Delhi University (DU), which affiliates more than 70 colleges, is one of the most sought-after universities in the country. However, with the basic infrastructure in most colleges atrociously inadequate and the pedagogy not up to the standards- is the hype regarding the university just an urban myth, or is it just an obsession that most of us have subconsciously ingrained ourselves with?
This year, a total of 4,38,696 candidates registered for nearly 70,000 seats in the university. However, admissions to most of the seats were reserved for those who had breached the 100% marks cutoff. Anyone with under 95% could have practically bid adieu to their ambitions of securing admission to the university.
Poor, disorienting criteria of admission
Such has been the extent of disordered competition that students and parents across the country have demanded DU to change its admission criteria because the students from the boards which are conservative in awarding marks – like UP Board, Maharashtra Board, and Bihar Board – are at a disadvantage while the students from CBSE and Tamil Nadu Board easily get admission in the university.
However, despite repeated demands and protests, Delhi University still follows the same criteria of admissions because it suits the kids of Delhi elites. Some departments have a cutoff of 100%.
The top bureaucrats, politicians, and intellectuals who reside in the city, send their kids to the top schools of Delhi, most of which are affiliated with CBSE or ISCE. These schools follow the CBSE pattern and most of the students score above 90 per cent marks. Students from such schools easily get admission into top DU colleges, while others rue their luck.
However, in a rush to secure admission to DU, a large part of the student population remains oblivious to the fact that most colleges of DU are generations behind in infrastructure. The old bricks, tainted walls, chipped-off paint, dilapidated libraries, labs, and overall lack of care means that DU is not the most aesthetic of places to study and learn.
Not in the list of top-ranked universities in India or abroad
Moreover, as reported by TFI, a total of 71 Indian universities made it to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2022, up from 63 last year. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) – a regular in the list, sat in the 301-350 band for a third consecutive year. IIT-Ropar and JSS Academy of Higher Education found themselves in between the 351-400 band, while IIT Indore comes at the fourth spot, ranked between 401 and 500.
However, DU fared nowhere on the list, further proving that the university was high on empty rhetoric and low on actual performance or substance.
As for the NIRF 2021 rankings, in the overall category, the University of Delhi came at the lowly 19th rank. However, a handful of colleges like Miranda House, St Stephens, LSR made it to the top in the individual college category.
DU – a cesspool of dirty politics
Moreover, the politics in DU, on most occasions is downright ugly and claustrophobic. DU has a Students’ Union (DUSU) and a Teachers’ Association (DUTA). Moreover, different political parties and their youth wings like Congress’ National Student Union of India (NSUI) and BJP’s Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) ply their trade on the campus.
With a handful of political egos in one place, regular tussles between the factions are a routine part of the life of an ordinary DU student. The myriad strikes, agitations, and other kerfuffles mean that the precious time that could have been used to complete the syllabus is often wasted in these shindigs.
The overall atmosphere of the campus becomes unpleasant and often unsafe. Above all, every student here learns to protest, if not how to ace a test.
And over the last few years, we have seen closely how such educational institutes are producing more woke Social Justice Warriors (SJW) than actual leaders with transferrable hard skills that help earn money and contribute to society.
Professors not receiving salaries; mentally checked out
As for DUTA, it is routinely protesting against the state government for not granting permanent contracts to the ad-hoc teachers and most importantly, not releasing salaries of the professors for months on end. A routine stroll through the Press Club of India in New Delhi and one would find DUTA and its members lodging their protest against the government.
In such a precarious situation it is hard to imagine the kind of ‘excellent education’ such professors who are not sure about their future and are financially bankrupt would impart to the students – the same students who broke their backs, secured cent percent marks, stood in long serpentine queues and fought their way off to land an opportunity to study in the supposed ‘best’ university of the country.
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All said and done, DU is simply an overhyped institution that is profiting off its past glory and on the back of a few elite institutes. A major revamp is required in the way the university is currently operating. And as for those who could not secure an admission in DU, relax, you dodged a bullet.