The Delhi University (DU) Thursday recommended all its hostels to allow PhD scholars to return in a phased manner. The administration’s fresh set of guidelines has also asked hostel authorities to “minimise” running expenses since very few students are staying on campus presently.
The DU advisory, however, has not specified any date from when scholars can start returning and has left this to the discretion of individual hostels.
While a majority of students residing in the 21 DU hostels left for their homes after the university closed in March in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of them could not do so because of the nationwide lockdown and the restrictions on travel.
“The first preference may be given to senior PhD students followed by other PhD students in a phased manner. However, such residents will have to mandatorily self quarantine for 14 days in their rooms, following which they would be screened at the on-campus health centre,” read the notice issued by the university’s assistant registrar (colleges) on Thursday.
“After the completion of the quarantine, hostels are advised to allow such PhD students to attend their respective research laboratories,” it added.
The DU has also advised all hostels to minimise their running expenses. “Hostels which are located within a common hostel complexes or located nearby may opt for the centralised security, sanitation, garden and office staff/services to minimise their running expenses. Hostels with a very few residents may arrange for ‘packed food’ or ‘tiffin’ delivery from adjacent hostels (as per the printed/actual meal charges) in order to minimise mess operating expenses,” the notice further stated.
The hostels have also been advised not to charge mess fee from students during their absence. However, students will have to pay 50% of the monthly electricity and water charges for the entire duration of their absence from the hostel.
Students have objected to this. Dewanshi, a resident of an undergraduate hostel for girls in DU, said, “We understand that the university needs money to run the hostel but we believe that during these uncertain and unprecedented times, the onus of paying wages and maintenance of the hostel should not fall on students. We are also going through this crisis and many students are facing financial adversities.”
