With no pre-admission forms, the rush of candidates and parents is missing this year

Much like his competitors, 56-year-old Sushil Kumar Mohata is going through a dull business phase these days. Mohata runs a fast food joint named F5 Refresh right outside the Vishwavidyalya Metro station near Delhi University's north campus. The admission season is at its peak. In previous years, this was the time to cash in for the likes of Sushil. Things are different now.


Quick grab: Sunil Sethiu00a0sells bhelpuri and Samar Subha
selling steaming momos near Vishwavidyalaya Metro station
at North campus of Delhi University. PICs/Subhash Barolia

'Out of form'
According to the revised criteria, there are no pre-admission forms this time and hence no rush of students and parents; colleges like St Stephen's being the exception. The first cut-off is to be announced on June 15, after which colleges will begin sale of prospectuses. "Sales are down by nearly 75 per cent. Last year the place was teeming with peopleu00a0- hopefuls and their parents. It was difficult to maintain calm while dealing with the huge number of customers. We used to bring in new supplies thrice a day. This year we even fail to sell off the goods brought here in the morning," said Sushil.

First time
Tarachand, owner of famous a chana-kulcha shack, is a veteran of 25 years at DU's north campus. And he says things were never this bad before. "This time of the year is the best for sales. This is the first time we have to sit idle for hours every day. During the admission season I used to make about Rs 1000 a day. Now if I earn 500 rupees, I consider it a good day."

Dry season
21-year-old Tini aka Ehjaz Ahmed has been selling banta (lemonade) outside the Faculty of Arts for the past 12 years, after he dropped out of school in class VIII. "Seems like there is a curfew here. Sales are down; business is almost non-existent. This is the season for banta sale, but it is going completely dry. In past years I didn't even get time to breathe, now we keep staring at the empty streets. Hopefully, things will get better once classes begin."u00a0 The ice-cream vendors, chaiwallahs, bhuttawallahs, and even the momo sellers are also witnessing dry days. But most of them are optimistic, as Delhi University will over the next one month admit students for its 54,000 seats in various streams.

61
Total number of colleges in DU