New Delhi: After the Delhi University (DU) released the admission notification for 2020-2021 academic year, students belonging to Other Backward Class (OBC) category are in stress because the registration fee for entrance-based courses has been doubled for them as compared to that for Economically Weaker Section (ECW) and SC/ST category students.
The decision has been widely criticised by students across the nation and Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. While students wrote to National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) saying the move is an injustice to backward class students, on the other hand, DMK termed it as unconstitutional.
Even during this pandemic, Delhi University has stepped forward to proceed with admissions for 2020-2021. It is noted lakhs of students from across the country appear for DU entrance exam every year.
According to the notification released by the university, application fees for students applying under the OBC category are Rs 250 (additional Rs 750 for entrance courses) for undergraduate courses and Rs 750 for the postgraduate courses, considerably higher than what students applying under SC, ST or EWS categories (Rs 100 for UG and Rs 300 for PG).
“While the income limit for EWS and OBCs is Rs.8 lakh per annum, it is inappropriate to collect the huge cost from economically poor OBC students. General and OBCs are not equal in social and economical background. But, setting the same cost for purchasing applications for both the OBCs and UR is also injustice. OBCs are in a position to pay double the amount of cost when compared with EWS,” a student named Rashmika wrote in her letter to NCBC.
DMK opposed the varsity's decision of hiking registration fees for OBC students.
“The founding fathers of the Indian constitution had never opted for economy based reservation system. They devised reservation as a tool to uplift certain communities which were being discriminated for several years. It is obvious they were denied administrative and power-sharing roles," DMK Rajya Sabha MP, P Wilson told ETV Bharat.
"At this juncture, the Delhi University’s move of hiking the application fees for OBCs is pure discrimination even at the entry-level. Though EWS have been said as economically poor, they have representations in power and administration. However, OBCs do not have such representation and fighting against discriminations. So, the DU should fix the same application cost for EWS, SC/STs and OBCs,” Wilson added.
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