What About Jobs? How Jamia Shutdown Mars Career Opportunities For Students

The announcement by the Jamia Millia Islamia administration to close down the University in view of the tense law and order situation following a police crackdown on campus has hampered the plans of many students to find jobs and internships during the winter break. A number of students had been preparing for job and internship interviews during the winter break. But they will now have to return to their homes in other states as they are not allowed to stay in the varsity hostels anymore and anxious parents are not letting them stay by themselves in rented accommodation. Naseer and Warsi, who are pursuing Masters of Computer Applications, had bagged internship offers at a company but as the University has been closed till January 5 next year, they will have to leave for their homes in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi.

Naseer told PTI that the University administration has unofficially advised the students not to stay in the campus hostel for security reasons. They wanted to take a room on rent in a nearby area but their parents did not allow them, fearing for their security. For Atta Ur Rahman, who is pursuing Masters in Physics at the University, incidents of the past few days were nothing short of a disaster.

Rahman was short-listed for a teaching job at a private institute and had to give trial classes for 15 days before getting the job. He had planned to utilise this entire winter break at his much-needed job. The University's winter break was earlier scheduled from December 26 to January 5. After Saturday's incident, the University cancelled examinations scheduled to be held from December 16 to 21 and declared holidays from December 15 to January 5.

Science undergraduate student Shaista said she will have to leave the women's hostel and go home in UP's Bijnore. Shaista said it is not safe to stay in the hostel for now and her father is coming here to take her home, though she will have to wait for him outside the campus.

MSc student Shahil Mohammad said he gives tuition classes to students from nearby areas to meet his daily expenses but due to recent incidents on the campus he is compelled to go back home. "This will not only affect the children I teach but will also hamper my studies," Mohammad said.

Meanwhile, rumour mills are working overtime in Jamia area. Since Monday morning people were misinformed twice that metro trains were not halting at the Jamia station, students said. Those who were leaving the campus for their home faced problems due to this misinformation. They said rumours were also spread in the area about casualties in the police action against protesting students. The Vice-Chancellor of the University Najma Akhtar said that no student was killed in the police action and appealed the students to not believe rumours.

Registrar AP Siddiqui said official information is being provided to students on campus regarding metro timings and other necessities. He said officials from the University talked to Delhi Police and freed more than 50 students from their custody. Former IIT professor V K Tripathi appealed to students and local residents outside Jamia Metro station to maintain peace and be patient.