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DU Standing Committee Proposes to Drop History Elective Course on Caste and Gender

By DU Beat May 28, 2023

The decision to drop the history elective course ‘Inequality and Difference’ has invited vehement criticism and concern from members of the academic community who believe the course to be an important means of navigating the history of India’s oppressive social systems that affect present-day inequalities in more ways than one.

The Standing Committee for Academic Matters of Delhi University, headed by the Vice Chancellor, has suggested dropping an elective course titled ‘Inequality and Difference’ offered by the History Department of the University. The elective course included issues around gender and caste and helped students gain a historical understanding of institutions such as caste. This development came about after a similar proposal by the standing committee to scrap a paper on B.R. Ambedkar from the B.A. Programme Philosophy syllabus.

This proposal has caused a tussle between the committee and various professors and academicians in the department who have previously taught the course. The committee stated that they are considering dropping the course because concepts of caste and gender are already being taught. On the other hand, professors in the department reasoned that the course helped students view inequality through a historical lens and hence greatly contributed to a nuanced historical understanding of persisting inequalities and biases.

The course is offered to students of different honours degrees as a generic elective paper in their fourth semester and has been part of the curriculum for more than seven years. It comprises four units. The first unit, titled ‘Structural and Forms of Inequalities: Normative and Historical Experiences,” involves discussions around oppressive structures and social systems such as the Varna system, slavery, etc. The second unit is on ‘Gender, Household, and Public Sphere’. The third unit is on tribes and communities of forest dwellers. The last unit is called “Indian Constitution and the Questions of Equality’. The works of historians and scholars such as Uma Chakravarti, Romila Thapar, and Sunil Kumar, among various others, made it to the reading list for the course.

The move has invited condemnation from various members of the academic community who believe this to be “an act of political indoctrination” and alleged propagandising of education. Dr. Maya John, a professor at the Department of History at the University and an Academic Council member, stated in conversation with the Quint that the fate of the course is yet to be decided and although they hope to retain the course, once the decision passes through the Standing Committee, it is difficult to reverse it.

It is a rich course that speaks about the institutionalisation of inequality and the resistance to it. It is the history department’s way of engaging students from other departments, in conversations about the various structures of inequality in the Indian subcontinent. It teaches students to think historically about varna, caste, gender inequality, and racial and ethnic differences.

– Dr Maya John, in conversation with the Quint

Professor Abha Dev Habib, from the Department of Physics at Miranda House, raised concerns regarding the drastic changes being brought about to the academic curricula at the school and university levels.

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Tulip Banerjee
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DU Philosophy Department Opposes Decision to Scrap Course on Ambedkar

By DU Beat May 24, 2023

The decision to scrap the course on Dr. B. R. Ambedkar came after a standing committee reviewed the undergraduate curriculum in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Amid widespread criticism against the decision, the Department of Philosophy wrote to the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University to retain the course.

The suggestion to drop the elective from BA Programme Philosophy by the Standing Committee on Academic Matters was first discussed on May 8th. A panel was appointed from the undergraduate and postgraduate levels to further elaborate on the same in a meeting on May 12. The committee is reviewing the curriculum in accordance with NEP 2020.

The University’s Department of Philosophy has strongly opposed this suggestion, saying that “Ambedkar is an indigenous thinker representative of the social aspirations of a majority of people in the country” and that research on Ambedkar is gaining momentum in the country. Accordingly, they have asked the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Yogesh Singh, to look into and reconsider the suggestion.

The course on Ambedkar philosophy was introduced in 2015. It includes the life and essential writings of Ambedkar, his concepts, and his research methodology.

Addressing various sources, a member of the Standing Committee reportedly said that no changes have been incorporated so far and that the final decision rests in the hands of the Academic Council, the varsity’s supreme decision-making body on academic matters.

This (the Ambedkar course) is not being dropped and this suggestion was not given by the committee. The suggestion was that new courses and old courses should be mixed together and it should be designed in such a manner that it should be attractive to the students and it should be designed in a way that it will be adopted in many colleges also… We suggested philosophies of thinkers from all backgrounds should be added.

– Prof. Balram Pani, Standing Committee Chairperson and Dean of Colleges, in conversation with the Indian Express

The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, who was present at the May 8 meeting, similarly added,

There were several suggestions made by the House to the philosophy courses presented before it. One such suggestion was to align the contents of the course ‘Philosophy of B R Ambedkar’… and to offer courses of other philosophical thinkers of India representing different approaches and schools of thought, so that students have options to choose any thinker they wish to study.

– Prof. Amitava Chakraborty, Dean of the Faculty of Arts

However, there were many sources that claimed the proposal to be true.

There were several suggestions made by the House to the philosophy courses presented before it. One such suggestion was to align the contents of the course ‘Philosophy of B. R. Ambedkar’… and to offer courses of other philosophical thinkers of India representing different approaches and schools of thought, so that students have options to choose any thinker they wish to study.

– A professor from the Department of Philosophy

Following the opposition, a sub-committee set up by the Standing Committee was appointed to discuss the revision of the syllabus. On 22nd May, the sub-committee suggested that the elective paper on B.R. Ambedkar be kept following the addition of papers on other philosophical thinkers as well, following which students can opt for their preferences. Sources concluded that papers on Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, and Periyar were being considered to be included in the curriculum.

The suggestions shall be placed in front of the Academic Council after approval by the Standing Committee.

Featured Image Credits: The Indian Express

Aanya Mehta
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Hindu College Reconsiders Suspensions for Students

By DU Beat May 17, 2023

After issuing suspension notices and imposing fines on students for protesting, Hindu College is reconsidering its move. The students have submitted written apologies to the administration, and the principal is reportedly willing to let students explain themselves and address their concerns.

The Hindu College administration had issued notices suspending around 40 students and demanding a fine of Rs. 10,000, citing “gross misconduct” by students protesting against the administrative decision to reduce Mecca to a one-day event. The notice firmly stated that the students would not be allowed to take their semester exams if they failed to pay the fine. It further stated that they would not be allowed to hold any post of responsibility in the future and that “any repetition of such or other misconduct in the future will be treated with the utmost strictness, to the extent of rustication”. Additionally, 15 students have received a notice for financial fraud and cheating. The notice also alleged that the protesters caused damage to college property and behaved disrespectfully towards the principal, blocking her way and not letting her attend an official meeting.

However, after some deliberation and discussions, the principal, Ms. Anju Srivastava, is reconsidering the suspension. On the evening of May 9, a day after the suspension was issued, the principal reportedly held a meeting with the students. The students put forward their demands and concerns regarding the notice and requested that it be withdrawn.

They (the students) have given us verbal apologies and written apologies. We will give students another chance to put forward their sides. We are open to discussion with them. I have asked the disciplinary committee to look into each application separately on an urgent basis. The work has started. We will soon inform the students.

– Ms. Anju Srivastava, Principal of Hindu College, in conversation with PTI

The principal stated that the students will be given a chance to explain themselves and that their apologies will be accepted. It has been stressed that every student’s application will be reanalyzed in depth. The suspension notices drew widespread criticism from students involved in the protests. The students initially stated that they would resort to protesting against the suspension and the imposition of fines if they were not withdrawn.

The RSS-affiliated student body, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), came out in support of the students and requested the administration withdraw the notice at the earliest. Despite all efforts to encourage dialogue between both sides, whether every student will be spared suspension is uncertain.

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Tulip Banerjee
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Demand Raised for Permanent Principal in SBSEC (Evening)

By DU Beat May 11, 2023

A section of Delhi University’s Executive and Academic Council members have demanded the appointment of a permanent principal at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) and have halted teachers’ interviews until the need is met.

Professor Arun Kumar Attree, principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Morning) has been the ‘acting principal’ of the Evening college since December 2022. Several teachers from Delhi University’s Executive and Academic Council penned a letter to the Vice Chancellor, Yogesh Singh recently on Sunday, 7^th May 2023 demanding the recruitment of a permanent principal at the evening college claiming that such a temporary arrangement for a full-fledged working college goes against the “ethos and practised norms of the university.”

The letter also highlighted that the staff association is deeply concerned about the future of the college as the “incumbent principal in collaboration with governing body chairman has been instrumental in displacing a large number of experienced teachers from the morning college in a recently held recruitment.”

The letter also requests for upholding the “university ordinance” and appointing the senior-most professor of the college as the acting principal unless the permanent principal is recruited. While citing that no major efforts were made to fill the vacancy for a year, it appeals for a speedy recruitment process and the halting of all faculty recruitment interviews unless the permanent principal is appointed in the “larger interest of the institution and the genuine demand of the staff association.”

As DU Beat ventures to converse with students at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening), we find out that the agitation among the staff circle has not affected student forums in the college much. A student of B.A. Programme at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) who wishes to remain anonymous alleges that the appointment of Professor Attree as the acting principal has “significantly improved” the condition of the evening college- in terms of academics and infrastructure in a matter of four months.

Whenever I have sought help from Professor Attree, I have found immediate action. Previously, under the former principal, my classes were irregular, our teachers would sometimes be unwilling to take classes and only 4-5 students would come. Professor Attree looked into that and placed strict attendance rules due to which 40-50 students come for evening classes without fail now. Not only that, he has revamped the washrooms, improved the library seating, made the evening timings for the library more flexible, and initiated building lifts in the college while also making sure the sincerity of teachers and students in taking regular classes. I am very satisfied with him being the acting principal of the evening college — a student at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College who wishes to remain anonymous.

As claimed by the students, in general they are facing no discrepancies in their academic schedule caused by the conflicts against the position. However, there is no clarity as to why the senior-most professor of the college was not appointed as the acting principal on the retirement of the former permanent principal, Dr. S.K. Sinha and instead, Professor Attree was chosen. Most students allege that Professor Attree in spite of being “burdened” with additional responsibilities of the Evening college has done an exemplary job compared to his predecessor.

This rising demand among the teachers could be a political agenda and even personal motives could be involved. The students in general do not support the removal of Professor Attree –a student activist at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) allegedly claims.

The appointment of a permanent principal at the college has become a burning issue within the forum and needs urgent attention from necessary authorities to resolve it in due time in order to preserve the educational integrity and progression of such a reputed South Campus institution.

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Priyanka Mukherjee

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LSR Hostel Student Suffers Injuries After Ceiling Collapse

By DU Beat April 30, 2023

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.

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DU is not Hogwarts; DU Organises a Magic Show to Promote “Scientific Temperament”

By DU Beat April 27, 2023

Delhi University’s Culture Council’s decision to organise a magic show has caused teachers and the administration to express discontent over the priorities of the university. Scheduled to be conducted on May 3rd, the council claims the magic show is being organised to promote “scientific temperament” among the students. The unrest is caused amongst the prevailing issues at the university, specifically over the shortage of funds to distribute overdue salaries and pensions.

Delhi University’s (DU) decision to organise a magic show, to be hosted on May 3rd has met with contempt among the teachers. Teachers have raised concerns over the priorities and rationale of the University for organising a magic show that will lead to a “severe crunch of funds”. The programme is to be organised by the University’s Culture Council and the magic show will be performed by the famous Jadugar Samrat Shankar.

The purpose of the show, according to a representative of the University, is to foster in the students a scientific temperament. A group of teachers opposed the decision, claiming that the magic show was a “sheer wastage of public money” and noting that other R&D grants and innovation initiatives had been halted owing to a lack of funding.

“One should not forget that Delhi University (DU) is not Hogwarts. When the official committee itself has acknowledged severe crunch of funds for library, laboratory, infrastructure development and research, spending public money on magic shows is sheer wastage,” Rajesh Jha, a former Executive Council member of DU, criticised.

Jha, a professor at the university’s Rajdhani College, stated that DU should be a centre that encourages research excellence and spread scientific ideology.

“The R&D grant and innovation projects have been discontinued. The development fund collected from students was increased by 150 per cent. In such a scenario of fund crisis, organising a magic show is putting unnecessary pressure on the finance of the university,” he stated.

The magic show has also been introduced amid claims of non-payment of salaries to pensioners and teachers under the university. However, the university defended its decision by reasoning that 5 lakhs are not an exorbitant expenditure compared to the tens of lakhs of rupees charged by singers.

“Nobody has to pay for the magic show. But the entry is through registration. We are taking out money from the centenary celebration fund. The amount is not big. For big shows, colleges pay in lakhs. This amount is nothing. “We are organising this show to build scientific temperament among the students. Around 3,000 people are expected to attend the show. The magician is renowned across India and he is charging us a very less amount,” the official representative stated.

Assistant Professor of Miranda House, Abha Dev Habib, mentioned that instead of a magic show, the university should have conducted a seminar where researchers could have shared some scientific insights.

“At a time when the university is facing various issues, money is being wasted on such programmes. It could have been a seminar organised by the alumna, former students and researchers that the university has produced,” she stated.

“On one hand, they (DU) are seeking Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) loans citing fund crunch, and on the other hand, they are hosting a magic show,” a representative from the Academic Council reprimanded.

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Sri Sidhvi Dindi

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Events

E-Cell, Hindu College Organizes Its Annual E-Summit

By DU Beat April 27, 2023

The Entrepreneurship Cell of Hindu College organized a two-day E-Summit on April 19th and 20th to enhance the members’ understanding of entrepreneurship and develop their abilities to access educational resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Shark Tank Contestants Niharika Jain and Jatan Bawa were invited by the Hindu E-Cell for the “Foundation Forum”.

On April 19, 2023, the Entrepreneurship Cell of Hindu College conducted the first day of its two-day annual E-Summit. The summit organised two flagship events and a Q&A session with Jinesh Shah. The theme was inspired by sustainability, specifically, alternative proteins, which refer to protein-rich ingredients sourced from plants to replace conventional animal-based sources.

“The reason we organised the theme of the E-Summit is because thinking 10 years down into the future, we think food tech is something India can outshine other countries. Why can’t we use mushrooms or mycelium as a potential meat source? Why can’t we grow meat in a lab? The opportunities we allot through innovation and science really motivated us to organise this event specifically focused on this industry.” —Kartik Chauhan, Vice President of E-Cell Hindu College, in conversation with DU Beat

The E-Confluence was the first event conducted by the summit. Participants had to go through a quiz round where they were tested on business acumen and logical thinking. The A-[dulting] Plan competition, in collaboration with Ripen, was a unique competition designed to test all the skills required to successfully “adult,” such as banking, finances, relationships, etc.

At 1 PM, a speaker session with Jinesh Shah, founder of 4 x Alt Protein—India’s first investment fund to leverage and invent new technologies to produce plant-based food with materials that cause less harm to the planet—began.

“Animal agriculture is one of the largest, if not the singular largest contributor, in many of the issues that are a threat to all living beings on this planet. This is something that we think is very important to solve and this is the reason why we’ve come into existence as venture capital in order to be able to fund.” –Jitesh Shah, Founder 4 x Alt Protein and speaker at E-summit

The second day of the event was marked with the Founder’s Forum which witnessed Niharika Jain, the founder and CSO of Broomees, and Jatan Bawa, the founder of Perfora. The duo had been contestants in the popular show, ‘Shark Tank India’ Season 2 and discussed their experience and journey of starting up and becoming successful entrepreneurs.

The Forum began with Niharika Jain talking about the difficulties faced by young first-time founders in raising funds without the fancy “IIT tag”. On being asked about her typical day as an entrepreneur, she commented on how the industry is all about firefighting every day with arbitrary office hours and new challenges to face at regular intervals.

“You don’t have to be a part of ten societies. Try and find what you like and make time for that. If you have done 2-3 roles nicely, it’s all that matters. Essentially, what is counted is not which college you are from, but what you have done in college.”, she said.

When asked about her experience at Shark Tank, she replied,

“It is dreadful and none of it is scripted. Nothing is decided. It is not a fifteen-minute pitch but a one-and-a-half-hour-long pitch, which gets cut and edited for television. I was scared and didn’t want to get insulted on national television.”.

The second speaker of the day was Jatan Bawa, founder of Perfora – an oral healthcare brand that manufactures electric toothbrushes and toothpaste. On being asked about the right time to startup, he said,

“There is no right time, It’s all a mindset you cannot define by age. Just be passionate about your idea and ensure that your idea is genuinely solving the problems of the customers of the industry, whether B2C, B2B, or a Government consumer.

Talking about the idea behind Perfora, he revealed that it was after over 1000 discussions that the idea of oral care occurred and that’s how the process of building an oral care brand began. He encouraged the students to give time to their ideas and investments and be mentally prepared for all consequences and motivated them about the advantages of working for a company before starting up to avoid future mistakes.

“I know for a fact that Colgate is synonymous with regular toothpaste in India but it is so much fun to change that perception.”

The E-Summit culminated with a vote of thanks and a gift of honour being presented to both guests and turned out to scratch a plethora of possibilities for the young minds to set up their businesses.

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Sri Sidhvi Dindi
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Aryan Vats

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DU Students Must Now Take Additional Classes to Clear Practical Exams

By DU Beat April 26, 2023

According to officials, Delhi University has declared that students who do not pass their practical exams will be mandated to attend additional classes. Such students will need to retake their classes for a complete semester before they can be deemed to have passed, the University announced.

The University of Delhi has made it mandatory for students who fail their practical exams to attend additional classes, according to officials. Students will have to retake their classes for an entire semester before they can be declared passed. This decision came into effect in the academic session of 2022–2023 after the University adopted the new continuous evaluation scheme in 2020.

“The practical examination requires continuous evaluation and hence calls for students to attend continuous classes.” – Delhi University official

To give greater importance to continuous evaluation and tutorials, the University has updated its assessment structure for undergraduate students. Under the new assessment system, the internal assessment ratio has been modified to 30:70, and the theoretical examination ratio has been modified to 45:55. The activities conducted under this approach will be evaluated for 30 marks for continuous assessment and 10 marks for internal assessment.

For continuous evaluation, a student must have at least 66 percent attendance. If a student fails the practical exam or does not meet the required attendance, they will need to take admission again to appear for the classes and pass the course. The previous system allowed failing students to register as ‘ex-students’ to reappear for the exams. However, the new system requires students to attend classes and pass the practical exams to move forward.

The University has, therefore, decided that students who fail the practical exam need to retake their classes for one semester to pass. Additionally, those who fail practical exams through continuous evaluation will only be eligible for readmission to retake that practical examination.

An example cited by officials was of an M.Sc. student who was unable to attend a class for a particular subject due to illness but still took the exam. The student’s mark sheet would show an ‘Essential Repeat’ in the practical section. However, a practical examination cannot be cleared without attending regular laboratory classes.

“Consider an M.Sc. student who couldn’t attend his classes for a particular subject because he fell ill but still took the examination. His mark sheet would show ER (Essential repeat) in the practical section.” – Delhi University official

Thus, the University has made it clear that students who fail their practical exams under the new assessment structure will have to reappear for additional lab classes. The new assessment scheme places greater emphasis on continuous evaluation and tutorials, with modifications made to the internal and theoretical examination ratios.

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Aryan Vats
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DU Faculty of Technology to Inaugurate Soon

By DU Beat April 26, 2023

Delhi University is all set to inaugurate its Faculty of Technology, which is expected to commence admissions to three engineering courses from this year onwards.

Delhi University’s senior officials stated that with official clearances now in place, the University’s eagerly anticipated Faculty of Technology is ready to start accepting students for the upcoming academic session. DU’s statutory authority had approved three engineering courses—B. Tech. in Computer Science, Electronics and Communication, and Electrical Engineering—in December 2021. However, because of pending approvals on staffing, funding, and other elements, the University had been unable to launch the programmes. Now, admission to the programmes will be based on the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE) Mains. According to the current plans, each engineering branch will have around 120 students. These will be further divided into two sections.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh reportedly told the Times of India that the central government has sanctioned both teaching and non-teaching roles. These sanctions, he continued, have come after nearly two decades.

“The government has approved the posts that the University had sought. Around 72 teaching posts and 48 non-teaching posts have been sanctioned by the Centre. Admissions to the three programmes will start from the upcoming academic session as all the required approvals, including those from the University Grants Commission, are now in place.” – DU Vice Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh

The Vice Chancellor added that despite the finalization of the land for construction of the new building for the faculty of technology, construction has not started yet. Therefore, initially, the University will look for an alternative building to hold classes. In a couple of years, these will be moved to the new building on the North Campus itself.

A senior official added that the University is currently in the process of introducing multiple new centres and programmes, but the Faculty of Technology is a priority.

“The building plans, layout structure and location for the new building have all been approved. We are waiting for financial assistance from the HEFA (Higher Education Funding Agency) and are hopeful that a number of things will materialise by May. The target set for completing the new building is two years.” – a senior official at DU

A new medical college is another project the university is considering, in addition to a variety of other programmes like a five-year LLB programme.

“While the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute is already there, we are exploring the possibility of opening a new medical college under DU. This is at a nascent stage. Initially, discussions need to be held with the Centre and especially the ministry of health.”- DU Registrar Vikas Gupta

With the report for the five-year LLB programme likely to be submitted to the University next week, the Vice Chancellor also commented on the varsity’s plans to construct law campuses at Surajmal Vihar and Dwarka in the near future.

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Manvi Goel
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Delhi Government Releases Rs. 100 Crore Funds for 12 DU Colleges

By DU Beat April 17, 2023

On Thursday, April 13, 2023, 12 colleges of Delhi University, which come under the purview of the Delhi government, received their much-awaited first quarter of funding, i.e., Rs. 100 crores, from the state.

The Delhi government has released Rs 100 crores of funds in the first quarter for its fully-funded 12 colleges under Delhi University on April 13, 2023. This includes colleges such as Acharya Narendra Dev College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bhagini Nivedita College, Bhaskaracharya College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Maharaja Agrasen College, Maharshi Valmiki College of Education, Shaheed Rajguru College, and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.

In addition to these 12 DU colleges, universities such as the Delhi Technological University (DTU), the Netaji Subhash University of Technology (NSUT), etc. also come under the Delhi state government and depend on funds from it. Delhi Education Minister Atishi Marlena said that the government’s commitment to education is evident by the 300 percent plus increase in the budget allocated to these colleges since the Kejriwal government came to power in the state.

“In the financial year 2023–24, an amount of Rs 400 crore has been allocated by the government. Out of this, the first quarter of Rs 100 crore is being released today.” —Atishi Marlena, Delhi Education Minister

There has been an upward trend in funding for the Education Department during Assembly budgets through the years. The COVID-19 years saw an allocation of Rs. 265 crores for 2020–21 and Rs. 308 crores for 2021–22 to these colleges. In the era of post-pandemic recovery and the implementation of NEP 2020, the budgetary allocation for the above-mentioned 12 colleges has increased.

However, many question the impact of this on-paper allocation of money, as asserted by the government, due to the non-release of funds. There also exists a disparity between the 12 colleges, as Deen Dayal Upadhyay College faced a 10-day power disruption due to non-payment of electric bills. Meanwhile, a student at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies has this to say:

“I am not very sure about the budgetary allocation of our college, but the infrastructure here is amazing, with spacious classrooms and corridors, and a beautiful auditorium.” —student at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

Issues between the government and colleges persist as teachers and non-teaching staff accuse the government of delaying salaries and crumbling infrastructure. A Delhi BJP spokesperson, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, has accused the Delhi government of delays in salary payments to teaching and non-teaching staff of these 12 colleges during the past 5 years. He has asked the Delhi Education Minister to respond to these allegations.

Featured Image Credits: The Indian Express

Bhavya Nayak
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