MIRANDA HOUSE HAS BEEN RANKED NO.1 AMONG COLLEGES BY NIRF RANKING 2023

To retain its leading edge, MH continually raises the bar in consonance with the meritorious profile of its students. The DU prescribed curriculum is the common denominator or the base line requirement. Faculty members add value and raise the level of the course in numerous ways. A concerted effort is made to identify lacunae in the syllabus and fill these. It is enriched and enhanced by including topics of contemporary interest. Tutorials provide an ideal platform for discourse that goes beyond the curriculum setting an individualized pace of learning for students. Assignments and Projects are other potent tools for supplemental learning. The college has introduced a range of Add-on Courses of contemporary importance to bridge the gap. Several Collaborative Programmes have also been introduced to strengthen the University curriculum in myriad ways. All departments organize vibrant beyond the class enrichment programmes to consolidate learning and introduce students to the frontiers of knowledge and application. MH has strong linkages with highly acclaimed scholars and leverages its vast network with other organizations and institutions across all sectors. To add value to the curriculum, interdisciplinary enquiry is encouraged.

  • MH is driven by its mission to provide a liberal space to students to enable them to think critically, reflect deeply and engage with communities positively. The classrooms are sustained as democratic spaces where students are encouraged to voice their views.
  • Many Courses in the college are characterized by being interdisciplinary. There is intense give and take between all departments. The barriers between the Sciences and Humanities are non-existent. Disciplines come together in a variety of ways to open new frontiers of study and thought. Research projects by student peer groups are well integrated with the teaching of curriculum. Teaching pedagogies keep pace with expanding frontiers of science and technology. Departments encourage students to publish their findings and explorations.
  • Students are given exposure through seminar courses to a wide range of viewpoints and thereby an opportunity to hone critical thinking skills; capacity to deconstruct ideas; engage in evidence based argumentation; evaluate theoretical underpinnings and alternate frameworks. This questioning approach has been followed over the years.
  • College recognises and fosters the employability potential of disciplines. A broad range of activities of each department is channelized towards launching students on successful career paths. The departments are thus cognizant of the jobs radiating from their disciplines and play a key role in sharing their understanding with the students. The faculty also empower themselves to serve this purpose better through networking with potential employers. The Placement, Internships and Career Advancement Centre plays a critical role in this process.
  • Add-on Courses and enrichment activities also introduce the students to the skills expected by potential employers. The college is cognizant that in the knowledge based society, the workplace of the future will be quite different from what is imagined by most students and their families.
  • Enrichment activities give students experience of new ways of approaching the subject, and engage with contemporary challenges. All students are provided support in developing generic competencies and expertise in use of ICT tools. The college endeavours to provide an early exposure to distinctive professional tools and techniques through teaching-learning of specific disciplines.
  • his is easily discernible in the science courses, especially the Laboratory courses. MH has excellent state-of-art equipment and instrumentation facilities. These initiate the students to the best scientific practices. The D S Kothari Centre 6-week Summer Camp Flavor of Research conducted in June-July promotes UG research and project-based learning.

A few examples illustrate the essential approach followed by the departments in enriching and enhancing the curriculum.

Major Global and National Events: An illustrative list is given below:

  • Global Biotechnology Summit at Vigyan Bhawan, 2016
  • Indian Science Congress, annually
  • Sakura Plantation Ceremony, 2016
  • WIN Conference, 2016
  • National Science Day, Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), since 2010
  • INSPIRE National Level Exhibition and Project Competition since 2010
  • US President Barak Obama's Address at Siri Fort Auditorium, 2015
  • JENESYS2.0Programme, 2015
  • UNESCO MGIEP for TAG, 2015
  • Global Biotechnology Summit at Vigyan Bhawan, 2016
  • TERI YUVA Meet on Sustainable Solution: Safe Water for All, Organized by TERI; Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; British Council; United Nations University, 2015.
  • International Conference on Science, Ethics and Education Transforming Pedagogies presided by Honorable Dalai Lama, 2015
  • Buddhist Conscience and Tradition of Story Telling Prof. G. Obeysekere
  • Academic Congress, Enabling the Young: Redefining Education, DU, 2012

Field Visits and Excursions: Laboratory visits to renowned institutions like NBPGR, IARI, PMB, NPL, IGIB, AIIMS, FRI, TERI, IMTECH, IISER (Mohali), ICGEB, NII and JNU. Field Visits to various conservation sites such as Yamuna Biodiversity Park, Jim Corbett National Park, Keoloadeo National Park, Aravali Biodiversity Park and National Zoological Park. Physics students collected data using sensors in two Amusement Parks located in NCR and also visited Nehru Planetarium. Economics students visited the Mint in Noida.

Industrial Visits: Students visits to industries such as the Khetri Copper Complex, Hindustan Copper Limited.

Alternative School Visit: Department of Elementary Education organizes alternative school visits to organizations, Bodh Shiksha Samiti, Alwar (2010); Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas, Mussorie (2011); Digantar Khelkud Evem Shiksha Samiti, Jaipur (2012, 2013, 2015); and Bodh Shiksha Samiti, Jaipur (2014). The visit includes school visit, classroom observations, community interaction, resource room exploration, interactive session with organization members and city visit.

Heritage Walk: In 2014-15, upon completing a workshop organized by INTACH, the students organized a Heritage Walk to the Pir Ghaib Baoli as part of Adopt a Monument initiative.

Collaborations with NGOs: Students have been working in close association with NGOs such as Pravah,Sewa Bharat, Bhumi, Maitri, CRY, Udaan, Sulabh International and ShikshaRath,working in the field of primary education, healthcare and sanitation, rural enterprise development and deconstructing gender notions.

Networking with Industry: College is associated with several industrial units suchas Weekendr Innovation Labs Pvt. Ltd for Mobile App Development; Hero Motocorp for organizing Ride Safe Awareness Programme; Google Ltd. for using Google Apps for education; KPMG for mentoring Enactus students; Green Bandhu Waste Management Solution and Services for installation and operation of compost plant, etc.

Internships: MH students are encouraged to intern with industry, government, and social sector organizations to gain on-the-job experience while studying in college. There are numerous examples of students who have interned with agencies in the immediate past.

Experiential Learning in Social Sciences:

  • Discourse: The focus is on actively engaging students in construction of their own knowledge through Debates, Discussions, Cinema, Theatre and Quizzes.
  • Case Studies: In all disciplines empirical analysis and use of case-studies and project-based learning are increasingly used as teaching methods. In the Department of Economics, industry student interface and study of rural economic realities through survey methods are an important part of this.
  • Political Speech Analysis: As a method of reflection, this was undertaken by the students of Political Science through (i) the analysis of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech of 29 May 1996; (ii) telecast of the presentation of the Union Budget in the Parliament and the debates on it on 29 February 2016.
  • Field Visits: Visits to museums and archives motivate students to understand the dynamics of the past. History Department organizes a visit to the National Museum in every session for the first year students to enable them to understand the connect between the written word and the world of images. An outstation trip is organized in most academic sessions to a set of places of historical importance. Visit to Gandhi Museum help recreate political journeys of national leaders.
  • Visit to Parliament and Courts: This enables understanding of how the legislature, judiciary and the executive function; and how national concerns are addressed.
  • Reflective Journals: Many Departments have in-house journals where students are encouraged to write reflective articles about discipline centric themes. B.El.Ed. students write reflective journals about their experiences and thoughts for some components of the programme.
  • Self-development Workshops: Performing and Fine Arts workshops, Self development workshops, Story-telling and Children's Literature workshops are used innovatively by students of B.El.Ed.to understand cognitive processes involved in learning subjects.
  • Students Discussion Forum: This is an initiative of the students of the Department of History. Issues of contemporary significance are discussed fortnightly. Students of disciplines other than History are also welcomed at these discussions where ideas are exchanged and important questions of the day debated in a non-competitive atmosphere. Several teachers of the History Department also attend and moderate these discussions.