Hansraj College Principal Prof. Rama has been appointed Director of the Delhi School of Journalism, in addition to her duties.
The University of Delhi has appointed Professor Rama, Principal of Hansraj College, as Director of the Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ). The notification, dated 15 October 2026 and issued by the Establishment Branch, says the appointment is with immediate effect and until further orders. The appointment comes six days after DSJ students staged a walkout on 8 October during a weekly lecture series, demanding the resignation of OSD Dr. Sanjay Verma over alleged gender and caste discrimination. As Verma took the stage, students walked out, raised posters and slogans and then marched to the Vice-Chancellor’s office. However, the authorities declined to negotiate, and the lectures continued.
Prof. Rama, also referred to as Rama Sharma in some press reports, is a Hindi professor who joined Hansraj College as a lecturer in August 1991, according to her official academic profile. She became the officiating principal in 2015 and was formally appointed in September 2018. She was the first woman and the first member of the Hindi department to head the college.
Her academic background also includes training in journalism. According to her college profile, she holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication from Kota Open University and a diploma in Hindi journalism. Press reports additionally list a diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and a PhD in journalism and magazine media from the University of Delhi. The Print reports that she worked for Doordarshan and Akashwani before joining Hansraj, and credits her as the author or editor of 31 books, several of them on mass media.
Hansraj College climbed to third place in the NIRF 2025 college rankings, a significant improvement from its 12th-place finish in 2024. The college attributed the rise to infrastructure upgrades and an improved student-teacher ratio. However in March, the DUSU Vice President alleged discrepancies in the data the college submitted which the college denied.
Her tenure has also drawn criticism from sections of students and faculty. The Print reports protests over a cow centre built in 2022, restrictions around the Confluence fest in April and the suspension of about 30 students afterwards, 19 of which had been revoked by early May. The Delhi High Court had also asked the college to explain how a private wedding was permitted on campus. Prof. Rama has however said that students’ complaints about undemocratic conduct are unfounded.
Read also: Non-teaching staff member demands bribe to settle UFM case at Hansraj
Image credit: Delhi University Official Website
Abhishek Goverdhan
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