DU considers ‘normalisation’ policy to level field for applicants from different boards
NEW DELHI: Delhi University may bring a ‘normalisation’ policy to keep applicants from different state and national boards at par while considering the marks achieved by them for admission to undergraduate courses this year.
The university would a send a letter to 55 examination boards seeking information on the moderation policy being followed by them. Moderation policy is a practice under which students are awarded extra marks for unusually difficult questions in a particular subject or when there are differences in the sets of test papers.
“We are writing to around 55 boards from where we get applicants. We have asked the boards to explain how they apply moderation policy while awarding marks to students,” an official from a vice-chancellor appointed admission committee said.
Admission committee members said this will help them to understand how different boards award marks to students.
“We will form a committee that will study the replies given by different boards. The committee will then suggest how we can apply a normalisation policy so that applicants from different boards are at a level playing field,” another admission committee member said on condition of anonymity.
The official explained that as of now DU accepts the marks allotted by boards as is. “But some boards are known to follow lenient marking due to which students get higher marks than other boards. That leads to students from the particular board meeting the cutoff even though another student from a different board with a different moderation policy might be equally deserving. We want to address this problem,” the official said.
However, officials maintained that it was too soon to comment on what kind of normalisation policy will be applied. “We will first see what replies are sent to us by the boards. It all depends on the replies we get. Even the human resource ministry has asked boards to explain their moderation policy but not every board has replied,” the official said.
DU is likely to begin its online registration process for undergraduate admissions by May end or June beginning.
There are about 56,000 undergraduate seats in 63 colleges. This year the university is planning to conduct an aptitude test for some subjects. Students who clear the aptitude test will be eligible to take admission in the course after meeting the cutoff declared by respective colleges.
“All these steps are being taken to ensure we come out with more realistic cutoffs,” said Pankaj Garg, member admission committee.