Teachers Cry Foul over 'Unfair' Sports Selection

If you have represented your sport at the national level, as against someone who has won a sport- ing event at the zonal level, chances are you will not make it to a Delhi University college through the sports quota, and the latter will.

The varsity, which has centralised the sports trial from this year, has released the criteria for distribution of marks, which most teachers feel is unfair.

According to the marking scheme, the various levels of participation have been graded into A, B, C, D, E and F categories. While the highest category, A, has international-level players, the lowest category, F, consists of zonal and CBSE cluster levels.

Those who have represented the coun- try in an international sports event and fall in category A, will be given direct admission. Those who have won a nation- al-level contest and fall in category B, will get 60 out of a maximum of 75 marks.

Those coming second and third will be awarded 48 and 24, respectively.

Those who have participated in a national-level contest will get 12 marks.

But a student who falls in category F and has won a zonal-level contest will be awarded 15 marks. This has irked some sports teachers of the university.

“How can you award less mark to the national-level player as compared to someone who has won at the zonal level? This is unfair on the sportsper- son who has crossed various levels like the zonal and school board national tournaments to represent his state,’’ said MP Sharma, who teaches Physical Education in Hansraj College.
Teachers feel the present marking system will lower the level of excellence.

“For those in category A, who will get direct admission, there is no way to check the level of their skill,’’ said Meenakshi Pahuja, associate professor, Physical Education, Lady Shri Ram College.

Questions have also been raised about the composition of the commit- tee that has formulated the marking scheme. “Except for one, the committee formed by the vice-chancellor doesn't have any member related to sports.

How can they determine the marking criteria for sports’’ said Syed Shaheen, associate professor, Physical Education, Zakir Hussain College (Evening).

Sudharshan Pathak, coordinating director of the sports council of DU, however, said: “A meeting was convened one month ago, why did they not raise the issue then?’’

Joyeeta Ghosh and Astha Saxena

Source: www.hindustantimes.com