Key Points

"I don't know what people mean by Rightist ideology. For us, the top priority is to prepare students who put the nation first and this should be the objective of every university," said Professor Yogesh Singh, 59, the 23rd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi.

"Whenever the country faces a crisis, the citizens have to contribute in their own way because loving the country, whatever your definition of loving the country may be, I would not like to say anything on this, but it is definitely true that we are working on it," he told IANS.

Urging other institution to nurture patriotism among students, the DU VC said, "We should work on it so that when a child comes out of university after studying, he should worry about the country because this country is ours, it does not belong to anyone else, and we will have to worry about it."

Singh, who was earlier the VC of Delhi Technological University, disagreed with people who allege that students and staff committed to Right wing or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology were being inducted into the University.

"I don't agree with such a wild allegation," said the VC, adding, "There is a prescribed procedure for selection, it has three stages in which there is screening, interview... children are made to write, their communication skills, writing skills and soft skills are checked, then there is an interview."

"Those making such allegations are either ill-informed or lack the maturity to understand such a process," he said, cautioning self-proclaimed experts against casting aspersions on the DU's quality measures.

Asked about the healthy competition with another city-based Central university, Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Delhi University VC hailed the pride of place earned by the JNU in global standings and dismissed allegations that the North Delhi-headquartered university was trying to become 'another JNU'.

"There is nothing of this sort. JNU has its own qualities, and DU has its own strengths," he said.

On the inauguration of the new building of Veer Savarkar College, he said, "The construction of Veer Savarkar College has started. I feel that it will start 100 per cent next year. This college can start in two-three months as well, but it will definitely start next year."

The Veer Savarkar College of Delhi University is coming up in West Delhi's Najafgarh area with an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore. The DU has decided to begin admissions from this session, a move that signals the first major expansion in decades.

- IANS