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Google to Equip Students of Delhi University for the Tech Age

By DU Beat August 18, 2025

Delhi University signed an MoU with Google Cloud aimed to train students in AI, data analytics, cyber security, and digital literacy.

The University of Delhi has entered into a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud to train students in some of the most in-demand skills of the 21st century, including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital literacy. The collaboration, announced on August 14, is being positioned as a step towards creating an academic environment that prepares students for technology-driven careers while also strengthening India’s digital ecosystem.

For one of India’s largest universities, with a student body running into lakhs across affiliated colleges and departments, the move marks a significant effort to match higher education with the demands of a rapidly evolving global workplace. At a time when technology has become central to almost every industry, the partnership is expected to provide Delhi University students with both the conceptual grounding and the hands-on exposure needed to remain competitive.

According to the official statement, the initiative will not only expose students to advanced tools but also provide practical training through certifications, mentorship, hackathons, and start-up incubation programmes. Google Workspace for Education will also be integrated into DU’s teaching framework to ensure students have access to collaborative digital platforms.

Dean of Colleges, Professor Balram Pani, described the collaboration as a landmark move for the university.

“Delhi University is the number one university in the country. This collaboration will benefit both Google and DU,”

Registrar Dr Vikas Gupta highlighted that the programme aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stresses the need for digital literacy and employability-focused learning.

From the industry side, Google Cloud’s India Managing Director, Shashi Sreedharan, highlighted the transformative potential of the initiative.

“Technology is a powerful equalizer. It is vital that India’s next-generation talent is equipped with practical, future-ready skills,”

The announcement has also drawn attention to how global technology companies are increasingly partnering with Indian universities to nurture talent at the ground level. In DU’s case, the collaboration is likely to set a precedent for similar tie-ups.

While it promises to bring global-level training to one of India’s largest public universities, will all students benefit equally? The real challenge will lie in ensuring that these opportunities reach beyond the North and South Campus colleges to the far corners of the university.

Still, for many students, this partnership signals hope. In a world where job markets are constantly evolving, the chance to graduate with not only a degree but also industry-recognised certifications could make DU graduates more competitive.

Also Read: SBSC (Evening) Warns Against Loitering During Class Hours

Picture Credits: Delhi University

Juhi Bansal

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SFI Delhi Committee Condemns Expulsion of Member from AUD, Calls It “Undemocratic”

By Siddharth Kumar August 17, 2025

SFI Delhi condemns AUD’s expulsion of Comrade Nadia and the suspension of activists, calling it undemocratic repression; it demands reinstatement, a fair inquiry, and the protection of students’ rights and campus democracy.

The Delhi State Committee of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has strongly condemned the expulsion of one of its members, Comrade Nadia, from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) along with the suspension of five other student activists. The federation termed the action as an “undemocratic student repression” and vowed to fight against what it described as the stifling of dissent and student rights on campus.

The AUD administration expelled Comrade Nadia, while five other students—including SFI Delhi State Committee member Shefali, along with Shubhjeet, Ajay, Sharanya, and Keerthana—have been placed under prolonged suspension. The committee alleged that these punitive measures were being used to silence demands for a more student-friendly campus.

The statement read:

It seems that the AUD administration considers demanding a student-friendly campus and accessible education to be ‘crimes worthy of the highest punishment.’ What we are seeing in the case of Comrade Nadia’s expulsion, particularly, is just this.

The SFI argued that such incidents were part of a larger trend of repression in Delhi-based universities. “This pattern of student repression mirrors what the past few years have shown us in other Delhi-based campuses like JNU, JMI and DU,” the release noted, adding that governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had not hesitated to express “vindictiveness against students.”

Highlighting that protest has historically been integral to the democratic spirit of Indian universities, the student organisation warned that attempts to quash dissent would only invite greater resistance. It further informed that SFI Delhi had already approached the courts of law to challenge what it called the “arbitrary expulsion and suspension” of its activists.

The condemnation came on India’s 79th Independence Day, a date that the SFI said must remind the nation of its founding ideals. A day that calls for the reiteration of our country’s basic ideals; of “democracy, of justice, of liberty,” the committee stated, linking the students’ struggle to broader constitutional values.

The SFI has demanded that the AUD administration revoke Comrade Nadia’s expulsion and initiate a fair and transparent inquiry into the cases. It alleged that due process had not been followed and urged the administration to “see the light of reason and logic.”

AUD has been and shall remain a campus that fosters debate and discussion. If the Administration refuses to ensure this, we shall reclaim what is rightfully ours.

As of now, AUD authorities have not issued an official response to the allegations or clarified the reasons behind the disciplinary action.

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Madhav Choudhary

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DU Cracks Down on Poster Politics Ahead of Election Season

By DU Beat August 16, 2025

Over the years, DUSU elections have been accompanied by a flood of campaign material. Posters, banners, and flyers plastered on every available wall, pole, and surface on campus. The Delhi University Administration, in its quest to curtail the ever-growing splandour of posters during the DUSU elections that infest the infrastructure of campus, has given a set of anti-defacement guidelines to the contesting parties this year. The move comes as part of a larger effort to reduce the poster overload that takes over the university’s infrastructure each election season.

Regurgating this stance at a sensitisation programme organised under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 initiative, Prof Yogesh Singh told the NSS volunteers and NCC cadets that, “We will not vote for the candidate who has more printed posters.”

He urged the studentsto de-incentivise candidates from resorting to posters and make them “afraid of doing any defamation”. He further emphasised that keeping the campus clean is a year- round responsibility and not limited to days of drive.

The programme, with DU Registrar Dr. Vikas Gupta, Dean of Colleges Prof. Balram Pani, and other officials in attendance, slipped in a pledge against drug addiction. Prof. Singh, meanwhile, likened the challenge to the Yamuna’s pollution, a reminder that the youth hold the mop and bucket for a “developed” India.

In 2024, the Delhi High Court had directed the university to ensure all campaign graffiti and posters were removed before vote counting could begin. The court made it clear that the exercise was “corrective rather than punitive” and ordered that results, originally scheduled for September 27, be declared only after DU submitted an affidavit confirming the clean-up. The outcome was eventually announced in November.

This year, the administration has gone an extra mile to enforce the new guidelines by making the candidates sign a 1 lakh bond to ensure no violations in addition to signing the anti-defacement affidavit. This sort of strictness is only comparable to the anti-ragging policy.

Whether these efforts will actually bore fruit is yet to be seen as Delhi University awaits its (in)famous election season, the timeline of which was released recently. For now, at least we have an idea of where the administration stands in midst of it all.

Image Credits: Ayushmaan for DU Beat

Yashika Jain
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DU Weighs Changes to ₹1 Lakh Bond Rule Before Campus Polls

By DU Beat August 16, 2025

Delhi University (DU) is reconsidering its rule requiring candidates in the DU Students’ Union (DUSU) elections to submit a ₹1,00,000 bond. Introduced on August 8 as part of new poll guidelines to curb campus defacement ahead of the September elections, the rule forms part of a wider framework aligned with court orders and Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. These directives also mandate an anti-defacement affidavit, limit rallies and loudspeaker use, and impose penalties for violations. The bond requirement has drawn sharp criticism from student organisations, who say it imposes an unfair financial burden, especially on candidates from underprivileged backgrounds. A senior DU official told The Hindustan Times that the University is reviewing the provision in light of these objections.

According to the guidelines, “Each contesting candidate shall be required to execute a bond of Rs. 1.00 Lakh for the offence of any defacement/violation of provisions of these Guidelines by themselves or their supporters, at the time of filing nomination for any post of DUSU.”

Speaking to The Hindustan Times, Chief Election Officer Raj Kishore Sharma said that during a meeting with students and representatives of student organisations, participants expressed unwillingness to pay the bond. Following the discussion, the election office asked them to submit written representations to the university administration by August 16. The matter will be reviewed again before a final decision is taken.

The backdrop to these new regulations lies in the 2024 DUSU election, when widespread vandalism during campaigning led the Delhi High Court to intervene. As a result, vote counting was delayed by nearly two months, pending the removal of defaced property and its restoration.

Last week, university officials reaffirmed a zero-tolerance stance on defacement, limiting campaign materials to handmade posters, imposing expenditure limits, and promising to set up “walls of democracy” in colleges as approved spaces for election displays. They also agreed, following student suggestions, that these “walls” would be formally recommended for both college-level and university-wide elections.

Sharma further affirmed, “Following last year’s incidents, the university submitted a set of reform suggestions to the court aimed at preventing defacement this year, which included the ₹1,00,000 bond requirement. However, in view of the opposition from students, we have yet to take a final decision.”

The university has notified the schedule for this year’s elections—the DUSU elections will be held on September 18, with counting scheduled for September 19. The notification also sets September 10 as the deadline for filing nominations along with a ₹500 demand draft, affidavit, and ₹1 lakh bond, followed by scrutiny and the publication of nominated candidates the same day. The withdrawal deadline is September 11, after which the final list will be released. Voting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for day classes and 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for evening classes.

With the deadline for filing nominations less than a month away, the fate of the ₹1 lakh bond provision remains uncertain. Student bodies await the administration’s final decision, which could determine whether the upcoming polls proceed under the contentious rule or with revised guidelines. For now, preparations for the September 18 elections continue under the shadow of last year’s controversies and the university’s push for cleaner, regulation-bound campaigning.

Image Credits: Deepanshi for DU Beat

Neeraja Unnikrishnan
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Water Logging Greets DU Students With Ankle-Deep Water on 14 August

By DU Beat August 15, 2025

On the morning of 14 August, Delhi saw heavy rainfall, causing waterlogging, leaked ceilings, broken panels, traffic around DU colleges and even a tragic death. Students faced difficulty in reaching colleges and even walking around campuses because of ankle-deep water flooding, affecting both the indoors and outdoors of college buildings.

Delhi-NCR witnessed heavy rains on Thursday, 14 August, causing waterlogging. Amidst the relentless downpour, one of the major victims of the waterlogging were DU colleges. Areas near colleges like Zakir Hussain College faced extreme waterlogging. Despite the installation of water pumps to drain the water, the area still remained jammed. The road near Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Jesus and Mary Marg of JMC, Siri Fort Road of Gargi College was completely waterlogged, blocking the entrance. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce and Deshbandhu College had a similar fate, with water flooding up to students’ ankles and leaking ceilings in classrooms.

The Science Block (APJ Abdul Kalam Block) of Deshbandhu College was flooded with ankle-deep water despite being situated at a relatively elevated area from its surroundings. Indoor areas of the college weren’t spared from the rainfall’s wrath, leading to leaked ceilings and broken panels in some classrooms.

A student from Deshbandhu College said,

It took hours of continuous sweeping to get water out. The ceiling of certain classrooms in the Porta Block has broken panels, which allow water to enter the classrooms. The first bench of the entrance P-2 (Porta Block) was bathed in water.

The situation around Deshbandhu College even turned tragic, as due to heavy rainfall, a large tree fell on a bike in Kalkaji, killing a 50-year-old man and leaving his daughter fatally injured. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce likewise suffered because of water flooding. The ground floor of its old building was entirely filled with water, including the washrooms, canteen, classes, and open areas too. The main college campus was submerged in water above the ankles, and no precautions were taken to lessen the effects at the time. Jam-packed roads made it almost impossible for students to enter their college, let alone their classrooms.

Almost all colleges which were waterlogged in or around the campuses made travelling to and from colleges very time-consuming, difficult, and dangerous. Due to waterlogging, autos were charging way higher than usual, and while on the road, water entered even inside autos. Areas like Siri Fort Road near Gargi College were flooded to an extent where vehicles weren’t able to reach near the main college gate, leaving students stranded either far from college or at metro stations, with no help and cancellation of classes on the spot due to dangerous circumstances.

Eventually, as the weather worsened, the India Meteorological Department issued a red alert in some areas, the tragic Kalkaji accident becoming one of the prompting factors. The condition of Delhi and DU colleges in particular raised questions about drainage systems and the safety of students.

Featured Image Credits: Shazia for DU Beat

Umang

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Arts & Culture

DUSU And Central Council Elections 2025-2026: Official Timeline Announced

By DU Beat August 14, 2025

University of Delhi has revealed the official calendar for the election of office bearers of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and Central Council members for the academic session 2025-2026. The announcement marks the beginning of one of the most dynamic and politically vibrant seasons of the academic year, with the election process scheduled to take place in September.

The official notification issued by the Registrar sets 10th September, 2025, as the deadline for the submission of nomination papers, which must be filed by 3:00 p.m. and accompanied by a demand draft of Rs.500, alongside an affidavit, and a bond of Rs. 1 lakh. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place the same day at 3:15 p.m., with the list of duly nominated candidates to be published at 6:00 p.m. For DUSU positions, nomination papers must be put in a sealed box located at the Office of the Chief Election Officer, Conference Centre, University of Delhi, North Campus. For Central Council elections, nominations must be filed with the respective college or department. Nomination forms can be accessed and downloaded from the official Delhi University Website.

Candidates who wish to withdraw their nominations must do so by 11th September, 2025, before noon. The final list of candidates running for office will be published later that day at 5:00 p.m. The polling day is set for 18th September, 2025, followed by the counting of votes which will take place the next day on Friday, 19th September, 2025.

The voting process will be conducted in two stages. Students enrolled in day classes will vote during the window of 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and those in evening classes must vote from 3:00 p.m until 7:30 p.m.

The notification further aligns itself with the Code of Conduct, DUSU Constitution, and court orders from the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. It reiterates that the procedure would be carried out in compliance with the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act (2007) and the National Green Tribunal guidelines.

With the schedule now in place, the university is set to witness a charged election season, as student organisations and candidates prepare to campaign for leadership positions in one of the country’s most closely watched student political arenas.

Image Credits: Sushil Kumar Verma

Navya Chandok
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Delhi High Court Quashes JMI Professor’s Termination Over Breach of Natural Justice

By DU Beat August 14, 2025

The Delhi High Court sets aside Jamia Millia Islamia’s termination of a professor, finding that the University had recommended his removal before issuing a show-cause notice and failed to share the inquiry report. Upholding the principles of natural justice, the court gives him a fair chance to respond.

The Delhi High Court quashed the order by Jamia Millia Islamia University, which had terminated the services of Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmad, an assistant professor in the Department of Persian. Dated 20 March 2023, the termination followed a unanimous decision of the Executive Council to dismiss him. The dismissal was to take effect from the date the written order was issued.

In his judgement, Justice Prateek Jalan said that the dismissal was fundamentally flawed, with the facts of the case showing inadequate compliance with the principles of natural justice—fairness, impartiality, and the right to be heard before a decision affecting someone is made. He found that the University failed to comply with Statute 37(4) of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988, by not providing the teacher a reasonable opportunity to show cause before removal. Describing this as “a clear case of too little, too late”, he noted that the dismissal had already been recommended by the Executive Council even before any show-cause notice was issued.

Dr. Ahmad (petitioner), appointed to the aforementioned post in 2012, was alleged by the University to have been unauthorisedly absent from his teaching duties for almost two years, which he attributed to victimisation by certain senior professors at the department. According to him, the matter was subsequently resolved by the University’s registrar, following which he resumed taking classes in 2021. However, the University maintained that several complaints were received against him for his unauthorised absence, and that his return had caused disruption in academic functioning. An Inquiry Committee, constituted in April 2021, investigated and concluded that his presence would “vitiate the academic atmosphere”. Consequently, the Executive Council on 10 August 2022 recommended strict action—his removal under Statute 37 of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988—on the grounds of:

Dereliction of duty, refusal to perform other academic responsibilities like setting of question papers, attending departmental meetings, performing invigilation duties, etc, defiance of administrative authorities; non-compliance with office orders, and misbehaviour and obstructing others in their work.

Following this, a show-cause notice was issued on 8 September 2022, to which Dr. Ahmad replied on 22 September 2022. Despite his response, the Executive Council passed a resolution on 22 February 2023, terminating his services, which the university implemented via the 20 March 2023 order.

According to The Bar Bulletin, the Delhi High Court thus noted that the inquiry report was never given to him, denying him a real chance to defend himself. Setting aside the termination order, the court directed that the resolution dated 10 August 2022 be treated as only a proposal for removal. It also ordered JMI to give Dr. Ahmad the inquiry report and related documents, allowing him two weeks to reply, after which the Executive Council must reconsider the matter afresh in its next meeting. However, it also kept open Dr. Ahmad’s right to seek review under Statute 37(5).

In a parallel but contrasting case in July, the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal of Dr. Amit Kumar, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Bharti College, University of Delhi, who faced allegations of sexually harassing students. A few students alleged that Dr. Kumar had sent them inappropriate and unsolicited messages filled with sexual intent via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Following a thorough inquiry, the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the University found a case of sexual harassment under the POSH Act and recommended his dismissal. According to Law Chakra, Dr. Kumar challenged the decision on multiple grounds—arguing that interactions on social media do not constitute harassment at the “workplace”, questioning the constitution and procedural fairness of the ICC, and claiming that he was not given a fair hearing by the ICC and DU authorities. However, the HC rejected the argument and held that harassment on social media is not outside the POSH Act’s purview.

While both cases involved the removal of professors, the Delhi HC had opposite conclusions based on how procedural fairness was handled. In Dr. Ahmad’s case, the inquiry report was never given to him before the decision to terminate him, thus citing a breach of natural justice. On the contrary, in Dr. Kumar’s case, the HC noted that the complaint, inquiry proceedings, and final report were not only all shared with him, but he was also given the chance to respond. Therefore, the case was not overturned.

This issue also sheds light on Delhi University’s ad-hoc culture. In December 2023, eight out of ten long-serving ad-hoc teachers were displaced from the English department of Ramjas College. Satyawati College (evening) also reported en masse displacement of teachers from the Department of Hindi in September 2023. According to DU Beat, only five out of the existing eleven faculty were retained, despite there being 16 posts for which interviews took place. The shocking suicide of Professor (Dr.) Samarveer Singh, who had been working as an ad-hoc faculty member at Hindu College’s philosophy department for six years, brought the issue of DU’s ad-hocism to the fore. He was among the many professors displaced during the permanent faculty recruitment drives.

Another recent case High Court ruling reflects this problem. The court in July criticised Delhi University for “deliberately relying on ad-hoc appointments in place of regular employment”, concerning Namita Khare and Mehak Talwar’s case. The HC ordered the regularisation of these two ad-hoc teachers in the Department of Germanic and Romance Studies since 2017, who had challenged not being shortlisted for regular positions, despite fulfilling the eligibility criteria, arguing that the screening was arbitrary and excluded them unfairly. According to The Indian Express, Delhi University has filled around 3,500 permanent teaching positions with approximately 3,000 ad-hoc teachers. Without increments, promotions, and medical security, this is not just short-term precarity, but work conditions that have persisted for decades. In this scenario, the HC judgement offers a sliver of hope for the regularisation of hundreds of similarly placed teachers who have long served without permanency, benefits, or protection.

Summing up, these cases show a recurring pattern of systemic challenges—procedural lapses and over-reliance on ad-hoc appointments, inadequate protection of faculty, causing not just employment uncertainties but also emotional disruption. Professors often spend years working on a contractual basis, with their job security hanging by a thread. Therefore, a stricter adherence to due process is imperative across India’s institutions of higher education.

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Nasheta Zaidi

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U-Special Buses to Return to DU, Students Ask if They’re Still Needed

By DU Beat August 13, 2025

Delhi University’s iconic U-Special buses are set to return, but students question their need in the Metro era and call for better last-mile solutions.

Delhi University’s U-Special buses, once a daily lifeline for students criss-crossing the city, are set to return after years off the roads. Announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on August 5 during the inauguration of the new academic block of the Delhi University (DU) Social Centre School at Maurice Nagar, the revival is being presented as a “gift to students” — complete with air-conditioning, music, and upgraded interiors.

Launched in 1971, the U-Special service carried generations of DU students from far-flung neighbourhoods directly to North and South Campus. Before the Metro connected most of Delhi, they were cheap, direct, and often doubled as part of the campus culture as much as canteens or fests.

But with the Metro now covering nearly every DU-bound route, many students say the buses may no longer be the best solution. Kaashvi Khubyani, a second-year Journalism student at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce says:

The Metro already provides me with everything needed as it’s air-conditioned and quick, especially with Delhi’s unpredictable traffic. Unless these buses can match or beat the Metro’s speed and convenience, I’m not really keen to swap my daily commute for them.”

Others believe the focus should be on solving the ‘last-mile’ problem — the often long and tiring walk from Metro stations to classrooms. Urmika Srivastava, a first-year student at Jesus and Mary College, pointed out that:

A mini shuttle from Jesus and Mary College to the nearest bus stop or Metro would make daily travel much easier for students, especially given the embassy area location and long walks to South Campus after exhausting hours of classes.”

While some welcome the nostalgia and identity the buses carry, others see them as a costly throwback in a city where transport priorities have shifted. Student groups have also argued that funds would be better spent on frequent electric shuttles or safer pedestrian routes rather than adding on to the already deteriorating traffic conditions of Delhi roads.

So far, the government has not confirmed the new U-Special routes or when they will start running. Until then, the debate continues — whether DU should look back to its most iconic bus service, or forward to transport that matches the city’s current needs.

Also Read- CM Rekha Gupta Inaugurates New Academic Block of Delhi University’s Social Centre School

Picture Credits- Daily Pioneer

Juhi Bansal

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Supreme Court Orders Mass Relocation of Delhi-NCR Stray Dogs

By DU Beat August 13, 2025

Amid rising dog-bite and rabies cases, Delhi-NCR’s stray dogs face mass relocation by Supreme Court order. Residents welcome it, but activists warn of cruelty and ecological risks—who truly bears responsibility, and can safety coexist with compassion?

On August 11, 2025, the Supreme Court of India ordered the relocation of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks, citing a rise in dog-bite and rabies cases and prioritising public safety over sentiment. The bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan acted suo motu after media reports highlighted the growing menace. The case was taken up after a Times of India report, “Delhi Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay Price,” detailed incidents, including six-year-old Chavi Sharma, who suffered multiple bites despite repeated complaints, and four-year-old Abhishek Rai, attacked on July 23, 2025, in Alipur, leaving facial injuries and forcing parents to keep children indoors.

The bench announced it would hear arguments only from the Centre, excluding petitions from dog lovers or other parties:

We are not doing this for us; it is for the public interest. So, no sentiments of any nature should be involved. Action should be taken at the earliest.

The amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal urged permanent relocation of all stray dogs to shelters, citing over 37 lakh dog bites in 2024, including 25,000 in Delhi, and a sharp rise in early 2025. He proposed shelters for 5,000 dogs within 6–8 weeks and adoption drives via welfare groups. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta noted a Delhi relocation site was stalled by an activist-led stay order, which the bench criticised, stressing the need to clear streets entirely. Warning that adoptions could lead to dogs being released again, the court ruled out adoption and ordered all strays to be moved to shelters without exception.

The Supreme Court has ordered Delhi-NCR authorities to build dog shelters immediately, relocate all stray dogs, and report progress. Shelters must have trained staff for sterilisation, immunisation, and containment, with CCTV to prevent escapes. Authorities must also set up a dog-bite helpline and prioritise vulnerable areas, rounding up all strays, sterilised or not. Civic bodies may use any method, including a dedicated force, with contempt penalties for obstruction. The bench called the situation “grim” and directed NCT Delhi, MCD, and NDMC to make clearing localities of stray dogs their top priority.

Residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) have welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive to shift stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks, calling it a long-awaited relief amid rising dog bite cases. Atul Goyal, president of United Resident Joint Action (URJA), said the move would ease the growing menace and urged similar action against stray cattle:

Along with stray dogs, cattle on the roads have also started attacking people and causing traffic jams. The authorities should take similar action for such animals as well.

Animal rights groups condemned the Supreme Court’s order, calling the mass removal of community dogs inhumane and ineffective. PETA India’s Dr Mini Aravindan noted that Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, less than half sterilised, and that forced relocation would cause suffering, public uproar, and fail to control population, rabies, or bites. She blamed poor implementation of the 2001 sterilisation and vaccination mandate and urged focus on comprehensive sterilisation, shutting illegal breeders, and promoting adoption instead of displacement drives:

Communities think of neighbourhood dogs as family, and the displacement and jailing of dogs is not scientific and has NEVER worked.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Supreme Court’s directive as a reversal of humane, science-backed policy, arguing on X that shelters, sterilisation, vaccination, and community care can keep streets safe without cruelty. Former minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi called the order “impractical,” warning that it could upset the ecological balance, citing the 1880s in Paris, where mass dog removals allegedly led to a rat infestation.

Mass appeals urge the Supreme Court to revoke its Delhi-NCR stray confinement order, calling it cruel and impractical. Petitioners advocate sterilisation, vaccination, waste control, and community care instead.

An LSR student says,

I’ve cared for strays since childhood and never felt unsafe. Rabies deaths are rare; the Bombay HC says vaccinate, sterilise, and let them live freely. This city is theirs too—they’ve even protected women at night. We have no right to decide how they live.

The protests have also faced criticism from some individuals who view them as selective in focus. According to these voices, many participants come from privileged backgrounds and have not been equally vocal on other human rights issues, such as the treatment of Bangladeshi migrants.

The Supreme Court’s order to relocate all Delhi-NCR stray dogs spotlights a clash between public safety and animal welfare. The debate leaves key questions unresolved: Can humane, science-backed measures protect people without mass displacement? Who is truly responsible for the city’s stray population—the authorities, the community, or the animals? And in striving for safety, can compassion be preserved?

Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Neeraja Unnikrishnan

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AAP’s Revamped Student Wing Gears Up for DUSU Elections

By DU Beat August 9, 2025

With a rebrand, AAP’s ASAP enters the DUSU race promising a new political culture — free from education mafias and rooted in equity and reform.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s rebranded student wing, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), has kicked off its campaign drive a month ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union elections. Relaunched in May with a new name and mission, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal promised to turn student activism into a force for national transformation. Previously known as the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the party was established in 2014 to bring AAP’s vision of “alternative politics” to campuses. CYSS made its debut in the 2015 Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections but failed to secure any seats. Despite winning the president’s post in the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council elections in 2022, CYSS’s presence and influence in campus politics remained largely limited. The party, thus, struggled to gain a foothold.

ASAP’s logo features a torch-shaped fountain pen nib. Kejriwal stated,

The mainstream politics of the past 75 years is the root cause of all problems in India,” describing the launch as a departure from a system where elections are won through the misuse of power. ASAP’s mission, he added, was to “win hearts”.

Although the on-campus presence of ASAP is comparatively smaller than that of its competitors — the BJP’s student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and the Congress’s student wing, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) — there has been a subtle shift in allegiances, with several former ABVP and NSUI members now seen in ASAP. The Lyngdoh Committee recommendations stipulate that no candidate should be allowed to spend more than ₹5,000 or use printed material such as posters and flyers; however, “money and muscle power” continue to be evident through large hoardings, the distribution of printed manifestos, and the use of branded vehicles for campaigning.

As reported by The Indian Express, Deepak Bansal, a former DUSU joint secretary (2011) and ex-ABVP member who joined CYSS in 2023, stated that contesting DUSU elections has traditionally required significant financial backing, with candidates often expected to come from affluent backgrounds even to be considered. Therefore, it closes doors on students hailing from middle-class families, who have ideas and vision but no political godfather. Another issue, highlighted by The Indian Express through Ishwar Chand — who served as ABVP’s Delhi state president from 2009 to 2015 and joined AAP last year — is that tickets are almost always given to Jats and Gurjars, typically those with political clout and money, citing a “regional advantage.” He added that it was not just ABVP, and that NSUI too operated in the same manner. A massive number of DU students from UP and Bihar are left without a voice because candidates are chosen based on wealth and caste.

Moreover, another Delhi University student told The Week that the dominant national parties don’t often pick issues that resonate with students. If they do, however, pick relevant issues, many students may turn towards them. ASAP’s entry into the DUSU race thus represents an attempt to widen the space for participation in campus politics.

In the words of AAP’s Avadh Ojha,