DU Admissions 2021: We plan to operate in both online and offline mode, says PGDAV College Principal

The admission season at the University of Delhi (DU) has set in, and its affiliated colleges have started various preparations around it to help students secure admission without any hassle. Pannalal Girdharlal Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College (PGDAV College), one of the oldest colleges of DU located in South Delhi is known for its academic and extra-curricular activities.

Dr Krishna Sharma, Principal of the college talks about various initiatives the college has undertaken during the past one and half years of the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares how college is helping students in learning effective communication skills, computer language, statistical tools to providing other kinds of exposure in shaping their careers.

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

Q. How you are planning to proceed this academic year as the pandemic is far from over? Will students will get the chance to come to campus and attend physical classes this year?

A. For now, We plan to operate the college in both online and offline mode. There is a lot of speculation around the third wave of Covid but as per the existing guidelines, we do intend to allow a limited number of students.

The teaching and non-teaching staff of our college have worked hard during the pandemic, even the College Placement Cell worked overtime to provide the students' internship opportunities and other placements. The various departments, as well as other societies like the NSS, Women’s Development Cell, the Internal Complaints Committee, organised online activities to keep the students engaged. During this pandemic, it is not only our students’ studies that have been affected. Their psychological and economic well being has also been put at stake. The College has ensured that a psychologist is available for students who wish to consult one.

We have started a fund, the contributions to which are completely voluntary, for students who have been impacted economically and find it difficult to pay their fees and continue their education.

During the particularly devastating second wave, many of our students and colleagues lost a loved one. The College as a whole, and individual teachers on their part, made a concerted effort to reach out to students and lend them a helping hand and guidance.

PGDAV College has tried to fill the educational gaps that have been made apparent by switching to an online mode of learning. While traditional practices of face to face learning may have been disrupted but the College has come up with concrete strategies to deliver quality education in an online format. It has endeavoured to keep its students engaged and highly motivated.

Q. Is your college providing any digital devices to students to help them attend the class hassle-free?

A. Yes, I am looking at different ways to help students especially those who come from weaker sections of society. For example, providing a smartphone to those who cannot afford one.

Q. Do you feel the cut-off will relatively be higher this year compared to last year due to the jump in class 12 board results?

A. Yes, I believe the cut off will be higher this year due to class 12 results since the exams were held and marks were calculated by a method different from the normal procedure due to the current covid situation.

Q. Will, there be any increase in the fee structure this year? If yes, which all courses?

A. No there will be no increase in the fee structure this year.

Q. How has COVID-19 affected the functioning of the college and university as a whole. And what steps have been taken to bridge that gap? 

A. Certainly Covid-19 did have a major impact on the functioning of the college. Under normal circumstances students will be attending the college physically and were in constant touch with teachers and non-teaching staff, However, now everything is being handled online and grievances are being handled through e-mail. It was difficult to adjust to it initially but now we have taken steps to resolve the issues on the same day and I am personally overlooking this process.

The life of a student changes completely once they join a college and follow a well laid out curriculum built specifically for their growth and needs. Although the students might have to attend college online due to the current situation they should not let go of the zeal to learn and to achieve whatever they want to. All colleges are trying their level best to improve the current situation for the students, for example, Delhi University colleges have started the cultural programmes and will continue to work on such initiatives in the future.

Q. Could you tell us about various quota colleges has for UG courses?

A. College follows the guidelines provided by the university and provides quotas as prescribed such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), etc.

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