Education, Careers & Professional News
A happy New Years Day for Delhi University
Source
The Hindu
Date
2005-07-18
Information
A day of low action but high excitement, the first day of Delhi Universitys new academic year saw the spotlight shift from college corridors to Delhi Metro railway platforms as the Capitals favourite new comfort travel hogged the attention of not just starry-eyed freshers but also the seasoned seniors.
Amid heavy security, Saturday saw colleges trying their best to ensure that the campus was devoid of any ragging trouble. Many seniors still found a way out for some fun and games, but perhaps not as often as they would have liked it to be.
On the whole, the North Campus wore a rather cool look for most of the day, with the usual excitement associated with the opening day of a new academic year missing at most of the traditional hot spots. From first year students who openly expressed a desire to be ragged to those avoiding any seniors call, the day did see some interesting introductions laced with mischief and fun, but nothing that went beyond the good old Lakshman Rekha.
While interactions remained low-key, the excitement among students about the Metro seemed high. As a Ramjas student, Rakhi, put it, she was more excited about the Metro than college. Despite being a resident of South Extension which is not served by the Metro, she still decided to take the Metro to college.
I could have taken a Mudrika bus, but I asked my father to drop me at the Connaught Place Metro station. A couple of youngsters at the station asked me if I was a fresher and I thought it was probably the beginning of my ragging session, but they also turned out to be freshers! she said with a smile.
And while her Metro experience left her very happy, lack of ragging did just the opposite. There was nothing happening at Ramjas so I have decided to go to Hindu College where a couple of friends have got admission to see if there is any action there, said she.
For Lipsa Sahdev, a first year student of Botany at Hans Raj College, the Metro added to the excitement of finally making it to the campus. It was a really nice experience. I live at Dilshad Garden, and coming to college by the Metro made it so much more comfortable and free of stress. As for my first day on the campus, it was just as good. The seniors asked me for an introduction, then asked me to do a Kathak number and sing `Kajrare… .. It was quite nice actually, she said.
The scene was no different on the South Campus, where students were made to do the usual song and dance routine. But as many of them pointed out, the opening day, being a Saturday, did not see too many seniors come to college and so the real ragging might well happen after Monday when the classes resume.
Even that might take some time, in fact, considering that the Delhi University authorities are yet to announce the examination results for many first and second year students pursuing various courses even though the examinations were over as far back as April. Such a state of affairs on a reputed campus like Delhi University is such a shame indeed, rued one senior still awaiting his results.