By Abhimanyu:
Delhi University’s admission process went completely only from June 1, this year. There will be no use of paper while applying for any course in DU. Even the submission of documentation and fees are to be made online. The aim is to make it simple and easy for fresher students.
Youth Ki Awaaz tried to do a reality check to understand how helpful and successful this digital initiative has been so far in the first three days of this new digital process. Outside the Arts Faculty of Delhi University, major students’ organisations ABVP, NSUI and CYSS have been offering assistance to new students and their parents in order to help them with this new online process.
“We are helping students count best of four subjects and also providing them help regarding filling forms online. We have kept laptops with Internet here and are helping them complete the form,” said Priyanka Chhabri an ABVP volunteer sitting at the help desk.
Another volunteer from NSUI, Rohit, said that many students have queries regarding the cut-off list and courses offered by colleges. He also added, “We have last year’s cut-off list and a sample of the online application form. We give these to anyone coming to our desk for help. However, we can only assist them in some ways and cannot offer counselling as such.”
Sonu Chaubey from the CYSS help desk said that they have assisted over 600 students. He also pointed a very specific problem faced by OBC students while applying for courses. He said, “Students from OBC category are asked to submit the income certificate of their parents. Many are not aware of this. It generally takes 20 days to get this certificate, which is why we are asking students to get this done as quickly as possible.”
Another group of students who claimed to run an online page ‘DU News’ were also distributing pamphlets with information regarding online admission process for Delhi University. “We have faced difficulties during our admission process as well. Some concerned independent students have taken up initiatives via an online page to extend help to the new students while applying for DU. We don’t want them to face the same challenges again,” said Nikita a volunteer of the group.
Despite the admission process going online, all difficulties have not been solved. Students are still facing specific problems while applying for sports quota, OBC students are having trouble with income certificates and specially-abled students are also having to deal with a few difficulties. Sajdar who had come to enquire about the sports quota process spoken to YKA and said, “The people at the help desk are not giving me a proper answer and telling me that all the information is available online. Then what are they here for? I want to apply under the sports quota and I have four years of experience in martial arts at the national level. This sport is not listed on the University website.”
Kuldeep a visually impaired student of the University also felt that the current online process is not full proof for students with a disability. Speaking to YKA he said, “University authorities should have a live voice chat facility available on its website. It would have been a great help for differently-abled students. There are many columns and it usually takes two hours to fill that form online. I was applying for one of my relatives and faced the difficulty.”
Jat students were also finding it confusing to apply under the general category. “Any student who wants to apply for OBC quota has to check the central government list of reserved categories. If they are not listed in a reserved category, they should not apply under the OBC category. They all will be treated as general students,” said Priyanka Chhabri.
YKA also learnt that the University has organised a counselling session for students and parents in the convention centre. But surely it lacks co-ordination as many of the students were unaware of such an initiative.
Take campus conversations to the next level. Become a YKA Campus Correspondent today! Sign up here.
You can also subscribe to the Campus Watch Newsletter, here.