Mixed response to cent percent cut-offs in DU

The first cut-off list of Delhi University for its undergraduate courses touching the 100 per cent mark today evoked mixed response from students and academicians.
Defending the cent percent cut-off, Sriram College of Commerce Principal P C Jain said "we are moving in the right direction but we are not appreciating it. Their is a wave of zero tolerance for defects across the world in all sectors, so we need to train our students to be 100 per cent perfect. Our students are performing well but we are viewing this spirit of competition in negative light. "
"The world appreciates merit but why should we appreciate nepotism? Rather than seeing high cut-offs negatively, we should see them as benchmarks of healthy competition which is paving its way towards excellence," he added.

Pratibha Jolly, Principal, Miranda House, however, chose to differ on the concept of '100 per cent' cut-off and said "the practice leads to a category of students being ruled out from choosing a particular subject."
"We have set a calibrated cut-off based on our past experiences and we have already filled one-fifth of our seats today. Despite high cut offs, the seats do get filled but students don't really have a choice," she said.
"Its a national failure that we don't have a good admission policy in place. Since, marks are the only helpful indicators in the absence of rigorous ways of evaluating an individual, students have no choice rather than the race for scoring more for securing admission," added Jolly.

S K Gupta, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College Principal and President of DU's Principals' Association, described the cut- offs as 'exaggerated'.

"I believe the colleges are trying to play safe with these exaggerated cut-offs. No doubt, the competition is high but the cut-offs are expected to come down in further lists," he said.
"The marking pattern at CBSE is also equally responsible for these cut-offs. Since leniency in marking leads to an 'inflation' of marks in board exams, 'exaggerated' cut-offs are bound to be witnessed," added Gupta.
However, students seemed angry over the high cut-offs.
A group of students under the banner of Krantikari Yuva Sangathan today staged protest at Art Faculty of North Campus, demanding the cut-off be brought down.

Protestors raised slogans - "cut-off ghatao, seat badhao" and burnt the first cut-off list released by colleges of Delhi University.