The innovation bug seems to have bitten Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh deep. Having generated a huge debate on his plan to introduce four-year-degree courses at the under-graduate level, the Gandhian mathematician now plans to create a permanent infrastructure for having classrooms on wheels – the Gyanoday Express.
‘We are exploring the possibility of buying a train. We want turn it into a college on wheels. We took a train on rent while doing the project on pilot basis. It was very successful.
I have always supported train journeys as great educational experiences. Learning is not just about taking notes from the blackboard of class rooms. A train journey helps students to learn beyond the confines of a classroom,’ said Singh, adding that negotiations were still in the initial stage.
Support for the project has come from a very distinguished alumni of Delhi University – chief minister Sheila Dikshit. She was present on the campus on Wednesday to attend the 91st foundation day of the university. ‘I support the idea and we are with the university on the matter. Though the university comes under the central government, the students here are all citizens of Delhi and the train will benefit them,’ said Dikshit, who went to study at the prestigious Miranda House in the 1950s.
Backing the reforms introduced by the vice-chancellor, the chief minister said, ‘What Delhi University does today, other Indian universities will do tomorrow. The vice-chancellor has brought lots of innovation in university curriculum. Soon after my marriage I had gone to Cambridge with my husband to pursue a course. The famous British university was just like an extension of Delhi University.’
The vice-chancellor also informed that National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadets Corp (NCC) training would now be part of the curriculum of the new four-year-degree course.
‘We are exploring the possibility of buying a train. We want turn it into a college on wheels. We took a train on rent while doing the project on pilot basis. It was very successful.
I have always supported train journeys as great educational experiences. Learning is not just about taking notes from the blackboard of class rooms. A train journey helps students to learn beyond the confines of a classroom,’ said Singh, adding that negotiations were still in the initial stage.
Support for the project has come from a very distinguished alumni of Delhi University – chief minister Sheila Dikshit. She was present on the campus on Wednesday to attend the 91st foundation day of the university. ‘I support the idea and we are with the university on the matter. Though the university comes under the central government, the students here are all citizens of Delhi and the train will benefit them,’ said Dikshit, who went to study at the prestigious Miranda House in the 1950s.
Backing the reforms introduced by the vice-chancellor, the chief minister said, ‘What Delhi University does today, other Indian universities will do tomorrow. The vice-chancellor has brought lots of innovation in university curriculum. Soon after my marriage I had gone to Cambridge with my husband to pursue a course. The famous British university was just like an extension of Delhi University.’
The vice-chancellor also informed that National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadets Corp (NCC) training would now be part of the curriculum of the new four-year-degree course.