Around half of DU applicants from Delhi

NEW DELHI: Almost half the applicants to Delhi University’s (DU) undergraduate programmes this year are from Delhi, according to data shared by university officials. However, the Delhi government on Saturday reiterated its demand for reservation in DU for students from Delhi.

Out of the 2,78,574 applicants who paid registration fees and submitted the completed forms for undergraduate programmes this year, 1,38,450 students were from Delhi. This made up over 49% of the total applicants.

With 76,042 applications, Uttar Pradesh came in a distant second, and Haryana came in third with 45,542 applications.

“This is an every year trend, and nothing new. Every year, most of the applicants are from Delhi,” said Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, the deputy dean of students welfare, who also shared the data with HT.

Despite this yearly trend, last year, the Delhi government had called for a reservation of seats for students who come from Delhi in DU, and had even passed a resolution in the Delhi Assembly that 85% of the seats in Delhi government-funded colleges should be reserved for Delhi students.

Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia said such reservation should be made, at least in the DU colleges funded by the Delhi government. “My concern is that Delhi taxpayer’s money should be used to provide education to Delhi students in priority (sic.). We don’t have opportunities for them. It should be like other states... We need space for our kids,” he said.