In a clash of academic policies and minority rights, the Delhi High Court has ordered Delhi University (DU) to admit 18 students selected under the Christian quota to St. Stephen’s College, resolving a tense standoff over withheld admissions.
The dispute arose when St. Stephen’s College, an autonomous Christian minority institution, accused DU of blocking admissions by not opening the necessary portals, despite forwarding the list of selected candidates by August 24. Classes began on August 29, leaving these students in limbo as emails and reminders from the college allegedly went unanswered.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who presided over the case, ruled that the 18 students were entitled to admission under the Christian quota but found one candidate exceeded the allowed 5% allocation. The Court stressed that Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution, which protects minority institutions, is not without limits. Even aided minority institutions must comply with the rules of their affiliating universities.
St. Stephen’s College contended that under its admission framework—sanctioned by the court—it could assign 85% weightage to Common Undergraduate Entrance Test (CUET) scores and 15% to interview performance. Yet, the college claimed that DU failed to honor these admissions, leaving students unable to pay fees through the university’s Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal.
DU had initially agreed that the last date for fee payments was September 30 but later suggested that the deadline had been extended. However, St. Stephen’s pointed out that the fee portal was still inaccessible, further deepening the impasse.
The legal teams representing the parties were led by Senior Advocate Romy Chacko for St. Stephen’s, with additional representation from DU and the affected students. The High Court’s intervention marks a crucial moment in balancing the autonomy of minority institutions with the regulatory oversight of public universities.
