Protests at Delhi University Highlight Discrimination Against SOL Students

Protests broke out at Delhi University on Friday as students voiced their frustration over alleged discrimination against the School of Open Learning (SOL) students, who were initially barred from participating in a job fair. Key student groups, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), led separate protests at the site and outside the Dean of Students' Welfare office, insisting on equal access for SOL students.

According to the student groups, a job fair notice excluded SOL students by specifying eligibility only for regular undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD students, and alumni, an action they branded as ''blatantly discriminatory.'' They claimed such actions demonstrate an ongoing pattern of marginalisation of SOL students within university programs.

In response to the outcry, university authorities engaged in dialogue with student representatives. After the discussions, the Dean of Students' Welfare pledged to allow SOL students to participate in the job fair, a decision hailed as a victory by the protesters. The university also committed to preventing similar exclusions in the future, while student groups vowed to continue advocating for comprehensive reforms.