LU buzzes with activities despite low attendance on day 1 of new session
School graduates seeking admission at LU arrived armed with their documents and registration forms for the counseling sessions being held on the campus.
LUCKNOW: Lucknow University reopened its gates for the new session on Monday morning, with students returning to campus for the beginning of the academic year. Not only enrolled students but also aspiring ones appearing for entrance tests were scattered across the campus, rushing from class to class or lounging in the sun.
Students’ reflect on new session
Despite students’ protests regarding the entrance exam for the BA LLB course at the university’s Gate No.1 in the morning, it was business as usual for most of the campus. “It is both exciting and nerve-wracking to come back to campus after the session break. Although we are returning to familiar grounds, we also know the pressures awaiting us once classes begin,” said Kaushal Sinha, a third-year student. Bharti Rawat, a research scholar in the Faculty of Education, said, “Students are still trickling in; many have not shown up on the first day. The campus will look much more populated in the next few days.”
School graduates seeking admission at LU arrived armed with their documents and registration forms for the counseling sessions being held on the campus. The university had also given strict instructions for the returning students to mandatorily carry their identity cards on the first day back.
The Dean of Students’ Welfare at LU, Sangeeta Sahu, also wrote to the school authorities to allow students to make use of the Karmoday and Karmyogi schemes, which allow students to gain a certificate or an amount of Rs. 15,000 for 50 hours of after-hours work from the Dean’s office.
Sparse attendance on first day
On the first day of college, many students and teachers, including those in the B.Com second year classes, were notably absent. Srishti Sharma and Tejni Yadav wandered the campus aimlessly, noting that after their initial morning class, no teachers had appeared throughout the day. “There were only 7 to 8 students in class, whereas we usually have at least 20 to 30 people daily.”
Similarly, classes in the Political Science department and others were sparsely attended.
Scouts stationed at LU gates
While returning students navigated the familiar campus, young school graduates seeking admission or attending counseling faced challenges finding their way to the correct department buildings.
Scouts from private institutions took advantage of the situation, positioning themselves outside LU gates. JP Pandey, a representative of Techno Group of Institutions, explained, “Our college counseling sessions are also happening here. We check student’s admit cards and direct them to the correct buildings. We also collect their contact information and distribute leaflets about our institutions.”
V-C conducts surprise inspections
On the first day following the summer break, Vice-Chancellor Alok Kumar Rai conducted surprise inspections at several departments, including Zoology, Botany, Sanskrit, Anthropology, Ancient Indian History, Oriental Sanskrit, and the Faculty of Arts. A university statement claimed that all classes proceeded as scheduled across the Faculty of Arts, Science, Law, Education, Commerce, and Fine Arts at Lucknow University.