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Final Year of College & Still No College ID Cards

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Third-year Journalism students at Kamala Nehru College continue to face administrative delays, remaining without their college ID cards since admission.

In a surprising case of administrative neglect, the entire batch of third-year Journalism students at Delhi University’s Kamala Nehru College (KNC) continues to remain without college ID cards, more than two-and-a-half years after their admission. While their juniors in the same department have already received their cards, around 45–50 students from the 2022 Journalism batch are still waiting.

As per the usual college process, students receive their ID cards within the first semester of their first year of study. However, this batch claimed to have never received any, despite repeatedly approaching the administration. “We have gone to the admin office at least a hundred times”, said a third-year student. “Every time, we are told it’s some system or data issue. The excuse has remained the same for three years.”

According to the students, the administration initially cited a “technical issue” with student records, saying that names and roll numbers had been mismatched in the database. “We were told that because of wrong information flow, like father’s name or roll number mix-ups, the cards couldn’t be printed”, one student said. “But that was in the first year. It’s third year now, and nothing has changed.”

Students allege that this delay has caused multiple inconveniences. During events such as the Diwali Mela and college fests, campus entry is restricted to those carrying valid ID cards. “We weren’t allowed entry even with our library cards”, said the student. 

When the matter was raised in a student-principal meeting a few months ago, the principal reportedly downplayed the issue, saying that everyone had received their ID cards and that students could get them printed from the college machine. However, the administration did not act even after that.


Students claim that, despite the principal’s attempts to communicate with the administrative office, no concrete action has been taken. They continue to be informed about system issues or mismatched details with no proper follow-up.

Journalism department students have begun documenting their complaints collectively, hoping that the administration will finally address the issue before they graduate.  Currently, there is no clear timeline for when or whether the college administration will resolve the ID card delay, leaving nearly an entire graduating batch without a basic document of identification from their own institution.

Read Also: Protesters Detained at Kartavya Path as Delhi’s Air Pollution Crisis Deepens

Image Credit: Anshika for DU Beat

Anjali Kumari Jha

[email protected]

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Jamia Millia Islamia Confiscates upto 700 Identity Cards

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Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) administration confiscated up to 700 non-valid Identity cards in the past three months after various “outsiders” were reportedly entering the University.

The administration of JMI has confiscated over 700 non valid identity cards in the past three months. Since August, 726 ID cards have been confiscated by guards on campus after “outsiders” attempted to enter the University Campus. Waseem Ahmad Khan, the Chief proctor, told Hindustan Times that checking for non-valid ID cards has always been a practice at the University. But, as complaints of “increased presence of outsiders,” surged, the administration decided to implement stricter checking measures.

The security guards stationed on campus said that “outsiders” tried to enter the campus for various reasons, including theft, harassment, substance abuse, and creating nuisance in the University premises. They also said students from other universities were allegedly coming to JMI to create unrest, and build a political space. When asked how guards detect the false ID cards, security person Nisar Ahmad, who currently mans the University’s main gate and has been working at the Varsity for over two decades, told a national daily, “Their behaviour and body language is different. When they are asked for student ID cards, these people either cover the hologram on the card, or hide the photograph or just show the backside of the card,”

Reportedly, not all the IDs that were confiscated were fake. Some were also expired cards of former students who wanted to access the campus. “People want access to our libraries. The card also doubles as a library card. We have found instances of people accessing our libraries using expired cards,” said Assistant Proctor, Shakeel Ahmad.

Faizan, a second year B.A. (Honours) English student from JMI, told DU Beat, “Security Checking at Jamia was always a menace, and things get bizarre when you have as many as 23 gates to cover; but in recent times the varsity administration has reviewed it’s security seemingly, with continual and repeated security checks at every point which could be prompted by the outside interference and related instances of Id card misuse.”

In fact, students reported that it isn’t just stern checking of ID cards. Since the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor, Najma Akhtar, canteens too, are closed earlier than usual. This concern for safety was explained by the administration. Allegedly, men from nearby areas come to the Campus to peruse and sit in the canteens and parks. Taking into account the safety of girls in the University, and the fact that the girls’ hostel is on Campus, the administration felt that stringent security checks are essential for guaranteeing the safety of women.

Feature Image Credits:  Collegeduniya

Shreya Juyal

[email protected]

 

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Smart ID Cards Proposed for DU Students

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The standing council of the admissions committee of Delhi University (DU) made a proposal for issuing ‘smart’ identity cards to the students in the coming academic session.

Dean of Student Welfare, Rajeev Gupta, chairperson of the committee, said that such cards, once approved, would help bring uniformity and was an attempt at improving the overall infrastructure of the university. The cards are said to be integrated with health centres to help students avail their facilities. They might also help in keeping real-time record of the entry and exit of students from colleges.

As the cards would become operational only in July when the new academic session for 2019-20 starts, the University can have sufficient time to set up the necessary infrastructure required for its implementation, The Hindu quoted Rajiv Gupta, Dean of Student Welfare and Chairperson of the committee as saying.

DU Beat spoke to Rasal Singh, Professor at Kirori Mal College and member of the committees. He gave us some insight into the same.

Objectives: The card is expected to bring uniformity. It will have the DU logo on one side and the college logo on the other. It will also carry the University registration number which is given to every student when they apply to DU.

Features: The nitty-gritties have not been finalised but some of the ideas include integration with the libraries to keep a record of books issued by students. It may also serve as an identification card that can be used to rent bicycles from metro stations and be integrated with metro or bus passes. Apart from this, it will serve as a regular college ID card.

Challenges: Whenever there’s a new policy or idea, some difficulties do arise. That might be the case here also, but that can be managed.

Current Status: The meeting took place on 18th April. There is consensus on the card. It is expected to be rolled out from the next academic session.

 

 

Image credits – DU Beat Archives

 

Prateek Pankaj

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Lakshmibai College goes cashless; ID cards used for intra-campus payments

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“I no more need cash in my college. We pay through our ID cards everywhere within the campus” exclaimed Akankshya, a student pursuing B.Com in Lakshmibai College, as she flashed her new identity card which bears a bar code. In a step towards promoting digital transactions and encouraging Information and Communication Technology(ICT) based learning, Lakshmibai College has introduced new identity cards, through which students can make payments at all places within the campus. The identity cards that earlier used to be a gate pass for the college students, are now their food pass too!Provided they have money in their cards,of course.

Akanshya, student of Lakshmibai College
Kriti Thakur, a student of Lakshmibai College

The new cards can be used to make payments at the college library, canteen, photocopy shop and office. Students can load money in their ID cards through the website or the college’s android application. Then, they can use this money within the campus according to their own requirements. At all the points of payments, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is used which scans the bar code present in the card and deducts the amount from the card. This initiative was launched as a joint venture between the college and Bank of India, which also operates a branch within the college campus.

According to many teachers and students, this initiative is the brainchild of Dr. Pratyush Vatsala, the principal of the college, who has taken several initiatives towards improving the digital infrastructure of the college. She says, “We wanted to increase the utility of the card, and thought why not make it usable for payments within the campus, so we added the cashless payment option to it. We’re the first college in all of DU to have introduced such a move.”

The cards have been colour coded to signify the students’ year. The first year students have purple-and-white cards, the second year students have blue-and-white cards, and the third year students have maroon-and-white cards. Those who hold positions in college societies have tri-colour bands on the cards.

“Our college began this initiative much before the demonetization was announced by our Prime Minister,” said Dr. Sucheta Gauba, a faculty member from the college. Speaking about the new initiative she insisted that this could be an example for other colleges of Delhi University to go cashless. She also said about various other initiatives that the college has undertaken for increasing digitalization of the facilities. The college has developed an app through which teachers can post crucial updates regarding classes, distribute assignments and students can even order food from the college canteen.

As our country is trying to come to terms with the sudden push of GoI towards a digital economy, this unique initiative by Lakshmibai College authorities is an example for other colleges of Delhi University, which are figuring out ways to create cashless campus by 12th of January, 2017 to fulfill the new order issued by the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry and promote a digital economy.

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

Image Credits (both): hindustantimes.com

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