3 Delhi University Economics Students score 99% in 1st Semester

After declaring 100% cut-off marks this year, Delhi University has created one more record of sorts. Three students of Economics (honours) — two from Shri Ram College for Commerce and one from Hindu College — have scored 99% in their first semester examination, a feat that has never been achieved in the annual mode in the first year.

Incidentally, SRCC had declared a cut-off of 100% for Economics (honours) this year.

Of the three Economics papers for hundred marks each, three have scored 297, which translates into 99%.

While reactions to the results vary, most teachers believe that lenient marking is the most likely reason. “Where earlier marks would depend upon language, structuring of the answer, and even handwriting, now marks are given for the basic idea,” said VK Srivastava, Hindu College principal.

"Examiners have also become quite liberal. Students too are very hardworking — no one can take this away from them. On an average, the marks have been going up," he added.

Last year, the first-year topper — also from SRCC — had scored 88.3%.

The papers that are taught in the first semester are the same as last year as the course was simply bifurcated.

"While it is true that the subjects are scoring, but getting 99% is also ridiculous. This has never happened in the history of the university. Students have been studying the same topics for the past few years," said an economics professor on condition of anonymity.

Teachers opposed to the implementation of the semester system had stated that students were being given marks very leniently and that the level of students had not seen any remarkable rise.

English too has seen high marks. The topper this year, from St.Stephen's College, has scored 77% marks. "The factual element in papers has gone up hence the high marks. There is no conceptual development. It is much like the CBSE marking system," said Sanam Khanna, who teaches English at Kamla Nehru College.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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