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Year-ender 2025: The moments that defined campus life at Delhi University
Here’s a rewind of some of the notable moments from 2025’s #CampusKeDin. Read on to recall everything from DUSU elections to the mega DU fest season.
From star-studded DU fests and campus activism to a DU alumnus becoming Delhi’s CM and a student winning Miss Universe India 2025, here’s a rewind of the highs and heartbreaks that defined #CampusKeDin in 2025.
Campaign Rules; ABVP returns with a sweep
The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections in September triggered intense debate even before polling began, largely due to the strict crackdown on campaigning. After widespread defacement during the 2024 polls, candidates were asked to submit a ₹1 lakh bond and sign an undertaking not to deface public property. With barricaded streets and heavy police presence on campus, the elections finally concluded with ABVP returning to power, winning three of the four posts. Aryan Maan was elected president, bagging the top seat from ABVP.
Huge budgets ft. #DUfests
From Papon and Neeti Mohan to Seedhe Maut, Sunanda Sharma, Javed Ali and Salim–Sulaiman — DU fests turned into full-blown concert zones this season. But the glamour came with big budgets. Seedhe Maut charged ₹28 lakh to headline SRCC’s Crossroads 2025, nearly half its ₹60 lakh budget.
GGSIPU’s Anugoonj, comparatively, ran on a ₹1.2-crore budget, with ₹11 lakh going to Sunanda Sharma. Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies spent ₹18–20 lakh (out of ₹35 lakh) to bring in Papon. And ₹26 lakh from Deen Dayal Upadhyay College’s ₹51-lakh kitty went to Neeti Mohan.
And the Miss Universe India 2025 is....
Twenty-two-year-old Manika Vishwakarma, a BA (Prog) student at Mata Sundri College, was crowned Miss Universe India 2025 in October. Originally from Ganganagar, Rajasthan, Manika calls DU her “second home,” adding that she’s visited every iconic canteen on campus, from Hansraj to Hindu. Despite the crown, she says DU keeps her grounded, and her old friends still treat her just the same.
Operation Sindoor Diaries
Cross-border tensions in May collided with final-semester exams, leaving DU students, especially those from border areas, anxious and displaced. Many rushed home expecting postponements, only to scramble back once the ceasefire was declared. In the chaos, students built support networks. Hostels turned into safe study spaces, and WhatsApp groups helped those stuck in high-risk areas with notes, doubts and study material.
Raising a voice for the voiceless
The year began with emotional debate after the death of a campus stray named Tokyo at SRCC. The issue resurfaced in November after a Supreme Court order called for removal of stray dogs from public places, sparking protests across DU. Masked students gathered at Faculty of Arts holding placards reading “Aawara nahi, humara hai yeh.” Hansraj student Geetika Ratra said: “Our community dogs can’t speak. We have to.” Students emphasised responsible, compassionate solutions, not displacement.
DU alumna Rekha Gupta becomes Delhi’s Chief Minister
Delhi’s current Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, is a proud DU alumna, and a former DUSU president. Her teacher from Daulat Ram College, Indu Jain, recalls a confident yet grounded student leader: “Rekha bahut dhaakad thi… strong-minded but down-to-earth. We always knew she had leadership in her.” In August, the CM, who had left campus by 1998, relaunched U-Special buses saying to DU students: “I have brought them back for all of you.”
Sustainability
Alongside fest season and academics, DU students kept sustainability in focus. On World Art Day, Lady Irwin College’s fine arts society hosted The Leaf Palette, encouraging students to create artworks using semi-dried leaves instead of paper.
At Kamala Nehru College’s Diwali mela, the Hariyali Society sold hand-painted planters at nominal rates. As BCom student Sakshi shared: “Everyone talks about pollution, few act on it. Small steps count.”
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