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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi University to take action in order to identify and remove false information regarding the eligibility requirements for admission in any of its course that is in conflict with those set forth in the "Bulletin of Information" or university rules.

A bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan opined that such contradictory and misleading criteria not only creates confusion in the minds of the candidates but also leads to unwarranted litigation.

The order was passed in a plea filed by a candidate who claimed that the DU Department of Botany ignored her application for admission under the merit admission category because her name did not appear on the first admission list despite having received a B.Sc. (H) in Biological Science with a grade of 88.96% while other applicants received grades lower than hers.

She claimed that the institution had notified her that she did not meet the requirements for the BSc (Hons) Botany programme, and as such, was not eligible for merit- or percentage-based admission to the MSc Botany degree, according to the university's prospectus.

However, she submitted that she was misled by the online application form.

In view of the above, the bench said, "Admittedly, the petitioner does not satisfy this criterion as she possesses the degree of BSc (Hons) Biological Science and not BSc (Hons) Botany. The petitioner was only eligible under the entrance exam category. Indeed, the petitioner did apply under the entrance exam category also. However, as mentioned in the rejoinder, she did not take the examination under the entrance exam category as she was busy preparing for another entrance exam."

Furthermore, the bench stated that " the University of Delhi needs to take immediate corrective measures in identifying and removing all such material from its website which mentions the eligibility criteria for admission to any course, contrary to the one stipulated in the Bulletin of Information or the statutory Rules, Regulations and Ordinances of the university."

Case Title: Sonam Rawal Vs. Delhi University