MIRANDA HOUSE HAS BEEN RANKED NO.1 AMONG COLLEGES BY NIRF RANKING 2023

Public Information Officer: Prof. Manjari K. Srivastava, Department of Mathematics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007

Apellate Authority: Professor Bijayalaxmi Nanda, Principal

Preamble

The Right to Information Act 2005 intends to set out the practical regime of Right to Information of citizens to enable them to access the information under the control of public authority in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of such authority.

Section 2(h) of the Act defines "public authority" as any authority or body or institution of self-governance established or constituted -

  1. by or under the Constitution;
  2. by any other law made by the Parliament;
  3. by any other law made by State Legislature;
  4. by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government and includes any
    • body owned, controlled or substantially financed;
    • non-government organization substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government.

In accordance with the provisions contained in section 2(j) of the Act, "Right to Information" means the right to information accessible under this Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and include the right to

  1. inspection of work, documents, records;
  2. taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records;
  3. taking certified samples of material;
  4. obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device.

The Miranda House Information Handbook will enable the citizens to obtain information as to the provisions contained in various rules and regulations governing the college; and related information.

This Information Handbook is divided into 17 sections. Each sections deals with units of information as delineated under section 4 (1) (b). For ease of reference, this is given below.

4. (1) Every public authority shall
  1. Maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and from which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that all records that are appropriate to be computerized are, within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources, computerized and connected through a network all over the country on different systems so that access to such records is facilitated;
  2. Publish within one hundred and twenty days from the enactment of this Act,
    1. The particulars or its organization, functions and duties;
    2. The powers and duties of its officers and employees;
    3. The procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability;
    4. The norms set by it for the discharge of its of its functions;
    5. The rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions;
    6. A statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control;
    7. The particulars of any arrangement that exist for consultation with, or representation by, the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;
    8. A statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advise, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees of such meeting s are accessible for public;
    9. A directory of its officers and employees;
    10. The monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation as provided in its regulations;
    11. The budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements made;
    12. The manner of execution of subsidy programmes including the amounts allocated and the detail of beneficiaries of such programmes;
    13. Particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorizations granted by it;
    14. Details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form;
    15. The particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use;
    16. The names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers;
    17. Such other information as may be prescribed;

Section 4 b (xii) provides information on the manner of execution of subsidy programmes. This programme per se is not applicable to Miranda House.

Section 4(1)(b)(i)

Particulars of organization, functions and duties Miranda House is a constituent college for women, maintained by the University of Delhi under Ordinance XX.

Objectives

  • Miranda House offers undergraduate and postgraduate education in humanities, social sciences and basic sciences in accordance with University of Delhi curricular.
  • It aims for holistic development of women students, and their capacity building through carefully designed academic programmes and extramural activities.

Vision Statement

Miranda House is dedicated to excellence in teaching and promoting genuine scholarship among is students and faculty members. The college believes that the development of such scholarship shall be contributory to the development of women in the country.

The college is also dedicated to nurturing talent and providing opportunities for all round development, keeping in mind the contemporary needs of society and the workplace.

The institute hopes to play a lead role in capacity building of its women students, preparing them for a pioneering and creative role in the development of the nation.

It also hopes to maintain and improve the high standards set by its alumnae, who have carved a special niche for themselves internationally.

Miranda House envisions itself as continuing to be amongst the best colleges of the country, continually updating its pedagogic strategies and course structures.

Brief history

Miranda House, residential college for women, is one of the premier women's institutions of Delhi University. It was founded in 1948 by the then Vice-Chancellor, Sir Maurice Gwyer; its foundation stone was laid by Lady Edwina Mountbatten on March 7 in the same year. Located in the University campus, Miranda House is built in warm red brick with cool and spacious corridors. Its original design was planned by the renowned architect Walter George. The college shares an architectural affinity with other colonial educational institutions of the country. In the past six decades, as the college has grown, several other buildings have been added to its original design. It is now declared a heritage building and work is on to preserve its pristine architectural glory.

Miranda House offers liberal education in humanities, social sciences and basic sciences to about 2500 students. The faculty is renowned for its meritorious profile, versatile talent and dedication to the cause of education. The college has produced women who have excelled in various professions and have contributed in numerous ways to society at large.

The college has always maintained high academic standards. What is more important is the space it has provided to students to freely express and develop views that help them respond to changes in society. Its proximity to other campus colleges enables students to participate in the academic and cultural events that take place on campus.

The college hostel is amongst the oldest residential buildings of the university. The hostel has recently been renovated under the Heritage Building Project. The hostel section is laid out in a pleasing quadrangle, with gardens paced out by bottle palms. The design allows a spacious privacy within which residents can be as they like. The dining hall is one of the assets of the college with monastic tables and benches set inside a long hall. The stretch of ground curving around the hostel towards the canteen has been cleared for a beautiful lawn and a rockery extending the special attractions of the canteen, particularly on sunny winter days.

Duties of the College

  • Organizing and implementing teaching and examinations for award of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science degrees in accordance with the University of Delhi curricula.
  • Providing opportunities for holistic development of women students.
  • Providing efficient management for students in Residence.

Main activities/functions of the College include:

  • Conducting teaching for students enrolled in various degree programmes approved by the University of Delhi.
  • Designing and conducting Add-on courses for value addition; these include UGC approved certificate courses, one year foreign language courses and various other short-term courses.
  • Providing co-curricular activities, namely, sports, NCC and NSS.
  • Providing opportunities for extra-curricular activities such as dramatics, debating, music, dance, quiz, fine arts etc.
  • Instituting awards, scholarship, fellowship and financial assistance to students.
  • Providing opportunities to faculty for professional development and undertaking research projects.
  • Providing and maintaining adequate infrastructure including building, library, laboratories, equipments, canteen, sports and recreational facilities.
  • Providing and maintaining residential facilities for students, faculty and non-teaching staff.

Organization and Administrative Machinery:

  1. A Governing Body, constituted by the Executive Council, Delhi University to administer the affairs of the college, as follows:
    • A person appointed by the Vice-Chancellor as (Chairman)
    • Treasurer of the University (ex-officio)
    • The Principal of the college (ex-officio) Member-Secretary
    • Not less than five and not more than eight members appointed by the Executive Council, not necessarily from among themselves, including one old student of the college.
    • Two members of the teaching staff by the rotation according to seniority for a term of one year. One of the teachers' representatives shall be from among those with more than ten years service; and one from among those with less than ten years service. If however, eligible candidates are not available in one of those categories, both the representatives may be taken from the other.
  2. Principal. The Governing Body appoints a full time principal on the recommendations of the Selection Committee appointed for the purpose, with the approval of the Executive Council.
  3. Vice-Principal appointed by College Governing Body.
  4. Bursar appointed by College Governing Body.
  5. Teaching staff and librarian, appointed by a duly constituted Selection Commission.
  6. Non-teaching staff appointed by a duly constituted Selection Committee.
  7. Each department has a teacher in charge, appointed by seniority, for a term of two years.
  8. The college has a staff council that operates in accordance with ordinance XX 6-A.

Expectation of the College from the public for enhancing its effectiveness and efficiency: The college expects objective and considered support from citizens of the country as well as persons directly associated with the affairs of the college.

Arrangements and methods made for seeking public participation/contribution: Public involvement in the administration of the college is through nomination of people from various walks of public life on its Governing Body. People from public life are invited to the college to contribute towards the teaching leaving and cultural experience in their relevant fields of specialization.

Mechanism available for monitoring the service delivery and public grievance resolution Management of the various activities of the college are supervised by the Governing Body and through the designated authorities and procedure. Monitoring of the affairs of the college is through the Governing Body, UGC and University of Delhi.

Address of the College Office of the Principal, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007

Working hours of the College: Office: 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
Teaching: 8.40 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (Monday to Saturday in accordance to the time-table)

Section 4(1)(b)(ii)

Powers and duties of the officers and employees:

  • The Principal is the principal academic and executive officer of the college. She is responsible for appropriate administration, organization, instruction and management of affairs of the college, as stipulated in University Calendar Ordinance XX.
  • Powers and duties of other authorities and employees are also as stated in the University Calendar.

Section 4(1)(b)(iii)

Procedure followed to take a decision on various matters:

  • Decisions in various matters are taken by the appropriate authorities of the College as per the procedures laid down under various Ordinances, rules and regulations of the University.

Section 4(1)(b)(iv)

Norms set by the college for the discharge of its functions:

Norms and standards for various activities of the college are set by the competent authority such as the Governing Body and Staff Council.

The Staff Council is the academic body of the college. Subject to the provisions of the Delhi University Act, 1922, the Statutes and the Ordinances, it exercises control and general regulation over academic affairs. It is responsible for the maintenance of the standards of instruction, education and examination of the college and other academic matters.

Section 4(1)(b)(v)

Rules, regulations and instructions used:

  • Statutes of the college as contemplated under Ordinance XX University Maintained Colleges.
  • Regulations/instructions for admission regarding all the courses (under-graduate/postgraduate) in accordance with University of Delhi notification.
  • University Non-teaching Employees (Terms & Conditions of Service) Rules, 1971
  • Various rules/instructions concerning personnel management for the teaching and non-teaching staff working in the college.
  • Fundamental Rules and Supplementary Rules of Government of India except where the university has its own provisions with regard to teaching and non-teaching staff.

Section 4(1)(b)(vi)

Official documents and their availability:

I

  • College Prospectus
  • Handbook of Information
  • Information Handbook under RTI Act 2005
  • Hostel- Bulletin of Information
  • Principal's Annual Report
  • Constitution of the Miranda House students Union
  • Advertisement

These are available on the website: www.mirandahouse.ac.in

  • The college Timetable
  • Examination Schedules
  • Scholarship Notices
  • Administrative Notices
  • Students, Attendance Records
  • Students, Internal Assessment Records
  • Examination results

Attempts are being made to put these up on the website.

II

  • Minutes of the Governing Body
  • Audit Reports
  • Certified Annual Accounts

There is time lag between their approved veracious and their printed veracious.

III

  • University of Delhi, Calendar-Volume I dealing with statutory provisions.
  • University of Delhi, Calendar- Volume II dealing with various courses.

These are available in printed form from the University of Delhi.

Note: Confidential matters pertaining to examinations, paper setting, evaluation of scripts and consequent procedures, composition and proceedings of the selection committees and minutes of the college until these are printed, will remain confidential and not available in the public domain.

Section 4(1)(b)(vii)

Mode of public participation:

Various statutory bodies of the College Governing Body comprise of eminent people from society and representatives of public who directly participate in the affairs of the College. The College Governing Body has following representative from the public.

  • Two persons nominated by the Vice-Chancellor to the College Governing Body from the various fields of public.

The College Complaint Committee has representatives from the public.

Section 4(1)(b)(viii)

Councils, Committees, Faculties, Departments, etc. under the College:

  • The College Governing Body as per University Calendar Ordinance XX.
  • Staff Council as per University Calendar Ordinance XX.
  • Staff Council Committees.
  • Purchase Committee
  • Building Committee
  • College Complaint Committee (Sexual Harassment)
  • Allotment Committee (Staff Quarters)

Section 4(1)(b)(ix)

Directory of officers and employees:

  • It is available in print form.

Section 4(1)(b)(x)

Monthly remuneration received by each of its employee:

  • The pay scales of various teaching and non-teaching staff are as prescribed by the University Grants Commission and adopted by the college.

Section 4(1)(b)(xi)

Budget allocated to each agency:

  • The budget and the financial estimates are as approved by the Governing Body and presented before the University/ University Grants Commission.

Section 4(1)(b)(xii)

Manner of execution of subsidy programmes:

  • Not applicable to the college.

Section 4(1)(b)(xiii)

  1. Concessions granted by the college:

    Concessions that are available to various categories of students for admission to various courses are given in the Bulletin of Information.

    • 22.5% of the total number of seats is reserved for candidates belonging to SC/ST (15% for SC and 7.5% for ST).
    • 5% of the total number of seats in each of the courses has been reserved to the children/widows/wives of the officers and men of the armed forces including paramilitary personnel, killed/disabled in action or those who died/were disabled on duty. Relaxation to the extent of 5% marks in the aggregate or in the subject, as the case may be is given to determine their eligibility to the concerned courses (except in courses having entrance tests).
    • 3% seats are reserved for physically challenged candidates for admission to undergraduate courses.
    • 5% seats in the first year of each course in colleges are reserved for foreign students.
    • Relaxation to the extent of 5% in the minimum marks is given to the nominees of Nepal Government/Royal government of Bhutan to determine their eligibility for admission to the course concerned.

    All reserved category seats are filled by central admission carried out by the Office of the Dean of Students Welfare and Office of the Advisor, Foreign Students as the case may be.

    • 5% of the total number of seats separately both in Honours and Pass courses (for first year of the under-graduate courses) are offered for admission on the basis of sports and co-curricular distinctions.

    Note:

    • The above reservations may vary with any decision taken by the University or directions from the Central Government.
    • Details of such concessions are available in the admission brochures for respective courses of the college.
    • Category seats are filled by central admission.
  2. Concessions availed by the college:

    The college avails concessions on excise and customs duties on the procurement of the equipment, chemicals etc. for academic projects and laboratories.

  3. Financial Assistance to students:

    The college provides financial assistance to needy students.

  4. Section 4(1)(b)(xiv)

    Information available in electronic form:

    • The college has adopted wide scale computerization of data management in administration account section of the college and hostel. All correspondence is computer generated.
    • Information made publically available can be accessed at www.mirandahouse.ac.in
    • All the information about the college is available on the college website - www.mirandahouse.ac.in

    Section 4(1)(b)(xv)

    Means, methods and facilities available to citizens for obtaining information:

    • Through the notice boards, relevant brochures, University Calendars and various other rules which are available in print as well as on the website www.mirandahouse.ac.in
    • Some of the publications (College Prospectus) is priced and can be obtained by paying the stipulated amount.
    • Unpriced information for the general public is disseminated occasionally through press releases, advertisements etc. These are available on the college website - www.mirandahouse.ac.in

    Section 4(1)(b)(xvi)

    Public Information Officer:

    • Mr. Jyoti Prakash, Section Officer, Administration, Miranda House, University of Delhi.

    Appellate Authority:

    • Professor Bijayalaxmi Nanda, Principal, University of Delhi.

    Section 4(1)(b)(xvii)

    The college website (www.mirandahouse.ac.in), the University of Delhi website (www.du.ac.in) are the repository of information.

    The person seeking of the information may apply on a plain paper giving particulars of information being sought and his/her correct address for communication. Separate applications for seeking information on different subjects are required. The application has to be accompanied with the prescribed fee (at present a fee of Rs. 10/-). The fee is payable with each application which is towards the cost of processing the request.

    The schedule of fees can be obtained from the Public Information Officer of the University of Delhi. For the time being the rates are as follows:-

    1. Rs. 2/- per page of A-4 or A-5 size.
    2. Actual cost for sizes bigger than A-4 or A-5.
    3. In case of printed material, the printed copies could be had from the college sales counter.
    4. In case of photo copies, the rate would be Rs. 2/- per page.
    5. If information is needed on a disk or floppy subject to availability of information in soft form, the fee will be Rs. 50/- per disk/floppy.
    6. Admissible records may be allowed to be inspected on payment of Rs.150/- per hour or part thereof, before the date and time of inspection of the same.

    A major portion of the information will be available from the University Calendars Volumes I & II, and other rules as applicable to the college from time to time and printed syllabi for various courses.