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Power and Politics in the Delhi University Student’s Union

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If we turn the pages of our history, we will realise that our freedom struggle was an essential chapter in the history of the University of Delhi. It has been about 80 years since Mahatma Gandhi gave us the slogan “Do or Die”, and within weeks of the pronouncement of the slogan at the Bombay Session of 1942, protests started to take shape across the colleges of DU. From burning down an electric sub-station (by the students of Ramjas College) to marching in protest on 10 August 1942, against the authorities who jailed the Congress leaders the previous day (students of Hindu College, Indraprastha College, and St, Stephen’s College), DU was the political hub during the time. So, this culture of protest so firmly entrenched among DU students even today can be traced back all the way to our country’s struggle for independence.

Established in 1922, a time when India was engulfed by its struggle for freedom, both students and teachers were active participants in the anti-British movement. However, soon, the students realised a need for a union. It was in 1947, under the founder of the Delhi School of Economics, Vijayendra Kasturi Ranga Varadaraja Rao (V. K. R. V. Rao), when a provisional committee consisting of presidents of all the colleges was bestowed with the responsibility to draft the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) Constitution and take necessary steps for the creation of this institution. On 9 April 1949, DUSU came to life and was inaugurated by our first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Since its inception, DUSU has become the first step toward the political scenario of the larger part of the country. Students belonging to various groups, having a range of ideologies, contest to be part of its panel. Some of the most notable student organisations that it represents are the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), All India Students’ Association (AISA), and many more.

Delhi University is as well known for its politics as well as for its historical significance and educational culture. Its political atmosphere is so important that at times, even mainstream political parties take keen interest in it. Nevertheless, it is worth noticing how the culture of protest and dissent was born in the sensitive pre-independence independence and how it has transformed since then to take its present form. Are the organisations doing their jobs correctly or are they just practicing dissent in the name of vote-bank politics? This is one of the most crucial questions we must seek the answer to.

The ABVP, a right-wing student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has had the most successful run in DUSU history in recent years. The root cause of this success can be traced back to the period of the Emergency in 1975, when DUSU once again became a centre of political resistance. Arun Jaitley, a former member of ABVP and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), was elected as the president of DUSU in 1974. He is known to have played the most instrumental role in bringing reform to DUSU. Until 1973, colleges used to elect 10 DUSU councilors, who further used to elect the panel of DUSU. However, from 1973 this policy was transformed into ‘one-student, one-vote’, turning the system from an indirect to a direct democracy. Also, Jaitley is famously known for being the first satyagrahi against the imposition of an internal emergency. In 1977, Vijay Goel, who was affiliated with ABVP, became the President of DUSU. His focus during the campaign was the excesses that occurred during the emergency.

More recently, Nupur Sharma, a former BJP national spokesperson, was elected DUSU president as the ABVP candidate in 2008. This broke the ABVP’s eight-year wait for power in the DUSU, which had been dominated by NSUI. That year, the other three posts (Vice President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary) went to the NSUI.

If we look at the last 10 years, the NSUI has only held the President’s seat only twice. This does beg the inevitable question of why the ABVP has found so much success. During the internal emergency, it can be credited to the country’s political atmosphere, which helped in garnering support. In its initial days, it is safe to say that people were more focused on work than their political inclinations and other interests. But what about today? Is it functioning the way the students desire or is it enjoying an undue dominance? Is it standing for the students and working for their demands, or are they too invested in getting memorandums signed in the name of vote banks? On the other hand, the left-wing parties, which emerged as a force to content with in DU politics quite recently, have centred their existence around fighting for or against various issues through protests and rallies. In this respect, their innovation and resourcefulness is beyond compare.

But the larger question remains: are any of the organisations working for the students, or has their functioning been overcome by their self-interest and blinded by lofty goals of perhaps being a part of the ‘real deal’?

But what is the real deal now, apart from the “glorious” past that DUSU holds? Since 2019, DUSU elections have not been held and even for this year as I type this out, there is no clarity or instruction about them. For a Student’s Union that has not seen elections in the past three years, to term this period as worthy of congratulations to the DU fraternity is a disaster in itself that reflects what sort of bizarreness surrounds DU politics today. At nearly every step the recommendations of the Lyngdoh committee (set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in 2006 as per the direction of the Supreme Court to reform students’ union elections and to get rid of money and muscle power in student politics), are sidelined. Even a short conversation with those batches who have witnessed the famous DU elections is enough to know the huge amounts spent to buy students’ votes with freebies.

Every party in this arena carries its burden of faults. With major players being invisible throughout the year, some parties have engaged themselves in constant show politics. earning a name for themselves as “far protestors”. Be it any event or protest, you are most likely to see the same faces appearing everywhere, carrying faulty lies around.

But what’s the real issue here? Are parties facing problems in mobilising the students of DU? Or has its flame died down? Maybe it has just become a mere shell of what it used to be with constant clamping down on dissent at the college level. Though efforts by left parties in the form of reading circles can’t be ignored, ABVP too has attempted to mobilise students. But the fault of parties lies majorly in being unable to maintain a connection with the students. Even with these events and attempts to get closer to the students’ community, student parties cling to rigid ideologies rather than adapting to the circumstances, often barring those without political influence from engaging in what remains of student politics at the university. Indiscriminate fights and beatings do the rest of the work of turning students away from politics, with only 39% voting recorded in the last elections.

One of the biggest shortcomings of the DUSU is the exclusion of various colleges, especially ‘women’s colleges’, whose students have been visibly political in their stance. The absence of political presence on these campuses is clear exclusion by the administration and the silence of student parties over this issue makes clear their lack of concern over diverse representation in their parties, which is often stressed upon by them to win brownie points.

With fringe protests occurring only for some matters chosen specifically to grab as much attention as possible, the majority of student issues largely remain ignored. So, it is the right time to question what is being done of the legacy DUSU had in the name of power and politics and, more importantly, to start a conscious and organised movement to politicise (or rather, repoliticise) DUites.

 

Image Credits: Times of India

Ankita Baidya

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Kashish Shivani

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Violence, Protests and Dirty Politics: The Lens on DU

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political state of DU

Throughout its storied history, Delhi University has gained a reputation as a political university. This article takes a look at the political perception of DU and its credibility.

If there is one thing you know about me, reader, it is that I absolutely love telling stories. In fact, I was indulging this exact habit a few weeks ago in a conversation with a friend as I regaled him with the ridiculous tales of DU politics I’d come across during my first month as a correspondent at DU Beat. As I finished my story about yet another instance of some student organisation appealing to their college’s admin on some glamorous student issue that would be great for attracting votes, he laughed and said something that would stick with me for a while. He told me, “Man, you’re a DU student, of course you get dragged into political events.”

“What a strange remark,” I thought, “And really? With JNU right there?” Therefore, I decided to try and figure out why universities like DU have been entrapped in prisons to the politics of the time and here we are. The answer? It starts – just like DU – in the 20s.

Delhi University was established in 1922, with just four affiliate colleges: St. Stephen’s, Hindu College, Zakir Hussain College and Ramjas College. A place like Delhi University, with the space for intellectual stimulation and debate that it offers, was always going to be an incubator for students that cared about where their country was going and were ready to do something about it. Thus, it is not a surprise that students of the varsity were actively involved in the freedom struggle. St. Stephen’s and Ramjas actively participated in the Non Cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements. Hindu College was at the front of the nationalist movements in the 20s – it is the only college since 1935 in Delhi to have a student parliament. This parliament gave a platform to leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru and Motilal Nehru. The people that walked the halls of these institutions – students and staff alike – were nationalists.

In the 70s, Indira Gandhi’s government declared the Emergency and the country grappled with an authoritarian regime that refused to listen to the opposition. In such a situation, it seems you can always count on the youth of a nation to bring their fire and their impassioned appeals for change. And they did not disappoint at the time either! Delhi University saw the rise of the two major student organisations, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The former is the student front of the Congress while the latter is backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Alongside them, other student organisations such as Students Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students Association (AISA) also arose, albeit nowhere near to the dominance of the NSUI and ABVP. At the time, the ABVP regularly campaigned against the government, establishing itself with its anti-authoritarianism and anti-emergency protests. This period of tension culminated with the arrest of the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) president at the time, Arun Jaitley. As Shraddha Iyer declares in her piece for DU Beat, “The arrest of Arun Jaitley had one implication for students: the centre fears their ability to mobilise against them.”

Delhi University has since been home to all kinds of political debates and discussions between different ideologies. While most students do not buy into the exact ideologies of the numerous student organisations waiting to spend lakhs to buy their votes, there is a general acceptance of free ideals and a willingness to raise their voices in favour of what is right and against what is wrong.

In 2020, with the controversial CAA being passed around in the Houses of Parliament, there was a line of protests across the nation. At the forefront? The young minds of one of the country’s most respected universities. DU students did not shy away from arranging mass protests against the bill. They showed, very adamantly, that the majority of the next generation of this grand nation did not agree with the kind of administration that was being set in place for the future that they were to inherit. They claimed that the CAA was unconstitutional as by excluding Muslims it went against India’s core tenet of secularism, Against the central government’s repeated attempts to shut them down – some of which were ridiculously dirty – the students raised their voices even higher. The protests were disrupted by the pandemic in the end, but the students had proved that 50 years on from the events of Emergency, the students of Delhi University were still ready to fight for what they cared about.

Alongside these admittedly impressive showings of power by the students, the dirtier side of student politics has also flourished. Student politics are seen as a platform before taking the next step and joining politics at the government levels. Every year in September, the DUSU elections take place at the university. The campuses are gripped by election fever as lakhs are spent by student organisations to butter up the newest batch of students. There is a frenzy for power and authority as the streets are filled with processions of people proclaiming slogans of their respective affiliations. Student organisations feel that the September winds bring back importance to the always prevailing student issues and decide to launch protests across campuses. As I write this article, on September 14th, there are protests taking place in various colleges such as Ramjas, Shyam Lal College, Zakir Hussain, Lakshmibai College and more. All of them are carried out by the ABVP on issues ranging from fee hikes to, for some reason, a boys’ common room. There are seemingly infinite wads of cash thrown by all organisations at alcohol, parties, trips to the water park and fast food for students in a bid to secure their loyal votes.

It gets darker, there are regular reports of politically incited violence on the campuses of the University. It is particularly harsh for the candidates in the running for the positions of the DUSU. In September 2019, the ABVP alleged that the NSUI attacked their candidate for Joint Secretary. Two days later, the NSUI alleged that the ABVP attacked their candidate for vice-president. In 2022 alone, there have been multiple allegations against the ABVP by the NSUI and SFI accusing the rightist organisation of violence.

In the end, it seems my friend was right about DU being political. It may be a perception that’s a little too absolute and dismissive, but it is right to some extent. Delhi University can be a political hotbed. However, more often than not, this is a direct consequence of being a space for debate and discussion of different ideologies right at the capital of the country. Hundreds of students from different backgrounds from different parts of the nation attend this famed university. That kind of exposure brings with it intellectual debates and discussions hidden within the fun of campus life.

All DU ever asks its future students is one thing: what are you willing to stand for? For the pre-independence students of the university it was freedom. For the students in the 70s it was anti authoritarianism. For the students in 2020, it was a sense of secularism and unity. As the elections roll around and the exaggerated showings of student support start, DU and its historically active alumni now ask you, dear reader, “what will you stand for?”

Read also: Prisoner to Political Parties

Featured Image Credits: The Hindu

Siddharth Kumar

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Campus Central

Is DUSU a man’s world?

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When you look at all the colleges that are not affiliated with DUSU, you will notice that most of them turn out to be women’s colleges rather than co-ed institutions. Is this because of what the students want, or what the college administration deems “right”, or what society considers a norm?

Delhi University is defined by some key components that make up the whole “DU college experience”— the campus, the food, and the infamous student union elections. But you would be wrong to assume that this is the case in each and every college of Delhi University. As of 2019, a total of only 52 DU colleges and faculties are affiliated with the Delhi University Student Union, lovingly referred to as DUSU.

 

A large proportion of the colleges not-affiliated with DUSU comprise women’s colleges, leaving barely any women’s colleges to be a part of DUSU. The question arises— does an internal bias really exist amongst the female DU students to not want to be part of the process and the complications of DUSU or is this just a manifestation of a system of historical entrenchment of women, not just in politics but in society as a whole?

The scene that we witness on larger political platforms like in various state assemblies or in the parliament, with men occupying most of the positions of power and women being given only token representation, can be seen trickling down onto the university level as well. Many of the contesting groups have only one female contestant amongst a group largely dominated by male candidates, a clear misrepresentation of the ratio of male to female students in the Delhi University student body.

When DUSU is not included in it (women’s colleges), I think it is taking away a lot of political autonomy…. (when) people opt out of it (DUSU) or when we aren’t kept in the loop, we miss out on a lot of political discussions and a lot of very important decisions that can be taken by us,” says Avantika, a former student from Gargi College.

 

Rather than addressing the concern of college administrations themselves not wanting their colleges to be a part of DUSU, the primary concern would be to address the question of whether female students themselves want to be a part of these elections.

It is not only about if we WANT to be part of the elections or not, but also that women always have and will have more restrictions— in terms of curfews, family concerns, safety issues, etc. Essentially, the way DU politics functions currently makes it very difficult for women to be part of the same, and that gives everyone an excuse and a justification to just not include women in DUSU in general,” says a 1st-year student from Delhi University.

The kind of freedom that male candidates possess and use has always existed in parallel to women candidates. The early curfews mean that most women candidates end up being unable to dedicate the same amount of time campaigning or organising events as a male candidate and the concern for safety, specifically in a city like Delhi, does not add positively to it. 

While entering into politics, women majorly face harassment, (wrongful) comments, and at times sexual torture. They are threatened and majorly, they are emotionally blackmailed,” says Meenakshi Yadav, a 2nd-year journalism student from LSR, who is also serving as the president of SFI LSR.

All these factors have, in a sense, culminated to form a sort of vicious cycle— women cannot give enough time or resources to the elections due to the systematic exclusion of women from public life, which leads to them being at a disadvantage and ultimately, in most scenarios, to them not being elected. This ends with a bare minimum representation of women in the elected panel and when women aren’t occupying decision-making positions, how do we expect women’s issues to come up and be addressed on public platforms?

 

But this is definitely not the only or the complete reason behind the non-participation of women’s colleges in DUSU. Most college administrations would rather not have their college be a part of DUSU, with many of them following on this path since the very beginning while others have pulled out from DUSU in recent years. “Yeh college DU politics ka part nhi hai, yahan padhayi acche se hogi” is a phrase most of the students in these non-DUSU colleges—like St. Stephens, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, or Gargi College—have heard at least once in their life, and this is exactly what the college administration exploits as well. Colleges that are not affiliated with DUSU go so far as this non-affiliation usually gets endorsed by the college administration and further appreciated by prospective students and their parents.

Most of the faculty at these colleges believe that the time during and around the DUSU elections is bubbling with hooliganism and leads to a very disruptive atmosphere in the college. Monika Nandi, associate professor at the Indraprastha College, is against taking part in DUSU elections “because of the use of money and muscle power”. But the teachers also do not hold a unanimous opinion over this. On the other hand, Bhupinder Chaudhary, associate professor at the Maharaja Agrasen College, does not feel that the issue of money and muscle power subsides by restricting the college’s or students’ access to DUSU. “All college students are above 18. If at that age they are allowed to elect the country’s government, why should they not be allowed to elect their union?” Moreover, he raises a very valid question, that is, if teachers can have their own union, the Delhi University Teacher Association, then why can’t (shouldn’t) the students?

Most of the colleges don’t want to indulge in the disturbances which come from external sources like colleges, media, students, etc. (during elections). They want to keep a peaceful environment by suppressing the opportunities of students. They fear the revolution and violence that they think they will have to face if the students are involved in Politics, ” continues Meenakshi, in conversation with a DU Beat correspondent.

College administration would rather argue that it is for the “benefit” of the female students that the college would rather not affiliate itself with DUSU, citing the same reasons that society has cited to women for centuries now— “It’s for your own safety” or “Acche ghar ki ladkiyan yeh sab nhi krti”, all platitudes to suppress the voice of women in a world standing on the foundation of patriarchal bullies and misogynistic ideals. 

They tell us to lock up our doors, shut tight our windows, dress right, look down, speak low, hide away; because whatever makes it unsafe for us out there, that is not going to go away. 

 

So yes, women have been told to hide away for decades, and yes, “men will be men” and “we can’t change the society” have been the go-to phrases for centuries of missed opportunities and stolen platforms, but does that mean that in 2022, women belonging to such prestigious institute ons like Delhi university colleges— well-educated and independent-thinking women— should be denied of opportunities as basic as being able to vote? Even though all these colleges might not be a part of DUSU but that does not mean that DUSU does not affect these colleges. None of us exist in a vacuum. Delhi University has always been and will always be highly interdependent, so how does it make sense for the college administration to deny a platform like DUSU to students just because in technicality it is allowed? How does it make sense for us to talk about women’s problems in front of a male-dominated panel, elected by a predominantly male student population, who belong to an electoral college that barely includes any women colleges? How does it make sense to be living in a time when we still need to fight for women’s suffrage?

 

Read also ‘Who Run The World? Aes(that)ic Girls Do!’ 

 

Feature Image Credits: indiatvnews.com

 

Manasvi Kadian

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ABVP Releases Questionnaire for Students on Conduction of Exams

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Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) introduced an online Google form soliciting opinions of students with regards to conduction of their postponed examinations, some of which shall later be added to a memorandum scheduled to be submitted to the authorities.

Amidst the shutdown of universities across the country and the indefinite postponement of semester examinations in lieu of the coronavirus-induced national lockdown, Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad Delhi came out with a press release on 16th April 2020 announcing the release of a “Student Opinion Form” for students of universities across Delhi including University Of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Ambedkar University with an aim to collect concrete suggestions and opinions regarding the evaluation of their internal assessments and conduction of semester examinations.

This new initiative has been termed as the “Padhega Bharat, Badhega Bharat aur Jeetega Bharat” (India studies, India grows, India wins) campaign. After compiling the opinions and selecting a few notable suggestions, ABVP intends to add them to a memorandum which is due to be presented to the University Grants Commission and the Ministry Of Human Resource Development shortly.

Stressing on the necessity of this initiative due to recent developments such as the possibility of examinations shifting online, Sidharth Yadav, State Secretary, ABVP Delhi came out with a statement, “The pandemic has adversely affected the student community. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the resumption of normal civic life, reopening of campuses, conduct of internal assessments and conduction of semester examinations. The semester examinations have also been kept in abeyance. Since students are the primary stakeholders, their suggestions concerning the issues that can influence their academic progress, especially the possibility of organizing web-based semester exams merit specific inclusion on our memoranda.”

The fifteen-point questionnaire includes simple close-ended questions like “Have you ever given any internal exam/project/assignment during the coronavirus pandemic or prior?”, “Are you comfortable giving online assignments/assessments?”, “What online platforms do you use?” and also opinion-based open-ended questions like “Suggest a method for internal assessment during lockdown” and “In your opinion how should the semester exams be conducted?”. Most of the questions seem to seek the students’ opinions on the possible shift of internal and external assessments to online platforms.

“This new initiative was needed as this is an unprecedented situation. The questions are thoughtful and will surely help in revealing the views prevailing among students”, opined a first-year student of the University Of Delhi, on the condition of anonymity.

The link to the “Student Opinion Form” can be accessed through ABVP Delhi’s social media accounts.

Feature Image Credits: Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad via Twitter

Araba Kongbam

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ABVP and DUSU Introduce Online Remedial Classes Amidst Indefinite Lockdown

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Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) have collaborated to launch online remedial classes for all students of the capital. 

In a press statement released on Tuesday, 31st March 2020, ABVP and DUSU announced initiatives to launch online remedial classes for all Delhi students. The organisations, recognising the grave academic losses occurring to the student community of the capital region due to the COVID-19 pandemic spread and lockdown, have decided to launch these remedial classes for all resident students of Delhi. Under this platform, all registered students will be able to access these classes.

This initiative involved not just students from the University of Delhi, but also students From Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamilia Millie Islamia (JMI), Indraprastha University (IP), Ambedkar University, as well as other registered colleges. Any student registered as a resident of Delhi can access this initiative. With the use of e-mail, voice notes, and online classes, the organisations plan to deliver the initiative of remedial classes to help students. The organisations also stated that a digital copy of all the course material will be made available to download.

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Featured Image Credits: Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)

 

“The national capital, being an education hub, has been affected by the ongoing lockdown. As a consequence, the student community has suffered in terms of loss of thousands of hours of classroom instructions, no access to public libraries, and the absence of functional alternatives. It is to address these significant problems that ABVP Delhi and DUSU have brought together more than 80 professors and teachers from eminent institutes like Delhi University and JNU, who will provide online guidance to students in more than twenty different disciplines. Students from DU, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, IP University, Ambedkar University, and others can register themselves to join these online remedial classes. Doubts of the students will be cleared via e-mail, voice notes and discussions during online classes. Course materials would also be made available in the digital form,” the press release stated.

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Featured Image Credits: Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)

 

Sidharth Yadav, State Secretary, ABVP Delhi, said, “ABVP activists and volunteers have responded to the lockdown in more ways than one. Distribution of ration and similar essential goods among the stranded students, prompt medical assistance, appeals for the forbearance of rentals have been some of our initiatives. Online remedial classes add another dimension to our comprehensive response to this crisis. As a sincere representative of students, our efforts to assist the student community and the larger society will continue with the same momentum throughout the lockdown.”

“Distance learning and social distancing seem to be the only way out in these trying times. While we are thankful to the professors and scholars who have agreed to guide the students, we would request the varsity administration to institutionalize similar efforts for maximized scope and reach. We are endeavouring to provide a wide spectrum of e-learning resources and would urge the students to join these in large numbers. More instructors, courses, and study materials will be added as and when required,” Akshit Dahiya, President, DUSU, also stated.

The capital has been put under lockdown as per the orders of the government to prevent the spread of the pandemic, with educational institutions being shut down indefinitely until further orders.

 

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Shreya Juyal

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DUSU Requests Authorities to Look After Hostellers

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Owing to the threat posed by the spread of COVID-19, DUSU has requested the Dean of Students’ Welfare to take necessary steps for the safety of students living in hostels.

In order to ensure the safety of students living in Hostels of various colleges and departments, Ashish Lamba, Secretary of the Union, sent a letter to the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW) on Thursday. He requested the Dean to take necessary steps in order to ensure the well-being of these students, as the threat of infection looms large over everyone.

Through the letter, the Secretary informed the Dean about the complaints he received from students living in hostels. Such students might have complained about inadequate facilities to counter the dissemination of the disease. He requested the authorities to look after the living spaces, meals, sanitation, and availability of medical equipment for the safety of all students. The NSUI leader also requested the authorities to prepare themselves for a health emergency of any kind.

Chetna Tyagi, Leader, NSUI said, “NSUI did send a letter to the Dean of students welfare regarding the students who are stuck in PGs and hostels for proper food facilities and sanitation, and to provide them with travelling facilities to reach their hometown after the lockdown since the situation is getting serious these days. So there is a need to help the students urgently”.

NSUI also issued a public statement regarding the same, which demanded the authorities to ensure proper arrangements for students residing in hostels. It also demanded the DSW to ask the Government of Delhi for special permission for the students who wish to go home.

Dev Narayan, a student of Ramjas College, said, “I am a hosteller. My train got cancelled amid COVID-19. Circumstances compelled me to stay in the hostel. Firstly we were not allowed to stay by college authorities despite the risk that if we step outside the hostel, we might expose ourselves to the virus. The notice from MHRD saved us according to which we were allowed to stay. Still, we are facing issues of sanitation and mess  facilities.”

Another student, in the condition of anonymity, said, “We completely agree with the statement made by NSUI. Students should be provided with all the basic necessities during this lockdown period.”

NSUI National Secretary Nikhil Kamble states, “We know this is tough time for all but we are trying our level best to resolve it. We have demanded universities to provide proper meals and sanitiser for the students who have been stucked in hostels and PG’s. soon we will start to raise volunteering students relief fund from NSUI office bearers to provide help for socially and economically backward class students who have been affected during this corona virus lockdown.”

Numerous students are stuck in Hostels as there is a complete lockdown in the capital. Restrictions on public transport have disabled these students from going back home. A video made by residents of the hostel of Ramjas College surfaced online about a week ago, through which the students complained that they were being forcefully evicted, despite the unavailability of public transport.

Several hostels were shut and students were asked to leave before the lockdown itself. This includes hostels of Hansraj, IPCW, Venkateswara and LSR, among others. The letter sent by the secretary requests the relevant authorities to look after the students who are still living in these hostels, as the nation is under a blanket lockdown now.

Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Kuber Bathla

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DUSU Demands Same Hostel Timings for All

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Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) stands up against discriminatory hostel curfew timings for boys and girls.

A decision that has long been a contentious point of discussion and debate, the women’s hostels of the University of Delhi (DU) have traditionally set their curfew timings at a point earlier than those of their male counterparts, citing safety as the primary reason.

Residents of the University of Delhi’s women’s hostels have been out on a protest since the 27th of February, against various issues concerning the state of their hostels, primarily bringing up the issue of discriminatory curfew timings. Voices have also been raised against the lack of better amenities as well as the exorbitant fee system.

Protesters burnt an effigy of the Vice-Chancellor (VC)on the 9th March after repeated ignorance of their demands by the university administration. A female hosteler of the university, on the condition of anonymity, said, “I do support the cause of my fellow hostelers wholeheartedly but in my opinion, the burning of the VC’s effigy was a step too far”

Universities, organisations, student communities, and student activists have expressed support and solidarity with the hostelers’ protest, including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) amongst others.

Akshit Dahiya, President of DUSU, came out in support of the female hostellers and while noting the importance and necessity of curfew timings in ensuring basic discipline and decorum among the hostellers, also stressed on the fact that it wasn’t logical to have separate timings for male and female hostels, terming the arrangement “discriminatory”.

Dahiya opined, “It should not be different for girls and boys. We are against that discrimination. There should be a certain time by which you are required to get back to the hostel.  Would you be coming and going as you wish in the middle of the night at home? Then why do it in the hostel?”

Chinmay Sahu, a student of Kirori Mal College termed the Students’ Union’s stand as “heartening” and said, “Going contrary to the wrongly prevalent stereotype of the Union leaders looking for only personal gains, this stand by them shall certainly go a long way in strengthening the will and cause of the protesters”.

The administration of the University, including the wardens and provosts of various hostels, are yet to give a reply to the ongoing developments.

“The decision to have separate curfew timings for male and female hostelers is audacious and reeks of sexism. If it is 6 pm for girls, it should be 6 pm for boys. If it is 10 pm for boys, it should be 10 pm for girls. It is time we remove traditional arrangements which go against gender equality,” opined a female hosteler of the University, on the condition of anonymity.

 

Featured Image Credits: Edex Live

 

Araba Kongbam

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DUSU Establishes DU’s First Foreign Students’ Cell

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The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) has established the University’s first official Foreign Cell to address the grievances and issues of international students.

The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) has set up a Foreign Students’ Cell which is set to be first student body at the Delhi University to address foreign students’ grievances and sort out their problems.

The DUSU said that the Cell has been established to address the varied issues of the international students through developing mutual comprehension, cultural exchanges as well as moral diplomatic understanding.

The Delhi University Students’ Union convened an inauguration ceremony of the Foreign Cell on 6th March 2020,  in which the honourable guest speakers were Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President ICCR , MP Rajya Sabha, ShriNiwas, The National Joint Organising Secretary of ABVP, Mr. Sediqullah Sahar, Ambassador , Embassy of Afghanistan, as well as Mr. Vishnu Bahadur Gurung, Nepal.  Pradeep Tanwar, Vice President, DUSU,  welcomed all the guests and felicitated them; followed by a vote of thanks by Shivangi Kharwal, Joint Secretary, DUSU.

A total of 230 students from 19 countries registered for the Cell, students from Nepal and Afghanistan being the most in number.

Akshit Dahiya, President, DUSU said, “During my campaign, a few international students asked me why they should vote for me if I don’t do anything for them. I promised them that they will have better representation and a formal one. This foreign students’ cell will provide assistance during admissions, FRRO registration as well as in organising extra-curricular activities. The academic aspect has also been included through introducing an award for felicitating the international student with the highest grade point average. The cell is a step towards enhancement of communication between different cultures and also a great opportunity for the students to learn our culture as we learn theirs,”

 “Till they find a proper office I have asked them to use mine. This will be an independent body but DUSU will always provide the necessary support they would need at any point of time,” he added.

Nouresha, a Journalism student from Kamala Nehru College said, “As a foreign student, this is a good initiative. Because when I came to India, I didn’t even know what the processes were. Thankfully, somehow I got in touch with some of the Mauritian seniors in DU and they were very helpful. But if they weren’t here, I would have been roaming aimlessly, not knowing what to do. For a foreign student everything seems alien. So if the Foreign Cell helps them from day one, it would be awesome.”

Feature Image Source: DUSU 

Paridhi Puri

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DUSU, ABVP Protest Against Alleged Invalidity of Law Degree

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Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) organized a joint protest to address the issue of the prospective validity of their law degrees. This issue concerns three centers of the Faculty namely the Campus Law Centre, Law Centre I and Law Centre II.

On December 4, 2019, The Bar Council of India had stated that the approval or recognition of Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre, Law Centre I and Law Centre II, that provide three-year degree course in Law, would last only till the academic year 2016-17. This suggested that only the students who have taken admission till the academic year 2016-17 will have a valid degree in law for the purpose of enrolment as an advocate in any state Bar Council. The administration has not yet come out with any official clarification which has created a sense of panic and anxiety among the students.

Another issue about which the students are concerned is regarding the tender for printing of case materials which has not been issued midway into the ongoing semester. This has caused incalculable loss to students as printed textbooks remain out of bound and has specifically harmed students belonging to the marginalized and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society, many of whom cannot access the case materials even in the digital form.

In the light of the recent events, the students have also raised the issue related to granting extremely low or bare minimum marks to the examinees. The protesting students have demanded that the evaluation parameters should be made transparent and model/sample answers be provided to them so that the students can judge for themselves, the requirements of the examinations. The students have also demanded for their result to be declared without any further delay.

In a press statement, Akshit Dahiya, President, DUSU, said, “Being a student of law at one of the three centres, I completely relate to the grievances of the protesting students. While the fog regarding the issue of the Faculty’s recognition has engendered widespread fear, the unavailability of case materials, being the primary requirement for learning at the Faculty has left the student community helpless and infuriated. We will continue to support this agitation until this basic requirement, the absence of which is disproportionately affecting the marginalised and EWS students, is fulfilled immediately.”

Vinayak Sharma, Convener, ABVP North Campus said, “The administration by failing to fulfil its basic duty to seek timely approval from the Bar Council of India has created widespread fear and panic among the Faculty’s student community. As long as any plausible explanation is not forthcoming, we will continue to struggle on behalf of thousands of such students whose careers have been brought on the edge of the precipice because of the administration’s ineptitude.”

A delegation of protesting students called on the Dean of the Faculty of Law and presented a Memorandum in respect of their demands. While the delegation received assurances regarding the immediate fulfillment of two demands – namely, an official notification regarding the recognition status of the Faculty of Law, as well as the issue of tender for printed case-materials, two other demands – namely transparent evaluation parameters and the declaration of semester results were promised to be discussed by a Committee of teachers to be constituted shortly and consequently met as soon as practically possible.

Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Prachi Nirwan

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Former DUSU Presidents In Fray For Delhi Assembly Elections 2020

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Six former Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) Presidents will be competing against each other on the day of Delhi Assembly Elections 2020 that is 8th February. Among these six former Presidents, three have been fielded by the Congress and the remaining three by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Delhi University Students Union elections had unanimously paved way for some of the former DUSU Presidents into mainstream politics of our country. For Delhi Assembly Elections 2020, the Congress has given tickets to Rocky Tuseed, Alka Lamba, and Neetu Verma Soin. In addition, Tuseed, 25, is the youngest candidate this time and he claimed to have gained recognition all over the country when he became the DUSU President in the session 2017-2018.

Tuseed has around 500 people working for his campaign currently. During his tenure as DUSU President, he faced many obstacles that were finally resolved when he was reinstated as the union’s President after being disqualified over a pending inquiry against him.

Ashish Sood, Rekha Gupta, and Anil Jha are the three former DUSU Presidents that have been fielded by the BJP for Delhi Assembly Elections 2020. Jha was DUSU President in 1997-1998, contesting from RSS-affiliated ABVP, which acted as a stepping-stone for his mainstream political career. He stated that the Varsity politics helped him in gaining insight and trained him for mainstream politics.

Alka Lamba and Rekha Gupta were DUSU Presidents in 1995-96 and 1996-97 respectively. Lamba, a member of the Congress, will be contesting the elections from Chandni Chowk.  Also, the DUSU President of 2008, Nupur Sharma, will be contesting from New Delhi constituency. Neetu Verma Soin, Congress’ candidate from Malviya Nagar had won DUSU polls and was a student of Miranda House College. In 2002, due to her political achievements within DU, she served as the councillor from Civil Lines as well as DUSU President.

The DUSU elections have given us several infamous political leaders as their journeys began from the University itself. Some of these leaders are Arun Jaitley, Nupur Sharma, Alka Lamba, and Vijay Jolly.

 

Featured Image Credits: Scroll

Suhani Malhotra

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