The Delhi University is going to reopen its gates for physical classes from February 17. The decision came after the academic council meeting conducted earlier on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. The university has also published a notification regarding the same on its official website. After the notice was released many DU outstation students are unhappy with this decision. They are demanding for hybrid mode.
Students are demanding to choose an alternative solution to open colleges in the hybrid model (both offline and online). Students from Delhi-NCR can have offline classes and outstation students continue to have online classes as is happening today.
This will help contain the number of students, the spread of the virus, and help students stay safe. Classes can go on as usual, with the teachers recording the lectures they conduct in class and having consistent doubt clearing sessions.
Students have few concerns about this decision and would request the college to view this decision particularly from the standpoint of third-year, outstation students. Du outstation students have concerns are as follows:
Table of Contents
1. PG ACCOMMODATIONS/ HOSTEL FACILITIES
DU and colleges do not provide hostel facilities to all outstation students. This means most of them have to stay in PG accommodations. Most of the PGs were shut down due to COVID and are not operational. Students have reached out to their previous PG and they are closed.
They will be able to start providing these services only after 1 month as they have to set up the infrastructure all over again. Outstation students will have to look for PG accommodation, which may not be available once they reach Delhi and will have no place to live at.
2. FINANCIAL DISTRESS
Students have already suffered a lot in 2020 due to the sudden second wave and have incurred significant financial loss in terms of accommodation and traveling to university and then back home again. Students and their families are not mentally and financially prepared for a physical shift to Delhi.
The present situation will have a serious psychological impact on several unrepresented students, and their capacity to focus on studies will be highly compromised.
PG costs will increase due to COVID protocols and the sudden reopening leading to the additional financial burden on parents. Many families have been financially burdened since the onset of the pandemic. So for me to come to Delhi for only a couple of months, demands a lot of additional financing
4. THIRD STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES
Many students, especially third years are engaged in activities like coaching for competitive exams which pave the path to their future as the online mode of study was expected to continue this semester. Breaking these commitments will have a serious impact on their future decisions. Most third-year students, including me, have taken up internships during this period which are crucial to our CVs.
Due to colleges being offline for so long, we have had to step up and gain exposure themselves. Offline classes for third years may hence hamper this and lead to students losing their chance at gaining work experience.
Delhi University includes students coming from foreign nations. For them, resuming classes in a matter of weeks is next to impossible. They have to take visas, passports, shift to a new country, covid guidelines, etc. We hope our esteemed university will be inclusive to all its students in any decision which impacts us collectively.
5. NOT NOTICE REGARDING EXAM
The mid-semester break for the 6th semester starts on 13th March and colleges reopen on 20th March. Exam preparation starts from 28th April. This means outstation students will end up coming to Delhi just for 9 weeks of education. This seems unnecessary and a waste of time, effort, and money.
If exams have to be conducted offline then students can plan accordingly as they will know up front and will make plans accordingly. Moreover, for the first semester students who have exams from 11th March, it will be incredibly burdensome to mobilize while also preparing for them.
7. COVID GUIDELINES
Maintaining COVID protocols with full capacity is impossible. With 50+ students in a classroom, someone is very likely to catch COVID and spread it to other students and faculty. In case an outstation student becomes COVID infected, they will have no place to quarantine and no one to care for them. If they continue to stay at their respective PG’s then the entire PG will have to quarantine and take online classes if available.
Students are requesting Delhi University to give continuation/option of online mode,( VIA HYBRID MODE) at least for the current semester.
