As I read the news of Dr Anil Wilson’s association with St Stephen’s College, Delhi, coming to an end, I remembered my three-and-a-half minutes brush with his administration as a petrified first-year student, 10 days into college life.

Ignoring a much-publicised warning from the administration that the use of cell phones in college will not be looked upon “kindly”, I was firing away on my first mobile. That was until I saw Professor Tankha, now also recognised as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s son-in-law, walking up to me. He beamed, “Congratulations, you are the first person in college to be given this honour. What’s your name and class?” Flattered by his smile and stumped by his words (have they taken note of my genius already?), I blurted: “Sir, Aakansha Sethi, first year economics honours.” “Well,” he said, still smiling, “yours is the first name to go on my list for using a mobile. Please see Dr Wilson on Monday.”

Dr Wilson met me on Monday with, well, another big smile. “I have a penchant for collecting mobiles. So, next time I hear you using it in college, it will go into my collection,” he smiled. Soon after, a notice signed by Dr Wilson came up on the college

notice board. “I would like to thank Aakansha Sethi for being so generous and contributing Rs 100 to the

college,” it announced.

My fellow students got their laughs, the college got Rs 100, and I got a lesson — not in mobile etiquette, but in message delivery. A message is certainly more effective if it’s conveyed with humour. I’d broken a rule, but Professor Tankha/Dr Wilson didn’t make me feel humiliated. Yet they managed to get their point across.

... contd.