Delhi University Exam Chaos: An unusual chain of events during Delhi University's semester examinations on Saturday has raised serious questions about the institution's examination preparedness, exposing logistical gaps in one of the country's premier universities' academic systems.
The chaos unfolded after question papers for more than 35 subjects failed to reach examination centres on time, leaving hundreds of students waiting for hours without clarity. The two-hour examination, scheduled to start at 9.30 AM, was delayed until nearly noon at several colleges. In some cases, the exams had to be cancelled.
Students across campuses reported waiting for up to four hours, unsure whether the exam would be conducted. The disruption affected mainly discipline-specific elective (DSE) papers for undergraduate students, particularly those in their seventh semester.
What Went Wrong
According to official sources quoted by The Times of India, around 800 papers were scheduled for the morning session, with nearly 1.4 lakh students appearing for semester examinations across Delhi University. However, over 35 DSE papers could not be dispatched on time due to logistical failures.
"Over 35 DSE papers could not be dispatched on time," a university official told The Times of India, adding that science and computer science courses were the worst affected.
The official further said that examinations for up to 10 papers had to be cancelled, impacting over 100 students, while some exams were eventually conducted later in the day "with considerable difficulty".
Two computer science papers, Digital Image Processing and Compiler Design, were among the worst hit. "These papers were not received across the university till 12.50 PM," the official said.
University's Official Response
In an official notice dated December 13, Delhi University expressed regret over the disruption and explained the reasons behind the cancellation and delay of examinations.
"This is to notify all concerned that approximately 800 papers were scheduled for the morning session today and due to some logistical issues, few papers could not be dispatched and the same could not be conducted at some examination centres," the university said in its notice.
The university said the issue was later resolved. "The said logistical issue was subsequently rectified, and the question papers were successfully sent thereafter," the notice stated.
What Happens Next For Students
Delhi University has announced alternative arrangements for affected students. As per the notice, Honours course students who were scheduled to appear in three core papers and were allotted four slots will be allowed to appear in the subsequent three slots.
For programme courses, the university said revised dates for the affected papers will be announced separately. "The examinations shall be conducted by the second week of January, 2026," the notice said.
Students have been advised to regularly check the official university website for updates related to revised schedules and notifications.
