Miranda House facts for kids
 |
|
| Motto |
स्वाध्यायान प्रमादितव्यम
|
|---|---|
|
Motto in English
|
Learning through self-education |
| Type | University College for Women |
| Established | 7 March 1948 |
| Founder | Maurice Gwyer |
| Accreditation | NAAC (A++ Grade) |
| Principal | Prof. Vijaylaxmi Nanda |
|
Academic staff
|
238 |
|
Administrative staff
|
326 |
| Students | More than 3,000 |
| Location |
,
,
India
|
| Campus | Urban |
| Calendar | Semester |
| Colours | Cocoa Brown Green |
| Nickname | Miranda, Mirandians |
| Affiliations | University of Delhi |
Miranda House is a well-known college for women in New Delhi, India. It is part of the University of Delhi. The college was started in 1948. It has been ranked as the number one college in India for seven years in a row, as of 2023.
Contents
History of Miranda House
Miranda House was founded in 1948 by Sir Maurice Gwyer. He was the vice-chancellor of the university at that time. In 1952, he shared three reasons why the college was named Miranda. His favorite actress was Carmen Miranda. His daughter's name was also Miranda. Plus, a character named Miranda in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest was, to him, a perfect example of a lady.
Lady Edwina Mountbatten laid the first stone for the college on March 7, 1948. Miranda House is built with red bricks on the university campus. Its first design was made by the architect Walter Sykes George. The building style is similar to other old educational places in India. As the college grew, more buildings were added.
Students and former students of Miranda House are called Mirandians.
Growth of the College
Miranda House began with only 33 students in July 1948. By September of the same year, this number grew to 105. By 1997–98, there were 2,090 students. The number of teachers also grew from six in 1948 to 120 by 1997–98. The college hostel, which is like a dorm, housed 43 students in 1948. Today, 250 students live in the hostel.
When it first opened, Miranda House had six departments. By 2012, it had eighteen. Miranda House was a leader in science education for women at the University of Delhi. It started its B.Sc. Honours (Botany) course in 1948. Over the years, many new subjects have been added in areas like humanities and social sciences.
Miranda House offers a broad education in social sciences, humanities, and basic sciences. The college has teaching labs and other facilities. As of 2012, Miranda House had over 4,000 students.
What Students Learn
Miranda House offers many courses for students who are just starting college and those who are continuing their studies. All courses for new students, starting from 2014-15, follow a three-year honors degree system.
Courses for New Students
- B.A. Programme
- B.A. Honours in subjects like: Economics, English, Geography, Hindi, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Sanskrit, Sociology
- B.Sc. Honours in subjects like: Botany, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Zoology
- B.Sc. in: Life Sciences, Physical science (Computer Science)
- B.El.Ed: This is a four-year course.
Courses for Advanced Students
Students can join M.A. and M.Sc. programs at the college. Classes for these programs are held at the university departments.
- M.A. programme: Many of the same subjects offered at the B.A. Honours level are available.
- M.Sc. programme: Many of the same subjects offered at the B.Sc. Honours level are available. The college also offers M.Sc. in Anthropology.
Learning Languages
The college offers one-year certificate courses in French, German, and Spanish. These courses are taught with other departments at the University of Delhi.
Short Courses
The college also has short courses. There is a two-month course in computer applications. There is also a 16-week computer course for students who are visually challenged. The college does not charge a fee for the computer course for visually challenged students.
College Library
The Miranda House Library got its first book on July 22, 1948. At first, it was in just one room. The current library building was built with help from the first librarian, P. Tandon. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid its foundation stone on March 7, 1973.
The new library building has two floors. It includes areas for checking out books, a reading hall, a teachers' reading room, and a magazine section.
Amba Dalmia Resource Centre
Miranda House was the first college to create a computer-based center to help its visually challenged students. This center started in 2006. It was made possible by a gift from Ms Manju Kapur Dalmia, who is an author and a teacher at Miranda House.
D S Kothari Centre
The D S Kothari Centre works with the Amstel Institute from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Their main goal is to make science education better in schools. They do this by using computer tools in learning.
The center gives awards to science students based on tests and presentations. They also organize summer internships, lectures, and camps.
Placement Cell
The college has a placement cell with teachers and student helpers. This cell helps students with career advice and finding jobs after they graduate.
College Rankings
| College rankings |
|---|
Miranda House has been ranked as the number one college in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023.
College Campus
Building Design
Miranda House is located in the north campus area of the University of Delhi. It was designed by architect Walter Sykes George. Its style is similar to other old educational buildings in India. The college hostel is one of the oldest living spaces at the university. The hostel area is shaped like a square, with gardens in the middle. Over the past 60 years, more buildings have been added to the original design. The campus is now considered a heritage building.
The main parts of the college are the main building, the library, and the hostel. In the 1950s, new buildings for classes were built. The principal's office, college office, and teachers' lounge were also built then. The college auditorium and cafeteria were added during this time.
The college auditorium was updated in its Golden Jubilee Year. A rock garden was also created near the students' common room.
The Miranda House hostel was started in 1948 by Sir Maurice Gwyer. Lady Edwina Mountbatten laid its foundation stone. The building was designed by architect Walter George.
The dining hall has a high, arched ceiling. There is also a common room and a coffee lounge. The hostel is a Heritage Building, so it has been carefully restored. It has 120 rooms for two students and seven rooms for four students. A full-time warden and housekeeper manage the hostel daily.
Student Life
Women's Development Cell
The Women's Development Cell at Miranda House is an important part of the college. It is made up of women who work together for a world where everyone is treated equally.
Student Clubs
Miranda House has many cultural clubs. These include:
- Mridang (Indian Dance)
- Tanz (Western Dance)
- Anukriti (Hindi Dramatics)
- Ariels (English Dramatics)
- Geetanjali (Indian Music)
- Orpheus (Western Music)
- Celluloid (Film Club)
- Snapshots (Photography)
- BlueQuill (Creative Writing Club)
- Enactus (social entrepreneurship)
- Adwitiya (Fine Arts)
- Shabdita (Hindi literary society)
- Debating Society
- Quiz Society
- Gandhi Study Circle
- TULA
- MH Vatavaran
Students join these clubs through tryouts and auditions.
National Cadet Corps (NCC)
The Miranda House NCC Company has 160 cadets. They are part of the Army wing. Many second-year students can join NCC, as the training is now for two years.
National Service Scheme (NSS)
NSS has two main activities. Volunteers teach children of the college staff and children from nearby areas who need help. They also read and record books for visually challenged students at the college. Students also take part in social campaigns and related events.
Sports and Games
The sports department organizes competitions for new students in cross-country race, basketball, and table tennis. Cross-country races are often held for good causes, like "Run for Peace." The college offers special coaching for basketball, chess, cross-country race, softball, tennis, table tennis, track and field, and volleyball. College teams compete in tournaments with other colleges. Many students are chosen to represent Delhi in national competitions.
The college also holds a table tennis tournament for men and women from different colleges. Another important event is the college's Annual Sports Day.
International Programs
A group of 17 students and three teachers from Utrecht Business School in the Netherlands visited the University of Delhi. This was for a cultural exchange program in October 2009. Miranda House and Sri Ram College of Commerce hosted this group. Students from both countries shared information about their businesses and cultures. They also attended workshops on international business and marketing.
Students' Union
The Students' Union has a president, vice president, general secretary, and two central councillors. Students elect these leaders. The Students' Union organizes TEMPEST, which is the annual cultural festival of Miranda House. They also help with any problems students might have.
Student Activism
In 1970, students at Miranda House voted to stop the "Miss Miranda" beauty contest. They strongly opposed the idea of judging students based on their looks. The Student Union president, Madhu Kishwar, led these protests.
During a difficult time in Delhi in 1984, students from Miranda House set up relief camps to help people. Filmmaker Shonali Bose, who was a student at Miranda, later made a film called Amu about this time.
In 2015, students protested against "unreasonable curfew times" for women. This campaign was called "Break the Cage."
Former Principals
- Veda Thakurdas (1948–1956): She was the first principal of Miranda House.
- S. Krishnaswamy (1957–1964)
- M. Chandy (1964–1971)
- A. C. Janaki amma (1971–1981)
- T. S. Rukmani (1982–1993): She was a former student of Miranda House.
- Kiran Datar (1993 to 2000): She is also an old Mirandian.
- Dr. Pratibha Jolly (2005-2019)
Notable Alumni
Many famous women have studied at Miranda House, including:
- Anita Desai, author
- Anjolie Ela Menon, artist
- Anuja Chauhan, author
- Brinda Karat, politician
- Indrani Dasgupta, model
- Madhur Jaffrey, actress and cookbook author
- Mallika Sherawat, actress and model
- Meira Kumar, first female Speaker of Lok Sabha (a part of India's Parliament)
- Mira Nair, filmmaker
- Nandita Das, filmmaker and actress
- Neeti Mohan, singer
- Sheila Dikshit, politician and former Chief Minister of Delhi
- Shonali Bose, filmmaker
- Shovana Narayan, Kathak dancer
- Swara Bhaskar, actress
