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CBCS Poll: After FYUP, has CBCS too missed the mark with students? Find out!

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Delhi University has been famous for changing the academic systems very often. DU introduced the Four Year Under graduation Programme (FYUP) in 2013 which was subsequently rolled back in 2014, leaving the second year students under a semester system. DU introduced the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in 2015. 

The system, just a year old has invited both criticism and appreciation from all directions.

The system which was implemented in a hurry has a few loopholes to it. The introduction of CBCS has led to the liquidation of Honours course as papers under Honour courses were cut down to accommodate the Generic and AECC papers. The purpose of introducing CBCS was to provide a plethora of choices for students to choose from and study. However many colleges, don’t follow any such rule. A number of colleges have completely eliminated the ‘choice’ in the choice based credit system and only provide either a limited number of subjects to choose from or don’t provide a choice at all, thus defying the whole purpose of the system.

The papers too have polarised difficulty levels. 47.5% of the respondents who took a poll regarding CBCS admitted to not being fully satisfied with the difficulty levels of their Generic papers- which were either too easy or too difficult. Many colleges haven’t been able to adjudge the faculty requirements, which have led to less qualified faculty teaching the generic subjects and making it more burdensome on the students. 53.8% of the respondents felt that the faculty needed improvement.


There is also a general lack of seriousness and understanding of the system. There were no clear guidelines to help guide the professors and students through the syllabus and the changed curriculum leading to confusion. 49.4% respondents admitted to not taking the Generic paper as seriously as their core papers and spent less time studying for it. “The idea of studying something other than the core subject would be great if only the GE was taught properly. Vague syllabus taught half-heartedly ruins it.” says Kriti Kaur from SGTB Khalsa College


Despite having being criticized, it has its own share of positives. Some of the most significant advantages of CBCS are that it provides a well-rounded by giving students access to a more holistic approach to education with the introduction of Generic and AECC papers. In an increasingly globalized economy, employers are often on the lookout for individuals who have relatively specialized knowledge of more than one field. It also allows students to study subjects of their preference as many students are unable to pursue the course of their choice for a number of reasons, such as unrealistic cutoffs or parental pressure. In this scenario, a GE acts as a saviour for students who can finally study the subject of their preference.

College is perhaps the most crucial time of a student’s life during which he or she finally becomes a well-adjusted adult (or so we hope.) All professional settings require a basic understanding of time management and prioritisation. The addition of the GE and AECC courses therefore propels students into an environment in which they must balance three different fields of study. “I think it offers great opportunities with expansion of a holistic education. It’s a great option for people who wanted to study more than one subject in university, and my experience has been almost entirely positive with it.” says a student from Daulat Ram College

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

According to the poll, the most relevant concern of the respondents was the inadequacy and non transparency of the evaluation system, with an overwhelming majority of 88.2% claiming that the evaluation system is confusing with regard to SGPA’s and grades and has left them unhappy. “It doesn’t matter how good your internal marks were as compared to other students, you get the same grade in the subject. I think the internal marks were not taken into consideration while evaluating the grades. I would prefer the old percentage system any day as one gets to know how he/she performed in the respective subjects.” said a student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.

“My college offers only 2 options for GE. Most students are not able to study the subjects they want to. Though there is nothing wrong with the grading system but I feel we need to understand the system better. Both the teachers and students have no idea what the grades stand for.” says Bhavya Mehta from JMC. A large number of students have rejected the system with 65.9 % respondents wanting the system to be discontinued as opposed to the 34.1% who want CBCS to continue but with rectifications.

Q. Did you find last semester's evaluation confusing?
Q. Did you find last semester’s evaluation confusing?
Q. Should grading in CBCS be replaced by percentage system?
Q. Should grading in CBCS be replaced by percentage system?
Q. Do you want CBCS to continue?
Q. Do you want CBCS to continue?

While the system was introduced with a lot of promises, students often find themselves at a slippery slope when it comes to evaluating their performance in CBCS. “The idea of integrating courses, college and universities is great but implementation was not at all upto the mark, affecting the students under this system. Thus the system seems to be a floundering one with a bleak future. The evaluation of this system is just another blunder leaving no scope for students to reevaluate their performances.”  Says Gerush Bahal from Aryabhatta College.

Feature image credits : indiatoday.intoday.in 

Akshara Srivastava

[email protected]

Vineeta Rana

[email protected]

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Admissions 2016

For the first time, students from Palestine apply to DU

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Seems like DU isn’t just a favourite among the Indian youth alone, as the university has witnessed a startling rise in the number of foreign applications for Undergraduate Admissions this year!

Reportedly, more than 3000 students from 106 countries have applied to the varsity, which was recently ranked 6th in the country by the Union HRD  Ministry under the National Institute Ranking Framework.

Though a lot of hopeful foreign applicants apply to the university each year, this year has witnessed some interesting trends. Amongst the foreign applicants, two belong to the third gender while it is for the first time that applications from war-torn regions like Palestine have been received by the university.

As per official data, apart from volatile regions like Palestine and Yemen, a large number of applicants are from Tibet (around 750), followed by Nepal (around 600) and Afghanistan (around 550).

To a pleasant surprise, it has also come to light that about 20 students have applied for a certificate course in Hindi at the varsity.

While the 12th graders back home are anticipating the board results and waiting for DU applications to open, the admissions for foreign students have already closed.

DU has a five percent reservation for foreign students in each course in each college. The university officials are elated at the remarkable response. Is it a great opportunity for DU to create a niche for itself in the foreign education market slowly and steadily? You never know!

 With inputs from The Hindu 

Image credits: pilr.blogs.law.pace.edu

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Students of Law Fac Organise Protest March Against University Authorities

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The students of the Faculty of Law, as well as the students who are trying to take admission in the Faculty of Law, organized a huge protest march starting from the main gate of the Arts Faculty and it culminated inside the Faculty of Law. The main reason for organising this protest march was to make the University authorities aware of the malpractices that are going on with total support from the admission committee and with full guidance and support from the Dean, Faculty of Law.

There have been several cases of mental harassment as well as vulgar abuses against the existing students who have been detained due to personal biases and also against girl students who are trying to seek admission in the Faculty of Law. Several cases of students seeking admission in the Law Faculty being booed with filthy abuses have been reported. There have been several complaints regarding this from the students to DUSU. Students seeking fresh admission to the Faculty, as well as those currently enrolled, came out and joined hands, expressing their solidarity against the Dean in what has been described by some students as a “tyrannical” rule.

Current students of the Faculty have been facing constant harassment at the hands of the Dean as they have been detained on account of shortage of attendance, the stipulated requirement of which is 66%. These students spread out overall three years of the LL.B. course found themselves in these unfortunate circumstances only 4 days before the start of their end-semester examinations. When they approached the Dean and other members of the Faculty, they were humiliated, verbally abused and made to run from pillar to post. They allege that they have been detained without warning and have fallen victim to the rivalry between the Faculty and the administration. As if the testimonies of the current students did not disincentivise an admission seeker from applying to the Faculty of Law, students have been made to wait for hours on end to be able to procure and submit their LL.B. Entrance Forms in the sweltering heat. The counter to submit the forms opens an hour late and the lunch hours are flexible to the whims and fancies of the staff. Upon making a complaint, students were abused verbally and the staff did not even heed to the presence of female students and continued to use filthy language which is not expected from a faculty of their caliber.

Students, fed up with the situation, approached the DUSU Office and through its President, Shri Arun Hooda, a complaint was made. Instead of readdressing the grievances of the students, the faculty, hand in glove with the college administration, falsely framed the student leader of misconduct. The Dean’s attitude and approach has made many a student regretful of their association with the Faculty and fresh admission seekers are thinking twice before applying for admission on account of the harassment meted out to them. The protest was carried out in the Faculty premises and the students marched near Gate No.4 and a memorandum of their grievances was submitted to the University authorities. Appeal has been made by these angered student community for stringent action against the Dean and an enquiry into the issue at hand.

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News

DU Students on hunger strike due to lack of hostels

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Hunger strikes seem to be a promising method to attract the attention of the authorities in India. Six students of University of Delhi went on an indefinite hunger strike on 23rd January, 2013. The strike was held to raise the demand for better accommodation for students outstation students complained of not having proper places to live in.

Students do find rooms outside the University in neighbouring areas, but the cost is not feasible for everyone. Many of them work part-time to arrange for the money. The monthly cost in these rooms comes to about Rs.5000 to Rs.7000, and that is excluding the cost for food. Including food, students pay anywhere between Rs.10,000 and Rs.15,000 monthly.

Students who are residents of Delhi also support the cause, saying that it is a basic necessity for students that come from outside Delhi. Girls complain that living in areas like Mukherjee Nagar and Vijay Nagar is a compromise on their safety. Out of around 1.8 lakh students, only 6,000 students are able to live in hostels. Questions have also arisen regarding the Students’ Union that it is not supporting and raising students’ issues, but is busy with its parties.

There is demand for healthy, nutritious and affordable food in the University. According to a senior DU official, the University has tied up with Indian Railways so that affordable food is available to the students in the canteens. There is also a demand for providing stipends to those students to whom the facility of hostels has not been provided.

About 400 signatures have been collected by the demand till now.

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Campus Central

Belling the CAT 2012!

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The road to the IIMs and many other reputed B-schools in India starts off with the all India CAT examination. This year, over 2.14 lakh candidates registered for the exam, a growth from the 2.06 lakh forms sold last year.

The dates for CAT 2012 are scheduled between the 11th of October and the 6th of November. The exam consists of 2 sections, the quantitative ability and data interpretation section and the verbal ability and logical reasoning. Each section includes 30 multiple choice questions. Many students opt for coaching classes for the exam, with TIME, IMS and Career Launcher being popular options. “Taking classes helps to organise and structure the preparation. Instead of tackling it in a haphazard manner, they help students lay down a plan of action. It also develops a competitive spirit in you when you’re studying in a class with around 40 other MBA aspirants!”, said Randeep Mahajan, a third year BCom (Hons) student in DU.

The weeks leading up to the exam saw a flurry of tips, dos and don’ts on various websites and Facebook pages to help maximise CAT scores. Though there were not too many students appearing for the exam on the first day, those who did, gave mixed reactions. While some reported it to be an easy, typical first day paper, others complained about the difficulty of the quantitative section. The results of the exam will be announced in January, next year.

Though it remains a popular course, the craze to acquire an MBA degree has lessened considerably in the past few years. Students are no longer blindly sitting for management entrance exams simply for the sake of it. As Amogh Dhar Sharma, a third year Economics student at Hindu College puts it, “MBAs are straight-jacketed to meet the needs of the corporate sector. I’m not sure if I want to pursue such a specific degree. I would rather get some work experience and then consider it”.

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Campus Central

PGs – An Enigma in North Campus

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If you happen to roam around North Campus, there are two things you won’t miss seeing: one, a fast-food corner and two, students. They are everywhere, be it Kamla Nagar, Roop Nagar or Aadarsh Nagar. This is not news since North Campus is all about DU colleges. With these students, comes the question of their accommodation as more than 70% of them are outstation residents. It is here that these ‘fancy’ PGs play their role, and how! The students are provided with a fully air conditioned room, a gym, “all kinds of beauty treatment facilities”, Maggi and cold drinks a phone call away, 24 hours power back up, Wi-Fi, personal bathrooms, any time cab facility and so on! The rates of such PGs range from Rs 14000 to 20000 per month.

“In our times a student’s life was considered to be one filled with hardships, where a good result was the fruit of multiple sacrifices that the student made by leaving the comfort of his home and by surviving the brutalities of the world outside. And look at the scenario now!” comments a DU teacher. The students, away from home, live in much luxury now, and their parents think nothing of the 20 or so grand they lavish on their kid each month. The worst part is that the quality of all these PGs tops the scale during the first few months, but it’s downhill after that. Reportedly, the Wi-Fi stops working, the food quality deteriorates and the AC does not work half of the time. “We don’t have an alternative to leave the PG and move elsewhere since that would result in us forfeiting the security the landlords take in the beginning (which is rent of two months)” says Ridhima, a paying guest.

Most of the PGs are not even registered, meaning that they are not legally permitted to carry on a commercial business. The tactics that they use to exploit the comfort-seeking students is deplorable. Just half a decade back the maximum a hostel or a PG charged was Rs 7000.

However, a respite from these fraud PGs is DU hostel. The newly opened Undergraduate hostel and the Rajiv Gandhi hostel for girls are not only cheap but far better than these PGs.  They are clean, spacious and the food is hygienic and delicious. And all this in around Rs 24000 per year! The admission to the hostel is however on merit basis since they provide accommodation only to 800 girls.

 

Aishwarya Chaurasia
[email protected]

Image credits: Sapna Mathur

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Juxtapose

PTMs In DU – Are You For Or Against It?

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Graphic Credits: Siddhant Sharma

The news of Delhi University introducing PTM’s at college level has left students from both North and South campus bewildered. While there are also those who think of it as a good decision taken by the authorities.

This week, Juxtapose gives all you students a chance to raise your voice either, for or against this major decision. Follow the link and start posting your views!

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Campus Central

PTMs in DU: Hello, Military Camp!

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Remember the time when one weekend in a month (or two) neared like impending doom? Remember the circulars, placidly inviting all the dear parents for a “healthy” interaction with the teachers, about how their children were doing at school? I remember dying a little bit inside every time we got one of those. I also remember trudging along nervously, as I would lead my parents up the stairs, to the dark chambers of classrooms and staff-rooms where the teachers waited for the next victim to be slaughtered, while a friend would pass by with a throat-slitting signal and a whispered “yaar aaj to lag gai.” I remember sitting there awkwardly, being talked about in grave tones of concern like I wasn’t even there, having everything from my marks, habits, activities, uniform and even my friends being discussed and dissected. I wasn’t that bad a student, so I would alternate between taking my mom to the teachers who would praise me and those who were sure to land me a lecture on the way back.

Come college, I thought all that was over. But now after I’ve settled down into the comfortable routine of doing things my way, without having to worry about having my activities discussed later, DU decides to burst my bubble. Delhi University’s reported proposal to form a parents’ coordination committee sounds to me like taking a huge leap backwards in the process of student development. What has been supposedly proposed for better administration and policy making seems like not just another way to poke moral reprobation on students’ campus activities, but also as destroying the fundamental difference between college and school life.

When you become a college kid, you’re suddenly in a zone where you’re the only one looking out for yourself. There’s no one you’re really accountable to, be it about your attendance, your studies or the kind of friends you make. Your choices are your own and you’re the one who has to face the consequences. College is also probably the time when most of us learn to become responsible and somewhat independent, be it paying the fee (which I’ve experienced by now to be an extremely harrying process in DU), filling the forms on time or maintaining your attendance and proxies to be able to scrape through and give the exams. Part of the vibrancy and culture of college, which distinguishes it from school, is that when we’re dissatisfied, we can raise our voices because we know what we say counts, and the administration is accountable to US. If parents are going to be introduced in the college scene, for more “accountability” towards the students, what are the students going to do? We’re adults now, we hardly need parents as mediators. But I guess by the end of the year we might be seeing parents hawking around campus and parent-teacher meetings being held, in a back-to-school atmosphere where all that college will be left signifying would be a lack of uniforms.

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Campus Central

Signature Campaign by Tibetan Youth Congress

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Tibetan Youth Congress has initiated a signature campaign and organised a street play, photo exhibition, documentary film screening in Delhi University and vowed to take their mission to every corner of the world and spread that Tibet’s struggle for freedom is a struggle for truth and justice.

The organization appealed to students to support their cause highlighting the brutality and sufferings many Tibetan’s face under Chinese rule.

Many students showed their support and participated in the signature campaign. Many DU students volunteered for the event raising awareness about their cause in colleges.

The event was held to commemorate the selfless sacrifices that Tibetan martyrs showed in the uprising of 27TH September 1987.

They lamented the historic event of 1987 when patriotic Tibetan’s demonstrated in streets on the streets of Lhasa shouting “free Tibet” and asking Chinese to go away, but they were arrested and brutally beaten. Despite Chinese military crackdown and harsh persecutions, Tibetan’s in Tibet still stand in unity and raised their voice against the brutal oppression.

“Even today our struggle gets stronger than ever. We would make sure none of their voice goes unheard and we stand in strong conviction that the flame of truth would never extinguish. The current situation is getting even worse and intense inside Tibet” exclaimed one of the volunteers.

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Campus Central

Of Idlis, Dosas, Puchkas and Mishti-Doi

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One lovable thing about Delhi is that it belongs to one and all.  It is a delightful mixed bag of all cultures. It is perhaps one of the only cities where you’ll probably find a Bengali, a Gujarati, a South Indian, an Assamese, and a Bihari – all sitting on one table. Similarly enough Delhi University has its wings spread out in all directions, people from all over the country aspire to graduate from DU.

Over the years, DU has managed to create its very own set of regional stereotypes. Why does one have to be a “bong” a “gujju” a “mallu” a “bhaiyya” or a “chink”? A sense of ‘otherisation’ trickles in with the casual labelling people do to those who aren’t from Delhi. There is absolutely no reason why we should reduce ourselves and others to our regional identities.

If you’re from anywhere outside Delhi, you’re expected to know everything from the language to the myths, the fluency, the music, the dance, the recipes and even the soil type. The stereotype goes like this- if you’re a Bengali, you’re supposed to know all about Satyajit Ray and Tagore, you’re supposed to know which halvai sells the best and most authentic mishti doi and sondes, you’re expected to know ten different ways of frying fish; if you’re a south Indian, you’re expected to know all the dances, you’re expected to pick out the best kanjiverem silk by its texture, you’re expected to know how to fry dosas; if you’re a Kashmiri, you’re expected to be romantic, poetic, and (ridiculous as it may sound) even pretty; and if you’re from the northeast, then you’re expected to love momos and know all about tattoos and piercings  and affordable fashion.

It is considered unnatural for someone from Haryana to be anything but rowdy, just like it is considered natural for jaats to be the gunda–raaj of the ilaaqa. The “Delhi Boy” memes would probably explain better. There are “tips” for each region as well, be it “Bongtips” “Rajasthan tips” or “Delhitips”. Sadly enough, the generation of iPods has adopted the trend of categorisation, which has further led to regional stereotyping.

Perhaps regional jokes, region-wise tips, memes, etc don’t mean much harm, but somewhere in the middle of all the casual labelling, the jokes, the general assumptions, etc have smudged the thin line between assertion of one’s regional identity, and limiting oneself to it. Somewhere in the midst of all this, we are forgetting one very important fact-that anyone can do anything, or be anything.

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