A MICROCOSM OF THE COUNTRY
Celebrating its centenary anniversary this year, the University of Delhi has progressed from three colleges and 750 books in the library when it was started in 1922 to 90 colleges, 86 teaching departments, and about 650,000 students now. With students now coming to study here from all over the country, it won’t be wrong to say that Delhi University represents a microcosm of India. Talking of hundreds of its illustrious alumni, Prof. Yogesh Singh, vice-chancellor, says, “The University of Delhi has had a critical impact in influencing the policies of independent India.”
The university has also achieved
In DU, learning happens not just inside the classroom, but outside it too PROF. YOGESH SINGH V-C, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
gender diversity with more than 50 per cent women students enrolled in the different courses and programmes. The focus, though, has always been on the holistic development of the students who come to study at the many colleges under the university, offering them opportunities to engage with local, national and global communities.
The Delhi University is also vigorously working towards implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The batch admitted this academic year (2022-23) will follow its guidelines. Admissions to all undergraduate courses this year will be on the basis of the government’s CUET (Common University Entrance Test), to be conducted by the NTA (National Testing Agency). Says Prof. Singh, “Till last year, we were admitting students on the basis of their performance in Class 12. But from this year, it’s going to be based on CUET.”
The pandemic year (2020-21)was a challenge for the university, but it took it in its stride, pulling through enough innovations to ensure that the learning-teaching process continued seamlessly. The university took several digital initiatives such as providing reading material to students through online platforms and conducting online internal assessments and examinations for the first time. About 290,000 students wrote their first OBE (open book examination) in August 2020 and 170,000 students in December 2020.
The university has also been focusing on research, so much so that its H-index (a measure of scholarly output and performance) went up from 197 to 218 in June 2020, one of the best scores among universities in the country. A patent fund has also been set up for the university’s teachers; about 250 patents have been filed so far with some 21 patents granted between 2017 and 2021.