DU School of Open Learning students charged at exam centre, KYS demands apology
Synopsis
A students' group has accused Shyam Lal College of charging Delhi University's open-learning students ₹10 per item to store bags and phones at an exam centre — while denying liability for losses. KYS says it is the latest episode in years of systemic discrimination against SOL students, from winter tent exams to basement sittings and job fair exclusions.
Key Takeaways
Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) alleged on 23 May that Shyam Lal College charged SOL students ₹10 each for bag and phone storage at an examination centre.
The college administration allegedly disclaimed liability for any lost items while collecting the charges.
KYS alleged that in January 2024 , SOL students sat exams in makeshift tents at Motilal Nehru and Aurobindo colleges during winter.
In May 2024 , students were reportedly made to write papers in a basement parking area in North Campus.
In March 2025 , SOL students were allegedly barred from a Job Mela organised by Delhi University.
KYS has demanded a written public apology from the college principal and formal action by Delhi University.
Students' organisation Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) on Saturday, 23 May condemned the alleged discrimination against Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL) students at Shyam Lal College, which had been designated as an examination centre. The group alleged that the college administration charged SOL students ₹10 each for depositing bags and mobile phones outside the venue — a facility that, KYS argues, should be provided free of charge at any examination centre.
What Happened at Shyam Lal College
According to Bhim Kumar, a member of the KYS Delhi State Committee, students arriving for their semester-end examinations found a banner outside the college gate listing charges for bag and phone storage. The college administration, he alleged, simultaneously disclaimed any liability for lost items. 'It should be noted that the charge for keeping a bag and mobile phone was Rs 10 each. Not only were students being charged for this facility, but the college administration also categorically denied responsibility in case any item was lost,' Kumar said.
A Pattern of Alleged Discrimination
KYS described the incident as part of what it termed a longstanding pattern of 'educational apartheid' within Delhi University, alleging that SOL students — many of whom come from marginalised sections of society — have repeatedly faced unequal treatment despite being enrolled in the same university as regular students.
Citing earlier instances, Kumar alleged that in January 2024, SOL B.Com first-semester students were made to write examinations in makeshift tents at Motilal Nehru College and Aurobindo College during winter conditions. In May 2024, students were reportedly made to sit examinations in the basement parking area of a university building in North Campus. In March 2025, SOL students were allegedly barred from a Job Mela organised by the Delhi University administration. As far back as 2019, SOL students were allegedly excluded from a logo-designing competition held by the Women's Studies Development Centre.
'From being made to sit in under-construction basements and tents during examinations to abrupt changes in examination schedules and being forced to stand in queues for study materials, SOL students have repeatedly faced apathy and discrimination,' Kumar alleged.
KYS Demands and Next Steps
The organisation has demanded a written public apology from the principal of Shyam Lal College and sought formal action against the college's authorities by Delhi University. KYS also called on the university to ensure that no such incident recurs during future SOL examinations.
The group said it would continue its wider campaign against inequality and discrimination in Delhi University and other higher educational institutions. Neither Shyam Lal College nor the Delhi University administration had issued a public response at the time of reporting.
Point of View
It points to a structural indifference within Delhi University toward its open-learning cohort — a group that is often first-generation college-goers with fewer institutional safety nets. The pattern KYS documents, spanning tent exams in January cold, basement sittings, and job fair exclusions, is too consistent to dismiss as isolated administrative lapses. Delhi University has never publicly addressed the 'educational apartheid' framing, and that silence is itself a data point. The real question is whether the university's internal accountability mechanisms can act without external pressure — or whether student organisations remain the only check on exam-centre conduct.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shyam Lal College allegedly do to SOL students?
According to KYS, the college administration placed a banner outside the gate charging SOL students ₹10 each to deposit bags and mobile phones before their semester-end examinations, while also denying responsibility for any lost items. Regular Delhi University students are not charged for such storage at examination centres, the group alleged.
What is the School of Open Learning (SOL) at Delhi University?
The School of Open Learning is a distance and open-learning wing of Delhi University that enrols lakhs of students, many from working-class and marginalised backgrounds, in undergraduate programmes. SOL students take their examinations at designated centres across Delhi rather than on a fixed campus.
What are KYS's demands following the incident?
KYS has demanded a written public apology from the principal of Shyam Lal College and formal disciplinary action against the college's authorities by Delhi University. The organisation has also called for a guarantee that no such charges or conditions will be imposed on SOL students at future examination centres.
Has this kind of incident happened before with SOL students?
KYS alleges a series of prior incidents: makeshift tent exams at Motilal Nehru and Aurobindo colleges in January 2024, basement parking sittings in May 2024, exclusion from a Job Mela in March 2025, and a ban from a logo-design competition in 2019. The organisation describes this as a pattern of systemic discrimination.
Has Delhi University or Shyam Lal College responded to the allegations?
Neither Shyam Lal College nor the Delhi University administration had issued a public response to KYS's allegations at the time of reporting.
