education

Updated: May 14, 2019 08:04 IST

Delhi University (DU) has decided to remove 12 games or activities, including yoga, cycling, power-lifting and 100-metre relay race, from its list of recognised categories that candidates can choose from while seeking admission in colleges under the sports quota.

The move, which will affect students who take admissions under the sports and extracurricular activities (ECA) quota in the university’s 77 colleges, was criticised by DU’s physical education teachers’ association.

The association on Saturday wrote to the admission commission urging it to bring the options back on the university’s list of recognised activities. In a letter dated May 11 and addressed to DU’s admission committee chairperson Rajiv Gupta, the DU physical education teachers’ association said, “We would like to bring to your notice that several under mentioned games/events are missing from the list that has been sent to us, which were present last year.”

For admissions to undergraduate courses, colleges across Delhi University reserve 5% seats for students who qualify under the sports and ECA categories. The candidates have to appear in trials for the sport or activity they apply under.

The 12 activities excluded from the list of recognised events are archery (Indian round), ball badminton, baseball (women), softball (men), korfball (male), 4x100m relay race, cross-country running, cycling, fencing, power-lifting, best physique and yoga.

Despite several attempts, Gupta did not respond for comment.

A member of the DU admission committee who did not wish to be identified said that the decision was cleared in the meeting of the standing committee of DU’s academic council last month.

Rasal Singh, a member of the standing committee of the academic council, said, “The decision was passed by both the sports council and the admission committee and then it was produced before the standing council.”

A member of the sports council, who wished not to be named, said that the lack of applicants in these sports was the reason for their exclusion.

“Under Union government’s guidelines, universities should take admissions only in games that are part of Commonwealth, Olympics or Asian games. The sports that we have decided to exclude are not as popular and only a handful of candidates opt for them while applying for admissions,” the member said.

The committee, however, decided to shift yoga to the ECA category for the upcoming admission session.

According to the physical education teachers’ association, last year, Delhi University admitted around 25 students under the ball badminton quota, 15 in baseball, 25 in softball, 20 in yoga, five each in korfball (male), 4x100 relay, cross-country running, cycling, fencing, power lifting and best physique.

The physical education teachers’ association said that it was not consulted before the games were removed from the list. “Though there may only be a few admissions under these games, but they have their own significance. The decision to drop any game should have been taken after consulting the member of academic and executive councils,” said Rajesh Jha, a member of the university’s executive council.