Delhi University: No commerce without maths!

NEW DELHI: Students without mathematics will no longer be eligible for undergraduate commerce courses in Delhi University colleges. According to university officials, the university is making mathematics a mandatory criterion for admission to B Com programme and B Com (H) course from forthcoming academic session. The reason for the change is said to the new semester-based course structure where the mathematical and computer components are enhanced. 

As per the new undergraduate students' admission process of DU for the year 2011-12, for admission to B Com programme a student needs to have studied mathematics in class X and for admission to B Com (H) course as the student need to have mathematics in class XII. 

"Previously the university did not use any set preconditions on additional eligibility criteria for B Com and B Com (H) courses. The colleges used to set their own additional eligibility conditions in the form of additional subject requirement. But from this year the university is making mathematics a mandatory subject in class X and XII respectively for admissions. The colleges will be notified of the changes soon," said deputy dean of students' welfare, DU, J M Khurana. 

While 44 colleges of DU offer B Com programme, 55 colleges offer B Com (H) course. Till last year the colleges used to set their own eligibility criteria, which is apart from the minimum cut-off marks required for admission to these two commerce courses. 

For B Com (H) course, till last year, individual colleges used to set the additional subject requirement criteria. While colleges like Lady Shri Ram and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya used to ask for 60% in class XII mathematics, for colleges like Dayal Singh, Gargi and Keshav Mahavidyalaya one just need to have the pass marks in class XII mathematics. 

Meanwhile, Laxmi Bai college set 50% in class XII mathematics as the minimum eligibility, while Satyawati (evening) set the requirement at 40%. But many other colleges including Sri Ram College of Commerce, PGDAV and Aditi Mahavidyalaya used to accept non-commerce, non-maths students with a deduction in percentage from the best of four marks in class XII. Similarly for admission to B Com programme apart from Laxmi Bai college no other colleges set any additional subject qualification last year.