Grover’s latest: I would have preferred Delhi University over PU for my child

Explaining why city students seem to prefer DU over PU, Prof Grover said, “There is stiff competition there, they have strong colleges and students carry a different tag of being a student of St Stephen’s, Miranda, Sri Ram, Ramjas and so on. Their campus has a different character, their colleges are an integral part of the university, which is why our own students prefer DU.”

[related-post]

But Prof Grover also pointed out that there are certain things that PU scores on, including the faculty. “Secondly, we have close proximity to the national labs, hospitals, hostels and paying guest facilities. DU cannot do
this easily.”

Recalling his own student days, he said what made him choose Panjab University was its infrastructure.

“At that time, PU was offering a single room for its students and that room was just five-minutes walking distance from my department.”

Now, he said, “we have lost that spacious infrastructure. We do not have adequate space to accommodate students, then why will the students from outstation areas prefer PU?”

Prof Grover also said one way to make the PU a favoured destination for the students across the country is to work on the infrastructure.

He said, “Our agenda at the State Higher Education Council will be infrastructure. We have to see how our alumni can contribute towards the varsity’s development and be able to offer a room to each student and adequate accommodation for over 4,000 research scholars. Once these things are done, this place will be richer.”

City-based students and parents also believe that DU is a preferred choice for toppers. Students who had secured over 95 per cent marks in this year’s Class XII exams have already made a beeline for seats at DU and are eagerly waiting for DU to release the first cut-off list on June 20.

“The concept of DU vs PU should not even exist. It is, anytime, DU. Firstly, it is a central university, it gives you better exposure and because of high cut-offs, you get to meet better students and above all, the best campus life. Although our government colleges are ‘A’ graded, they cannot be compared with Daulat Ram College, Kirori Mal, Sri Ram or Khalsa College,” said Shifali, who scored 95.8 per cent in Class XII and is hoping to get an admission in any DU colleges in North Campus.

The president of the Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA), Rajat Sandhir, said the first choice of the toppers is always DU, instead of PU.

“One thing about DU that attracts students is the higher competition level and the exposure that one gets there,”
added Sandhir.