Admissions 2017

Day 1 Report Card: Overloaded website, high cut-offs, and confusion pall over the turnout

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As more than 2 lakh candidates across the country collectively waited for the release of the University of Delhi’s cut-off lists on June 23rd night, hopes ran high and anticipation reached its peak. June 24th officially marks the first day of the admissions process for the academic session 2017-18 and was met with a series of hurdles which led to lower turnouts as compared to previous years.

Technical glitches

Amongst the documents required for securing admission in the colleges, candidates were supposed to present a college-specific form/acknowledgement slip which had the name of the college and course on top, along with other documents. This form could only be generated through the undergraduate admissions portal, which was unfortunately not updated on time. As the list released, those who cleared the soaring cut-offs were eager to fulfil all the formalities and appear for the process on the first day. However, the site failed to reflect the option to generate this form on time. The process was scheduled to begin from 9:30 am and continue till 1:30. Many candidates were unable to access it even till 12 pm, making it impossible for them to secure admission in the college of their choice. “The admission portal of the varsity was not accessible. Thus, students could not take the print out, resulting in less number of students turning up for admission. However, it was still a normal crowd, considering the high cut-offs and the holiday on Sunday and Monday,” said a professor from Ramjas College, in conversation with Press Trust of India. The operational hindrance paved the way to anxious students and a dampened spirit.

The sky-high cut-offs

The University manages to bemuse the academic world every year with its soaring cut-offs, and while this year witnessed a marginal dip in the trends of popular colleges, the bar was set high. The highest cut-off has been released by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College at 99.66% for B.Sc. (Hons.) Electronics, 99% for B.A. (Hons.) Political Science, 98.75% for B.A. (Hons.) English, and 98% for B.Com (Hons.). Shivaji College has set the bar for B.A. (Hons.) Economics with a requirement of 98%. This year also witnessed various off-campus colleges announcing an equal or higher cut-off than North and South campus colleges. The high percentage requirements limited the admissions uptake. This was also coupled by the muddle surrounding the best of four calculations, with many students uncertain about the method.

Documentation requirements

One of the documents required to be presented at the time of admissions is the Class XII marks-sheet as provided by the school authorities. Due to the delay in the announcement of results this year, there was a disparity in the timeline. Many students from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Tamil Nadu Board were unable to show their original marks-sheet as they had not received the document from their respective schools yet and were denied admission to some colleges. Some colleges have resolved the issue by allowing them to enrol in the college by signing an undertaking that the originals will be submitted within a stipulated period of time. Students who were unaware about presenting the anti-ragging form or the medical certificate (as required by some colleges) also faced issues.

This is the first cut-off list which has been released by the varsity. Eligible candidates can appear for admissions till June 28th. You can refer to more details about the procedure here.

The next list will be announced on the midnight of June 30th, with the process commencing from July 1st.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: Alex Arthur for DU Beat 

 

Saumya Kalia

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With an eye always on the lookout for French fries and a heart immersed in unknotting the complexities of the world, Saumya is the self-proclaimed Doctor from Gallifrey of her time. Currently majoring in English from SGTB Khalsa College, her interests range from traveling through stories of different eras to trying her hand at assorted avenues. Saumya also harbours the ability to binge-watch anything and everything and possesses an affinity for stationery paraphernalia. Her idea of a delightful day involves ruminating discussions over coffee. As she continues to weave words into an ocean of ideas, Saumya solemnly swears that she is up to no good.

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