DU’s job fair guidelines stir row over ‘routine exclusion’ of Open Learning students

Guidelines at a Delhi University (DU) job fair that excluded students of the School of Open Learning (SOL) have triggered protests, with affected students demonstrating during the event held on campus on Friday (March 20, 2026).

The controversy arose after official guidelines for the job fair specified that “only regular students are eligible”, barring the students of SOL from taking part in the placements. This led to a protest by student groups, including Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan. The protesting students highlighted that the poster of the job fair specifies that “only regular students are eligible”. Further, guidelines shared by DU colleges stated that “SOL students cannot apply for jobs”.