Preface
The
University of Delhi was established in 1922. Some
of its colleges are even older. Over this period, which
spans more than a century, it has made an enormous
contribution to higher education. From the beginning, a
strong commitment to excellence in teaching and research
has made it a role-model and path-setter for Universities
in India. Its rich academic tradition has always attracted
the most talented students who have made many important
contributions to society later in life.
The University of Delhi is
the largest University in India and perhaps among the
largest in the world. It has more than 300,000 students
and about 8,000 teachers. There are 78 Colleges
largely for undergraduate students and 84 Departments
mostly for postgraduate students. The University
Departments are in the two campuses: North and South.
But the colleges, including those that are engaged in
professional courses, are spread across the megacity. The
courses available range from classical disciplines in
Sciences and Arts through professional courses in
Engineering, Medicine and Law to new disciplines such as
Life Sciences and Information Technology. The faculty
consists of distinguished academics of national and
international repute.
It needs to be said that
just as Delhi is the capital for India, the University of
Delhi is an educational institution for the nation.
Students have always come here from different parts of the
country. On completion of their studies, they have left it
richer for the knowledge. Indeed, they are at the
forefront in most fields of endeavor. The University of
Delhi is conscious about its responsibility to the nation
at large, as the students of today will shape our future
tomorrow. Academic excellence is our fundamental
objective. Yet, we also endeavor to make our students good
citizens of civil society.
We have a vision for the
University of Delhi as an institution that is dedicated to
excellence in teaching and research and to promoting in
its students genuine scholarship and responsible
citizenship. Our object is to make our campuses more
interesting, more open and more friendly, where students
feel comfortable and nurtured in their learning
experience. We want to reconcile the apparently
conflicting demands of educating large numbers and
maintaining high standards.
Universities are unique. For
their blend of an academic peer community and energetic
young minds, makes them powerhouses of ideas and catalysts
of change. We wish to reassert that, as teachers and
students of the University, together we determine the
future, and even if something is wrong today or even if
everything is not right tomorrow, we must collectively
strive to ensure that the future is better than the
present.
In moving towards this
vision, academic reforms are at the centre of our
endeavor. We have sought to strengthen the
teaching-learning process, in particular through the
introduction of internal assessment. This has been
reinforced by a restructuring of curricula. Undergraduate
programmes, which had not been changed for decades, have
been restructured. Several new courses have been
introduced. In a world characterized by rapidly expanding
frontiers of knowledge, such change is imperative. This
academic renaissance must be supported by the requisite
infrastructure, which we have sought to provide through
special efforts at resource mobilization.
The University of Delhi
means different things to different people. For it is only
natural that every person sees it through the prism of his
or her eyes. Therefore, it is important to present a
complete picture of the University, in its different
dimensions, for all.
This book about the
University of Delhi addresses this need. It seeks to
provide some essential information, which is often
difficult to find in one place: on the history of the
University, the structure of its governance, its
Faculties, Departments and Colleges, the undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes, the admissions processes, the
facilities for students, the available infrastructure,
Honours and recognitions received by faculty members, and
a brief description of its distinguished alumni. This
compendium of facts is also meant to serve as a source of
authentic information. It should be valuable for a wide
range of readers: interested visitors, prospective
students, new faculty members, incoming students and even
members of the university community. We also hope to reach
those in the world outside who want to learn something
about the University of Delhi.
This endeavor began life on
a modest note as an idea worth pursuit. From conception
through design to implementation, it has been a long
journey. In the early stages, a committee made up of
Professor Sampat Tandon, Professor Vijaya Verma and
Professor Shyam Menon thought about its structure and
contents. Several other colleagues, too numerous to
mention, helped at different stages. Most of the burden of
work, however, was borne by Professor Vijaya S. Verma,
Dean Planning. On behalf of the University of Delhi, I
would like to thank him for his tireless effort, complete
dedication and admirable enthusiasm. This book would not
have been possible without him.