DU to hold offline performance tests for ECA admissions – Times of India

At few varsities such as University of Delhi (DU), Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) based admissions allow certain leeway to students with skills in any sport or activity such as dance, music etc. Over the past two years, the pandemic pushed DU to take admission to this category by considering performance certificates. However, this year, the university has decided to revert to the original practice of holding offline performance-based tests for students.

Haneet Gandhi, dean (admissions), DU, says, “Students who apply under the ECA/Sports category will be judged on three criteria, including CUET scores (25%), as well as a combination of offline performance-based tests and appropriate certificates (75%). The breakage of 75% in these two sub-categories will vary across the specified 14 ECA activities and three sports.”

Like last year, one of the main ECA categories is culture, which includes sub-categories of creative writing, dance, debate and more. In Sports, the main categories included athletics, badminton and more. “While the 14 ECA categories are final, the number of sports that are being considered for this admission quota may stand to be modified further,” says Gandhi.

While the university is sensitive to the concerns of students who may have to travel to Delhi just for ECA trials, the fact is that online trials for sports and ECA activities are not enough to prove a student’s acumen in their chosen category, adds Gandhi. “The selected students represent their respective colleges in their chosen categories, and it is not fair to the candidates’ capabilities to make the final decision based on online trials that may not be accurate,” she says.

Since the Common Universities Admission Test (CUET) does not have an ECA section, students will have to wait to apply under the ECA category till after DU starts its official admission process, which will be done post CBSE declared its final class XII results, she adds.

With the number of students who have applied to DU through CUET going up from around three lakh to six and a half lakh this year, Gandhi is hopeful that the number of students applying under the ECA category should also rise.

“All DU colleges are given 5% of super-numerary allowance to take admissions in the ECA/Sports category. At the same time, all colleges have to compulsory fill up 1% of these allotted seats with candidates under the ECA/Sports section,” she says.

Earlier, DU also shared its revised general admission process. Gandhi says, “In case two students get the same CUET scores, their class XII marks will act as a tie-breaker. The scores of the best of the three subjects will be compared. If the best three are also the same, then the best four will be compared and then the best five.” If by chance marks for the best five subjects are also the same, age will act as a tiebreaker. The older applicant will get the seat, she adds.