The future of the six students granted provisional admission to St. Stephen’s College by Delhi University is at stake as the High Court on Thursday barred them from attending classes until further notice.
Students attended the first day of classes for the 2024-25 academic session on Thursday, but unlike their peers, they were less enthusiastic and remained unsure of what awaits them.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard an appeal filed by the university challenging the interim single-judge order directing that provisional admission be granted to the six students as per the university’s seat allocation.
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The court order has increased the problems of students and their parents.
Speaking to PTI, some parents expressed concern over the “mental trauma” their children are experiencing due to the ongoing dispute between the college and the university.
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Parents feel compelled to rush around to ensure a normal start for their children, who are embroiled in a legal battle.
Mayank Tayal, a father who travelled from Bengaluru so that his daughter could attend her first day of college, expressed his frustration over the current situation.
“After a tiring journey, especially for the first day of college, and after a long quest to obtain a post-graduate degree for my daughter, we are now left helpless as the court has barred students from attending classes till further orders. We are at a loss as to what to do next,” she said.
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“The decision to move to Delhi was a very important one for us. We were eager to join St. Stephen’s, but right now we are in a dire situation,” added Tayal, who attended the court hearing virtually.
“My daughter is suffering through no fault of her own. She has not eaten properly for the past few days and we are suffering from mental trauma and unnecessary harassment. The DU administration and the university should have come to an agreement after allotting seats to the students. Due to this fight, our daughter has been excluded from the admission process and cannot enroll in any other college,” said Prabhakar Sahu, the father of one of the six students who approached the court.
“My wife accompanied my daughter to college on the first day, while I am here in court to conduct other proceedings,” he added.
“It was not a normal start for my son who attended his first day of college today. Instead of being excited, he was nervous about how we got admission. We feel like our future is hanging in the balance. These students want to stay in India and contribute to the country but this is how the system treats them,” said Charmendra Singh, another concerned parent.
“Now that the court has banned our children from attending school until further notice, we feel helpless.”
Asked if he would accept another college if offered, Singh said he would not be satisfied because St. Stephen’s was his son’s dream college.
The six students approached the court after the university rejected their applications for admission, including those seeking admission under the unreserved category and the quota for unmarried girls.
Vandana Shrivastava, mother of one of the 22 students whose applications were rejected, expressed displeasure that her son had to stay home due to the dispute while all his friends joined the college.
“The excitement that students usually feel on the first day of college is something my daughter did not have… She performed exceptionally well in the 12th grade, scoring 96 percent and also scored 766 in the CUET test. Yet, she is still waiting to get admitted while all her friends went to college today,” she lamented.
Srivastava’s daughter is among 22 students who applied to St. Stephen’s but their applications were rejected.
“Since August 19, when we received an email informing us that DU has allotted admission to our son in St. Stephen’s, we have been waiting endlessly. We have no interest in St. Stephen’s if they do not want to take admission. DU should give us admission in another college based on the preferences submitted and merit. What are they waiting for? Why are our children suffering through no fault of their own?” he asked.
“All the excitement my son felt is gone. The feeling you get on the first day will never come back, especially after this long struggle,” she said.
“My son is a UPSC candidate and he feels disappointed with this situation,” he added.
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