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18 crore ‘unclaimed’ library security refund lying with School of Open Learning

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We all give our library security fund almost casually and most of us forget to claim it back at the end of the year. Thanks to this habit, at the School of Open Learning an amount of over Rs 18 crore has been found sitting in the varsity coffers.

An RTI application filed by Faculty of Law student Mohit K. Gupta revealed that SOL has a total unclaimed amount of Rs 18.25 crore as a result of the library security deposits made from 1997 to March 2017.

SOL Director C.S. Dubey asserted that the institution is now planning to use this money, accumulated over the last 20 years, to upgrade the library facilities. He added, “It is the student’s responsibility to claim the security refund back as a mechanism of any university.”

The finance branch of the University of Delhi has claimed that the lapsed security deposits are currently credited to the Vice-Chancellor’s Students Funds Account, which has allegedly been suspected of keeping funds of approximately Rs 1 crore.

The library security amount for undergraduate students from the year 1997 to 2000 was Rs 50 while for postgraduate students it was Rs 100. The amount was then increased to Rs 100 for UG students and Rs 150 for the PG students from the years 2000 to 2003.

As of now, the SOL charges Rs 200 from undergraduate students and Rs 500 from postgraduate students as the library security amount, which can be claimed once the course is over.

The buildup of funds via unacknowledged security deposits must be a story of various university libraries. Ideally, investments should be made out of such funds in the interests of the students.

 

Feature Image Credits: School of Open Learning

Niharika Dabral
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Admissions 2017

The Great College Debate: Girls College Vs. Co-Ed College

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Let’s attempt to comprehend this age-old debate of co-ed college versus girls’ college.

Some of best colleges in the University of Delhi are all-girls colleges. These colleges not only have the best faculty, infrastructure, and societies but also harbour the charm of sisterhood that is established on the strong foundation of feminism. When you are in a girls’ college, chances are you won’t have to worry about the daily struggle of putting together an outfit. Dress up or not, in an all-girls’ college you don’t really feel any less or more because of either. There is a larger sense of freedom where one can live without a bra. In co-ed colleges, however, the inevitable pressure of being judged by the opposite sex looms large.

In a university space, one thrives by learning from discussions that take place in canteens as well as in classrooms. Being in a co-ed setup means getting varied perspectives on all socio-political issues which eventually enriches one’s understanding. However, some topics may spark discomfort for students who come from conservative backgrounds and are not comfortable in discussing certain topics in front of the opposite sex. Chitra Dabral, a student of Lady Irwin College, says, “In an all girls’ class when we are taught about “taboos” such as sex, there’s nothing I feel shy about asking. Besides, my teachers also respond candidly. I wouldn’t have felt such ease with male peers.”

Being part of a co-ed college means interaction between the two sexes which resolves social awkwardness, something that many believe students from girls colleges suffer from. Nayla Kaur, a student at Mata Sundri College, resonates that, “Some of my classmates feel inhibited in male company.” Ishita Sharma from Indraprastha College for Women disagrees. She says, matter-of-factly, “Dealing with boys depends on your personality. So according to me these two things – being in an all girls’ college and being awkward with boys – are not interconnected.”

In our society when gender roles are still starkly segregated, being in an all-girls’ college means one will have to handle all situations, right from designing rangolis to moving heavy desks.

Finally, dating is one aspect where co-ed colleges are believed to score over all-girls’ institutions. If you are straight, then chances of meeting your soulmate are higher in co-ed colleges. However, as one can observe, a significant chunk of the population at girls’ colleges also date, because the fluid movement (thanks to fests, events, and multiple competitions) in DU amongst students fuels dating across colleges.

As we can establish, there are pros and cons on both sides.  At the end, whichever college you choose to go to, your life will certainly be adventurous because Delhi University is the place to be.

Feature Image credits: www.mirandahouse.ac.in

Niharika Dabral

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Admissions 2017

No LLB seat cuts in Law Faculty, says Delhi High Court

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Putting a pause on the ongoing tussle between students and the Bar Council of India (BCI), the Delhi High Court has asked Delhi University to admit 2,310 students in the LLB course for the 2017-18 academic session.

Manmohan and Justice Vinod Goel, in an interim order, reasoned, “Don’t reduce the number of seats. Students want to study, let them study. DU has been teaching 2,310 students till now. You (BCI) decided to reduce the seats to half. We need time to decide the case. Till then let 2,310 study.”  

The bench has posted the matter for the next hearing on August 21st.

The court’s order came from a PIL by lawyer Joginder Kumar Sukhija, against the decision of the 800+ seat cuts. The petition asserted that by reducing the seats, public money, which was used to provide grant to the varsity, would not be put to optimal use. Other than that, a large number of students will be affected if the seats were reduced.

In August 2016, the BCI has asked Delhi University (DU) to admit a maximum of 1,440 students in its three centers LLB courses, and to shutdown colleges offering law courses in the evening shifts. The policy decision of shutting down evening colleges has been taken after the BCI reported that the law programmes offered in evening and night hours do not comply with rules that appropriate the quality of legal education that is imparted to students.

However, Delhi University opposed the reduction of seats for the law graduate course, on grounds that it had improved its infrastructure and increased the strength of its teaching faculty.

Earlier this month, BCI had also imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on DU for not paying affiliation fees and continuing to teach without permission.

Following the seat cut proposal, many protests have been held across the campus against the proposal. While, this latest development is seen as a major relief to law aspirants, but whether or not there will be a seat cut in the next academic session will only be made clear after August 21st.

 

Image Credits: DU Beat

Niharika Dabral
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Admissions 2017

Master’s, M.Phil., and Ph.D. Admissions Entrance Schedule Announced

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After a long wait, the University of Delhi has finally announced a tentative schedule for the entrance test based admissions for Master’s, M.Phil., and Ph.D.

The online registration for admissions to these courses will start from 12th June and will continue till 22nd June, 2017.

There are approximately 9,000 to 10,000 in postgraduate programmes such as M.A., M.Sc., etc. The number of seats in M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses is still being calculated due to the departments not yet confirming the number of research students a faculty member can take.

The schedule for entrance tests for the postgraduate programme is as follows:

Saturday, 1 July

  • B.Ed. Special Education (Visual Impairment)
  • M.C.A.
  • B.Ed.
  • M.Sc. Botany
  • M.A. Sociology
  • M.A. History
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Sociology
  • M.A. Urdu
  • B.P.Ed. (Department of Physical Education & Sports Sciences)
  • M.A. Punjabi

Sunday, 2 July

  • Ph.D. in Computer Science
  • Ph.D. in Chemistry
  • M.Phil./Ph.D. in Italian
  • M.A. Political Science
  • Ph.D.in Philosophy
  • M.Phil./Ph.D. in French
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Political Science
  • Ph.D. in Arabic
  • M.Phil./Ph.D. in German
  • M.Sc. Zoology
  • Ph.D. in Anthropology
  • LL.B. M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Zoology
  • M.A. Sanskrit
  • M.A. Persian
  • Ph.D. in Sanskrit
  • M.Phil. in Persian
  • M.Sc. Operational Research
  • M.A. /M.Sc. Applied Operational Research
  • M.A. French /M.A. German,
  • M.A. Italian/M.A. Hispanic
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Operational Research
  • LL.M.
  • M.Sc. Food and Nutrition
  • Ph.D. in Law
  • Ph.D. in Home Science
  • M.P.Ed. (Department of Physical Education & Sports Sciences)
  • Ph.D. in Business Economics
  • M.A. in Psychology
  • Ph.D. in Psychology

Monday, 3 July

  • M.A. Economics
  • M.Sc. Environmental Studies
  • M.Sc. Fabric & Apparel Science
  • M.Phil. (Department of Home Science)
  • Ph.D. in Economics
  • Ph.D. in Environmental Studies
  • M.Sc. – Ph.D. combined degree in Biomedical Sciences & M.Sc. Degree in Biomedical Sciences (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research)
  • M.A. Japanese
  • M.A. East Asian Studies
  • M.Sc. Development Communication and Extension (Department of Home Science)
  • Ph.D. in East Asian Studies
  • Master of Library & Information Science
  • Ph.D. in Library & Information Science (Deptt. of Library & Info. Sc.)
  • M.Phil. in Library & Information Science (Deptt. of Library & Info. Sc.)
  • M.A./M.Sc. Mathematics
  • M.Phil./ Ph.D. in Mathematics
  • Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
  • M.A. Applied Psychology
  • M.Sc. Microbiology
  • M.Sc. Electronics
  • Ph.D. in Microbiology
  • Ph.D. in Electronics
  • M.A. Tamil
  • M.Sc. Resource Management & Design Application (Department of Home Science)
  • M.A. Bengali
  • M.A. Comparative Indian Literature
  • M.A. Russian
  • M.Phil. in Modern Indian Languages & Literary Studies
  • M.Phil. in Russian Studies

Tuesday, 4 July

  • M.A./M.Sc. Statistics
  • M.Sc. Physics
  • B.Ed. Special Education (Mental Retardation)
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Statistics
  • Ph.D. in Physics
  • M.Phil. in Karnatak Music
  • M.Sc. Geology
  • M.A. Philosophy
  • M.Com.
  • M.Phil./Ph.D. in Geology
  • M.Phil. in Philosophy
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Commerce
  • M.A. English
  • M.A. Arabic
  • M.A. Linguistics
  • Ph.D. in English
  • M.Phil. in Arabic
  • M.Phil./ Ph.D. in Linguistics
  • M.Sc. Informatics (Institute of Informatics & Communication)
  • M.Sc. Anthropology
  • M.Tech. Microwave Electronics
  • Ph.D. in Informatics (Institute of Informatics & Communication)
  • M.Phil. in Anthropology
  • M.Phil. in Hindustani Music
  • Ph.D. in Persian
  • M.Sc. Genetics
  • Ph.D. in Russian
  • M.Sc. Human Development and Childhood studies (Department of Home Science)
  • Ph.D. in Genetics
  • M.A. Environmental Studies
  • M.Sc. Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology
  • M.Ed.
  • Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
  • M.Phil./ Ph.D. in Education
  • M.Sc. Mathematics Education (Cluster Innovation Centre)
  • Ph.D. in Modern Indian Languages & Literary Studies
  • Ph.D. in Bio-Physics

Wednesday, July 5

  • M.A. Social Work
  • M.A. Buddhist Studies
  • M.A. in Life Long Learning & Extension
  • M.Phil./Ph.D. in Social Work
  • M.Phil. in Buddhist Studies
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in Adult Continuing Education & Extension
  • M.Phil. in Hindi
  • M.A. Geography
  • Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies
  • M.Phil./ Ph.D. in Botany
  • M.Phil. /Ph.D. in Geography
  • M.A. Hindi
  • M.Phil. / Ph.D. in History
  • Ph.D. in Urdu
  • Ph.D. in Hindi
  • M.Phil. in Urdu
  • M.Phil. in English
  • Ph.D. in Punjabi
  • M.Phil. in Sanskrit
  • M.Phil.(Biotechnology) (Faculty of Applied Sciences- offered by Departments of Microbiology, Genetics, Biophysics and Biochemistry)
  • M.Sc. Biochemistry
  • Ph.D. in Biochemistry
  • M.Phil. in Punjabi
  • M.Sc. Forensic Science (Department of Anthropology)
  • Ph.D. in Financial Studies
  • M.A. Hindustani Music
  • M.A. Karnatak Music
  • Ph.D. in African Studies
  • Ph.D. in Hindustani Music
  • M.Phil. in African Studies
  • M.A. Percussion Music
  • Ph.D. in Karnatak Music
  • Ph.D. in Music & Fine Arts

 

You can download a PDF version of the schedule here.

50% of the total seats in most postgraduate courses in the varsity are reserved for direct admission for students who have completed their undergraduate degree from the University of Delhi itself. This direct admission is based on the marks scored by the applicants in their undergraduate courses. The remaining 50% seats are given to applicants who qualify in the entrance examinations. Some departments also choose to conduct interviews or group discussions after the entrance exams.

 

Feature Image Credits: India.com

Niharika Dabral
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Campus Central

Scrapping of NET exam, Six percent qualification cap draws ire of students

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Students and aspiring college teachers from across different universities staged a protest outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) office on June 16, 2017. The protest demonstration was against the scrapping of the National Eligibility Test (NET) in July.

Earlier in January, the University Grants Commission (UGC) decided to scrap the National Eligibility Test (NET) exam scheduled for July 2017 and shifted it to November 19. This meant that the NET exam in December won’t take place this year. The exam that was held twice a year and conducted for 83 subjects at multiple locations across the country, will now onwards only be held once a year.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which has been holding the test since 2014, had last week notified that the NET would be held in November. Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, chairman of CBSE, wrote to the HRD ministry resonating that due of heavy workload the JRF exam should be held just once a year. The exam in which over 5 lakh candidates take the exam every year, has been held twice a year since it was started in 1984.

The protesting students also raised concerns over the reduction of the cap to qualify for NET at 6 per cent from the 15 per cent earlier. They have also started a “Save NET exam” online petition, which will be submitted to the UGC. The petition can be found here. 

Demonstrators said that holding it once a year will increase pressure on students. They attributed the reduction in qualifying percentage is part of a bigger plan where the government is enervating public funded education, by scuttling funds and seat cuts.

Feature Image credits: DU Fights back fb page

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DUB Speak

The Earth will survive, but we won’t

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5 June 2017 marks the 43rd World Environment Day (WED). Yes, that day when everyone advocates green energy, abhors plastic, and plants trees. First held in 1974, nothing (except the themes) has changed in terms of how this day is celebrated. More or less throughout the years, the same things have been repeated. Yet each year the records of “highest temperature” are being broken and glaciers keep on melting.  I don’t know if it is worth saying what’s been said before, but I do know that there is no other way round it.

As writer Arundhati Roy writes in The End Of Imagination, “There can be nothing more humiliating for a writer of fiction to have to do than restate a case that has, over the years, already been made by other people in other parts of the world, and made passionately, eloquently and knowledgeably. I am prepared to humiliate myself abjectly, because, in the circumstances, silence would be indefensible. So those of you who are willing: let’s pick our parts, put on these discarded costumes and speak our second-hand lines in this sad second-hand play. But let’s not forget that the stakes we’re playing for are huge and our fatigue and our shame could mean the end of us.”

The theme for 2017 is ‘Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator’. The host nation this year is Canada. As part of the occasion, Canada has offered free passes for its national parks throughout 2017. In an age when the world is subjected to the crass ignorance of Trump, Canada under Justin Trudeau seems like a reassuring presence. But the rosy words and promises are rendered meaningless if you keep siphoning more and more carbon for people to burn and sadly that’s exactly what Canada is planning to do after they discovered 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground at Alberta’s tar sands in northeastern Alberta. (Yes, Trudeau is indeed charming, and also deceiving.)

These days when the world is either freezing or melting, and with growing acceptance of conspiracy theories that claim that climate change is a hoax, the situation does look bleak, but there is hope. Evidence includes Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement being met with Michael Bloomberg’s offer of up to $15 million to implement the agreement.

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In our own rapidly industrialising country where the cost of development is often the environment, Kerala has planted one crore saplings today. It is important that we do our part by implementing things that we were taught since a young age. It’s important that we  limit driving, conserve energy, reduce the use of packaging material and use environmentally safe products, and educate ourselves, so as to see through the pretense of policies. We can’t really afford any lethargy or indifference because as Neil deGrasse Tyson puts it, “The Earth will survive climate change… we won’t.”

 

Feature Image Credits: Egeturk

Niharika Dabral
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Admissions 2017

School of Open Learning starts its Admissions Process

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After a delay of over weeks, the admission process to distance learning courses of Delhi University has finally kickstarted with School of Open Learning (SOL) opening its registrations for its undergraduate courses.

The School of Open Learning is a trailblazer in the field of distance learning. Last year some 49,000 students had applied online to SOL by 21st July, 2016. The institution has also seen a steady rise in the number of applications each year.

Below is a step by step guide which will help you in the process of the admissions a more smooth one.

Step 1 – Registration.

Open: https://sol.du.ac.in/admission/LoginRegistration.aspx

Fill in your working email and mobile number. Then you will get a password on yor mail and mobile.

Step 2- Login

Open: https://sol.du.ac.in/admission/

Enter your user id and password. Click submit. 

Step 3- Course Details

Please enter the course details and click “Save”. Proceed to “Next” button. If you are a CBSE/ICSC/NOS student, fill in your year of passing and exam roll number. Then click on Check button.

Step 4- Personal Details.

Fill in the demographic details. Click “Save” and proceed to “Next” button

Step 5- Subject Details.

Plaese choose the subjects from drop down list. Click “Save” and proceed to “Next” button.

Step 6- Document Details

Upload the required documents. Click “Save” and proceed to “Next” button.

Step 7- Enrollment and verification .

Please verify all the details before proceeding for payment.  Read the declaration form and tick the “Check Box”. After verification click “Verify”.

Step 8- Select payment method.

Step 9- After the payment you’ll get your Roll no. and Fee receipt number.

Step 10- Click on “Print fee receipt” to view and download.

Step 11– Click on “Print ID Card” to view and download.

For any problem related to Online Registration / Admission, you can mail to [email protected].in 

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Earlier the admissions to the regular courses saw a change in its schedule, while the School of Open Learning has managed to stick to its earlier notice of starting its registrations on June 1st.

 

Image Credits: www.sol.du.ac.in

Niharika Dabral

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Delhi School of Economics

DU students’ organisation seeks apology from Republic TV

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On Sunday, May 28, Republic TV ran a story about pro-ISIS and pro-Maoist slogans being scribbled on the walls of Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University. However, the visuals used in the backdrop while running the story were posters made by students from Disha, a Delhi University students’ organisation.

Republic TV’s broadcast can be seen here.

In response to this, the outfit has written a letter to Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV condemning the irresponsible act of journalism. In the letter, Simran – convener of Disha Student Organisation – alleges that Mr Goswami’s channel has falsely used their posters to cover the pro-ISIS news when they had nothing to do with the alleged ISIS slogans. She further asserts that the pictures contextualised the news piece in a way that wrongly insinuated and defamed their democratic organisation.

The association has since issued an official statement and sought an apology from the channel by asserting, “We strongly condemn this pitiable act of irresponsible journalism. We ask that you run an apology clarifying this on your channel and everywhere where you have run this video story (facebook, youtube, twitter etc). In the event of failing to do so by your channel we will be forced to file a defamation suit against your channel and send you a show cause notice.” (sic)

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Taking their opposition further, the organisation has now planned a protest demonstration against Republic TV on 31st May, Wednesday, at Arts Faculty, North Campus.

It will be interesting to see how this tussle unfolds. Whether Republic TV will apologise or failing which Disha Student Organisation will go ahead with the defamation suit – only time can tell.

 

Feature Image Credits: Ultra News

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Campus Central

“Pro-ISIS” slogans painted on the walls of DU, DUSU secretary files police complaint

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On 27th May, a “pro-ISIS” slogan was discovered on the walls of commerce dept., Delhi School of Economics.

Immediately reacting to it, Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) secretary and a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Ankit Singh Sangwan filed a police complaint against the slogan on Saturday. He reported the matter to the authorities and subsequently filed a complaint with Maurice Nagar Police Station after some students supposedly informed him about the objectionable slogans. After filing the police complaint, he also shared the photograph of the wall that was tainted with slogans in blue and pink on personal Twitter handle. He also attached the copy of the complaint.

In his police complaint, Sangwan wrote, “I found that ‘I am SYN ISIS’ was written on the wall, which means that an organisation like ISIS is to be supported.”

 

He also asserted in his complaint, which is written is Hindi that various slogans such as ‘Justice for Naxals’ , ‘AFSPA’, ‘Aazadi’ , ‘LGBTQ’ were also written alongside the walls of the Department of Social Work. The complaint ended with a plea to take strict action against the perpetrators of the act and request the immediate painting of the walls.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Jatin Narwal took cognizance of the complaint and assured that Delhi Police would now examine the matter.  With presence of CCTV cameras around, it is expected that it will not be difficult to figure out who wrote the message on the wall of Department of Commerce.

(With inputs from PTI)

Picture Credits: Hindustan Times

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Admissions 2017

DU Expands PWD Reservations

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In a progressive step towards giving equal access to PWD students, the University of Delhi will now have reserved seats for acid attacks survivors and students with thalassemia and dwarfism.

These reservations are mandated bythe Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. According to this Act, all government institutions of higher education and other higher education institutions which get government aid must reserve at least 5% of the seats for persons with benchmark disabilities. Acid attack survivors and other disabilities such as dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, and slow learners have also been included under benchmark disabilities.

Anil K. Aneja, nodal officer of the DU equal opportunity cell claims that, “The files are under process and if everything goes according to the flow, we will implement the reservation policy as per the new act which asks to reserve 5 per cent seats for a person with benchmark disability during admission. We will also try to comply with the 4 per cent reservation in employment provision.”

Delhi-based acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal welcomed this move and said, “This will help create more awareness among people about acid attack victims. Most of the times, these victims feel alienated, and reluctance on our part to accept them further increases their plight. Reservation in universities such as DU is very supporting for us.”

In a survey conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People (NCPEDP), it was found that a mere 0.56% of seats in higher education go to disabled candidates.

It is expected that after these developments, the university space will become inclusive.

 

With inputs from the New Indian Express and The Asian Age

Feature Image Credits: Digital Learning

Niharika Dabral
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