The Delhi University admission process started Monday amidst chaos with the varsity's web site crashing and the admission centres witnessing crowds, mismanagement and even protests.
Daulat Ram College (DRC), one of the centres in the north campus, stopped selling the forms for a few hours after the staff faced protests for distributing the forms at the college gate and not allowing the admission-seekers to enter the premises.
The queue outside the DRC stretched for almost one km, with parents and students sweating in the high Delhi temperature.
Following the protests, the Daulat Ram College stopped selling forms but resumed it after a few hours.
With just one counter operating, there was almost a stampede-like situation with students climbing the college gate.
"We were supposed to fix the tent but at the end moment there was some problem, but tomorrow (Tuesday) everything will be at place," DRC acting principal Daya Aggarwal told the media.
As against the rule DRC was also selling separate forms of the general and reserved category.
Similarly, Shahid Gurudev Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College was overcrowded with admission seekers, though the college had adequate tents, water facility and even guidelines on the notice board.
The forms are available between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 18 centres across Delhi, while students can download the forms on the university's web site 24 hours a day.
Last year, the admission process used to be smooth as the arts faculty used to be one of the biggest centres.
But with the university web site not working since Sunday night, most of the students flocked to the centres to collect them.
"The online forms are not trustworthy as the process is very slow. So we have decided to come here and buy them," Vidya Anand, who came from Chandigarh, told IANS.
The forms cost Rs.100 for students under the general category. For those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the OBC community, the forms are priced at Rs.50.
"There are no arrangements for anything this time. Neither are there tents, nor drinking water facilities. Like last year, the administration has not provided any facility," Lokesh Chugh, secretary, National Students Union of India, told IANS.
It was not only the lack of basic facilities that the students faced, they also had to deal with traffic woes.
"Earlier traffic used to be diverted and not even rickshaws were allowed to come, but this time there has been no management," added Chugh.
As propagated by the university, there were no university observers to oversee the admission procedure.
Though the admission process is on, many students groups are also staging protests against the four-year under-graduate programme and burning effigies of Dinesh Singh, vice chancellor of the varsity.
The members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad burnt effigies and raised slogans demanding four year programme be rolled back in around 14 places around the varsity.
Similarly the left wing groups, All India Students Association, Democratic Students Organisation and All India Democratic Students Organisation staged a protest march in all the north campus centres.
Compared to the north campus, the admission process at the south campus was smooth without any hassles.
Delhi University is conducting the admission process for 54,000 seats in 61 colleges, while St. Stephen's College, Jesus and Mary College and Lady Irwin College are conducting separate admissions.
