As DU reopens, its ecosystem revives
NEW DELHI: With colleges and departments of the Delhi University resuming in-person classes from Wednesday, various facilities and businesses on North Campus are hoping for a turnaround of fortunes after suffering huge losses for nearly two years when the varsity had remained shut on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The campus was shut to students in March 2020 and since then, in-person classes have remained suspended for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
As the university throws open its gates on Wednesday, life on campus is expected to gradually ease into the normalcy of the pre-Covid days.
In fact, activity on and around the North Campus started picking up over the past few days with students returning to the city following the reopening announcement last week. Owners of popular eateries and photocopier shops to rickshaw pullers, those who depend on students for their livelihood said a full-fledged reopening could pave the way for a revival of business.
On Monday, Hindustan Times visited the North Campus to find it abuzz with activity. People working in and around the university said while most students are expected to return by Wednesday, some have already arrived in the city to arrange their accommodation before classes begin.
Rakesh Kumar, 55, who drives a cycle rickshaw near the Vishwa Vidyalaya Metro station, said the resumption of classes was a positive development. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur, Kumar said the campus closure had hit his earnings as students were his main customer base. “During the past two years, the area wore a deserted look. Our income was negligible since there was hardly any activity. With colleges reopening, students who are looking for accommodation have started visiting the campus. We are hopeful that work will increase once all students return on Wednesday,” said Kumar.
Amit Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver who hails from Bihar, is banking on the complete reopening of the university for a revival of his fortunes. Kumar worked as a driver with a firm until 2020 when he was laid off by the firm amid the downsizing triggered by the pandemic. “The situation is bad right now. I struggle to even pay the rent. One can only hope that the situation will change once students return,” said Kumar, who has started ferrying students to various places in search of housing.
The food kiosks peppering the North Campus are also seeing a gradual increase in footfall. “Tom Uncle’s Maggi Point”, a favourite hang-out spot known for its wide variety of Maggibased dishes, and other popular chat and tea stalls are alive with customers.
“There were hardly any customers these past two years. With students returning to the campus, we hope that business will get back on track,” said Teeran Maurya, a worker at one of the kiosks.
Other businesses such as bookshops, however, need students to return to the campus for their earnings to increase. Swaran Singh, owner of International Book House on Bungalow Road, said not many students visited the bookstore since 2020. “If they return to classrooms, they might purchase books because teachers will not allow them to use their phones or laptops for accessing reading material. If in-person sessions become regular, our sales might pick up,” said Singh.
Manya Mahajan, a first-year DU student, who was at the printing shop, said, “During online classes, most of us were using PDFs of study material. Since the university is reopening, I decided to get hard copies...”
She said her friends from other cities were facing challenges in finding accommodation. “The announcement came at short notice and outstation students didn’t get a chance to make arrangements. I am hoping that they’ll be able to return soon...,” said Mahajan.