Non-Discriminatory Admissions
Admission to JGU is open to every qualified applicant. The university does not discriminate in admission, access, treatment or employment, in any of its programmes and activities, on the basis of gender, race, caste, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age or disability. Admissions decisions rest on academic merit and the published selection criteria of each programme. Applicants from lower-income families are supported through merit-cum-means scholarships and education loan tie-ups. The university values a diverse, multicultural student body and monitors the applications and acceptances of underrepresented groups so that its outreach keeps pace with who is actually applying.
The policy below is the university's public statement on how applicants are treated. It is available to every prospective applicant, parent and guardian.
Policy on Non-Discriminatory Admissions
Policy Details
- Policy Name: Policy on Non-Discriminatory Admissions
- Year Reviewed: 2026
1. Purpose and Principles
1.1 This policy ensures that every applicant is considered fairly, and that no applicant is disadvantaged by identity, background or circumstance.
1.2 It rests on four principles: equal opportunity (every qualified applicant is considered on the same published criteria), transparency (criteria, procedures and outcomes are communicated clearly), dignity (every applicant is treated with respect at every stage) and accountability (decisions can be questioned and reviewed).
1.3 The policy supports Target 10.2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for the inclusion of all irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
2. Scope and Definitions
2.1 The policy covers marketing and outreach, information sessions, application, entrance tests and interviews, shortlisting, offers, scholarship decisions, enrolment, and the first stage of orientation for admitted students.
2.2 Discrimination means any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference that, without a legitimate academic reason, has the effect of impairing equal treatment of an applicant on a protected ground.
2.3 Protected grounds are gender, race, caste, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age and disability. Gender identity and expression, ethnic origin and nationality are covered under the Policy on Non-Discrimination against Transgender Persons and the university's wider equality framework.
2.4 Underrepresented groups are groups whose application or enrolment rates are lower than their presence in the relevant applicant population. JGU tracks ethnic minorities, low-income students, non-traditional students, women, LGBT students, disabled students and newly settled refugee students.
3. Policy Statement
3.1 JGU does not discriminate in admission on any protected ground.
3.2 Selection is based on academic merit, performance in the programme's published assessments, and the criteria published for that programme. Personal characteristics unrelated to those criteria play no part in decisions.
3.3 The university welcomes applications from diverse communities, in India and abroad, and takes positive steps to widen participation through scholarships, outreach and support, and does so without lowering its academic standards or treating any group unfairly.
3.4 Application forms and admissions communication do not seek information on protected characteristics except where it is needed for monitoring, scholarships, support or legal compliance. Such information is not used to disadvantage an applicant.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
4.1 The Office of Admissions is responsible for applying this policy in every admissions cycle, for training admissions staff and interviewers, and for maintaining records of decisions.
4.2 Selection panels and interviewers must apply published criteria, record reasons for decisions, and declare any conflict of interest.
4.3 The Scholarship Committee reviews applications for merit-cum-means scholarships on the published criteria of merit (CGPA), means (family income) and co-curricular achievement, and reviews the rules every year.
4.4 The Anti-Discrimination Committee oversees this policy, receives complaints, and reports on outcomes to the university.
4.5 The Disability Support Committee advises on accommodations for applicants with disabilities.
5. Procedures
5.1 Information: programme criteria, fees, scholarships and the application process are published before each cycle.
5.2 Monitoring: the admissions system captures more than 100 data points per application, which allows application, acceptance and entry rates of underrepresented groups to be tracked across programmes.
5.3 Reasonable accommodation: applicants with disabilities may request accommodation for tests, interviews and campus visits through the Disability Support Committee. Requests are handled confidentially under the Reasonable Accommodation Policy.
5.4 Financial access: admitted students may apply for merit-cum-means scholarships and education loan support. A student may not hold more than one scholarship or fee concession.
5.5 Records: decision records are kept so that an applicant's concern can be examined fairly.
6. Concerns, Complaints and Review of Decisions
6.1 An applicant who believes the policy has not been followed may write to the Anti-Discrimination Committee, giving details of the stage, the persons involved and the concern.
6.2 The Committee acknowledges the complaint, asks the Office of Admissions for the record, hears the applicant where needed, and communicates its decision in writing.
6.3 Complaints are handled with sensitivity and confidentiality. No applicant is penalised, in the current or any later cycle, for raising a concern in good faith.
7. Monitoring and Reporting
7.1 The Office of Admissions reports each year to the Anti-Discrimination Committee on applications, offers and enrolments of underrepresented groups, scholarships awarded, and complaints received and resolved.
7.2 Where the data show a group applying or enrolling at low rates, the Committee recommends targeted outreach, support or changes to procedure.
7.3 Admissions staff and panel members are briefed on this policy before each cycle.
8. Review
8.1 The policy is reviewed at least once every two years, and earlier if law, regulation or university practice changes. It was last reviewed in 2026.
