Campus Calling: Sing, dance, debate your way into DU colleges

Getting admitted into the Delhi University colleges can be a dream for many Class 12 pass outs, which may be dampened by the skyrocketing cut-offs at many of these prestigious colleges. A seat under the extra-curricular activities (ECA) quota may be one way for students to get admitted into their chosen programs at their chosen colleges.

The university relaxes its cut-offs, by up to 15% depending on the colleges, based on one’s prowess in the various extra-curricular activities, such as dance, music, debate, theatre, creative writing, among others. Last year, there were 865 seats under the ECA category, this year the number is expected to rise up to 1,000, according to sources.

“My current best of four is 90. I want to do my BA in Journalism from LSR. The cutoffs for this are usually much higher. So if I get the relaxation under the ECA category, I may be able to qualify for the course of my choice,” said Sanchita Nagpal, ex-student of Adarsh Public School.

Cultural and extra-curricular activities are a part and parcel of the academic and socio cultural fibre at the DU, with dance, music, theatre and debate as some of the more popular ones. “The university has different societies that specialise in these activities, and they participate in multiple competitions at different levels. ECA seats are given because they fuel the societies,” explained Shalini, head of ECA admissions.

However, students learnt at the DU’s Open Days event on Tuesday that there are some prerequisites to be considered for these seats. Firstly, only a limited pool of activities are considered under this category.

“I have been appearing on shows in Doordarshan since I was a toddler. I have also done some radio jockeying at the All India Radio. However, these will not be considered, so I will have to apply for the debating trials,” said Mahika, who completed her Class 12 from South Delhi Public School.

Students will also have to go through trials to be selected for an ECA seat. “The preliminary trials will tentatively start around June 17, and will last until June 26. Students will then be selected for a final round, which will be held between June 30 and July 6,” explained Shalini.

During the online application process, a student has to upload just one certificate from the last three years, whichever they consider best illustrates their talents, as proof that they have previously participated in the events. “During the final round, we check all the certificates a student has,” she added.

However, for NSS students, as they cannot really take part in ‘trials’, the procedure is a little different. “The students will need to submit a certificate issued by their state government that they have completed 120 hours of training to qualify for an NSS seat. Then the students go through a question and answer round, like an interview instead of trials,” said Shalini.

Though ECA can pave your way into a reputed institution, it does come at a price. “We at DU take our societies and extra-curricular activities very seriously. So a student admitted under the ECA quota will have to sign a bond, that they will attend all practices and performances,” said Shalini, while addressing students at the Open Day.