NEW DELHI: If there's one thing that has consistently defied the law of gravity, it's college admission cut-off marks. But on Sunday, aspirants were in for a pleasant surprise as the much sough-after St Stephen's College announced a reduction in cut-offs in several courses.

However, students clearing the cut-off still have to face an interview. Class XII marks carry 75% weightage, Class X marks 10% and the interview 15% weightage in the admission formula followed by St Stephen's.

There will also be a rise in the number of students called for interview after several aspirants did not turn up last year.

The biggest beneficiaries of the reduced cut-offs will be science students hoping to study humanities, with the minimum for science students applying for Economics, English, Mathematics and the BA programme coming down. While the Economics cut-off came down by 0.50% for science students, in Mathematics it dropped by 1%. English (honours) also dropped by 1.50% for the science stream, while the BA programme dropped 2% compared to last year. But Philosophy (honours) got tougher this year with a 4% rise for science students, though it dropped for commerce students.
St Stephens's announced its first cut- off list on Sunday. And with this, it arrested the unrelenting upward march of cut- offs over the past few years.

Course- wise interviews based on the list begin on June 16.

Unlike last year, when Stephen’s created history by recording the highest increase in qualifying marks across many courses, this time the college brought down its cut- offs by up to three per cent, especially in humanities subjects.

Even economics (honours), which is the most sought- after course in Stephen’s and rarely sees a drop in cut- off, could not escape the downward trend. It registered a drop of 1.25 per cent for the science students.

COURSE CATEGORY SCIENCE (BFS) COMMERCE (BFS) HUMANITIES (BFS) 
Economics(H) Gen          95.25                   97                              95 
Maths(H) Gen                    93.5                     94                              85 
English(H) Gen                 94.5                     97                              92.5 
History(H) Gen                  95                       95                               88 
Sanskrit(H) Gen                64                       64                               64 
Philisophy(H) Gen            88                       95                               85 
BA PROG Gen                   92                       95                               85 
 

COURSE CATEGORY SCIENCE (PCM) 
Physics(H) Gen 94.33 
Chemistry(H) Gen 92.67 
B.Sc Prog with Computer Sceince Gen 92 
B.Sc Prog with Chemistry Gen 86.33 
The BA programme and history (H) witnessed the maximum decrease in qualifying marks compared with other courses this year — that is a drop of three per cent.

With this year’s CBSE results reflecting a significant increase in the number of students scoring above 95 per cent, DU cut- offs were expected to soar further.

The fall in the cut- off marks, according to a faculty member, is because of the new admission guideline passed by the supreme council — the highest decision- making body of the college — on May 26.

According to the new rule, the merit gap between students and Christian candidates cannot be more than 15 per cent. So if the cut- off mark for general students for, say, English (H) is 95 per cent, the cut- off for Christian category cannot be less than 80 per cent.

In the absence of Christian candidates meeting the merit criterion, more general candidates were called for interview, which ultimately led to a fall in the cut- off percentage.

“ The merit gap was brought back because some of the Christian students could not cope with the brighter lot in the class,” said a teacher.

“ Usually our list is seen as an indicator of the cutoff trend for other DU colleges.

But this year, this may not hold true because of the change in admission policy as well as the fact that we have called more candidates for interview this year,” said Nandita Narain, Stephen’s tutor for admission.

The list of candidates to be called for interviews will be up on the college notice board at 5 pm on Monday and also on its website.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

1. Stephen’s admits students on the basis of boards performance and personal interviews

2. The weightage given to Class X and XII performance and the interview is 10 per cent, 75 per cent and 15 per cent respectively

3. The college reserves 50 per cent seats for Christians (sub- divided into various categories according to denomination), 40 per cent for general category, 10 per cent for SC/ STs and physically handicapped, and 5 per cent sports quota (over and above the total)

CHANGES

1. The college has gone back to its old policy of having a merit gap of 15 per cent between general and Christian students

2. Stephen’s is also calling more students for interview compared with last year. For economics (H) and English (H), the college has called five students for every seat (that is 1: 5 ratio).