OBC Students Face Certificate Hurdle, Academics Demand Deadline Extension

As per the latest report, OBC commission has urged UGC to direct Delhi University to extend the submission date of non-creamy layer certificate by 15-20 days. This was because of the administrative delays that were costing admissions of 100’s of backward classes students every year. 

Thousands of aspiring students of Other Backward Classes (OBC) group every year are in the hope of getting into Delhi University (DU), one of the most highly-esteemed Indian universities. However, among such aspiring candidates, almost 10% get their hopes dashed, not because they are undeserving, but on account of a technicality because their non-creamy layer (NCL) certificate wasn’t ready on time.

The admissions to undergraduate programmes in DU 2025 are already happening with the seats being filled through CUET-UG scores. In a total of 71,624 undergraduate seats, 27% are reserved for OBC candidates as per DU’s reservation policy. Yet, a big number of these students, particularly the rural or low income ones, are unable to acquire their updated NCL certificates at the right time and miss their seats. The  Delhi University OBC certificate deadlines are strict and delay in submission makes the deserving candidates miss their chance. This is happening because of many reasons such as slow local administrations, the technical mismatches when the certificate is not received by the format, language barrier as well as the absence of statements.

The result? Every year, approximately 10% of the eligible OBC students suffer because of not being able to meet Delhi University OBC certificate deadlines. It is not a mere figure, but hundreds of young lives whose academic futures are being compromised by the delay in paper work.

Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and former members of the OBC Commission have also written to University Grants Commission (UGC) requesting them to urge DU to allow a grace of 15-20 days to submit OBC certificate. They have a straightforward point to make: the existing inflexible deadlines are not taking into consideration the real-life obstacles real-world faced by students with underprivileged backgrounds. A good number of these students hail in far-flung villages, where it may take weeks before official documents are issued because of administrative backlogs.

A collective voice of the DUTA members points out that this problem not only violates the constitutional values of social justice and inclusion but also supports the institution of inequity in higher education. 

“A large number of students, particularly from rural and marginalised communities, face significant delays in obtaining updated certificates due to inefficiencies in local administration,” the letter to the UGC chairman states

There is so much at stake. Refusal to admit deserving OBC students on technical process grounds is a retrogressive provision of the policy of inclusion in education. While the fact is that a large number of these students are CUET-UG and Class 12 toppers. The delay in paperwork is their sole ‘offense’. And citing this, the recent analysis revealed that with a mere expansion it might be possible to eliminate a significant proportion of meritorious students, being rejected by the universities annually.

The request is simple: allow OBC (NCL) certificates to be submitted 15-20 days later. Such a minor amendment would go a long way to make sure that none of the students is unjustly discriminated against and denied access because of circumstances he or she can not influence.

Although the postgraduate admission deadline of the DU was also extended recently to all the applicants, it is still pending as to when the OBC certificate submission will be done to achieve the undergraduate admissions. UGC and DU authorities have remained silent to queries directed to it.

Everyone is waiting to see what Delhi University and UGC will do as the admission cycle of 2025 continues. Are they going to use this chance to make the system more open and just? Or will they overlook the request? To thousands of OBC aspirants and their families, an answer to these questions could make or distort their future. 

Are you or someone you know affected by this issue? Share your experience with us and raise your voice.