Delhi University colleges are set to reopen and resume offline classes from February 17. While returning to normal is good news for some, the two-week notice circulated by the university has driven outstation students into a panic mode.
From travel rates soaring to exorbitant PG rates, the outstation students are facing a tough time finding accommodation for themselves. With hostel admissions yet to take place, PG remains the sole option for these young students.
Aadrit Banerjee, a first-year outstation student from Ramjas says “The PG rates range from ten thousand to Rs 22,000. The problem is, the PGs available at Rs 10,000 are not hygienic and lack amenities, especially strong network and internet connections.”
Many students are rushing to campus, fearing there will be an accommodation crunch later, while some students have decided on staying back resuming offline classes from the next semester that will begin in April.
Another first-year outstation student, Rituparna Shekhar says “I will be joining the college when the second semester begins. Our first semester exams will begin on March 21, and they will be conducted online. Plus, given the rush and massive accommodation rates, it’s convenient if I join to post this semester.”
Accommodation remains the centre of the problem for students across all batches, the final year students have requested a hybrid mode of classes. A petition signed by over 40,000 students has been doing rounds urging the university to carry on with a hybrid mode and give them time to settle before joining the offline classes.
Speaking to CNN-News18 under the conditions of anonymity, a third-year student said “I am a working third-year student, who has to support my family. I am the sole earner in my house and my family is dependent on me. This abrupt reopening of classes has put me in the soup, as now I am having to decide whether I should join my classes or should I continue with my job. In such a case, a hybrid class model can be helpful.”
While there is no word from the University yet on a hybrid model, the onus lies on colleges and professors. While a department of Ramjas is planning on setting up a hybrid model so that all students get a chance to attend classes, Kamala Nehru College has decided on holding offline classes twice a week, and for the rest of the days, it will follow the online mode.
Associate professor of Ramjas College Debraj Mookerjee says, “Physical classes are eventually the only acceptable mode. This decision is therefore welcome; the calibration could have been better. The university should have considered the logistical difficulties faced by students. First-year students have barely 20 days of teaching left, they could have continued online. After all their exams will be conducted online. They could quite easily join classes in physical mode from the second semester onwards, which begins on April 7th.”
The circular to reopen colleges and resume the offline mode, was issued by the University of Delhi on February 11, after student organisations staged protests demanding to reopen colleges. DU will resume the offline mode, after 2 years since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
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