Day one at DU: New students get a feel of campus

New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) Hordes of animated first-year students thronged the Delhi University colleges on the new academic session's first day Monday that was dominated by interactions with seniors, orientation programmes, mime shows and street plays.

The new students, popularly known as freshers, looked to get acclimatised to their colleges and the university campuses in north and south Delhi.

Many freshers, wary of ragging despite a ban on it, were pleasantly surprised with the treatment they got from their seniors.

"Our seniors were pretty helpful and assisted us figure out the classrooms and even told us where to get the best tea in the campus," said Vidisha Singh, a fresher at Daulat Ram College.

The university authorities and NGOs organised orientation programmes, mime shows and street plays to educate freshers on how to go about their studies, college environment and thwarting any ragging attempts and staying away from drugs.

"It was a fruitful day... We got tips on how to deal with ragging. I feel safe now," Ragini Vora, an economics honours student at Khalsa College told IANS referring to an anti-ragging and anti-drugs mime show by an NGO in collaboration with the Delhi Police.

Curious and apparently confused students, many of whom were accompanied by their parents, shuttled across the north campus and made their way to colleges.

"This is a bit intimidating. Such a huge crowd... When I stepped out of the Metro station, I just sat on the stairs to let the feeling sink in," said Afsha Khan, a student of the faculty of arts.

Many freshers were pleasantly surprised with the treatment they got from their seniors.

"Our seniors were pretty helpful and assisted us figure out the classrooms and even told us where to get the best tea in the campus," said Vidisha Singh, a fresher at Daulat Ram College.

Student political outfits too went all guns blazing to woo the freshers.

Holding placards and banners, volunteers of outfits like the National Students' Union of India and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad stood on major roads in the north campus and urged them to join their respective organisations.

Dean of Student Welfare J.M. Khurana warned senior students against indulging in ragging and asked the freshers to regularly attend their classes.

"They (freshers) should come for classes from day one and should be regular... No seniors should get involved in acts of ragging. The university will take strict action against students found guilty of ragging," Khurana said.