DU students get no time to play

Students skip drama groups to study for semester exams

With the implementation of semester system in all undergraduate courses from the 2011-2012 academic year, Delhi University students find it tough to find time for co-curricular activities.

College drama societies appear to be the worst-hit. Students say all their time goes in studies and taking exams, leaving hardly any time to get involved in college societies.

Every semester is of three months and ends with exams. Comparing the new system with the annual system, History Professor  Ratan Lal of Hindu College says,“The papers are divided, but the bulk to be studied still remained the same, and the time to teach and study has gone down.”

“The attendance has become very strict. In my college, all students who are part of any society used to get some relaxation for not attending all the classes. But before the exams started, the principal announced that no relaxation will be given,” said Shivangi, a BA Programme student from Gargi College.

“Though I am still in the society, I know three girls from Science courses who have opted out it. It is even more difficult for students who got admission through the extra-curricular activity (ECA) quota as they need to manage their minimum attendance in societies as well as in classes,” she added. According to students, the dramatics societies are worst-hit as the rehearsals  are time consuming.

“Since the second and the third year students have an annual system of exams and they follow another pattern of rehearsals, they have to adjust a lot depending upon when we get free,” said
Shrimoy of Hindi dramatics society at the Hindu College. Shweta, a third year student and an active member of the Hindi dramatics society at Miranda House, said, “We can’t simply say no to the first year students. In November 2011, we had  some competitions but had to cancel them because the first year students had their exams.”

Science students find it even tougher because of their practicals. “The dramatics society starts their rehearsals around noon and end late evening. But we are so busy with classes and then practicals in the evening that there is no time left,” said Namit Gupta from Kirori Mal College.  Abha Dev Habib, professor of Physics and co-coordinator of the Hindi magazine of Miranda House, recalled that there were students who took up what their extra-curricular activities as professions in later life.

“But in 2011, I noticed that the first year students were always buried in books. They don’t get time for any kind of interaction, leave aside ECA. This system will make students very boring as there is no scope or time left for creative growth,” she said.