Date:25/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/25/stories/2008062557480100.htm

New Delhi

Spoilt for choice at Delhi University

Parul Sharma

– PHOTO: V. V. KRISHNAN

PRE-ADMISSION PANGS: Which course? Which college? The debate goes on.

NEW DELHI: With the first cut-off list for admissions to Delhi University due this Thursday, counsellors manning the campus helpline are flooded with panic calls from confused students who seem spoilt for choice so far as the courses on offer are concerned.

With Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University offering a range of professional programmes and several private universities also in the fray, a great many students are confused whether to opt for them or enrol for an under-graduate course at Delhi University.

“Students seem to be in a dilemma. A family that came to me for counselling wanted their child to study B.Tech. at Indraprastha University while the child desired B.Sc. (Mathematics) at Delhi University and doing MBA thereafter. There have been many such cases,” said Dinesh C. Varshney, Deputy Dean of Students’ Welfare at the South Campus.

Mr. Varshney also cited the example of a girl who had secured 90 per cent marks and had set her sights on Economics (Honours) either from Shri Ram College of Commerce or Hans Raj, while her father wanted her to take up engineering instead.

“There are so many options available to students now that they can’t seem to make up their mind! There are some who have cleared the entrance test for the five-year integrated Law degree programme at Indraprastha University and are now not sure whether to pursue that or go in for Economics (Honours) or Political Science (Honours) at a Delhi University college,” said Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, Deputy Dean of Students’ Welfare.

“Two students who had scored high marks in their Class XII Board examination and had been called for counselling for BBA in some other university came to our office recently wanting to know if they should prefer that to B.Com. (Honours). Another boy who has scored 94 per cent is embroiled in a tussle between his parents: while his mother wants him to study Economics at SRCC, his father is adamant that he take up the same course at St. Stephen’s,” he added.

The University helpline has been getting well over 500 frantic calls every day, with a lot of students wanting to know if they would get a seat in their preferred course or favourite college.