Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) has decisively taken measures on its campus to restore institutional decorum and protect its public image, following the recent incidents of campus vandalism. In a move aimed at controlling the behaviours, the university’s executive council held a high-level meeting at the Nalanda Campus after some serious security lapses occurred, such as the unruly hostel vandalism at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).
The Devi Ahilya Vidyarthi Pledge Form
It is proposed to introduce the Devi Ahilya Vidyarthi Pledge Form from the next academic session as it is mandatory, thereby ensuring accountability right from the first day.
- Joint Signatures: The student and their parent(s) must complete and sign the document at the time of admission.
- Core Undertakings: Students will formally undertake to uphold strict discipline on campus, respect women, live in harmony with their fellow citizens, protect the environment, practice de-addiction, and adopt responsible digital usage in this formal document.
- Character Focus: Council member AK Dwivedi stated that Character building and social responsibility should be the top priority of higher education in today’s digital-driven world, as exposure to social media is on the rise.
Institutional Psychological Support
The council has agreed to appoint a campus psychologist who will be qualified to respond to both students’ and teachers’ emotional distress. Campus indiscipline is often closely related to such emotional distress. This structural mental health integration is seen as an important intervention to help with increasing academic and emotional stress. The on-campus professional will provide active counselling services in a variety of areas:
- Behavioural concerns and emotional outbursts
- Practitioners implement targeted stress management practices.
- Systematic mental health and psychological well-being awareness
- Substance De-Addiction and General Personality Development programs
Enhanced Security Overhauls
As part of psychological and behavioural measures, physical security measures throughout the University campus are being enhanced immediately to prevent future incidents of vandalism:
- Boundary Reinforcement: The University will enhance the boundary wall height of the entire campus to ensure its perimeter.
- Security Guards: The university will systematically deploy more security guards in high-risk areas and at entry points.
- Digital Transitions: The administration is creating a roadmap to help progressively move exam-related processes to a clear online process to reduce friction, decrease manipulation, and improve structural efficiency.
Medal Sponsor Contributions are subject to change
The executive council approved a financial measure to offset market pressures. This could affect the price of goods apart from safety measures. The university has agreed to raise the minimum contribution needed from outside donors to sponsor the symbolic gold and silver medals presented at the annual convocation. A drastic rise in precious metal market rates has made the base manufacturing cost of these honours extremely high. It has led to an exponential movement. Administration officials said that, if it were not corrected immediately, it would cause financial difficulties.
