DU Registrar Clarifies Class 12-Based Admissions 2026: Merit Route Only for Vacant Seats, CUET Applicants Already Got Preferred Choices
The University of Delhi (DU) has clarified why selected colleges are being allowed to admit undergraduate students on the basis of Class 12 marks despite CUET UG being the university's primary admission route. DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the special merit-based process is being used to fill seats that remained vacant after the regular CUET-based admission rounds.
According to the Registrar, students who participated in the CUET-based Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) have already been considered for their preferred college-course combinations. The subsequent Class 12 merit-based admissions are therefore intended to prevent remaining seats in selected programmes from going vacant.
Official website:
University of Delhi
News report:
DU Registrar Clarifies Class 12-Based Admissions – Lokmat Times
DU Class 12-Based Admission 2026: Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Delhi |
| Admission Session | 2026 |
| Regular UG Admission | CUET UG + CSAS |
| Special Admission Route | Class 12 merit |
| Purpose | Fill remaining vacant seats |
| CUET Scrapped? | No |
| Class 12 Route Available Everywhere? | No |
| Applicable To | Selected colleges and programmes with vacancies |
| DU Registrar | Vikas Gupta |
| Main Clarification | CUET candidates already received consideration for preferred choices |
| Official Website | du.ac.in |
Why Is DU Offering Admission Without CUET Scores?
The merit-based route has created confusion because Delhi University's regular undergraduate admissions are conducted through CUET UG and CSAS.
DU Registrar Vikas Gupta has now clarified the university's reasoning.
Students who had appeared for CUET and participated in DU's allocation process had already been given opportunities to secure their preferred programmes and colleges. However, after those admission rounds, seats remained vacant in some programmes. DU consequently permitted selected colleges to fill those seats using Class 12 merit.
The special mechanism can therefore be understood as:
CUET UG → CSAS Allocations → CUET Candidates Get Preference Opportunities → Seats Remain Vacant → Class 12 Merit-Based Admission
Has Delhi University Removed CUET?
No.
Delhi University has not abolished CUET for undergraduate admissions.
The university's normal 2026 admission framework requires candidates seeking regular UG admission to appear in CUET UG and participate in CSAS. DU's own college admission guidance states that UG allocation is conducted through CSAS based on the university's programme-specific eligibility requirements.
The Class 12 route is an exceptional mechanism for specific seats that remain vacant.
Therefore, students should not interpret headlines about "DU admission without CUET" as meaning that CUET is no longer required for regular DU admissions.
DU Registrar's Clarification on CUET Candidates
Registrar Vikas Gupta's key argument is that the special admission process does not disadvantage candidates who followed the regular CUET route.
According to the clarification, CUET candidates have already been allotted or considered for choices according to the university's admission process. The merit-based mechanism comes later and targets seats that otherwise risk remaining unfilled.
This distinction is important because the two routes are operating at different stages of the admission cycle.
DU Class 12 Merit Admission vs Regular CUET Admission
| Regular CUET-CSAS Admission | Class 12 Merit Admission |
|---|---|
| Primary DU UG admission route | Special vacancy-filling route |
| CUET UG score used | Class 12 marks used |
| Conducted through CSAS | Conducted under special college-level arrangements |
| Available across regular notified UG admissions | Limited to approved vacant seats |
| Candidates submit college-course preferences | Candidates apply according to the specific vacancy notice |
| Happens during regular allocation | Comes after vacancies remain |
| CUET required | CUET score not used for these specifically notified seats |
The two mechanisms should therefore not be treated as competing admission systems.
Are Class 12 Merit Admissions Actually Underway?
Yes. Individual DU colleges have already published notices and merit lists under the special mechanism.
For example, Aditi Mahavidyalaya has published multiple Merit-Based Admission 2026-27 notices and merit lists for programmes including BA combinations, BCom Programme, BA (Hons) Hindi Patrakarita, BA (Hons) Social Work and BA (Hons) Geography, among others.
This confirms that the Class 12-based process is not merely a proposal; admissions have been actively processed at participating colleges.
Why Are Seats Still Vacant After CUET?
Vacancies can remain even after several allocation rounds because students may:
- Decline an allotted programme.
- Withdraw after admission.
- Choose another university.
- Upgrade to another DU college or programme.
- Not complete fee payment.
- Prefer another professional programme.
- Not accept less-preferred course combinations.
- Leave less-demanded programmes vacant.
As a result, a university can have strong overall demand while still having vacancies in individual college-course combinations.
DU's merit-based mechanism is intended to address these residual vacancies.
Does This Give Non-CUET Students an Unfair Advantage?
This is one of the central concerns addressed by the Registrar's clarification.
DU's position is that CUET candidates were already provided opportunities through the regular admission mechanism and preference allocations before the remaining seats were opened through the Class 12 route.
In other words, the university's position is:
CUET candidates received priority through regular admission rounds first.
Only remaining vacant seats are subsequently being opened through the alternative mechanism.
Can Students Who Did Not Take CUET Get DU Admission?
For the specifically notified merit-based vacancies, eligible students can be considered on the basis of Class 12 marks under the special process.
This does not create a general right to apply to any Delhi University college without CUET.
Eligibility depends on:
Participating College + Notified Programme + Remaining Vacancy + Class 12 Eligibility + Merit + Admission Rules
If a particular college or course has not been included in the special process, the Class 12 merit route cannot simply be used as an alternative to CUET.
Which Courses Are Available?
The available programmes differ from college to college.
Aditi Mahavidyalaya's August merit-based admission notices, for example, have covered combinations and programmes including BA Programme, BCom Programme, BA (Hons) Hindi Patrakarita, BA (Hons) Social Work and BA (Hons) Geography.
Candidates must therefore check the latest notice from the specific participating college.
There is no basis for assuming that every BA, BCom or BSc programme across DU is available through Class 12 merit.
How Does Class 12 Merit Admission Work?
The broad process is:
Vacant Seats Identified
↓
College Receives/Uses DU Permission
↓
Merit-Based Admission Notice Published
↓
Eligible Students Apply
↓
Class 12 Marks Considered
↓
Merit List Prepared
↓
Documents Verified
↓
Admission Offered Against Available Seats
Aditi Mahavidyalaya's admission page demonstrates this process through separate merit-based admission notices followed by programme-specific merit lists.
Is Admission First-Come, First-Served?
Candidates should not assume that it is.
Where a college publishes a merit-based admission process, applicants are considered according to the criteria prescribed in that college's notification.
The publication of separate merit lists at participating colleges demonstrates that simply submitting an application early does not automatically establish admission entitlement.
What Should Students Check Before Applying?
Candidates interested in this special route should verify:
- Whether the college is participating.
- Whether their preferred programme has vacancies.
- Class 12 eligibility requirements.
- Subject combination requirements.
- Category-wise vacancies.
- Application dates.
- Merit calculation rules.
- Required documents.
- Merit-list publication date.
- Admission-fee deadline.
The individual college's latest notification should be treated as authoritative for that vacancy.
DU's Regular CUET Rule Still Matters
Delhi University's published 2026 admission guidance continues to state that regular undergraduate allocation is conducted through CUET UG and CSAS.
For example, DU's Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies admission guidance states that candidates seeking regular 2026-27 undergraduate admission must appear for CUET UG and separately complete the DU CSAS process.
That framework has not been replaced by the special merit process.
Important Clarification for Future DU Applicants
Students preparing for Delhi University admission in a future cycle should not skip CUET because of the 2026 Class 12 merit-based vacancies.
The current development concerns a special vacancy-filling mechanism.
Unless Delhi University formally changes its admission policy for a future session, candidates should prepare according to the regular:
CUET UG → DU CSAS → Preference Filling → Seat Allocation
process.
DU Class 12 Admission 2026: Key Points
- DU has clarified its Class 12 merit-based admission mechanism.
- The university has not removed CUET.
- CUET remains the regular route for undergraduate admission.
- Class 12 merit is being used for selected remaining vacant seats.
- DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said CUET candidates had already received opportunities through their preferred choices before the alternative process was introduced.
- The measure is intended to prevent UG seats from remaining vacant.
- It applies only to participating colleges and notified programmes.
- Students cannot demand Class 12-based admission to every DU college or programme.
- Candidates still need to meet programme-specific eligibility.
- Participating colleges can publish their own merit-based admission notices and lists under the approved mechanism.
- Aditi Mahavidyalaya has already published multiple merit lists under its 2026 merit-based admission process.
- Students should check the latest vacancy before applying.
- Class 12 merit admission should not be confused with the regular CSAS allocation process.
- Future applicants should not assume CUET will be optional based on this special 2026 measure.
- Official admission updates should be checked through Delhi University's official website.
FAQs
Has Delhi University removed CUET for UG admission in 2026?
No. CUET remains the regular admission route. Class 12-based admissions are being used as a special mechanism to fill selected vacant seats.
Why is DU admitting students on Class 12 marks?
Some seats remained vacant after regular CUET-CSAS admission rounds. DU has allowed selected colleges to fill those vacancies using Class 12 merit.
What did DU Registrar Vikas Gupta clarify?
He explained that CUET applicants had already received consideration for their preferred choices through the regular admission process before the remaining vacancies were opened through Class 12 merit.
Can students without CUET scores get admission to DU?
They can be considered only for specifically notified seats under the special Class 12 merit-based process, provided they satisfy the applicable eligibility requirements.
Are all DU colleges accepting Class 12 marks?
No. The arrangement applies only to colleges and programmes approved for filling remaining vacancies.
Is Class 12 admission available for every DU course?
No. Availability is college- and programme-specific and depends on remaining vacancies.
Are colleges already publishing merit lists?
Yes. Aditi Mahavidyalaya, for example, has published multiple merit-based admission notices and programme-specific merit lists during August 2026.
Should students preparing for future DU admission still take CUET?
Yes, unless DU officially announces a different admission policy. The current Class 12 route is a special vacancy-filling measure, not a general replacement for CUET.
