Day 1 at DU: Selfie with seniors, lunch treats help break ice

New Delhi, Jul 20: Gone are the days of singing, dancing or making juniors squat during the 'prohibited' ragging sessions, "selfie with seniors" is the new idea of breaking the ice with their superior batches for Delhi University freshers.

It wasn't just the seniors that freshers were seen clicking selfies with, university Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh also posed for selfies with excited students.

Joyous, well dressed and anxious, students flocked to their respective colleges as the academic session at DU began today.

While the officials claim that UGC guidelines of prohibition of ragging on campuses in any form have yielded good results to exercise a control in recent years, the seniors feel there is no harm in having healthy ice-breaking sessions with the freshers.

Recalling his experience as a fresher at St Stephen's college, the VC told PTI, "One tradition my college had was to address the seniors as sir. I failed to adhere to this tradition by choice and a senior labelled me angrily as a 'goonda'.

But gradually we became good friends and continue to be so". Seniors at Ramjas College treated their juniors with an elaborate spread for lunch at the decked-up campus, a perfect backdrop for selfies while pizza treats were on offer at Aryabhatta College in South Campus.

Welcoming freshers with yellow roses, senior students at Hindu college wanted their freshers to tweet every half an hour about their day one on campus. "Our so-called ragging involved tweeting live about our first day in college.

The pictures posted will remain memories and a collage of them will grace the wall of the reception. Now that's an interesting way to rag!" said Priyanshi Bidhuri, a fresher at Hindu College.

A professor who is heading the anti-ragging squad at the college said, "We are strictly monitoring the students to avoid any prohibited activity on campus.

There is nothing wrong in interacting and sharing good humour but no untoward action will be taken lightly."

Ridhima Mehta, a student at Kirori Mal college said, "I was asked by a group of seniors to introduce myself in "ucch Hindi"..I think I fairly managed".

PTI