DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh addressing a press conference.
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Delhi University has launched an initiative to impart basic computer skills and training for higher education, including the application process for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), to Scheduled Tribes (ST) students from Classes 9 to 12 across India, particularly those living in remote parts.
The Janajati Immersive Holistic Intervention for Novel Development (JAIHIND) scheme’s first batch of 25 students, including 12 girls and 13 boys from the Ukhrul district of Manipur, selected on the basis of their academic merit, started their training on Tuesday. The inaugural two-week programme will continue till June 29, said Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh.
Since CUET was mandated for undergraduate admissions to Central universities in 2022, the academic community has been raising concerns that the computer-based test and form-filling process may hinder the higher education prospects of students from marginalised communities. In 2023, University Grants Commission (UGC) data revealed that only 50.5% of the ST candidates who had registered for the exam appeared for it, raising concerns about accessibility. In the following year, the UGC did not release category-wise data.
Professor K. Ratnabali, Dean, Academic Affairs, told The Hindu that the cost of accommodation and travel is being borne by the university. “We are planning on making it an annual programme, where students from the ST communities across the country will be trained in various skills. We are also planning to send our teachers to remote areas,” she said.
She added, “We decided to include a CUET orientation and computer training because sometimes, students who do not have computers at home log in from cybercafes, losing out on important communication from the university regarding admissions. We are preparing them on filling the forms as these students will soon be applying to colleges.”
During the launch of the scheme on Tuesday, the Vice-Chancellor said that detailed information on CUET will be given to students for “better access to higher education”.
Published – June 19, 2025 01:30 am IST