Admissions
DU Allows Class 12 Marks-Based Admissions at Two Colleges to Fill Vacant UG Seats
Published on
21 August 2026
The University of Delhi has introduced a special admission route at two of its women’s colleges, allowing students to seek undergraduate admission based on their Class 12 board examination results instead of CUET UG scores.
The special admission process applies to Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College, where a significant number of undergraduate seats remained vacant after the university’s centralised CUET-based admission process.
This is important for students who missed CUET UG or could not secure admission through DU’s regular CSAS allocation process.
The special Class 12 merit-based admission process applies to:
Both are women’s colleges affiliated with Delhi University and primarily serve students from areas on the outskirts of Delhi.
This should not be interpreted as Delhi University removing CUET requirements across all its colleges.
For regular DU undergraduate admissions, CUET UG remains the primary admission route.
The decision was taken because a substantial number of seats remained vacant at the two colleges even after the centralised admission process.
Reports indicate that the two institutions together had close to 2,000 vacant seats.
Aditi Mahavidyalaya reportedly had close to 1,000 vacant seats, while Bhagini Nivedita College had around 985 seats remaining vacant.
The colleges are located away from DU’s main campus clusters and have historically served students from nearby rural and semi-urban areas.
For these special admissions, selection is being conducted using Class 12 board examination results rather than CUET UG scores.
This creates an additional opportunity for eligible students who:
Students must still satisfy the applicable course-wise eligibility requirements.
Students should be careful with headlines suggesting that “DU admission no longer requires CUET.”
That is not the general rule.
Delhi University’s regular undergraduate admissions for 2026 continue to use CUET UG scores through the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS).
The Class 12 merit route is a special vacancy-filling measure at the two specified colleges, rather than a university-wide replacement of CUET.
The situation highlights a challenge faced by some off-campus colleges under the centralised admission system.
Aditi Mahavidyalaya has reportedly filled only around 40% of its seats since CUET was introduced in 2022.
Students participating in CUET-based counselling often prioritise colleges located around DU’s better-known North and South Campus areas.
This can leave institutions located farther away with vacancies even when they offer recognised Delhi University undergraduate programmes.
The special admission process at the two colleges has reportedly been conducted through both online and offline modes.
Students interested in these vacancies should check the respective college admission notices for:
Applicants should avoid relying on older vacancy lists because available seats can change after each admission round.
Candidates interested in the special admission process should prepare their academic and identity documents.
Depending on college requirements, these may include:
The final document requirements should be checked directly from the respective institution.
The announcement could be particularly useful for students who believed they had lost their chance to enter Delhi University because they had not appeared for CUET UG.
For the specific vacant programmes at these two colleges, Class 12 performance provides another admission pathway.
However, students should evaluate the available course carefully instead of taking admission solely because a DU seat is available.
Consider:
Course → Fees → Location → Commute → Career goals → College facilities → Future plans
before accepting admission.
Delhi University has previously used board examination marks during vacancy-filling exercises.
In 2025, DU conducted a mop-up admission round based on Class 12 results to fill remaining vacancies across the university.
The notable change in 2026 is that the university has reportedly allowed these two individual colleges to conduct the admission process separately because their seats remained unfilled.
Students who missed CUET or remain without a college seat should first check whether their preferred programme has a vacancy at either institution.
They should then compare their Class 12 marks against the applicable eligibility and merit requirements and complete the application within the college’s notified timeline.
Students should also remember that this opportunity does not mean they can apply to popular DU colleges such as Hindu, Miranda House, Hansraj or SRCC using only Class 12 marks. Regular admissions at DU remain based on CUET UG under the applicable admission rules.
