Flooded with calls from aspirants, Delhi University reduces helpline timings by an hour
Flooded with calls from aspirants, Delhi University reduces helpline timings by an hour
If you want to get into a Delhi University (DU) this year, chances are you will have to punch the helpline number quite a few times till you are actually able to place a call in case you have queries. Taking a lesson from the north campus helpline, which is being flooded by more than 3,000 calls daily, in spite of having around 16 people (which includes at the helpdesk and telecounsellors), DU has decided to slash the operating hours for its helpline in south campus, which has been getting about 2,000 calls daily on an average. 
Students at south campus will get lesser time for queries
At the South Campus, which is a smaller unit with lesser number of colleges and only one dean to look after the entire admission process, it's getting increasingly difficult to handle such pressure. This is the first time that the helpline numbers are getting so many calls. DU's revised admission policy introduced this academic session is being cited as the reason for the heavy rush of calls.
Rush hour
South Campus has a total number of five people -- including student telecounsellors and the deputy dean himself -- who man the helplines. With an increasing number of calls, the operational hours have been currently stretched to 8 pm instead of the official 6 pm. So lesson the load, the university has decided to slash the timings and close helplines at 5 pm.
"We were not expecting such a call rate. We have a limited number of staff who work in shifts to cater to the calls as well as to the students and their parents on a daily basis who come with queries regarding the revised admission process," said Dinesh C Varshney, Deputy Dean, South Campus.
"I am taking about 400-500 calls myself per day. On Wednesday 50 per cent of the calls we received were from outside Delhi. The reason isu00a0 that they cannot believe that there are no pre-registration forms, how and when should they come down to Delhi," said an official from the department.
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