Acting Vice-Chancellor and Professor P.C Joshi said on Thursday that the University expects to return next week finally in a gradual, phased manner, starting with its libraries and then laboratories.
Saying they didn’t want to do anything “opening the floodgates inviting the third wave”, Joshi said, “We will begin with libraries, and then laboratories. Then we will monitor and assess the situation and decide whether to open other things as well.”
Speaking at an Idea Exchange session hosted by The Indian Express, Joshi also said the university had to start in a careful and progressive way, given the high number of students from outside Delhi and the available campus housing. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority has also recently approved the reopening of colleges in the Capital.
Because of the university’s capacity constraints, he added, students would be able to choose whether or not to physically attend, and teaching-learning will continue in a mix of online and offline sessions. While all theoretical lectures will be delivered online, practicals will be delivered offline, and students will have the choice of attending practicals in person or watching recordings of previous sessions.
“This is why we’re keeping it totally voluntary,” the Acting V-C stated, pointing out that the university has a high number of students from outside NCR. We will do our best to accommodate as many as possible, but hostels will not be able to accommodate everyone. Hostels will be required to follow SOPs such as one student per room. There will be three-seater rooms available, each with only one student. As a result, capacity will be much lower than normal.”
3rd-year students to be given priority, along with the students who have practical subjects.
While Joshi predicted a lengthy process, Rajeev Gupta, Dean of Social Welfare (DU), said: “We are now working on the procedures following a meeting with principals and heads of departments. We hope to be able to reopen the campus in stages beginning next week. Students in their third year will be given first priority.”
The institutions will reopen for third-year students in science streams and those who require laboratories for practicals, according to authorities.
It will include students from science streams as well as other disciplines that need practical work and laboratories. Psychology, mathematics, linguistics, and other subjects may be included. Courses that need hands-on experience will be given priority.
A database requested by UGC
“The Ministry of Education, Government of India, has instructed that a database including information on all overseas students studying in higher educational institutes (HEls) in India, including alumni records, be developed promptly,” said the letter dated August 31.
Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all university vice-chancellors to compile a database of students enrolled at their institutions.
By September 15, the details must be provided. As a result, all institutions are required to send data on students from the graduate level onwards in the accompanying format through e-mail to ugcic2@gmail.com by September 15, 2021.
