Back to college: Day 1 sees lukewarm turnout in city

A professor teaches a class at Khalsa college, on Wednesday. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Shambhuraj Deshmukh, a first year BSc student at Guru Nanak Khalsa College, was elated to discuss notes and finally chat up with his friends in person, after almost 19 months of online learning. The turnout on the Day 1 of college reopening, on Wednesday, was mostly lukewarm. The regular hustle-bustle returned to only a handful of campuses in the city.

Deshmukh and three of his friends were among several groups of chirpy students that had formed on the campus on Wednesday. "I am back to the same college I completed my junior years from. But, there are so many newcomers in the first year of degree, and today is actually their first day on campus," said Deshmukh, as the group shared that no high-tech online learning can match the experience of being in college.

Shambhuraj Deshmukh

Deshmukh, who stays in Parel, has taken only first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, but he did not need to take a local train to reach college. However, it's not the same for majority of students. As only fully vaccinated people can take locals, many are facing travel issue, he said.

Only practical sessions

Another reason for low attendance on Day 1 is that colleges have decided on restricted entries to avoid crowding. Each college has a separate plan on reopening, and many have decided to wait until Diwali break. Many institutions allowed only science students on campus, for practical classes.

Professor V N Rajasekharan Pillai, provost, Somaiya Vidyavihar, said, "For now, the focus is on students from science stream for practical sessions, and final year students. Our plan is to resume on-campus study entirely by the end of this year. Majority of students want to return, but we have to proceed gradually."

A group of friends sit and chat during a break at Khalsa college

R D National College in Bandra allowed only teaching and non-teaching staff, so they can prepare for the safe return of students on Thursday. A few first and third students showed up at Thane's Dyan Sadhna College. Only first year students were called to R A Podar College in Matunga, but very few turned up.

6 students in MSc class

Ramnarain Ruia College had called only fully vaccinated Masters in Science (MSc) students for lab experiments. Medha Aggarwal, a student, said, "This [fully vaccinated rule] actually instils a sort of trust among us and our parents that everybody in the college is safe. After all, we are returning to campus after so long and even as things are getting better there is anxiety." Her class had only six students on Wednesday, as others haven't been fully immunised yet.

Excited and also nervous

Among the few present on campus, there was a mood of excitement and anxiety, more than the scare of COVID-19. "We were excited to be back, because in biotechnology, it is very important to have hands-on training in laboratories. Moreover, this is our last academic year. Simultaneously, we were all nervous thinking if we still remember our experiments. After all, we have returned after almost two years," said Aggarwal.

Students are back on campus after almost 19 months, at Guru Nanak Khalsa College in Matunga, on Wednesday

However, the excitement of coming back to campus was not restricted to students alone. Professors were also delighted. "Now it feels like college," said Professor K Praveish Aiyar, sore faculty for professional courses at Khalsa college.

Dr Davinderpal Kaur Bhasin, Khalsa college's vice principal and dean of Faculty of Arts, said, "It felt like today was the first day of college for many as I gave directions to students to their respective classes. For many students, who were attending lectures online, this is actually the first day on campus." Meanwhile, H R College in Churchgate is collating students' vaccination data and will reopen post-Diwali break, and Vaze Kelkar College in Mulund plans to wait.