‘If it wasn't for this quota…': How a unique DU provision has opened the doors to a ‘dream college' for several women
For as long as she can remember, Darshani Sengar, a 19-year-old from Pune, had been clear about where she wanted to go for college: Miranda House in Delhi University.
But as CUET results were announced in 2024, she was disappointed to learn she had not made the cut-off. What made it worse was that she had lost the chance by a single mark; she scored 782 instead of 783, which she needed for her subjects under the general category.
But then, she stumbled upon a DU video on YouTube about the Single Girl-Child (SGC) quota that was introduced in 2023. And a few weeks later, Darshani entered the portals of Miranda House, finally living her long-cherished dream.
'If it wasn't for this quota, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get into my first preference. I still remember my first day at Miranda House, I socialised with many people in the induction programme and also painted a mural, which is now hung on the college walls,' she says.
Darshani is not the only one.
From a South Delhi girl who could not complete her CUET paper due to an exam glitch to a teenager from West Bengal whose parents were reluctant to send her to the Capital, several female students securing admission under the SGC quota say the provision was a lifesaver.
A first-year Political Science (Hons) student at Miranda House, Darshani says, 'I got my first preference because of this quota. Otherwise, Miranda House would've been out of reach.'
Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior official explains the rationale behind the quota: 'Our country believes in Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. If we educate a girl, we educate an entire family. The aim is to provide an opportunity to single girl children from all backgrounds.'
To apply for the quota, all applicants are required to submit an affidavit proving they are a single-girl child, says Darshani, whose father serves in the Maharashtra Police, while her mother is a homemaker.
The supernumerary quota reserves seats across courses for single-girl children based on merit. According to data from DU's admissions office, 849 students were admitted under this quota in the 2024-25 academic session. This marks a tangible increase from 764 students admitted under the quota in the previous session. It is learnt that the quota will also be introduced for postgraduate admissions this year.
For Anvi Mansharamani, 18, a student from South Delhi, the SGC quota turned what she thought was an impossible dream into reality: admission to Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC).
'I always dreamt of studying at SRCC, but during my CUET exam, there were technical glitches — the test started 15 minutes late, and I couldn't finish the paper. I thought SRCC was out of the question,' she says.
But with the SGC quota, Mansharamani secured a seat in her first choice, where she is now pursuing B.A. (Hons) Economics.
All she wants now is to 'prove herself'. Says the Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj, alumnus, 'Although I was excited, entering SRCC was intimidating — all the toppers from various schools are here. I felt extra pressure entering through a quota, so I worked twice as hard to manage both academics and extracurricular activities.'
Shreya Biswas, 19, from West Bengal's Durgapur, had long dreamed of pursuing engineering at an IIT or NIT. But after narrowly missing the JEE Advanced cutoff, she thought her academic year would be wasted. That changed when the SGC quota enabled her admission to Hindu College for BSc (Hons) Physics.
'My father is an engineer and my mother a retired professor. They always wanted me to pursue engineering, but I was clear about my love for physics. Luckily, this quota helped me get into Hindu College. It was the prestige of the college that helped me convince my parents to come to Delhi,' she says.
Like Shreya, Darshani also had some convincing to do with her parents. 'They were initially very scared to send me to Delhi because of its reputation regarding women's safety. But, we are slowly adjusting,' she says.
For Lakshita Pasricha, 19, from Northwest Delhi, the quota helped reclaim her academic future after a 'difficult year'. 'Coming to North Campus was a dream. I got into Ramjas College, but because of this quota, I managed to get Hindu College,' says Lakshita, who wanted to pursue MBBS after clearing NEET.
'The NEET 'scam' and rank inflation last year slimmed down my chances. I was very depressed after that, but this quota came to my rescue,' she says.
Now pursuing a BSc (Hons) in Botany, Lakshita has been participating in research projects in Chemistry and Botany in her college, and hopes to pursue a career in research.
For Shreya, the quota offers crucial support for girls seeking to follow their academic passion. 'This is very helpful for girls who want to fight for their choice of education.'
Darshani echoes similar sentiments. 'Delhi is a city of opportunity, and coming to Miranda House is a dream come true. I'm fortunate that my parents believe in educating me — but many girls don't have this privilege. In families where boys are prioritised, this quota will be a game changer.'
Darshani, though, feels that more needs to be done for female students. 'One issue is that there is no hostel accommodation reserved for SGC quota students — allotment is on a first-come, first-served basis. I think fee concessions should also be considered for this category as many female students who cannot afford to study in DU might miss out on the opportunity due to money constraints,' she tells The Indian Express.
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Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘If it wasn't for this quota…': How a unique DU provision has opened the doors to a ‘dream college' for several women
For as long as she can remember, Darshani Sengar, a 19-year-old from Pune, had been clear about where she wanted to go for college: Miranda House in Delhi University. But as CUET results were announced in 2024, she was disappointed to learn she had not made the cut-off. What made it worse was that she had lost the chance by a single mark; she scored 782 instead of 783, which she needed for her subjects under the general category. But then, she stumbled upon a DU video on YouTube about the Single Girl-Child (SGC) quota that was introduced in 2023. And a few weeks later, Darshani entered the portals of Miranda House, finally living her long-cherished dream. 'If it wasn't for this quota, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get into my first preference. I still remember my first day at Miranda House, I socialised with many people in the induction programme and also painted a mural, which is now hung on the college walls,' she says. Darshani is not the only one. From a South Delhi girl who could not complete her CUET paper due to an exam glitch to a teenager from West Bengal whose parents were reluctant to send her to the Capital, several female students securing admission under the SGC quota say the provision was a lifesaver. A first-year Political Science (Hons) student at Miranda House, Darshani says, 'I got my first preference because of this quota. Otherwise, Miranda House would've been out of reach.' Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior official explains the rationale behind the quota: 'Our country believes in Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. If we educate a girl, we educate an entire family. The aim is to provide an opportunity to single girl children from all backgrounds.' To apply for the quota, all applicants are required to submit an affidavit proving they are a single-girl child, says Darshani, whose father serves in the Maharashtra Police, while her mother is a homemaker. The supernumerary quota reserves seats across courses for single-girl children based on merit. According to data from DU's admissions office, 849 students were admitted under this quota in the 2024-25 academic session. This marks a tangible increase from 764 students admitted under the quota in the previous session. It is learnt that the quota will also be introduced for postgraduate admissions this year. For Anvi Mansharamani, 18, a student from South Delhi, the SGC quota turned what she thought was an impossible dream into reality: admission to Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC). 'I always dreamt of studying at SRCC, but during my CUET exam, there were technical glitches — the test started 15 minutes late, and I couldn't finish the paper. I thought SRCC was out of the question,' she says. But with the SGC quota, Mansharamani secured a seat in her first choice, where she is now pursuing B.A. (Hons) Economics. All she wants now is to 'prove herself'. Says the Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj, alumnus, 'Although I was excited, entering SRCC was intimidating — all the toppers from various schools are here. I felt extra pressure entering through a quota, so I worked twice as hard to manage both academics and extracurricular activities.' Shreya Biswas, 19, from West Bengal's Durgapur, had long dreamed of pursuing engineering at an IIT or NIT. But after narrowly missing the JEE Advanced cutoff, she thought her academic year would be wasted. That changed when the SGC quota enabled her admission to Hindu College for BSc (Hons) Physics. 'My father is an engineer and my mother a retired professor. They always wanted me to pursue engineering, but I was clear about my love for physics. Luckily, this quota helped me get into Hindu College. It was the prestige of the college that helped me convince my parents to come to Delhi,' she says. Like Shreya, Darshani also had some convincing to do with her parents. 'They were initially very scared to send me to Delhi because of its reputation regarding women's safety. But, we are slowly adjusting,' she says. For Lakshita Pasricha, 19, from Northwest Delhi, the quota helped reclaim her academic future after a 'difficult year'. 'Coming to North Campus was a dream. I got into Ramjas College, but because of this quota, I managed to get Hindu College,' says Lakshita, who wanted to pursue MBBS after clearing NEET. 'The NEET 'scam' and rank inflation last year slimmed down my chances. I was very depressed after that, but this quota came to my rescue,' she says. Now pursuing a BSc (Hons) in Botany, Lakshita has been participating in research projects in Chemistry and Botany in her college, and hopes to pursue a career in research. For Shreya, the quota offers crucial support for girls seeking to follow their academic passion. 'This is very helpful for girls who want to fight for their choice of education.' Darshani echoes similar sentiments. 'Delhi is a city of opportunity, and coming to Miranda House is a dream come true. I'm fortunate that my parents believe in educating me — but many girls don't have this privilege. In families where boys are prioritised, this quota will be a game changer.' Darshani, though, feels that more needs to be done for female students. 'One issue is that there is no hostel accommodation reserved for SGC quota students — allotment is on a first-come, first-served basis. I think fee concessions should also be considered for this category as many female students who cannot afford to study in DU might miss out on the opportunity due to money constraints,' she tells The Indian Express.
Hindustan Times
21 hours ago
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27-year-old IIM student pens 'smart study' book for exam aspirants
Yugantar Gupta, a 27-year-old IIM Ahmedabad student, recently created a stir by declaring he earned a top grade for an assignment he prepared using ChatGPT at the country's top management school. The young man has always believed in working smarter than harder, a strategy he shares in his book for aspirants. Gupta, a qualified chartered accountant and a company secretary (all-India rank 12), scored a 99.58 percentile in the CAT exam held in 2023 and is pursuing MBA from the prestigious institute. His book-- 'STUDY SMART- The Ultimate Exam Guide'-- came out in 2024 to provide a "complete clarity" to students who are vying for their deserved place in the world by succeeding through a variety of competitive exams conducted in the country like JEE, CLAT, NEET, CUET, UPSC, CA, CS and even the school boards. The volume runs into 50 chapters with just over 200 pages. Also read: Rhodes scholarship for studying at University of Oxford to be available to more Indians from 2028 It talks about a host of topics ranging from 'how to study specifically for exams', 'managing distractions' to guiding students on diet, sleep, physical, emotional and mental health, preparing and sticking to the timetable with certain segments that guide them to deal with people's comments and also their own thoughts. Gupta says he spoke to "hundreds of people" across the exam spectrum--those who are currently studying, those who have succeeded, those who failed, those who succeeded after failing etc.-- before penning his thoughts. Also read: Study abroad: University of Strathclyde opens applications for MSc Artificial Intelligence & Applications course "Through this process, I've come across insights that can transform your exam journey completely. This research covered almost every exam in India. The strategies given here are a compilation of the exam preparation strategies of rank holders in UPSC, CA, CS, JEE, NEET, CLAT, CAT, CUET, 10th and 12th," he writes. The book, according to the author, tries to cover "every possible mistake" students can make in their exam journeys and it gives specific, practical and actionable advice. How to maintain concentration, improve memory, manage time and score higher are discussed across the headers. A full chapter is dedicated to creating an 'Accountability Partner' who can be any person close to a student-- someone who can motivate them, give them rewards and punishments, and can be handed over their mobile phone in order "to keep all distraction away". Also read: Study abroad: Pursue MA International Development at University of Sheffield, applications open; check course details His suggestions to the aspirants and students are straight: Keep things simple. Trust your knowledge. Trust your preparation. Trust your hard work. "Trust is the sole important thing today. You won't even remember what you got in a couple of years," he says in the book. The book also goes in detail to discuss the otherwise mundane-looking subjects like choosing an appropriate table and chair for studying and ensuring proper lighting in the study room apart from the pros and cons of joining a coaching class. The young achiever created news about a month back when he posted on his LinkedIn that he used the ChatGPT AI tool while preparing his project on cosmetics and got an A in assessment by his professors. Plagiarism is completely prohibited but AI (Artificial Intelligence) use is allowed (at IIM Ahmedabad), he posted on the social networking platform while explaining why he did what he did during the assignment. While AI tools are there to help a researcher, he said, no one is going to pay you anything anymore for researching or writing reports off the internet. "One can only add value if you can get something that's not available on the internet - personal experiences, expert interviews, original surveys, observational studies and talking to stakeholders," he posted on the social networking platform. Gupta concluded that post by quoting American entrepreneur Steve Blank, who said 'Get out of the building'.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
THE WOMAN WHO CLIMBED DARKNESS
Logo: Times Specials Kullu: On the morning of May 19, as dawn lit up the Himalayas, Chhonzin Angmo stood on the summit of Mount Everest. There was no sweeping panorama for her. No view. No photograph. Just a blur of wind, cold, breathlessness — and tears. "I couldn't see anything," Angmo said. "But I could feel it. I was standing on the top of the world. That moment was unbelievable." In that moment, the 29-year-old from Himachal Pradesh, India, became the first visually impaired woman ever to summit Everest, and only the fifth person in history without sight to reach the peak. She had made it. Not despite her blindness — but through it. From the valley to the void Angmo was born in Chango, a remote Himalayan village sitting almost 3,000 metres above sea level, on the edge of the Spiti valley. She had perfect vision as a child, playing in the apple orchards and walking to school like any other. But one day, at the age of eight, something changed. "It was during her school examinations," said her older brother, Gopal. "The teacher noticed her handwriting had started slanting on the page. She said she couldn't see." Within days, Angmo was blind. Her family travelled hundreds of kilometres to doctors in Rampur, then to Delhi, Chandigarh and Patiala — but the cause was never identified, and the treatments never worked. The young girl spent years at home in silence. But silence never suited her. "She had this fire," said Tashi Dolma, the village head of Chango and a former schoolmate. "She was never going to accept being left behind. " Learning to move forward Angmo was enrolled eventually in the Mahabodhi Residential School for the visually impaired in Leh, Ladakh — more than 1,000 km from home. There, she learned Braille. She graduated. Then she left the mountains for Delhi, where she studied at Miranda House, one of India's top colleges for women. There, the mountains called her back. And this time, she answered in a way no one expected. Angmo took up adventure sport. She paraglided in Bir-Billing. She bicycled from Manali to Khardung La. She swam, ran marathons, played judo, scaled the Siachen Glacier, and summited Kang Yatse II and Kanamo Peak. She worked her way up to 20,000-foot climbs — blind. "After I lost my eyesight, Everest became my obsession," she said. "People tried to scare me. They said I'd die. But every time they said it, I became more determined." The final ascent Mount Everest is more than a climb. For Indian climbers, a guided expedition can cost upwards of ₹50 lakh. For a blind woman from a remote village, it's nearly impossible. Angmo knocked on many doors. Eventually, her employer —Union Bank of India — agreed to sponsor her expedition. She left Delhi on April 6. After flying to Lukla, she trekked to Everest Base Camp by April 18. For the next 26 days, she trained and acclimatised under the guidance of military veteran Romil Barthwal and two Sherpa guides, Dundu Sherpa and Gurung Maila. On May 15, the summit push began. Her biggest fear? Not altitude. Not fatigue. Crevasses. "I was terrified of the ladders. I couldn't walk across them, so I sat on them and crawled across on my hands," she said. Between Base Camp and Camp 4, she relied on trekking poles and the subtle shifts in body movements of climbers ahead to navigate. At times, she memorised terrain from a previous trek to Base Camp a year earlier. On May 18, she reached Camp 4. That night, at 7 pm, the team made their summit push. Top of the world Above 8,000 m lies the Death Zone, where oxygen is scarce and each step can take a minute. Angmo moved slowly, focusing on her breathing, her footing, her purpose. "At that altitude, every step hurts. I just kept repeating in my head: I'm not doing this just for me. I'm doing it for everyone who's ever been told they can't." By 8.30 am the next morning, she was there — at 8,849 m. The world's highest point. She couldn't see it. But she knew. "The wind was fierce. My Sherpas were telling me about the peaks below. I couldn't hold back my tears." Back to reality, eyes still shut—but wide open Today, Angmo lives alone in Delhi. She takes the metro to work, cooks her own meals, visits friends. But her story is far from over. "Everest isn't the end. It's the beginning," she said. "Next, I want to climb the Seven Summits." Her story adds a new chapter to global mountaineering history — and a proud page to India's. Graphic Blind Faith, High Point: Scaling the Invisible box1 Chhonzin Angmo's Road to Summit >> April 6 | Departs Delhi >> April 10 | Begins Everest Base Camp trek from Lukla >> April 18 | Reaches base camp; starts 26-day acclimatisation >> May 15 | Reaches Camp 1 >> May 16-18 | Climbs through Camps 2 to 4 >> May 19, 8.30 am | Reaches the summit of Mount Everest box 2 The famous 5: Everest's Sightless Pioneers >> Erik Weihenmayer (US) | First blind person to summit Everest (2001); completed Seven Summits >> Andy Holzer (Austria) | Summited Everest in 2017 via Tibet >> Zhang Hong (China) | First blind Asian climber to summit (2021) >> Lonnie Bedwell (US) | Blind Navy veteran summited in 2023 >> Chhonzin Angmo (India) | First blind woman to summit Everest (2025) box3 No Legs, But What A Feat! Other Indian physically challenged mountaineers:- >> Arunima Sinha | Second amputee in the world to summit Everest (2013) >> Chitrasen Sahu | Double amputee (called Half Human Robo); climbed Mt Elbrus and Kilimanjaro >> Uday Kumar | Amputee climber; scaled Kilimanjaro and Mt Rhenock >> Tinkesh Kaushik | First triple amputee to reach Everest base camp box 4 "To climb Everest, you don't just need strength. You need a reason," Angmo said. She found hers in the dark. And she carried it all the way to the top of the world. MSID:: 121547482 413 |
