Holistic and Inclusive Development with student-centric approach:

Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, is an academic and research oriented institution, helping to explore and build the research aptitude of teachers and students in various aspects. The College is actively involved in organising International and National Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Symposiums, and attempts to provide a platform for teachers and students to present their academic and research inclinations and also invites academicians and researchers of different pedagogic accomplishments who contribute to make the event successful. In 2019-20 the College organised more than three International Conferences and more than fifty such international and national events. Interdisciplinary research is one of the hallmarks of the College. For this purpose, the College has established the i-4 Center for Interdisciplinary Research with an initial grant from the DBT-STAR College scheme which the College was awarded in 2019. Minor research projects have also been initiated with the support of the DBT-STAR College scheme to develop an exploratory aptitude among the students. Weekly lecture series for undergraduate students explore and follow interdisciplinary sciences, research, career counselling and general awareness, which help to inculcate scientific aptitude and raise awareness of the latest developments among the students. Field trips (nature walks, heritage walks, photography trails et al) have been very successful; they are organised to inspire students to observe, explore, identify and appreciate our natural habitat and unique history. With a strong infrastructure having many well-equipped, state-of-the-art laboratories, a well-documented botany museum, departmental offices/rooms and libraries, lecture halls etc., the college aims to inculcate a scientific and experimental spirit in its students. Deshbandhu’s mantra of holistic development, inculcation of a scientific temper by supplementation of conventional classrooms with modern modes of audio-visual teaching, extensive use of ICT in pedagogic delivery and dissemination, excursions, virtual tours, seminars, webinars, invited lectures by eminent scientists, slide shows, documentary films, quiz competitions, debates etc. helps the students metamorphose their personality. A mushroom cultivation centre (established by the Botany Department during the Covid-19 pandemic), inside the botanical garden of the College will be used to impart skill-based training for the students in coming years. A major advantage of Deshbandhu College is its student - teacher ratio, which consequently encourages an effective exchange of ideas, reciprocity and helps to assist the teachers in mentoring students for further research. From time to time, teachers are also advised to partake in counselling sessions to provide correct psychological support to students who are away from their families. During the Covid-19 pandemic for instance, there were cases of students suffering liabilities such as financial distress and loss of loved ones. College faculties immediately and actively involved themselves in providing help to our students.

Apart from turf explorations, the College has also been able to create a unique niche for itself in the field of Sports. Archery is especially considered to be the hallmark of Deshbandhu College. We provide infrastructure and coaching facility throughout the year for various sports such as Archery, Boxing, Cricket, Judo, Kabaddi, Power-lifting, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Weight-lifting, Wrestling and Yoga. In the last few years, our students have made their mark in Archery, Boxing, Shooting and Weightlifting by winning medals at both the International and National levels. Students now have the opportunity to explore myriad dimensions associated with sports. They participate in tournaments at the Inter-College, Inter-University, State, National, and International level. The College periodically organizes a verity of workshops and seminars to encourage participation and spread awareness of sports and fitness. Additionally, an initiative of “Fit India'' has been inculcated within the institution.

The College is committed to social inclusivity and respecting diversity. Towards this end the College has a very active and highly decorated NCC with all the three wings i.e. Army, Navy and Airforce with the first two having both Men and Women wings. The College has a vibrant NSS which constantly engages with the civil society in carrying out the mandate for social outreach and support activities. Through the NSS and NCC the College has succeeded in creating an impact with its socially relevant initiatives. In order to inculcate and promote gender sensitization the College has signed an MOU with an NGO Poshca and the Women Development Cell and Internal Complaints Committee constantly organises seminar, workshops and lectures on gender sensitization and women health and hygiene related issues. The College has an SC/ST/OBC Cell which strives to create avenues and opportunities for the marginalised and socially and economically backward students of the College. The entire campus is Differently-abled friendly with a host of features and softwares to support such students. The College has especially created a North-East Cell to ensure the inclusion, assistance, counselling, mentoring and nurturing of the students from North-East. In proactively engages in providing all necessary guidance and speedy grievance redressal of these students.

The Deshbandhu Green Drive:

With its dense green cover and phenomenal biodiversity, the college is at the forefront of maintaining a green and sustainable campus. It is committed to optimizing its available material and human resources and inculcation a lifestyle that promotes the conservation of energy and other natural resources in the college premises. The college has taken the various initiative to make environmental consciousness and sustainability, such as Advance Integrated Composting Facility (AICF), Renewable energy through Solar Power, Bird Housing, Rain Water Harvesting Plant and Green Campus and Green Building. The college has taken a significant step towards alternative energy by harnessing solar energy, a major renewable energy resource.

Advanced Integrated Composting Facility (DBC-AICF):

After analysing the problems that our college was facing in solid waste management, College came to the conclusion that a new approach was needed. Such an approach is needed to treat wastes as a resource, improve waste collection services, reduce transport costs and reduced landfill space.

Through an intensive assessment and rigorous brainstorming, we identified a need of decentralized-based compost plants, as an approach that met the above criteria. With little modifications to existing successful model of decentralized composting initiatives, the concept of Advanced Integrated Composting Facility has been initiated. Thus the department of Environmental Studies developed Advanced Integrated Composting Facility (DBC-AICF) at Deshbandhu College. With slight modification, this Integrated Composting Facility can perform all different types of composting like cold composting, hot composting and vermicomposting. Due to this reason, this composting facility is considered an Advanced integrated composting facility(DBC-AICF)

DBC-AICF is a facility where significant portions of waste can be processed in a cost-effective way. DBC-AICF looks at waste as a resource and mainly focuses on organic waste (fresh organic waste primarily coming from kitchens, restaurants, parks and lawns) including paper, packaging materials etc.; it can be processed efficiently in a decentralized manner.

Three major activities are carried out in AICF; these are collecting segregated waste at the source, processing waste using appropriate technology, and marketing resources produced from waste.

The compost generated from the first cycle of composting is now being utilised in college as green manure in the “Green Belt project” of the College.

Solar Power:

Taking a significant step towards becoming an environmentally friendly campus, Deshbandhu College is in the process of installing solar power panels on the college premise. The College is becoming one of the first Delhi University colleges to make this move to become self-sufficient in electricity production. The college has selected two buildings for the installation of solar panels on the top roof. As a result, the college will reportedly be saving up to 40 to 50 percent on power bills for the next 25 years. This has been done in collaboration with the Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL). This solar power has been notified by the IPGCL for "Design, Manufacture, Supply, Erection, Testing and Commissioning including Warranty, Operation & Maintenance of solar power. This solar power has the capacity to produce a 72.36 KW Rooftop Solar PV System with the model area (7236 Sqr mtr) at Deshbandu College. The College shall pay the power producer for solar power at the rate equal to INR 3.75/kWh, which is the levelized tariff as per IPGCL Adopting solar power is a socially responsible step and ensures economic and financial benefits that can be passed on to the institute's development. Deshbandhu College is delighted to be associated with IPGCL Solar to implement a rooftop solar project at our campus. As an educational institute, we are committed to preserving the environment and creating awareness about solar technology among our students and patrons.

Bird Housing:

Deshbanbhu College caters to people interested in birds. There are no programs at any of the Delhi University colleges offering ornithology as a major, but it is possible to turn your studies toward birds through coursework and research options. In addition, each of these different programs gives a different perspective on conservation, ecology, and bird biology. In this context, Deshbanbhu College took the initiative and installed more than 40 bird houses and many more bird feeding points to increase the College's bird diversity.

Thus in the month of January 2019, the installation of bird housing was started. In the college, several birdhouses are out there. In return, many new species of birds are attracted and have visited the College through this initiative and the proximity of the College to the Okhla Bird Santuary has also contributed to this effort. This offers a unique learning experience for the students.

Rainwater Harvesting Plant (RHP):

The college installed the rainwater harvesting Plant, an integral environment-friendly approach. This Green Practice has the double benefit of keeping the groundwater level undisturbed and charging the aquifer. This green practice can be encouraged in the form of a Community Development Program. Rainwater and run-off water, stored in a planned way, can save the earth from soil erosion and flood and recharge the aquifers to increase the groundwater level. The main objectives of RHP are to increase recharge of groundwater by capturing and storing rainwater, by rainwater harvesting from rooftop run-offs, and to keep the water for gardening & washing purpose.

Green Campus and Green Buildings:

The newly developed Green belt of the College uses the concept of rainwater harvesting and it has been designed such that the lower layer of the green belt soil is consisting of fragile material while the upper or top layer of the soil is consisting of clay. In this manner the entire green belt area acts as catchment area as well as rainwater harvesting plant. In addition to the green belt the College also boasts of a Botanical Garden which has a water pond for cultivating aquatic flora, good collection of medicinal and rare plants which are used for various studies by the faculty and students. The College is in the process of adopting the Green Building norms and all the lighting of the college is being replaced by LED lighting. The new air-conditioning systems being installed in the College are all 5-star or VRVF (equivalent to 7-star energy rating) compliant. The College is also in the process of conducting Green Audit of its buildings for which it has signed an MOU with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. The newly constructed New Science Block also conforms to the Green Building norms.

We maintain a green and clean campus, plant trees under the initiative of NSS are other small strides towards the environment.