As Delhi University opened its doors to undergraduate students on Monday, intermittent rain marred the first day for the freshers. The new batch will be the first lot to study courses under the new Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS). Interestingly, all the three under-graduate classes of the university will follow different course structures this time. While the first year will study as per CBCS, the second year will continue with the normal semester system of the university and the third year will be studying under the now defunct Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP).
For the freshers, the day began on a welcome note and enrolment in their respective classes. Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh visited several colleges — including Indraprastha College for Women, ARSD College, Aryabhatta College and Ram lal Anand College.
“Seeing students sitting in the audience, I recall the day I came for my orientation session as a student at a DU college. That was a new beginning. For you all too this is a new journey, make the best of it,” Singh said, while addressing the students at IP College. He interacted with the students about why they have chosen their particular colleges and what they plan to pursue in future.
The colleges had Q&A sessions for the freshers to address their queries ranging from dramatics club to safety of North Eastern students, hassle-free transport service to university, facilities for disabled students and much more. Members of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) also addressed the queries of students about their upcoming three years on DU campuses. Student outfits of various political parties also tried to encash the opportunity, especially in view of the upcoming DUSU elections.
Interestingly, there were no queries about the roll out of CBCS. When asked about the scheme, several students said that they were not really aware about its modalities.
“I know it is being implemented from this session but I do not know what it is about. May be we will get to know the details once the classes progress,” said a first year BCom student at Aryabhatta College.
Another student Shivangi Bhatt said, “We have been informed that our time tables have been modified as per the new scheme and syllabus have been uploaded on the college as well as varsity websites. I am not sure about how it is going to be different from what our seniors have studied.”
To facilitate smooth implementation of the CBCS, the university has constituted a CBCS Oversight Committee (CBCS-OC) to be headed by the Dean, Faculty of Science and whose members include several Deans as well as some Principals.
Members of the Congress-affiliated NSUI, BJP's ABVP and AAP's student wing CYSS were seen outside colleges welcoming the freshers and guiding them in various formalities to be fulfilled for admissions at their respective institutions.