Delhi University to take final call on reopening after fresh DDMA order

NEW DELHI:  After the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) allowed all educational institutions to reopen from 1st November, Delhi University (DU) said it would wait for the DDMA’s order to take the final call.

DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said: “As of now the DDMA has only announced. Let the DDMA’s order come. Once, the varsity gets clarification and once the DDMA issues the guidelines, we will take the call.”
Gupta added: “Deputy CM announced to call only 50 per cent capacity. So, we’ve to see and discuss how to call the students in a staggered manner.”

Gupta said the university would look into all matters and discuss with its statutory bodies before taking any decision. “Discussions on reopening the colleges will surely be taken after Diwali,” he said.
Prasenjeet Kumar, working general secretary, All India Students’ Association (AISA) which is on hunger strike demanding the reopening of the campus, said: “The varsity administration has said such things in just the media. But they have not conveyed anything to the students on hunger strike. Also, DU is a central university, so the central government or University Grants Commission (UGC) should give in written or direct the central university to reopen the campus fully for all students.”

Anand Prakash, the chemistry teacher at Rajdhani College, said, “The campus should reopen. The colleges are now open for only final year students that too those who have practicals. But the college should also call the first-year students who have practicals and other students also because students are not learning anything online.”

Manoj Khanna, Principal of Ramjas College, said, “Deputy CM Manish Sisodia can give any political statement, but DU is a central university and will take its own decision. Also, what is the hurry to reopen the schools and colleges from Monday? We have waited for this long, we can wait for 10 more days.”

DU students allege police brutality
Delhi University students alleged that they were beaten up by the police on Wednesday when they were assembling for the hunger strike inside the campus to demand complete re-opening of the university. The police said they have detained 28 students, but denied using force. Members of the Left-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA) and other student bodies have been on a hunger strike for two days to press for their demand of reopening the campus. “The Delhi Police unleashed brutal violence upon our peaceful hunger strike as we were assembling for the third day,” they claimed in a statement.