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Owing to the increasing cases of deteriorating mental health of the students of University of Delhi (DU) the Varsity has decided to set up two mobile phone de-addiction centres, in collaboration with the World University Service (WUS) in the North and South Campus.

Smartphones have surely eased the communication process. However, it has given rise to a new set of severe problems. Ina recent study conducted by the Department of Psychology suggests that the increased dependence on smartphones is leading to severe addiction and instability in the mental health of the students of DU. In such a scenario, digital detox and counselling of the student community have become imperative.

Researchers have decoded four common triggers for the compulsive use of smartphones which, if addressed, can help shun the screen addiction. The four triggers for habitual smartphone use are: During unoccupied moments, like waiting for a friend to show up, before or during tedious and repetitive tasks, when in socially awkward situations, and when people anticipate getting a message or notification.

Since most of the communication regarding classes and college activities happens through smartphones, giving up on them is not an option, making them a necessary evil.

Mamta Banerjee from Lady Shri Ram College said, “The whole college works on WhatsApp. Everything regarding classes, events and activities is communicated through that app only. The phone keeps pinging all day and I can’t help but get addicted to it.”

Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous said, “I wake up to the beep of the cell-phone and sleep with the cell phone in my hand. I always get the fear of missing out and the compulsive urge to constantly check my phone which has increased my dependence on it.”

Professors of DU colleges have observed the increased use of mobile phones in the classroom and aggressive behaviour of students when they were reprimanded for it. Dr Reema Ranjan, a Professor commented, “I always ask students to keep their mobile phones in their bags as students tend to use phones during lectures, and the attention span of the students has reduced.”

Head of the Psychology Department, DU, Professor Ananda Pradhan said, “The study conducted by the department found out some stark realities about the mental health and digital toxicity in students. Therefore, owing to the welfare of both the students and teachers, we recommended the varsity to set up the de- addiction centres for counselling”.

In light of this, the University is set to opening these centres at the World University Service (WUS) in the North and South campus and proposes to organise workshops and regular counselling for students in order to facilitate digital detoxification and check the screen time among students.

Feature Image Credits: Bagby

Sriya Rane

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The fervour for postgraduate admissions under the University of Delhi is all set to hit full swing, with the varsity announcing the admissions schedule and process on its technical-snag prone website.

Under PG admissions, all departments have two modes of admission – merit and entrance. Students from the University of Delhi who have performed well at the undergraduate level will take up 50% of the seats. This mode of direct admission is not available to students of other universities. The other 50% of seats will be filled through entrance tests and interviews or group discussions.

The timeline for the admission process dates July 17^th-19^th for the release of the first admission list and the subsequent steps to secure a seat in the desired college. Entrance for a plethora of courses was conducted in the first week of July; with reports of an assortment of cheating tactics surfacing across different colleges. The varsity announced the results for these entrances over the last two days.

The schedule for admissions, as well as the list of documents required at the Reporting Centres, are as follows:

Here’s a rundown of the admissions process of the applicants:

All the registered applicants should have successfully updated the details of their qualifying exams on the portals (which were reopened till July 14^th).
For the ‘merit category,’ it is mandatory for the candidates to upload the aforementioned marks on the portal to be considered for inclusion in the Admissions List. For the ‘entrance category,’ there is no such clause.
Departments who announce the results will declare the First Admissions List on their websites on July 17^th, 2017. The list will be comprehensive in terms of both the mode of admissions and for all categories. The allotment of the applicants has been calculated on the basis of the rank and availability of seats in the desired college. The applicant will have to visit the college to verify the documents and pay the fees to complete the admissions process.
Having met the allotment list, the applicants is required to log on to the PG portal, and download and fill the Admission Form. The Form will distinctly mention the Reporting Centre (where the applicant will report) and the Place of Admission (where the applicant will be admitted).
The applicant can then proceed to the Reporting Centre with the Admission Form and the required documents for the verification process. The applicant will then be marked ‘verified’ or ‘reported’ depending on whether he/she has the mark-sheet of the qualifying examination; with the former category possessing the said document. These applicants will then move to the Place of Admission for allotting the original documents, and certificates will be retained at these colleges.
The applicants can then log on to their portals to make the online fee payment within the stipulated period, which would watermark their admission in a particular college.

You can peruse the detailed process here.

The list of centres marked for distinct departments can be looked up here.

Feature Image Credits: University of Delhi

Saumya Kalia

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