation. All colleges, except Hindu, had sent their complete first lists to the university by Monday evening.

The qualifying marks for popular courses have shot up to even more dizzying heights this year.

Foxed by the overwhelming number of applications and the absence of advice or help from the teachers, principals have pitched higher cut-off marks for the general category to play safe.

Colleges have to admit all students who come to them with marks equal to or above the cut-off for the next three days.

So if the qualifying mark is mistakenly low, the institution could end up admitting more students than the sanctioned capacity. “We are hoping that the deadlock between the vice-chancellor and the teachers will be resolved by the time the second list is out. Till then, I do not want to take a risk,” said Jaswinder Singh, principal, SGTB Khalsa College.

DU First Cut off List can be checked on this direct link, http://www.du.ac.in/admissions/2010/ug/ug10/DU1stCutoffAC3.pdf

“To avoid overadmission after the first list, I have pegged cutoffs higher than last year’s.” At Khalsa College, the first list reflects an increase of one per cent for both BCom programme and BCom (honours) as against last year’s cut- off of 92.5 per cent and 93 per cent respectively.

At Kirori Mal College, economics (honours) has registered an increase of one per cent for students from all three streams.

The cut- off for commerce students, for instance, is 95.5 per cent as against 94.5 per cent last year and 91.5 per cent for humanities as against 90.5 per cent last year.

While many have played safe with a cosmetic first list, others have just recycled last year’s first cut- off lists for many subjects in the wake of the teachers dissociating from the admission process. Ramjas College, a sought after North Campus institution, is among them.

“ Last year’s cut- off was decided by the teachers and so I am going ahead with the same this year also.

If I pitch something lower than last year, I might end up taking in more students than required and teachers will have a problem with that too,” said Rajendra Prasad, the principal of Ramjas.

Principal of Hindu College, V. K. Srivastav, stood his ground and tried to convince teachers to help with the cut- offs. This, however, resulted in the institution not being able to send its complete list to DU by Monday.

“ We will send it by Tuesday morning,” said Srivastav.

Teachers of over 50 DU colleges have refused to participate in the admission process to register their protest against the way in which the semester system was introduced in the science departments at the undergraduate level.

This decision, which threatens to cripple the admission process this year, was taken in response to a first- of- its- kind call made by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA).

Though principals along with the non- teaching staff have somehow managed to announce the first list, they are jittery about the admission process which is normally conducted by teachers.

The Delhi High Court, however, did come to their rescue on Monday as it restrained teachers from obstructing the ongoing admission process.

The interim order came in the wake of a petition filed by the university. The HC has sought DUTA’s response by August 16.

DUTA, however, has decided to continue with its call of dissociation from the admission process as it “ does not amount to obstruction”.