JNU can go ahead with admissions based on deprivation points: Delhi High Court

A single judge had halted admissions, saying the scheme of deprivation points is against the concept of a competitive exam.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 19, 2026 02:21 PM IST

On August 14, JNU said it had issued all offer letters for postgraduate courses, numbering 1,500, and undergraduate courses, numbering 451. (Source: Express Archives)

The Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to continue with admissions, including those based on deprivation points. It was hearing an appeal by the varsity against a single-judge’s order halting admissions based on deprivation points earlier this month.

Modifying this order, a division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, however, clarified that such admissions shall be subject to the final outcome of the petition before the single judge.

Justice Jasmeet Singh’s stay on August 14 came on a plea by an aspiring student, Amit Mehra, who sought admission to postgraduate courses at JNU. The single judge had observed that the scheme of deprivation points awarded to a candidate is an “antithesis to the whole concept of a competitive exam”.

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What are deprivation points?

It is a maximum of 12 points awarded to a candidate and takes into account factors such as the district they hail from. According to JNU, this is based on a university policy to ensure an adequate number of students.

On August 14, JNU said it had issued all offer letters for postgraduate courses, numbering 1,500, and undergraduate courses, numbering 451.

Justice Singh, while staying the finalisation of admissions based on deprivation points till the next date of hearing on August 24, had reasoned that by permitting JNU to add up to 12 marks, it can alter the result of a candidate obtained in the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).

“If this is permitted, the sanctity of an entrance exam will no longer remain. A university, through ordinances, will be able to alter the score obtained by a candidate in a competitive exam. That is antithesis to the whole concept of a competitive exam,” the single judge said.

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JNU challenges stay

Aggrieved by the order, JNU appealed against it before a division bench. It argued that owing to the stay order, “the entire admission process has been put to a halt”.

Mehra, on the other hand, argued in the appeal that owing to the system of awarding deprivation points, “the marks obtained by a candidate in CUET has almost been rendered nugatory”.

The division bench however, took into account that the provision of award of Deprivation Points has been “in vogue” in JNU, amended from time to time, since 1974 which has been duly approved by the Academic Council.

It also factored in JNU’s submission that the entire admission process has been halted.

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It permitted JNU to “carry on with the admission process as per provisions in the e-Prospectus, including provisions which are under challenge” (system of deprivation points) “subject to final outcome of the petition before the single judge”.

The bench also requested the single judge to hear and conclude the proceedings “as early as possible”.

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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