NEW DELHI: Delhi University (DU) honoured Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta during a ceremony at the Vice Regal Lodge in the national capital on Friday.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said, “Daulat Ram College is where I transformed into a leader. When I joined, the college was on strike for an entire year–there wasn’t a single class held. You can imagine the academic impact that had on students. Eventually, we connected with DUSU, and that’s when my journey into leadership truly began.”
“My mother had insisted I join a girls’ college. The following year, classes resumed, but by then, we had become accustomed to attending programs and actively participating in ABVP. This led to attendance shortages, making it difficult to appear for exams–even getting a roll number was a struggle,” said Gupta.
She further said, “Back then, I never imagined that one day, I’d be responsible for fixing the very roads I used to walk on. The same Vice-Chancellor’s office where we staged protests is now where I receive honours, and the police station where we were once detained is now a place where I engage in discussions with officers on equal footing. To come here is a challenge and side by side also an inspiration for me.”
Chief minister expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister and said, “I thank honorable PM Narendra Modi, who didn’t say but made a woman-led government. I believe Delhi’s education tourism should increase, people from different countries should come here for higher education. We should provide better opportunities and facilities.”
Rekha Gupta said, “I have come to the Delhi University campus for the first time after becoming the Chief Minister. I am very happy that I received my education from a university that has such an established name in the world, one of the most prestigious institutions in India… Delhi University’s reputation needs to be further enhanced. The education system across Delhi should be such that every child gets a better education from school to college.”
Rekha Gupta completed her education at Daulat Ram College and was elected as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) during 1996-97, where she vigorously advocated for student concerns.
