Students’ day out: DU’s new session gets underway today

The day was finally here. Ankur Sharma, 18, had dreamed of getting admission in Delhi University (DU) all his life, and on Wednesday, he stepped foot into Kirori Mal College (KMC) as a registered student for the first time.
Sharma reached early , anxious yet excited for the orientation programme to begin. “My journey to Delhi has been a long, but everything I had been waiting for seems to be right in front of me,” said the political science student from Bihar.
DU will welcome a fresh batch of first-year undergraduate students on Thursday, with the admission of more than 68,500 applicants confirmed after the university released its second merit list on August 25.
However, KMC decided to hold an orientation programme for its incoming batch of freshers on Wednesday to introduce them to college life, on how college functions, and its committees and societies.
KMC admission convenor, Ishpal Rawal, said, “More than 1,500 people attended the orientation, including students and their parents. Some DU officials, the principal, and department heads were also present. Students have been asked to come in around 8.40 am on Thursday for their departmental orientation.”
Another student, who identified himself only by his first name of Divyank, said he is excited to make new friends. “I have been waiting for school to get over so that I can experience new things and meet new people. I intend to make memories worth a lifetime,” he said as he settled down in his seat, ready for the introductory speeches to begin
Separately, Miranda House arranged a two-day induction programme for its fresh batch of students on Tuesday and Wednesday. Excited faces — both freshers and their parents — assembled in the college lawns as teachers and senior students explained what college life is all about, and what the institution will offer in the coming days.
Among the activities during this two-day programme were a yoga session, a visit to the college’s herbal garden, guided tours to its robotics lab, paper recycling unit, and composting unit.
Diya Jain came to the programme with her parents. “The best part of the college is the number of societies you can opt for. I am very excited to be a part of at least a couple of committees,” she said.
In addition, around 41 freshers signed up for a field trip to Mehandipur village in Sonipat, Haryana, which has been adopted by Miranda House.
Poorva Verma, 18, a first-year student who has come to the Capital from Rajasthan, was among those to opt for the field trip. “We interacted with people there and I also got to interact with people who will be my batchmates for the next few years,” said Verma, who will be studying BA History at the college.
Bijayalaxmi Nanda, principal of Miranda House, said, “The first semester will be shorter than expected as the delay in CUET results affected admission. We wanted to give a glimpse of college life to students before actual classes start so that they feel comfortable.”
Meanwhile, other colleges across the university were busy with preparations for their respective orientation programmes on Thursday.
Some colleges, such as Ramjas and Hansraj, decked up their auditorium, ready to start a fresh academic year, while others, such as Shri Ram College of Commerce encouraged their senior students to put together skits and interactive sessions to welcome the fresh batch.
And the events to welcome freshers are likely to not be limited to college premises alone.
Raj (goes by one name), a second-year student at Hindu College, is busy with preparations for a fresher’s party. “We, as second year students, will get to organise this party. It should happen in early September,” he said.
But the admission process is not over yet — the university will declare the dates for a third round of seat allocation on a yet to be decided date, and officials said any pending admission along with candidates in supernumerary quotas of CW or armed forces, ECA (extracurricular activities), sports and ward, will be allocated seats.
QUOTE OF AN ASPIRANT