A Quiet Revolution

Investing in infrastructure, overhauling the curriculum, cultivating a research culture and leveraging its existing strengths—this DU college set out on a deliberate and determined journey towards change

- By AVISHEK G. DASTIDAR

Despite its prime location in Dhaula Kuan, rich legacy and a large student body, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) College was rarely the first choice for top-scoring students coming to Delhi University (DU). That changed with National Institutional Ranking Framework or NIRF 2024 where ARSD emerged in 5th place. “This isn’t just improvement, it’s a leap,” says ARSD principal Prof. Gyantosh Kumar Jha, sitting in his office surrounded by student souvenirs. “Overtaking SRCC, Lady Shri Ram, even St Stephen’s—DU’s hallmark colleges—is a reversal no one saw coming, though the pieces had been carefully laid out for years. Not just academics, focus on all-round development of students, that’s the soul of what we tried to do here.”