Sonia Sarkar
New Delhi: Despite strong opposition from faculty members, St Stephen’s College will reserve 10% seats for Dalit Christians this year. The cut-off for students from the category will be 60% — the lowest in the college and usually applicable only to Sanskrit —
for all courses. There will also be some financial assistance extended to them.
The 40% quota for Christians — which will include the 10% seats reserved for Dalit Christians — will now be filled up ”at all costs” and for that the college is ready to give students from the community more than the usual 15% relaxation in cut-off. However, to allay
fears of faculty members that the elite institution’s academic standards may be compromised, the college proposes to start a regular ”merit audit”.
”We will explore all avenues to make the stint of Dalit Christian students in the college burden-free. But we are yet to decide whether that should be in the form of scholarships or fee waivers. All financial assistance will be need-based,” said the college’s officiating principal, Valson Thampu.
As per the admission policy cleared by the Supreme Council of the college on Tuesday, 40% seats are to be reserved for Christian students — and mandatorily filled — out of which 25% will be reserved for Dalits of the same category, that is, 10% of the total seats. Forty per cent will be reserved for non-minority groups and 15% for underprivileged non-minority students, including SCs, STs, OBCs, wards of war victims and physically challenged students. The remaining 5% will be reserved for admission through the sports quota.
This year, for the first time, the college will admit at least 40 Dalit Christians out of a total of 400 students to be admitted to courses at the undergraduate level. Christian students who qualify on merit will also be counted in the 40% quota.
In 1992, when the college got minority status, it was directed by the apex court to reserve at least 50% seats for Christians. However, it has so far been able to admit only 30-32% students from the category, with 70% seats open to general category students who are admitted solely on the basis of merit.
The latest proposal will cut general category seats by 30%, leaving only 196 seats up for grabs.”It is now mandatory for us to fill the 40% seats meant for Christian students. If the quota doesn’t get filled by providing the usual relaxation in the cut-off by 15%, we will lower the cut-off further,” said Thampu. The 15% relaxation given to SC/ST students till last year will continue this year. All candidates though will need to appear for interviews regardless of their caste status, Thampu added.
More below:
1) To allow caste to overwrite merit is shameful
http://ia.rediff.com/money
2) Imprisonment to Pastor and Son for submitting fake
caste certificate
http://haindavakeralam.org
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes
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