Net-unsavvy applicants taken for a ride

In several students’ localities of the city, the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University applicants are being duped into paying a premium on online application fee.

 

Until last year the bookstores that sold hard copies of application forms of this Delhi-based university are now cheating non-Internet savvy users. Depending upon the buyer’s profile, the storekeepers charge Rs 200-500 for filling online admission forms, thereby offsetting the cost advantage the students have this year. 

In east Delhi for instance, many interested applicants approach the cramped book shops of Laxmi Nagar looking for an easy way to rid themselves of the seemingly cumbersome online application procedure. 

The irregularly built houses in Laxmi Nagar is home to thousands of young people who come to Delhi for higher education and better opportunities.  

With the elimination of hard copy of forms, the application fee for the upcoming academic session was reduced to Rs 750 from Rs 1,100. The online application procedure has been introduced by the university for the first time in a bid to expand the reach.  

The university had spent Rs 2 core on printing application forms and prospectus last year.

The hard copies of employment and admission forms are still an easy sell for one of the stores called Pandey Book Depot near Laxmi Nagar Metro Station. Whenever a person walks in, the storekeepers ask the person to write down all the details sought in the online application form.

It takes them five minutes to generate the registration slip. But if the store is crowded with buyers, the applicants are asked to deposit money and collect the slip in half an hour.

Students coming to these stores say that the provision of paying the fee through internet banking and debit card is a serious limitation.

The other localities where students end up paying more are Shakurbasti, Najafgarh and Munirka.

“We advice the students to fill their own applications. The online application procedure has been kept very simple,” said Nalini Ranjan, a university spokesperson. “The cyber cafes charge Rs 10-20 for one hour. That’s how much it should cost the students,” he added.

He said that the university has 24-hour toll free helpline number 18002660314 to
assist students. The students can also seek assistance by
mailing queries to [e-mail].

Also, an 11-page document is available on the home page of the university’s website, with detailed instructions on how to navigate through the application process.
With the introduction of the four year undergraduate programme in Delhi University, Ranjan said many students are now opting for professional and technical courses offered by his university.

The varsity has got more than 25,000 applications in the last two weeks. And the number of applicants could go up to 2 lakh, he added.