DU may ease score calculation for students of state boards
ADMISSIONS Delhi University may drop adjustment of marks for applicants with higher practical component in some subjects
NEWDELHI: Delhi University (DU) is likely to make the calculation of eligibility marks easier for students from state boards who will apply for undergraduate seats this year.
Until now, the university had a policy of adjusting marks of students in theory and practical exams in Class 12 for calculating their combined score.
Till last year, the university accepted marks with 70% theory and 30% practical as awarded in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). But adjustments were made for applicants from state boards where the practical marks can go as high as 50%.
However, DU is now planning to drop the adjustment of marks and simply consider the total marks scored in any four academic subjects, commonly referred to as the ‘best of four’.
The move is likely to benefit the candidates from state boards as many of them have a higher practical component for some subjects. Science students have a practical exam in at least three of the five main subjects. At the same time, students of humanities, commerce and vocational streams may also benefit as they are also required to take practical exams in some subjects.
A nine-member admission committee is discussing the proposal and is likely to finalise it and send it for the vice-chancellor’s approval in the first week of March.
“In case, the subject to be considered has 60% theory and 40% practical component, then the marks of theory and practical were converted to 70% and 30% respectively on pro rata basis. The new marks were considered for calculation of ‘best of four’,” a member of the admission committee said explaining the current process.
For example, if a student from a state board scored 30 out of 60 in theory and 30 out of 40 in practical, then this will be adjusted with 70:30 ratio and marks will become 35 in theory and 22.5 in practical. “The student scored 60, but his effective marks are counted as 57.5,” a DU official said.
The admission committee, however, noted that many state boards do not specifically mention the various components. “So, one board gives 50% for theory and rest 50% for practical and class work. There was no clarity on how much was for practical and how much for class work. Converting this in the ratio of 70:30 was getting difficult,” another member said.
So, the committee is now contemplating considering the total marks scored in such subjects for calculation of ‘best of four’. If the recommendation is finalised then the effective marks in the case explained above will remain 60.
“We are still working on the finer details of how this can be implemented,” the member said.
Till 2016, DU deducted 10 marks or 2.5 percentage points from the score of applicants whose ‘best of four’ included subjects not having 70 marks for theory and 30 marks for practical.