Delhi University has more to offer than mere studies

Updated on: Friday, June 15, 2012

Students leaving school and stepping into college generally feel that they are leaving behind a whole range of activities that their school had to offer like super-competitive basketball games, even more competitive choir competitions and umpteen other activities that once defined their whole existence.They are in for a surprise as colleges have a lot of activities apart from studies where students with the right inclination can involve themselves.

St. Stephen's College teacher Karen Gabrielle, said, “We have the debating society, the English literary society, the fine arts society, the hiking club, the photography society, the wildlife society and a history society among many others. All these societies have a staff advisor and the remaining members are students.”

She added that their winter fest, their annual Shakespeare stage production and the annual music competition was something the students looked forward to every year.

“Throughout the year there is always something going on, there are no restrictions for any student on the number of activities but there is so much going on in each society that a student can manage a maximum of four,” she said.

St. Stephen's College has its own admission procedure that is set apart from the university. Its application form asks whether you have any interest in a particular activity but there is no separate ECA quota. However, this can work to your advantage.

“Every student is welcome to any activity, provided there is some sort of demonstrative skill and instinct in the student,” said Ms. Gabrielle.

Ramjas College is, however, most proud of its debating team.

Cultural Coordinator and Botany teacher Madhumitha Banerjee, said, “Our debating society has been winning constantly at almost every inter-college debate for the past five years. It is the most popular activity among our students.” She further added that they have an extra curricular activities (ECA) quota that required concrete proof of past achievements to be eligible to apply in addition to passing the college trials.

However, she said that there are plenty of opportunities for students with no background in the any of the college's popular activities like music, dramatics and debate among others.

“ Some of our best students in the past who have won several competitions for us, have been those who have never taken part in anything in school,” she said, adding that the college will be taking auditions for several activities within a few weeks into the new term and that the interested student must remain alert for dates and such.

Another college that does not have an ECA quota is the Shri Ram College of Commerce which, they say, works to the advantage of the student as everybody is at an equal footing and eligible to compete.

Cultural Co-ordinator and English professor S. K. Choudhury, said, “The dramatic festival, ‘Histrionica,' with its series of stage and street plays is a big hit every year. The ‘Shri Ram Debating Festival' is another traditional event with Parliamentary, spot and conventional debates. This goes back several years and usually happens around February.”

“However, since we are a commerce college we have specific events like the annual college festival, ‘cross-routes' which has a week-long business conclave where industry leaders speak and there are business quizzes and games.” The college's commerce and economics societies are the most coveted as are the foreign programmes that allow students to travel to countries like Japan, Australia and the Netherlands to compete.

Miranda House, with a host of activities like debate, dramatics and fine arts has an ECA quota and the last date of applying being June 30 by 1 p.m.

“The trials will be held on July 4 and 5, with admissions scheduled for July 6 and 7,” said Principal Prathiba Jolly.

ECA and sports forms are being sold in almost every college of the university, save a few that do not have quotas.
Sale of forms dips

With only five more days to go, the sale of application forms at Delhi University dipped to 5,000 on Wednesday. The last date for applying is June 18.

“This is not counting online sales of 4,000 forms,” said Dean of Students' Welfare Prof. J.M. Khurana, adding that over all online sales so far had touched 22,000.

Interestingly, ever since the sale of application forms opened on June 4, more than one lakh copies have been sold for the 54,000 seats that are available in the university.

Delhi University has more to offer than mere studies

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