Offline classes will commence at the Darjeeling Hills University (DHU) for the first time starting April 9 at the ITI building in Mungpoo — a temporary campus of the varsity set up by the state.

Sujata Rani Rai, an associate professor in Nepali at the Darjeeling Government College, who assumed the post of the acting registrar of the DHU on March 11, said: “Offline or physical classes will commence for the 100-odd third semester students of the varsity from Monday to Saturday, between 10am to 3pm. As of now, there are only 100 students at the varsity as no new admissions were made last year. Students of every department will be able to attend these classes.”

She mentioned that in due course, students of other semesters would also get the facility to attend the physical classes. “We will start admissions for the new session in July, after declaration of the results of fourth and fifth semesters,” Rai added.

Teachers posted at the Darjeeling Government College and North Bengal University will take the classes. Also, requests have been sent to teachers of other hill institutions like Kurseong College, Southfield College and North Point College by the DHU authorities to take the classes.

For the students, the varsity has found few accommodations with the help of five local NGOs in Mungpoo. “Students and teachers can stay in these places,” said a source.

In 2018, the state had passed the bill to set up the varsity. However, it still lacks infrastructure, administrative officials and faculty members. As of now, postgraduate courses in six subjects — English, history, mass communication, mathematics, Nepali and political science — are taught at the DHU.

The state, in consultation with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, has decided that the varsity will come up on a 25-acre plot at Jogighat near Mungpoo, located around 50km from Siliguri. The state has provided Rs 33 crores for construction of the varsity building.

Hashim Ansari, a student of the history department, said attending physical classes without having hostels means additional expenditure for them. “There is no hostel facility and room rents are quite high in Mungpoo. A student has to pay around Rs 4,000 a month to get a room on rent and a paying guest accommodation costs around Rs 8,000.