University-level extra-curricular activities trials for undergraduate seats at DU commence on Friday, ranging from religious chanting sessions (kirtan) to plays by Shakespeare.
Delhi University (DU) is set to commence the Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) trials for undergraduate admissions under the 2025-26 academic session, beginning on Friday. The trials aim to admit students under a designated quota of 1,347 seats across 14 diverse categories, encompassing talents in performing and literary arts, as well as social and service-oriented activities.
The process is centrally managed and involves specific guidelines, categories, and a composite scoring system. The 14 categories in which students can apply are: Creative Writing (Hindi and English), Debate (Hindi and English), Digital Media (photography, filmmaking, animation), Divinity, Fine Arts (sketching, painting, sculpture), Music – Vocal (Indian), Music – Instrumental (Indian and Western instruments like drums, guitar, saxophone, violin), Dance (Indian classical, folk, etc.), Theatre, Quiz, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Yoga, and Quiz.
Each category includes sub-disciplines or specific skill sets for detailed assessment. The entire trial and admission process is centralised through DU's Common Seat Allocation System, not by individual colleges. Trials are held at nodal centres designated for different categories, such as Mata Sundri College for Dance and Yoga, Miranda House for Theatre, Ramjas College for Debate, Bharati College for Indian Vocal Music, and Maharaja Agrasen College for digital media.
The trial schedule runs from July 18 to July 26, 2025, with strict adherence to allocated time slots. All arrangements including application submissions, trial allocations, and scoring are through the university’s online portal managed by the ECA committee.
Admissions under the ECA quota are decided based on a composite score made up of 75% weightage for ECA trial performance and 25% weightage for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score. The trials in the digital media category, which includes photography, filmmaking, and animation, will be held at Maharaja Agrasen College from July 21 and will last about three to four days.
The highest number of seats offered is in Dance, with 275, followed by Theatre with 122 seats. Divinity seats are distributed across four colleges, with 13 seats available in total. Other categories have varying seat allocations depending on the nature and scale of the discipline.
Outstation candidates have been advised to plan their travel and accommodation independently as the university will not provide a travel allowance or dearness allowance. A short grievance window will be opened for queries or corrections after the trial scores are uploaded on the DU's admission portal around July 25.
The university is committed to recognising and nurturing diverse student talents beyond academics through ECA admissions. Talented students have the opportunity to secure undergraduate admissions through demonstrations of their extracurricular skills across the specified categories.
- The Delhi University's Extra-Curricular Activities trials for the 2025-26 academic session will provide opportunities for talented students from various cultural backgrounds, such as Indian classical dance, folk dance, and music (both Indian vocal and instrumental, including Western instruments).
- The admissions process for undergraduate students, under the designated quota of seats, also encompasses fields connected to modern entertainment and technology, like photography, filmmaking, animation, and digital media.
- In addition to academics, India's educational system, as represented by Delhi University, offers a platform for students to engage in and demonstrate their skills in various domains, including debate (both Hindi and English), quiz, and social service-oriented activities like the National Service Scheme (NSS).
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