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With an overhaul of infrastructure and an excellent faculty, Gargi can be your preferred choice of college in South Campus

ESTABLISHED in 1967, Gargi College is a leading South Campus college of Delhi University. The college is popular not only for its well- known faculty but also for the various societies which are the nerve centres of activity.

Gargi, at the Siri Fort Road, has a unique positional advantage as it is located near landmarks like the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Siri Fort Auditorium, the Welfare Institute of Spastic Society and Yamini Krishnamurtys Institute of Classical Dance.

The college was also recently given the Star College award by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology. Talking about the award, the college principal, Meera Ramachandran says: “ The college gives impetus to research in all fields, whether its humanities, commerce or science.” In fact, the college has constituted a Gargi Pathfinder Award for students who identify issues of social and scientific importance and come up with innovative/ cost- effective solutions.

Gargi is also known for its various societies.

Kshitij, the street- play society which took top honours at the IIT Powai festival last year, has been invited to perform at the National Centre for the Performing Arts ( NCPA), Mumbai, where the students will get to share the stage with the likes of Anupam Kher.

“ We encourage students to participate in societies for various reasons. It helps them to develop a skill and to hone it for negotiating abilities,” says Ramachandran.

The college also trains students to negotiate with vendors and suppliers in order to chisel their management and leadership skills. Ramachandran adds: “ After all, leadership qualities are the most important in a knowledge economy.” The college advises students to be very careful about the documents required for admission. Those candidates who are unable to produce any of the certificates required for admission, because their University / Board has not issued the same till the last date of admission, will be given provisional admission till August 14, by which date they would be required to submit all the relevant certificates.

Those students who have dropped a year or two because they were preparing for other entrances, or for any other reason, are considered for application by providing valid reason and submitting a proof for the gap years. “ We require valid proof stating that the student was enrolled in some course to consider them for admission,” says Ramachandran.

For those who are seeking admission to science courses, only the science subjects are considered for the aggregate.

Meanwhile, for humanities and commerce, the aggregate is based on the best four subjects, which include one language plus three electives. The eligible cut- off varies from course to course, depending on the stream opted for in Class XII ( namely, Arts, Commerce or Science). For all BA ( Hons) courses, there is an additional pre- requisite of minimum cut- off in the subject of specialisation and/ or in a language. Students from Hindi medium schools can also apply.

To prepare for the new session ahead, Gargi is giving itself an infrastructure overhaul.

“ All the laboratories are being upgraded.

The big classrooms will be fitted with suspended projection systems with sound amplification. There will be an airconditioning system in the reading rooms of the library, while a computer lab is being set up with 50 PCs. The lab will also have an interactive electronic board,” elaborates the principal.

The college also takes care of the specially- abled. There are two ramps and two special toilets on the campus. “ A lift will be installed to make the whole area disabledfriendly,” says Ramachandran.

To cater to the growing demand from students for training in a foreign language — it is not just an enjoyable experience but also an asset as it opens up a lot of job opportunities like the Indian Foreign Service, academics and research, translation and interpretation, among others — the college offers a certificate and diploma course in German and a certificate course in Russian.

The college offers five career intensive courses — Banking and Financial Services, Tally Accounting Programme, Advertising and Marketing Communication, Mass Communication and Entrepreneurship for Tomorrow.

The Banking and Financial Services is an integrated programme to equip students with basic and essential skills required to be absorbed in executive jobs.

The course is open to all students of Delhi University and other university students.

Special lectures and interactive sessions are held by professionals from insurance companies and reputed banks, and professors from various institutions.

The objective of the Tally Accounting Programme is to integrate vocational training with mainstream academics, thereby making the students ready for employment.

The course in Advertising and Marketing Communication aims at providing the students with basic aspects of advertising.

It also provides them with an exposure to the working of major advertising agencies. The USP of this course is that after its completion, the students are sent for a one- month summer training to an advertising agency.

The placement cell of the college is also very active. In the past, students have been placed with companies like Google, Capital IQ, ICICI, Ernst & Young and Genpact, among others.