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2 days ago
- Entertainment
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Brinda Karat writes about her college days at Miranda House and their lifelong impact on her
I was fortunate in the relationships I developed with many of my teachers, especially two senior lecturers who were in charge of the drama society. In our first year, both my roommate Madhu Chopra and I got involved with the drama society. This was an involvement that dominated my three years in college and after, to the extent that I seriously wanted to become a professional theatre artist. It was through my activity in the drama society that I developed a close relationship with the two kind and protective teachers most responsible for its functioning, in whom I would confide my childish fears and dreams. Both taught in the English Department. The first was Krishna Essauloff and the other was Lola Chatterjee. Mrs E, as she was known then, was tall, dark, imposing, a chain smoker, caustic, sarcastic, and harsh in her criticisms and equally generous in her praise. It was she who was the driving force behind the society. She was an unconventional woman, and what attracted us to her was the complete absence of a judgmental attitude towards the sometimes foolish antics of her flock in the drama society. In those days, we were not allowed to wear trousers to class. So, we used to wear them under long skirts, and as soon as classes were over, we would bound into the auditorium and fling off our skirts, much to the amusement of Mrs E. She was a disciplinarian about the rehearsals, and young men who used to come to our play readings, ostensibly to audition for parts, but actually to get to know the girls, were shown the door soon enough. She had a beautiful reading voice, and sometimes when we were tired, Mrs E would pull out a book of plays and read out her favourite extracts to us. Mrs Chatterjee was easily accessible and demonstrative in her affection. She opened her home to me, taking me to concerts and plays outside of college. I remained in touch with her for many years. She was a strong support for me through my years in college. For too brief a time, perhaps just a term, I was taught economics by Devaki Srinivasan (now Devaki Jain), who had recently joined the college. She made a big impression on me with her passion and articulation, and I still remember the anger with which she spoke about the inequalities of the Indian economy. I met her decades later when she was chairing a women's meeting, identifying herself firmly with women's struggles. Another person whom I learnt to respect was our sports coach, Ms Dhillon. A gruff and no-nonsense exterior hid her warm and generous heart. She was always concerned about the health and well-being of her 'team'. I was then a member of the Miranda House (MH) Athletics team. Although, alas, I brought no laurels to the college, I did enjoy our practice sessions under her eagle eye! I relate later in this, remembering my experience at the university sports day – when once again, Ms Dhillon was there rooting for us! My own experience underlines the important influence teachers have on their students. I hope that this tradition of nurturing and encouraging young women and helping them to 'grow up' without patronising them continues. I'm not sure how important the drama society is in the lives of students at the college today. In those days, the college plays were a great event, and the hall used to be jam-packed on all three days that the show was produced. If MH girls were acting in plays in other colleges, one could be sure of the support from a big group of girls from the college who would be there on opening night. It was the same with those who were part of the debating society. We would all go in big groups to cheer them on. Students took an active part in the different societies of the college. This developed quite a feeling of solidarity. We were mainly competing against the men;s colleges. The feeling that we had to do better than them was quite strong. When we used to act in St Stephen's plays, we would make it quite clear that it had to be a quid pro quo for our drama society. Once the exam results were out, there were always comparisons as to whether we had done better than the men's colleges or not. As students, we used to get into heated arguments against the assumption that men's colleges were better. I remember how, in a group discussion about making St Stephen's or MH co-ed, the MH girls participating were unanimous in their opposition to the proposal as far as MH was concerned. There were cases of sexual harassment on the campus. We were always warned by our seniors not to go walking on the ridge, as there were frequent cases of assault in the isolated lanes. My worst experience with such harassment was during university athletics, when I was representing the college in the 50 and 100-metre races. I was quite miserable, having been disqualified in the 50m for jumping the gun three times in a row, which, I was told later, was a record in the University! The humiliating walk off the field in front of a huge crowd was probably the longest walk I have ever had to take, but fortunately, there were quite a number of MH students there along with Ms Dhillon. We were in a group just outside the university grounds gate when we were surrounded by a bigger group of hoodlums who started pushing themselves on us, specifically calling out my name. Our only thought was how to escape, and we did manage to get to our gates safely. Today, women's struggles on campus have ensured that such an incident would not go unnoticed and that the victims themselves, unlike us, would raise a protest to ensure punishment for those guilty. This is a result of women's movements and actions by democratic student organisations. There is also a much greater awareness of legal rights now. On that occasion, although there were a lot of talks that night in the hostel about it, we did not take any action, and indeed, we did not really know what action we could take since we did not recognise any of them. I appreciate the big development of consciousness on these issues when I see large numbers of female students from MH and other colleges joining demonstrations against cases of sexual assault, often leading to militant slogan shouting. Another area in which there has been a most welcome change is the abolition of the Miss Fresher contest. This was one of the many 'traditions' of the college. It was a mandatory parade of all the freshers dressed up to the teeth before a huge crowd of yelling, cheering students of the college. In my second year, when I was one of the judges, I was acutely conscious of the trauma of the experience for so many of the girls who hated it. The results of the MH Miss Fresher contest were a source of interest among some of the male students on the campus. When I happened to have been the person selected in my first year, walking around the campus was sometimes a horrible experience because I heard the most objectionable comments. I was happy when, several years later, by which time I had joined the Students Federation in Calcutta in the thick of the students' movement, having enrolled as a casual student in the university there, I heard that the MH union had ended this tradition. I am sometimes asked how I could have been part of such a contest. The simple truth is that, at the age of 16, I did not know better. At the end of my second year, a tragedy occurred, which had the biggest impact on all of us in the hostel. It brought us face-to-face with violent jealousy and the reality of a woman as a belonging, as property to be destroyed if she could not be possessed. Our group of close friends consisted of about seven or eight of us. Juhi and Sudha shared a room, then Renu and Sushma, who were roommates, Madhu and me, and there was also Sara, who shared a room with her younger sister. We were all from different backgrounds and different parts of the country, and though each of us did have friends outside the circle, in the hostel, we spent a lot of time together. Sushma was also on the athletic team. She was good at the shot put and javelin. Perhaps it was because of that talent that she came to be called 'Shot'. It was a name that would haunt us for several years. Tall, well-built, with a radiant smile and deep dimples – I can see her so clearly, even today. She was popular in the hostel, and we always knew of her arrival because we could hear her singing far down the corridor. Sushma was in the process of getting out of an engagement with someone much older than her. I cannot recall now whether the engagement was with the approval of her parents or otherwise. She had tried to break it off on several occasions but would be persuaded by him to get back together. Finally, she wrote to him and said that she did not want to see him again. She read out the letter for our approval. Several months passed. He was in the army, posted quite far away from Delhi. I remember the long talks we had and the sense of relief in her that it was over. One day, Sushma got a letter from him saying that he wanted to meet her to return her letters. She told us about it. All of us were against her going; we tried to persuade her, but she said she did not want to hurt him, and anyway, she wanted her letters back. I think it was Renu who volunteered to get them for her since she knew him. Sushma refused. 'I can't be so cruel,' she said. There was nothing we could say or do to make her budge. Madhu and I left for her cousin's house, where we were to spend the night. It was the last time we saw Sushma alive. We got a message late that night. Sushma had gone to the university café to meet him. Barely had she sat down when he shot her through the head. He then turned the gun on himself and fired. He died instantaneously. Sushma was taken to the hospital, but she did not survive the night. The next few days are blurred in my memory. We returned to the hostel. Everywhere there were groups of shocked, crying girls – Shot has been shot – whispers, sobbing. We sat huddled outside what used to be her room. Nobody wanted to leave. The hostel and college authorities were extremely sympathetic. We were called in by the principal, and she spoke kind words to console us. The hostel made arrangements to take us to her funeral. The family had requested that only a few of us go. We said goodbye to Shot, laid down on a cold block of ice. But the college got bad press. The sensational way it was reported upset all of us greatly. It was our first experience of something like that. It became a matter of gossip and speculation. The attitude of the University union was also reported to be extremely negative, blaming the college for laxity. For a while, the rules at the hostel got stricter. Visitors were more carefully screened. Gate passes were checked repeatedly. Soon, however, things got back to normal. But not for us. Everything changed after that. We felt restless and depressed. We tried to make sense of all that had happened and why. We were beset with guilt. Could we not have saved her had we prevented her from going? Quite broken in spirit, we all left for the holidays. It was fortunate for all of us that we could go home. I came back in July 1965 as a final-year student. My younger sister, Radha, joined college that year, which made the term bearable. There were new faces and new experiences, which kept us busy and diverted us. That year was also dominated by the Indo-Pak War. The security of the girls in the hostel was of great concern to the college authorities. Meetings were held with the principal, the warden, and the union representatives. In an emergency general body meeting, we were told that those who had local guardians to stay with could temporarily shift outside the hostel. Ms Dhillon set up a drill for the rest of us. Volunteers to patrol the hostel in groups of eight or ten were asked for. There was no dearth of them. We felt that we were playing a very important role. Every night, eight or ten girls would walk up and down the corridors. It may have served little purpose, but the girls took great pride in contributing to the 'war effort.' Strict instructions were given that as soon as there was an air raid siren, everyone had to rush down to the ground floor, where we were all assigned rooms. But a sense of the kind of jingoism raging outside came in the form of the 'Pakistani spy'. One day, there was a rumour that a Pakistani spy had been caught quite near our hostel and that the police had apprehended a tall, fair man with light eyes. Embellished versions of the story spread like wildfire. We heard that students were roaming around the campus looking for others in his gang. When we asked some of the lecturers about it, they said it was just a rumour. Perhaps it was part of a motivated campaign. Today, facing the onslaught of communal propaganda and the use of religion for narrow political ends, I wonder whether it was because there were no communal currents in the hostel at that time or because we were so politically naïve that we did not know what was happening. We were completely isolated from it. The other aspect is that there were hardly any minority community students in the hostel, and we never directly faced the issue of minority baiting, which one learnt was taking place elsewhere in the city. The year was spent catching up on academics. We were also preoccupied with what we were going to do after college. In those days, joining the IAS was a popular idea. Some wanted to teach. I remember some of the students being quite resigned to the idea of getting married right after graduation. Indeed, there were quite a few engagements we had celebrated during the last term. As for me, I was as yet undecided but strongly drawn to a career in theatre, following the dream that had been born in me on that dusty Miranda House stage. It is a different story that life and events took me in a totally different direction. I sometimes visit MH and meet with the students, who are conscious, articulate, and so much more aware of the world, their place in it, and how they would like to change it than we ever were. I am so happy to see this fundamental change. In the corridors I pass through on these occasional visits, in my mind's eye, I see the shadows of that young group of women, their arms slung together, absorbed in talk and laughter, unaware of the impermanence of that feeling of freedom. Brinda Karat is a member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI (M). She has worked in various capacities in over half a century of involvement in struggles for social change as an office bearer in trade unions, as the General Secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association, as Vice President of the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch, and as a Member of the Rajya Sabha.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Many popular UG courses still open at top DU colleges, 2nd round begins on Monday
New Delhi: Aspirants who missed out in the first round of Delhi University's undergraduate admissions still have a chance, with several sought-after colleges reporting vacancies in popular programmes. The seat allocation list for the second round under Common Seat Allocation System 2025 will be published on July 28. For those eyeing commerce, Shri Ram College of Commerce has four unreserved and one SC-category seat left in BCom (Hons). Lady Shri Ram College, a sought-after option for women applicants, has three BCom (Hons) seats available for the unreserved category. Hindu College, which has 50 vacant seats in total, has just one seat in English and none in BCom (Hons). It, however, has 16 seats open in BSc (Hons) physics. Kirori Mal College reports over 50 vacant seats, with significant availability in physics (23) and chemistry (12). Around 40 seats are available at Miranda House, including 14 in physics, 10 in botany and three in the popular English programme. These seats could be a golden ticket for students who narrowly missed out in the first round. The second round will begin on July 28, when candidates can start "accepting" their seats online. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo This acceptance window will remain open till July 30, after which colleges will verify and approve applications by July 31. The final deadline to pay the admission fee is Aug 1. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi In round I, DU confirmed 62,565 admissions, with more women (34,014) than men (28,551) students getting admitted. Among them were 143 orphan students and 949 single girl children. Over 16,000 students chose to freeze their seats while nearly 44,000 opted for an upgrade, leaving behind a trail of opportunities for others in round 2. For the first time since DU adopted Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions, the university made public the minimum allocation scores—cutoffs—for various colleges and courses on its official website. The highest cutoff this year was recorded for BA (H) political science at Hindu College, where the minimum allocation score touched 950.58. In the first list, other top cutoffs included 936.18 for Hindu's BA programme (history and political science), 926.93 for English (H) at St Stephen's College, 926.53 for psychology (H) at LSR and 925.98 for political science (H) at Miranda House.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Want a BA English seat in St. Stephen's, Miranda or LSR? You'll need 850+ CUET score after DU round 1 cut-offs
The first round of Delhi University's undergraduate seat allocation for 2025 has confirmed what many had anticipated—BA (Hons) English remains one of the most competitive programmes across all streams. Released on July 19, the Round 1 data shows sky-high cut-offs, with St. Stephen's College topping the charts at 926.93, closely followed by Hindu, Miranda House, LSR, and Hansraj College. These figures are not raw CUET scores, but normalised scores out of 1000, adjusted for shift-level variations and paper difficulty, making even a one-point gap significant. With thousands of students accepting their seats in Round 1 and fee payments closing on July 23, the next major milestone is Round 2 of admissions, scheduled for July 28, 2025. As students scramble to reorder their preferences and track vacant seats, here's a closer look at some of the top DU colleges and their English Honours cut-offs for general category students after Round 1 of the 2025 admission cycle. St. Stephen's College – 926.93 St. Stephen's continues to be the most exclusive gateway to a BA (Hons) in English at Delhi University. It not only boasts the highest Round 1 cut-off of 926.93 but also stands apart for its two-tier admission process. While 85% of the weightage comes from the CUET UG normalised score, the remaining 15% is based on a personal interview conducted by the college. A score in this range places a student in the top academic percentile nationally. The added interview round makes St. Stephen's admission not just academically exacting but also selectively holistic—emphasising both merit and personality. Hindu College – 885.76 At 885.76, Hindu College emerges as the most competitive CSAS-participating institution for English Honours. The admission is purely CUET-based, with no interviews involved. Hindu's English department is renowned for its academic rigour, student-led discourse, and political engagement. This year's cut-off underscores how even minor missteps in the English and General Test sections could cost aspirants a seat. For many, Hindu is a first-choice college that combines intellectual challenge with vibrant campus life. Miranda House – 863.02 Miranda House, a consistent topper in NIRF rankings, has set its English Honours cut-off at 863.02. This suggests that it continues to be ranked among the top three preferences by high-scoring applicants. Miranda is known for its strong humanities foundation, deeply engaged faculty, and an emphasis on critical theory and interdisciplinary dialogue. The college attracts students aiming for academic depth and social context in their literature education. Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) – 856.58 With a cut-off of 856.58, LSR remains firmly in the top tier of English Honours destinations. While slightly below Miranda House, it offers a compelling mix of academics and career-oriented opportunities. LSR's English programme is supported by robust publishing clubs, a strong alumni network, and a curriculum that often intersects with policy, gender studies, and media studies—making it particularly attractive to students with broader liberal arts ambitions. Hansraj College – 851.11 Hansraj rounds off the top five, with a cut-off of 851.11—still significantly above the median. Though its admission bar is marginally lower than its peers, Hansraj has steadily carved out a strong identity in the English Honours space. Its department is known for research output, creative writing societies, and postgraduate success, making it a solid pick for students seeking both academic rigour and a balanced student experience. What these numbers mean for students The CUET UG scores are normalised out of 1000, which means that a student's performance is benchmarked not just against correct answers but also against: Variations in difficulty across shifts Subject combinations and paper patterns So a student scoring 851.11 (Hansraj's cut-off) has likely outperformed thousands of peers across multiple test parameters. With English Honours emerging as a prestige programme, the 850–950 CUET band has become the battleground for top admissions. Check the official Round 1 cut-off list here . TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
NDTV
21-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Delhi University Cut-Off 2025 Released: Hindu College Sets Highest Benchmark At 950
DU Cut-Off 2025: Delhi University has released the college-wise cut-off scores for undergraduate admissions based on CUET UG 2024 results. The detailed list includes 1,528 course-college combinations and is available on the official website - and This year, the highest cut-off was recorded at 950 out of 1,000 for BA (Hons.) Political Science at Hindu College. Other top colleges like St. Stephen's, Miranda House, LSR, SRCC, and Hansraj also set high benchmarks in popular programmes like Economics, History, Psychology, and English. At the same time, some programmes, particularly in languages, saw much lower cut-offs. For example, Mata Sundri College for Women's BA (Hons.) Hindi has a cut-off of 65, while Zakir Hussain Delhi College's BA (Hons.) Urdu stands at 111. Top DU Colleges and Their Cut-Off Highlights (General Category) Hindu College • BA (Hons.) Political Science - 950 • BA (Hons.) History - 914 • BA Program (History + Political Science) - 936 • (Hons.) - 912 • (Hons.) Mathematics - 818 Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) • BA (Hons.) Psychology - 926 • BA (Hons.) Political Science - 915 • BA Program (Economics + Political Science) - 897 • (Hons.) - 906 Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) • (Hons.) - 917 • BA (Hons.) Economics - 909 St. Stephen's College • BA (Hons.) English - 926 • BA (Hons.) History - 918 • BA (Hons.) Economics - 904 Miranda House • BA (Hons.) Political Science - 925 • BA (Hons.) History - 894 • BA (Hons.) Geography - 889 Kirori Mal College • BA (Hons.) Political Science - 909 • BA (Hons.) History - 854 • (Hons.) - 897 Language And Regional Programmes with Lower Cut-Offs • BA (Hons.) Hindi, Mata Sundri College - 65 • BA (Hons.) Urdu, Zakir Hussain Delhi College - 111 • BA (Hons.) Sanskrit, various colleges - ranges from 173 to 694 How to Check and Download DU Cut-Off 2024 List Students can follow these simple steps to download the complete list of college-wise cut-offs: Step 1. Visit the Delhi University admission portal: Step 2. Click on the "Undergraduate Admissions" section Step 3. Look for the "CUET Cut-Off List 2024" link Step 4. Choose your college and course to view detailed cut-offs Step 5. Download the PDF document for reference Step 6. Take a printout if needed Full List Available For All Colleges The full list of cut-off is also available for all major DU colleges, including prominent institutions like Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Hindu College, Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), Kirori Mal College (KMC), Hansraj College, St. Stephen's College, Gargi College, Dyal Singh College, Jesus & Mary College, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Sri Venkateswara College, Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, and many more, offering a wide range of academic programs and opportunities for students.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi Half Marathon enters 20th year with report on its impact
New Delhi: Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon (VDHM) has flagged off its 20th edition with the release of a first-of-its-kind Socio-Economic and Health Impact Report, reflecting the event's enduring impact on public health, fitness and civic engagement. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The online registration for VDHM 2025 opened on Thursday and the event is scheduled to take place on Oct 12. The launch of the report, compiled by Miranda House of Delhi University, was attended on Wednesday by tourism and law and justice minister Kapil Mishra, sports and education minister Ashish Sood, New Delhi Municipal Council secretary Tariq Thomas, former hockey player PR Sreejesh and Miranda principal Bijaylaxmi Nanda, among others. "Delhi govt and Delhi Tourism will support Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. We will be part of it this year and in the coming years. The Prime Minister's vision for Delhi includes economy, sports and fitness, and under chief minister Rekha Gupta's guidance, we are ready to implement it," said Mishra. Sood reflected on India's cultural foundations in fitness. "Sports and activities are promoted in our villages, from akhadas to morning walks in the park—fitness has not only created healthy bodies but also healthy relationships and a healthy society. In today's modern era, this community feeling is exemplified by Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon." Highlighting the cause behind the event, Priya Agarwal Hebbar, non-executive director of Vedanta Ltd, noted, "Over the last three editions, every step taken has helped nourish a child or feed an animal. I'm proud to share that we've enabled over 17 million meals through #RunForZeroHunger, and this year, we're pushing this milestone even further. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon turns 20 this year, we reaffirm our commitment to the cause of nourishing India through collective actions. " Expressing her institution's pride in conducting the study, Nanda said, "We are delighted to be part of this initiative by Procam International to release this first-ever comprehensive study on the multifold and lasting impact of Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon." Calling the 20th edition more than a milestone, Anil Singh, MD of Procam International, said, "It's a celebration of a legacy built step by step, year after year. What started as a vision to create a world-class sporting event in India has grown into a symbol of resilience, community and hope." According to the report, the 2024 edition generated an estimated Rs 368.86 crore in combined socio-economic and health benefits. Major contributors included Rs 198.96 crore through consumer spending on fitness gear and technology and Rs 155.25 crore through boosts to the food, travel, hospitality and training sectors. The event also led to employment worth Rs 11.38 crore and helped raise Rs 3.27 crore for charity. This year, Lakshyaa Foundation is joining as the official philanthropy partner while Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled will serve as the Champions with Disability facilitator, bridging the gap between stakeholders and differently abled participants. The registration will stay open till Sept 19 or until the slots are filled. The categories include Half Marathon, Open 10K, Great Delhi Run, Senior Citizens' Run and Champions with Disability. A Virtual Run option will again allow global participation via the official app.
