NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday permitted seven students to attend classes at St. Stephen’s College even as their admissions, allocated by Delhi University (DU), remain under legal scrutiny.
The court, however, directed that no further seat allocations be made by the university until the matter is resolved.
A division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notices to both DU and the students, seeking their response on an appeal filed by St. Stephen’s College. The appeal challenges a previous ruling by a single-judge bench that allowed the students’ admission based on the university’s allocation of seats.
The court has given the university and the students four weeks to file their replies, with the next hearing scheduled for January 28, 2025. The bench’s interim order allows the students to attend classes until further notice.
The case stems from a decision made on September 6 by a single judge, who ruled in favor of the students, stating they were not responsible for the delays in their admissions. “The students had faced difficulties due to an ongoing dispute between DU and St. Stephen’s over the allocation process. The college’s indecision left the students in limbo, unable to secure admission or pursue alternative options.”
The petitioners had applied for admission under the “single girl child quota,” which reserves one seat per program for eligible candidates in each DU-affiliated college. Despite being allocated seats in St. Stephen’s for BA Economics (Honours) and BA programs, their admissions were delayed.
While DU supported the students’ petitions, St. Stephen’s opposed DU’s stance, arguing that the college can only admit students within the sanctioned limits of its programs.
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