Delhi government has announced an increase in the number of IPU seats. In a media briefing on Wednesday, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced that they have decided to increase the number of seats in colleges affiliated with the Indraprastha University. For students who have freshly cleared Class 12 this year, the government is adding 1,330 additional seats. The news is set to come as a relief to students, who have already faced problems of delayed board exams, results and then, admissions in colleges, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Giving details, the minister said that of the 1,330 seats, the biggest increase would be in the B Tech course, which would get an additional 630 seats this year. Apart from that, B Voc courses would see an increase of 20 seats, while seats in BBA are set to increase by 120. B Com courses would get 220 additional seats, BA Economics 120 seats, BCA 90 seats, MBA 60 seats, MSc Yoga 15 seats and M Voc 50 seats.

Sisodia also stated that as per the history of the country, whenever a new college is established, it effectively translates to an addition of between 200 and 300 seats for students. This, he said, meant that the number of additional seats announced by the Delhi government in the IP University this year is equivalent to the opening of five to six new colleges.

Indraprastha University is a public university established by the Government of NCT Delhi in 1998 and it is recognised by the University Grants Commission.

Coronavirus pandemic: Reopening of schools in Delhi

Meanwhile, during the briefing, the Education Minister of Delhi also announced that keeping in mind the concerns of parents regarding the spread of coronavirus, the state government has decided that all schools in Delhi would remain shut until further orders. He also clarified that this would apply to all schools in the national capital, including public, private, aided or unaided and MCD schools.

The schools in the national capital have remained closed since the nation-wide lockdown was first announced in March. Since then, most of the schools have taken to online modes of teaching to ensure that the students do not lose out on their year due to the pandemic.