New Delhi: There was a time when the Delhi University vice-chancellor’s office had no barriers and classes spilled out into the open lawns. These were memories that resurfaced on Saturday evening as some notable alumni gathered to reflect on a campus that has evolved with the city that has grown outside it. The Delhi University Alumni Leaders Meet, 2025, brought together former students at the India International Centre. There were ministers, senior bureaucrats, judges, lawyers and other people of eminence in attendance. The event was also attended by the vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh. For many, the evening marked a rare opportunity when former classmates met after long years. The alumni greeted one another as they arrived, pausing for photographs and quickly settling into conversations that moved between their current roles and memories of student life. The programme included interactive games that revived campus memories for some. In one such moment, the anchor asked the audience to identify a popular North Campus market known for its food and culture, drawing quick responses of “Majnu ka Tila” from across the gathering, eliciting laughter and cheers. A Fastest Finger First quiz and a lucky draw followed, with questions linked to campus landmarks and student culture. Addressing fellow alumni, SD Sanjay, additional solicitor-general of India, said the evening offered an opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces. “I see a few of my friends here. I am not a local Delhiite. I am from Patna, Bihar, but those days were the best time of my life,” he said, thanking the university for organising the meeting. Senior advocate Monica Arora recalled the informality that marked campus life in her student years. “We used to hold classes in the lawns and go to bhelpuri shops,” she said. The university experience extended beyond academics, she added. Former Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri reflected on how the campus and the city have changed over time. “I still remember when the campus was so open that even the vice-chancellor’s office had no barriers,” he said. “Today, there are more obstructions, not just in Delhi University but across Delhi, and the rush has increased.” Organised by University Foundation of Delhi University, the university’s fundraising body, the meet was aimed at bringing together alumni to strengthen engagement and mobilise support for institutional development. The event was supported by sponsors, including the Indian Railway Finance Corporation, NTPC and BSES.
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