Ready for the Future

DELHI UNIVERSITY

Bhagat Singh was imprisoned here, the Gandhi- Irwin pact was signed in the next room and Lord Mountbatten proposed to his wife in the gardens outside. You are standing in history itself,” enthuses Dinesh Singh, the vice- chancellor ( VC) of Delhi University ( DU), referring to his office, which used to be the viceroy’s residence. A group of 20 research scholars of geology and zoology listen eagerly.

An e- learning portal. Joint degrees with selected varsities. Mix- and- match courses. No wonder all roads lead to Delhi.

They’ve been given a break from the lab, for an unexpected afternoon of kaju barfi, coffee and conversation with Singh. Traditionally, VCS have been aloof from students, focusing more on planning and administration, but Singh is trying to make deans and department heads accessible to students.

Delhi University is keeping pace with the capital it’s situated in. Instead of relying on class notes and photocopies passed down generations, today, with the click of a mouse, students can access pre- recorded lectures in 12 courses on the university’s e- learning portal. By July, more courses, e- lessons, virtual experiment labs and e- quizzes will also be made available. “Before I leave office in 2019, I will ensure that every classroom in every college of DU is equipped with an LCD projector and a laptop. We have excellent faculty and I want students to be able to access the diversity of this university sitting in just one classroom. Imagine a time when a