The Delhi High Court on Monday reprimanded Delhi University (DU) for its failure to finalize the admissions of some students to postgraduate (PG) courses at St. Stephen’s College.

Justice Dharmesh Sharma instructed the Registrar and Dean of Admissions of Delhi University to appear before the Court on October 15 via video conference, to explain why legal action should not be taken against them.

"This Court finds that the respondents are guilty of committing wilful disobedience in the nature deliberately stalling the implementation of the directions of this Court," the Court said.

In a sharp rebuke to Delhi University authorities, the Court remarked that university officials were allowing personal grievances with the college management to interfere, jeopardizing the students' futures in the process.

"Hence, unhesitatingly, this Court is of the opinion that the concerned officials of the respondent DU while settling their personal grouses with the management of the petitioner-college, are in virtually playing with the life of the students, which action or deliberate omission is neither acceptable nor sustainable in law. The respondents are miserably failing to show cause as to what steps they have taken so far to facilitate the admission of the selected students by the petitioner-college in getting admission in PG courses."

The Court was hearing a contempt plea filed by St. Stephen’s College, accusing Delhi University of failing to comply with a single-judge’s directions regarding seat allocation for postgraduate (PG) courses. The college claimed that it had been allotted significantly fewer PG seats compared to other colleges.

The plea also highlighted that the list of candidates from the minority Christian community was disregarded by the university, resulting in their exclusion from admissions to various PG courses.

The Court noted that the college had submitted the list of selected students to DU in July and had repeatedly followed up, requesting their admission to the PG programs.

"Evidently, two months have passed by and the sessions for various PG courses have already commenced, thereby putting the students at risk for not meeting the UGC teaching days requirement," it observed.

The Court observed that the respondents had maintained a stoic silence since the submission of the selected candidates' list, leaving the fate of five students in limbo. It also acknowledged that, despite the High Court's earlier directions, the allocation of postgraduate (PG) seats at St. Stephen’s College had been reduced compared to previous years.