Universities all across are facing a dilemma regarding enrolment of candidates in Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) based admissions, which allow certain leeway to students with skills in any sport or activity such as dance, music etc. Due to the pandemic, most universities are once again resorting to finalising admissions based on certificates submitted by applicants.
This also includes bonus marks, scholarships or lowering of required merit to enter in a particular course.
Traditionally, Delhi University (DU) invites students applying for admission under the ECA category for a performance round in the college. However, the performance round was scrapped last year due to the health crisis and will be continued this year too.
The pandemic has led to this change. Rajeev Gupta, chairman (admissions), DU, says, “Students from pan India apply to DU. In the current circumstances, calling ECA eligible candidates for try-outs to Delhi is not advisable. Thus, last year we devised the formula to give admission to students applying under the ECA category based on certificates provided by them.”
Colleges are given 5% of super-numerary allowance to take admissions in the ECA category. “DU colleges have to take a combination of ECA and sports candidates, the total number of which should not vary from 5% in totality.”
Since 2020-2021 was the first admission cycle for this process, applicants were apprehensive, adds Gupta. However, the number of applicants under the ECA category suggests that the change was gradually accepted. “Prior to the pandemic, we got anything between 20,000-30,000 ECA applications. Last year, we received 22,000 applications. Thus, we have decided to repeat the process this year as well,” adds Gupta.
There is one change in DU’s ECA admissions this year. “Instead of asking students for their achievements over the last 3 years, we have asked them to choose their achievements from the best 3 out of the last 4 years. This is because activities related to their skill-sets might not have occurred in 2020 due to the pandemic,” adds Gupta.
Abhishek Mohan Gupta, pro-chancellor, Jagran Lakecity University (JLU), Bhopal, explains that JLU has reserved scholarships for students applying under ECA category. “There is a tuition fees wavier of 100% for international, 75% for national medal winners and 50% for those who have participated nationally,” says Gupta.
