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Arts Faculty Dean resigns amid student protests over exam mismanagement

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DU Arts Faculty Dean stepped down after student protests over exam delays. The incident involved allegations of negligence and chaos following the postponement of a political science general elective exam. 

The dean of Delhi University Faculty of Arts, Mr Amitava Chakravarti, resigned on Monday, January 6, following a heated student protest. He was allegedly heckled by a group of students led by the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) President, Ronak Khatri. The protest erupted after students of the Russian department were unable to receive the question papers for their political science general elective exam on time causing postponement and rescheduling of the exam. Frustrated by the situation, a group of students gathered at the dean’s office, demanding his resignation. The confrontation turned chaotic, with students accusing the dean of negligence. 

In a post shared on X, Ronak Khatri stated

“HoD of the Language Department and the Dean of the Arts Faculty were drunk, and their gross negligence caused students to suffer today. Over 60 students were unable to take the General Education (GE) Political Science exam. We have also learned that he abuses both students and administrative staff. We have demanded his immediate removal and disciplinary action against him.” 

Khatri also accused the Dean of abusing students and alleged that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. The video accompanying the post shared by the DUSU President on Instagram and X shows the dean being surrounded by a group of students.  The video also shows a member of the faculty who accused the dean of creating a hostile environment and claimed,

“Since he (the dean) has come, every student and teacher in the Russian section have been ruined.” 

As the situation grew more tense, the dean reportedly fainted due to low blood sugar and was promptly rushed to the hospital. In a conversation with DU Beat, Mr Chakaravarti revealed that he was taken to Pramanand Hospital, where he was treated in the emergency room. He also stated,

“Even in the hospital a few student leaders kept on entering the emergency room and threatening me while I was just regaining my consciousness.” 

Since then, the dean has submitted his resignation to the director of South Campus. Furthermore, he has firmly denied the students’ and the DUSU president’s accusations of intoxication, calling them baseless and defamatory. According to Times Now, he has stated that he might consider filing a defamation case against individuals spreading false allegations. 

In the letter to the Director of South Campus, Chakravarti explains,

“However, on 6 th January, 2025, the examination could not be started on time due to some communication gap between the offices involved. That day itself I had an online meeting of a national level expert group regarding the promotion of Bangla as a Classical Language from 9:30 a.m. Hence, when I could check my mobile for missed call and could call back, I came to know of the delay and the student unrest about this, and rushed to the Department.

He further adds that it was in fact one of his colleagues who took advantage of the situation and instigated the students to go against him,

“The said colleague, knowing very well of the reasons of me being holding that position, or that of my name being included as Ph.D. supervisor with a retired teacher of Russian as the Co-supervisor, instigated the students by accusing me of wrongdoings, and underlining the fact that I am a teacher of Bengali. This led to the student leaders abusing me further, asking me to read from a Russian text, say various types of Russian words, and responding to Russian comments of the students, all in the presence of the said colleague.There were sloganeering in his name as well.

Speaking with DU Beat, NSUI member Namrata Jeph said, 

“The students’ grievances about the exam delay were valid although this situation led the dean to decide to resign may have crossed the ethical boundaries. Ultimately, this incident could serve as a catalyst for improving administrative transparency and student- faculty communication within DU.”

According to the dean, the unfortunate incident has now “created a precedent wherein teachers could be physically and verbally harassed and made to submit resignations, that too with the active participation of a colleague from the Department.” 

Read Also: Dalit student allegedly harassed and assaulted by Shaheed Bhagat Singh College’s principal. 

Featured Image Credits: Devesh for DU Beat 

Ashita Kedia

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DU to Introduce Three B-Tech Courses from this Academic Year

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Delhi University has decided to introduce three B-Tech courses namely, B-Tech Computer Science and Engineering, B-Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering, and B-Tech Electrical Engineering from the academic session 2023-24.

The three courses conducted under the Faculty of Technology will commence with a total capacity of 360 students. The eligibility criteria to get a seat in the courses will be through JEE-MAINS.

The university’s Executive Council shall review the proposal on Friday, (9th June 2023). This proposal has been added after the university received approval from the Ministry of Education for the creation of 72 teaching and 48 non-teaching posts for the new programmes. Earlier, in 2021, the university had constituted a committee to deliberate on the introduction of new programmes according to PTI.

“The committee held several meetings in the last one-and-half years and systematically deliberated upon various issues within its terms of reference to facilitate the initiation of the three B-Tech programmes under the Faculty of Technology in the emerging subject areas of computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering and electrical engineering,”

-an official said citing the report submitted by the panel.

The report further sighted that the proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Education for the construction of physical infrastructure for the Faculty of Technology which will take time on receipt of necessary financial and other statutory approvals.

The committee recommended that adequate arrangements for space should be made for classrooms and laboratories until the building for Faculty of Technology is built and made functional.

“The committee authorised the vice-chancellor to decide upon the space and other essential physical infrastructure for initiation of these B-Tech programmes,” -the report read.

As far as the strength of the courses is concerned, 120 students should be admitted into each course, making it a total of 360 students that will be admitted in the first year.

The report also stated that the B-Tech programmes would be designed in such a manner that there would be a minimum of 50 per cent weightage given to the major subject area of study with a maximum of 65 per cent weightage. The remaining weightage would be given to the minor subject areas of study.

It is also to be noted that in line of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the students will have multiple exit options in line. A student who has completed one year of study and earned the requisite credits would be awarded a certificate, those two years of study and requisite credits would be awarded a diploma, with three years of study along with credits would be awarded an advanced diploma. Students who successfully complete four years would be awarded a B-Tech degree.

PTI confirmed that the departments of Computer Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering and Electrical Engineering are required to be situated on the North Campus of the university for logistic support and proximity to the majority of the faculties/departments on the campus.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Read Also: DU to Launch 18 New Courses in Upcoming Session

Aanya Mehta

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Arts Faculty

DU Gathers to Protest against Communal Violence in North East Delhi

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After days of sustained violence in Jaffrabad, Seelampur, and other parts of North East Delhi, students of Delhi University (DU) hold a protest gathering at Arts Faculty to protest against the communal violence perpetrated by in these areas.

On 23rd February 2020, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad had called a Bharat Bandh in favour of reservations and against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizen (NRC), and National Population Register (NPR) exercise, in response to which women of Seelampur and Jaffrabad organized a Chakka Jam on the same day. The violence perpetrated by rioters allegedly associated with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the same day, and with the violence sustaining till now, many are calling the riots a state sponsored pogrom of the muslim community and the protestors against CAA, with the police acting as silent bystanders while Delhi burns at the hands of the rioters.

On the morning of 25th February, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) organised a protest gathering against the state sponsored violence in Northeast Delhi. Beginning at 1:30 p.m, the protest had various speakers from the affected areas, students, and performances from DU Theatre societies.

Shaurya, a student pursuing Masters in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, who had been volunteering at the protest sight for the last month, shared, “ the incidents that took place yesterday are commonly being blamed by the media on one identified gunman who has been arrested, who does belong to the Muslim community. Hence the media is blaming the community as a whole for inciting violence. This is not a riot between two communities, but a orchestrated plan by the RSS and the government acting in collusion with the police force aiding the rioters. The violence began two days ago when Kapil Mishra went to Maujpur- Babarpur with a team of RSS supporters and invited violence and started stone pelting.”

Talking about yesterday, when the levels of violence reached a new level with arson and shootings, he said, “Yesterday, RSS leaders in these areas clearly incited violence, with no police action being taken even after multiple calls being made to them, along with perpetrators being identified on video footage, the police did not act.  A group of concerned citizens from various groups met the Joint Commissioner of police who said that the investigation had not yet led to any conclusive results and refused to send any police to the area. Therefore, it is important to identify that this is  a state orchestrated attack against muslims who are protesting against the NRC-CAA-NPR.”

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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