The Delhi University Academic Council on Tuesday approved the proposal to hold postgraduate admission through the Common University Entrance Test from the next academic cycle. The change in the admission pattern of postgraduate programmes was proposed by a 10-member committee formed to "suggest a strategy" for PG admissions from 2023-2024.

Under the existing system, 50 per cent of admissions are done directly for students who did their bachelor's degrees from the university based on their merit in their qualifying examinations.

The remaining 50% seats are filled based on candidates' ranks in the DU postgraduate entrance test.

The committee had suggested that the admission to all postgraduate courses will be carried out through a single window mechanism where a Common University Entrance Test (CUET-PG) will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as is done for other Central Universities with effect from the Academic Session 2023-24 for all categories who wish to seek admission in the university.

Separate merit lists will be prepared for the candidates who clear the CUET-PG and those belonging to the other category of candidates who previously used to appear in the postgraduate entrance test. While preparing the merit list, priority will be given to category of candidates who used to appear in the DU entrance test.

"While preparing the Merit List, priority will be defined as follows: The erstwhile category of candidates who used to seek admissions through Postgraduate Entrance Test will comprise the first 50 per cent of the seats and will include the candidates who qualify in this Common University Entrance Test depending upon his/her eligibility for appearing in the test under this category," the committee has recommended.

The remaining 50 per cent of the seats will be filled by the erstwhile category of candidates who used to seek admission by obtaining an eligible bachelor's degree from the University of Delhi.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced the CUET for postgraduate courses also earlier this year.

A total of 66 universities, including central, state and private universities, had opted for the CUET PG exam for admissions. Delhi University was among the universities that have opted out of this entrance test and are conducting admissions to the PG courses will continue as per the existing processes.