Graded reopening of institutions is not a problem till COVID-19 SOPs are followed: Aryabhatta College Principal

Delhi University is gearing up to reopen its campus from next week. DU closed its undergraduate registration process on August 31, 2021 and as per the data, the maximum number of applications have been received from the students who have passed out from CBSE. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Manoj Sinha, principal of Aryabhatta College and general secretary of the DU Principals’ Association (DUPA), talks about DU college reopening, the online education and the challenge related to it, the DU cutoff this year and many more. 

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

Q.As the pandemic is far from over, how you are planning to proceed this academic year?

A. For the last two years, we have been conducting the classes in online mode. We do keep a tab on online classes too. Our teachers are taking classes on Google and we do record their sessions, to know the classes are being held, the number of students who have attended and other information. We do have real-time data on these online classes and we regularly monitor it. However, there is certain tiredness amongst the students attending the online classes and they are missing the physical classroom.

Q. Delhi University is planning to reopen its campus in a phased manner from next week. Your comments.

A.The University has given broader guidelines and framework on college reopening and we have to take a call accordingly. All the colleges have to work together and responsibly, as we have to be very careful of the possible third wave. The graded reopening of the institutions is not a problem. And, we welcome the move. The implementation is all up to us. We can choose to call final year students or call students in small batches on different days for their practical work.

For hostels, there are certain logistical issues involved and at this point, it is very complicated. However, since most of the students studying at Delhi University are from out of the Delhi-NCR regions, the respective colleges need to take a very careful call on reopening the hostels while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. As for us, we have ensured that all our teaching and non-teaching staff are vaccinated and we also encourage students to get vaccinated as soon as possible. College principals, teachers are all looking forward to colleges reopening.

Q. Is College providing any digital devices to students to help them attend the class hassle-free?

A. We have around 900 computers and we have been providing them to those students who are in need and don’t have enough resources to afford the same. This includes those students who don’t have smartphones or access to gadgets, so we provide them not only computers but also a data package so they can attend the classes hassle-free.

Q. Is college planning to provide any scholarship or fee exemption to students who have lost one or both parents due to COVID?

A. We are giving complete fee exemption to those students who have lost both parents. And for those who lost one earning parent to them also we are providing fee exemption. We are trying to help in every possible way to avoid any academic loss of the student. We have also asked our departments and teachers from the mentorship programme to connect with the students under them and find out their requirements. We have also put a notice on our official website and have asked students to step forward and inform us about the death of their parents so that we can help them.

The college will also analyse each case and decide on the best appropriate aid for each student, adding that some students may need non-financial aid as well.

Q. Will, there be any fee hike for any course/ subject?

A. No like last year, we will not have a fee hike for any course/subject this year too.

Q. DU Admissions 2021registration process for Undergraduate courses is over and the cut-off is expected by October 1. Do you feel the cut-off will relatively be higher this year compared to last year?

A. We are expecting the cut-off to go higher this year as students from various boards including CBSE have scored really good marks this year.

Q. Are there any students from Afghan at your college? How is the college planning to help them in this time of crisis?

A. We are waiting for SOPs from the Central government. However, we are ready to provide any help needed to Afghan students from our end. Since, the college doesn’t have a hostel or facility for accommodation on campus. So, we cannot give them any preferential stay, that they have to manage their own outside, which means that some financial help needs to be provided to them. If any students contact the college authority for any kind of help, we will try our best to provide the same. We will give them both financial and academic support. We will also provide them mentors in the college to give them counseling or support required to come out of this situation and psychological trauma.

Q. What message do you have for students looking forward to joining college this year?

A. Be patient with the system and wait for COVID-19 to go away and then full-fledged college will begin. Right now, there will be some frustrating periods, while attending classes online. But try utilizing your time fully. Hopefully, the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon.

Read More:

• Aryabhatta College Courses & Fees 2021
• Aryabhatta College Admission 2021