However, the overcast sky did not dampen the spirits of the seniors. They had come prepared, complete with old ragging tactics and new updates. From re-enacting the Titanic and Ghulam to rain dancing and speeches, the freshers who were there did it all.

The Titanic Hansraj style kept the fun going at the college. Freshers scrambled up the deck of the sinking ship, following it up with the romantic Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet pose on the hull of the ship.

There was a lot of cheering for all those who sang the aati kya Khandala song a la Aamir Khan. Some freshers know their movies well and kept the seniors entertained for quite a while.

``Wipe that smile off your face'' was the most used line, ``introduce yourself'' the most frequent order and ``ask your senior out on a date'' the most common task. They kept up the banter, not letting the dismal numbers get to them.

The freshers present, on their part, were a sporting lot. The anti-ragging booths set up by Delhi University apparently did not get any complaints, despite the fact that ragging is banned in Delhi.

But then, the usual variety on the opening day of DU was missing. The ragging that was happening involved very few people. The first impression in all colleges was not what the teachers and seniors have come to expect each time a new batch enters DU. In any case, everything on campus today happened under the supervision of the police. With a court notice directing the police to ensure that DUSU, among others, did not stage any demonstration, a cop was spotted in every corner.

The rapid action force and some mounted policemen were on duty. The DUSU office was a sea of khaki, particularly after DUSU president Anil Jha was arrested while leading a demonstration. He was released later in the day.