Death of the DU dream: High cut-offs keep students at home

While June 15 was a long dark night across the world thanks to a rare lunar eclipse, it was a particularly dark day for the student population, with high Delhi University cut-offs spelling the death of many a DU dream.

From Mumbaikars to Dilliwale, people were equally aghast at the recent high cut-offs the university set (One college even set 100 per cent).

In places like West Bengal, where students flock to greener pastures -- namely Delhi – every year, the cut-offs have forced people to rethink their options and even compelled some to stay rooted at home.

Priyanshi Poddar, 18, from La Martiniere for girls, Kolkata, had scored a whopping 94 per cent in ISC with her best of four subjects being economics, commerce, accounts and English.

Just two years ago, a 94 per cent seemed like a distant horizon for most, but today it does not stand a chance with skyrocketing cut-offs.

“I now have to rely on English at Lady Sri Ram. I was aiming at economics, and commerce was my second choice, but now I have to wait and hope for LSR to fall through,” said a disheartened Poddar.

She said the average score in Commerce for ISC had plummeted this year, while Science and Humanities were still high.

“Earlier commerce students vied for subjects like economics. Now they are having to give up their ambitions because those slots will be filled up by science and humanities students, who probably wouldn’t aspire to get in in the first place but will stand a better chance because of their higher scores,” said Priyanshi.

Manavi Gupta, a second-year student in Jai Hind College, too was shocked at the spike. While the cut-offs last year weren’t too far from 100, Manavi commented on the difference being in average performance this year.

“Many people last year had done well. This year the average hasn’t been just as good, so while people were expecting the cut-offs to be lower, they shot up to an unimaginable 100,” commented Manavi on the shocker.

Even for Parth Poddar, student at St Xavier’s, Kolkata, a commendable 93.5 per cent in commerce looked meager. With his highest being in Mathematics, Commerce, Accounts and English, the 18-year-old athletic-enthusiast admitted defeat without even waiting for a second list.

“What is the point of even trying?” he asked.  “A 100 per cent is unthinkable for people who have got a 95 and a 96 so what chance do I stand?”

He now plans to apply at St Xavier’s College in Kolkata. According to Parth, the highest in his school for Commerce was a 94.75%.

While pressures mount both at home and in school, burning the midnight oil for many seems a futile attempt.

With a 95 per cent today undervaluing to a late 80-something tomorrow, students stand crestfallen with dashed hopes and dreams.

India, with its slowly progressing education system today has only a handful of colleges that its student population can aspire for. But with that handful demanding an unfathomable 100 per cent, seething students have to settle for mediocre colleges.