Delhi University: Stepping stone to Parliament House

Little wonder then,that with Manmohan Singh at the helm,many of his ministers who were sworn in today trace their roots to Delhi University. Many also owe their political careers to their alma mater. Meira Kumar,Shashi Tharoor,Sachin Pilot,Krishna Tirath,Ambika Soni,Ajay Maken,Salman Khurshid,Kapil Sibal and Virbhadra Singh,all from DU have made it to the list of 59 ministers,some state and some in the Cabinet this year.

Interestingly,five of them — Shashi Tharoor,Sachin Pilot,Salman Khurshid,Kapil Sibal and Virbhadra Singh — are from St Stephen’s College prompting its Principal Reverend Valson Thampu to say with pride that the college instills in its students the spirit of public service.

“It is not surprising that so many students show a keenness to serve the country and I am sure they will do their job well,” Thampu told Newsline.

Ajay Maken,who was sworn in as Minister of State on Thursday,began his political career as the president of the Delhi University Student Union. He said that college elections groom student leaders,help them shed stage fright and prepare them to face crowds.

“College elections are also a way of introducing students to the democratic process of voting,” he says.

Krishna Tirath,who graduated from Daulat Ram College,agrees that these days one sees so many young leaders because the university provides the youth a platform to be noticed. “People join the NSUI and find a way to enter politics,” she adds.

Kapil Sibal,another DU product says that he began his career as an exchequer of St Stephen’s College where he handled the finances of the students body.

“The college is an important milestone in the journey of my life,” he says.

With not many other universities offering a platform for student politics,Maken says the trend should change. According to him,all universities should have elections because it is a healthy exercise in grooming students for a career in politics.