Lady Shri Ram College for Women, has long been recognized as a premier institution of higher learning for women in India. Established by the late Sir Shri Ram in the memory of his wife in 1956, LSR has always been, restless and tireless in fulfilling his vision of ‘More education. More education for Women. And more education for more women.’
A centre for academic excellence and achievement, LSR today is one of the finest institutions in the country offering sixteen courses in Social Sciences, Humanities and Commerce, while also offering a Bachelors of Science Programme in Statistics, and professional courses like Elementary Education and Journalism. Be it academics, extracurricular or co-curricular activities, LSR has proven itself time and again.
On 14 September 2022, the French Foreign Minister, Ms Catherine Colonna visited Lady Shriram College for Women. She prioritized education as a key bilateral pillar. She discussed about gender equality and the goal of doubling the number of Indian students in France to 20,000 by 2025. I was one of the fortunate few to hold a conversation with her for few minutes during this brief visit.
Wrote my first article “Mes vingtaines imprévus” in French in a College magazine in 2022. Results of French language DELF B2 certification in July 2022 elevated me to French Language Editor sooner than I thought. Then Articles written in French by students of LSR prepared between 2022 and 2024 were vetted by me, edited and then published in the Annual College Magazine from 2022 till 2024. My last article was “L’amour Mal Compris”.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) is a community service programme with the objective of building social consciousness in students. The literal meaning of “Sandrishti Swavalamban” is “helping the visually challenged to be self-reliant”. It is an NSS-LSR initiative in collaboration with REACH, the equal opportunity cell of the college. Sandrishti Swavalamban is a special needs NGO comprising of volunteers who are self motivated to help the visually challenged students of LSR.
I joined as a volunteer in 2022-23 and participated actively in annual cultural flagship events of NSS-LSR viz. Kala, Noor and Nexus. The NSS annual art festival, Kala, took place on 15 September 2022, offering a platform for children from beneficiary NGOs to showcase their creativity. The theme for Kala 2023 was “Kudrat aur Kala” (means Nature and Art) celebrating nature’s breathtaking power and the artistic expression of children. Events such as sponge painting, storytelling, and newspaper pen stand making engaged the children.
On 21 October 22, NSS-LSR organized NOOR- the Diwali Mela of NSS-LSR. After a hiatus of three years, this annual cultural fest returned as an offline event, garnering fervent participation from the college community. Themed “NOORARAMBH: New beginnings in the post-pandemic world”, the fest offered a platform to local vendors to set up stalls, while LSR students received subsidized rates for showcasing their talents and products, providing a marketplace to test and foster their budding ventures.
Nexus, the annual youth convention organized by NSS-LSR, was held on 15-16 February 2026 under the theme of “Discourse on Disability: Building an Inclusive tomorrow” to lead social change vis-à-vis the challenges of disability. The convention included informative panel discussions on the socio-political construct of disability and the role of assistive technology in building an inclusive world. Esteemed speakers such as Dr. Renu Addlakha, Ms. Maitreyi Mishra, and Mrs. Malini Dhiran graced the event. Volunteer training sessions on disability sensitization and inclusion were conducted in collaboration with an NGO, The Sarvodaya Collective and REACH: The Equal Opportunity Cell of LSR.
I was elevated to Project Head of Sandrishti Swavalamban for the year 2023-24 due to my stellar contributions in scribing, arranging notes for visually impaired students of LSR in the previous year as a volunteer.
I was deeply involved in the organisation team of Kala (annual cultural festival with the topic – Celebrating our roots: Buniyaad ki pehchaan on 21 September 23). The event was attended by more than 60 children from the various teaching initiatives and projects of NSS.
I played an important role as an organiser for Noor (annual NSS mela with the theme Jashn-e-Abha (Celebration of Light)) held on 03 November 23. More than 65 stalls were set up by college societies, NSS projects and commercial vendors. Activities like Paper craft, musical chair, leaves painting etc. were planned for children.
I contributed significantly for the NSS annual youth convention called Nexus held on 23-24 February 24. The two day event had panel discussions on the topic “Harnessing Digital Platforms to Empower Youth Communities” on day 1 and “Revolutionising Education and Business with Digitalisation”. Other contests such as ‘Breaking Barriers: Film-Making Contest’ and AI Nexus Summit; Bridging Realities and Innovations’ were held online.
Interface, the Academic Forum, is the medium through which students across disciplines share, discuss, and debate their ideas and concepts.
August 2023 – Live Screening of Chandrayaan-3 (Moon Lander Mission of India). Orientation of first year students (Discussions on history, structure and Future Plans). Conduct of Academic Meme Fest/Academic Treasure Hunt
Interface in collaboration with Women Development Cell conducted a session on “Analysing Affirmative Actions and Policy” (Discussions on Reservations and Inclusivity)
Reading Circle – “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin – Discussions and Analysis.
Interface in collaboration with REACH conducted panel discussions on the topic “Nothing without Us – The Past, Present and Future of the Disability Rights Movement in India”. Eminent speakers like Dr Jagdish Chander, Mr Arman Ali, Mr Akshay Jain and Dr Itisha Nagar shared their perspectives on the disability movement in India.
The Books, Documentary and Media Team under the Department of Psychology regularly breaks down movies, books and other issues through the Psychology lens.
“Gone Girl” movie was analysed by Dr Saswati Bhattacharya on 07 March 2024 laying emphasis on family relationships of the protagonist. More than 30 psychology students attended this event wherein I gave the Vote of thanks.
In association with Equal Opportunity Cell, a storytelling session by a Global Mental Health Changemaker, Mr. Hitesh Sewal was conducted on 14 March 2024.
Workshop on Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was conducted by Dr Pushpita Behera on 24 March 2024. Attended by 50 students, the workshop explained the parametric and non-parametric statistical operations that could be carried out using SPSS.
Zeitgeist, the annual academic conference of the Department of Psychology, LSR, was organised on 08-09 April 2024. This conference was centered on the theme “Unveiling the Transformative Power of the Positive Psychology” Over 150 students participated in this conference.
The Keynote Speaker, Dr Dalip Singh, a former Indian Administrative Services officer, is the author of the book ‘Emotional Intelligence at Work’. Dr. Dalip Singh focused on emotional intelligence’s significance within Positive Psychology, emphasizing its role in interpersonal relationships. The Annual Academic Conference was a great success.
My contribution in all the BDM activities for the year 2023-24 was appreciated by the faculty.
