India : DU College Principal Applies Cow Dung on Classroom Wall, Says it is ‘Desi Solution’ to Beat the Heat
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
The move has been criticised by a section of the faculty.
The principal of Delhi University’s Lakshmibai College was seen applying cow dung on the walls of a classroom, terming it a “desi solution” to heat-related complaints.
The video of the event was shared by Pratyush Vatsala, the principal, on the WhatsApp group of the college’s faculty, reported Indian Express.
“Desi methods are being adopted to address complaints about the heat in C Block. Those who have classes here will soon receive these rooms in a new form. Efforts are underway to make your teaching experience more comfortable,” Vatsala wrote on the group.
In the images and videos circulated on the group, Vatsala is seen standing on a chair, applying cow dung to the walls of a room in C Block. The college staff is seen assisting the principal.
“It is part of the research proposal by faculty called the ‘Study of Heat Stress Control by Using Traditional Indian Knowledge,’” said Vatsala.
The move has been criticised by a section of the faculty.
“Basic infrastructure facilities must be addressed seriously. How can one start making changes to classrooms without passing it in the Council? Just because a classroom is old doesn’t mean its infrastructure and maintenance can be ignored. The facilities in our college need urgent attention,” said Neelam, academic council (AC) member and associate professor at the college.
Reference Link:- https://thewire.in/education/du-college-principal-applies-cow-dung-on-classroom-wall-says-it-is-desi-solution-to-beat-the-heat
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
