New Delhi, July 5 — Delhi University is set to commence trials for admissions under the Extracurricular Activities (ECA) quota around July 14-15 for the undergraduate academic session 2025-2026. According to university officials, the trials will span 14 categories, with 12 of them being conducted physically at designated centres and the remaining two—National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS)—held online.
Deepti Taneja, the convener of the DU ECA Admissions Committee, confirmed the tentative schedule for the trials. “We are planning to begin the ECA quota trials around July 14-15. The physical trials will be conducted in specific colleges assigned to each category,” she said.
Admissions under the ECA category will be based on a composite scoring model. The performance in ECA trials will carry a 75% weightage, while the remaining 25% will be derived from the student’s score in the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).
The 14 categories available under the ECA quota include a diverse range of talents such as dance, drama, debate, music, creative writing, fine arts, divinity, and digital media, among others. A total of 1,347 seats have been earmarked for ECA quota admissions this year.
Each category will have its own trial venue. For instance, the creative writing trials will be held at Hansraj College, while the divinity trials—which assess students on their proficiency in shabad kirtan paath—will take place at Mata Sundari College for Women.
Taneja emphasized that while trials will be conducted at separate centres, the entire allocation and admission process will remain centralized to ensure transparency and uniformity. “All categories will follow a standardised procedure overseen by a central committee to ensure a fair and merit-based selection,” she added.
The ECA quota at DU has long been a gateway for students with exceptional talents to gain admission into prestigious colleges, even if their academic scores fall short of the cut-off. With over a thousand seats on offer, the upcoming trials are expected to attract a significant number of applicants from across the country.
Candidates interested in applying through the ECA quota are advised to keep a close watch on the official DU admissions portal for detailed trial schedules and guidelines.
