DU may scrap degree priority for one-year PG: entrance test planned from 2027-28
By TUF News Desk · Published 5 November 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
For students eyeing a one-year master’s at Delhi University next year, the admission rules may look very different. The university has told the Delhi High Court it is considering an entrance test for its one-year postgraduate programmes from the 2027-28 session, replacing the priority system at the centre of a court challenge.
The statement came during a hearing on Wednesday, November 4, in petitions filed by students who called the current admission criteria discriminatory. DU has not finalised the proposal yet. But if it goes ahead, admission to the one-year courses would be decided only on the entrance test score.
What DU told the court
DU told the court it has taken note of the students’ complaints and is weighing a test-based system for the one-year programme from next year. It will also assess resources before deciding seat numbers for both PG programmes. Registrar Vikas Gupta told the court that the one-year programme has stretched the university to its maximum capacity: the 2026-27 batch added 6,147 one-year PG seats on top of the 12,000 seats in the two-year PG programme.
Why students went to court
The one-year master’s was introduced in 2026-27 for students who finished a four-year undergraduate degree under the National Education Policy, instead of the older three-year degree. Unlike DU’s two-year PG courses, which are filled through CUET PG, the one-year programme had no entrance exam. Seats were filled through a priority order: candidates with a four-year honours degree with research or entrepreneurship in the relevant subject were placed in the first priority category, P1, ahead of candidates with a four-year multidisciplinary degree and a major in the subject, who were placed in P2.
Students argued that this order was unfair in practice: a multidisciplinary student with a higher CGPA could be considered after an honours graduate with a lower score, simply because of the degree category. That complaint took the matter to the Delhi High Court.
A second option the court raised
Alongside the entrance test proposal, the court raised another possibility for the petitioners. It asked DU to consider accommodating students who graduated under a four-year UG programme in the second year of an ongoing two-year PG programme, noting that students admitted to the one-year course are currently being admitted to the second year of a PG course. The court sought an affidavit from DU on this point.
The petitioners, represented by advocate Ratnesh Sharma, argued that students had a legitimate expectation of admission to the one-year course. Justice Singh did not accept that argument in those terms, remarking that the course did not exist in 2022 when the students took admission, and that the court could not substitute itself for academicians on questions of credits. The matter will be heard next on November 17.
What this means for 2027-28 applicants
For now, applicants should treat the entrance test as a proposal under consideration, not a confirmed exam. No test pattern, syllabus or application dates have been announced.
Students planning to apply can keep their documents ready in the meantime. Our admission documents checklist covers what PG applicants usually need, and our guide to choosing a university explains how to weigh courses and cutoffs. For official updates, check the University of Delhi’s official website and the University of Delhi profile page.
Frequently asked questions
Will DU hold an entrance test for one-year PG courses in 2027-28?
Not yet decided. DU has told the court it is considering the proposal. If adopted, admission would be based only on the test score.
How were one-year PG seats filled in 2026-27?
There was no entrance test. A priority system put four-year honours graduates ahead of multidisciplinary graduates with a major in the subject.
What did the Delhi High Court ask DU to consider?
Accommodating four-year UG graduates in the second year of an ongoing two-year PG programme. DU must file an affidavit, and the matter comes up next on November 17.
How does this differ from DU’s two-year PG admission?
Two-year PG courses are filled through CUET PG. The one-year programme, introduced in 2026-27 for four-year UG graduates under NEP, had no entrance exam of its own.
Frequently asked questions
Will DU hold an entrance test for one-year PG courses in 2027-28?
Not yet decided. DU has told the Delhi High Court it is considering a proposal to conduct an entrance test from the 2027-28 session. If adopted, admission would be based only on the test score.
How were one-year PG seats filled in 2026-27?
There was no entrance test. Seats were filled through a priority system that put four-year honours graduates ahead of multidisciplinary graduates with a major in the subject.
What did the Delhi High Court ask DU to consider?
The court asked DU to consider accommodating four-year UG graduates in the second year of an ongoing two-year PG programme, and sought an affidavit from the university. The matter comes up next on November 17.
How does this differ from DU's two-year PG admission?
Two-year PG courses at DU are filled through CUET PG. The one-year programme, introduced in 2026-27 for four-year UG graduates under NEP, had no entrance exam of its own.
Sources: The Indian Express, Jagran Josh, Times Now