Reading the title, many of you will be thinking, “I know that!” and many of you will be wondering exactly how. For the ones with “I know that” let’s go back reminiscing with this article (it’s fun remembering the great stuff). Rest, you can find the answer to “how exactly” here!
We all know that Punjab was probably the first state to go under lockdown. Well, not lockdown per se. It was a curfew and all the institutes were ordered to remain closed from 14th to 31st March 2020. This was implemented even before our honourable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi announced the national lockdown.
In addition to the closing of the colleges, the Punjab government advised conducting online classes till then. When most of the universities were waiting for them to reopen, LPU started conducting online classes already. And it was the only reason that we were enjoying the vacation when the students from other institutes were submitting assignments. It was fun teasing my cousins! And I’m sure you must have spent your vacation teasing your cousins or siblings too.
I was at the university till the 27th March 2020 (Yeah! I went home amid nation-wide lockdown. Ah, that special feeling!). So, I got to see the LPU’s management during the pandemic phase. While other universities gave their students immediate notice to go back home, LPU let students stay if they wished so. COVID awareness brief-sessions were organized so that students know what’s true and what’s not, to make them aware of how they can prevent the spread of the virus. The biometrics were turned off. Thermal screening of the people coming inside the campus from outside was being done on regular basis. Door handles were sanitized frequently. 3 times meal was arranged for the off-campus students also. Aren’t these the qualities of a good and caring university? These sure are!
Not just during the initial stages LPU helped its vertos the best it can, but when the COVID-19 was at the peak, then also it left no stones unturned to ensure the safety of the students and every other person residing in the campus. When a positive case came out on the campus, everyone was quarantined. Students were given food in their rooms. Proper questioning and tests in some hostels were done to ensure that no one else got infected. The management took quick actions. Proper arrangements were made to send the students back home, even for the international students.
Then came the news of exams and that led to the starting of the hashtag #ExamsAtLPU. Even before the entire information was released, we released our judgements about LPU via tweets and online petitions. When the Punjab government was praising LPU, we were throwing virtual stones at it. Do you know, many private universities have still put the hold on the previous semester’s exams? Even for the first-year students. They are going to conduct exams for every course when the colleges reopen. If LPU had done the same, we would still be in our first year. Or at least studying in the second year corresponding to the first.
And now, many universities (even government universities) are neglecting the studies of their students but LPU surely isn’t. Many universities are probably going to teach in extreme cold while we get to stay at home as we will have vacations because our semester is running on time! We might be burdened now, but think of it, we might get to rest in the laziest days of the December and January! This is called delayed gratification, and all of this seems to be possible because of the best university, LPU.
P.S. Do you know that LPU ranked as the 6th best private university in India? (Another thing in favour of the title.)
