VC faces stormy academic meet

It has not been a great week for the Delhi University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Deepak Nayyar. He faced a rather stormy Academic Council session on Wednesday, with many elected teacher members of the Council demanding his resignation.

Protesting against the alleged misuse of emergency powers by the VC to amend the ordinances of DU Act for courses of study and examinations, the teachers accused him of ignoring the AC altogether while making amendments.

While the VC himself has preferred to stay quiet on the issue, organisations like the Academics for Action and Development and Indian National teachers Congress are threatening to launch an agitation. Some of the issues that they have been protesting against are the violation of ordinances and rules pertaining to matters of courses, examinations and nominations of experts for selection committees.

In fact, the issuing of guidelines by the Ministry of Human Resource Development regarding the use emergency powers by Vice Chancellors seems to have gone down rather well with the teachers. Most teacher associations, like the Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Association (FEDUCTA), have been demanding a statutory provision for the recall of the VC by the Visitor in case of the former being found guilty.

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With admissions to Delhi University reaching the final stages colleges are gearing up for the excitement and hoopla of the first couple of weeks. But the one thing that seems to be on the minds of most colleges is how to make sure that ragging does not take place in their institutions. Hindu College has plastered notices all over the college, even sent individual letters to all the senior students to make sure that the message is delivered.

But somewhere down the line, most heads of colleges seem to agree that the Supreme Court ruling is `unfair'. ``What are the first few days of college without ragging. Although we have notified our students, the fact that they will find a way out is something that is almost understood. And unless and until the act is an extreme one, we would not mind,'' is how the Principal of a leading North Campus college put it.

As for students, the ruling seems to have hardly made a difference. ``When was banning really allowed,'' questioned a second year student of the Kirori Mal College. Well, banned or not, ragging will be just as much a part of this year's fuchcha party. At least that is the gift that eager `seniors' are planning to give fuchchas.

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The confusion that the cut-off lists have been creating among students in the past few weeks is probably something that both the VC and colleges need to take notice of.

The declaration of second list had most students heave a sigh of relief, but as things turned out, many had to return home disappointed. Many colleges have been turning away students on the plea that the seats have been filled. The Vice Chancellor's announcement turned out to be mere press statements, be it regarding the gap year students or the fact that admissions are not granted on a first come first serve basis.

As many a student realised, admissions were closed to many courses on the first day of the second list admission dates. On being asked, students were told that the seats had been filled up. But what exactly do students go by. The Vice Chancellor who announces that admissions are not done on a first come first serve basis but the marks of a student or colleges that declare a second list only to put up the seats full board on the very first day.

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The Principal of Deshbandhu College, Mr. Eashwaran, is taking his job rather `sportingly'. For not only is he making all-out efforts to brush up the skills of his college cricket and tennis teams, but going all out to ensure that sports becomes one of the top priorities.

From cricket nets to a tennis court, the Deshbandhu college is all set to have new sports utilities. Only, one wonders if the new principal will find enough time from his sports interest to show some interest towards the dilapidated college building, which definitely doesn't seem to be `fit' enough to last long. --Lakshmi Balakrishnan

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