Day one at Delhi University could be as fun as daunting. As the new academic session of DU is confirmed to kick-off from July 28, thousands of youngsters gear up to step into the new phase of college life. But this new chapter also comes with the worry of how to navigate through the fear of ragging.
“I am from a smaller town and will be visiting Delhi for the first time. Being part of such a huge ecosystem and a new life does feel scary at times,” says Ayan Sharma, who has got admission in Kirori Mal College, adding, “But more than anything what’s bothering me is how will be my first interaction with seniors and super seniors.”
“It can be nerve-wracking to be a new student and all we want to do is make it as easy and mentally soothing for the freshers,” says DU Proctor Manoj Kumar Singh, informing how the university is stepping up. “We are setting up two control rooms, one each in North Campus and South Campus, from July 28 to August 7. Any fresher who faces any sort of mental harassment, bullying or ragging can file complaints here, and these will be handled and monitored,” he adds.
Even colleges are introducing initiatives, at individual level, to make the first-year students feel at home when they enter DU. “We will pair each fresher student with one faculty mentor and two to three senior student mentors,” says Kanika Ahuja, principal, Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), sharing about the new peer support programme that has been introduced. She adds, “With orientations and information overload, it can be overwhelming for students. This way they will have someone to go to, no matter how trivial the concern. We will also be distributing handbooks on Day 2, which will have all the important information, including the names of members of the anti-ragging committee and helpline numbers.”
{{/usCountry}}Even colleges are introducing initiatives, at individual level, to make the first-year students feel at home when they enter DU. “We will pair each fresher student with one faculty mentor and two to three senior student mentors,” says Kanika Ahuja, principal, Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), sharing about the new peer support programme that has been introduced. She adds, “With orientations and information overload, it can be overwhelming for students. This way they will have someone to go to, no matter how trivial the concern. We will also be distributing handbooks on Day 2, which will have all the important information, including the names of members of the anti-ragging committee and helpline numbers.”
{{/usCountry}}Beyond this, even senior students are taking the lead in creating informal support networks. Among these is Anisha, a second-year student of Ramjas College, who has created a WhatsApp group for freshers: Your friends not seniors. “We have been through the first week of college ourselves, and know what it feels like. Sometimes you’re so stressed that even if you face bullying or any other issue, you don’t want to bring it up. So on the day of the orientation, we’ve planned to add freshers to this group so that they can have an informal, friendly space where they feel comfortable talking to their seniors.”
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