Latest news with #U-Special
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Students in Delhi need U-Shuttles, Not U-Specials
Last week CM Rekha Gupta announced the reviving of U-Special bus services. 'The Delhi government is once again starting the youth special, which will be on DU's route with a little bit of music playing in the bus. This is my gift to students today,' Gupta said while addressing a crowd of students during the inauguration of a new academic block at the university's Social Centre School last week. U-Specials was a Delhi Transport Corporation run bus fleet which operated from different parts of the city mainly to the Delhi University main campus in North Delhi. Their service was at its peak in the 1970s and 80s, when hordes of buses would arrive at Maurice Nagar and Patel Chest Institute intersections early morning to help students catch 8.30 classes. For the outward movement, there were three schedules, 12.30 pm, 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm. The travellers in these buses were also users of the pink colour Student Pass. Many teachers, who lived at distance from the campus, would also take this service and they were accorded due respect offering them the available seats. The teachers who lived closer to the campus mainly used scooters and motorcycles. There were few who owned Fiat and Maruti 800. Some more stylish would have a Maruti Wagon. These buses had a unique 'academic'culture. While in college one makes friends with classmates, department mates but if were using U-Specials you could also make friends with bus mates. There are also stories about the marriages which were made not in the heavens but in the buses. By 1990s, the monopoly of DTC buses were over as the government allowed private operators under Redline (later Blueline) services, who refused to entertain student passes. These buses also lacked the exclusive culture of U-Specials. By the turn of the century the Metro train had started to run. While the private buses were boarded out and DTC fleet revived ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the U-Sp cials could not be resuscitated.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Delhi University's U-Special buses to be back in campus: Are students on board with Delhi CM's gift?
Delhi University students are no stranger to long, chaotic commutes. From switching metro lines at interchange stations such as Rajiv Chowk to squeezing into autos outside Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station, the grind is real, especially during the morning rush hours. Several Delhi University alumni recall how the U-Special buses hold a significant spot in their hearts as they sealed lifelong friendships during these rides. (Illustration: Shutterstock) Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced plans to revive the U-Special (University special) bus service that once ran on fixed campus routes but was discontinued in March 2020. Blast From The Past Mention U-Special buses and several DU alumni get nostalgic about their #CampusKeDin. Sharing some of her fond memories, writer Namita Gokhale tells us, 'I studied in Jesus & Mary College, which is part of South Campus... I remember a group friends would congregate at Zakir Hussain Marg to get the Ladies Special. I too would step in there and then, I confess, sometimes step off at the next stop to play truant! There was a spirit of laughter and camaraderie in those U-Specials, and I remember them fondly.' Even model Indrani Dasgupta, an alumna of Miranda House, reminisces: 'For me, U-Specials were almost 20 years ago, and I still remember they were a game changer for students like me who were living in Vasant Kunj. Because it took me directly to North Campus; a one-stop solution that got us to college and then back home without too much of a hassle!' But, the return of these wheels have evoked mixed reactions from the current students of the varsity. Read on… Aanya Singh, a final-year student of Economics (Hons) at Daulat Ram College, says: 'I had no idea that U-Special buses ever existed. I travel to North Campus, and for my daily commute I need to change metros. So this development really feels like a fresh, exciting twist to my routine. Also, the fact that the new version comes with AC, ambient lighting, and music makes it sound a fun ride while being practical alongside.' Arnav Gandhi, third-year student of BCom (Hons) at Hansraj College, says: 'It's good to see that government is thinking about us youngsters. But won't using U-special in this day and age, when Delhi traffic is at its worst on most days, a challenge in itself? While the upgrade feels promising, the real test will be its consistent implementation. I, personally, prefer to travel by the Delhi Metro since it's reliable and punctual, and would only want to change my means of transportation if the bus schedule aligns with my class timings and I don't end up spending most part of my day on the road. Also when Metros are doing the job just fine, shouldn't students get the long-pending discount on Metro cards rather than be party to burden the current state of Delhi's public transport and traffic situation?' Yashvi Khanna, a final-year student of Advertising Major at Jesus and Mary College, says: 'It takes me 30 minutes from my home in West Delhi to travel to South Campus. But during the morning, the metro is jam-packed! If these U-special buses can give me a less crowded and more reliable option to travel, then I'm definitely on board to take it up. Else, it's just another promise that looks aesthetic on the face of it and might not be practical for a larger group of students who travel from far off places to reach their colleges in time.' Swasti Thukral, a second-year student of Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, says: 'My friends and I had actually once joked that DU needs its own shuttle service. It feels like our manifestation has come true! Most of us currently travel by the Metro and end up looking fatigued, both before and after college, due to multiple line interchanges. But, beyond that, travelling in Metro makes me feel much more secure plus guarantees that I'd reach in time.' Story by Nikita Kalra For more, follow HT City Delhi Junction
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Would sing to pass time, sometimes we debated': How a Rs 12 pass connected Delhi University students riding the U-Special
It was the year 1997. Every Tuesday morning, just before the bus stopped at Tilak Nagar in West Delhi, this group of Delhi University (DU) students would be ready. Crumpled notes and coins would pass from hand to hand — Rs 5 here, Rs 10 there — until they'd scraped together enough to buy a small box of prasad from the corner sweet shop. One of them would get off the bus and bring back the sweet and the box would be passed around carefully between rows as the vehicle resumed its journey. For these students travelling from Mundhela Khurd, a village at the Capital's edge, it was a weekly ritual aboard the long green DTC bus called the U-Special. For many years, it ferried thousands of students from the city's border villages to DU's North and South Campuses. By the early 2000s, its numbers started dwindling. And by 2013-14, these buses vanished. Amit Singh, now a faculty member at Shyamlal College and a member of the National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF), was one of them. 'We were 12 or 13 from the same village. That Tuesday prasad was something to look forward to in a long commute.' He now teaches undergraduate students who arrive on scooters or take the Metro and may never have heard of the U-Special. But when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced Tuesday that the U-Special buses would be reintroduced, it bought back memories for many like Amit. 'The buses used to start early around 7.30 am and reach the college at 9 am. By 3 pm, it would pick up students after class and drop them home,' says Rasal Singh, Principal of Ramanujan College and a former DU Students' Union (DUSU) vice-president (2000). The U-Special wasn't luxurious. There was no air conditioning, no cushioned seats. Sometimes, the windows wouldn't open; sometimes, they wouldn't shut and sometimes even the seats weren't intact. But for students from Delhi's villages, it was a lifeline. 'It wasn't just about money it was also about safety and routine,' says Rajesh Gautam, a faculty member at Ram Lal Anand College, who commuted daily from Bawana while pursuing his MPhil at Hindu College in the late '90s. 'Many girls started coming to DU because of the U-Special.' The service, Gautam recalls, wasn't just efficient, it was an ecosystem. 'New students would learn the ropes from seniors about which professor taught what subject… it would be like an informal orientation to DU. We would meet a lot of students… it was inspiring and would motivate us to move ahead. Everyone was very helpful back then.' On some routes, the boredom of long commutes would give way to something more musical. For instance, the route from Mundela Khurd to Najafgarh, Dwarka Mor, Tilak Nagar, Rajouri Garden took over an hour. 'Students would sing to pass time… One voice would start, and before long, the whole bus would be humming,' Amit recalls. Sometimes, it was antakshari. Other times, heated debates about campus issues. 'That bus was where many of us learnt a lot of things. Back then the bus pass used to be Rs 12 for about 3 months,' Amit laughs. For students like him, the U-Special did more than just connect homes to classrooms. It created friendships, sparked conversations, and gave structure to a phase of life that was often uncertain and ambitious in equal measure. The buses began vanishing quietly in the early 2000s. Some chalk it up to the rise of private vehicles and the Metro. Rasal was among those who fought to keep the service alive. 'By 2000, the number of buses had started falling. We were pushing hard to increase them,' he recalls. 'After the '91 economic reforms, privatisation kicked in. More students got two-wheelers. And slowly, the U-Special was deprioritised.' But nothing, he says, replaced it. 'The Metro helps, yes. But it doesn't reach everywhere. And it doesn't offer what the U-Special did — direct routes, familiar faces, a safe environment, especially for girls from the outer districts.' In 2015, there was a brief, politically charged attempt to revive the U-Special, led by Delhi's then Transport Minister Gopal Rai weeks before the DUSU election. This was the same year when the Aam Aadmi Party's erstwhile student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, fought its first students' union election. But it fizzled out in weeks and students called it a gimmick to attract votes. In 2013, too, in an effort to expand the U-Special bus network, then Delhi Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami inaugurated three DU special routes from North Campus: Patel Chest to Shyam Lal College via Yamuna Vihar, Patel Chest to Najafgarh and Aditi College to Rithala Metro station. Rasal believes the current moment, with DU expanding its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme and pushing classes from 8 am to 8 pm, is the right time to bring the U-Special back. 'You can't stretch the academic day without making the commute safer and more reliable.'
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
CM Rekha announces youth special bus for Delhi University
New Delhi: In a major push toward educational reform and student welfare, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the newly built academic block of the Social Centre School in Maurice Nagar, affiliated with Delhi University. The occasion was marked by another significant announcement — the return of the once-popular 'U-Special' bus service, set to be reintroduced with modern upgrades for the city's student population. The chief minister said the long-discontinued service, which once served as a reliable mode of transport for college students, would now be reimagined with features such as air conditioning, LED lighting, and music systems. The aim is to offer students a safer, more comfortable, and dignified commute across the capital. Also unveiled during the event was a plan for deeper collaboration between Delhi University and government-run schools. Gupta proposed that selected schools be adopted by the university, allowing professors and students to regularly mentor schoolchildren. She encouraged university students to act as 'elder siblings' to those from underprivileged backgrounds, helping them overcome academic and social barriers. The chief minister praised the transformation of the Social Centre School, originally established in 1947 with a mission of social service. Today, it stands as a modern, four-storey institution with 21 smart classrooms and updated facilities. The school has now been granted formal recognition to offer education up to Class 12 -a step that Gupta called 'critical to expanding equitable access to quality learning.' She addressed a common public perception that remains a challenge in education policy. While many parents eagerly send their children to government colleges and universities, there's often hesitation when it comes to government schools. According to Gupta, this mindset stems from outdated assumptions about quality, which her administration is working to change. 'Our government schools are undergoing a transformation,' she said. 'We're not just improving buildings — we're raising standards to the point that parents will choose government schools over private ones without hesitation.' The event was attended by Education Minister Ashish Sood, Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, local MLAs, senior education officials, and a large number of students and teachers. The chief minister closed her speech by reiterating her government's long-term commitment to educational equity, stating, 'We are building a future of excellence in education and in opportunity.' Apart from this, the revival of the 'U-Special' bus service brings back a key part of Delhi's public transport history. Introduced in the early 1970s by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), these student-only buses offered a convenient and low-cost commute to major university campuses across the city, especially Delhi University's North and South Campuses.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Iconic U-Spl bus service to return in a modern avatar: CM Delhi
The Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced the return of the iconic U-Special buses – the signature green-and-yellow fleet that once defined college life for generations of Delhi University (DU) students. The revamped buses, which were discontinued in March 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown, will now return with air-conditioning, music systems and other upgrades to cater to the city's student commuters, the CM said. The buses primarily ran between North Campus and various neighbourhoods across the city – from Rohini and Janakpuri to Mayur Vihar and Dwarka – with additional routes for colleges in South Campus. (HT Archive) Gupta, a DU alumna herself, made the announcement at the inauguration of a new academic block at Social Centre School in Maurice Nagar. 'We used to spend so much time on that bus – it was our own space, one that no one else could enter,' Gupta recalled. 'Today, I am restarting the Youth Special service as a gift to students.' Launched in 1971 by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), the U-Special – also known as the University Special or Youth Special – was more than just a mode of transport. It was a part of the DU experience for millions of students nearly half a century. It ferried students from far-flung areas of Delhi to the north and south campuses of DU, becoming a cultural icon in the process. The buses primarily ran between North Campus and various neighbourhoods across the city – from Rohini and Janakpuri to Mayur Vihar and Dwarka – with additional routes for colleges in South Campus. Long before the advent of the Metro, particularly the Vishwa Vidhayalaya station at North Campus, these buses were the most reliable connection to DU for students. Rudrashish Chakraborty, currently a professor in Kirori Mal college, said from heated political debates to falling in love, the U-specials had witnessed it all. 'There was this excitement around the buses. They were the initiation of college life even before you entered the campus. Students from several colleges which were nearby would rush to meet each other so they could walk together and board the bus. Because students from various colleges and departments would board the bus together, I still remember how this was a very important part of my college life in terms of the stories we would exchange,' Chakraborty added. Meanwhile, Rajesh Jha, another DU professor, shared, 'While I stayed in a hostel, a friend of mine would sometimes drive me to the other end of the city at random from where I would board the bus. It was a silly waste of time but I would board the bus and come back to campus on time with the others and then rush to college. We just wanted to be a part of it!' Jha added, 'In fact, during the student elections, I would ride with my friends just so I could campaign. We did not have the budget for flyers or expensive posters, I would just use the bus ride to give speeches and have conversations with my fellow students.' For many students, spotting the old green DTC bus with the hand-written 'U-Spl' board – often scribbled in white chalk – was the highlight of the morning rush. Hundreds would gather at Patel Chest Institute or Vishwavidyalaya waiting for a bus that was faster and friendlier. The conductor's role was largely ceremonial as most students used concessional passes and knew each other by face, if not by name. Avdhesh Kumar, Joint Proctor of DU, said, 'Sometimes the entire bus would be empty and all the students would be huddled at the gate of the bus, singing songs. Throughout the day, we would look forward to when our classes would end and we would get on the bus. We made friendships on those buses, ones that lasted a long time.' The government has said that the rebooted service will not only retain this exclusive student-centric character but also improve on it. The new fleet will feature AC, LED lights and music systems. Gupta said the buses will run on routes tailored for DU students, although specific routes and launch dates are yet to be confirmed. The announcement came during the inauguration of a new four-storey academic block at Social Centre School – a DU-run institution originally built in 1947. The renovated building, which now features 21 modern classrooms and laboratories, was completed in just 21 months at a cost of over ₹27 crore. Delhi education minister Ashish Sood and DU vice chancellor Yogesh Singh were present at the event. 'Coming to Delhi University is a nostalgic moment for me,' Sood said, recalling his own student days. 'I see not bricks and cement in these buildings, but responsible citizens of a developed Delhi and Bharat.' Towards the end of the ceremony, Sood also called on colleges to participate in the 'Kude Se Azadi' (Freedom from Garbage) campaign and encouraged each college to adopt one public space to clean. 'We should aim for a Guinness World Record on August 31,' he said. Meanwhile, Singh urged students to embrace challenges and develop a solution-oriented mindset. 'You have to become givers, not takers. Difficulties are a part of life — be problem solvers, not complainers,' he said.
