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The third-year members of The Third Act have accused their society convenor of displaying atrocious behaviour. However, the other students of the college deny the allegations and claim the accusations to be false. Read ahead to find out more.

The third-year students of dramatics society of Satyawati College, The Third Act, have alleged that they have been facing an “atrocious behaviour” for the past couple of months. They have claimed that their convenor has been bullying them and the professor’s behaviour has gotten intolerable. The students have reported that they have been accused of financial frauds and have been threatened to be sent to jail. The students have further added that their convenor has asserted to shut the society as he wants everything to run according to him. Further, it has been claimed that a threat to fail the said students in their respective internals has been given by the convenor of the society. The students have reported that the reason behind the failure to organise their annual fest, “Pravaaz,” was because the convenor did not sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). He was not present during the proposed dates and denied to take any responsibility for it, and did not assign any other teacher in-charge. It has been asserted that the convenor has been verbally abusing the students and has threatened to send letters to the parents of the students due to the behaviour displayed by them. However, the latter has rejected such an assertion against them. The third-year students have informed that the convenor has not held any formal meeting and whenever the former went for the same, they were always asked to sit in the Staff Room Lawns where rather than discussing important matters, they wasted 4-5 hours listening to their convenor’s personal stories.

The students have alleged that any decision in the college must pass through the Principal and the AO. However, the students have been suspended from their society at their convenor’s discretion and the latter can run the society as he wishes to while taking the juniors along with him for the same.

The third-year students have lodged a formal complaint against their convenor with the principal. However, they have been dismissed. Further, on knowing about the complaint, the third-year students asserted that the convenor called for a meeting with the second-year students and pressurised the first-year students for the same. It is alleged that the convenor had asked the first-year students to take back their signatures and pin everything on the third-year students. Moreover, the third years have claimed that their convenor made the second-year students sit with the first-year students to keep a check if the latter were recording him threatening them. The third-year students have put out a post on their Instagram handle calling out the entire incident and asking for help.

We seek only one thing and that is the removal of Dr. Pandey as our convenor. We will take legal action if college authorities don’t help us. We have been suspended without any reason and he is threatening our Juniors that he will debar us from college. He has threatened us that he will send letters to our parents. He is blaming us for financial fraud as well.” -Third year Students of The Third Act in conversation with DU Beat

While talking to other students from the college, they revealed that the third-year students wanted to organise an unofficial farewell at a farm house and it was decided that every member would be contributing some amount for the same. However, the amount that the members raised was not enough to cover the entire expense so the third-year students decided to take the remaining amount out of the society fund without the knowledge of anyone. They roped in a second-year student and tried convincing them to take the amount out but the student went on to talk to their batchmates first where the latter rejected the proposed idea.

The society fund is for the betterment of the college, to purchase lights and equipment, not for wasting it on a single night partying. If one wants to celebrate and party then they should be doing it with their own money.” – Student of Satyawati College

According to the student, things started getting escalated from this point. The annual fest that was supposed to take place got cancelled by the principal. The reason for cancellation was that none of the MoUs were signed by either the principal or the convenor. It carried just the president’s signature. The third-year members of the society asserted that they were given only a week’s time to prepare for everything since on the initial date the convenor was not available and did not assign any other teacher in-charge. However, the fest finally got cancelled again and according to the students, though they were dismissed on the grounds of MoUs not being signed by the concerned authorities and the failure to conduct any formal meeting, the former was not aware about this entire procedure.

The students from Satyawati College also reported that when bills had to be cleared in the accounts department, it was revealed that they were from Muzaffarpur, Bihar reportedly and were amounting to up to Rs. 7000 for coats, shirts, and pants. However, the students informed us that they wore their own clothes and the bills attached were false.

According to the bill, the blazer was of Rs.3500, the shirt costed around Rs.2000, and all of the items amounted to Rs. 7000. There was another bill for the tent that amounted to Rs.15000. The students had attached false bills. When all of this was questioned, the third-year students went into frenzy.” – Student of Satyawati College

Further, reportedly, there is a third-year student in the society who has Rs. 8000 from the society fund with them. On asking for the amount back, the student informed that a cyber-crime has taken place with them and hence was able to return only Rs.600 out of the Rs.8000 they had.

According to the students of the college, the third-year students have changed the login details of their E-mail and Instagram handle. They have started posting things on their own and are now falsely accusing the convenor.

Featured Image Credits: @the_third_act

Ankita Baidya
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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.

Featured Image Credits: Lady Shri Ram College Website

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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.

Image Credits: DU Beat

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.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

Sri Sidhvi Dindi
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Aryan Vats

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DUB News

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.

Featured image credits: DU Beat Archives

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.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

Manvi Goel
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Hindu College Students Protest for Annual Fest ‘Mecca’

By DU Beat April 23, 2023

The annual festival of Hindu College, ‘Mecca’, has allegedly been put in jeopardy by an administration order to reduce the 3-day, star-studded event to just 1. Students of the college have reportedly gathered outside the college gates to stage a protest against the same.

An important cultural event in the college calendar, this year’s ‘Mecca’ was scheduled to be held on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of April, culminating in a megastar evening on the final day with Sunidhi Chauhan. Agreements had been made, and Coke Studio had signed up for sponsorship of about Rs. 34 lakhs. However, with the event just a week away, on April 20, the organising committee was informed by the college principal that the event should be wrapped up in a single day, i.e., April 28.

This order by the administration was reportedly in part due to the recent advisory issued by the University for college fests requiring NOC from the police or being limited to the students of the college. Students who have been working hard for months for this event have come out to protest against this arbitrary decision. The organising committee has also opposed this decision, saying that MOUs have been signed and all the arrangements have been made. The college administration has also allegedly made the distasteful demand that Sunidhi Chauhan be dressed in a saree; otherwise, she won’t be allowed to perform on stage, as a gimmick to stop the event from taking place.

“The admin has shown a similar attitude towards every event. We had a North-East Fest in our college which had an open entry, but the principal denied that just one day before the event. They’ve always opposed Mecca from the first day, but if they’re letting it happen, why cancel at the last moment? Coke Studio can easily file a case against the OC head of Mecca for breaking the MOUs.” – Devesh Arya, a third-year student at Hindu College

According to sources, various protesters allegedly came to the college on the night of the 20th, breaking the locks of the gates and protesting for Mecca to be held according to the original itinerary of 3 days. The next morning, they reportedly didn’t let the professors into the college as a sign of protest. Later in the day, they shifted their protest to the principal’s office. While some students alleged that protesting students were detained by the police and lathi charged, others have claimed otherwise. On the same day, i.e., the 21st of April, the principal issued a notice stating that they “were anguished to the state that they were left with no choice but to seek police assistance”.

“Students have crowded outside the auditorium since last night; they’ve spread the mattresses and are continuously protesting. Since then, the principal has also made many attempts to leave the premises, but every time was stopped by protesting students.” – An eyewitness from Hindu College

Many people in the organizing committee claimed having their own money pitched in, but now that there are limitations on the people allowed to attend the event, the students fear that the sponsors will back out and also tarnish the name of the college.

“We don’t have any additional demand; we just want to continue with the same old format that Mecca used to happen. This is all our demand, and as long as it’s not fulfilled, we will continue to protest. A meeting with the principal happened, but no response was received.” – Prabal Mishra, a student of Hindu College and Junior Executive Head in PR

Featured Image Credits: Devesh Arya for DU Beat

Samra Iqbal
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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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Features

The Home Conundrum, and the Battle of Graduating

By DU Beat April 14, 2023

What’s more difficult than having to say goodbye to your friends, professors, college lawns, your college canteen, and the city you called “home”? It’s figuring out what to do next. What’s the next stop in this journey for which you neither have an itinerary nor a guide to help you schedule your breakdowns?

It’s 7 pm on a Saturday, you’ve completed all your work and the city lights are more beautiful than ever. You get a text from your friend about a party happening merely two blocks away. You have a faint smile on your face, but somehow your eyes don’t glimmer at the text the way they would have 2 weeks ago. It’s not that you don’t want to go, it’s your heart’s faint protest that is almost 3 days too early. Why, you ask? It’s your graduation ceremony on Monday. Three years of crying for this degree (and with it) have finally ended. But what’s this queasy feeling inside of you? Instead of being happy, you wrestle with this scintilla of bitterness in your chest.

Delhi University, home to thousands of young students, some who grew up here, and others who chose to be here. The ones who did choose also made the choice of leaving their homes behind. The life they’d grown to love, and the life that they now cherish only in memories. Nonetheless, once the city of Delhi – the “Dilwalon ki Dilli” – casts its spell on you, your definition of home begins to expand. You begin to grow a life here, and perhaps, start loving it a bit too. Your friends become your family, your professors become parents.

And yes, soon enough, the career dilemma, the imposter syndrome, and a pile of assignments creep in, and you also finally learn what it means to be truly overwhelmed. The friends that have now become your family also sometimes become a shoulder to cry on when you can’t bear the concept of college any longer. Between the fun, frolic, and a lil bit of crying, acceptance becomes your natural response. And the moment you finally, completely, truly come to terms with this acceptance…snap! Three years are over.

What follows is the same bitterness, the same anxiety that smuggled its way into your head three years ago when you chose to leave your first home. Except now, you also need to find a job, earn money, and figure out what to do next, all on your own. Acceptance gets replaced with denial (or finally finds its way back to it), and the only “acceptance” you can tolerate are university, internship, and offer letters. No one said it was going to be easy, but between watching yourself stress over college assignments to now stressing over month-end because the paycheck isn’t in yet? Adulting becomes the cold hard reality.

More than anxiety it’s the pressure of trying to know which city I’m going to go to next. Even if you miss home, you tend to familiarize yourself with the new idea of home and what you’ve found, i.e pretty much wherever you stay has to become your home for a particular amount of time. The home conundrum for me is missing my home, the one I grew up in, constantly and always wanting to go back, but also the feeling of sadness that comes when I realize I will have to leave my current residence in a few days, and then also wanting to stay back a few more days here.” – Debarati Mitra, a 3rd-year student at Maitreyi College and a beloved ex-DUB correspondent

So yeah, the nostalgia learns to balance itself out with the anticipation of tomorrow. Adulting is no longer a Gen-Z slang but something real you get to deal with. As the class of 2023 graduates, and combs into the tousled mess of being an adult, there is, but one takeaway: patience. Be patient, work hard, take care, be madly in love with yourself, and let life piece itself together as you find its various jumbled pieces along the way.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives/ Sukriti

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Vidushi Sinha

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Campus Central

DU Teachers Stage Protest for Absorption of Ad-Hoc Teachers

By Sanika Singh April 13, 2023

On Monday, April 10, the teachers and various teacher organisations of Delhi University staged a protest during an Executive Council meeting, demanding the absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers along with the formation of governing bodies in Delhi government-funded DU colleges.

The members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) protested outside the vice chancellor’s office while the Executive Council meeting was underway. They were joined by the teachers’ wing of the Aam Adami Party, the Academics for Action and Development Delhi Teachers’ Association (AADTA). The demonstration included two members of the Executive Council itself, Seema Das and Rajpal Singh Pawar, who are also associated with AADTA. The primary issue raised was that of the displacement of ad-hoc teachers, leading to dire financial conditions and job insecurity.

“The ousting of long-serving teachers is inhumane and promotes social insecurity in the working of the ad-hoc teaching community, which is not in the interest of the academic environment, teachers, and the community.”

—AK Bhagi, Delhi University Teachers’ Association President

They demanded the absorption of displaced teachers and additionally called for the formation of governing bodies in colleges funded by the Delhi government, claiming that the “arbitrary displacements” had been a result of the absence of governing bodies.

“DU has been reneging on its promise of no displacement and warned that this is leading to the harassment of thousands of ad-hoc and temporary teachers working in the colleges of the University.”

—Seema Das, Executive Council Member and Member of AADTA

Displacement of ad-hoc teachers has been a pressing issue in the varsity, as data gathered by some University teachers suggests that nearly 76% of ad-hoc teachers have been displaced. Of the 615 ad-hoc teachers who were interviewed for permanent positions in various colleges, it is estimated that nearly 465 have been displaced as of April 8. Many of them have been teaching for several years, some even decades and nearing retirement.

“You cannot displace them in just two minutes. What will happen to them? Where will they go? Many of these teachers are above 40 and some are even nearing retirement. They provided their services despite knowing that they were not going to receive any facilities that the permanent staff do. We have been abandoned by the University and left in a lurch.”

— An anonymous ad-hoc teacher who was displaced recently

Some teachers alleged lack of transparency in the interview process, saying that they were not selected despite having experience and academic publications.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Sanika Singh
[email protected]

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