delhi

Updated: Jul 01, 2017 23:06 IST

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution for 85% reservation in admission for city students in government funded Delhi University colleges.

The resolution was one of the rare ones which was unanimously passed in the Assembly with the support of the Opposition. Speaking on the second day of the Assembly session, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that students who had passed class 12 from the Capital be given quota in admission to 28 DU colleges that are funded by the Delhi government. Supporting the move, MLAs pledged to raise the issue with the Centre, the Lieutenant Governor and the university administration.

The House also adopted another resolution demanding an amendment in the Delhi University Act, 1922. Sisodia said that because of Section 5 and sub-section 2 of the Act, no other university in Delhi is legally authorised to give affiliation to any college.

Speaking to HT, Atishi Marlena, advisor to Sisodia, said that if the amendment is made in the Parliament, universities, other than DU, could give affiliation to college. “Out of 63 DU colleges, Delhi government funds 28 colleges, partially or fully. Around 2.5 lakh students pass out from Delhi schools every year and only 28,000 of them are able to secure a seat in DU colleges,” she said.

While both the resolutions were passed by voice vote, Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said, “If the administration cannot give 85% reservation, it can at least give relaxation of 5-10% in the cut-off marks to Delhi students.” However, he clarified that through this demand, the Delhi government does not want to promote regionalism.

He informed that the government had written several letters, the last one being in December 2016, to the union HRD minister, but to no avail. AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj suggested that a delegation of all legislators, headed by BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan, meet HRD Minister Prakash Javedkar and request him to provide reservation.

Explaining the plight of students, Sisodia said, “Many of these students are struggling to get admission in higher education institutions. The money of tax payers from Delhi is being used to fund these colleges. And it is our responsibility to safeguard the interest of Delhi students. We will meet the HRD minister, L-G and DU vice-chancellor to raise this demand.”

Incidentally, the Aam Aam Aadmi Party government isn’t the only one to have demanded quota for Delhi students. In 2013, the Congress government, led by Sheila Dikshit, had also passed a similar resolution in the Delhi Assembly. Besides, top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Delhi unit too have demanded that Delhi students be given preference in college admissions.

BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and BJP MP Parvesh Verma have taken over the reigns of Sadda Haq, a campaign that propagates the right of admission for Delhi students into DU colleges.

Speaking at the Assembly, Sirsa said, “This is an important issue and all MLAs should demand reservation for city students cutting across their political and ideological differences. The Delhi government can also setup a college which is only for Delhi students.”

(ENDS)