The Delhi High Court has permitted seven students admitted to St. Stephen's College to attend classes while the legal dispute over their admissions continues. On Tuesday, the court issued an order allowing the students to participate in classes but prohibited Delhi University from making further allocations to the college.
This decision comes after St. Stephen's College challenged a September 6 order from a single-judge bench, which had directed the college to admit the seven students amid an ongoing conflict with Delhi University over seat allocations. The single-judge bench, led by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, had upheld the university's policy of initially allocating extra seats, which the college contested.
St. Stephen's College had argued that the university's allocation process was flawed and infringed on its autonomy in admissions. The college claimed that Delhi University's practice of allocating additional seats under specific categories was excessive and not in line with the provisions outlined in the CSAS (Central Seat Allocation System) guidelines. The college’s petition emphasized that the university’s actions violated its fundamental right to manage its admissions process.
The seven students had filed a plea stating they faced undue hardship due to the college's indecision regarding their applications, which had neither been accepted nor rejected despite completing all required formalities.
In its recent order, the Delhi High Court has allowed the students to continue attending classes while maintaining the status quo on further admissions until further notice. The court’s decision aims to balance the immediate educational needs of the students with the ongoing legal dispute between the college and the university.
