2017

News

ABVP Sets Manish Sisodia’s Dummy on Fire to Protest Against Funding Cut to 28 DU Colleges

By DU Beat August 1, 2017

Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister for the Delhi government decided to cut government funding to 28 Delhi University colleges on Monday. Twelve of the aforementioned colleges are completely dependent on funds from the Delhi government. The decision was taken after the colleges failed to create a governing body which would regulate them and look into their finances. To protest against this, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad gathered near the Faculty of Arts today. ABVP students burnt a dummy representing Sisodia in order to express their outrage at his decision.

While Sisodia insists that he took this decision because of the delay in the creation of a governing body, ABVP claims that it is a threat to the reputation of the University and the well-being of its students. While speaking to DU Beat, DUSU President Amit Tanwar described this decision as a gamble with the future of students. He insists that ABVP would not back down from its demand that this decision be reversed. He also revealed that the organisation is willing to go to the residences of the Chief and Deputy Chief Ministers themselves if that means getting the students and colleges justice.

A considerable number of police officers were present at the location in order to maintain law and order and prevent the possibility of a violent outbreak. The National Democratic Teacher’s Federation (NDTF) also protested against the same decision at the Faculty of Arts. Slogans like “Manish Sisodia down down” could be seen on the placards being waived around. While opposition against this decision is strong, Sisodia insists that it was taken to prevent corruption and has even ordered a Comptroller and Auditor General audit into the 28 colleges for the same.

What remains to be seen is whether the Delhi government will soften its stance, and if it doesn’t, for how long will ABVP and NDFT protest against the issue? What happens to the 28 colleges and its students and how long will they be able to sustain themselves with the funds that they have?

Feature Image Credits: Kinjal Pandey for DU Beat

Kinjal Pandey
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News

Lakshmibai College to Set Up Crèche for College Staff’s Children

By Bhavya Banerjee August 1, 2017

Lakshmibai College will be the first college in the University of Delhi to set up a crèche facility in August for the children of the college staff. The teaching and non-teaching staff will be able to bring their children to work, the timings for which are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The crèche will consist of two rooms, a play room, and a pantry. It will have recreational facilities for children, including toys and material for painting and clay moulding.

The idea for this crèche came from the college staff approaching the Principal to request provisions for those who had infants and younger children that they could not leave at home.

Currently, according to the standard guidelines for Delhi University, permanent teachers get a maternity leave for six months and childcare leave for up to two years, the latter of which they can take in breaks or in one stretch. With reference to the crèche, the Principal of Lakshmibai College told Hindustan Times that she was confident that this facility would reduce the number of childcare leaves that teachers take. This would then allow them to focus more on their work.

The crèche will have at least two members of support staff to take care of the children. There are also plans to renovate an empty garage for older kids.

Sonica Singhi, a teacher of Economics at Lakshmibai College is currently on childcare leave and told Hindustan Times that the crèche will be of great help to her and other professors with toddlers. She said she will now be able to take her classes without having to worry about her child as she can check on him in between classes and breastfeed him. She feels that workplaces need to have such facilities for their employees and that it would lead to more productivity.

The initial building cost will be borne by the college but the recurring maintenance costs will be taken care of by monthly payments by staff wishing to avail the facility.

This decision and its implementation serve as a positive step towards catering for the welfare of the college’s employees.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Bhavya Banerjee
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News

Uproar Stirs at SRCC After the College Fails to Act Against Student Who Assaulted a Teacher

By Saumya Kalia July 31, 2017

On Saturday, more than 100 students from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) decided to hold a sit-in protest against the inaction of the authorities. The contention was regarding the assault of a professor by a student of the same college, with the student getting support from the faculty and the alumni. The professor, Ashwani Kumar, was assaulted by a Global Business Operations student on July 14th, allegedly over the issue of low marks assigned to him by the professor. A FIR was lodged against the accused, Pradeep Phogat. What’s shocking is that the disciplinary committee of the college remained dormant and hasn’t taken any action relating to this matter as of yet.

Amol Singh Rasnal, one of the students in the protests quoted to the Times of India saying, “Professor Kumar is one of the most well-reputed faculty members of the college. He was attacked by a student during the course of discharge of his duties. Such incidents should not be tolerated and it is imperative for us to protest against them and force the college authorities into taking quicker actions.” The sit-in protest got approval from the college principal and had been publicized through the use of social media and classroom campaigns.

“The relationship between a student and a professor extends to questioning and challenging, but violent means are always condemnable,” quoted Anil Kumar, head of the department of Global Business Administration, to Times of India (TOI) while addressing the students. He further added, “What pains me is that the authorities could have taken immediate action against the accused, but failed to do so. It has been 15 days now. We need to force the disciplinary committee to take action sooner so that this incident acts as a deterrent. Such behavior is disruptive of the SRCC culture, and should not be perceived as a part of it.”

All present at the protest signed a letter demanding the expulsion of the student from Delhi University, along with a proper police investigation. This was signed and forwarded to the authorities.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Rashim Bagga

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Javedkar Announces that Conducting Research for Teachers is Not Compulsory for Promotion

By DU Beat July 31, 2017

The Union Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Prakash Javadekar was addressing a gathering at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College at a programme on higher education, organised by the Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasanga (ABRSM).

Mr. Javadekar, on Saturday, said college teachers will no longer have to compulsorily conduct research to be eligible for promotions. Instead, they can choose to engage in a community or student-related activity, based on which they will be assessed.

“We are going to do away with the mandatory clause of research for college teachers seeking promotions,” Javadekar said. “An official announcement in this regard will follow soon. Instead of that, I want teachers to be engaged in student activity. We will make one community activity or student activity mandatory,” he added.

Mandatory research for college teachers has brought down the quality of research, Javadekar said. The research will continue to remain mandatory for university professors who guide M Phil and Ph.D. scholars.

Mr. Javedkar addressed the curse of “ad-hocism” prevalent in DU and promised “completing the process of regular appointments within a year.” He also insisted that long serving ad-hoc teachers compete in the recruitment process.

He promised that the 7th Pay Commission recommendations would be implemented for the teaching community “very soon.”

Some of the points of his speech ranged the bell of concern in the mind of teachers. He has made up his mind to introduce compulsory student feedback in API calculations for promotions. He has insisted to linking funding of institutions to performance. He made up his mind to introduce “graded Autonomy” for institutions. He has threatened to shut down the colleges that are not able to perform well as per NAAC and NIRF. He has made up his mind that Grant Funding of Institutions has to be replaced by Loan Funding through HEFA.

ABSRM, which has contributed an NDTF presidential candidate for the DUTA election welcomed the speech but DTF’s candidate is skeptical about the speech. He believes there should have been questions on Mr. Javedkar’s speech and should have tried making government more accountable.

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

Sandeep Samal

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News

Two DU students held in a robbery case

By Anagha Rakta July 30, 2017

According to a latest report by The Hindu, two DU students purportedly carried out robberies at the residences of two police officers in the high-profile area of Chanakyapuri. The three accused have been arrested for the same.

Two of the three accused, Rahul Sharma and Shravan Kumar Bharti, are students at Delhi University. According to the police, Rahul was aware of the absence of the respective families from their residences, considering which he hatched a plan along with the other 2 accused. They broke into the houses of the police officers and stole gold jewellery and other invaluables. A case under sections 380(theft) and 457(house trespass) in the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the three.

This is not the first case of crimes committed by DU students in the past year. In January, four DU students were arrested for robbing a delivery boy in North-West Delhi. The accused beat up the delivery boy and fled with all delivery items he was carrying.

Feature Image Credits: TOI

Vijeata Balani

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DUB Speak

Demands of reservation for locals in Mumbai colleges

By Anagha Rakta July 30, 2017

Recent news reports say that colleges under Mumbai University may reserve seats for those who live nearby. This move comes after the elected representatives complained that students despite living near colleges, had to travel to far-off places because they could not, due to high competition, secure a seat in a college close to them. Mumbai local trains are known to be jam-packed and using them as a form of daily commute can take a toll on these students.

The conversation around granting domicile status or reservation on the basis of place of residence is not unheard of. In fact, demand of reserving seats for locals in Delhi University has been going on for a long time. Recently the Delhi Government proposed reserving 85% seats in Delhi University college’s funded by the state Government. However, since Delhi University is a central university the probability of a domicile reservation being granted is low.

Supporters of the idea of granting domicile status believe that often locals have to compromise on quality education or go to far-off college’s unless they meet the infamous, ridiculously high cut-offs. Their bone of contention is with the fact that despite living near these colleges, they have been given no added advantage and have to compete with students from across the rest of the country. When specifically talking about Delhi University, what adds to the problem is the fact that 28 out of 110 colleges get funding from the Delhi Government, and even then, it results in no added benefit to locals.

The first argument against granting domicile status is this: one of the reasons why Delhi University and Mumbai University are what they are is because of their diversity. These institutions are powerhouses where the best minds from all across the country get together to learn. Not only does that provide them some of the finest students from every graduating class but also enrich them by introducing these cities to cultures from across the country. Talking specifically about Delhi, in a country like ours, it is desirable than the capital that does justice to communities and cultures from all across India by having an adequate number of people representing them.

The second argument against granting domicile status is that not every other state has institutions that offer the environment, exposure and opportunities that Delhi University and Mumbai University do. There is a dire need of other premiere institutions of higher education in our country that deliver quality education.

To sum it up, both the arguments for and against granting domicile status seem reasonable. However, the problem is rooted deep and will not simply be solved by reserving seats. The root of the problem is within the fact there aren’t many alternatives to Delhi University or Mumbai University in our country. Most of the outstation students live hundreds of miles away from their families in order to get the best possible education. The economic and emotional baggage that comes along with staying in a place far from home is immense. The reason why people nevertheless choose to bear it is because there is no alternative closer college near their home. It’s a multi-faceted issue that requires a well thought out solution, which would, as a consequence, lead to the creation of institutions that could rival Delhi and Mumbai Universities. Increased funding by UGC, filling out vacant tenured positions, creation of a system of accountability where faculty is responsible to maintain a certain level of education and adequate resources provided in central universities across the country would be a good place to start with.

In March 2017, 105 crores out of the 300 crores granted to DU in 2012 lapsed. Not only that another 95 crores was spent on a last minute purchase of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flats which will now be given to house staff. These funds lapsed because concerned authorities could not find appropriate avenues to use them despite there being multiple colleges which were in dire need of them. This is a clear sign of negligence.

Without a certain degree of accountability, people become complacent in their jobs. In order to maintain and improve upon the quality of education provided in institutions across the country, a well-developed infrastructure, good faculty, resources, recreational centre’s and hostel facilities are required. A uniform parameter, which should be upheld by central universities across the country is necessary.

If there are universities just as prestigious as Delhi University and Mumbai University in every state, not only would it make the cut-off’s more realistic, but it would also make education more accessible. To get an excellent college experience without bearing the costs of living in a different city would give a lot of locals the opportunity to get an education, that they might not have received earlier despite doing well academically. An improvement in the standards of central universities across India would mean better quality education accessible to even more people. And a country whose education continues to become better, more affordable and more accessible with time, the country’s development is bound to grow in leaps.

Feature Image Credits: Campus Drift

Kinjal Pandey

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Arts & Culture

Salem: Bingewatching Witchcraft Trials

By Radhika Boruah July 30, 2017

“Your hair. It looks like fire. And smells of cinnamon. I wonder what it will smell like when you burn.”

Inspired by the Salem witch trials of the 17^th century, an American supernatural horror television series was created in 2014. Initially, it was titled Malice, to be later changed to Salem. The story follows the series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. The preliminary hearings were conducted in several towns; the most infamous being conducted in 1692 in Salem Town. Witch trials paint the Puritans as hypocritical scolds; yet also embrace the notion that there really were witches operating at the time, which makes their capital punishments seem a little less crazed and paranoid. Never mind that it runs counter to the rather duller historical record and lessons learned about the true nature of witch hunts. Here in the 21^st century, science and reason rule, but in a world of sorcery, clinging to rationality just makes you stupid.

Having prominent elements of gothic drama, the show stars Janet Montogomery and Shane West in the lead roles of Mary Sibley and John Alden. The story opens with Mary even under unyielding laws regarding fornication, facing an unwanted potentially fatal pregnancy courtesy of her lover, Captain John Alden. A pact with a sorceress resolves her problem, but as we can see when the story flashes seven years ahead, the innocent Mary we initially met has been sacrificed along with the child in the wilderness. Alden, inevitably, saunters back into town after years at war, complicating life for the now-married Mary, whose powers are certainly formidable, even if it’s not clear to what end they’re being used. Married, Mary is the new ruler of Salem. Her unnerving powers crushed the existence of her so-called husband, the head of Salem. Her sorcerer servants and the land of the dead consecrate to her powers. The townspeople are haunted by the witch hunt, wherein every now and then an innocent person is caught to be a witch.

Meanwhile, the witch-hunting Mather is crusading against this sulfurous threat, even if like some prominent modern-day religious leaders, doesn’t always practice what he preaches. Subsequently, Salem is afflicted by a terrible plague and a witch war was drawing close: the consequences of the Grand Rite of the witches. Mary is united with her son Oliver who is possessed by the Dark Lord, after the countless raising the devil in the form of a child. Mary died saving the life of her love, Captain Alden. But demolition of the Puritan values and the destruction of Salem had to be put to a stop.

So, binge the three seasoned series to know the rest!

Feature Image Credits: www.bsnscb.com

Radhika Boruah

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Arts & Culture

Your College Survival Guide: Places to Know in North Campus

By DU Beat July 30, 2017

When we talk about the University of Delhi, the idea that it is a world of its own springs to our head. You see people from all over, scattered yet together. The educational hub is also the center of accommodation for thousands of students every year; dispersed in hostels, PGs, and flats. With its abundant resources and the plethora of markets, the north campus is dotted with shops to get the little, essential, and trivial things done with immediacy.

Have a look at the places of importance located on the campus to help you overcome those logistical hurdles!

Patel Chest

The bustling lane situated between the crossing of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College and Patel Chest Institute is where all our stationery/photocopy/reading material problems are resolved. You can get photocopies in bulk for a really cheap bargain, along with that last-minute folder or print-out you might need for your internal submission!

Post Office

The written medium shall always thrive, and to cater to the Messenger services of those who reside within the campus, the nearest post offices on campus are two. First, in the lane that runs opposite to gate no. 1 of Hansraj College. Second, the lane opposite to the back entrance of Sparks Mall, Kamla Nagar. Post away!

The Photocopy Shop, Hindu College

Some subjects or papers might not offer tailour-made resources for the student to delve into. Fear not, for photocopy shops like that in Hindu College, proffer reading material at cheap prices. Any study material, notes, even photocopies of books and guides are available here at a moment’s notice!

The Many Canteens of DU

From the masala coke, kadak chai, egg curry of DSE to the South Indian delicacies of Anna’s Dhaaba (PG Men’s Hostel) and Pandit Ji ke paranthe, you can find multiple ranges of eatables for you to fill the tummy to its fullest (because of their herculean quantity). Also, try your taste buds with the sprawling canteens of Mansarovar Hostel and Hindu College.

24/7, Malka Ganj Chowk

Even at 3 in the night, if you need anything from groceries to personal grooming essentials, this is the place for you. 24/7 is tucked away on the vibrant street leading to Malka Ganj chowk. Get ready to shop, until you drop!

Central Library

From wide ranging books on all subjects and disciplines, it not only provides access to study reference materials, but its quiet environment also gives a place where one can read without any disturbance. The library lies just opposite to the Arts Faculty.

The Kamla Nagar Market

The first place everyone knows about once they step foot here? Yes, the famous Kamla Nagar. It is the hub of every commodity you can think of in your wildest dreams. You can get anything and everything here; from the basics to the very particular requirements.

Laundry

There are so many laundries on campus which charge you based on the kilograms of clothes you want to get washed. R laundry in Kamla, Dhobi Mart in Hudson etc. are popular spots to visit!

Police Station

Safety trumps everything. The nearest police station is that of Maurice Nagar. The police inspectors are very friendly; so feel free to go and report about any issue that perturbs you.

Address: Vijay Nagar Marg, Reids Line Delhi Univ Staff Flats, Sarup Nagar, Delhi, 110007

Phone: 011 2766 7178

Cafes in Hudson

Now that you are in DU, there will come a lot of occasions which will call for parties or get-togethers with appetising food. Hudson Lane is the landmark to be at! Starting from the Big Yellow Door (BYD), Taxi, Mama’s Buoi, Phonebooth, Flames, and much more, get ready to be served an array of dishes on your table!

Be sure keep these places at your fingertips, and you’ll have the key to survival for one of the most vibrant and beautiful campuses of the country!

Feature Image Credits: supdelhi.com

Ananya Bhardwaj

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Admissions 2017

Join DU’s Add-On Courses for Added Skills and Upgraded CV

By Niharika Dabral July 30, 2017

If you are a Chemistry Honours student and your heart is set on Media Studies or you are looking to upgrade your CV, then short term and certificate add-on courses are what you desire. Every year, usually from August to November, various colleges in the University of Delhi open select, part-time vocational programmes for undergraduate, postgraduate, and international students.

A majority of these courses are organized by private organizations which make them expensive, and since the faculty is also recruited from private, chances are the teaching is often unimpressive. Arushi Kapoor, a French Hons. student, studied the Mass Communication, Advertising and Marketing add-on course offered by Hans Raj College last year. Recalling her experience she says, “Even though the course sounded very interesting, it, unfortunately, didn’t add any value in my understanding of media. I had expected a lot more. I will not recommend it to anyone.”

While language courses are already popular, it is the career-oriented courses that are now quickly becoming most sought after. The certificates for these courses are issued by the respective colleges, and the classes are held after regular college hours for the convenience of the students.

List of Add-On and Certificate Courses offered by the University of Delhi

1. Kalindi College

The minimum qualification for all courses is 10+2 examination. Students from outside can also apply.

Video Production- The course is for 5 months in association with RK Films & Media Academy. The classes will take place after regular college hours.
Photo Journalism- The course is for 5 months in association with RK Films & Media Academy. The classes will take place after regular college hours.
Foreign Language (French)
Foreign Language (Chinese)
Travel and Tourism
Communication Skills and Personality Development

More information can be accessed here.

2. Ramjas College

The College offers part-time certificate courses in the following languages:

French
German
Spanish
Italian
Chinese
Japanese

For more information, please visit the website.

According to various media organizations, Ramjas College offers 26 add-on courses; the highest by any University of Delhi college. However, on the official website, there is no information related to the same.

3. Hans Raj College

Hans Raj College offers three job-oriented add-on certificate courses in the field of media and advertisements. These courses are organized by RK Films & Media Academy. Admission is on a first come, first serve basis.

The programmes offered include:

Radio Jockeying, Anchoring & TV Journalism– The course is for 5 months, and it will cost 20,000
Acting and Filmmaking– The course is for 6 months, and it will cost 30,000
Mass Communication, Advertising & Marketing- The course is for 6 months, and it will cost 30,000

The classes will be two or three days a week, after 3 pm.

More information can be found here.

4. Jesus and Mary College

Jesus and Mary College, in collaboration with the RK Films & Media Academy, offers three job-oriented add-on certificate courses in the field of media and advertisements. All programmes will run for 6 months and cost Rs. 15,000.

The programmes offered include

Media studies
Advertising and Marketing Communications
Camera and Photography

The classes will commence by the first or second week of August, for two to three days a week, after 3 pm.

For more information, please visit the website.

5. Gargi College

The college offers additional courses in the following fields:

Advertising and Marketing Communications
Banking and Financial Services
Language Course: German

The information about duration, schedule and fee will be soon updated on the college website.

6. Hindu College

The College has introduced short-term certificate courses in the following languages:

French
German
Russian
Spanish

The information about duration, schedule and fee will be soon updated on the college website.

7. College of Vocational Studies (CVS)

CVS offers one-year certificate courses in:

German
French

Admission forms will be available from 3rd July to 28th of July, 2017 between 10:00 AM to l:00 PM on all working days. The course fee is Rs.13, 000.

For more information, visit the website.

8. Miranda House

The college offers an array of additional courses to cater to the interests of students.

The college offers one-year certificate courses in French, German, and Spanish in collaboration with the Department of Germanic and Romance Studies, University of Delhi.
Eligibility: 10 + 2
Duration of the Course: 1 Year
Number of Seats: 40 each
Selection Criteria: Merit in various categories

For more information, please visit the college website.

Computer Application

Eligibility: 10 + 2
Duration of the Course: 2 months
Number of Seats: Groups of 20
Selection Criteria:Written test/ interview
Fee: To be announce

Operations Research

Eligibility: I, II and III year students of the college
Duration of the Course: 18 Sessions
Number of seats: 30
Selection Criteria: Interview
Fee: Rs. 3,000

Medical Biotechnology

Eligibility: B. Sc. II/ III year students
Duration of the Course: 72 hours
Number of seats: 20
Selection Criteria: Merit/interview
Fee: Rs. 7,000

Bio Informatics and Silicon Medicine

Minimum Qualifications: B.Sc. in any life science branch.
Number of Seats: 20 each
Selection Criteria: Merit list
Fee: Rs. 5,000

The Rhetoric Course, Rethinking the Obvious – Examining the Rhetoric of Development

Eligibility: Open to students from B.A.(H) and B.A. Program Semester 3/5
Duration of the Course: 10 weeks
Number of seats: 25
Fee: Rs 5000

Computer applications for visually challenged students

Duration of the Course: 4 months (16 weeks)
Fee: No fee will be charged for this course.
The course will be conducted in ‘Amba Dalmia Resource Centre’, a part of the college library.

More information can be accessed here.

9. Sri Venkateswara College

Part time Courses in French, German, Mandarin (Chinese), Russian, and Spanish Language. Candidates who have passed 10+2 with an aggregate of at least 45% marks are eligible to apply. For more information, please visit the website.

Indian Music and Culture

Total number of seats: 25
Eligibility Criteria- Students of Sri Venkateswara College pursuing degree programs in any subject may apply. Selection will be done on the basis of merit.
Duration of the Course: August to November 2017. The classes will be held on Saturdays & holidays.
Fee: Rs. 3,500

For more information, please visit the website.

Ayur Biology

Total number of seats- 25
Eligibility Criteria- Candidates who have passed 10+2 with an aggregate of at least 45% marks are eligible to apply.
Duration of the course – August to November. The classes will be held on Saturdays and holidays.
Course Fee- Rs. 3,500

For more information visit, please visit the website.

Tourism and Travel Management.

Total number of seats- 40
Eligibility Criteria- Candidates who have passed 10+2 with an aggregate of at least 45% marks are eligible to apply.
Duration of the course – 1 year. The classes will be held on a weekly basis.
Course fee- Rs. 25, 000

For more information, please visit the website.

10. Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce

Language Courses in French and German

For more information, please visit the website.

Business Data Analytics in collaboration with BSE Institute Ltd.

For more information, please visit the website.

Mastering the Stock Market- an Experiential Learning in collaboration with BSE Institute Ltd.

For more information, please visit the website.

Integrated Course on Financial Market in collaboration with BSE Institute Ltd.

For more information, please visit the website.

Feature Image Credits: Herman Miller

Niharika Dabral

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Admissions 2017

Delhi University Cuts Down Seats for M.A. English by 30%

By DU Beat July 28, 2017

The English Department of the University of Delhi has cut down the number of seats in the master’s programme of English by 30%, while 50% seats are reserved for the DU graduates. According to the first admission list, only 299 students have been admitted as against 425 admitted in the same list last year. The 299 students admitted hail to all categories.

As per the statistics of the entrance-based exam, 73 students who have been offered admission belong to the unreserved category, 42 to the OBC category, 23 to SC, and 12 to ST. These students have gotten admission in renowned colleges like Hindu, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Miranda House, Hans Raj College, Ramjas, Sri Venkateshwara, Jesus and Mary, Kirori Mal College, amongst others.

Remarking on the decision of reduction of seats, Christel Devadawson, professor and head of Department of English at the University, clarifies,

“Last year, our department was alerted along with some others to the fact that there was a significant difference between the total number of seats against the name of the department of English and the sum total of the seats in different colleges which offer a master’s programme in English. Our attention was drawn to this, we were asked to take note of this discrepancy and set it right. Last year, however, was a year when many more paradigm shifts came into position so we did not address the matter last year. This year we addressed this matter. The convenor of the MA committee drew my attention to this, the convenor also spoke, both to his immediate predecessor and to the person who had been the convenor before that. They realised that the department had increased its seat intake without any official justification. Therefore, it was decided that it would be a good idea for the department to return to the original number of seats against the seats called sanctioned strength. Sanctioned strength is the term used to describe the number of seats assigned to each department on the basis of UGC norm. This reduction was done in a very systematic manner. Colleges that had seats below the number 60 for English in MA were not disturbed. Colleges that had an allocation of seats greater than 60, the reduction was made in those by 3-4 candidates in each case. That is how this reversion has been accomplished. I should add that the reverse to the sanctioned strength is not officially termed a ‘reduction’ but I can understand how it might seem to somebody looking at the list. Moreover, people last year mentioned that we weren’t doing justice to our students, we had very large internal assessment battles, we were not able to give individual attention, we had overcrowded class rooms, so this year the proposal came up that to correct our position.”

Today is the last day for the verification of documents, approval of admission, and payment of admission for M.A. English programme. The second list will be released if required by the University as mentioned in the notice.

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Prachi Mehra

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