DU Zero Cut-Off Explained | Delhi University Clarifies PhD and PG Admission Confusion

A 2017 PhD admission list from Delhi University (DU) has resurfaced online in 2025, sparking widespread confusion about alleged irregularities in seat allocation and admission standards. The viral post claims that DU had once set a “zero cut-off” for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates in its PhD Mathematics programme — a claim that has reignited debates about merit and reservation in Indian higher education.

Adding to the confusion, DU’s 2025 postgraduate (PG) admission data has revealed zero and even negative minimum scores in several programmes across humanities and sciences. Though both cases involve the term “zero cut-off,” experts emphasize that the contexts — and their meanings — are entirely different.

The Viral 2017 Post: What It Really Showed

The post circulating online shows an image of a PhD Mathematics admission list from 2017, where “0” appeared as the cut-off marks for SC/ST candidates. Many users assumed it meant admission without merit, claiming DU had allowed candidates to qualify merely by appearing for the exam.

However, DU’s clarification at the time stated that “0” was not a score, but a placeholder used when no fixed numerical cut-off was set for that category.

According to officials, PhD admissions are multi-staged — including a written exam, interview, and research proposal assessment. In 2017, the university simply chose not to impose a lower mark limit for SC/ST categories to ensure fair representation, given the limited number of applicants.

“The ‘0’ indicated eligibility for the interview stage, not automatic admission,” a DU spokesperson had explained.

That year, the PhD Mathematics department had 27 total seats, including 4 for SC and 2 for ST candidates. The policy aimed to encourage inclusion without compromising final evaluation standards.

Why the Confusion Resurfaced in 2025

The 2017 controversy has gone viral again because of DU’s 2025 postgraduate admission trends, where several programmes have shown zero or even negative cut-offs in the first two rounds of allotment.

For example:

• MA Persian started at –19 in Round 1 and rose to 23 in Round 2.

• MSc Informatics recorded –4 for both UR and SC categories.

• MSc Chemistry (Hans Raj College) showed –3 for SC candidates.

• MA Philosophy (NCWEB) recorded 0 in Round 1, increasing to 39 in Round 2.

These figures do not mean students scored below zero. They reflect score normalization, a statistical process used to equalize scores across exam sessions of varying difficulty.

Thus, the 2025 “zero” and “negative” cut-offs are mathematical outcomes, not indicators of declining academic standards.

DU’s Clarification: Context Matters

DU officials have urged students not to confuse the 2017 PhD list with 2025 PG admissions.

“The viral post is misleading. The 2017 data was a departmental placeholder, while 2025 PG numbers are system-generated results of normalization,” an official stated.

While the old post questioned merit and reservation, this year’s data reflects technical mechanisms used in centralized admissions.

Furthermore, no new PhD cut-off list for 2025 has been released yet, confirming that the viral document is outdated.

Reserved Category Cut-Offs: Ensuring Inclusion

In both 2017 and 2025, DU maintained its policy of lower cut-offs for reserved categories to promote inclusive access.
For instance, in the 2025 PG cycle, courses like:

• MA Life Long Learning & Extension had 0 for ST candidates,

• MSc Chemistry (Hans Raj College) had –3 for SC candidates, and

• MSc Mathematics Education (Cluster Innovation Centre) showed 0 for OBCs.

Officials clarified that all admissions are merit-based, with reservation policies applied in compliance with national guidelines.

PhD vs PG: Different Systems, Same Misunderstanding

The PhD Mathematics programme follows a two-tier admission model — an entrance exam followed by an interview and research evaluation. The “zero” in 2017 denoted open eligibility for the interview.

In contrast, PG admissions use a centralized, algorithmic process involving CUET-PG scores, seat matrices, and normalization across shifts.

Hence, a “zero” or “negative” value today does not equate to underqualified admissions — it’s simply how data is represented in the system.

Final Word

Both the 2017 and 2025 “zero cut-off” cases highlight the importance of context in interpreting admission data.

While the viral 2017 list reflected DU’s internal categorization for reserved seats, the 2025 figures arise from normalization math. Neither case implies automatic admission or the dilution of academic standards.

Delhi University has reaffirmed that no PhD Mathematics cut-off list for 2025 exists and that all current admission data must be read through the official portal only.