In New Delhi — India's National Capital, home to the prestigious Delhi University and its clutch of top-notch colleges, pandemonium prevailed as authorities asked those above 95 percent to wait for special orientation classes.

Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series on the demanding and unreasonably high cutoff levels imposed on students seeking entry into the country's preeminent colleges.

India's nightmarish college admission process started on Monday, 29 May, 2017, reminding everyone there's little life in this round-the-clock stress if your marks are below 95 percent.

In New Delhi — India's National Capital, home to the prestigious Delhi University and its clutch of top-notch colleges, pandemonium prevailed as authorities asked those above 95 percent to wait for special orientation classes. They were the have-beens.

The rest of have-nots were herded into a cacophonous auditorium where lecturers and counsellors kept reiterating something the students weren't ready to hear: Why it is important to look elsewhere if marks are below 95 percent.

Everything the students were told revolved around the highly competitive cut-off marks, or the base grade, that students must get before paying their fees and walking into the classes after friendly bouts of ragging from the seniors. A large chunk of the crowd knew they were up for nothing. "Fill, fill, fill up the forms for all courses, you do not know what you will eventually get. Whatever comes is a bonus," screamed the counsellor.

Among the crowds were many who had come to the University with specific aspirations.

"I want to be an economist, know the marks will lead me nowhere. But I still came, hoping some colleges would have lowered the bar this year," said Preeti Singh, daughter of a farmer and a student from Delhi Public School, RK Puram in South Delhi. Her aggregate scores were a little less than 89 percent.

The college she aspires, one of India's most prestigious, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), had 100 percent as cut off marks in the first list last year for honours courses in commerce and humanities — of which economics is a part — and closed the list in the first shot unlike other colleges which had a second round, even a third round of admission roll calls. Worse, there are chances that the campus colleges will see a jump in cut-off this year for most courses as the number of students across India who scored 95 percent and above in the CBSE Class XII has seen a jump of around eight percent.

"The cut-off marks will increase, we get applications from all over the country," says RP Rustagi, SRCC's officiating principal. Jaswinder Singh, principal of SGTB Khalsa College, adds to Rustagi's fears: "There will be no let down this year, it will be exactly like last year, perhaps a little worse."

In Delhi, the number of students above 95 percent has gone down to 2,326 from last year's 2,927. Now, they will face a stiff challenge from those applying from across India because the number of students scoring 95 percent and above at all-India level has gone up by 740 this year. A total of 63,247 students got 90 percent and above, slightly down from 63,387 in 2016.

Delhi University has 56,000 seats in undergraduate courses this year, 2,000 more than last year, the applicants are more than four times the number. This year, an estimated 350,000 students will apply for the seats. What is intriguing is that nearly 85 percent of applications received by Delhi Univeristy are from CBSE students.

Suman Kumar, principal of Bluebells School in Delhi feels its all about mounting numbers and huge crowds of students seeking admissions for the best colleges.

"It's a pity that the students have to suffer so much and it's high time the CBSE rethinks evaluation norms, and students must look for alternate options, pursue second or third choices and not get frustrated. But it's easier said than done," Kumar said. As a principal, she has been at the heart of this nightmarish process, she knows what students go through year after year in a system that refuses to change.

Preeti Singh says she is now wondering whether her gruelling study schedules, frequent testing and round-the-clock stress was worth the visit to an university "where the doors are closed from the first day". Singh says she has no option but to take admission into a private college where the fees range between Rs 3,50,000 to 4,50,000 for an undergraduate course. "My parents, who almost bled for more than a decade to educate me, will now have to pledge family jewellery or insurance certificates to take a loan to get me into a private college."

India's education loan book currently stands at a whopping Rs 15,000 crore, the figure likely to cross Rs 17,000 crore this year as increased number of parents seek cash to push their children in private colleges. The State Bank of India, India's largest bank, has a 23 percent share of the education loan market. The average size of education loans for domestic colleges is Rs 4,00,000 while for overseas education, it ranges between Rs 50-60 lakh.

Educators say students in India — unlike in the Western nations — are under a constant state of anxiety, unable to study, concentrate, remember, sleep or eat. Many feel guilty because their parents have spent so much money and have high expectations. "Parents often impose their own unfulfilled ambitions on their children. We are not talking of 95 percent plus here, we are talking of parents pushing their children for 98 to 99 percent so that they get the right course," says Swati Sodhi, a seasoned counsellor who has dealt with similar situations.

"Everyone says its unfortunate, but proudly display their big numbers on the Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Marks of children are great pride for parents in India. It appears racist, those with big marks are segregated, like the rich, and rest, like poor, huddled together," says Sodhi.

Studies have time and again proved that students in India are on the edge all the time, thanks to rising middle-class aspirations, parents' unrealistic ambitions, poor teaching standards in schools and fiercely competitive college admissions race.

"In India, students' aspirations are totally, totally, misaligned with the country's job markets and yet you have a Rs 28,00o crore test-preparatory market flourishing, especially in cities like Kota," says Saurabh Kumar, an engineer turned filmmaker, adding: "Isn't it sheer nonsense for 1.5 million to take entrance for medical and engineering colleges when only 10,000 will get through?"

Sadly, added Kumar, the pressure in India increases because parents convey a deadly message to their children when in school: Excel or be left behind. Temples in India are scribbled with pleas from students seeking admission to top colleges. "Every year, students read in magazines about top colleges, wish there was a list for alternate courses, even worst colleges. But who will bell the cat, the market is big and rich?"

Studies from MM Advisory Services reveal an estimated 300,000 Indian students go abroad for higher studies every year, one third of them pledge homes to raise cash. And the number is increasing by 15-20 percent annually, so is the rush to pledge home and family silver.

Seasoned journalist Arindam Mukherjee, who has been tracking educational trends in India for nearly two decades says the admission procedures remains totally convoluted, top colleges have no seats and a large chunk of private colleges charge high fees but lack quality faculty.

He cites the example of the JIPMER medical college in Puducherry, considered among the best in India, charging Rs 20,000 per year for a five year MBBS course, and the Amrita School of Medicine in Kochi charges Rs 35,00,000 for a similar course. Many have downed shutters - 200 of them in 2016 - and 55 engineering colleges - capacity of 30,000 students - have got only 100 on rolls in 2016.

"So, the 95 percent plus marks becomes very, very important. Its your perfect stepping stone to get into the good colleges which will charge low fees, else you burn cash on private colleges," says Mukherjee.

Some claimed the biggest reason for stress for students in India is the batch-shuffling system followed in schools. If bimonthly scores are less, students are clubbed with low-scorers and mediocre teachers. The best teachers go to the top groups with special blazers or scholar badges.

Preeti Singh, standing outside the counselling hall of Indraprastha College for Women, is still grieving and does not know whom to blame. Not one teacher is making eye contact with her. Singh is not alone.

In faraway Mumbai, columnist and author Shobhaa De said she feels the same and around this time every year. De is writing a column highlighting why the education system in India needs a drastic overall, especially the admission process. "I, for some strange reasons, continue to get nightmares around the time when admissions take place. What kind of marks are these? Can a college realistically have a 100 percent cut off mark?" asks De.

There are no answers, the crowds are swelling outside the colleges. Everyone hopes against hope: What if the cut off marks drop?