New Delhi, July 1: Delhi University has run into allegations that it has discriminated against several students from disadvantaged communities because of a purported technical glitch.

Several students from the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes were asked by some colleges of the university to seek admission under the reserved category although they were eligible on the general merit list, sources said.

If any SC, ST and OBC candidate has secured marks above the cut-off for general category students, the norms require the aspirant to be treated as a general candidate and given admission in that category.

The seats in the reserved category are given to candidates from the socially backward communities who do not qualify in the general category. If students with marks above the general category are enrolled in the reserved category, the number of seats available for aspirants from the backward communities who have scored lower marks will shrink.

The colleges cited a technical glitch in the online admission software for the fiasco.

Some of the students have taken admission already while many students sought the help of the Delhi University Teachers Association (Duta). The association's office-bearers have met the dean of student welfare, J.M. Khurana, who has assured them that he would look into the matter.

Delhi University has shifted fully to the online mode of admission from this year. The submission of application and payment of fee are some of the tasks that can be carried out online.

The reserved category students mention their caste in the online applications. When they qualify on the general merit list, they are automatically shifted to that category.

However, the admission software did not accept the meritorious students in the general category. Hence, the colleges asked the students to take admission in the reserved category, the sources said.

Many students protested against the alleged discrimination in colleges like Laxmibai, Ramjas, Hindu and Lady Sri Ram.

"When they qualify in the general category, they deserve to be admitted in the general category. What the college is doing is unfair," said Sudhanshu Kumar, a Duta official and a teacher at Swami Sradhanand College here.

P.S. Krishnan, who keeps track of reservation on campuses, said Article 15(1) of the Constitution prohibits discrimination of any citizen on the basis of caste, religion, place of birth and sex.

"If a person has secured high marks, he should not be discriminated against. If he is not recognised in the general merit category, it is a violation of his fundamental right under Article 15(1) of the Constitution," Krishnan said.

Khurana said the problem did exist in some colleges but added they had been sorted out. "The admission is being managed by non-teaching staff because Duta is boycotting admission work. There were some individual cases in some colleges. But we have sorted them out," he said.

"There is no software issue. If anybody crosses the declared merit, he is given admission in general merit," he said.

Duta is on strike demanding the withdrawal of a yardstick called the Academic Performance Indicator for promotion.

But Sudhanshu Kumar said the problem persisted and they would protest if the matter was not sorted out tomorrow.

Gurinder Azad, an activist fighting for the rights of SC and ST candidates, said most institutions were flouting the norms and giving admission to meritorious SC, ST candidates in the reserved category. He cited the example of Senthil Kumar, a Dalit student, who was given admission in the reserved category in Hyderabad University despite making the general list. He committed suicide later.