DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

BHARATI COLLEGE

The founding of Bharati College in 1971 marked the beginning of teaching of history as a part of the BA (P) course. However, the Department of History as a distinct entity made its beginning in 1990, when BA (Hons.) was introduced.

VISION OF THE DEPARTMENT

• The Vision of the Department is to inculcate in our students an original and informed approach to historical change, as well as to introduce them to the complexities of the Historian’s craft. Students are exposed to the primary sources/archive, but also taught about the politics behind the production of the archive. By thus, contextualizing their historical engagement with political, social, cultural, and economic processes, the Department equips its students with a basic but deep understanding of the contemporary world- a particularly valuable asset when they enter the workforce. In consonance with the vision statement of the College, the Department is dedicated to advancing the cause of women’s education.
• After completing their graduation, the students will:
• Have a solid grasp of the course of Indian history from prehistoric to contemporary times
• Be aware of the significant developments of world history
• Possess developed skills such as effective writing and critical analysis
• Our courses prepare our students to pursue a wide range of careers in the legal field, education, civil services, archives, and museum, management, heritage and tourism, archaeology, judiciary, social art and social psychology and journalism etc. The department of history adopts the universal design to learning so as to create classroom that are responsive to the needs of multi-lingual, multi-level, and multi-cultural students. This inclusive approaches enables learners from diverse background to engage more meaningfully with historical studies.

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B.A. HONS. AND B.A. PROG.�POPULARITY OF THE HISTORY DISCIPLINE IS REFLECTED IN THE GIVEN GRAPH

STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT COURSES (2023-24)

STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT COURSES (2024-25)

ENROLMENT- 2021-25

The student enrolment profile for these years is interesting as it shows a move towards an almost equal presence of students from within Delhi and outside in the classroom

STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT DATA �

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• The overall student teacher ratio was approximately 1:40 considering Hons. and Prog Courses together.
• In addition to classroom teaching, teachers also reach out to students through the College mentorship programme. Currently, most teachers of the department have been assigned 20 mentees each.
• The Department follows the Curriculum as decided by the University of Delhi.
• Students demand ratio for Hons. is (1:5 during cut off days); 1:3 (CUET) subjective verification.

STUDENT DIVERSITY 2024-25

STUDENT PROGRESSION IN HIGHER STUDIES (2023-24)�

FACULTY STRENGTH AND SPECIALIZATION

FACULTY PROFILE

• The History Faculty of Bharati College is a qualified, committed and enthusiastic group comprising 13 members.
• Most members have produced new knowledge in their fields and contributed to original scholarship.
• Eleven books on significant topics have been authored by teachers of the department at different times, including by Dr. Shakti Madhok, Dr. Fatima Hussain, Dr. Madhuri Sharma, Dr. Jaspal Singh, Dr. Chaya and Dr. Punaram. Dr. Madhwi has designed an online module on European history for the Swayam Prabha channel of IIT Kanpur.
• Most members have published in UGC Care or Peer Reviewed journals. In the two years under review- Dr. Madhuri’s, Dr. Puna Ram’s and Dr. Mithilesh’s research have featured in important publications.
• The following slides contain a general list of publications across the years of the Department faculty which reflect the diverse interests and academic specializations of members of the Deptt.

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RECENT ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS-

PREVIOUS PUBLICATIONS

PRAVAH

• Pravah is the Departmental Society- a space for students to learn in real time as well as connect to the larger campus community.
• The learning starts at the outset, when candidates are chosen through elections to fill office- for many, their fist experience of the democratic enterprise.��Apart from these scholarly initiatives, educational excursions were also conducted.

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PRAVAH

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• A total of 7 educational visits- to the National Museum, the National Archive. Shahjahanabad and the Delhi Townhall, among others with different batches was organised by Pravah
• An archaeological field visit was organised to Rakhigarhi. An outstation educational trip to Old Manali was also organised.

History in the Field: Innovative Teaching Practices:

ALUMNAE

• Our Alumnae are doing well in their respective fields. We have made continous and systematic efforts to reach out to our Alumnae. An Alumnae Lecture series has been finalised.
• In our knowledge, 4 of our students in the reporting period have cleared UGC-NET. One student is doing Ph.D from Jamia, and another has earned her doctorate and is currently guest faculty in DU
• Many students have transitioned to higher studies- mostly M.A in History, but also Law, Education and B.Ed.
• Some of the Alumnae of the Department are doing exceedingly well- as reflected in the next slide.

OUR NOTABLE ALUMNAE

CONTD.

Innovative Teaching Pedagogy /Best Practices of the Department

 Department has adopted following teaching pedagogies:

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• Organising field trips to provide experiential learning to the students.
• Visit to Archaeological sites
• Inviting experts from various academic fields
• Screening of relevant movies and documentaries
• The faculty use innovative advanced technologies to felicitate diverse information

STRENGTHS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY:�

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The Department of History is distinguished by its highly qualified faculty, the majority of whom hold Ph.D. degree. The faculty members are well-prepared and enthusiastic to mentor research students across a wide range of areas. These include social, political, economic, spiritual, religious, and archaeological studies, as well as the historical development of various branches of science.

The department has observed that its students demonstrate the ability to adopt constructive and research-oriented approaches, indicating strong potential for academic growth and contribution to the field.

Another strength of the Department is that it offer bilingual teaching to cater diverse student population which is communicate with the students with easy going way.

WEAKNESS:

• Absence of a separate Department Room and Library.
• The Department currently faces a lack of modern technological tools necessary to connect students with structured, systematic and comprehensive knowledge.

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OPPORTUNITIES

• Given the expertise and the specialisations of the faculty, the Department is considering launching a Heritage Walk series- which can be a way of connecting and giving back to the local community. It could be further developed as form of Consultancy.

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• Feedback from our students has indicated to us that a Departmental initiative for training civil services aspirants- especially for the History optional can be very successful. Many of the faculty serve as experts in Dhairya- the civil services society of the College.

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CHALLENGES

• Arranging sponsorships and other funding for the different programmes is a regular challenge

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• Creating Sustainable Alumnae Networks

ROADMAP/FUTURE PLAN

History is not merely the study of the past. It is also the analytical exploration of transformations across time. It aids us in discerning which elements have remained constant and which have undergone significant change. Furthermore, it meticulously traces the evolution of ideas and material realities across different historical epochs, offering a structured account of shifting conceptual frameworks.

Artificial Intelligence is produced through serious scientific operation of the past. Therefore, it is required to systemise data of every thing and being. In this light, it becomes imperative for the Department of History to adopt Universal Design for Learning, so as to create classrooms that are responsive to the needs of multilingual, multilevel, and multicultural students. This inclusive approach will enable learners from diverse backgrounds to engage more meaningfully with historical studies.

In recent years, the discipline of history has made remarkable strides by integrating with various interdisciplinary fields such as:

Genetics Study

Computer Science

Data Study

Social Art

Social Psychology

In recognition of these dynamic developments, there arises a compelling need for the establishment of a laboratory space within the department—a dedicated environment where both educators and students may pursue self-development and scholarly research, thereby elevating the institution to greater heights of academic excellence.

• Creation of a Historical Resource Centre to provide the Primary Sources and hands on experience for practical training .
• Work towards expanding the Department, where new specializations can be accommodated
• Work towards raising the intake capacity
• Comprehensive Training and workshops for faculty as well as students to equip them with the tools of Artificials Intelligence
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ANY OTHER INFORMATION

• Members of the History faculty regularly lend their expertise to different national and international institutions. Dr. Jaspal Singh has served as a subject expert for the Rajasthan Public Service Commission. Dr. Madhuri Sharma and Dr. Shobhana Sinha have served as experts for the NTA(National Testing Agency). Dr. Nagendra Kumar has provided his expertise for the Samiksha Election Survey series of CGS,DU.
• The faculty also works closely with the University in several academic endeavours- such as Syllabi revision and Course development.

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The Faculty

L to R- Dr. Shakti Madhok, Dr. Fatima Hussain, Dr. Dinesh Singh, Dr. Madhuri Sharma, Dr Nagendra Kumar

2^nd Row L to R, Ms. Shobhana Sinha, Mr. Levin NR, Dr. Jaspal Singh, Dr. Mithilesh Mishra, Dr. Chaya, Dr. Puna Ram

3^rd Row Mr. Ramesh Patel, Dr. Madhwi

THE HISTORY CLASSROOM