New Delhi: Delhi University’s (DU) ‘single girl child’ quota for admission has come under the scanner.
According to DU’s admission bulletin, one seat in each programme in every affiliated college is reserved under the ‘supernumerary quota for a single girl child’.
To qualify under this quota, parents or guardians have to declare that the applicant is the only child, without any sibling.
St Stephen’s College, which recently denied admission to 12 ‘single girl child’ students to its undergraduate courses, on Wednesday said before the Delhi High Court that DU-mandated quota violates the right to equality before the law.
Senior advocate Romy Chacko, representing the college, argued that the quota is ultra vires Article 14, 15(3) and 15(5) and 30 of the Constitution.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma questioned whether the college had raised this issue earlier.
Admitting that the college had not challenged the policy previously, Chacko said it was compelled to do so now because of how the university was implementing the quota.
“We would have no problem if we were asked to admit one girl child. However, today DU argued that if BA has 13 combinations, 13 girl child students would have to be admitted,” he said, adding the state cannot deny to any person equality before law.
DU’s counsel advocate Mohinder Rupal countered that the college had not previously contested the quota and asked why the college had not challenged DU’s admission bulletin if it disagreed with the provision.
The judge observed that the college may have to challenge the policy separately.
The high court will hear the matter again on Thursday.
