DU Colleges Allowed to Admit UG Students Based on Class 12 Marks to Fill Vacant Seats: Check Admission Rules, Courses and Merit Process

The University of Delhi (DU) has allowed a special Class 12 merit-based admission route for vacant undergraduate seats, providing an opportunity for students who could not secure admission through the regular CUET UG 2026 and Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) process.

However, the headline claiming that 11 DU colleges have received this permission needs caution. Current reliable reporting specifically confirms the relaxation for two DU colleges — Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College. DU permitted these colleges to conduct merit-based admissions in physical mode because they continued to face substantial vacancies despite CUET-based admission rounds.

The university has also clarified that this should not be interpreted as DU abandoning CUET. CUET UG and CSAS remain the standard undergraduate admission mechanism, while Class 12 merit admission is an exceptional measure for persistent vacancies.

DU Class 12 Merit Admission 2026: Highlights

Reports from Careers360, NDTV and the Times of India all specifically identify two colleges, rather than 11, as having received this special permission.

Which DU Colleges Are Offering Admission Based on Class 12 Marks?

The two colleges reliably confirmed to have received permission are:

1. Aditi Mahavidyalaya
2. Bhagini Nivedita College

Both are women-only colleges and have faced persistent vacancies in recent admission cycles. Their locations and comparatively limited applicant pools have been cited among the reasons for seats remaining vacant.

Candidates should therefore not assume that Class 12 merit admission is currently available at 11 DU colleges unless DU or the individual colleges issue additional official notices.

Why Has DU Allowed Admission Without CUET?

Normally, undergraduate admission to Delhi University is conducted through:

CUET UG → CSAS Registration → Preference Filling → Seat Allocation → Admission

The Class 12 merit route represents an exception.

The two colleges repeatedly faced difficulty filling their sanctioned seats even after CUET-based allocation rounds. According to DU Registrar Vikas Gupta, both institutions had struggled to fill seats over several years, partly because of their relatively far-flung locations and because students who initially accept admission sometimes withdraw later.

DU therefore allowed them to use Class 12 merit to improve seat utilisation.

Is CUET Compulsory for DU Admission 2026?

For regular Delhi University undergraduate admissions, CUET UG remains the primary admission route.

Students should not interpret the current development as:

"CUET is no longer required for DU admission."

That would be incorrect.

Instead, the situation is:

Regular DU UG Seats → CUET UG + CSAS

Special Vacant Seats at Specifically Permitted Colleges → Class 12 Merit Route

DU's Registrar explicitly said the relaxation should not be viewed as a change in the university's overall admission policy.

DU Admission Without CUET 2026

For the colleges granted special permission, candidates can potentially obtain admission without their CUET score determining selection.

Bhagini Nivedita College's admission notice stated that selection would be made strictly on the basis of Class 12 marks and the availability of seats.

This creates an alternative opportunity for eligible students who may have:

• Not obtained a competitive CUET score
• Failed to secure a seat through CSAS
• Not received their preferred programme
• Missed out during earlier allocations
• Been interested in programmes with remaining vacancies

Candidates must still satisfy the programme-specific eligibility requirements.

DU Class 12 Merit Admission 2026 Courses

Bhagini Nivedita College opened the special admission process for several undergraduate programmes, including:

• BA programmes
• BCom
• BSc programmes
• Other applicable undergraduate courses with vacancies

Careers360 confirms that its August 1 admission notice covered BCom, BA, BSc and other programmes.

The precise number of available seats differs by programme and can change as admissions are completed.

Bhagini Nivedita College Admission 2026 Without CUET

Bhagini Nivedita College was among the institutions specifically authorised to conduct Class 12 merit-based admissions.

The college invited candidates to submit applications physically, with selection based on:

Class 12 Marks + Eligibility + Available Seats

For the initial special admission window, applications were required by August 5, 2026, while document verification and fee payment were scheduled for August 6 and 7.

Candidates checking now should therefore verify whether the college has announced any additional vacancy or admission round rather than relying on the earlier August dates.

Aditi Mahavidyalaya Admission 2026 Without CUET

Aditi Mahavidyalaya was also given permission to conduct Class 12 merit-based admissions.

The college is located in Bawana and has experienced substantial vacant-seat issues in previous admission cycles.

According to the college, around 40% of its seats have remained vacant in recent years under the CUET admission system.

The institution therefore sought special permission to use Class 12 performance to attract eligible students, particularly those in nearby areas.

Why Do These DU Colleges Have Vacant Seats?

Several factors have been cited.

Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College are located relatively far from DU's better-known central campus clusters. Both are also women-only institutions.

College officials have said that students from surrounding rural areas may not participate in CUET because of cost, awareness or travel considerations.

In addition, students who initially obtain seats can subsequently upgrade or withdraw, leaving vacancies behind.

How Does DU Class 12 Merit Admission Work?

The special admission process differs from the normal CSAS process.

Broadly, candidates should expect:

Check Vacancy → Obtain College Application Form → Submit Application → Class 12 Merit Preparation → Document Verification → Fee Payment → Admission

At Bhagini Nivedita College, applications were accepted in physical mode, rather than through the normal centralised CSAS allocation system.

Candidates should follow the individual college's latest notification because procedures can differ.

How Is the DU Class 12 Merit List Prepared?

For the special process, selection is based on Class 12 marks and seat availability.

This means the candidate's board examination performance becomes the primary merit criterion for the applicable vacancies.

The broad principle is:

Class 12 Marks + Programme Eligibility + Available Seats = Merit-Based Admission Consideration

Candidates with higher marks can have an advantage, but admission depends on the number of applications and vacancies in the programme.

Will DU Release Cut-Off Lists for Class 12 Admission?

For the initial special process, reporting indicated that the colleges were preparing their own merit lists rather than following DU's traditional pre-CUET cut-off-list system.

The Times of India reported that no conventional cut-off lists were to be issued under the process at the two colleges.

Candidates should therefore distinguish between:

Old DU Cut-Off System ≠ Current Special Class 12 Merit Process

The individual college's merit/admission notice determines selection.

Is This Admission Available to Students Who Did Not Take CUET?

The special merit-based process potentially creates an admission route based on Class 12 marks rather than CUET performance at the specifically authorised colleges.

However, candidates must satisfy the requirements stated in the individual college's notice.

They should not assume that the relaxation applies university-wide.

Why Is the Decision Controversial?

The decision has drawn criticism from a section of DU teachers.

The Indian National Teachers Congress (INTEC) argued that if Class 12 merit-based admission is permitted to fill vacancies, DU should have a transparent and uniform policy rather than allowing only selected colleges to use the mechanism.

The university, however, has maintained that the two colleges face unusual and persistent vacancy problems and that the decision does not represent a general policy change.

Is This the First Time DU Has Used Class 12 Marks for Vacant Seats?

No.

DU had previously indicated that Class 12 marks could be used as a mechanism to fill seats remaining vacant after regular admission rounds.

In 2024, Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh said the university would use Class 12 marks to fill remaining UG vacancies following a University Grants Commission SOP aimed at preventing university seats from remaining unfilled for an entire academic year.

What is unusual about the 2026 development is the timing and specific permission granted to the two colleges while the broader CUET-CSAS process was still underway.

DU Class 12 Admission vs CUET Admission

Documents Required for DU Merit-Based Admission

Candidates should keep applicable documents ready, such as:

• Class 10 certificate
• Class 12 marksheet
• Class 12 passing certificate
• Recent photographs
• Valid identity proof
• Category certificate, where applicable
• EWS certificate, where applicable
• PwBD certificate, where applicable
• Migration/transfer documents where required
• College application form
• Other documents specified by the college

Candidates should check the college notice for the definitive list.

What Should Students Do Now?

Since the initial August admission windows at the confirmed colleges have already passed, candidates looking for admission now should check whether fresh vacancy or special admission notices have been issued.

The correct approach is:

Check DU/College Notice → Confirm Vacant Course → Check Current Deadline → Verify Eligibility → Apply Through Prescribed Mode

Do not submit an old application form simply because it remains accessible online.

Important Clarification on the "11 DU Colleges" Claim

The headline supplied with this story states that 11 DU colleges have been allowed to admit students using Class 12 marks.

That figure is not supported by the reliable current reports I could verify.

Current reporting from Careers360, Times of India, NDTV, Hindustan Times and other sources consistently identifies:

Aditi Mahavidyalaya + Bhagini Nivedita College = 2 confirmed colleges.

For accuracy, the story should therefore not state as fact that 11 colleges have received permission unless a newer DU notification confirms the expansion.

DU Class 12 Merit Admission 2026: Key Points

• DU has permitted special Class 12 merit-based UG admissions to fill persistent vacancies.
• Reliable current reporting confirms two colleges, not 11.
• The confirmed colleges are Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College.
• The arrangement is an exception to DU's normal admission process.
• CUET UG remains DU's primary undergraduate admission route.
• Regular DU admissions continue through CSAS.
• The special admission route uses Class 12 marks.
• Admission depends on programme-wise seat availability.
• Bhagini Nivedita College invited applications for BA, BCom, BSc and other applicable programmes.
• The initial Bhagini Nivedita application deadline was August 5.
• Document verification and fee payment were scheduled for August 6-7.
• The relaxation was granted because of persistent vacant seats.
• DU says this is not a university-wide policy change.
• Candidates should check for newer vacancy notices before applying.
• The official DU website is du.ac.in.

FAQs

Can students get DU admission in 2026 based on Class 12 marks?

Yes, but only under specific vacancy-filling arrangements at colleges authorised by DU. It is not the normal admission mechanism for all DU colleges.

How many DU colleges have been allowed to admit students based on Class 12 marks?

Reliable current reports confirm two colleges: Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College.

Are 11 DU colleges offering admission based on Class 12 marks?

The supplied headline claims 11, but I could not verify that figure from reliable current reporting. Multiple independent reports specifically identify only two colleges. The figure 11 should therefore not be published as confirmed without a newer DU notification.

Is CUET cancelled for DU admission?

No. CUET UG remains the primary route for undergraduate admission to Delhi University, with allocation through CSAS.

Which DU colleges have confirmed admission without CUET?

The confirmed colleges are Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College.

How are students selected under the special admission process?

Selection is based on Class 12 marks, programme eligibility and available vacant seats.

Why did DU allow Class 12 merit-based admissions?

The two colleges have experienced persistent vacant seats, with their location and limited applicant pool cited among the contributing factors.

What is the official Delhi University website?

University of Delhi Official Website