NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University’s 2026-27 admission process has hit a legal hurdle after the Delhi High Court directed the university to keep admissions based on its “deprivation points” system on hold. The court questioned whether JNU can effectively add marks to a candidate’s Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score after the competitive examination has been conducted.According to ANI, Justice Jasmeet Singh observed that the mechanism prima facie raises concerns over the sanctity of an entrance examination. The court has directed JNU not to finalise admissions or take further steps based on deprivation points until the next hearing.What are JNU deprivation points?Under JNU’s 2026-27 e-prospectus, eligible candidates can receive up to 12 deprivation points based on certain criteria, including the geographical location of their previous schooling.The policy treats one deprivation point as equivalent to three marks. This means a candidate could potentially receive the equivalent of up to 36 additional marks through the mechanism.The provision has now come under scrutiny following a petition filed by Amit Mehra, an aspiring postgraduate student, challenging the deprivation-point policy.Why is the Delhi HC questioning the policy?The petitioner has sought directions for JNU to prepare merit lists, rankings and admission outcomes solely on the basis of candidates’ CUET scores, normalized marks or percentiles, without adding deprivation points or other regional weightage.During the hearing, Justice Jasmeet Singh questioned whether the university could effectively alter the marks secured by a candidate in a competitive entrance examination.ANI reported that the court observed that allowing such a system could compromise the “sanctity of an entrance exam”.The concern centres on whether a university can add marks to a score obtained in a competitive examination through its own admission rules, potentially changing the relative position of candidates after the examination.JNU defends deprivation pointsJNU opposed the petition and defended the deprivation-point system, arguing that it is intended to ensure adequate representation of students from different parts of the country.The university also relied on the First Schedule of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Act, 1966, which requires the institution to take special measures to facilitate students and teachers from across India joining the university.JNU further submitted that the policy had been considered and approved by its Academic Council.However, the High Court said it was prima facie unable to accept the university’s contention that the provisions relied upon authorised it to add marks to scores obtained by candidates in a competitive examination.JNU admissions already underwayThe court also took note of JNU’s submission that offer letters had already been issued to 1,500 postgraduate and 451 undergraduate candidates.The petitioner’s counsel argued that allowing admissions to continue on the basis of deprivation points could create an irreversible situation if the court subsequently found the mechanism impermissible.The High Court agreed that completing the admission process in the meantime could create complications and make the situation difficult to reverse.What happens next?The Delhi High Court has directed JNU not to finalise admissions on the basis of deprivation points and not to take any further steps relying on them until the next hearing.JNU has been given four days to file its response, while notice has also been issued to the other respondent.The matter is listed for further hearing on August 24, 2026.The interim order does not finally decide the legality of JNU’s deprivation-point policy. The university’s response and further arguments will be considered when the case comes up next week. For students awaiting admission, the hearing could determine whether deprivation points can ultimately be used in the 2026-27 admission process.(With inputs from ANI)
