A digital protest has taken over Delhi University in recent updates. It has been nearly 12 months since DU moved to the online mode for educating and learning. Notwithstanding, students are still having a tough time concerning online classes, and over 4,000 DU students are protesting digitally by marking an appeal to open colleges.
Pranshu Nain, of Ramjas College, shared a few details of the said protest with The Hindustan Times. “We are organizing digital protests. Thousands of students are taking part in Twitter storms and have signed an online petition for the reopening of campus. We will send this petition to our VC. We coordinate our protests through multiple WhatsApp groups online. Some of us make meme pages and post memes asking for colleges to reopen, others make reels on the issues faced in online classes and the rest of us tweet tagging the authorities.”
The increased screen time has taken a toll on everyone’s health. Digital classes have also affected the studies and mental health of students all over the globe. Where the coronavirus doesn’t seem to give up, the students are also equally adamant about experiencing a fully fledged college life. The current student life is rampant with digital fests, online freshers and online exams and handling everything virtually is taking a toll on students who have been reaching out to their seniors for help.
In another conversation with The Hindustan Times, the DUSU Executive Counsellor, Shubham Chaudhary, exclaimed that many students have been reaching out to him for a year now. Not everyone has a stable connection to adapt to the new normal. All of this has really affected a significant number of students who seem scared for their future. It is a drastic shift in academic life. Sports, dramatics, workshops – these were a very important aspect of personality development for students and there’s nothing making up for that. Regarding the online mode, the university is still adjusting to the shift. It’s been a year and the exam portal still crashes while students submit their answers while attempting Open Book Examinations.
However, the university authorities have a difference of opinion on the subject. They want to help the students in every imaginable way, without compromising the safety of the youth. Rajeev Gupta, the Dean of Students’ Welfare, Delhi University has bashed all hopes of the reopening of campus. A new policy of regular updates on the college websites regarding the accessibility of study material is a work in process.
But what do the authorities suggest combating problems of weak internet connection that hampers the study session of students? Well, clearly no one has a perfect solution for it. Once the study-material is accessible online, the authorities feel things will be much smoother for the students. That is only response received for the distant future.
