For many like Monika Sinha from Chhattishgarh, cut-offs are not the only barrier to admission into a Delhi university college. Sinha, who is visually impaired, had to give up a seat at Lady Sri Ram (LSR) college despite making it to the BA (prog) in the first list as she could not land a hostel allotment. The college has just three hostel seats reserved under the physically handicapped (PH) quota.

Monika was the fourth entrant to the college who had requested hostel accomodation under the quota.

“I made it to the first list of LSR, got admitted, paid my fees, got done with all the formalities, only to realise that they don’t have a seat vacant for me in the hostel," Sinha rues.

Kasturi Kanthan, media coordinator of LSR said, “We just can’t keep admitting students like this. There is a fixed number of seats and we have to work with that. Students can look for accommodation outside college, a lot of PH students stay in hostels outside and come to college.”

After withdrawing from LSR, Sinha sought admission at Indraprastha College (IP) - a girl’s college with two hostels. Having scored 85 percent, she had been selected in the first list there. But by the time she eventually came to take up admission, the third list was already out.

"I was first offered the expensive hostel with an excuse that all three seats had been occupied in the other one, but finally after a lot of pleading and coaxing, did they agree to give me a seat.”

The warden at IP said, “We make a lot of arrangements for PH students. We consider each and every case very carefully and try and help them financially at whatever level we can. We also allow them to pay their fees in installments as per convenience.”

Shabnam, a visually impaired student from Bihar, got into Miranda House in the first list in BA (Prog). She paid her fees, but hostel accommodation has not yet been confirmed.

Even after the announcement of the forth list on July 2, and after almost all courses closing in Miranda House, they still haven’t removed the list for hostel accommodation for PH students.

Shabnam said, “The list for general category students is out here. My other PH friends in different colleges have their hostels confirmed, but I still don’t know.”

Her 89.2 percent score secured her the admission, but not a hostel seat.

Bhavani, the warden at Miranda House said, “We remove the reserved category list in the end. If she has made it we will call her. There is nothing I can say now.”

Shabnam said, “I thought I will go home before the college starts, but don’t think it is going to be possible. I don’t know where I will go if I don’t get a seat here.”