New Delhi: The controversial 100 per cent
cut-off marks this year for admission in certain streams in
Delhi University is due to the demand-supply dynamics and a
solution to this lay only in expanding the educational
infrastructure, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has said.
"If the demand is much greater than supply, then the
cut-off will go high automatically. It`s an institutional
issue," he said here.
"If there is one Sri Ram College of Commerce and
everybody wants admission there, what solution can I have?" he
asked.
Sibal, who had earlier termed the high cut-off as
"irrational", said a solution to the problem lies in expanding
the educational infrastructure across the country.
"Government cannot set up all the education
institutions, universities and colleges. So, the private
sector must play an important role in the years to come and we
want expansion of private sector in education sector," he
added.
The high cut-off marks, including 100 per cent in Sri
Ram College of Commerce, one of Delhi University`s famous
colleges, for admission this year had triggered a major row
last month with a majority of students and parents coming out
against such a yardstick.
Stating that fixing the cut-off at 100 per cent for
non-Commerce students is also a reflection of the prevailing
education system based on discipline, Sibal stressed on
reforming the system.
Sibal said: "We must change this concept of a commerce
steam, an arts and a science stream, because it suggests a
science student should only do science and not history."
"When mind has no boundaries, why knowledge should
have boundaries? Once we get rid of these boundaries and
expand the education sector, some of these problems will be
gone," he said.
Asked what steps the government is taking to fill OBC
seats amid reports of a large number of them going vacant
and subsequently transfered to general pool, the Minister said
"we have given a directive that none of the seats will go the
general category".
He said the Ministry will ensure that 27 per cent OBC
quota is filled up.
"We have also said if the marks are less than 10 per
cent (the relaxation limit), you go below the 10 per cent."
Elaborating on the issue, he said the Supreme Court
order did not lay any rigid limit for relaxation of percentage
for OBC category.
"If you get 100 per cent and for OBC category it
becomes 90 per cent, the guy with 89 per cent cannot get in.
That would be a very unfair interpretation of the Supreme
Court judgement because the Supreme Court did not imagine this
kind of scenario," he said.
PTI
