After the long pandemic pause, Delhi University (DU) students recently resumed revelling in the merriment of fests on campus, which are being organised across the varsity. But, such may not be the case at the College of Vocational Studies (CVS). Its students claim their college authorities are cancelling the cultural fest merely days before the decided dates — February 15 to 17.
Student members of the cultural council allege that the college’s Purchase Committee has refused to accept the financial and technical tenders floated on February 5. The meeting scheduled to open the tenders was initially postponed from February 7 to 10. When the committee members finally convened later on the opening of tenders, they called the tenders invalid. Students compelled the committee to reschedule a new meeting on February 11, but the committee members didn’t show up. Irked by this, hundreds of students barged into the residential colony of the committee’s convener, Ajay Tyagi, on Saturday.
“Why would I want to cancel the fest? 100-200 students barged into my colony and reached my residence to protest in an attacking mode,” says Tyagi, stating, “We only want the due procedure for procuring the tender to be followed. All we have asked for is clarification from the college. The procedure for procuring the tender has not been done as per the rules that we have, and therefore we asked for clarification. We have not cancelled the tender at all... My Resident Welfare Association (RWA) also had to be involved in this, I don’t understand why the students have come to my house, they came along with the Cultural Head of our college in a very irresponsible act. If this is what will happen and someone comes to my house to attack me, I will have to submit my resignation.”
Students, on their part, say they were compelled to take matters in their own hands as they were running out of time. “The college needs to release ₹19 lakh for the fest expenses and arrangements, which will allow technicians to make the required arrangements,” says Deergha Sachdeva, president of student cultural council, CVS, adding, “We protested on Friday and Saturday, and plan on reunite on Monday in the college amphitheatre. It’s crucial for us to get together at this point because we have already taken around ₹5- ₹6 lakh from the sponsors, and spent it for the fest preparations because we had the permission from the principal to go ahead. But now the college authorities are wanting to cancel the fest! We have hosted silent protests outside the principal’s office, and trying to get answers to our questions. We have the tender as per the necessary guidelines. We have even provided tenders from other DU colleges, including JDMC and SGND Khalsa College. College ki fees mein sab bachon ke ₹600 jaate hain for fests. Fees dene ke baad bhi humein apni jaeb se kuchh paise dene pade hain to ensure work doesn’t stop. But we can’t foot the entire amount. So what to do if not protest?”
{{/usCountry}}Students, on their part, say they were compelled to take matters in their own hands as they were running out of time. “The college needs to release ₹19 lakh for the fest expenses and arrangements, which will allow technicians to make the required arrangements,” says Deergha Sachdeva, president of student cultural council, CVS, adding, “We protested on Friday and Saturday, and plan on reunite on Monday in the college amphitheatre. It’s crucial for us to get together at this point because we have already taken around ₹5- ₹6 lakh from the sponsors, and spent it for the fest preparations because we had the permission from the principal to go ahead. But now the college authorities are wanting to cancel the fest! We have hosted silent protests outside the principal’s office, and trying to get answers to our questions. We have the tender as per the necessary guidelines. We have even provided tenders from other DU colleges, including JDMC and SGND Khalsa College. College ki fees mein sab bachon ke ₹600 jaate hain for fests. Fees dene ke baad bhi humein apni jaeb se kuchh paise dene pade hain to ensure work doesn’t stop. But we can’t foot the entire amount. So what to do if not protest?”
{{/usCountry}}“Last year in April 2022, the college authorities tried to stop us from using the college campus for the fest and even refused to sponsor it. At that point each student spent ₹1,200 out of their pockets to ensure the fest happens smoothly,” informs Anish Senapati, vice president, student cultural council at CVS. He adds, “The then acting principal had told us they will not give us the ₹6 lakh that was earlier promised for organising the fest. They gave us ₹2 lakh and we raised the rest of the money through sponsorship.”
A college faculty, on condition of anonymity says, “The tender this year made in accordance with some of the esteemed DU colleges, including the Engineering Department of the University. We also had professional consultants, who told us to fill in the rates for required vendors. The Purchase Committee, however, delayed the meeting. When they did meet, they asked to remove the rates and called the current tender invalid. It’s true that the college authorities are not cooperating, in which case of course the students will feel discontent.”
Fest will happen: Principal
Inder Jeet Dagar, principal of CVS, tells us: “Fest cancel hone ka toh sawal hi nahi hai. Students ke tender mein technical errors hain jiski wajah se abhi pass nahi ho pa raha hai. These are public funds, and cannot be released if the financial rules are not followed. The committee, students, and I will meet on Monday morning and discuss what can be done. We might have to postpone the fest, but cannot say for certain just now... The fest will happen. We just don’t know when.”
Author tweets @KritiKambiri
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