Darjeeling Hill University begins on-campus classes

The DHU was holding only online classes previously. This too had been closed for more than seven months now. In January, the students of the university staged a protest event. 

EOI, DARJEELING, APRIL 9, 2024 : The on-campus classes of the Darjeeling Hill University finally started on Tuesday at the ITI Building at Mungpoo which is presently being used as the administrative building of the university. 

The DHU was holding only online classes previously. This too had been closed for more than seven months now. In January, the students of the university staged a protest event. 

“The offline classes of DHU have started for the first time since today. There are six departments in the university: English, Nepali, Political Science, History, Mathematics and Mass Communication,” said DHU Registrar D Sujata Rani Rai. 

Rai was appointed as the temporary Registrar after the issue of a notification by the West Bengal Higher Education Department on March 7. Along with the appointment of the Registrar, Nirmal Subba was appointed as the temporary Finance Officer. 

Rai said at present there were 82 students studying in the third semester of the university. “At present the on-campus classes of the third semester have started. After their syllabus is over, we are planning to hold their examinations in the month of July. 

However a final decision has not been taken,” she said. “Due to the DHU only having online classes earlier there were no students in Mass Communication as practical classes were needed for the course. So we did not have any students in that stream. 

However, now after we have started offline classes, we feel that students will take admission in that stream also. So at present we only have those students that have taken the examination of the second semester in the rest of the five subjects,” she said. 

 The process of new admission for post-graduation classes would start in the month of July. “The DHU does not have any permanent faculty at present. We are utilizing faculty from neighbouring universities and colleges as visiting professors. In each department we have about 10 visiting faculties,”Subba said. 

One of the students speaking about the classes starting on Tuesday said: “We were facing tension for the past few months as it was uncertain if the DHU would open or not and if we will be able to continue after our second semester.

Now that the third semester has started, we are happy and hopeful that we will be able to continue our Masters.” 

 The student did not wish to be named. The student further said that they are yet to get their hard copy results of the first and second semester with them, only having received an online one.“Those students who had completed their fourth semester have finally got their hard copy results but are yet to get their hard copy of other documents like registration certificate and character certificate,” the student said. 

Student Priya Mohari who hails from Siliguri said it would be helpful for them if a hostel facility was made available. Speaking on the DHU, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabhasad Ratan Thapa said: “The ITI building had been constructed much before but due to the Covid pandemic it did not start and was unoccupied. 

It has become very important that we start classes of the DHU, so we are holding the classes in this building for the time being. 

After the building of the university is set up at Joghighat, the campus will be shifted there. We are trying to finish the building at Joghighat and equip it with whatever infrastructure we can as soon as possible. 

For this we have also requested the West Bengal Government,” he said.”The most important requirement of the DHU now is to have a permanent Vice Chancellor. For this we have requested the State Government and the Chancellor to appoint one.” 

The foundation stone of the DHU to be built at Joghighat was laid by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on September 5, 2018, at Darjeeling Chowrasta. The construction of the university building is, however, yet to be completed though more than five years have rolled by.