Too many SOL students turn up for degree, event cancelled for safety

NEW DELHI: A stampede-like situation took place on Delhi University's North Campus on Saturday at the degree distribution ceremony of the School of Open Learning.

In media shared online, students can be seen scaling the walls in a bid to enter the sports complex where the two-day event was organised.

SOL officials, however, said that no person was injured and that people were asked to vacate the stadium. They added that the event was cancelled when a larger number of people than had registered turned up for the event.

In a notice on Saturday, SOL said, "All concerned may please note that the distribution of degree for passing out students of 2022 of SOL through 'Degree Fair' scheduled on June 3 and 4 has been stopped with immediate effect due to unavoidable circumstances." The notification further said, "The degrees will now be sent by post to the addresses of the students shortly."

US Pandey, officiating principal, SOL, told TOI, "Around 10,000 students had registered for the first day and adequate arrangements had been made for them. We had distributed a few hundred degrees when suddenly 25,000-30,000 students turned up. It was then that we decided to call off the event to ensure that no untoward incident or stampede took place." Pandey added, "Everyone was asked to leave and people were evacuated safely."

However, several teachers and students complained of the "mismanagement" that caused the chaotic situation. In a statement, the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan said, "Lakhs of rupees were spent on booking the venue. The mismanagement led to a stampede as the event was abruptly cancelled. This is not an isolated incident but is among the problems that keep cropping up regularly."

Aman Kumar, member of the University Court, also remarked, "If SOL wanted to organise a convocation-like event, it should have divided the various programmes because close to one lakh students enrol in SOL every year. Even earlier, we had raised the issue of mismanagement in SOL several times, including at DU's last Academic Council meeting. An enquiry committee should be constituted immediately."

Academic Council member Maya John reiterated, "Due to the mismanagement by SOL authorities, a stampede followed at the venue of degree distribution because students were arbitrarily denied entry to the venue. The event had to be abruptly cancelled because the number of attendees was massive. Such mismanaged public functions by SOL represent a desperate effort by the authorities to conceal the poor quality of education imparted in the correspondence mode in DU."