Delhi scores low on safety, high on education

New Delhi, June 22: With highest number of crimes against women, Delhi scores low in safety factor for girls. But in education sector it scores high. Some Delhi colleges have relaxed the cutoff percentage for girls in admissions to various undergraduate courses.

This academic year is first year of Delhi University's four-year undergraduate programme.

With good board results, the competition for good colleges has really picked up in Delhi University colleges and the cutoff percentage reached 98 percent at St Stephen's college for economics.

However, some colleges like Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Dyal Singh, Deen Dayal Upadhaya, Rajdhani and Swami Shraddhanand have relaxed cutoff between three percent and five percent to the female candidates.

One reason given for relaxation is decline in girls taking up higher education, even in national capital. "We have noticed that over the years the percentage of girls who take admission is not even 50 percent of the total intake. Hence the effort is purely to promote girls' education," says Inder Bakshi, principal of Dyal Singh College.

Shivaji College principal Sashi Nijhawan says "there is a dire need to get more girls into colleges."

For this reason Dyal Singh (evening) and Shivaji colleges provide relaxation of five percent to girls.

Meanwhile, there has been huge rush for seats under sports category. With nearly 2000 applications, Hansraj College was the highest to get applications under the sports category. "We have received more than 200 applications for 3-4 seats in basketball," Hansraj College principal V K Kawatra.

Many colleges have started holding sports trials for admissions to the courses and this is forcing students to rush from institution to institution.

The university has allowed students to give a fitness test at one college and use that fitness certificate while appearing for trials at other colleges. But thsi falls short of centralised admissions. Same day tests at various colleges is creating real problem for deserving candidates.

Sports category admissions take place under two group. Direct admission, without trial, will be given to sportspersons who have participated or represented the country in Olympics, world championships under international sports federations, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, SAF Games, Afro-Asian Games and Paralympics. In another group will be students, who have have to appear for sports trials to get admission.

OneIndia News