Help Desks for Northeast Students at Delhi University

New Delhi, June 3, 2014: As June arrives, thousands of students from across India and abroad flock to Delhi University for admissions. Gaining admission to a Delhi University college is a significant aspiration for young students who have recently completed their 10+2 exams. To assist these aspiring students in completing the centralized optical mark recognition (OMR) forms, several help desks have been established by various student organizations, including the Delhi Mizo Zirlai Pawl (DMZP), Naga Students’ Union, Delhi (NSUD), Kuki Students’ Organisation, Delhi (KSOD), Hmar Students’ Association Delhi (HSAD), and the All Bodo Students’ Union, Delhi (ABSUD). Additionally, national organizations such as the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Youth Dignity Forum (YDF) have also set up help desks to assist students.

Lalramngheta Ngente, Vice-President of DMZP, told our reporter, “DMZP has two help desks, one at Daulat Ram College and the other at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College. We will continue assisting students until the last day of registration.”

Delhi University has approximately 77 colleges and 86 academic departments. This year marks a significant shift as the university has implemented the much-debated Four-Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP). A protest message, "ROLL BACK FYUP!" was displayed on a board near the registration area on Wednesday.

The registration period began on June 2 and will last until June 16. Students who were unable to obtain the registration form offline can still register through the university’s website (www.du.ac.in). The offline registration fee is Rs. 150 for General and OBC categories, and Rs. 70 for SC/ST categories. The online registration fee is Rs. 100 for General and OBC categories, and Rs. 50 for SC/ST categories.

The university is offering 54,000 seats under the FYUP. In addition, Delhi University has launched an Android-based mobile application, “DU UG Admission 2014-15,” allowing students to fill online forms and access all admission-related information. Offline forms are available at 18 centers across Delhi University.

Rachubui Pamei, President of Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Delhi (ZSUD), mentioned, “Naga Students’ Union, Delhi has 21 units, and each unit volunteered to manage the NSUD help desk.”

Taifung Basumatary, General Secretary of the All Bodo Students’ Union, Delhi, stated, “We helped many of our people and others who came to us for assistance.”

Saveio Khole, President of the North East Students’ Society (Delhi University), was also seen busily assisting students. The North East Students’ Society (NESS) was formed in 2012 with the goal of unifying Northeast students at Delhi University. According to Khole, out of the 77 DU colleges, only 46 have set up North East Cells, while the rest have not, as the concerned principals and administrations have been hesitant to establish them.

Khole further shared that NESS had submitted a memorandum to the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiran Rijiju, outlining their concerns. Some of their key demands include the effective establishment of North East Cells at DU, the appointment of Nodal Officers, regulation of electric bills based on government rates rather than landlords’ discretion, and the creation of a dedicated office for Northeast students in North Campus.

The ABVP has expressed its opposition to the FYUP, claiming that the Delhi University administration, with tacit support from the Congress-led UPA Government, introduced the program to destabilize public-funded higher education and promote private, commercial universities around Delhi. They argue that the extension of the course duration to four years will financially burden students, with an estimated cost of an additional Rs. 1.5 lakhs per student.

~ Bruce K. Thangkhal
THE MIZORAM POST | MANIPUR CHRONICLE | ZOGAM TODAY

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