A random visit to Delhi University’s popular Patel Chest today shocked me to the core.I was amazed to see how cyber cafes in the area were looting students and taking advantage of a situation where we’ve all been once-Filling an online application form.
A number of shops in the area had those ‘Fill DU Form’ posters on pasted on their gates/walls which was quite an unusual scene because these cyber cafe guys aren’t providing the internet facility to DU applicants but are filling the forms individually and are charging anywhere between INR 150 to INR 600 for that 20-30 minute job.Yes,you read that correctly,INR 600 for an application which costs only INR 150.
Having started DU Express two years back with the sole motive of helping aspirants who know nothing about the university or its admission process,I was really sad so see all this happening in our beloved North Campus so I simply couldn’t stop myself from asking the cyber cafe guy ‘Bhai ye 150 ka form bharne ke liye 250 kyu le rahe ho? Colleges mai free mai bharwaya jaata hai ye’¬†and I got the usual response ‘Kamai ka time hai bhaiya,aesa toh hai nahi ki hum mehnat nahi kar rahe‘,though,after hearing what I said 2 of his customers who were waiting to get their form filled left the shop,it’s still sad to see how these people are looting innocent students coming from not so well off financial backgrounds.
Maybe,Delhi University should do something better to reach out to more and more number of applicants,especially,those residing in the national capital and nearby regions so that they are aware of the fact that more than 40 colleges in the university are helping students to fill the online application free of cost.There are a number of student platforms like us who are there to clear your doubts regarding the whole process.
By giving business like this to these money minded cyber cafes to loot poor students,we’re doing no good to the society.My motive behind writing this article isn’t to stop the business these cyber cafe’s are getting but just to let the students know that you’re paying money for something which Delhi University is providing for free-be it access to computers or filling the form.Not to forget these colleges also have faculty members on board and student volunteers to answer any questions you’ve. And no matter how rich you’re-a freebie is something which no Indian can or should say NO to!
