Dhaka University bans all kind of political activity on campus. Watch to know more.

Dhaka University bans political activity on campus

<p>An incident that took place on Friday in India’s capital city, Delhi, at a women’s college has sparked outrage as men were allegedly scaling walls and entering campus during an annual Diwali event. This was followed by what reports have described as chaos as the group of male students started raising slogans and demanded to be let into the campus after the gates were closed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reportedly, within one hour of the fest’s beginning upon realising that it could not contain any more people, the gates to the campus had been closed and attendees were asked to move out. However, several men allegedly jumped over the walls and closed gates in the presence of security.</p>

<p>One of the videos posted by a student shows how men were climbing the wall and entering the college but also allegedly engaged in “Cat-calling, groping, sexist sloganeering and more”.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Men climbing over the walls to get into Miranda House during an open fest. What followed was horrible. Cat-calling, groping, sexist sloganeering and more. Men entering safe spaces to harass gender minorities is nothing new, but they out do themselves every time. <a href="https://t.co/UkMAuJZKVU">pic.twitter.com/UkMAuJZKVU</a></p>
— Sobhana (@sobhana__) <a href="https://twitter.com/sobhana__/status/1581211852696358914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Statement by the college’s student society</strong></p>

<p>After the incident, the student society on the campus released a statement, “Many attendees of the fest, primarily men, went entirely out of control at this move and reacted aggressively when the administration prevented them from being on campus. They entered restricted premises like classrooms, ignored the requests of professors and staff, responded rudely to appeals to behave and invaded the students' personal space.”</p>

<p>The statement also condemned this abuse of power and “men whose entitlement terrorised an entire campus”. It also said how students faced harassment, catcalling, and inappropriate advances (mostly by men). “Some shouted out undignified assertions where they saw women as objects to be conquered. That, accompanied by the horrifying visuals of men climbing over gates and wall, trying (and succeeding) to enter college premises, made students feel unsafe and stifled on their campus.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/du-colleges-reopen-students-back-on-campus-after-two-years-454189">Delhi University colleges reopen, students back on campus after two years</a></p>

<p>The group of male students also attempted to vandalise the property, shouted in the corridors and slammed classroom doors, said the statement. The statement also acknowledged that while the students believe that men and other perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions, the organisation committee owes an explanation to students and the college saying, “Their lack of foresight, inability to control the damage, and complete absence as chaos unfolded are inexcusable."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>No reports of sexual harassment: Miranda College principal&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>On Monday, Miranda College principal, professor Bijayalaxmi Nanda addressing the event said that due to the excess crowd they were forced to close the gates after which some people tried to enter. She added that subsequently, the matter was flagged and safety measures were in place.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The Diwali Mela is organised by the NSS (National Service Scheme) in the college every year, but it is never very big. We had taken precautions and there were police personnel but no one had anticipated or prepared for such a large number of students gathering for it.” She added, “We tried to contain it with the guards closing the gates of the college and we called off the mela when the situation got out of control.”</p>

<p>Nanda also indicated that “So far we have not received any complaints of sexual harassment. Police have been informed and they are checking all CCTV footage.” Furthermore, the college is having discussions with all stakeholders about limiting the entry for up to 100 participants and only allowing those who have registered prior for future public events, said the principal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Delhi Police’s response to the incident&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>On Monday, the Delhi police reportedly registered FIRs against “unknown students” who allegedly jumped over walls and gates to enter the campus. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sagar Singh Kalsi said they have taken suo moto cognizance and have booked several unknown people for trespassing based on the videos.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-minor-girl-allegedly-gang-raped-in-school-washroom-in-delhi-police-launch-probe-523324">India: Minor girl allegedly gang-raped in washroom of Delhi school, police launch probe</a></p>

<p>Meanwhile, the university’s Proctor’s office has also filed a complaint and the college will also file a separate FIR in the matter after reviewing its CCTV footage, said the college principal to the local media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additionally, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) also issued a notice to the Delhi police saying that they have taken “suo-moto cognizance of an incident of sexual harassment with girls inside Miranda House College, University of Delhi.” They further asked the Delhi police to provide a copy of the FIRs registered, arrests made, a detailed action report and so on.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

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An incident that took place on Friday in India’s capital city, Delhi, at a women’s college has sparked outrage as men were allegedly scaling walls and entering campus during an annual Diwali event.

An incident that took place on Friday in India’s capital city, Delhi, at a women’s college has sparked outrage as men were allegedly scaling walls and entering campus during an annual Diwali event. This was followed by what reports have described as chaos as the group of male students started raising slogans and demanded to be let into the campus after the gates were closed. Reportedly, within one hour of the fest’s beginning upon realising that it could not contain any more people, the gates to the campus had been closed and attendees were asked to move out. However, several men allegedly jumped over the walls and closed gates in the presence of security. One of the videos posted by a student shows how men were climbing the wall and entering the college but also allegedly engaged in “Cat-calling, groping, sexist sloganeering and more”. Men climbing over the walls to get into Miranda House during an open fest. What followed was horrible. Cat-calling, groping, sexist sloganeering and more. Men entering safe spaces to harass gender minorities is nothing new, but they out do themselves every time. pic.twitter.com/UkMAuJZKVU — Sobhana (@sobhana__) October 15, 2022 × Statement by the college’s student society After the incident, the student society on the campus released a statement, “Many attendees of the fest, primarily men, went entirely out of control at this move and reacted aggressively when the administration prevented them from being on campus. They entered restricted premises like classrooms, ignored the requests of professors and staff, responded rudely to appeals to behave and invaded the students' personal space.” The statement also condemned this abuse of power and “men whose entitlement terrorised an entire campus”. It also said how students faced harassment, catcalling, and inappropriate advances (mostly by men). “Some shouted out undignified assertions where they saw women as objects to be conquered. That, accompanied by the horrifying visuals of men climbing over gates and wall, trying (and succeeding) to enter college premises, made students feel unsafe and stifled on their campus.” ALSO READ: Delhi University colleges reopen, students back on campus after two years The group of male students also attempted to vandalise the property, shouted in the corridors and slammed classroom doors, said the statement. The statement also acknowledged that while the students believe that men and other perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions, the organisation committee owes an explanation to students and the college saying, “Their lack of foresight, inability to control the damage, and complete absence as chaos unfolded are inexcusable." No reports of sexual harassment: Miranda College principal On Monday, Miranda College principal, professor Bijayalaxmi Nanda addressing the event said that due to the excess crowd they were forced to close the gates after which some people tried to enter. She added that subsequently, the matter was flagged and safety measures were in place. “The Diwali Mela is organised by the NSS (National Service Scheme) in the college every year, but it is never very big. We had taken precautions and there were police personnel but no one had anticipated or prepared for such a large number of students gathering for it.” She added, “We tried to contain it with the guards closing the gates of the college and we called off the mela when the situation got out of control.” Nanda also indicated that “So far we have not received any complaints of sexual harassment. Police have been informed and they are checking all CCTV footage.” Furthermore, the college is having discussions with all stakeholders about limiting the entry for up to 100 participants and only allowing those who have registered prior for future public events, said the principal. Delhi Police’s response to the incident On Monday, the Delhi police reportedly registered FIRs against “unknown students” who allegedly jumped over walls and gates to enter the campus. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sagar Singh Kalsi said they have taken suo moto cognizance and have booked several unknown people for trespassing based on the videos. ALSO READ: India: Minor girl allegedly gang-raped in washroom of Delhi school, police launch probe Meanwhile, the university’s Proctor’s office has also filed a complaint and the college will also file a separate FIR in the matter after reviewing its CCTV footage, said the college principal to the local media. Additionally, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) also issued a notice to the Delhi police saying that they have taken “suo-moto cognizance of an incident of sexual harassment with girls inside Miranda House College, University of Delhi.” They further asked the Delhi police to provide a copy of the FIRs registered, arrests made, a detailed action report and so on. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: Chaos at Delhi's Miranda House college event, police lodge FIR against ‘unknown students’

After almost two years of wait, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi University finally reopens. Students & staff welcome the move.

India: Delhi University reopens after 2 years

Gravitas Plus with Palki Sharma Upadhyay: India’s most popular University is cutting off students at 100%. Over 80% of DU seats have already been filled & admission has been closed in most colleges. Is this mad race even worth it? Whom does it help? Time to rethink college admissions.

Gravitas Plus: Is Delhi University being unfair to students?

<p>The education institutes and universities are trying their best to make sure that the nationwide lockdown doesn't adversely affect the students.</p>

<p>Keeping the same in mind, University of Delhi (DU) decided to conduct online open book examinations for all students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the decision has not gone well with a lot of the students of the university.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cambridge-becomes-first-university-to-move-all-lectures-online-till-2021-299849"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Cambridge becomes first university to move all lectures online till 2021</strong></a></p>

<p>A lot of students are protesting against this suggestion by the DU authorities, as they feel that this will be unfair to the students who do not have proper access to internet connection and/or laptops and computers.</p>

<p>A survey, conducted by Lady Shri Ram College, revealed that 68 per cent students have said they would not be able to successfully take the online exams.&nbsp;</p>

<p>58 per cent students admitted to not not having any internet connection, and 46.4 per cent students said they have a broadband connection, which makes it very hard for them to take an online exam.</p>

<p>A lot of students and few teachers took to Twitter to express their concern for their fellow classmates who did not have proper means to take an exam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>#DUWithSolutions was used to express their concerns.</p>

<p>Students and teachers also complained that the online teaching was not conducted as efficiently and regularly as physical classes could have been. They fear that this will adversely affect the students as the students are not fully ready or equipped for an exam. More than 58 per cent students complained that they were unable to attend online classes properly.</p>

<p>More than 71 per cent students said they were not able to concentrate at their house/hostel and 75.4 per cent said the pandemic has affected their mental health.</p>

<p>Members of ABVP have suggested the DU to promote the students of first and second year without any exams.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The final decision, amid the criticism, is still pending.</p>


The education institutes and universities are trying their best to make sure that the nationwide lockdown doesn't adversely affect the students. Keeping the same in mind, University of Delhi (DU) decided to conduct online open book examinations for all students.

The education institutes and universities are trying their best to make sure that the nationwide lockdown doesn't adversely affect the students. Keeping the same in mind, University of Delhi (DU) decided to conduct online open book examinations for all students. However, the decision has not gone well with a lot of the students of the university. Also read: Cambridge becomes first university to move all lectures online till 2021 A lot of students are protesting against this suggestion by the DU authorities, as they feel that this will be unfair to the students who do not have proper access to internet connection and/or laptops and computers. A survey, conducted by Lady Shri Ram College, revealed that 68 per cent students have said they would not be able to successfully take the online exams. 58 per cent students admitted to not not having any internet connection, and 46.4 per cent students said they have a broadband connection, which makes it very hard for them to take an online exam. A lot of students and few teachers took to Twitter to express their concern for their fellow classmates who did not have proper means to take an exam. #DUWithSolutions was used to express their concerns. Students and teachers also complained that the online teaching was not conducted as efficiently and regularly as physical classes could have been. They fear that this will adversely affect the students as the students are not fully ready or equipped for an exam. More than 58 per cent students complained that they were unable to attend online classes properly. More than 71 per cent students said they were not able to concentrate at their house/hostel and 75.4 per cent said the pandemic has affected their mental health. Members of ABVP have suggested the DU to promote the students of first and second year without any exams. The final decision, amid the criticism, is still pending.

Delhi University students protest against online exams; '#DUWithSolutions' trends on twitter

<p>The new regulations put forth by the University Grants Commission&rsquo;s (UGC) have opened a can of worms. A majority of&nbsp;teaching faculty as well as&nbsp;student bodies across the country are protesting against what they term as &ldquo;irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary&rdquo; set of rules. The proposed changes now mirror&nbsp;a step towards favouring exclusion and discrimination against the less-advantaged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Apart from a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exploring-the-larger-picture-behind-new-ugc-regulations-14602"> cap</a> on the number of MPhil and PhD students who can now be supervised by a university teacher, there are talks of doing away with deprivation points in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) of India. Deprivation points are a part of JNU&rsquo;s unique admission policy of awarding special points to applicants from backward areas and marginalised communities. Upto a maximum of 12 points are given to candidates from rural areas of the country, female or transgender students, Kashmiri migrants, minorities, and students belonging to SC, ST and OBC.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>WION&#39;s exclusive coverage of the new UGC regulations:&nbsp;</h3>

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<p>Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies (CWS) of JNU reflects on the hypocrisy at the administrative level. She says, &ldquo;On one hand we want to be comparable to a world class university and get global rankings, on the other we don&rsquo;t want adequate representation of all sections of the society. Inclusivity is the key--we need to bring the 70 per cent&nbsp;marginalised people of India in the centre.&rdquo;</p>

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<h5>we need to bring the 70 per cent&nbsp;marginalised people of India in the centre</h5>
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<p>Singh highlights that a university like JNU with deprivation points was enabling many &ldquo;first generations to acquire higher education&rdquo;. &ldquo;There are many first generations studying here at CWS. I personally know of many such stories--one student is from a family of Dalits, who has made it this far for the first time. There is another student where the girl&rsquo;s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren&rsquo;t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. These youngsters would have remained in the circle of job their parents are currently in. Thus, never breaking the cycle,&rdquo; Singh adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JNU Teachers&rsquo; Association (JNUTA) states that the university campus is considered non-discriminatory and safe for women. In 2017, more women (453) than men (433) joined the MPhil or PhD programme, according to teachers&rsquo; data. Doing away with deprivation points would &ldquo;act as an impediment in maintaining a good representation of women scholars of the country&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>G. Arunima, Professor at CWS says, &ldquo;I am appalled and feel that this is a colossal mistake -- Deprivation point system is the contribution of this university to a new way of thinking.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is over and above the constitutionally mandated system.</p>

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<p>&ldquo;Now among the kind that get the benefit of deprivation points, one are female students and they are not homogenous -- it is important to understand how many of them are Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi students or belonging to backward and small town regions. In a country where girls are barely sent to study, this system changed the complexion of the university. And it is not mechanical, it changes the kind of of discussion that happens in the classroom -- students from diverse backgrounds bring in certain kinds of criticality that will force you to rethink certain assumptions you work with.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Teachers from different schools in the university are worried that &ldquo;JNU is under threat--all the things it stood for will be threatened with this move&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima says, &ldquo;We should not be moving toward homogeneity, we should appreciate the diversity and that is where deprivation points play their role. There are students who have been working in order to study here. They have worked in construction sites, as drivers, they have fought with their families asking not to get in their way of higher education. After masters, there is pressure to get married. I have tried to figure out in our Centre how to get projects for girls so that they can stay and do research.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I cannot believe we are living through this time. It&#39;s not just building a case for us, we worry what the future is. Universities provide a progressive space, it is about critical thinking. What will we do without a country with critical thinking?&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as &ldquo;legally impermissible&rdquo;. This is being observed by teachers and students as &ldquo;taking away from JNU&nbsp;its multiplicity of voices&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as &ldquo;legally impermissible&rdquo;</h5>
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<p>Students, who are collectively reeling under a lot of pressure after the seat reduction for research applicants, cite the removal of deprivation points as &ldquo;contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy&rdquo;. In their petition, they also challenged the provisions of laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent&nbsp;for General category and 50 per cent&nbsp;for Reserved category as well as 100 per cent&nbsp;weightage given to viva voice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice does not mince words at all. Left with no seats this year for admitting research students in his Centre, he sees UGC&rsquo;s move as a &ldquo;dictat&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;This is a public funded university and the people of the country have the right to get educated here. They should have given the university time to rationalise this. UGC just gave a dictat. UGC has also stopped scholarships.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He also strongly feels that &ldquo;diversity of universities should be taken into account&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;Our autonomy should have been respected. UGC must not try to destroy the future of JNU. Students from all sections come here, make it here and then go on to do big things. No admissions this year, will affect the future generations.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Patnaik served as the chairman of the Deprivation Points Committee, JNU till last year. He says, &ldquo;Last year we revised and tweaked the deprivation points scheme so that it benefits students from backward districts--both girls and boys. The best part about the scheme is that it&rsquo;s caste-neutral but now this has all been done away with. The UGC regulations is anti-deprived areas, anti-backward people.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Associate Professor, SS Maitra of School of Biotechnology, JNU, however, differs on his view on deprivation points.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Even within the reserved categories, backgrounds vary. One&rsquo;s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. The quota system is rigid here and anybody can take advantage of it, irrespective of their family backgrounds. Such a system might work if students are categorised based on their financial status and family backgrounds,&rdquo;he says.</p>

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<h5>One&rsquo;s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system.</h5>
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<p>Another issue at hand is also to restrict the scope of research topics feels Lata Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh adds, &ldquo;Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is only doing research on mythology. Their topics are &lsquo;Ram Setu, river Saraswati, Ramjanmabhoomi&rsquo;--they want to rewrite history. They want to promote research on our glorious history and past.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Here in JNU, students are researching on various things: body and sexuality, transgender rights. AFSPA in Kashmir. They don&rsquo;t want that. They tell us: &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t talk about body and sexuality.&rsquo; But then ironically also want to be in the global rankings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;In all selection committee, RSS candidates don&rsquo;t get shortlisted because of the nature of their research proposal. So they want a backdoor entry,&rdquo; she adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Manvendra Chauhan, Office Secretary in the ABVP unit of JNU feels that &ldquo;in all this chaos JNU has been impacted the most out of all other universities because it has the highest number of research scholars&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;This year also JNU got All India Rank 2nd just because of the quality of research but the future doesn&rsquo;t look too promising.&rdquo;</p>

<p>On deprivation points, he adds, &ldquo;Deprivation points are being implemented more or less, in admission. The matter is still pending in the courts so let&#39;s see.&rdquo;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


From deprivation points to monitoring what students can research on, UGC casts a long shadow on Indian universities

The new regulations put forth by the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) have opened a can of worms. A majority of teaching faculty as well as student bodies across the country are protesting against what they term as “irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary” set of rules. The proposed changes now mirror a step towards favouring exclusion and discrimination against the less-advantaged. Apart from a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students who can now be supervised by a university teacher, there are talks of doing away with deprivation points in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) of India. Deprivation points are a part of JNU’s unique admission policy of awarding special points to applicants from backward areas and marginalised communities. Upto a maximum of 12 points are given to candidates from rural areas of the country, female or transgender students, Kashmiri migrants, minorities, and students belonging to SC, ST and OBC. WION's exclusive coverage of the new UGC regulations: Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS) of JNU reflects on the hypocrisy at the administrative level. She says, “On one hand we want to be comparable to a world class university and get global rankings, on the other we don’t want adequate representation of all sections of the society. Inclusivity is the key--we need to bring the 70 per cent marginalised people of India in the centre.” we need to bring the 70 per cent marginalised people of India in the centre × Singh highlights that a university like JNU with deprivation points was enabling many “first generations to acquire higher education”. “There are many first generations studying here at CWS. I personally know of many such stories--one student is from a family of Dalits, who has made it this far for the first time. There is another student where the girl’s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren’t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. These youngsters would have remained in the circle of job their parents are currently in. Thus, never breaking the cycle,” Singh adds. JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) states that the university campus is considered non-discriminatory and safe for women. In 2017, more women (453) than men (433) joined the MPhil or PhD programme, according to teachers’ data. Doing away with deprivation points would “act as an impediment in maintaining a good representation of women scholars of the country”. G. Arunima, Professor at CWS says, “I am appalled and feel that this is a colossal mistake -- Deprivation point system is the contribution of this university to a new way of thinking. “It is over and above the constitutionally mandated system. The girl’s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren’t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. × “Now among the kind that get the benefit of deprivation points, one are female students and they are not homogenous -- it is important to understand how many of them are Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi students or belonging to backward and small town regions. In a country where girls are barely sent to study, this system changed the complexion of the university. And it is not mechanical, it changes the kind of of discussion that happens in the classroom -- students from diverse backgrounds bring in certain kinds of criticality that will force you to rethink certain assumptions you work with.” Teachers from different schools in the university are worried that “JNU is under threat--all the things it stood for will be threatened with this move”. Arunima says, “We should not be moving toward homogeneity, we should appreciate the diversity and that is where deprivation points play their role. There are students who have been working in order to study here. They have worked in construction sites, as drivers, they have fought with their families asking not to get in their way of higher education. After masters, there is pressure to get married. I have tried to figure out in our Centre how to get projects for girls so that they can stay and do research. “I cannot believe we are living through this time. It's not just building a case for us, we worry what the future is. Universities provide a progressive space, it is about critical thinking. What will we do without a country with critical thinking?” she says. In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as “legally impermissible”. This is being observed by teachers and students as “taking away from JNU its multiplicity of voices”. In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as “legally impermissible” × Students, who are collectively reeling under a lot of pressure after the seat reduction for research applicants, cite the removal of deprivation points as “contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy”. In their petition, they also challenged the provisions of laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent for General category and 50 per cent for Reserved category as well as 100 per cent weightage given to viva voice. Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice does not mince words at all. Left with no seats this year for admitting research students in his Centre, he sees UGC’s move as a “dictat”. He says, “This is a public funded university and the people of the country have the right to get educated here. They should have given the university time to rationalise this. UGC just gave a dictat. UGC has also stopped scholarships.” He also strongly feels that “diversity of universities should be taken into account”. He says, “Our autonomy should have been respected. UGC must not try to destroy the future of JNU. Students from all sections come here, make it here and then go on to do big things. No admissions this year, will affect the future generations.” Patnaik served as the chairman of the Deprivation Points Committee, JNU till last year. He says, “Last year we revised and tweaked the deprivation points scheme so that it benefits students from backward districts--both girls and boys. The best part about the scheme is that it’s caste-neutral but now this has all been done away with. The UGC regulations is anti-deprived areas, anti-backward people.” Associate Professor, SS Maitra of School of Biotechnology, JNU, however, differs on his view on deprivation points. “Even within the reserved categories, backgrounds vary. One’s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. The quota system is rigid here and anybody can take advantage of it, irrespective of their family backgrounds. Such a system might work if students are categorised based on their financial status and family backgrounds,”he says. One’s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. × Another issue at hand is also to restrict the scope of research topics feels Lata Singh. Singh adds, “Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is only doing research on mythology. Their topics are ‘Ram Setu, river Saraswati, Ramjanmabhoomi’--they want to rewrite history. They want to promote research on our glorious history and past. “Here in JNU, students are researching on various things: body and sexuality, transgender rights. AFSPA in Kashmir. They don’t want that. They tell us: ‘Don’t talk about body and sexuality.’ But then ironically also want to be in the global rankings. “In all selection committee, RSS candidates don’t get shortlisted because of the nature of their research proposal. So they want a backdoor entry,” she adds. Manvendra Chauhan, Office Secretary in the ABVP unit of JNU feels that “in all this chaos JNU has been impacted the most out of all other universities because it has the highest number of research scholars”. He says, “This year also JNU got All India Rank 2nd just because of the quality of research but the future doesn’t look too promising.” On deprivation points, he adds, “Deprivation points are being implemented more or less, in admission. The matter is still pending in the courts so let's see.” (WION)

New UGC regulations will affect the weaker and disadvantaged sections the most

<p dir="ltr">While we are flooded on social media with quotes of inspiration, hope and dreams--here&rsquo;s a story that is an embodiment&nbsp;of the phrase &ldquo;every little bit goes a long way&rdquo;.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Touching the lives of many, teachers and students from one of the oldest educational institute in the country - Zakir Husain Delhi College of Delhi University - are working to bring a wholesome change in their neighbourhood.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The teachers have adopted a nearby <em>Basti </em>(slum) Khwaja Meer Dard which is just a stone&rsquo;s throw away from the college premises, taking responsibility of children&rsquo;s educational needs.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Outreach Committee,&nbsp;which looks over the workings of these activities, not only imparts teaching lessons to kids on a daily basis but also engages them in co-curricular activities like picnics, educational trips around the city, educational movie marathons and more.</p>

<p>It started on 26th July 2016, when Dr. Devesh Vijay, the founding member along with the supportive staff went inside the basti to understand their problems. Dr. Vijay and a teaching faculty in the college agreed, &ldquo;Teaching has been a big success. When we enquired from the basti seniors, they said &lsquo;not all kids get proper schooling and it is one important area where we could contribute&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s one thing we are good at and we immediately agreed to it.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Beyond teaching in a formal setup of a classroom, volunteering teachers and students find this as a &ldquo;great opportunity to connect with the society, learn about its problems and effectuate&nbsp;the process of change--much beyond the world of classrooms and textbooks.&rdquo;</p>

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<h5>We have poor neighbours nearby and as a college we have proper infrastructure, teaching talent and most importantly student youth power--if not us then who?</h5>
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<p>I ask him the reason for choosing <em>Basti</em> Khwaja Meer Dard in the first place and he says, &ldquo;Proximity is the key reason as any other place would have included commute. We wanted to start something feasible for all, something we could do everyday in the long run and this Basti was perfect in that sense. Every day after our classes are over, we head to the basti for an hour &nbsp;with teachers in tow who go to teach in batches.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Vijay compassionately adds, &ldquo;We have poor neighbours nearby and as a college we have proper infrastructure, teaching talent and most importantly student youth power--if not us, then who?</p>

<p dir="ltr">All colleges must do this as the change is heartening to see, children&rsquo;s results have improved considerably and nothing makes us more happy.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Shehnaaz Parveen, teaching faculty at college who is also a part of the initiative says, &ldquo;Students of the basti are very diligent.&nbsp;They come to class on time whether teachers are there or not. I was initially very hesitant to come here (basti) but have had a great experience so far. Apart from regular classes, we also give the kids&rsquo; life skills and disaster management training.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">In a span of 10 months, these classes have improved grades of students. Vijay says, &ldquo;After their annual results were declared, most students came with their school report cards, and it was a great feeling to see that their results shot up by good margins. As a result many new families have approached to join the regular classes.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Shumayla, a girl student who regularly attends these classes says, &ldquo;Teachers here are very good. Whatever I learn here, it remains with me. Apart from regular course classes, they also pay special emphasis on improving our language and give reading and recitation lessons in English and Hindi. When I was in 8th standard, I was a weak student but with time my grades have improved and now I have been promoted to 10th standard with good grades. My favourite subject is science and maths and I want to pursue it in higher studies.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Sania and Bushra are college students who have been associated with the initiative from the start. They call it an &ldquo;experience in itself&rdquo; as there has been a &ldquo;tremendous change in the behaviour and conduct of these students&rdquo;.</p>

<p dir="ltr">They say, &ldquo;Apart from teaching we also try to imbibe mannerisms in the kids: like how to sit in class, how to answer to a teacher and they are always eager to learn.&rdquo;</p>

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<h5>Basti Khwaja Meer Dard has no playgrounds, so we provide them with a space to play, most have not seen a movie on a big screen and we organise educational movies once every month. When these kids go out with us on educational trips, they learn from us. They have learnt how to walk in a queue or to not litter on the roads</h5>
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<p>Ajay Kumar is also a college student who teaches the kids twice in a week. He says, &ldquo;I joined in the month of November and &nbsp;have continued ever since. It&rsquo;s a service really and service itself is a reward. I come twice in a week to teach science. I have learnt so much from these little ones--we learn when we come to teach.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">He narrates an incident where he pronounced a word wrong in Hindi, altering its meaning and how the kids corrected him. He is currently aiming for Indian Civil Services but if that doesn&rsquo;t go through, he aims to teach for a living.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Running a successful program and bringing a cheer on the faces of many deprived kids, Vijay hopes that &ldquo;this could get replicated everywhere in all colleges&rdquo;.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lrSZinCLgxY" width="970"></iframe></p>

<p dir="ltr">He wishes UGC to make it &ldquo;mandatory for all colleges under its purview to include surrounding areas in a dialogue for change&rdquo;.</p>

<p dir="ltr">He says, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not charity but the best way to learn about our vicinity.</p>

<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;In our case, <em>Basti </em>Khwaja Meer Dard has no playgrounds, so we provide them with a space to play, most have not seen a movie on a big screen and we organise educational movies once every month. When these kids go out with us on educational trips, they learn from us. They have learnt how to walk in a queue or to not litter on the roads.&rdquo;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Currently, the Committee is facilitating lessons for students from all class groups and next year plans to start a cleanliness drive in the basti with an aim to extend modern, hygienic way of life in those--for whom it&rsquo;s never even a topic of debate.</p>

<p dir="ltr">(WION)</p>


'They had no playgrounds, had not seen a movie--we wanted to change that', says the Founder-Professor of Delhi University.

While we are flooded on social media with quotes of inspiration, hope and dreams--here’s a story that is an embodiment of the phrase “every little bit goes a long way”. Touching the lives of many, teachers and students from one of the oldest educational institute in the country - Zakir Husain Delhi College of Delhi University - are working to bring a wholesome change in their neighbourhood. The teachers have adopted a nearby Basti (slum) Khwaja Meer Dard which is just a stone’s throw away from the college premises, taking responsibility of children’s educational needs. Outreach Committee, which looks over the workings of these activities, not only imparts teaching lessons to kids on a daily basis but also engages them in co-curricular activities like picnics, educational trips around the city, educational movie marathons and more. It started on 26th July 2016, when Dr. Devesh Vijay, the founding member along with the supportive staff went inside the basti to understand their problems. Dr. Vijay and a teaching faculty in the college agreed, “Teaching has been a big success. When we enquired from the basti seniors, they said ‘not all kids get proper schooling and it is one important area where we could contribute’. It’s one thing we are good at and we immediately agreed to it.” Beyond teaching in a formal setup of a classroom, volunteering teachers and students find this as a “great opportunity to connect with the society, learn about its problems and effectuate the process of change--much beyond the world of classrooms and textbooks.” We have poor neighbours nearby and as a college we have proper infrastructure, teaching talent and most importantly student youth power--if not us then who? × I ask him the reason for choosing Basti Khwaja Meer Dard in the first place and he says, “Proximity is the key reason as any other place would have included commute. We wanted to start something feasible for all, something we could do everyday in the long run and this Basti was perfect in that sense. Every day after our classes are over, we head to the basti for an hour with teachers in tow who go to teach in batches.” Vijay compassionately adds, “We have poor neighbours nearby and as a college we have proper infrastructure, teaching talent and most importantly student youth power--if not us, then who? All colleges must do this as the change is heartening to see, children’s results have improved considerably and nothing makes us more happy.” Shehnaaz Parveen, teaching faculty at college who is also a part of the initiative says, “Students of the basti are very diligent. They come to class on time whether teachers are there or not. I was initially very hesitant to come here (basti) but have had a great experience so far. Apart from regular classes, we also give the kids’ life skills and disaster management training.” In a span of 10 months, these classes have improved grades of students. Vijay says, “After their annual results were declared, most students came with their school report cards, and it was a great feeling to see that their results shot up by good margins. As a result many new families have approached to join the regular classes.” Shumayla, a girl student who regularly attends these classes says, “Teachers here are very good. Whatever I learn here, it remains with me. Apart from regular course classes, they also pay special emphasis on improving our language and give reading and recitation lessons in English and Hindi. When I was in 8th standard, I was a weak student but with time my grades have improved and now I have been promoted to 10th standard with good grades. My favourite subject is science and maths and I want to pursue it in higher studies.” Sania and Bushra are college students who have been associated with the initiative from the start. They call it an “experience in itself” as there has been a “tremendous change in the behaviour and conduct of these students”. They say, “Apart from teaching we also try to imbibe mannerisms in the kids: like how to sit in class, how to answer to a teacher and they are always eager to learn.” Basti Khwaja Meer Dard has no playgrounds, so we provide them with a space to play, most have not seen a movie on a big screen and we organise educational movies once every month. When these kids go out with us on educational trips, they learn from us. They have learnt how to walk in a queue or to not litter on the roads × Ajay Kumar is also a college student who teaches the kids twice in a week. He says, “I joined in the month of November and have continued ever since. It’s a service really and service itself is a reward. I come twice in a week to teach science. I have learnt so much from these little ones--we learn when we come to teach.” He narrates an incident where he pronounced a word wrong in Hindi, altering its meaning and how the kids corrected him. He is currently aiming for Indian Civil Services but if that doesn’t go through, he aims to teach for a living. Running a successful program and bringing a cheer on the faces of many deprived kids, Vijay hopes that “this could get replicated everywhere in all colleges”. He wishes UGC to make it “mandatory for all colleges under its purview to include surrounding areas in a dialogue for change”. He says, “It’s not charity but the best way to learn about our vicinity. “In our case, Basti Khwaja Meer Dard has no playgrounds, so we provide them with a space to play, most have not seen a movie on a big screen and we organise educational movies once every month. When these kids go out with us on educational trips, they learn from us. They have learnt how to walk in a queue or to not litter on the roads.” Currently, the Committee is facilitating lessons for students from all class groups and next year plans to start a cleanliness drive in the basti with an aim to extend modern, hygienic way of life in those--for whom it’s never even a topic of debate. (WION)

Professors and Basti kids: Learning to explore the world together

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