To help improve its position in the NIRF rankings, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College plans to focus on research and innovation, said principal Hemchand Jain.
While the college secured 13th position in the NIRF ranking in 2018, in 2019 its position dipped to 16. To encourage research, Mr. Jain said that teachers would be given special grants to undertake studies and will be given support to publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals.
The college has also set up an ‘incubation centre’ to encourage entrepreneurship among its students.
Here ideas will be tested by students and will be provided with mentorship, said Mr. Jain. Based on the quality of the idea, they will also be helped with sourcing of funds for further development. This will help turn them into job creators and not just job seekers, he added.
The college is currently in its second cycle of NAAC accreditation which is expected to be completed in the next three months. DDU offers nine undergraduate honours programmes and a few other courses. It also offers certificate courses in foreign languages
The college is among 12 institutions facing a fund crunch as a consequence of a tussle between the Delhi government and DU over selection of governing bodies.