DU allocates 24k fresh seats in second UG round; teachers flag syllabus delay
'A total of 27,314 candidates have upgraded to a higher preference, while 17,922 have opted to freeze their allocations from the first round,' a university official said.
The first allocation list, released on July 19, had seen 93,166 seats allotted against 71,624 available seats across 69 colleges. By the end of the first round, 62,565 students had confirmed their admissions under the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS), including 34,014 females and 28,551 males.
The window for candidates to accept their freshly allocated seats opened at 5pm on Monday and will remain open until 4.59pm on Wednesday. DU's new academic session is scheduled to begin on Friday, August 1.
Teachers say syllabi not yet uploaded
Even as the second round of admissions progressed, several DU professors expressed concern that syllabus of some departments for the first batch of students under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework(UGCF) as well as syllabi of certain departments under Postgraduate Curriculum Framework (PGCF) have not yet been uploaded on the university website.
'This leaves both teachers and students unprepared. We still don't have the final syllabus, and to teach a subject well, we need time to develop materials, which involves significant research,' said Mithuraaj Dhusiya, elected member of the executive council. 'So, while the academic session may formally begin on August 1, effective teaching will begin at a much later stage.'
Abha Dev Habib, associate professor at Miranda House, said, 'The university has not yet notified syllabi passed in EC meetings held on May 23 and July 12.This affects thousands of students entering in the fourth year or seeking PG admissions. The callousness of the university shows that it has scant respect for students, teachers and the learning processes.'
University officials, however, maintained that the syllabi will be uploaded in time.
'We're ensuring that all feedback from academic and executive council meetings is incorporated into the final syllabi,' DU registrar Vikas Gupta told HT. 'For instance, a committee finalised the Physics syllabus this week, and it will be uploaded by Wednesday.'
A senior university official added that once the executive council minutes are approved, the council branch issues the official notification, and departments are required to reformat the syllabi to ensure uniformity across courses.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Excitement, exhaustion for families of outstation students
New Delhi: As Delhi University opened its doors to first-year students on Friday, college entrances across North Campus were teeming not just with excited students but also with their outstation families, including parents, siblings and even toddlers. Many of them had travelled from across the country to ensure that the students had a hassle-free entry to college life. Outside colleges like Miranda House and St Stephen's, the sidewalks, bus stops and gates turned into makeshift waiting lounges. At Miranda House, where parents were not allowed inside, many families sat at the DTC bus stop with bags and lunch boxes in tow, shielding themselves from the sun as they waited for the orientation session to end. "We've come from Nagpur and are staying in a hotel for now. My daughter hasn't got hostel accommodation yet. We'll try to find something over the next couple of days, settle her in, and then leave," said the mother of a student who secured admission in Miranda House. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi A similar story unfolded outside St Stephen's, where Kasturi Baruah from Assam met another Assamese parent by chance. "We're both from Assam and met here while waiting. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Our daughters have also become friends. We're glad they'll have someone from home as they begin this new journey," she said. Anu Chaudhary, who came from Rajasthan, added, "We left yesterday and feel exhausted, but seeing my daughter begin college makes it all worth it." While the atmosphere outside was one of pride and joy, there was also a shared concern among families — the lack of hostel accommodation. Most students hadn't secured a seat and were scrambling to find PGs or rented flats nearby. Meanwhile, student outfits like ABVP, AISA and SFI had set up colourful stalls outside campuses, distributing pamphlets, bookmarks and bags to woo freshers. Some welcomed newcomers with flowers and tilak. College seniors also ran help desks to guide students through the day.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Shaping a new academic order Top General (Government) University
Rising research output, strong placements and growing enrolments help Delhi University unseat Jawaharlal Nehru University as India's leading public higher education destination No 1. UNIVERSITY OF DELHI, New Delhi From its modest beginnings in May 1922 through an Act of the central legislature, the University of Delhi today has evolved into a world-class institution of higher learning in India. In its inaugural year, the university comprised two faculties, Arts and Science, and offered a limited number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through its three founding colleges: St. Stephen's (1881), Hindu College (1899) and Ramjas College (1917). It began with eight departments: Sanskrit, History, Economics, English, Arabic, Persian, Physics and Chemistry, and the university library was established with a donation of 1,380 books, symbolising the early spirit of learning and scholarship. Cut to 2025, and the university offers 90 undergraduate, 135 postgraduate and 71 PhD programmes, along with 37 certificate and 114 diploma courses. Spanning 407 acres, it encompasses 91 colleges, 16 faculties, 86 academic departments and 23 centres, schools and institutes, boasting an enrolment of over 620,000 students. This makes it one of India's largest and most diverse public universities. More than 11,000 students are currently enrolled in PG programmes, underscoring the institution's enduring commitment to advanced academic training, research excellence and interdisciplinary scholarship. Of a total of 109 academic departments, centres, institutes and schools, 87 are dedicated to PG and higher studies. In alignment with the government's National Education Policy 2020, the university adopted UGCF (Undergraduate Curriculum Framework) 2022 and PGCF (Postgraduate Curriculum Framework) 2025, infusing flexibility, interdisciplinarity, Indian knowledge systems and research orientation into its curriculum. The infrastructure is a blend of colonial-era heritage buildings and modern, state-of-the-art facilities, including a network of 34 libraries with over 1.7 million volumes and access to 30,000+ e-journals. With 20 student hostels, 568 classrooms and seminar halls equipped with audio-visual and digital learning tools and WiFi-enabled campuses integrated with the National Knowledge Network, the university has over 238 specialised laboratories that support PG and doctoral programmes across the sciences, life sciences, social sciences, humanities and interdisciplinary domains. In 2024, the university recorded an impressive research output, with over 5,200 publications indexed in Scopus; 10.4 per cent (540 publications) ranked within the top 10 per cent, and 1.2 per cent (62 publications) among the top 1 per cent most cited publications worldwide. In addition, the university filed four patents and recorded 1,725 campus placements. Leading recruiters included Accenture, Deloitte, EY, McKinsey & Company, ZS Associates, ICICI Bank, KPMG, Amazon, Adobe, ITC, Mahindra, Morgan Stanley and TCS, among others. And the highest package offered to a PG student exceeded Rs 1 crore per annum. However, the figure represents only a part of the university's PG student placement landscape. A significant proportion of students pursue non-traditional, entrepreneurial or flexible career paths that are not fully captured through conventional placement metrics. For example, many LLB and LLM graduates choose independent legal practice, judicial apprenticeships or roles in courts, typically unreported in structured placement data. Similarly, students from disciplines such as Indian and foreign languages, music and performing arts commonly enter careers in translation, creative writing, journalism, tourism or freelance performance—sectors with rising demand but often with informal employment structures. Over 50 per cent of outgoing PG students come from Science, Commerce, Economics and Social Sciences, many of whom are absorbed into start-ups, consultancy, NGOs and digital media. These emerging fields emphasise flexibility, innovation and personal growth, making the university a powerhouse of higher education. GUEST COLUMN | Building the future By Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi Over the past two years, the University of Delhi has embarked on a remarkable journey of transformation, driven by a vision to elevate its stature as a premier institution of higher education in India. One of the most significant achievements has been the recruitment of nearly 5,000 faculty members. This faculty strengthening drives academic quality and research excellence, providing students with a stable and enriched learning environment. Complementing this is the ongoing recruitment of non-teaching staff, ensuring better administrative support and smoother functioning across the university's sprawling network of 91 colleges and around 500 academic programmes. Infrastructure upgrades have been a priority, with an unprecedented Rs 2,000 crore investment aimed at renovating existing facilities and constructing new buildings equipped with modern amenities such as smart classrooms, WiFi connectivity, CCTV surveillance and sustainable solar power solutions. The new East and West campuses—located near Karkardooma Court and Sector 21 metro station, Dwarka, respectively—are slated to become operational by September 2026, symbolising the university's expansion beyond its traditional North and South campuses. Academic innovation is also at the forefront. The university has launched engineering programmes, marking its entry into technology education after decades of reliance on affiliated institutes. It has also expanded postgraduate offerings with new MA programmes in Korean and Chinese Studies, among others, reflecting a global and interdisciplinary outlook. The implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has brought the introduction of four-year undergraduate programmes, enhancing academic flexibility and depth. Research output has flourished, with over 5,200 publications in 2024 and the highest H-Index among Indian universities, underlining its growing reputation as a hub of knowledge creation. The 'Institution of Eminence' status and government funding have accelerated investments in digital infrastructure and central research facilities. Entrepreneurship is being nurtured through a dedicated startup incubator providing seed funding, mentorship and internships, and the Vice Chancellor Internship scheme connects bright students with industry and administrative roles, bridging academia and practical experience. Admission reforms through a centralised entrance test ensure a level playing field for applicants across diverse educational boards nationwide, fostering meritocracy and diversity with a balanced gender ratio of 53 per cent female students. As the University of Delhi celebrates more than a century of excellence, these comprehensive reforms and investments signal a dynamic new chapter. —as told to Shelly Anand CAMPUS NOTES | The launchpad of my dreams By Jyoti Meena, MBA in Marketing and Strategy, Third Semester, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi After completing my BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from Hindu College, I dedicated myself to preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, reaching the interview stage in February this year. However, over time, I began to realise that while public policy fascinated me, I also wanted to experience its application from a corporate lens. That's when the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) became my natural next step. FMS offered everything I needed: academic excellence, flexibility, an unbeatable alumni network and, most importantly, the Delhi location, which allowed me to manage my UPSC attempt alongside my course studies. Academically, FMS keeps us on our toes. We tackle diverse courses—finance, IT, marketing, strategy—before specialising in year two. I chose marketing and strategy, and I'm also diving deep into government consulting. We're currently required to complete a dissertation. What I love most about the FMS and DU ecosystem is its balance: it's rigorous, yes, but not suffocating. There's space for growth beyond textbooks—through case competitions, guest lectures and cultural clubs. Outside the classroom, I'm an executive member of the Public Policy Club, the first of its kind at FMS. We host guest lectures and policy conferences, and it's rewarding to create platforms where business students explore how policy intersects with the private sector. As I look forward to my final semester, placements and beyond, I also look back at my time at FMS. It has been more than pursuing a degree—a pivot, a platform and, most of all, a launchpad.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Best Universities Rankings 2025
The India Today-MDRA best universities survey reveals a new dynamism in the higher education ecosystem, marked by stability as well as churn India's higher education sector is a behemoth in flux. It's ambitious, overcrowded and, paradoxically, under-resourced. Yet, it continues to produce islands of excellence amid the chaos. The india today-MDRA Best Universities Survey 2025 captures this complex terrain with an evaluative lens that is at once empirical and perceptive, rendering it the most credible assessment of the country's university ecosystem. Now in its 16th year, the survey has become a benchmark for policymakers, recruiters, students and university leaders alike, not just for its rankings, but for what those rankings reveal about direction, aspiration and institutional agility. At its core, the survey offers more than a ranking. It demonstrates that excellence in Indian universities is an ongoing project—constantly being built, reimagined and, often, rediscovered. That's what the university rankings in the general category reflect this year. Among the government universities in the general category, the University of Delhi (DU) occupies the pedestal for the first time, displacing Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which had monopolised that perch since 2018. DU, which had ranked second since 2021, has now emerged as the benchmark for excellence in the public university space. DU's ascent to the top reflects not only the consolidation of its academic and research output but also the success of its institutional reforms and improvements in infrastructure, student engagement as well as placement performance. On a broader scale, it reflects a trend where older, multi-college public universities are reclaiming academic prominence amid India's shifting higher education landscape. Meanwhile, Aligarh Muslim University has maintained a steady upward trajectory, entrenched in third place since 2021, while the University of Hyderabad has remained firmly in the top four despite minor fluctuations. Osmania University has shown consistent improvement over the years, despite periods of non-participation, and ranks fifth this time. Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, which made an appearance only in 2021, has rapidly climbed to sixth place in this year's list. Bharathiar University and Acharya Nagarjuna University, on the other hand, have demonstrated remarkable long-term progress, moving up from 18th and 14th positions in 2018 to ninth and 10th, respectively, this year, mirroring the shift toward regional institutions gaining national academic recognition. HALLOWED GROUNDS: Students at Delhi University. (Photo: Arun Kumar) THE PRIVATE SPACE The 2025 Best Universities survey reflects a major churn at the top tier of private general universities. The SRM Institute of Science & Technology in Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, emerges as the new No. 1 for the first time since the rankings began, a significant leap from its fourth rank in 2021. Symbiosis International University, Pune, which held the top spot in 2024, has dropped to second place, while Amity University, Noida, a consistent leader from 2019 to 2023, has slipped to third. CHRIST University, Bengaluru, once a front-runner (No. 1 in 2018), continues its gradual descent, coming in fourth this year. The Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KL University) has demonstrated strong upward momentum, jumping from ninth position in 2018 to fifth now. Banasthali Vidyapith maintains its position in the top six, while Sathyabama and JAIN Universities show consistency in the mid-tier ranks. Galgotias University has made a significant climb from 18th place in 2018 to ninth in 2025. XIM University, which was not ranked until 2020, continues its steady presence in the top 10. The rankings in the medical category reveal a strong consistency at the top, even as new institutions have emerged over the years. AIIMS Delhi retains its unbroken streak at No. 1 from 2018 through 2025, underscoring its unmatched reputation, academic excellence and healthcare leadership. Following closely are JIPMER Puducherry and King George's Medical University, Lucknow, which have also held on to the second and third positions, respectively, since their introduction in the rankings in 2019. Between 2018 and 2025, newer AIIMS institutions have come to occupy the top rungs in the ladder. AIIMS Jodhpur thus appears in fifth place in 2025, while AIIMS Bhopal debuts at rank 6. AIIMS Rishikesh, Raipur and Patna, too, inhabit the top 10, at ranks 7, 9 and 10, respectively. The entry of specialised institutes such as NIMHANS, Bengaluru (No. 4) and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi (No. 8) points to how medical excellence has expanded beyond general medical colleges to include research-oriented super-specialty centres. THE TECH LANDSCAPE When it comes to technical universities, it's no surprise that an Indian Institute of Technology rules the top. The surprise is that it's IIT Delhi that has sat firmly in the lead for five years running (2021-2025), since its rise from second place in 2018. IIT Bombay, although consistently among the top three, has slipped from No. 1 in 2018 to No. 3 this year. IIT Kanpur continues to be in second or third spot ever since it left fourth place in 2021. IIT Kharagpur, once a powerhouse that held the crown in 2018, has slipped to fourth place in 2025. IIT Roorkee entered the top five for the first time in 2024 and is holding steady this year. Below it is IIT Guwahati, which has consistently ranked sixth since 2023 but was fourth in 2020. IIT Mandi is another institute that has shown steady improvement since its appearance in the rankings. Non-IITs are making their mark, too, with Delhi Technological University (DTU), IIIT Bangalore and BITS Pilani finding a place in the top 10 since at least 2020. And what of the law universities? The rankings here highlight the sustained leadership of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, which has never taken leave of its numero uno status. The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, displays the same consistency a rung below, a position it has held every year since it re-entered the rankings in 2021. This year's survey also introduces a critical innovation: the 'Most Improved Universities' ranking. For the first time, universities have been evaluated not merely on the basis of their current standing but also by how far they have come—from 2020 to 2025—factoring in the percentage rise in their relative rankings. This innovation has brought in a new dynamism in rankings, giving a chance to those universities that may have started from a lower base but have displayed consistent upward mobility. No longer content to be peripheral players, these universities are aggressively competing on metrics that matter, from research output, faculty strength, campus development, digital innovation to industry engagement. And in doing so, they are challenging the long-standing hegemony of legacy institutions. By readjusting the focus from pedigree to progress, the new list incentivises resilience, adaptability and long-term reform, and marks a celebration of institutional evolution. Such methodological innovations have helped the india today Best Universities Survey emerge, over time, as the most authoritative and trusted barometer of higher education in India. Its credibility rests on its dual assessment system, combining objective performance indicators (based on audited data, faculty quality, research output, infrastructure and placements) with perception scores (derived from surveys of faculty, students, recruiters and alumni). The survey is also particular about strict verification standards, ensuring transparency and eliminating data misrepresentation, a frequent concern in rankings. More than anything, the survey stands apart for its nuanced rankings: separating general, technical, medical and law universities, and further distinguishing between government and private institutions. This disaggregation allows for a fairer comparison and helps students make more informed choices. In capturing not just who leads, but who's also catching up, the survey reflects both stability and churn. By combining empirical rigour with perceptive insight, and spotlighting not just excellence but evolution, the survey affirms one thing clearly: the future of Indian higher education will be shaped as much by ambition and adaptability as by reputation. METHODOLOGY | How the universities were ranked With 655 general, 79 medical, 192 technical and 27 law universities to choose from, the India Today Group's annual ranking of Best Universities has a special place in the country's academic calendar. It not only makes critical career decision easier for aspirants based on rich information and data, but also provides an overview of the state of university education to other stakeholders—recruiters, parents, alumni, policy makers and people at large. India today's knowledge partner Marketing and Development Research Associates (MDRA), a reputed research agency, followed a rigorous methodology while doing this survey between March-July 2025. During objective ranking, MDRA has carefully attuned 125+ attributes to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparison of universities. These performance indicators were clubbed into five broad parameters—'Reputation & Governance', 'Academic & Research Excellence', 'Infrastructure & Living Experience', 'Personality and Leadership Development' and 'Career Progression and Placement'. The ranking was done based on the latest data provided by the universities. A list of 775-plus qualifying universities fulfilling the criteria was prepared. Postgraduate courses under four streams—general, medical, technical and law—were considered for evaluation. Only universities offering full-time, in-classroom courses and having churned out minimum three pass-out batches by the end of 2024 qualified for ranking. Experts with rich experience in their fields were consulted to frame the parameters and sub-parameters for respective categories of universities. Indicators were meticulously determined, and their relative weights were finalised. A comprehensive objective questionnaire was sent to qualifying universities and also uploaded on the MDRA website. As many as 176 universities provided their data along with voluminous supporting documents within the stipulated deadline. After receipt of the objective data from universities, a detailed scrutiny of the supporting documents was done. Data was verified by every possible means. An objective score was given to each university under the five indicators. While computing objective scores, it was ensured that aggregate data alone is not used and hence data were normalised. A perceptual survey was carried out among well-informed 302 respondents—28 chancellors/ vice-chancellors, 72 directors/ deans/ registrars, 202 senior faculty (professors and head of the departments)—across more than 20 cities divided into four zones. North – Delhi-NCR, Lucknow, Jaipur, Chandigarh West – Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Indore South – Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Coimbatore East – Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Patna National and zonal rankings were taken from them in their respective field of experience and were given 75 per cent and 25 per cent weightage, respectively. They also rated the universities on a 10-point rating scale on each of the five key parameters. The total scores arrived from the objective and perception survey were added in the ratio of 50:50 to get the total combined score. Most Improved Universities A new category called 'Most Improved Universities' has been added to the india today-MDRA Best Universities Survey 2025. It highlights universities that have made the most progress over the past five years. The ranking is based on how much a university's position has improved in the annual rankings from 2020 to 2025, measured by percentage rise in rank. The university with the biggest jump is ranked first, followed by others in order of their improvement. The MDRA core team led by Abhishek Agrawal (Executive Director) included Abnish Jha (Project Director), Vaibhav Gupta (Deputy Research Manager), Kamaldeep Kaur (Assistant Research Executive), Robin Singh (Assistant Research Executive) and Manveer Singh (Assistant Manager EDP).
