NEW DELHI: Those who have not managed to get into a college even after the release of the second cut-off list for admissions still have a chance of securing a Delhi University degree: from the School of Open Learning (SOL). Coming a long way from being the last resort for students who had failed or hadn't done well enough to get in, SOL now caters to 65 per cent of the students from the University.

"It is important for people to remember that Delhi University has a dual system. The rules that govern the conventional colleges in the University are the same for open learning. The syllabus is the same and so is the examination system. The revised B.Com course that is being introduced in the conventional courses is the one that we teach. Even the examination papers are the same,'' asserts H. C. Pokhriyal, Executive Director of the School.

With the criteria for admission to a course in the University the same for regular colleges as well as the Open School system, the only major difference is the hype in the cut-off lists for admission.

Not bound by the limitation of the number of seats like in conventional colleges, SOL lives up to the spirit of providing higher education to students who have fulfilled the minimum percentage of marks required by Delhi University.

"The degree is also the same. All students get a degree from Delhi University. It is also possible for students to migrate from one system to another. For example, a student studying in the School of Open Learning can move to a conventional college and vice versa,'' points out Prof. Pokhriyal.

Having started selling its prospectus from June 26, SOL has sold 20,000 copies so far. The number is expected to see an increase in the first ten days of July. Typically, SOL sells about 80,000 prospectuses at the start of every new academic year, but this time round the number is likely to go up by 10,000 according to officials.

"The admission process has been made automated from last year. Students now can get admitted within five minutes at a single window and there is no need to stand in long queues. We are also gearing up to meet the rush that will start in the first fortnight of July so that things function smoothly,'' says Prof. Pokhriyal.

Giving students more opportunities, Delhi University has also tied up with Genpact to recruit students from English (Honours) and its B.Com courses to work with them for three days in the week as associate trainees. This will allow students to earn while they learn and help them get work experience.

"They expect to recruit 300 students from SOL and this will start from this year,'' states Prof. Pokhriyal.

Apart from the technological advancements, students will be handed over their learning material as soon as they get admission to SOL, so they don't have to wait. The last date for receipt of applications for admission to SOL is August 25.

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