Stephen's to offer a peek into the ‘other India’

It may not be offering any new academic courses any time soon, but St Stephen's College is set to introduce two courses aimed at the holistic development of students in its new session.

It may not be offering any new academic courses any time soon, but St Stephen's College is set to introduce two courses aimed at the holistic development of students in its new session.

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One of the courses — Engaging with Unequal India — will educate students about the issues facing the country today. The course has been prepared by social activist and writer Harsh Mander, who is also an alumnus of St Stephen's. He will also teach students as a guest lecturer.

"The course aims to educate undergraduate students to the lived realities of the 'other' India including poverty, hunger, homelessness, untouchability, patriarchy and communalism. It will talk about privilege and the denial of opportunities. It will reflect on the humanist and socialist ideals of the Constitution, and finally responsible democratic citizenship," said Mander.

"The course will deploy a range of diverse methodologies, including lectures, classroom discussions, panels, case studies, films and discussions, theatre, field visits and community service tasks," he added.

"There is a rising tendency of discourtesy among the youth today and I firmly believe that education must restore courtesy. Our rich culture is something that the youth is forgetting and a short course that will help restore the balance between modernity, culture and art is needed for every student," said Valson Thampu, principal, St Stephen's College.