A year of firsts for DU

The last academic year was a roller-coaster ride for the graduating batch of Delhi University (DU) students. Among other things, students from this batch had enrolled in a four year programme, but DU had other plans for them. Just like the FYUP (Four Year Undergraduate Programme), the last academic year was a year of many firsts for DU students, be it the unconventional (yet quite characteristic) fashion show held in LSR that highlighted gender issues, or male students walking in heels on Women’s Day.
Hans Raj gets its first ever woman principal
In the 67-year history of Hans Raj College, which was once an all-boys college, only men have occupied the office of the principal.Which is why when Rama Sharma took over from the last principal, VK Kawatra, it was a very big deal. “Log surprise ho gaye thay. I’ve been part of this institution for the last 25 years and know how the place works. But there was one problem. The staff and students had a habit of saying, ‘Yes, sir’. It took me some time to make them say, ‘Yes, ma’am,” laughs Sharma.
unprecedented crowd to see srk get his degree, and hrc’s first graduation dinner
Since Sharma joined as the acting principal, there have been many changes in Hans Raj. “Before the fest, Shah Rukh Khan visited our campus to collect his degree. His visit saw the maximum number of people that HRC had ever witnessed – between 5,000 and 10,000 people turned up. Our student union handled it well, so it gave us confidence that they can manage events as big as that one,” says Sharma. “I told them only one thing – discipline mein koi dikkat nahin honi chahiye. Aur uss din barish bhi ho gayi, students ke liye rain dance bhi ho gaya!” says Sharma.
Another happy first for many, including the alumni of the college, was the graduation dinner that was organised for the first time. “I was the ECA (extra-curricular activities) convener before being appointed the acting principal, and a graduation dinner was a demand that many students had. It was a genuine request, because students tend to forget their teachers and classes, but not major events like fests and graduation dinners.”
READ ALSO: When Shah Rukh Khan's presence created madness at Hansraj College
‘We’re the first and last batch of the FYUP!’
It was after a great deal of strife and tumult that DU implemented the FYUP course for the batch graduating this year. But when it rolled back the course, there was a lot of confusion and apprehension – and also a lot of relief, especially when it came to attendance. “A student must have at least 75% attendance at the end of any semester, but my attendance never went above 4%. We were the coolest batch as far as attendance was concerned. I would tell my seniors and juniors that they would have to beg for attendance, but we (being the first and last batch under FYUP) needn’t worry about it,” says Minali, a third year student of Hans Raj College (HRC).
On being asked if she skipped classes taken by professors she disliked, Neelakshi from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College says, “We had a lot of boring foundation courses that we were expected to attend, but we had the option of not attending many of these classes.”
Minali adds, “I’m from a commerce course, and because of the foundation courses, we were being taught topics that we learnt in Class II all over again. I never liked these subjects – that’s why I took B.Com (Hons) – but FYUP brought all those haunting memories of science and history back.”
READ ALSO: HEELS HURT, MAN!
Guys wore heels on women’s day
It wasn’t just Arjun Kapoor who surprised everyone by dancing in heels in Ki & Ka. On Women’s Day, male members of the campus organisation Education Tree walked in heels and sandals in DU to support women and promote gender equality. “Men literally and metaphorically walked in women’s shoes to support gender equality. It was about men taking a stand,” said Smriti Singhal, director and co-founder, Education Tree.
“Some men were really excited about the walk. They bought heels only for this event! Some were shy, but they completed the walk to support the initiative. A group of students also joined us during the walk, while some others came just to see men walking in heels,” she adds.
LSR’s first fashion event a gender-bender:
Lady Shri Ram College organized an unconventional fashion show, their first, at Tarang, the college’s annual fest. It wasn’t like anything you expect at a regular fashion show, but then the college does pride itself on not being conventional. “It wasn’t meant to be a fashion show. We called it ‘Anarchia – Breaking Stereotypes’, and many teams used fashion as a means to subvert stereotypes. We wanted to show how performing arts can change the way we look at things,” says Manmeet, coordinator of the Women’s Development Cell of LSR. She adds, “Shivaji College used fashion to highlight sexual harassment, and made men dress as women to address the issue.”
It wasn’t just Arjun Kapoor who surprised everyone by dancing in heels in Ki & Ka. On Women’s Day, male members of the campus organisation Education Tree walked in heels and sandals in DU to support women and promote gender equality. “Men literally and metaphorically walked in women’s shoes to support gender equality. It was about men taking a stand,” said Smriti Singhal, director and co-founder, Education Tree.
“Some men were really excited about the walk. They bought heels only for this event! Some were shy, but they completed the walk to support the initiative. A group of students also joined us during the walk, while some others came just to see men walking in heels,” she adds.

SRCC’s Business Conclave goes international
The Business Conclave, an annual three-day management festival by the prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce, went international in 2016 when David Plouffe, former senior advisor and campaign manager for Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential campaign, spoke on the third day of the conclave. “This was the first time he attended a college fest at DU, and his speech was very inspiring. Along with him, we invited politicians like Nitin Gadkari (Minister of Road Transport and Highways), Nirmala Sitharaman (Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry), actor Rishi Kapoor and cricketer Suresh Raina,” says Aakash Mehta, president of the student union at SRCC.