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Published on Thursday, 14 February 2013

South Asian University’s Online Forms – A Big Hit

New Delhi : The on-going admission process at the SAARC-established New Delhi based South Asian University bears a sharp contrast from that of last year. The university is attributing this change to its initiative to introduce online application forms. Out of the total applications received so far, about 85 per cent are reaching the university through the online route.

Two thirds of the total applications are from girl students. SAU is currently offering admission to its post graduate and doctoral programmes for its monsoon session in various faculties and departments. The university conducts SAARC-wide entrance test at multiple cities in the region. Even though it is at its nascent stage, SAU is gaining popularity among students in the South Asian region.

The influx of applications, the university is now receiving, is a positive indicator, Prof. GK Chadha, SAU’s President said. Considering the widespread geography the university is catering to for its primary base of students, the overwhelming response to the online application form is but understandable, he said.

About half of the university’s students come from seven of the eight SAARC nations other than India, which accounts for the other half. Each country has a specific quota for the number of students it can send to the university.

Prof. Rajiv Saxena, the Vice President of this international university the online form is one of the many measures SAU has taken to make the whole process of applying for admission as applicant-friendly as possible. Posting the details of Student Volunteers, who with their prompt response help candidates with any sort of query they might have about the admission process or the university, putting up a dedicated admission blog with FAQs, video instructions and testimonials besides other useful information and simplifying the registration fee payment process are some of the other steps the university has taken, he said.

The last date for application to the university is 25 February and the entrance test will happen on 24 March this year to induct students for the July session.