It's DU, mind what you speak

At Open House, senior varsity official loses temper, slams students for being curious.

In 2008, when Rahul Gandhi made a critical, yet honest, admission in relation to Delhi University’s St Stephen’s College that they don’t encourage students to ask questions, he faced flak from all corners for speaking his mind.

Five years later, when the same university organised an Open House session this week,  which -- in principle – was meant to be ‘open’ for everyone so as to invite questions and solve all the admission-related queries, the gross impudence of university officials clearly showed the aspiring students what lay in store for them for next three years. Err four years.

Students and even parents were shouted at when they had more than one question to ask.  Some were scolded for asking a query which was already discussed in the house.  At one instance, dean of Students Welfare Prof J M Khurana told a student, “This question doesn’t make any logic. Have some common sense first.”

It happened after one participant made a “blunder” of asking whether four year degree will be equivalent to five year integrated programme.

It was natural for students and parents to get spooked by university introducing a historic four year undergraduate programme with an unprecedented alacrity, which will be taught for the first time by any institution in this country. However, an official snubbed a student who questioned the University for its hasty reforms. “It’s university’s prerogative. We will do whatever we deem right,” said an official.

An audio video presentation was shown to students before throwing the house open for queries.

The officials even made it clear to ask only those questions which “arise out of the presentation”.

Initially, all went well but when the DU representatives faced a volley of questions  from the participants  in the jam-packed conference hall in North Campus, a senior official lost temper and even asked the participants, albeit rhetorically, about the reason of coming to the session. “There was no compulsion for you to come here,” said Khurana.

This made some bashful 17-year-olds too intimidated to speak at the forum.  Ishita Gogia, who gave her class twelfth exams from Mater Dei School found the officials “rude”.  “I didn’t ask my query as I didn’t want to be insulted. So, I wanted for the session to get over so that I could ask Dr Gurpreet Singh Tuteja (deputy dean who was liked by most for his good-humour),” said Ishita, who wants to study BA (honours) Psychology from the university.

Another student Richi Malhotra, who gave her exams from Manav Sthali School, was also too apprehensive to ask anything after the dean started rambling. “I wanted to ask about the date of entrance exam of graduation in management studies,” said Richi.
Not only students, even journalists also had to face dean’s wrath.  “Either you go by the newspaper version or our version,” Prof Khurana told a student who had asked if Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) will have a draw of lots for the admission.

“They (newspapers) give wrong facts. After all, they have to sell also. But not all of them, only some!” he further added. It’s understandable for any well-meaning educated person to lose their cool — especially in this hot weather —  on facing persistent queries but there could have certainly been a better way to withstand the chaos. We hope DU learns this lesson first before admitting a new batch of 54,000 students in July this year.