Last Updated:July 21, 2026, 10:17 IST

With only around 1,100 seats available across 46 PG programmes, DU students say the mismatch between demand and capacity became evident after the admission bulletin was released.

ABVP said DU must expand intake to ensure eligible students are not denied opportunities due to seat constraints. (Image: X/@ABVPDelhi)

Delhi University’s (DU) first batch of more than 30,000 four-year undergraduate students is facing uncertainty over limited opportunities in the newly introduced one-year postgraduate pathway, with only around 1,100 seats available across 46 programmes, reported The Hindu.

Introduced from the 2026-27 academic session under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework, the pathway allows students who complete DU’s Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022 to pursue a master’s degree in one year instead of the existing two-year format.

The FYUP was designed to provide greater research exposure, align Indian degree structures with global standards and create a direct route for eligible students to enter one-year postgraduate programmes. However, students argue that the available seats do not match the size of the graduating cohort, despite many choosing the additional year with the expectation of accessing the new pathway.

DU’s existing two-year postgraduate programmes offer around 13,500 seats across 74 disciplines, while the new one-year programmes add just over 1,100 seats, taking the total postgraduate intake to nearly 14,600. The limited capacity has triggered protests by student organisations, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which demanded an increase in seats.

ABVP Delhi secretary Sarthak Sharma said the university must expand intake to ensure eligible students are not denied opportunities due to seat constraints.

Students said the mismatch between demand and capacity became evident after the admission bulletin was released. Aanchal Nainawat, a fourth-year student at Hansraj College told the news agency that students invested an additional year based on the expectation that the one-year master’s route would provide meaningful opportunities.

In popular programmes, the gap is particularly visible. According to the bulletin released on July 5, the one-year MA in English offers only 45 seats across all categories.

Faculty members also raised concerns over implementation, citing frequent procedural changes and unclear communication. Priyanka Kulhari, Assistant Professor at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, said the policy had potential but lacked adequate planning.

Following student concerns, DU has constituted a six-member committee to examine requests for increasing seats in one-year postgraduate programmes and submit recommendations within ten days.

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