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DUTA Calls for Evaluation Boycott, Strike in January

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DUTA demands boycott over delays in processing promotions, parity for librarians, opposition to proposed New Education Policy (NEP) and other changes.

Convening on 25th November 2019, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) came to a few conclusions regarding the long-pending demands of the teachers and their future course of action at the General Body Meeting (GBM). In a press release summarising the discourse of their meeting, teachers expressed their agitation over the illegal Delhi University (DU) circular of August 28th, 2019 that only allows the appointment of guest teachers against full-time posts in departments and colleges, which has adversely impacted the teaching-learning process.

Teachers are also angered with the University’s administration’s inordinate delay in processing promotions for long years, causing harassment and demoralisation of teachers. The demand for stopping of illegal recoveries from teachers and an end to the harassment of the physical education teachers were also raised. Immediate utilisation of the Second Tranche positions of Other Backward Classes (OBC) expansion and implementation of the Kale Committee report also figure in the list of their demands.

The GBM also called upon the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to respond to the demand for a One Time Regulation for Absorption of Ad-Hoc and temporary teachers. The DUTA GBM also denounced the attitude of the MHRD that has found reflection in the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2018, certain provisions of which threaten to exclude teachers in service due to unjust screening criteria and by not accounting for teaching experience adequately in the selection process.

The DUTA GBM also demanded that “the government/UGC immediately approve the provisions regarding relaxation in Academic Performance Indicators (API) for promotions made by the Academic Council and the Executive Council of the Delhi University to correct an infirmity in the UGC Regulations 2018 which has rendered the scheme meaningless.” The GBM also reiterated the demand for complete parity for librarians with the teachers. It also demands a restoration of the parity of instructors and programmers with respect to pay and service conditions.

The DUTA GBM reiterated its opposition to the proposed National Education Policy of 2019, as a proposal that seeks to privatise higher education and hand over these institutions to privatised the Board of Governors (BoGs) with full powers over educational activities and teachers. The privatised BoGs are to enjoy powers that till now were exercised by the Government or UGC, the Executive Councils and Governing Bodies of colleges. Teachers will have no say in the affairs of educational institutions. It threatens dismemberment of Delhi University (DU) by separating colleges from DU as autonomous units under separate BoGs. The DUTA GBM resolved to broaden the struggle against the proposed NEP through coordinated campaigns and protest actions with teachers, students and concerned citizens across the country.

DUTA President, Rajib Ray and Secretary, Rajinder Ray have also demanded immediate action on the DUTA White Paper on “Acts of mis-governance by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi”.

In order to press for the above demands, the DUTA GBM has decided on a complete evaluation boycott of the semester-end examinations and an indefinite strike starting from the second week of January in case the MHRD and the DU administration do not respond. The GBM also demanded that all Ad-Hoc teachers be allowed to re-join on 1st January failing which the strike may be advanced. The GBM also resolved to undertake outreach programmes, Jan Sampark programmes, Press Conferences and meetings with leaders of political parties and Members of Parliament (MPs) and other participatory action programmes will be held to highlight the issues and to spread awareness about the issues. The GBM also decided to join the All India Trade Union Strike scheduled for January 8th, 2020.

 

Image Credits: India TV

Bhavya Pandey 

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Students of SOL to Give Combined Examinations

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Following a court notification, the officials declared SOL students to write combined first and second-semester examinations, in 2020.

On Monday, 25th November, officials announced that students of Delhi University, School of Open Learning (SOL) will be writing combined examinations for first and second semesters in May-June of 2020, following a notification from High Court (HC) ordered on 21st November. This decision affects the 1.15 lakh students who were admitted to the University this year.

A group of students from SOL had submitted a plea with the Delhi High Court complaining about the unanticipated implementation of the semester-based choice-based credit system (CBCS). Until the previous academic year, the school conducted annual examinations, but with the sudden change on August 17, the students remained unprepared for the semester examinations that were to commence on 24th November.

Pleaders complained that the weekend classes did not begin before 22nd September and had been cancelled “at least three times”. The studying material provided was also “incomplete or illegible”. The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) has been in the forefront demanding for the semester system to be applied from the following year, so as to allow the students time to get acquainted with the system.

After the Court moved in favour of the students, the Vice Chancellor (VC) submitted a report providing two alternatives- either postpone the first semester to December or combine it with the second semester. The petitioners chose the latter.

The officials from SOL claimed that the students preferred the former choice. Ramesh Bhardwaj, Officer on Special Duty, SOL stated, “We had spoken to thousands of students, and they had said that they preferred the first option… However, we followed the court’s direction.”
A Delhi State Committee member of KYS had stated that the material provided was “so bad” that a month’s delay would not have been sufficient for the students to prepare themselves.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

Aditi Gutgutia

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Self-Care During Exams: Tips and Guidance

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Exams are one of the most stressful times in a college student’s life. Here are some tips to help you get through this time.

One of the most important things to avoid during exams is looking at how much your friends are studying (and not studying) and base your schedule around that. One of the most important things to realise is that everyone has different methods and times when they are productive, and you should build your own personal study schedule around that. Remember to incorporate sleep and breaks into this schedule.

Aditya, B.A programme student, from Kirori Mal College, when asked for his approach to self-care, says, “The most important thing in exam season is self-care. We can only get so much done for exams if we take care of our minds and body. The first step towards self-care is getting enough sleep. Many students compromise on sleep during exams which isn’t healthy. Breaks should be taken while studying and activities like walking and talking to someone help. It is important to remember that exams are not everything. It’s okay to be stressed a little bit, but not okay for it to take a toll on our mental health.”

When you are studying, make sure that you are well hydrated and not hungry as this can really impede one’s focus. Yogesh, a B. Com Programme student, from second-year, stresses that it is important to keep a bottle of water and a snack handy while you are studying. He also stresses that pulling all-nighters are detrimental and how it is better to wake up earlier and study.

One of the most important aspects of taking care of yourself during exams is making sure that you don’t bring too many changes to your daily schedule. In the sense, that your sleep schedule and meal schedule are not disturbed too much. This can have a lot of physical and mental effects.

Exams can be very stressful and so, it is important to take care of your mental health. One way to do that is to ensure that you don’t stop doing the things that make you happy. Go for a walk, listen to music, watch some of your favourite shows, get some fresh air, and do whatever makes you happy. Make sure you know who you can count on as your support system. Friends and family members who you can count on for motivation, help or simply lend an ear to your rants. They will be key to survive the torturous exam season.

 

Featured Image Credits: ConnecTeen

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Movies for Motivation: Movies That Inspire You to Study

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With exams just around the corner, this piece is an aim to inspire you to study on of your off days where you’ve given up on your books and just need a break. Hopefully, these movies will motivate you more than Sandeep Maheshwari. 

Films have been long overlooked as an educational tool. Cinema is just an anecdote of the literature of the world. We tend to forget that what often spurs the imagination is both visual and auditory. For many of us, watching movies is an escape. After 5 hours of comprehending the political theory, even Kuch Kuch Hota Hai acts as a relief. The power of cinema is boundless. Movies on this list have all one thing in common, value for education and not a conventional way to prove it. Thus, making them great breaks between your study sessions. And more than that, great tools to uncover your hidden love for art and knowledge.

Take a journey with these lead characters that will provoke you to take a journey with your books. These movies will motivate you not just for these exams but will act as a reminder of how education isn’t just for a degree.

 

  1. Freedom Writers:

Freedom Writers is a frank and formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank. It’s an inspiring drama that touches on many themes of power, violence, and casteism. Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) arrives for her first day of teaching at Wilson High, a school which once was at pinnacle of academic performance now is filled with underprivileged students who use drugs, live on streets where people are killed regularly and have even served time in prison. Erin’s commitment to transforming her students by writing and reading is what is inspirational of all. This doesn’t just celebrate great teachers but the unity that arises out of diversity once all walls of discrimination are broken.

 

  1. Dead Poets Society: 

There are some films that, if you watch then for the first time at the right age, have the capacity to inspire and embolden you: Dead Poets Society is one such film. Its uncynical, idealistic and hopeful making it not resonate with film snobs, but what it lacks in critical kudos, it has recouped in audience appreciation. Robin Williams is on top form as the iconoclastic John Keating, the unconventional English teacher who uses his love of poetry and classic literature to break down barriers at the oppressive Welton Academy. Keating inspires his young charges to ‘seize the day’, challenge the school’s strict rules, and truly be themselves. The film is packed with emotionally-charged, touching scenes but the one that won’t fail to make the hairs on your arm stand up is this one where Keating’s students demonstrate what he means to them – “Oh Captain, My Captain…”

 

  1. The Pursuit of Happiness:

It’s a magnificent real-life tale that teaches you to not give up, irrespective of whatever happens. The perfect elixir you need when you have to do the entire syllabus in one week. Never miss an opportunity and studying hard, after a few years, Chris works his way up the career ladder from medical equipment salesman to financial hotshot. If there’s one story that demonstrates that you should never give up, no matter how bad things get, it’s Chris’.

 

  1. Good Will Hunting:

Matt Damon masterfully plays the eponymous role of Will Hunting a 20-year-old mathematical prodigy with a rough past, a tendency for street fighting and run-ins with the law. The film shows how an underachiever can turn things around. People who have always had problems with focus and concentration this one is for you. This movie familiarises you with the concept of heartbreak. The heartbreak one feels when appreciating a true genius but to fall short of it yourself. The film stars Matt Damon as a janitor at MIT who likes to party and hang in the old neighbourhood and loves reading things of the Internet and imbibe them into his photographic memory. Even though it follows a predictable narrative arc, Good Will Hunting adds enough quirks to the journey and is loaded with enough powerful performances that it remains an entertaining and emotionally rich drama.

 

  1. School of Rock:

In this movie, the irrepressible Jack Black plays a down-on-his-luck musician who makes use of a combination of creative interview techniques, Led Zeppelin riffs, crazy love for music, and a ridiculous amount of ‘winging it’ to transform a class of upper-class unhappy kids into a real group of tiny rock Gods.  While the movie was never going to challenge for the Best Picture Oscar, it’s a fantastic off-beat example of how education can inspire really positive change amongst the most unlikely looking people.

 

  1. Stand and Deliver:

Another inspirational film made for those who might not be able to concentrate cause of family troubles, societal troubles and other out of hand issues. This movie leads a powerful narrative of how that academic success is not out of reach just because of their background or their current struggles. The story demonstrates the possibilities open to anyone no matter what they may have been told in the past. With Ramon Menendez as the director, the film is much less clichéd than La Bamba. 

 

  1. Sister Act 2:

Back in the Habit: A nun reprises her role in the music scene by joining a Catholic school’s mission to take their choir further in the state championships. The lesson in this film is that any student can find their place with the right encouragement. And if you don’t grove to the songs and if they don’t stick to your head while attempting your exams, you may take a box of Ferrero Rocher from my house.

 

Featured Image Credits: Vulture

 

Chhavi Bahmba 

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Students Burn Effigies in Solidarity with JNU

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The agitation against fee hike at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) reached Delhi University (DU) when progressive student fronts performed protest demonstration and effigy burning at North Campus.

The movement against arbitrary fee hike in JNU has garnered support from educational institutions all across the country. After the inhumane brutality of police forces won, the JNU students protesting became national news, many organisations and bodies joined hands to bestow their support. Most recent in line are the progressive student bodies of Delhi University who conducted a protest march in North Campus on Wednesday which followed effigy burning of Delhi Police, Home Minister Amit Shah and Baba Ramdev, who made spurious comments regarding Periyar, Birsa Munda, Savitribai Phule, and B.R Ambedkar yesterday.

All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), Pinjra Tod, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), Democratic Students’ Union (DSU) and other progressive collectives of DU organised this protest demonstration at Art Faculty from where the protesters circled a part of north campus. Chanting slogans of “Azadi” and “Halla Bol” along with placards condemning Delhi Police and Government Forces, the protesters walked past Campus Law Centre, Law Faculty and came back to Art Faculty where effigies of the were burnt.

“For the last one month, JNU students have been protesting for 999 percent fee hike and the introduction of a new hostel manual which is a step to push people from a deprived background, women, Dalits away from the University,” said Ankur Agraj, a second-year Law student at Campus Law Centre.

On the question of ABVP demanding the formation of a joint struggle committee for fee hike issue the AISA supporter said, “After all, ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) is also a student organization. Their supporters will also be affected by this hike. But the ABVP wing of JNU has displayed a pro VC (Vice Chancellor) stand from the very beginning. It’s important for them to understand that it’s not about Left or Right. The institution comes before your ideology.”

Neel Madhav, a final year Journalism student said, “The time has come to burn all the educational institutions of this country. Because, the government has finally proved that knowledge, merit, academics, and art hold no value in this country. They have made it so evident that family of a king will hold kinship and a poor will rot as a poor coming from marginalized background will remain poor for whole of his life.”

The support came from teachers as well. Laxman Yadav, Professor at Zakir Hussain College addressed the protester after effigy burning. He raised questions about the whereabouts of Najib, who went missing from JNU last year. “Democracy is being assassinated in Kashmir and PM says everything is fine. The way Kashmir is being throttled, education will also be chocked to death,” he expressed.

Narrating a story on why it is important to fight against administrative cruelty, Laxman said, “When there was fire in a forest, the bird tried to control it. On asking why is she doing this when it is obvious that she won’t be able to extinguish it, the bird said that she knows that, but when the history of this forest will be written, they will tell that this bird at least tried to stop the fire.”

For more than 80,000 students in Delhi University, only 4,000 hostels are afforded. The movement at Jawaharlal Nehru University has raised a critical question for the lack of hostel facilities and high fee structure here at Delhi University.

Image Credits: Noihrit Gogoi for DU Beat

Priyanshu

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Men, Time For A Colour Change

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It’s time that men rethink their colour choices. Repeating the same colours is not the only option at hand. There is a colour right under your nose, to upgrade your look.

Black, white, grey, blue, and maroon are the colours every guy conventionally has, and these are repeated throughout the week. These used to be the trend, years ago. They can move aside because here we are talking about Pink. New times need new changes. Why stick to traditions if they don’t even allow you to explore the colours that you might have wanted to try on, but couldn’t because of reasons that even you don’t really understand? So, if you have not already added this magical colour to your wardrobe, then it’s time that you are introduced to the many wonders this colour can do to your style.

Pink, according to colour psychology, has a great calming effect on the observer. It not only calms your mind but can also aid in concentration. This characteristic not only makes it an important colour for you during exams, but it also allows those around you to feel calmer. Many football teams like, Manchester United, have started using pink kits, and celebrities are not far away either, with actors like Ranveer Singh breaking the taboos around men exploring the world of fashion with what are stereotypically perceived as feminine colours and attires.

Here are a few Auburn tips to rock Pink and be “the man”:

  1. A light pink tee with darker denim is spot-on. You can also accompany a lighter shade of pink with white shorts.
  2. Not just tees, one can also pull off a great look with pink shorts accompanying them with a button-down shirt of a lighter shade of pink, white, or grey. It will all add up to a look of casual comfort.
  3. Pink shoes are trending now with footballers donning pink sports shoes on, and off field. This accessory will tell the crowds that you are serious about your game.
  4. A peek of pink socks with your shoes can add a statement to not only your footwear, but for the whole look as well.
  5. Pink can also backfire if you pair it with a lot of pink. Too much of a single colour can ruin the look. Try out shades which are lighter to balance the look. A bright colour can also spoil the look, if not paired up right.

So, guys, it’s time that you try out pink. You never know that it could be the best fashion choice for you!

Featured Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan for DU Beat

Abhinadan Kaul

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Stephen Mathew

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Free Metro for Women- The Other Side Of This Debate

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TW: Rape

Many questions have arisen regarding the free metro and bus rides for women proposed by the Delhi Government. Read further to know more about another side of this coin.

About 5 months ago, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government proposed a scheme providing free metro and bus ride for women in Delhi. On 26th August, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia presented a grant of Rs 290 crore in the Legislative Assembly during the monsoon session for this ‘free ride’ schemes. Out of Rs 290 crore, Rs 140 crores was allocated for DTC, and cluster buses and Rs 150 crore for Delhi metro.

“Public transport is considered the safest for women and keeping that in mind, the Government had decided that all buses and the metro rides will be made free for women,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said. He also added that those who are willing to pay for the tickets would be free to do so. There are many women who can afford these transports and must refrain from taking the subsidy. This is to ensure that those who genuinely require this scheme may best benefit from it.

However, both men and women have questioned the true intentions behind this scheme. Though the scheme may sound appealing to many women, it does bring about the debate on gender equality and the question as to where to draw the line. “With all due respect, women in Delhi didn’t ask for a free pass to ride when they voted for Kejriwal Ji, they had voted for the safe environment promised to them,” Priyanka Chaturvedi, a National Spokesperson, wrote on Twitter.

She further argued in another tweet saying, “Hate to remind this, but Nirbhaya was gang-raped in a bus in Delhi. At that time the country didn’t protest over free rides for the women but for making the capital safe for its women to be able to take a bus or metro at any time of the day. Get your priorities right!”

“What is worse, once concession is given to one section of commuters, immediate demands will arise from more deserving sections, such as students, the handicapped, and senior citizens. The disease will spread fast to all other metros in the country, making them dependent on state governments for subsidies,” E. Sreedhan, more commonly known as Metro Man, wrote in a letter to PM Narendra Modi, requesting not to agree to the proposal as it would set “an alarming precedence”.

“The argument of the Delhi government—that it will reimburse the revenue losses to the DMRC—is a poor solace. The amount involved is about Rs. 1,000 crore per annum today. This will go on increasing as the metro network expands and with further fare hikes,” Sreedharan added.

The scheme also faced a whole lot of criticism regarding issues like overcrowding and a probable drop in the quality of services due to the erosion of DMRC funds. Instead of cutting water and power bills, Kejriwal proposed free metro to women, out of whom may well be able to afford the already-cheap mode of transport. Instead of improving security infrastructure and uplifting women’s safety, the government appears to be offering unnecessary expenses to be added to the State List.

Despite the probable “good” intentions of the Delhi Government, free metro and bus rides for women doesn’t seem to be the most viable proposal in theory or in action.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

Aditi Gutgutia

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Nehru, Roses & Edwina: Beyond Trysts of Destiny

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An idealist aristocrat, who embarked as the architect of Modern India devising a visionary socialism apt for a nation that submitted itself as a protege of Mahatma Gandhi – Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister or the first head servant as he preferred to be remembered as, perhaps can never falter to be the gargantuan manifestation of administration, patriotism, class and ‘love’. 

Nehru has certainly been identified as a leader who empathised with toiling peasants, cared for the innocent children, and above all served people with immense dedication and selflessness, but this stalwart of Indian history has a different aspect to his stern political nature supplemented by the last Vicereine of India – Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, that hovers several speculations and ‘conjectures’ around it. 

It is no mystery that amidst the political configurations about the partition of India, Congress leader ‘Jawaharlal’, whose name literally means the precious one, developed precious compatibility with Lady Mountbatten which had years to endure and millions of hearts to melt with the story of their bond. 

They did develop a profound relationship that was totally platonic, as mentioned by Pamela Hicks, Edwina’s daughter in her book ‘Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten’, “She found in Panditji the companionship and equality of spirit and intellect that she craved,” quotes Pamela with reference to her mother and Pt. Nehru. She further recounts the instances when she used to be with her parents and Pt. Nehru, and Nehru and Edwina used to get engrossed in each other’s words and compensated for each other’s yearning which cannot be put in other ways. 

Their relationship paved the ways for an epistolary series that are testimonies of their emotional outsets, deepening and perks as companions of shared emotional pedestal restricted by the same privileges, responsibilities, and realizations. 

What makes this relation a kind of its own is the various anecdotes that sacrament love in an unprecedented manner and leave everyone awe-inspired. From the beautiful letters that the man and countess exchanged daily until her death capturing personal, emotional, political and administrative concerns to the red roses that often found a place in these letters giving symbolism to their bond. Theses exact letters were found with Edwina on her death bed in 1960, according to her biographer and author of ‘Edwina Mountbatten: A Life of Her Own’ Janet Morgan, the American journalist John Gunther has rightly said, “Hardly a dozen men alive write English as well as Nehru,” and perhaps hardly any man is alive that can ‘love’ any well as Nehru. 

The aforementioned line can be affirmed by another story that narrates about an incident where Edwina confronts Nehru by saying that she will miss him when she leaves India, to which Nehru exquisitely suggests that every morning she can pluck a red rose from her garden and put it on her hair and he will pluck one from his branches to fill his pocket-hole, till the end of their lives. 

Although, Nehru never explained the reason for his fondness for red roses, some assumptions go around his symbolic reference to the red of Fabian Society, some say it is in memory of his late wife Kamala Nehru, who died in 1936. One story that is apparently led by Nehru’s sister, Krishna Hutheesing, and pushed by Nehru’s secretary MO Mathai, was that it was a tribute to a young girl who would stand to wait for him with a rose, this sounds romantically fanciful and suggestive to Lady Mountbatten, but no assured evidence could be thought of to support these assumptions. 

But it is assured and proven that every year Edwina would make way back to India to meet PM Nehru and Nehru would frequently pay visits to Edwina in London. Nehru makes frequent mentions of Edwina in his literary works and letters and in his farewell party for the Mountbatten’s prepared to leave India, Nehru addressed Edwina as, “Wherever you have gone, you have brought solace, you have brought hope and encouragement,” with the grief of Edwina going. 

If this love seems interesting, one can surely pick up Catherine Clement’s Edwina and Nehru: A Novel to check Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang’s testimony when he says, “If Shakespeare were alive today, he might not have written Anthony and Cleopatra but rather Jawahar and Edwina.”

Image Credits: The Telegraph

Faizan Salik

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JNU Protest Continues Despite Partial Rollback of Fee Hike

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The protest against hostel fee hike and draconian hostel rules in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has entered its second week.

On Wednesday, 13th November, the hostel fee hike was rolled back partially during the Executive Council (EC) meeting. The decision was announced through a tweet by R Subrahmanyam, Education Secretary, Government of India, which was later retweeted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Screenshot_20191114-185810

According to the revised structure, the single room rent has been revised to Rs 200 per month, while the double bed rent has been revised to Rs 100 per month. The outrage surrounding the new manual emerged as the single room rent of Rs 20 per month was increased to Rs 600 per month whereas, double room rent was increased from Rs 10 per month to Rs 300 per month. However, the one-time mess security remains at Rs 5,500, the service charges remain at 1,700 per month along with the earlier utility charges. Moreover, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students would receive assistance.

The Executive Council (EC) is the supreme decision-making body of the Varsity, which also has representatives from the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA). The venue for the EC meeting was changed on Wednesday without prior information to the Students’ Union and the JNUTA. DK Lobiyal, JNUTA president quoted to PTI, “The meeting was supposed to be held at the Convention Centre inside the campus but when three EC members, professor Sachidanand Sinha, Moushumi Basu, and Baviskar Sharad Prahlad reached the venue, there was no meeting there.”

JNU students won’t call off the protest any time soon; if the draft manual is approved, it will be implemented soon. 14th November was observed as National Protest Day, wherein JNUTA along with DUTA, Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA) and several student bodies rallied to save public-funded education in India, from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.

Among the discontentment against the administration, activist and former JNU student, Umar Khalid spoke to The Quint, “The government and the JNU Vice Chancellor, Jagadesh Kumar, is giving the matter another twist. First, they said that the economically weaker sections will be aided by the administration, later the administration has come out with a press release stating that Below Poverty Line (BPL) students will be given concessions in the fee structure.” He further questioned the Government and media’s stance in propagating lies.

JNUSU’s former President Sai Balaji acknowledged the curfew and dress codes withdrawal, and said, “The government has played a cruel joke on the marginalised sections of students today.”  The JNU administration contested that the Varsity has not increased the fee for the past 19 years, regarding which JNUSU demanded a discussion before the proposed hike. The protest for the same continues.

Featured Image Credits: Noihrit Gogoi for DU Beat

Anandi Sen

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Outstation Students: From Dependence To Independence

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Moving from high school to college may be an exciting transition, but it is also a very tough and stressful one. It is a challenge that the student will struggle with initially, but eventually adjust to overtime.

Being a college student exposes us to a lot of freedom, but at the same time, it requires a lot of responsibility. A lot more than what is required in high school, especially for outstation students who come from regions located far away, and live by themselves in hostels, rented accommodations or as paying guests.

Initially there is a honeymoon stage that new students go through, as the newfound freedom takes on their minds as they can get up and out of bed when they please, and eat whatever they want, whenever they want. However, at the same time, the huge burden of responsibilities is also forced on their shoulders. Hence, it would be apt here to modify the popular Spiderman movie quote and say, “With great freedom, comes great responsibility.”

The responsibilities outstation students may confront range from financial ones, like utilizing money efficiently and controlling one’s desires or temptations, to daily responsibilities, like laundry, ironing clothes and arranging clothes, as well as academic responsibilities.

Most students would have already experienced financial or academic duties in school and would be used to handling them, but the daily responsibilities like cooking, laundry, ironing, etc, which were usually taken care of by their families, would appear to be a daunting task as now there would be no one to depend on.

“After shifting to a hostel, you won’t be asking, “Mom, where is my….” You will have to manage things on your own,” says Amit, an outstation second-year student from Bengal, pursuing History Honors at Hansraj College. Hence, it will be beneficial to new students if they quickly learn and get accustomed to such situations.

Learning from seniors is a great way for students to face the rapid challenges they see occurring around them during the transitionary period between school and college as well as getting a hold of the responsibilities they have been burdened with. And the advent of the internet and social media has further made it easier for outstation students to adapt.

“As an outstation student, accepting the very fact that I won’t live anymore with my parents is quite difficult. Before moving out, I didn’t know a single thing that would help me to survive on my own. But eventually, I learned almost everything with the help of my fellow seniors. Although, cooking remains something in which I’m a rookie!” opined Kuber Batla, an outstation first-year student from Rajasthan, pursuing BA Programme at St. Stephen’s College.

These responsibilities may seem to be unnerving or intimidating, but they do teach one many things like taking independent decisions and being responsible for their outcomes, managing funds, etc which end up being great memories one cherishes after leaving college.

“Looking back at the time I was in college, I realized that dealing with the challenges that resulted in my responsibilities was actually fun and I always remember them as some of my best times! There were times when I and my hostel mates ran short on funds and, hence, shared food, soaps, dresses, and many other things,” says Sushmit, a former History Honors student from Ramjas College.

Hence, although students coming from far away, may face a tough time initially, but ultimately it’s a part of their growing up and learning life lessons in a campus which prepare them for facing their futures and confronting any roadblocks which they might face during this journey called life!

 

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

Abhinandan Kaul

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