Ask DU to grant OBC aspirants more days to submit certs: Academics to UGC

Time of India

23-06-2025

New Delhi: Citing repeated administrative delays that cost hundreds of other backward classes aspirants their admissions each year, academics and former members of OBC Commission urged University Grants Commission to direct Delhi University to extend the deadline for submitting non-creamy layer certificates by 15-20 days.
This was a persistent issue, with educators highlighting that many OBC applications were rejected due to rigid certificate deadlines and technicalities, such as formatting inconsistencies, language barriers and missing "non-creamy layer" declarations. Students from out-of-the-state and rural areas were especially vulnerable, often unable to obtain the required documents within the limited submission window.
The admissions for DU's undergraduate programmes for 2025 are currently underway, based on CUET-UG scores.
According to a member of Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA), approximately 10% of the eligible OBC candidates lost their chance at admission each year because they were unable to submit updated non-creamy layer certificates during the verification process. In a letter to the UGC chairman, DUTA members and former OBC commission members emphasised that these recurring delays disproportionately affected students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds.
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They pointed out that bureaucratic inefficiencies at the local level often prevented the timely issuance of updated certificates, resulting in the disqualification of otherwise eligible students and undermining the constitutional principles of social justice and inclusion.
"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 stated.
These delays, often beyond the students' control, left them excluded from the admission process despite fulfilling all other eligibility requirements, it added. "This not only deprives deserving candidates of access to higher education but also perpetuates systemic inequities, contradicting the spirit of inclusive education policies.
" The grace period, as per academics, would accommodate genuine administrative delays and ensure that no student is unfairly denied admission.
Queries sent to UGC and DU officials went unanswered. The issue surfaced frequently over the years, with repeated appeals made to the authorities for additional time. In 2023, the chairman of National Commission for Other Backward Classes wrote to the DU vice-chancellor, highlighting the "severe lack of time" given to OBC students to furnish their caste certificates.
Approximately 71,624 undergraduate seats will be filled this year through DU's Common Seat Allocation System. Students who performed well in CUET-UG 2025 and cleared Class XII with the necessary qualifications are eligible to apply.