Bhim Rao Ambedkar College Archives - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Delhi University’s School of Open Learning (SOL) students protested at various education centres on Sunday, following cancellation of classes for two consecutive weeks.

A students’ group belonging to the School Of Open Learning staged protests across many colleges of the Delhi University (DU), that act as study centres, causing huge chaos at these institutions. The students were protesting against the cancellation of Personal Contact Programme (PCP) classes for two consecutive weeks. According to the students, the classes were cancelled without any prior notice of intimation regarding the same to the students. The protests were organised in Gargi College, located in South Campus as well as Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, located in Shahdara on Sunday, September 15th. At Gargi College, female students surrounded the entrance gate and blocked the road, in protest against cancellation of classes.

Besides the classes being cancelled, SOL students also face problems of inadequate study material, and denial to entry in their study centres. According to the students, the classes were cancelled last week as well.

Moreover, the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) alleged the classes of B.A. Programme students were cancelled on Sunday at all SOL centres without the SOL administration informing students. “Thousands of first year students from B.A. Programme had reached their centres in the morning, as early as 8 am, but were forced to return after being told that classes for Sunday stood cancelled. Thousands and thousands of students who reached their centres were left clueless as to where to take classes after they were abruptly cancelled,” The classes have been cancelled due to “unpreparedness of SOL administration in implementing Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) curriculum from this year,” it asserted.

KYS had also said it will organise a protest demonstration at SOL Building in North Campus during the coming week. In response, Professor C.S. Dubey, Director of SOL, said, “B.A. programme classes were not scheduled for this Sunday. The classes of B.Com were scheduled for this Sunday.” Dubey also informed that SOL is likely to complete all the necessary arrangements and commence B.A. classes from next week onwards. The delay is being caused due to the change in the SOL curriculum in accordance with the latest Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) of the Varsity.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Bhavya Pandey

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According to recent news reports, students of Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi, have placed their demands for a safer campus to a nearby police station after several incidents of harassment faced by the college students.

As reported by The Indian Express, a memorandum with all their demands and over 500 signatories has been submitted to Gokulpuri Police Station in North-east Delhi, on Saturday, the 23rd of September. The students have collectively raised demands for more police vehicles in and around campus, installation of CCTV cameras, and request for prompt action for complaints of teasing and harassment. Female students of the college have cited paucity of security around the area which has resulted in them feeling unsafe while traveling. They have alleged that the school students present outside their campuses often pass lewd remarks at them. Probing further on the matter, DU Beat got in touch with a student of Bhim Rao Ambedkar College who testified to this. He said that this happens on a nearby foot-over bridge, where, around the time of dispersal of a nearby school, the boys from there gather in groups and harass female students of the college by passing lewd remarks at them. Despite there being police on campus, not much has changed, and this ruckus is ongoing for a long time.

Incidents of attacks against students around campuses have been on the rise particularly around these days, with Banaras Hindu University being the prime example. Security breaches have risen, and an alleged case of snatching and subsequent use of blade on a female student has been reported from BRAC as well. Since BRAC and similar off-campus colleges are relatively isolated and secluded, unlike North and South Campus colleges, incidents of such cases tend to be higher here.

Feature Image Credits: So Delhi

Vijeata Balani

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