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- Delhi HC allows JNU to continue PG admissions process.
- Deprivation points policy remains active for 2026 admissions.
- Earlier single-judge bench order temporarily halted admission process.
JNU PG Admissions 2026: The Delhi High Court has allowed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to continue its postgraduate admission process for the 2026 academic year over the deprivation points. The admission process was temporarily halted after a single-judge bench decision due to a legal challenge over the university’s policy of awarding “deprivation points” to certain eligible candidates. With the division bench comprising Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia modifying the earlier decision, the university has now resumed its PG admission process.
What Are Deprivation Points?
Candidates belonging to certain backward geographical areas get the benefit of deprivation points as part of the university’s admission process. Amit Mehra, seeking PG admission at the university, filed a legal challenge against the deprivation points. Addressing the challenge, a single-judge bench on August 14 directed the university to pause the admission process until August 24. The entire admission process will be barred until then.
Admission Process Was Disrupted Midway
The division bench noticed that the university has been granting deprivation points since 1974. The decision of the single-bench judge has halted the admission process, disrupting the entire academic timeline. The bench also took notice that the university has released its e-prospectus for the 2026-27 academic session on April 3 and commenced admissions on May 25.
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Furthermore, the classes for the PG students commenced on July 30 for those who have taken admission through the first round of counselling. Questioning the timing of the challenge, the court asked why the challenge had been brought up so late instead of before the admission process began. The bench further raised concerns about the interim halt on the admission process without a prima facie finding that the practice being challenged was unlawful.
Delhi HC Verdict
The Delhi High Court has allowed the university to continue its admission process. "The University shall carry on with the admission process as per the provisions in the e-prospectus, including the provisions which are under challenge before the single judge. However, any admission hence made will be subject to the outcome of the writ petition," it ordered. The court requested the single-bench judge to decide and finalise the matter as early as possible. The decision of the High Court allowed JNU to avoid further disruptions to its PG admission schedule while ensuring that candidates admitted under the challenged provisions remain bound by the final decision in the case.