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LSR Hostel Student Suffers Injuries After Ceiling Collapse

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LSR Hostel

A first-year resident of the LSR hostel suffered major injuries when the ceiling of a bathroom stall collapsed. Students raised concern over the safety measures of the hostel and expressed their frustrations over the college’s lack of accountability. The incident occurred among previous allegations against the functionality of the hostel, such as food poisoning, irregular water supply, obsolete infrastructure, and a lack of air conditioning facilities.

On March 27, at around 8:15 in the morning, a first-year resident at the Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) hostel was severely injured when the ceiling of the bathroom stall disintegrated and collapsed on top of her. The student was immediately hospitalised due to debilitating injuries to her arms and legs. The incident has raised several concerns regarding the safety precautions and the obsolete infrastructure of the hostel.

When the incident occurred, the students heard a loud crashing noise emerging from the bathroom cubicles and a screaming noise. The injured student was trapped inside the bathroom and was unable to unlock the bathroom door due to her injuries. The nearby students immediately notified the superintendent of the hostel, who lives right opposite the bathroom and allegedly had not heard the collapse of the ceiling or the wailing of the injured student.

The superintendent was unable to push through the bathroom door without further injuring the student. Immediately, four men were called, and they assisted the student and accompanied her to her room. However, adequate support was delayed, and the student did not receive immediate care due to the technicalities of the hostel administration.

“They had first taken the student to her room and offered her tea. She did not get medical attention immediately, which is very weird, and they were saying that they needed a legal guardian for her to be taken to the hospital, which did not happen eventually. They ended up taking her themselves to the Moolchand Hospital. The hostel did pay for her because it was the hostel’s fault that this happened.” – A student and resident of the LSR hostel

The bathroom stall had been immediately closed and placed under supervision for further maintenance. Later, at 7 p.m., the head and assistant warden of the hostel organised a meeting to discuss the incident. They blamed the occurrence of the accident on the debilitating infrastructure of the hostel. Apparently, the hostel required constant maintenance, and the most recent repairs were made around September 2022. However, several students raised concerns regarding the quality of such renovations.

“Renovation of the building is not enough because the foundation of the building itself is not concrete. The architecture is very old, and the pipelines are iron, so they have rusted. The ceilings also have issues. It’s a problem with the infrastructure. Whenever we tell the warden, we are given the same response: that the hostel is a very old building, and Delhi University (DU) does not give any funds. To fully renovate the hostel, at least a year is required, and in that case, they cannot offer the facilities of the hostel for an entire year.” – LSR student and hostel resident who was present in the meeting

In the meeting, it was also stated that starting the following day, checks will be administered in all the bathrooms to ensure safety precautions. However, students are raising concerns over the safety measures of the hostel, as the bathroom stall where the incident occurred is considered to be one of the “safe” stalls. When the students expressed their frustrations over the lack of accountability on behalf of the college, the administration warned the students to vacate the hostel if they were dissatisfied with the facilities offered by the hostel.

“It felt like they were threatening us by saying they will close the hostel. They were saying that if we want proper renovations, they will need to tear down the building and the students will be required to vacate the hostel. This is, of course, not feasible for many students, who will not be able to find such accommodations on such short notice. They also said that if we want renovations with more qualified people, they will increase our fees, and the next year students will blame us for the increase in fees.” – LSR student and hostel resident

The parents of the injured student visited the premises to accompany their daughter to their hometown. The student will remain in her hometown for a few weeks to recover from her injuries.

Read also: LSR Invites Controversial Politician Anurag Thakur as Guest, Students Raise Objection

Featured Image Credits: Lady Shri Ram College Website

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Campus Central

LSR Invites Controversial Politician Anurag Thakur as Guest, Students Raise Objection

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The student body of Lady Shri Ram College for Women has expressed dissent over the decision of the college authorities to host the controversial BJP minister for its annual sports meet.

The Department of Physical Education, Lady Shri Ram College along with the National Sports Organisation (NSO) LSR organised its annual sports meet – the Dr. Bharat Ram Sports meet – from 20th to 22nd March 2023. Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur, the current Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports was welcomed as the chief guest for the inaugural ceremony on 20th March 2023. This move undertaken by the college authorities has not gone down well with the student body. The guest has been infamous for his controversial remarks amidst the anti Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Delhi in 2020. The student body is seeking clarification on why, after having claimed ‘apoliticism’ as a core principle, a right-wing politician was invited to campus by the college administration.

“It is supposed to be the responsibility of the department and its union to conduct thorough background checks on whoever is invited within college, which was apparently overlooked and disregarded this time.” – an anonymous final year student at LSR

Students are outraged at the ignorance of the college on separating the sportsperson from the politician for certain personal agendas. Questions are also being raised about the lack of transparency in the decision process and the obscurity of the invitation. 

“Being an NSO student, I expect to have known about the decision prior to the rest of the student body. However, it is highly disappointing how we were just informed rather than being involved in the process.” – an anonymous NSO student, currently in their second year.

A General Body Meeting with the students, the unions and the staff advisors was called at 9 AM on Thursday, 23rd March to address the issue and seek further explanation. According to sources, staff advisors did not show up for the meeting and the dialogue proceeded solely between the NSO Union and the student body. 

“Whatever has happened in the past cannot be undone. All we demand is an official letter of regret by the administration holding the college and its authorities accountable.” – attendees of the meeting.

Criticism has also been raised by certain students about how there is varying liberty across the departments within college when it comes to inviting guests and personalities .

“We have been trying since a long time to have certain poets and authors on campus but the restrictions that are imposed on us make the entire process unworkable.” – a second year student from the English department of LSR.

Organisations such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) LSR have been particularly critical of the college administration following this situation.

Read also: LSR’s Department of English Calls for GBM in Light of Political Scenario

Feature image credits: India Today

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DUB News

LSR’s Department of English Calls for GBM in Light of Political Scenario

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The English department of Lady Shri Ram College for Women called for a series of General Body Meetings in light of the increasing state of communal violence faced by the city and its people. 

On 2nd March 2020, the English department called for a General Body Meeting at the Peace Centre. The GBM was centered around the issue of increasing state of communal violence faced by the city and its people, and was called in order to decide the extension of help to those affected by the violent environment. Following message was circulated by the English Department Union: “Minutes of Today’s Meeting and Call for GBM. In today’s meeting, we discussed the current political climate and what the department can do to play its part. 2A’s decision to boycott classes indefinitely was discussed, along with similar boycott by the department collectively, as well as collection drives, fundraising efforts, and volunteering at protest sites.

Students suggested the following ideas:

-Freeze attendance in case of classes undertaking boycotts or students unable to attend classes.

-Have one event a week wherein professors can discuss the larger situation creating space for discussion

-Publish a collective narrative of real experiences, use blogs and social media to raise awareness

-Restructure class lectures making classrooms flexible spaces for open ended discussions, if people really want to attend them

-A schedule of extra classes by teachers, or study sessions with seniors, once the boycott is over.

Some students also expressed their reluctance to boycott as they felt it could be a tokenistic gesture. The union has expressed these views to their staff advisors and administration and will be addressing the department about possible ways forward tomorrow at 10:45 in the peace centre before the protest gathering. If you are able to come to college, please attend this GBM. 

English Department Union” 

The action of boycott was first initiated by a section of second year students pursuing English honours. The section decided to go on indefinite boycott of classes in order to join protests and shake the illusion of normalcy on campus. However, differing views did arise. “I feel that it’s a very elitist stance. To go on an indefinite boycott could just hamper the education of the marginalized sections. Some can afford to pay to repeat the semester but can everybody do it? Also, what are we even doing while carrying out a boycott? Do we have a charter of demands? Are we taking any substantial step to improve the situation and actually utilize the time we have because of the boycott? If it’s only about being able to join protests then even a partial boycott on days of protests can fulfill that need. And if it’s only about showing that normalcy does not exist then it can be done while also attending classes. For instance, people could organise protests on campus after classes or wear symbols of dissent like t-shirts or any other such thing that says stuff like no NRC, CAA, NPR.”, said a student from 2A who wished to remain anonymous. On 3rd March 2020 the Union discussed their conversation with staff advisors and possible ways forward with the department. One of the resolutions was conducting online anonymous polls. Two possible outcomes came into perspective. Firstly, total indefinite boycott wherein the “entire department will call for a total boycott irrespective of internals and attendance, in solidarity with students from affected areas”. Secondly, partial boycott in which “the department will call for a boycott of classes post 11am (or suitable time), irrespective of attendance and internals, in days in which protest marches and gatherings are scheduled”. On the same day, the department announced the following: “After repeated GBMs and a vote, the department has reached a tally of 115 votes for a total boycott and 68 votes for a partial boycott. However, after the count was over, 23 students have approached us asking for a revote with a “No boycott” category. Since the option was not expressed by these people or their representatives at the GBMs, and since there is an overwhelming majority for a total boycott, this is the stance that we will be following. Since mid-sem break is right around the corner and questions arise about the situation concerning the same, we will be re-evaluating once college reopens post break.” 

IMG-20200303-WA0040~2

Many students complained about the inability to express their views freely. “I also don’t feel absolutely free to be able to share an opinion that the majority does not support because if someone is speaking of wanting to attend classes, all of them are trying to educate her on how the boycott is important and how they are being insensitive by thinking of classes so they’re trying to just reinforce their opinion all the time when they should try to accommodate everyone’s voices.”, said a second year student from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Another GBM was called on 5th March 2020 at 11am, to discuss the matter with the department. The following message was circulated by the Union: “Based on the GBM today, the department will be following a partial boycott stance as a collective, wherein the entire department will only boycott all classes on days of protest marches and youth gatherings. However, individual sections are free to follow a total boycott stance provided the entire class agrees to this motion. This decision comes as a result of groups of students feeling bullied and targeted for picking a stance or for attending classes, as well as the confusion in communication between students and their CRs. Note: 

  1. Classes will take place for those who wish to attend.
  2. For students unable to attend college due to safety concerns, the union will be making attempts to ensure that attendance is granted to you all and extra classes can be arranged as well.
  3. For students or classes who wish to boycott indefinitely, some teachers are willing to take extra classes in order to ensure that you do not miss out on syllabus.
  4. If a section comes to a consensus about total boycott, their CRs must communicate that to their teachers and ensure that no student is attending classes on the days of total boycott. 

Further discussions are awaited after the mid-semester break. The department also has its annual conference- Litmus 2020 scheduled on 20th and 21st March 2020. 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives 

Image Credits: Department of English, LSR

 

Priyanshi Banerjee

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Campus Central

LSR Student Catcalled Near College Campus

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In a recent unfolding of  events, where women safety has escalated as an issue, anLady Sri Ram College for Women (LSR) student was allegedly catcalled near the College campus where other cases of harassment have also been reported.

On 19th February, a student of the Hindi Department of Lady Sri Ram College for Women (LSR), was reportedly catcalled by an unknown man outside the college, adjacent to the back park area  where the Hindi Debating Society of the college: ‘Vaktritva,’ organised their annual parliamentary debating event.

Around 2pm on the same day, the student reported the account of this incident to the Debating Society members and coordinators. She reported of the alleged harasser being under consumption of alcohol or other related substance when he started to direct lewd songs and ogling eyes towards her right outside the campus premise as she was heading towards her PG. However, there are qualms over how they approached the incident.

The Students’ Union of Hindi Department, issued a statement by out rightly calling out the the Hindi Debating Society for being insensitive to the student who faced harassment. They accused the society of showing obtuse actions and claimed that they tried to tone down the incident and normalise it in the garb of concealment by saying things like,” it happens,” “please don’t report it to the cops and create a scene,” “take this with the Women’s Development Cell (WDC)”,  and related things when they should have approached things more boldly. The union further questioned the society asking, “what’s even the point of debating inside the huts while one of your own members faces harassment?”

These accusations were retaliated by the Society in their ‘statement of apology,’ where they acknowledged their inadequacy in helping the fellow student and further denied the statements made by the Department Union against them.

They said,”Upon knowing the incident at least five members of the society rushed to the park but the accused had already fled.”

The Society said that they were a victim of subjugation of administration where they themselves had to resort to conduct their event at an unsafe place upon being denied the permission one day prior to the event. They claimed that they tried in their best potential to reach out to this issue but their outreach was highly inadequate.

To counter the accusations they also said, “At no point did we try to normalise harassment but even if that came out from our behaviour we are sorry, it happened unintentionally.”

They further added,”As far as the calling of police is concerned, we as fellow students have no jurisdiction over a public space that is the back park.”

The Debating Society hinted towards a larger concern, it said,”it should be clear that there is no clear redressal mechanism for sexual harassment that has been happening at LSR Back Gate for years and in that all the women of LSR share pain and suffering. The demand and responsibility should therefore, be directed towards the our administration and institution that has rendered all of us in such a hostile position where it was unfortunate that this one particular student suffered what she did.”

In such unfortunate events where a student was catcalled and made uncomfortable in broad daylight, Police reports were also not filed since they put administration’s name in a bad light. In all of this fiasco there’s no one to fix responsibility to and take suitable actions to change the status quo of ignorance.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Umaima Khanam

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DU Annual Fest Season

LSR Annual Hindi Debate Cancelled Night Before, Questions Arise

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LSR’s Hindi Debsoc held its Annual Hindi Parliamentary Debate informally outside the college after it got cancelled by the administration a few hours before the scheduled time of the event.  

Tarkvyuh, the Annual Parliamentary Debate organized by Vaktritva, the Hindi Debating Society of Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was all set to take place on 18thand 19thFebruary 2020, when it was cancelled by the administration, on the night of 17thFebruary 2020.

The team hosted the event in an informal manner outside the college premises. While the preliminary rounds of the competition were held in Lodhi Garden near the college, the quarters, semifinal and final rounds took place at the LSR back gate. In a WhatsApp forward being circulated within the college groups, Vaktritva, the Hindi Debating Society stated reasons for the same. It says that they had to conduct the event in such a way to avoid compromising with their debating space.

According to the text, the administration had asked them to put the college teachers as judges instead of the adjudicators that they had chosen. The coordinators tried to explain that subject specific knowledge is not the only criteria of judgement in a parliamentary debate and that adjudication requires training and experience. However, the administration was adamant on their demand and the only alternative provided to the organizers was to cancel their event. The team mentions, “In a space which is for debate, discussions and exchange of ideas with students, accepting these arbitrary options without proper reasoning did not seem right to us.”

Allegedly the administration wanted to have scrutiny over the kind of motions being debated upon and when the event was taking place unofficially, representatives of the administration had forced the students to take down the name of the college or society citing copyright issues. Such interference is threatening to the liberal spaces that any educational institution upholds and the intentions seem tyrannical.

The coordinators and the members of Vaktritva have refused to offer any comments to DU Beat at this point, citing discomfort for the same. DU Beat reached out to the administration for their statement, but is yet to receive an official response from their end. This report will be updated as and when the parties comment.

 

Image Credits: Lady Shri Ram College for Women Website

 

Aishwaryaa Kunwar 

 

 

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Campus Central

LSR Indefinitely Defers Tarang, Cites Security Issues

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Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), has indefinitely deferred their annual cultural fest, Tarang, citing safety and security of the students as the main reason behind its cancellation.

On 5th February 2020, a statement released by the organisers of Tarang, states “keeping in mind the present environment and concerns regarding the safety and security of students. Tarang has been deferred until further notice. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

Dissenting Voices of LSR, a collective started by students within the college, released a statement which states, that “Tarang, which was supposed to take place after a poll by the students. The poll decided it would take place, and, was not cancelled by the students who spoke out against it”

They point out the ironic nature of how “a huge majority of students in a liberal arts college believe they can curtail an individual’s fundamental right to protest.” they also allege that the Student Union, which has initially brought up the idea of cancelling Tarang is deliberately shifting the “blame for the fest being cancelled by the repressive admin to the marginalised students.”

The cancellation of Tarang also affects the societies within LSR. As Disha Rawal, one of the coordinators for Projekt, LSR’s Film and Photography society said, “ I think as a society we really looked forward to Tarang, and we planned a lot for it. We had an exhibition, film events, and photography events. As a society, we really looked forward to Tarang as the one place where we will get to showcase your work and interact with the circuit, which is very important. The effects it has had along with morale going down is that to establish yourself in the circuit, you need to have events and Tarang was our main event now we will have to look for other things which will be smaller in scale and size, secondly, this will lead to a trust deficit with the sponsors. On the other hand, I do understand where the admin has come from, there is a security concern, so we are assured now that no threat will play out.”

DU Beat has reached out to the administration and members of the Students’ Union and received no comment as of yet. This report will be updated on receiving further information from them.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Arts & Culture

To Have or Not to Have Tarang: LSR Students’ Union Asks Students

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Students’ Union of Lady Shri Ram College proposes cancelling Tarang, their Annual Cultural Fest in the current political scenario, however, receives arguments on both ends.

In a political scenario as such being faced by the country today- with unpopular bills being enacted into laws, unlawful internet shutdowns being imposed, students widely protesting across the country and many being victims of sheer violence by the Delhi police while others not being protected by them, the Students’ Union of Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) proposed the cancellation of Tarang, the annual cultural fest of the college, which was to be held during the first week of February.

Tarang is a platform for societies to organise inter-college competitions and for students to enjoy pro-nights with popular artists being invited by the Students’ Union. It is a commercialised event where sponsorships are raised to fund these artists (their fee, travel and accommodation), setting up of stages and food-stalls etc.

A General Body Meeting (GBM) was conducted by the Students’ Union on 9th January so as to discuss whether or not Tarang, a celebration, should be hosted in today’s political situation. The GBM entertained arguments from both sides- those who believed Tarang should take place, and those who felt otherwise.

Some of the claims of those against the cancellation of Tarang suggested that this cancellation would be a rather tokenistic action by the college and the students should instead actively participate in protests and carry out dissent during and beyond Tarang. Some believe that cancelling Tarang isn’t enough to represent solidarity if other DU colleges continue to host their annual fests. They believe that this would not guarantee any impact on the government and only be a huge waste of resources.

Students, particularly from performing societies, argued that these societies and the Organising Committee (OC) have worked tirelessly for months preparing for this event and with the cancellation, will also incur a huge financial loss given the sponsorships were raised several months prior. However, they suggested that if this loss is compensated for, they would not have any reservations against cancellation.

Other arguments were presented suggesting using Tarang itself as a platform of expressing dissent via art forms, moulding the agenda and theme of the event so as to make a political statement. They suggested removing the “celebration aspect” of the fest, particularly the pro-night.

These arguments were countered by the claims of students advocating the cancellation of Tarang. It was argued that in this grim scenario where public universities and fellow students are under attack, and where our democracy is in danger, it would be “insensitive” to hold Tarang, while the students of LSR affirm to support the students’ struggles. A commercial fest in such a scenario appears unfitting.

They believe that cancelling Tarang would be the most decent and bare minimum step by the students, making a strong political statement. Given that it is one of the biggest college fests in the country, it would also set a precedent for other colleges to take equally significant political stances in their capacities.

“My personal opinion is that we shouldn’t hold Tarang during these fascist times where students like us are protesting day and night, where brave woman of Shaheen Bagh have taken up the streets leaving the comfort of their homes to raise their voices against what is happening in the country. We cannot justify having a celebration when we do not know what is happening in Kashmir, Assam and people have lost their jobs, degrees, daily wages and lives. Dissent is never comfortable and we, as students of LSR need to look beyond the factor of our enjoyment. Tarang cannot be politicised so anyone believing that we can is just cannot look beyond their apathy, indifference and insensitivity”, quoted Prashansa Singh, Treasurer of LSR’s Students’ Union.

Some students also argue that this commercialised fest has also failed to be inclusive of the marginalised groups. It usually represents a homogeneous culture and most of the food stalls, etc. are not affordable for everyone.

The minutes of this GBM was shared by the Students’ Union across the students of LSR where in the opinion of the union was cited- “The union expressed that they do not feel appropriate to have Tarang at this point, given that it revolves around a sense of enjoyment by having pro nights and food fests. While going to protest is a choice, by cancelling Tarang – a student body initiative the students have the power to make a huge political statement against what’s happening in the country right now. Furthermore, protest and resistance are not meant to be comfortable and convenient. Students’ Union feels that even if Tarang moulds itself as a way of showing active dissent, it would be an appropriation of the protests happening on the streets in an enclosed safe space”.

The Students’ Union has suggested the release of a poll on the matter so as to collect the general opinion of the student body. However, this too is opposed by many students claiming that polls would fail to collect well-versed opinions. Some also argued that by favouring majority vote, we would be basically “oppressing” the minority, leaving no difference between ourselves and the very government we are opposing.

On an Instagram page “overheardlsr”, multiple anonymous messages were received suggesting that the GBM held by the Students’ Union on this issue was highly biased and appeared to be “threatening” to those who supported the hosting of Tarang. The Students’ Union allegedly seemed judgemental against the performing societies and did not allow easy arguments against their own stance.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Aditi Gutgutia 

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Campus Central

LSR and the Concern of Juxtapose ’19  

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The Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose’19 to be held on 7th and 8th November 2019 at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was cancelled a day before the event.

The Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose’19 to be held on 7th and 8th November 2019 at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was cancelled a day before the event.

The Department of Journalism was at the forefront of discussions inside the gates of Lady Shri Ram College for Women since the last week due to concerns centered around the Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose 2019.
Juxtapose’19- scheduled for 7th November and 8th November 2019, was aimed to be focusing in a quest to engage students in a two-day event raising questions and saving the integrity of Media as a whole. However, the event ceased to face the light of dawn. The reasons behind the cancelling of the event are majorly cited as administrative and departmental glitches and communication gap.
The RnR held in the campus on 8th November 2019 put forth the take of the Department of Journalism which comprised of the President, Treasurer and the General Secretary. The Department Union expressed the incident to be disheartening as it culminated the hard work of 1.5 months. It was said that the proposal for the Academic Meet was not signed, as a result of which-the Union had to wait for long hours for sanctioning of the needful.
The Student Union of the Department admitted the fault on their part of circulating a message which reiterated their concerns, parts of which received backlash. Thereby, a message was issued which mentioned an apology for the manner in which the message was framed and its articulation.

The Organising Committee of Juxtapose released a WhatsApp message which stated that the Principal had not checked the proposal despite frequent visits of the students. However, soon after, the department issued an apology stating that their intention was not to defame their Principal but to bring attention towards their issues.

Another WhatsApp message mentioned that, “We phrased a new theme, reworked a competition, invited another key note speaker, made new trailers for the event, edited the posters and proposals to incorporate the changes. However, at 2.30PM in the afternoon, the students were told that Juxtapose cannot happen since the proposal cannot be signed one day before the event.”

Adequate response could not be gathered from students as one of them responded, “We as a department have decided to be united and have only the union talking about these matters.”

The statement further informed that the Union plans on engaging in a healthy conversation with its faculty to discuss the concerns and to formulate a plan of action in order to ensure that similar incidents do not take place in the department again.  The Union mentioned that a statement would be released soon and did not wish to respond as they mentioned that they are “in the middle of making a plan of action which requires the consensus of the entire department.”
Arpita Chowdhury, first year student pursuing English Honours who witnessed the meeting during the RnR said, “The meeting was fruitful because I wanted to get a clear view of the matter. It was a good idea to clarify on this issue. It also made me come across the proceedings of the college.”

The Department released its official statement on 10th November 2019.

Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose'19 (Part 1)
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR
Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose’19 (Part 1)
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose'19
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR
Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose’19 (Part 2)

A response from the staff and administration is awaited. A General Body Meeting is said to held on 11th November to discuss the matter further.

Feature Image Credits: Career India

Priyanshi Banerjee

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LSR and the Third Eye of CCTV

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The second General Body Meeting (GBM) of Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) held on 26th August 2019, was centred around the college’s decision of installing CCTV cameras on the college campus. Mixed opinions surfaced as the event unfolded.

LSR witnessed the second GBM for the current academic session on 26th August 2019. After receiving great response from students as witnessed in the first GBM which discussed the change in the syllabus and its effects, the second GBM revolved around the recent step of the authorities to “put CCTV cameras in a huge number inside the college spaces”.

The discussion, initiated by the Students’ Union, put into light the issue of installation of CCTV cameras. As the meeting progressed, an enlarged spectrum of opinions was put forth. Two majorly conflicting opinions emerged as we asked the students about their take on the issue.

The first side brings into light the positive aspects which would follow if the college takes the step. This argument was supported as the students talked about the enhanced security and supervision in and around the college. It was further added that the CCTV cameras would reduce underlying violations and, in a way, would establish
transparency. Cameras would also serve as good sources of evidence collection in case of an incident or mishap of a severe turn.

A student who did not wish to be named said, “My first day of college did not turn out to be a delight as I wasn’t informed about the infamous back gate. I do not wish to say what happened but harassment does lurk around the back gate area. I would definitely feel safer if cameras are installed and hence, I support the move.”
Another student from LSR, Arpita, pursuing English Literature, said, “I would say somewhere or the other, students would be agreeing to it, (my remark is) not a direct attack on the facilities of the college, but the hype created for CCTVs is not worth it.” She further added, “Cameras can be used in a strategic manner to take into account the security of the students as well as the faculty, keeping in mind that right to privacy is not curtailed.”

On the other hand, some students did not support the decision of installation as they considered it as an invasion of privacy and not a very viable way of allocating the funds. Royina Chhabra, a first-year student says, “It is quite absurd that the college is concerned more about installing CCTV cameras inside the campus, whereas we all know the back gate is the place which needs more security measures and especially placement of police vans. CCTV cameras are something very secondary and not the need as of now. We have other things to focus on like sports equipment, more chairs, and better infrastructure.”

While we also see a leeway as some students suggest that the installation should be at places which are ‘strategically sound locations’, meaning the locations which walk along the demarcation of privacy and security. “In this way, funds can meet both ends, the near to death, panting fans, and the security concerns, both can be resolved hand in hand,” says a student who wished to remain anonymous.

DU Beat tried reaching out to the Students’ Union and the authorities, but received no response as they state that “matters are underway”. As the GBM progressed, a clear outcome could not be induced. Rather, it was put forth that the upcoming GBM would again draw light upon this very issue. It was further added that a petition or form would be circulated to the students to take into account their mandate. A concrete answer to the question of the conformity of installation of CCTV cameras and its judiciousness remains unanswered.

Feature Image Credits: Lady Shri Ram College Website

Priyanshi Banerjee

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Impact of the Syllabus Controversy on the English Department

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The English Department of the University of Delhi (DU) continues to be negatively affected by the Syllabus Controversy. 

The Executive Council of DU has approved the syllabus for English for the first semester, but this approved syllabus continues to be a mystery for not only the students, but also the professors. In fact, even the Head of the English Department, Professor Raj Kumar has not been made privy to the new syllabus. This continued delay with regard to the syllabus has now moved beyond ideological and ethical debates, and has started to negatively impact the students, causing mass worry and frustration across the University campuses. 

In most colleges, professors have started to teach the first-year students the old syllabus, but they are not sure about whether what they are teaching the first-year students is going to be relevant to them with respect to the upcoming examinations. Priyanshi Banerjee, a first-year student of English at Lady Shri Ram College, said, “No one seems to know anything about the new syllabus and this is causing a lot of problems for us first-years. Examinations are not going to get postponed, but considering the current slow pace of studies I don’t know how we are going to manage to complete our course work.”

Students are not even able to procure the books being taught currently because the bookstores in the college campuses are not stocking them, because of a lack of clarity with respect to the prescribed texts. Shyla Sharma, another first-year student of the English Department, said, “All of us are very anxious. It is very odd for us to see other department’s students going about their course work when we don’t even know what our syllabus is. Even the professors seem upset and lost, and this is causing a lot of confusion. We don’t even have all of our books yet, as we have been told not to buy them. I hope the syllabus is soon released.”

In spite of the mass tension, an academic debate in the midst of the syllabus controversy continues to flourish. Royina Chhabra, a first-year student of the English Department, said, “Restrictions are being put on our academic freedom. We should have a right to study what we want to, especially our history and culture irrespective of whether it is good or bad. How else are we supposed to learn and think for ourselves? This entire controversy is taking a huge toll on our education.” Many students also seem to be specifically upset about the negative debate with respect to the exclusion of the Queer Literature Paper. A first-year student of the English Department, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, “Queerness is a part of our lives. Section 377 no longer criminalises homosexuality, so why is our education system doing so? In fact, I believe that it is the responsibility of our education system to educate people about queerness because most people in India aren’t aware of, or comfortable about it. The fact that our new syllabus is probably going to be politically motivated and authoritarian in nature highly antagonises me.”

The Syllabus Controversy began when right-wing organisations like the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) objected to the English Department for including certain study material relating to caste and gender in the new syllabus. Specifically speaking, they had an issue with the story Manibein alias Bibijaan in which the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal are portrayed negatively, with respect to the 2002 Gujarat riots, and the inclusion of the depiction of Hindu deities in queer literature by taking references from texts like Bhagvath Puran, Sankar Puran, and Shiv Puran. Counter-protests for academic freedom by organisations like the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), and Pinjra Tod soon followed, leading to ideological and educational confrontations. This controversy has led to the syllabuses of many subjects not being released, even though the new academic year has already started. 

Feature Image Credits: Sriya Rane for DU Beat

Juhi Bhargava

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