More than 300 School principals support BJP’s demand for relaxation of cut off marks for students from Delhi Schools

• Principals sign memorandum, seeking more opportunities for students from Delhi schools
• BJP will implement “Admission for All” policy for students passing out Class XII from Delhi schools

New Delhi, 30 June. More than 300 principals of private unaided schools in Delhi have supported the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party's demand to provide relaxation in cut off marks in Delhi University for students passing out class XII examinations from Delhi schools. The BJP has demanded that students passing out from Delhi schools should be provided 2 to 4 per cent relaxation in cut off marks in Delhi University colleges. 

The school principals which met, in the presence of Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel, on Friday in Constitution Club to discuss the challenges faced by students passing out class XII examinations from their schools have also signed a memorandum to this effect. Shri Goel will lead a delegation of the school principals from unaided schools to meet the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University to hand over the memorandum and discuss the challenges faced by Delhi students in getting admission to Delhi University colleges. 

The meeting was held under the banner of Delhi State Public School Management Association led by Shri R.C. Jain, Action Committee for private Unaided Schools of Delhi led by Shri S.K, Bhattacharjee and Federation of Public Schools led by Shri R.P. Malik. 

While addressing the meeting Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel expressed his solidarity with the concern of the principals over the increasing number of students passing out from Delhi schools not being able to admission in Delhi University Colleges. He said that being a former DUSU President and Executive Councillor and having been part of various bodies associated with the Delhi University over the last four decades he understands the challenges faced by students and that is why he is pushing for an overhaul of the admission system in the DU to provide relief to students passing from Delhi schools.

Supporting the Delhi BJP’s demand for providing 2 to 4 per cent relaxation in marks to students from Delhi schools for admission in DU colleges, the representatives of the schools said students passing out from Delhi schools should be given some preference in admission by providing relaxation in cut off marks. 

More than 300 school principals also signed a memorandum which will be handed over to the vice-chancellor. The memorandum seeks relaxation in cut off marks for students passing out from Delhi schools and increase in number of undergraduate seats by starting evening classes in morning colleges and opening up of new colleges.

Shri Goel assured the representatives from unaided schools that "Holistic reforms in state of higher education” is on top of BJP’s agenda and the party has already taken up this issue with the authorities concerned.” When we will come to power in Delhi, our target will be to ensure “Admission for All” Delhi students in regular colleges. It is the duty of the government to create enough opportunities for the youth.

However, unfortunately the Congress government has overlooked this crucial aspect over the last 15 years and the biggest evidence of this neglect is that the Delhi government has not opened a new college in the DU over the last 15 years,” said Shri Goel.

“We have already taken up many of the demands made in the memorandum and we would continue to push for these reforms,” he added.

The representatives appreciated the efforts made by Shri Goel to raise this issue as the lack of opportunities for students passing out from Delhi schools has started affecting moral of not only the students and parents but also academic and non- academic staff in these schools.

The principals said, “When our students are not able to get admission in regular colleges and courses of their own choice, this also proves to be a dampener for our teachers and all academic and non-academic staff in schools who really put in lot of hard work to prepare the students to go for colleges and courses of their choice so that they can make feel us proud.”

The representatives were of the opinion that there is an acute shortage of undergraduate seats in Delhi University. Out of 54000 seats available for undergraduates, only half are available in general category. More than 50 per cent of these seats are going to students from other states.

That effectively means only around 8000 under graduate seats in general category are available for Delhi students. If you compare it with the number of students passing out class XII from Delhi Schools i.e. around 2 lakh, this gap looks very glaring.

“The brunt of this situation is being borne by our youth. They are increasingly becoming more distressed for not being able to pursue their dreams of studying in DU colleges,” said these representatives.

It may be recalled that recently the Delhi BJP had released its report on “Status of Higher Education in Delhi” as a part of Delhi Declaration 2013.

“It is a positive sign that our efforts have initiated a debate among various stakeholders who are coming out openly to voice their concerns on the way students and parents from Delhi are suffering. It is time to show some strong political will to resolve this problem and BJP surely has it.

In the past we have demonstrated our strong will by setting up Directorate of Higher Education in 1997 in Delhi during BJP’s rule. All Delhi government colleges in the DU have been set up during BJP’s rule. Congress has ruled this city for last 15 years and not even a single new college has been opened in DU by the Delhi government during Congress rule. ”