Somebody once said educating a woman is like educating a family. Maitreyi College — a part of the University of Delhi — has been doing just that. A college for women located in the sylvan environs of Chanakyapuri, it was founded by the Delhi administration in July 1967.

The college had a modest beginning. It functioned out of a school building in Netaji Nagar in south Delhi and had a staff of 17 teachers. Those days, it only offered BA (pass) and BSc (gen) courses.

It has since then taken rapid strides in both size and stature. The beautiful college campus offers a rich range of academic disciplines. Its students include women from all parts of India as well as from other countries.

It is no coincidence that the college bears the name of Maitreyi — an eminent scholar and sage of the Vedic period. Maitreyi, the wife of sage Yajnavalkya, considered knowledge as the way to attain immortality and urged her husband to share his knowledge rather than his material possessions with her. Hence, Maitreyi symbolises an exemplary balance between tradition and modernity.

“In this college we not only emphasise on dissemination of knowledge but also on cultivation of personality,” says its principal, Savita Datta.

The college offers courses in arts, science and commerce — including economics, English, history, sociology, mathematics, physics, zoology and environmental sciences. It has add-on courses in journalism, web designing and office automation. It is the first college in the University of Delhi to initiate awareness in nanotechnology, and has a supplementary course on the subject.

The objective, the administrators say, is to introduce career and market oriented and skill-enhancing add-on courses that will help students choose their careers. A student can opt for these add-on courses as a parallel sub-discipline while pursuing her own subject for a degree. At the end of the course, the student gets a certificate in the add-on career oriented course along with the degree.

“Students must be employable — just giving them degrees would not help the nation and the individual. Our aim is to make these three years of graduation the best time of their lives by giving them a plethora of opportunities and preparing them to face this competitive world,” adds Datta.

The college has been taking special care of disadvantaged groups. Computer training classes and personality development sessions have been introduced with the help of the Confederation of Indian Industry. Free training is being provided in the computer lab. The college recently held a workshop on e-learning and hands-on training with the help of experts from the University of the West of England.

Maitreyi also organises seminars, workshops and refresher courses to meet the challenges of the revised curriculum. The faculty participates in conferences and contributes to research and publication — which, Datta adds, helps enrich the college academically.

Each department of the college runs its own academic association. Through these associations class room teaching is supplemented with seminars, workshops, exhibitions, debates, educational tours, field work and guest lectures.

There is a well-equipped library with a separate periodical section. The college library subscribes to 67 journals including popular magazines of national and international repute. The total number of books in the library’s collection is 78,254. The Internet room with 20 computers offers students access to the Internet free of cost.

The college has 15 laboratories for practicals in subjects such as computer sciences, chemistry, botany, zoology, physics and electronics.

Career counselling has also been started for students — a move that has helped many join prestigious companies.

One of the most active groups in the college is its dramatic society, Abhivyakti which has been lauded for its performances in and outside the college.

Facilities are available for sports such as swimming, basketball, soft ball, volleyball, table tennis and judo. Besides, coaching in gymnastics, yoga, archery and shooting is also available. The college maintains two companies of the NCC while the NSS unit is engaged in many community activities. Chief among them are adult literacy camps, blood donation camps and working with the Blind Relief Association and Spastics Society. Students are encouraged to join campaigns against drug abuse and are active in environmental issues.

The college is also associated with the Delhi Legal Services Authority which works towards the constitutional obligation of the state to ensure legal aid and guidance for the college community.

Maitreyi doesn’t have a hostel, but plans are afoot to set one up. “We have been sanctioned Rs 25 lakh by UGC and very soon there will be a hostel inside the serene and beautiful environment of the college campus,” says Datta.

Vital Statistics

WHAT IS IT? A college for women in Delhi.

WHO’S THE BOSS? The principal is Savita Datta.

HOW EXPENSIVE IS IT? Delhi University fees apply.

DOES IT HAVE A HOSTEL? Not yet, but there are plans to set one up soon.

WHERE IS IT?
Maitreyi College (University of Delhi) Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi-110021.
Phone: 011-24673815
Website: www.south.du.ac.in/maitreyi

ANUPAMA YADAV