The Scientific Temper

DAULAT RAM COLLEGE is one of the premier con­stituent colleges of Delhi University which imparts education to women candidates in humanities, commerce and science. It has around 4,500 students in 18 courses. The mission and vision of the college is to impart holistic education.

The college’s motto is “Rittae Gyanan Mukti”, which translates into salvation through knowledge. It is governed by Principal Savita Roy, who is a dynamic leader. She has transformed the college and that has helped us to acquire na­tional rankings—‘A’ rating from NAAC and NIRF rating of 28 in science courses. Apart from education, our principal encourages the faculty to engage with students to organise co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

The college adheres to a disciplined academic life. Regular assignments and tests help the faculty members assess students’ progress. Each department or­ganises seminar and career counselling sessions along with freshers’ welcome party and farewell. The college has over 40 societies and clubs that give the stu­dents the chance to nurture their talent. Students also get the opportunity to prac­tice sport and gym activities on campus.

The science courses offered by the college are the most dynamic of all. The subjects that are taught include biochemistry, botany, chemistry, mathematics, physics and zoology. One-fourth of our total student strength of around 4,500 is from the science stream. The students are trained to use digital tools for scientific communica­tion. A BSc degree in physics is the lat­est course that was added to the list in 2017. Environmental Science (EVS) is also included as a paper for first-year students. As part of practical lessons on environmental management, they are given hands-on training of manure making from leaf waste and recycling of paper. All the first-year students are trained at this centre every year.

The college also offers hostel facili­ties to the top rankers. Meritorious stu­dents are awarded fellowships. The eco­nomically weaker section is provided with fee concessions. Sometimes, the faculty also supports them financially. Daulat Ram College boasts a rich alum­ni community that includes academi­cians, managers, content writers, etc.

Principal Roy also comes from a sci­ence background and that helps in her understanding of the needs of the cours­es. She has helped renovate and upgrade facilities in laboratories. The technical staff are regularised and provide ample support for practical work. She has also helped to set up few research laboratories. These laboratories like Zebrafish Facility, Drosophila Resource Centre, Environ­ment Research Lab, Tissue Culture Lab and Neuroscience Laboratory are actively training students for internships and re­search. The Zebrafish Facility maintains live zebrafish to study developmental biology and toxicology. The Drosophila lab is used for genetic studies. The Envi­ronment Research Lab is trying to under­stand the formation and application of leaf waste compost. The Tissue Culture Facility gives hands-on training in tissue culture. All these units have helped us to train PhD students, guide MSc students for their dissertation and undergraduates conducting research work.

The college has well-trained faculty members with most of them equipped with a doctoral degree. The faculty has published over 50 papers in journals like Scopus and Web of Science. In the last three years we have published 74 papers. This year, the college has regula­rised the ad hoc faculty working in the science courses. We have promoted our faculty in 2022 and we now have seven professors, six associate professors and several assistant professors.

The college plans to improve the sci­ence stream by including some courses like bioinformatics, data science and artificial intelligence in the future. This will help us venture into new sec­tors, acquire new technology and train students for better employment in the future. We also want to introduce more animal laboratories this year and broad­en our dimensions of research.

The college is also working to estab­lish industry-academia linkages so that students are trained as per the needs of the industry. Signing MoUs with in­dustry leaders is the need of the hour as it ensures internships for our stu­dents. Not more than 5 per cent of sci­ence graduates are placed well in India and others leave for positions abroad. There is still a serious amount of brain drain and the only way to stop it is by ensuring that our science graduates get respectable placements in the country.

About The Author

Sarita Nanda

Sarita Nanda is Vice-Principal, Daulat Ram College