It?s party time?

POST-SEMESTER EXAM holidays are over and the hostellers are back. The juniors are eagerly looking forward to fresher parties, which would not only have loads of fun but also give them a chance to mingle with the seniors without any fear of ragging. The preparations for these are in full swing. 

January and February are the months when most of the fresher parties are held. The parties in which hostellers as well as day scholars participate are usually organised on a massive scale at a hotel or resort while those, which are hosted in hostels, are mostly on a small scale. But the hostel parties have a charm of their own.

Day scholars have to face seniors’ bullying only in the class or out on the campus, but hostellers are not so fortunate as they have to face the high handedness of seniors at the hostel almost all the time.

However, the common factor between the above two types of parties is that juniors fund the expenses, try to humour seniors in several different ways and finally depart happily as friends.

The hostel fresher parties are different in one important way as they always end the bitterness, if any exists, between the juniors and seniors.

All in vain…
THE UNIVERSITY is trying really hard to break the jinx linked to the mobile eye treatment van that has been lying unused for nearly six years. The van is a state-of-the-art Mercedes eye unit on wheels costing upwards of Rs 1 crore. It is equipped with three operation tables in a sterilized and air-conditioned chamber. The van was donated in 2001 by Dr Arnold from UK with the hope that it would be used for the benefit of the rural poor by the university.

But quite unluckily before the van could be made operational Dr Bharat Chhaparwal who was the Vice-Chancellor at that time and who had played a pivotal role in attracting the donation, left the post.

The van got stuck in a quagmire of controversy when many staked their claim to run it. The medical college said that it was in a better position to run the van because it could provide trained doctors.

Averse to the idea of losing its priced possession to a college, the varsity entrusted the responsibility of running the van to a private hospital. The decision taken in great haste flopped amidst rising protests. Ever since then van has been lying unused at the same spot for the past several years.

Now earnest efforts are being made to run the van on a regular basis across the State to materialize the dream of serving those living in remote areas.

The University has therefore, decided for a gala opening by organising the first camp. However, the project seems to have run into rough weather. The donor doctor was supposed to come for a few days later this month but fell sick at the last moment. The Chancellor and Governor is also unwell and chances of a grand opening seem remote at the moment despite the strong will expressed this time by the varsity to operate the van.

Of bets and boasts…
Students these days can be seen openly betting and boasting in groups. Groups of law students can be seen hurrying towards their college braving the winter chill in the morning just to recall what they had penned during their exam. Answer sheets are being shown for the first time at the college and the students by depositing a nominal fee can see their masterpiece and in the process discuss it over with friends.

The perusal of copies is preceded by bets on tall claims. Many students having received fewer marks than their expectation vouch for their proficiency and the incompetence of the examiner. At the end of the day large groups can be seen enjoying snacks at the cafeteria or local joint, thanks to their bragging friends.
adityasinghparmar@hindustantimes.com-