Cover Story | Best Colleges 2022: Arts
Ramjas College: The Social Hub
Giving the liberal arts an analytical edge
Manoj Khanna
Manoj Khanna
29 Jul, 2022
Students at Ramjas College, New Delhi (Photo: Getty Images)
RAMJAS COLLEGE IS one of the first three colleges to be established under the University of Delhi. Over the years, eminent alumni have immensely benefited from quality education delivered by a distinguished faculty, sport facilities and modern infrastructure. Many of our alumni today are part of the top tier of administration, founders of corporate houses and contribute to research in various fields.
The foundation stone of the college was laid by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917. Lala Rai Kedarnath, an educationist and philanthropist, was the founder of the college and named it in memory of his father, Lala Ramjas Mal. BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, was one of the members of the governing body of the college. The students of Ramjas College took part in the freedom struggle and actively participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942.
The college provides multiple opportunities to students through various clubs and societies in order to enhance their knowledge and skills. Its facilities are supported by advanced technology that makes it a premier institute of learning. Also, with “Sport for All” as its motto, Ramjas maintains a tradition of contributing to the nation by producing many national and international players. During the last three years, the college has churned out five international players and 63 national-level sportspeople.
The college library has over 1,50,000 titles, which are all bar-coded. In addition, it has more than two lakh e-books, more than 30,000 e-journals and over 150 digital databases. The computerised cataloguing at the library helps locating the books and their availability.
Classrooms with LCD projectors and science and computer labs equipped with the latest facilities enable students to gain hands-on experience and develop a practical approach. Besides, the green campus also houses hostels for boys and girls, an auditorium with modern facilities, sport grounds, a gymnasium, a canteen, a stationery shop and other amenities. The college manages and disseminates information through the web-based Student Information System, which also helps in maintaining the record of classes, courses, timetables, assignments, projects, attendance, events, etc, facilitating an efficient work environment. The School of Foreign and Indian Languages (SFIL), functioning at Ramjas College since 2003, provides opportunities to students for acquiring skills in seven languages—Korean, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese and Italian. A landmark initiative of the college is the establishment of a knowledge centre that serves as a hub for knowledge exchange at various levels. The centre works as a knowledge integration system that facilitates multidisciplinary ideation among students to enhance their skills.
Currently, the college offers 18 courses through its 16 departments at the undergraduate level, and 15 postgraduate courses. All departments are actively involved in various academic and extra-curricular activities throughout the year. The faculty strength of the college is 226, and the total number of enrolled students at present is 5,668. The student-teacher ratio of 25:1 in the college facilitates an effective teaching-learning process.
The college is known for its social science courses and ranks among the top colleges in India for these streams. It borrows heavily on technology to make the teaching-learning process in these disciplines interactive. Visits to museums and archives are arranged for the students of history. Students of political science and economics are trained to conduct surveys and do fieldwork that teaches them to collect data for analytical observations. Literature is made interesting through participatory approaches, such as discussion forums and other platforms. Besides, numerous lectures, seminars, workshops, and movie screenings are organised regularly to get a grip on the subject at hand. Each department has a society run by students that organises events, along with cultural festivals. Heritage walks and educational tours also enable students to gain firsthand experience on any subject.
The recent addition of the Harsh Malhotra Research Centre to the institution is aimed at providing a space for research and innovation, both for teachers as well as students.
The faculty members at the college have made significant contributions to the field of teaching and research. Many of our teachers have been felicitated by the University of Delhi. In the academic year 2020-21, teachers of the college have authored numerous books and as many as 71 research papers; secured grants for four research projects; filed a patent; organised three conferences and 41 seminars; and delivered several presentations. The Department of Economics publishes an annual journal, Ramjas Economic Review, which is the only undergraduate journal with an international standard serial number (ISSN).
Ramjas College is committed to nurturing talent, encouraging intellectual growth, inculcating values, promoting inclusive education and cultivating professional ethics.
About The Author
Manoj Khanna is Principal, Ramjas College, University of Delhi
More Columns
India’s Message to Yunus Open
India’s Heartbeat Veejay Sai
The Science of Sleep Dr. Kriti Soni