DU One-Year PG Admissions Challenged in Delhi High Court by 100 Petitioners: What Students Should Know
Around 100 petitioners have challenged Delhi University’s admission rules for its one-year postgraduate programmes for 2026–27. The dispute centres on the preference given to four-year honours degree holders, seat allocation and transparency in the admission process.
-1792221008721.webp)
The University of Delhi (DU) is facing a legal challenge over its newly introduced one-year postgraduate (PG) programmes. Around 100 petitioners have approached the Delhi High Court, questioning the university’s admission rules for the 2026–27 academic session.
The petitioners have raised concerns over the preference given to students with four-year undergraduate honours degrees over those who completed other eligible undergraduate courses, including general or programme degrees. They have also questioned the eligibility conditions and the system used to decide which candidates receive admission priority.
The dispute comes as DU introduces one-year master’s programmes alongside its existing two-year postgraduate courses. Students have raised concerns about whether the admission rules give all eligible applicants a fair opportunity to secure a seat.
Also read:
Why Have Students Challenged DU’s One-Year PG Admission Policy?
The main concern is DU’s Programme-Specific Eligibility (PSE) priority system. Under this system, candidates are placed in different priority categories, from P1 to P4, depending on their undergraduate qualifications and their relevance to the postgraduate course.
Candidates in the P1 category receive the first preference when seats are allocated. These are students whose undergraduate qualifications are considered directly relevant to the master’s programme. Candidates in the P2 category are considered next, subject to seat availability. The remaining categories are considered according to the university’s prescribed priority rules.
The petitioners argue that this system may put some eligible students at a disadvantage, even if they meet the admission requirements. They want greater clarity on how candidates are ranked and how seats are allocated.
Students Raise Concerns Over Vacant Seats and Merit Lists
Before approaching the court, students had reportedly written to the university’s vice-chancellor about admission-related concerns. These included unclear merit lists, limited information about vacant seats and delays in updating admission dashboards.
Applicants have also sought clarity on the number of seats remaining vacant and whether more admission rounds, including a spot round, would be conducted.
A spot round is an additional round of admission that may be held to fill seats that remain vacant after the regular allocation rounds. Students are concerned that without further opportunities, some seats could remain vacant even when eligible candidates are waiting for admission.
One petition was filed on September 16 over concerns that the preference given to honours degree holders was affecting seat allocation. The university’s Grievance Redressal Committee was also asked to examine concerns relating to the honours priority system.
DU Says One-Year PG Programme Received Strong Response
Professor Rajni Abbi, Director of DU’s South Campus, a professor at the Faculty of Law and an Executive Council member, said the university had received an overwhelming response to the one-year PG programme.
According to her, applications had nearly doubled, prompting the university to increase the number of seats.
The university’s admission policy and the petitioners’ concerns have brought the eligibility and seat allocation rules under scrutiny. However, the challenge does not mean that the court has found the policy unlawful.
What Happens Next?
The legal challenge puts the spotlight on how DU allocates seats in its one-year postgraduate programmes. Students seeking admission will be watching for greater clarity on eligibility, merit lists, vacant seats and further admission rounds.
The central question is whether the university’s priority system provides a fair opportunity to all eligible candidates while accounting for differences in their undergraduate qualifications. The legal validity of the challenged rules remains a matter for the court to consider.
Read:
JEE Advanced: Third Attempt Under Discussion, IIT Kanpur Director Says No Immediate Changes
IIT Madras School Outreach Programme: Nearly 50% of Enrolled Students Are Girls
IIM Kozhikode Launches 2-Year Global MBA With Accenture LearnVantage; Programme to Begin in 2027
Anjali is an education journalist with over a year of experience in digital and business journalism. She has previously worked with BW Businessworld and ANI, where she gained experience in news writing, editing, research, and fact-checking. At Jagran Josh, she writes education news and covers competitive exams and current affairs, with a keen interest in delivering accurate, informative, and reader-focused content. She holds a BA from Miranda House, University of Delhi, and a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). Anjali enjoys reading and exploring new ideas and perspectives through books.
-1792225574473_t.webp)