DELHI UNIVERSITY’S 100-YEAR GRAND JOURNEY FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Starting from humble beginnings, the University of Delhi commenced with just two faculties for arts and science, and was attended by 750 students. Hundred years later, the university offers 16 faculties, has 86 departments, and teaches around 1,15,000 undergraduates and 18,000 postgraduates and has added around 1,32,000 regular students in 2022. The university has added roughly 2,54,000 students in a century.
The university which had its foundation laid on 1 May 1922 will mark its 100 year existence in the coming May. To make the centenary celebrations in an eloquent and grand manner, Delhi University will organise different celebratory programmes. The first day of the event will unveil a commemorative stamp and a commemorative coin. Currently, the university is preparing a list of its high profile alumnus, who would participate in the celebrations through different ways.
An official in the University said, “The prestige of the university can be gauged by the fact that the cutoffs are reaching 100% for several programmes. Furthermore,
in more than 90 programmes, the cut-off is above 99%.”
The noteworthy preparations in the wake of the centenary celebrations are the tracking of the University’s alumni and this exercise is being conducted by the alumnus association. The University will figure out around 10 (numbers undecided yet) of its alumni who would be invited to share their inspiring stories during the celebrations. Shyama Rath, Dean Alumnus Association, University of Delhi, said, “The reason that there has been a focus on the alumni is to rejuvenate the history of the University. The idea is to partner with them for the overall progress of the university and its students. By recognising them and felicitating them, we will acknowledge their contribution to society and also initiate a process where they can help the university grow in different ways.” She further added, “Someone who is a professional can help our students by offering them mentorship, or those in business can help employ our youth, our aim is to reconnect them with the university and help our students in every possible way. These celebrations will surely expedite the process of strengthening our association with the alumni.” Moreover, all the 91 colleges that come under the university will track their alumni and make a list of them. Then, each college will choose its alumni who would later be invited to speak during the celebrations to share their success stories.
An official at the university said, “Alumni of a particular college will be invited by the same college at their own level and we (DU) will invite our alumni on our own; so it will be coordinated and cohesive organisation of our 100 years centenary.”
The celebrations will also include a strange activity, known as “centenary chance”. Those students whose studies had remained unfinished will be given a chance to finish their studies so that they can obtain their degrees. Delhi University PRO, Anoop Lather, said, “It’s about a celebration after hundred years, so we will plant hundred trees at different places. For example, we will plant one tree in every college and remaining at other places which would aggregate to 100.” The university has 91 affiliated, recognised and constituent colleges, with two main campuses— South Campus and North Campus.