This story is from September 18, 2016

Take note: DU students can now get chapters from textbooks photocopied

Students say they depend on notes not only because the books are expensive, but also because all the books are not available in the market.
Take note: DU students can now get chapters from textbooks photocopied
Photocopy shops compile the relevant bits from different books and sell them in a bundle, saving students’ time and effort (BCCL)
On Friday, the Delhi High Court lifted a ban on Rameshwari Photocopy Service located near Delhi School of Economics in North Campus – the shop was barred from issuing copies of chapters from textbooks of three international publishers: University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor & Francis. The court had banned the shop on a petition by these publishers which claimed the shop was violating their copyright by issuing photocopies of chapters from their books and causing losses to the publishers.
Students say they depend on notes not only because the books are expensive, but also because all the books are not available in the market.
Getting books from the library can also be difficult, so students tell us it is more convenient for them to get the chapters photocopied.
D.U. mein notes pehla aur aakhri sahara hota hai
Nisha Das, a second year Sociology (hons) student from Delhi School of Economics, says, "Our library does not have many copies of books, so we take bundles of photocopies. If we order a book from outside, it takes weeks to reach us. These shops, on the other hand, get us the photocopies sooner. We get a whole pack from them within an hour. They also know our curriculum better than us, so they already have sets prepared for us. PDFs are available but you need to study from hard copies, that is why photocopies are better."
Vanisha Kakwani, BSc third year, (Development Communication and Extension) student from Lady Irwin College says, "DU mein classes mein kaun jata hai? Notes pehla aur aakhri sahara hota hai, we do not buy books at all. Students in DU start studying 15 days before the exams, usse zyada koi nahi padta. Agar koi padaku bhi hai toh woh bhi bas ek month pehle padta hai, ab uske liye itni mehengi books lene ka kya matlab hai?"
Garima Tandon, a third year Polticial Science (Hons) student from
Gargi College says that notes are simply a more feasible option. "Most of the time, the books that we are expected to study are given to us by our teachers. They usually give the books to the class representative who gets them photocopied for the rest of the students. Our fees aren’t more than `8000, how can you expect us to buy books for `5000? The court order has come as a relief to the students."
Anjalee Yadav, a third year student of English (Hons) from Miranda House, adds, "Agar ye ban nahi remove hota toh humari toh sari pocket money chali jati. It is not always convenient to read from PDFs, har jagah laptop leke nahi ja sakte na. Notes se padna easy hota hai."
Photocopy is cheap and convenient
Students also say that it is not always possible to take pictures from phones of the books that are not available in the market. “These books are already expensive, and then our teachers tell us to buy the newest edition which sometimes is neither available in the library nor in the market. And when the book isn’t available in the market, we can’t even click it’s pages and study from there. Photocopies are cheap, and plus when the books are unavailable, photocopying is the best solution. When you need to study and the book is not available in the market, you cannot wait for the book store to procure it. Nobody is using these books for commercial purposes, so I don’t think there is anything wrong in photocopying them,” says Vasudha Bassi, a third year student of BCom (Hons) from SRCC.
Abhishek Singh Kadian, a third year Economics (Hons) student from St Stephen’s College, says that it gets difficult to read different chapters from different books, so it is better to get a photocopied version which has everything compiled together. "We are students who look at each other when it’s time to pay the bill when we go out to eat, so it is not always feasible for us to buy the books of these international publishers. These photocopy shops usually have a set prepared in advance that cost around `120. We study two chapters from one book and two from another and these photocopy shops can get you one compiled set very easily. Nobody is using it as a competition against these sellers, we are consuming it as students."
Buying books for only six months is a waste of money
With the semester system in place, DU students think that buying books only for six months is waste of money. "We don’t buy books, especially the ones by international publishers. Nobody prefers to buy these books and if someone does, then everyone takes the book from the person and gets it photocopied. It is actually a waste of money to buy a book for six months," says Shalagha Jindal, a third year English (Hons) student of Hans Raj College.
If they want us to read books, they should reduce the price
Books by international sellers are more expensive, and that’s one more reason for the students to opt for photocopies instead. Anjalee asks, "We buy books that are available at nominal prices. We live in PGs, how can you expect us to buy a book which costs more than `800?"
Others also suggest that the publishers should lower down the prices keeping the target audience in mind. "If they want us to buy their books, then they should reduce the prices," says Vanisha.
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