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The past week has seen turmoil over the matter of attendance and the issuance of admit cards to the students of the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College for Women, and Hindu College.

Affiliated to the University of Delhi and located in Punjabi Bagh, the college boasts of a rich legacy of more than fifty years in serving quality education to young women.

According to a series of posts on social media, as well as first-hand student accounts, the administration and Principal of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College refused to give admit cards ahead of the University semester exams scheduled in November and December months, to the students who had been irregular in classes during the past semester. This move by the college administration has been taken on account of their attendance being less than the minimum mark of sixty-seven percent (67%), as specified by the University.

Moreover, as per the students, the Principal is not willing to accept any medical certificates or submission of leave applications. The students have also said that the college authorities have made it clear to the students that they will have to spend four years (i.e. 3+1 years) to complete their degree, in light of this decision.

In response to these decisions, the students of the college, led by Tushar Baisla, the Chief Executive Councillor (EC) of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), raised their voices and organised a sit-in at the college gate to demand for their admit cards. The ABVP-backed student leader’s posts on social media regarding this matter read ‘…she (the Principal) said in front of all the students that she will charge a case of molestation to me and rusticate students who are asking for the admit card. I request upper authorities to have a look at this matter so that students of the college do not face any problem.”

A final year Economics Honours student of the college, who chose to be anonymous, said, “They (the college administration) should have warned us, they cannot take arbitrary decisions.”

A final word from the college is awaited on this matter.

A similar situation was also faced by the students of Hindu College, where those having less than forty percent (40%) attendance during the semester, were denied admit cards. However, the admit cards were given to the students by November 25th, 2019, after the ‘Collective – Hindu College’ planned to address the college authorities, on this matter.

As per the message that had been circulated on WhatsApp groups by the Collective, ‘withholding of admit cards by the Hindu College administration, has happened for the first time, no prior information was given to the students about this intention of the administration in the beginning of the semester. Thus, no due process of issuing a warning to students was followed by the administration, as mandated by the University.”

Notably, students active in the performing arts society were targeted by the administration, to much agitation and revulsion. The nation-wide representation of the college, made possible by dramatics, dance, and music societies was levelled down as the parents and concerned guardians of these students were alerted via unsolicited calls. The administration went to the extent of suggesting the parents to remove their wards from the respective societies and instead enforce academic aspirations. It was only after this performative disciplinarian action that the students were given their admit cards, however, not without signing an undertaking first.

While on the one hand, the issue seems to be resolved by the Hindu College administration, uncertainty still looms over the decision in Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College.

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

Bhavya Pandey

[email protected]

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A fever clinic or a dispensary is a government-run project that aims at decreasing the load of bigger hospitals like LNJP, GB PANT, etc., which were flooded with patients due to dengue fever. Most of the patients who are admitted in hospitals need much more attention than others, which is why the dispensary acts as a filter to get the urgent ones treated first. As these clinics got filled up, students from Maulana Azad Medical College were called in to help and their experiences are what we share here. Dengue is not a fatal disease if proper precautions are taken and a timely intervention is done. The story comes to the same conclusion of not letting the mosquitoes breed and preventing any fresh water stagnation. People are expected to use mosquito repellant creams and use mosquito nets, butknowing the experiences of budding doctors in their words is an interesting thing.

By the end of the first day, it had dawned upon us that it was not just the pathology of the patient that required immediate attention. The panic-struck patient had to be reassured and counselled well. This was many-a-time not possible during a patient load of 150-200 per day. We had realised that only a prescription could not treat the patient entirely. Therefore, we sat there, being good listeners and counselors- both to the patient and his attendants. We heard their doubts, history, the problems they faced and mostly how scared they were owing to the panic all around. After telling their tales, the patients walked out feeling more confident and better already- thanks to a strengthened doctor-patient relationship.

We distinctly remember how nervous and excited we were as we entered the dispensary. With butterflies running riot in our stomachs, we knocked on the ‘Doctor’s Room’, a windowless room with a drab beige paint. Patients shuffled in and out of the room. A symphony of aunties lamenting their illness whirred around us. Even after we had settled down, we could feel adrenaline coursing through our vessels. Muzzled with feelings of ineptitude, with a mere 1.5 month experience of clinics, we started with our work. Honestly, the work load was pretty hectic. Amongst the patients we dealt with, there seemed to be a profusion of diarrhea, tuberculosis and dengue, of course! As the days went on, we had moments of panic and disorientation, but also satisfaction at our micro achievements such as successfully taking blood from a wriggling and screaming 10 year old.

The moment we used to pass the string of patients seated outside, and ask “kya main aapki kuch madad kar sakta hun?”, their brightened faces would look at us with respect, that we were hitherto unaware of! Ironically, in this age of consumer-provider relationship, we were quite oblivious to the romance and social privilege once given to the doctor!

True, we did miss the comfort of our air conditioned LTs but the generous offerings of CAMPA, bread pakora and CHAI to the “Doctor Saahab” made up for it.

Well post those 7 days something has changed for sure; all that cramming, late night studies as a medical student is worth it, doing the job of your dreams, learning something every day. Indeed, it was surreal, almost like being transported into Dr.House’s shoes but without a script! Although when we first learnt about the week long posting in which we were required to serve at the various dispensaries across Delhi, we were a bit apprehensive and reluctant. But eventually we realised that the worry was all in vain! A day or two later, we were a lot more confident than before. Though the hours were long, and the work too tedious, it all seemed worth it when we were able to rightly counsel the patient, and they heaved a sigh of relief. After all, dengue is just another infectious disease, and not a calamity. Working together, the local community and the medical fraternity can fight the disease and keep it at bay. Once the patients understood the fact that the disease was not utmost fatal, especially if the diagnosis had been done timely. And well, at the end of the day, all we worked hard for was to see a smile on their faces- the very assurance that our efforts, howsoever small and insignificant it may seem to many, have had a profound impact on the patient’s life.

Contributed by students of Maulana Azad Medical College.

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