No classroom, Jamia students attend lectures in park in Delhi

“I had very high expectations from this course, but I was disappointed,” said a student who did not want to disclose his identity.

Students of Masters in Mass Media (Hindi) at the Jamia Millia Islamia University were forced to study outside in a park due to improper classroom. (Photo | Express)

NEW DELHI: A month after they joined the course, students of Masters in Mass Media (Hindi) at the Jamia Millia Islamia University say that they are forced to study outside in a park in the absence of a proper classroom being allotted to them. Some of them are now even resorting to taking admission elsewhere.

“I had very high expectations from this course, but I was disappointed,” said a student who did not want to disclose his identity. “I opted out of this course and enrolled in a new college in another state. I made the right decision as I saw a bleak future in this course,” the student added, pointing out that trouble began right at the beginning of the session when the classes began a month late.

“And then, when the physical classes started, we did not get the basic amenities promised by the university. We had to study in an open park near gate no.8 of the university despite paying a huge sum as fee,” he said.

Similarly, another student said on condition of anonymity that she has started skipping classes unwillingly because she is not able to study in the open park. “At the beginning of the semester, I used to attend all the classes. But now I cannot focus on what is being taught because of the weather or the mosquito menace.”

She also expressed her dissatisfaction with the faculty, saying that there are only a couple of
professors who teach two subjects each. The students say that they pay Rs 33,700 as a fee per semester, which totals Rs 1.30 lakh for the course, which is higher than even more sought-after courses like Masters in Mass Communication at the university. However, the facilities they get are far inferior.

Responding to the allegations, Prof Ahmad Azeem of the institute said, “Only one class took place outside because there was some confusion regarding the timetable and no empty classroom was available at that time.” He added that they are working on the issue and soon the students will not face the problem, although it may take some time.