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Caught in a cobweb: DUTA strikes

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Emerging from what has transformed into a completely bitter symphony, the on-going tangles of discontentment have brewed into a series of brawls between the DUTA members and the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University. The coercive governance by the authorities and the non-receptiveness of any dialogue with the teachers pertaining to the up surging issues, followed by insinuating the teacher’s association as ‘illegal’ has sprung up a steamy situation for every stakeholder of this renowned university.

On Wednesday the hunger strike by DUTA members marked the tenth day of protest, channelizing a way for the emergence of yet another agenda for Thursday, 18th October.  On the aforementioned date the members of DUTA marched barefoot around the campus of the university to ascertain the Right to Education to the economically weaker sections of the society, in the arrears of massive privatization and commercialization. The motive of the protest was also a well sunken thought to stir a voice of justice for the girl who was molested during the DUSU elections earlier. An air of pitiful disgrace was expressed with respect to banning democratic protests in the campus post the incident. The strike seems to evolve due to a multitude of driving factors arising due to the haphazard manner in which the university is dealing with semesterization. In the ambit of unilateral decision making, the authorities have completely shunned out on any influential contribution by the teachers who are intricate brunt bearers and facilitators of the semester system. The threat of pay cuts in case of any demonstrations has also leapt as a severe bone of contention. There are several questions being posed on the claimed acceleration of the standard of the university which has duly failed in providing and enabling the mere necessities of a conducive environment for accessing education.

The acceptance and enhancement of semester system as another rung in the towering ladder of a ‘glistening’ education in this country continues to be a contentious argument, one year after its implementation. Students have queued up their dismal grievances to unflattering redressal, corresponding to which they extended their support and accompanied the teachers through the days of the strike. In the domain of responsible demonstrations, the teachers have ensured regular classes and have prudently conducted these strikes for a cause. Deliberation and enactment can only condense the appalling situation of the largest democracy’s top ranked university, where the essence of an ironic situation seems to persist.

 

Image source: The Hindu 

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DU students protest outside the VC’s office

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Post graduate students of MA/MSc Mathematics and BSc Physical and Life Sciences held a demonstration outside the VC’s office earlier this Friday to protest the irregular conduct of classes and push for an inquiry into the semester results. They alleged that a faculty member teaching ‘Measure Theory and Integration’, had been absent since the start of the current semester and that the students had already lost three weeks. The students also conveyed that their seniors had also suffered because of the same teacher in the last semester.

“The department is yet to take any steps”, Prof. Bal Kishan Das, the HOD of Mathematics of Delhi University was quoted saying. “The issue is on record of the university and they are looking into the matter. The department heads can only report things to the university, they can’t take any further steps.

“The department is conscious of the students’ requirements and demands. I had personally assured the students that they will not have to suffer. But they seem to have lost their cool.”

On asking the reason why the teacher hasn’t turned up 3 weeks into the semester, he said, “The teacher seems to be having some issues with the department. But I had mentioned this earlier as well that these things should be sought out as a different issue altogether”

Everybody is supposed to perform their specific duties, which they are, except for this particular teacher. Every time the issue was brought to notice, the department took cognizance of the situation and came out with a solution. There was a little gap, yes. But ultimately something was done to fix the problem.”

Another protest outside the VC’s office saw a strength of around 200 students of the third semester of BSc Physical and Life Sciences. The students demanded an inquiry into the semester results where 73% of the students had not cleared the exam. The students were accompanied by the DUSU President, Ajay Chhikara.

“The result has been extremely poor. Only 22-23% of the students have passed. And what is surprising is, that the students whose results showed that they had passed till morning, the website suddenly showed them as ‘failed’ by the night. This clearly goes to show that the results have been regulated. Therefore, we are protesting against this”, said Ajay Chhikara.

He further said, “The same problem had occurred last few times as well, with this very course. The syllabus is quite heavy and has not been moderated according to the semester system. I also feel that more importance and priority was given to the first semester results as the university wanted to show the success of the new ‘semester system’. And because of this the second years have been neglected, which can have a heavy impact on their futures.”

 

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Campus Central

A long wait for the Honours?

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As reported in Times of India dated January 3, 2012, the University of Delhi seems to be mulling on yet another change in the existing system for the undergraduate courses. Prof Dinesh Singh, the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University released a statement in today’s newspapers to the effect that from 2013 onward, the Honours courses for BA, B.Com and BSc streams would now take four years for completion rather than three. This move was justified by Prof Singh in that it would cater to the students’ growing urge to study other and varied courses than their subject of specialization.

Under the revamped system, it has been said, the students will all be engaging with courses of general studies for their first years and then choose their fields of specialization for their second year course. In case a student, due to reasons whatsoever, wishes to drop out following the second year, they shall be awarded a diploma if they go in for skill- based subjects. In case they wish to leave college after their third year, a general degree shall be presented and on completion of all four years, the student will receivea specialized degree equivalent to the present-day honours.

Rajesh Kumar Jha, faculty member of the Political Science Department at Rajdhani College, also a member of the Delhi University Academic Council has said that this is a move which needs to be contemplated on and deliberated on with great detail. He believes that the move, though not to be completely rubbished at this embryonic stage, is one that displays great hurry on part of the University decision-makers to force through reforms on the existing system of education.

With the semester still at its infancy, replete with teething problems, this new decision to introduce a whole new system just two years after the semester system begins functioning is a little precariously poised, many think. Some are of the opinion that this may be looked at as a ploy on the University’s part to somewhat Americanise the education scenario here, as it’s known publicly that the graduation courses offered in the USA are extended over a period of four years. However Mr Jha comments that the job market in the nation is not conducive for absorbing 20 year olds with only diplomas unlike the West, which seems well equipped to do likewise.

Another compelling concern seems to be regarding the rate DU appears to be throwing the spate of reforms considering that the systems in place have been functionally successfully for decades now. It sill needs to be determined why there is such a pressing need to change the three year undergrad course into a four year programme, the lateral effects of which may be felt on the post-graduate courses too which are as of now compatible with a system of three-year UG courses.

Commenting on this issue also gets tough because neither the official blueprint for this system, nor the official communication explaining the terms and conditions for this proposed makeover have been made available, even to the members of the Academic Council. Even  as Prof Singh’s comments in today’s newspapers commented on the growing demand of Sanskrit students and academicians in Germany and elsewhere and how the new system would enable the Sanskrit (H) students to be able to excel in their own fields and simultaneously learning how to reach out to the West with their indigenous knowledge,, the Head of Department for Sanskrit  of Delhi University, Prof Mithilesh Kumar Chaturvedi, denied any knowledge of this proposal’s existence and declined further comment until official communication would be delivered to him.

While Prof Singh comments indicate that a similar credit system would be put in place to empower the students to get transfers to foreign Universities, the actual method to do so has been kept in the dark.

As DU experiences the first results of the uniform semester system, much chaos has been afoot, with RTI’s being filed and students being appalled and teachers flummoxed at the result; the worry remains whether the proposed change into a four-year course will also lead to a fluctuation in the method of academic course from among the choices of the annual mode or the semester mode.

Amidst all this, today’s statements seem highly unclear being unsubstantiated by official sources as to the clarity of the objective. Teachers and students alike are now waiting for the Vice Chancellor and his team to un-fog the future with some swift planning and set the wheels in motion for subsequent debates.

 

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