NO QUIET PLACE TO DO RESEARCH

DU PhD, MPhil students suffer due to unrestricted entry of outsiders

Around 200 research scholars from faculty of Arts, Delhi University are complaining that unrestricted entry of outsiders to varsity’s central library is creating problems for them.

Such scholars include PhD, MPhil students and associate professors — who have been finding it difficult to study on the research floor of the library for the last one year due to unrestricted entry of outsider students.

“As per the rules, only bonafide research scholars having a separate library admit card are allowed to enter the research floor but undergraduate and postgraduate students, not even from Arts faculty, take our spaces and refuse to give us our own allotted seats,” said Maheep, a PhD student of Sanskrit.

We have to come to the library because most of the reference books for dissertation and thesis cannot be issued — we have to sit in library for long hours, added Maheep.

Timings for the research floor study rooms are from morning till midnight while ground floor, which is for postgraduate students, closes at 8 pm.

“After the ground floor closes, our floor becomes like a jungle. Students talk on phone, smoke in the corridor and there have been instances of stealing laptops, reference books,” said another PhD scholar of Buddhist Studies.

“We come to the library because we have families and we know we will not be able to concentrate at home. But it is even worse here,” added the scholar.

Feeling the heat

Students also are feeling the heat with few old air conditioners emanating hot air. New batch of coolers have been put in corridors but no arrangement for changing water is made.

Lack of proper ventilation makes it problematic to study.

According to a senior library official, resources – manpower and financial crunch – are restricting them to work on constant complaints by research scholars.

“In the last three years, there have been renovation of the library. Terrace of the research floor, which was about to collapse, was repaired,” added the official.

 He also said department knows that AC's are in a bad shape and it has sent a proposal regarding it — but all this takes time.

‘Limited number of libraries’

As far as the unrestricted entry of outsiders is concerned the official said, “All the students who get into the research floor are students of Delhi University. We have limited number of libraries which is open till late.

More manpower is also required to create a mechanism to check every person who enters the floor.”

Now that the complaints are increasing, we will make some arrangements soon, added the official.

However, research students want a solution immediately.