Admissions 2016

Position of SOL amidst regular DU Colleges

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With applications from top scorers and a revamped syllabus, the School Of Open Learning (SOL) cannot be undermined any longer.

With an intake of almost 1.5 to 2 lakh students per year, the School of Open Learning (SOL) has the widest reach of students over any other regular college in DU. However, people believe that the quality of education here is not at par with regular DU standards. Also, among the top colleges at North Campus, this institution is usually overlooked.

From this year onwards, the syllabus for DU’s SOL will be similar to that of regular colleges. This has been done to bring the standard of education here, to the level of that of other colleges. Classes are held every weekend in various DU colleges where the SOL students are taught by faculty of regular colleges. A talk about holding online classes to serve the interests of a wider number of students has also been doing the rounds.

Common perception deems SOL as a hub of students who couldn’t make it through the cut-offs of other DU colleges. However, this may not hold true for all cases. In 2016, according to India Today, almost four students with 100% marks have applied to the institution. Many applicants also opt for the college as they are simultaneously preparing for various entrance examinations. One such student, Samridhy Yadav, says, “I graduated from Gargi College with a BCom degree. I have come to SOL to pursue my M Com since I want to give more attention to my Chartered Accountancy exams.” SOL is a good option for many working people as well, to earn a degree without having to attend many regular classes.

Dinesh Kumar, Professional Assistant at the SOL library explained, “For a college that facilitates the needs of almost 10 lakh students, its library facilities are satisfactory. DU sanctions more funds to SOL than other colleges as an annual figure of 50 lakhs is sanctioned for the library alone. Many students frequently visit the library which is open on all days of the week. However, the library does need improvement. In fact, work to begin an E-Library is underway, so that students can access it from anywhere.”

0According to Animesh Agarwal, a second year student at SOL, “Since exam centres are concentrated only in Delhi and not anywhere else in India, it is inconvenient for many outstation students to come to the capital for every exam. Also, there is usually a communication gap between the administration and students, with students not being duly noted of their admission statuses.” However, he does believe that the standard of SOL surpasses that of other open colleges including the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

The college offers both undergraduate and post-graduate courses in the fields of arts, commerce and science, and students receive degrees as those received by the rest of the DU students. The School of Open Learning has therefore, surpassed the common misconception of it being a college of inept students and its image as a quality institution is gradually escalating.

Image credits: http://sol.du.ac.in/

Swareena Gurung
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