According to the schedule uploaded on the varsity website, 223 applicants have been invited for interviews between July 31 and August 4. (PTI)

Delhi University’s Maths Department is conducting interviews for PhD admissions and the minimum score in the entrance examination needed for applicants belonging to the SC and ST categories is zero! The department’s eligibility criteria – zero – for SC-ST applicants has invited criticism on social media and has once again begun the debate whether reservation is still relevant. “Those who have scored zero will do PhD and teach you! Seriously? A Zero?” asked a Facebook user Amit Raj. “Manufacturing fools?” reads another comment. According to the schedule uploaded on the varsity website, 223 applicants have been invited for interviews between July 31 and August 4. For the general category, 94 marks out of 200 (including Interview) is the minimum criteria. For OBC applicants, it is 84 per cent marks and zero for those belonging to the SC-ST categories.

The head of the Maths Department said there were “no minimum marks for SC, ST students”. “We have to call everyone for the interview. Final selection will be based on the performance in the interview,” the official said, adding that mistakes, if any, in the eligibility criteria will be corrected.