Delhi University (DU) administration is facing a piquant situation as a group of about six students have forced them to keep the Central Library open by staying put in the library beyond the closing hours. The University Librarian has written to the university administration umpteen times about the issue.
The chief librarian has sought Proctorial intervention as a law and order situation is developing in and around the Central Library for last two months. One of the students, who regularly stays late at night in the library, had even torn the official notice of library timings and has put his own notice saying “library is open 24×7”.When contacted, the Proctor said they were doing whatever they could do and issue is being addressed.
Following the demand by National Student’s Union of India (NSUI) led Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for a 24×7 opening of the library, a meeting of student representatives and university officials was held on February 27. It was agreed in the meeting to increase the library timings by one-and-half hour at night. After which the main reading hall at the ground floor of the Central Library officially remains open from 8.30 am to 10 pm from Monday to Saturday while on Sundays and Holidays from 9 am to 6 pm.
According to reliable sources, a report submitted by an official of the library stated that he faced “resistance” and “threat” from a student identified as Raja Chaudhary and his group while supervising the closure of central library at 10 pm on March 12.
According to the official sources, just before the closing time, Chaudhary allegedly instigated others to defy the closure of the library and to continue to occupy the reading hall. The lights were put off by staff, but they refused to budge and have been switching lights on themselves.DUSU president Rocky Tuseed said that the Vice-Chancellor has no answer to the question that why library should not remain open round-the-clock, if students want to sit and study there.
“If private libraries can remain open round-the-clock, why not the university library? No less than 50 students want to study at night and hence we demand that library should remain open in the night also,” said Tuseed.
