Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached

Swami Vivekananda

Dear students, parents and well-wishers!

Warm welcome to Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi! I am delighted that you are now a part of the JDMC family and I look forward to your active engagement with the college, your constructive suggestions to set new benchmarks and your participation in helping the college to attain the same.

As a Delhi University college with more than six decades of experience, you can expect the same opportunities that other good colleges of the University provide. Be it in terms of consistent infrastructural developments or the facilities that the college dispenses with, this centrally located college for women which has a hostel too and is five minutes away from the Karol Bagh Metro station, has some rather distinctive features. Let me share a few.

The college has an illustrious past. It was founded by Shri Brij Krishan Chandiwala, a freedom fighter and a Gandhian, deputed to conduct the last rites of Bapu. A progressive man with great farsightedness, Brij Krishanji or Bhaiji as he was popularly called, surrendered his entire wealth to the service of the nation and this college for women is one of the many noble institutions set up by him. Bhaiji chose to build a college for women in refugee dominated area because he was sure that if there was a college for women in the vicinity, such uprooted families would be encouraged to send their daughters for higher education. He was right.

It is a recognition of our founder's significance in the growth of our nation that the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the foundation stone of the college, Shrimati Indira Gandhi who inaugurated the college building and Shri VV Giri who inaugurated the teaching and non-teaching staff quarters, were happy to visit our college. This recognition continues till date and from Mother Teresa to Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Shri Venkaiah Naidu, as well as the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, have visited the college.

The moment you enter the college, you will be enchanted by the greenery and feel that you are transported to an oasis in the middle of a bustling commercial area. The college is well known for its green practices and was awarded the District Green Champion Certificate for the academic year 2021-2022 by the Ministry of Education! The gardens are the pride of the college and every year the college wins innumerable prizes at the University flower show. We were the first college to adopt rain water harvesting for which we received a Chief Minister's award. Be it composting, paper recycling, e waste recycling, water conservation and greening the campus, the college has been extremely conscious about adopting the best environmental practices.

This extends to the social environment of the college. Highly inclusive in nature, the college has embraced students from across different regions of the country as well as students from foreign shores. Religion, caste and creed are never a source of discrimination in the college and sensitization for the same is prevalent. The students and employees with special needs find an environment that caters to their challenges be it the tactiles on the floor, the braille signage, the ramps, elevator, ICT facilities designed for the visually challenged and disabled friendly toilets. Job opportunities and internships for the physically challenged are of equal priority.

The cardinal principle that informs teaching and learning in the college is that we help to augment skills of the students such that they are self-reliant. To that end, the college offers multiple add on courses, outside of the prescribed curriculum that are extremely useful for students and help them when they seek employment. The Placement cell of the college strives constantly to ensure that the best employment and internship opportunities are available to all in college. Entrepreneurship opportunities are given for students to actually earn money through selling things they are skilled at making under the umbrella Project Anupam.

Apart from such courses and a chance to intern as well as be placed for employment, the college recognizes that education is incomplete if it does not nurture students holistically. Bookish knowledge alone cannot achieve that and so there are 30 different societies that hone student interest and talent be it in performing arts, writing or finance and entrepreneurship. Training from professionals is provided through these societies and students win innumerable laurels in the competitive events that they participate in. As for Sports and NCC, the college is proud that to be a winner in football, hockey, athletics, yoga, weightlifting and shooting among other sports. JDMC has won the best women's college for NCC award, two years in a row and many of our students are joining the Forces as Officers.

Students are taught the value of compassion through the multiple outreach activities of the college and the many projects of the NSS. Emotional wellbeing of the students is taken care of by the Counseling committee and a trained psychologist who look into all emotional needs of students as well as employees, especially keeping in mind the effects of the pandemic. Students in distress financially are looked after by a voluntarily created student fee assistance fund. Nothing escapes the notice of the college authorities, administration and faculty members.

In fact, in order to ensure that there is something for everyone in college, six centres have been set up related to research, e resources, gender studies, extension activities, career opportunities and values. Students are a part of each of these centres and one excellent example of their success can be seen in the books that have been published by students involved in research projects; this is truly rare. Not just students, teachers too have the opportunity to publish their research projects as books or produce documentaries and the college e journal, Perspectives has some excellent research articles by distinguished scholars and leading figures across different domains including the Vice President of the country. The college magazine, Janki is spectacular in the way it showcases the creative outpourings of our students.

Now, none of this would have been possible if the faculty members were not experts as well as passionate about their work. Dedicated to the mission of providing quality education to our students, the college is immensely proud of the highly qualified, sincere and committed faculty who go beyond the call of duty to ensure that each student gets the full benefit of their regular, innovative and creative pedagogy in a beautiful teaching learning atmosphere. The smart boards are just one way in which classes are made more interactive and interesting for students. Remedial classes and mentorship are an important aspect of teaching at JDMC and we are very happy to also be a mentor college under the Vidya Vistar Scheme, to Mahatma Gandhi Government College, Mayabunder, Andamans. Faculty members continuously enhance their teaching skills through training courses and their research prowess can be seen from their high standard of publications as well as projects undertaken by them. The non-teaching staff too is helpful and very well qualified; each member undertakes skill development courses to stay updated with more efficient modes of administration.

One of the most wonderful qualities of the college is the cordiality among all within it, the openness and transparency and the genuine desire to have a participatory system of working where all stakeholders are involved. There is a definite follow up to every grievance raised and many avenues for the same are provided through feedback policies, monthly student faculty meetings and open access to all authorities in case of any problem faced by students or employees. Students and parents are members of the Internal Quality Assurance cell of the college; the students' union members, the class representatives, the student conveners of various societies and even those with no designated position, get a chance to voice their own needs and suggestions.

In the academic session 2019-2020, the college celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. A coffee table book was one of the many outcomes of this celebration and it is entitled, All our Yesterdays. While we look back with pride at all our yesterdays, we look ahead to your joining us in our journey for all the tomorrows that this beautiful family, the JDMC parivar as we call it fondly, will create together.

We are resilient , we are of positive spirit and we believe that an individual learns till s/he breathes; let us learn to build the best possible world for ourselves and those who follow our footprints on the sands of time.

Warm wishes

Prof Swati Pal

Principal