It’s raining lit fests at Delhi University

Organised by students, the event has Swapan Dasgupta, author, columnist and former member of Rajya Sabha, as its director, and Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, as its advisor.

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DU Literature Festival was kicked off at Ramjas College (Express Photo)

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Inspired by the Jaipur Literature Festival, the first edition of the three-day Delhi University Literature Festival kicked off on Friday at the Ramjas College lawns.

Organised by students, the event has Swapan Dasgupta, author, columnist and former member of Rajya Sabha, as its director, and Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, as its advisor.

Among those at the fest on the first two days were Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who wrote ‘The Rise of BJP: The Making of the World’s Largest Political Party’, Dasgupta, Sanyal, and Tilak Devasher, who wrote ‘The Pashtuns: A Contested History’.

In a tweet on Friday, Yadav said: “Attended the 1st Edition of Delhi University Literature Festival at Ramjas College today. Lovely to see young minds ready to fire up their imagination with reading and writing.”

Vikas Singh Pawar, a second-year Political Science student from Hindu College, who is one of the organisers, said: “Among the speakers invited are renowned authors, columnists, historians… This festival was inspired by the Jaipur Literature Festival, the grandeur around it, so we thought DU should also have one.”

“Historic India Research Foundation, a DU student body, is also responsible for implementation of the idea of this event. Once we finalised the idea and found the sponsor, we took permission from the DU administration and Ramjas College to use the premises,” said Srishti Sharma, president of the fest’s organising committee and a third-year student of History (Honours) from Ramjas.

Many students also set up stalls. Among them was GirledUpKawach, an organisation that aims to promote gender equality. “The funds we collect here will be used to buy sanitary napkins and will be distributed in bastis around Delhi… we will also educate women about menstrual health,” said Disha Goel, a second-year B.Com student who represented the organisation.

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Another was set up by the Entrepreneurship Cell of Kamla Nehru College, with students promoting Project Kadam. “We collect denim from students in our college and give them to tailors and cobblers across the city, who make footwear out of them which we are presenting today at the fest. The money we earn by selling them will be distributed to them.”

Meanwhile, the AISA on Friday organised the People’s Literature Festival at DU’s Art Faculty. Professor Nandita Narain, who inaugurated the event, gave a rendition of ‘Hum Dekhenge’ by poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

The first session began with an open mic where various DU students recited poetry. In the second session, director Avinash Das interacted with students on the topic ‘Culture of resistance and Indian cinema’. Meena Kotwal, journalist and editor of Mooknayak, spoke on the topic ‘Media and caste. And historian and author S Irfan Habib addressed the gathering on how to reclaim people’s history from the RSS. Professor Apoorvanand spoke to students on academic freedom and said more free spaces should be created in universities and outside.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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