Delhi NCR
Meeting people at Ramjas College
Ramjas is one of DU's three original colleges, founded in 1917, and today it is a large, leafy North Campus college known for debating, theatre and lively campus politics. Most students find their circle through societies like the Ramjas Debating Society, Shunya or Enactus.
A February 2017 Ramjas College seminar featuring JNU student Umar Khalid was disrupted by ABVP activists, touching off days of campus clashes that became a national flashpoint over free speech at Delhi University.
The story of Ramjas College
Ramjas College was founded on 17 January 1917 by educationist Rai Kedar Nath and named after his father, Lala Ramjas. Kedar Nath built it for students of modest means, admitting on merit without caste discrimination. When the University of Delhi was created in 1922, Ramjas became one of its three founding colleges, alongside Hindu College and St. Stephen's.
The college moved several times. A Daryaganj branch opened in 1924 and the main college shifted to Anand Parbat, in a building inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, before the campus was given up to the British during the Second World War. After Partition, Ramjas ran shift classes for refugee students and Kedar Nath handed out bicycles so they could commute.
Ramjas moved to its current North Campus site in 1950, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the building on 17 January 1951. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar later chaired the college's Governing Body, and Martin Luther King Jr. addressed students at Ramjas on 12 February 1959. India Post issued a centenary stamp for the college in 2017, the same year a seminar disruption at Ramjas became a national debate about free speech on campus.
What the campus is like socially
Ramjas is big, diverse and relaxed compared with some of its neighbours, with thousands of students across arts, commerce and sciences. It is also one of North Campus's most politically active colleges, and conversations on the lawns can turn into debates fast. Students describe it as a place where you can find almost any kind of crowd.
The tree-lined campus is a big part of the appeal, and Kamla Nagar is the off-campus canteen for food and shopping. Hindu, St. Stephen's and Kirori Mal are close by, so inter-college friendships form easily, especially during fest season.
Traditions every Ramjas College student knows
- Mosaic: Ramjas's annual cultural fest, with music, dance, dramatics competitions, art and stalls drawing students from across DU.
- Polemic: The English wing of the Debating Society runs this annual tournament, one of the established events on the Delhi debating circuit.
- Kapil Ratnu and Vak Vyuh: Annual parliamentary debating events run by the Hindi wing of the Debating Society.
- Founding day, 17 January: The college was founded and its North Campus building inaugurated on the same date, 34 years apart.
Campus lore and insider spots
- Chandra Shekhar Azad in the hostel: College history holds that the revolutionary hid in the Ramjas hostel, posing as a student, while evading the British.
- The freedom fighters' plaque: A plaque near the auditorium honours Ramjas students arrested in the freedom struggle, including two who were sentenced to the Andamans.
- Gandhi's building: The college's Anand Parbat campus was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi before it was handed to the British in the Second World War.
- Bicycles for refugees: After Partition, the founder gave bicycles to refugee students so they could get to class.
How to find your people here
Join a society or the fest committee at Ramjas College in your first few weeks. DU friendships tend to form around a shared activity, not the classroom, and the North or South Campus ecosystem makes it easy to meet people from other colleges too.
Fests and societies at Ramjas College
Signature fests
- Mosaic
Notable societies
- Ramjas Debating Society
- Wordcraft (Literary Society)
- Backbeat (Music Society)
Societies worth knowing at Ramjas College
- Ramjas Debating Society: One of the most respected debating societies in India, with English and Hindi wings and the Polemic tournament.
- Shunya: The dramatics society, part of North Campus's busy theatre scene.
- Enactus Ramjas: The social entrepreneurship team, a strong CV builder for consulting and social impact roles.
- Ramjas Political Review: A student-run journal with an ISSN, rare for an undergraduate college.
- Mélange: The fine arts society.
- Wordcraft: The literary society, home to the college's writers and readers.
Careers, internships and placements
Ramjas's placement activity is strongest for B.Com and economics students, with consulting, audit and financial services firms among regular recruiters. Many humanities and science graduates head for master's programmes, law school or competitive exams.
Students say societies matter as much as grades. Debating opens doors in law and policy, Enactus projects carry weight in consulting interviews, and the college's political and journalism culture feeds media careers.
Notable alumni
- Manoj Bajpayee: National Award winning actor, a Ramjas alumnus.
- Prakash Jha: Film director known for Gangaajal and Raajneeti.
- Vikas Bahl: Director and producer, known for Queen.
- Papon: Singer and composer Angaraag Mahanta.
- Chaudhary Brahm Prakash: The first Chief Minister of Delhi.
- Sumit Antil: Paralympic javelin champion, gold medallist at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Rivalries and eternal debates
Kirori Mal is Ramjas's closest rival, from theatre competitions to the eternal Mosaic vs Renaissance argument. Hansraj and Hindu complete the set of North Campus colleges that Economics and Political Science applicants agonise over every year. And like every North Campus college, Ramjas has firm opinions on the North vs South Campus debate.
What Ramjas College is talking about now
Official fest and student union handles carry campus life online, and debating and Enactus wins are what students celebrate most. Housing and hostel access have been live student concerns.
Meeting people at Ramjas College by interest
A lot of friendships here form around a shared interest rather than a class or a hostel wing. If you are into debating and mun, reading and book clubs, music and jamming, theatre and dramatics, and poetry and open mics, those pages cover where that scene actually happens in India and how to find people near you who are into the same thing.
Colleges nearby
Ramjas College sits close to Hindu College, St. Stephen's College, and Kirori Mal College, all part of the same Delhi NCR student scene. Cross-college friendships often start at inter-college fests, hackathons, or shared-interest communities rather than in class.
Similar campuses across India
If you are looking beyond your own campus, students at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, SGTB Khalsa College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, and Sri Venkateswara College share a similar campus culture, and Zyber works the same way at each: showing you verified people nearby who match on interest, intent, or timing.
Zyber on campus
Zyber is live at Ramjas College, matching you in real time with people nearby who share your interests or your drive, with verified profiles only.
New to Ramjas College? Start here
If you are just starting out, these freshers guides are written for exactly this moment: first week of college checklist, how to choose societies in college, making friends beyond your branch, and internship in first year.
FAQ: Ramjas College
Is Ramjas College in North Campus?+
Yes. Ramjas is in the University Enclave on DU's North Campus and has been there since 1950.
When was Ramjas College founded?+
Ramjas College was founded on 17 January 1917 by Rai Kedar Nath and became one of DU's three founding colleges in 1922.
Who is Ramjas College named after?+
The college is named after Lala Ramjas, the father of its founder Rai Kedar Nath.
What is the Ramjas College fest called?+
Ramjas's annual cultural fest is Mosaic.
Which famous people studied at Ramjas College?+
Alumni include actor Manoj Bajpayee, director Prakash Jha, singer Papon, Delhi's first Chief Minister Brahm Prakash and Paralympic champion Sumit Antil.
Did Martin Luther King Jr. visit Ramjas College?+
Yes. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed students at Ramjas College on 12 February 1959.
How do I make friends at Ramjas College?+
The fastest way to make friends at Ramjas College is to join a society or activity group in your first few weeks and keep showing up, since Delhi NCR's campus culture here rewards consistency over one-off networking.
What societies should I join at Ramjas College?+
At Ramjas College, the societies and clubs tied to what you actually care about, not the biggest or most popular ones, tend to build the strongest friendships.
What are the main societies and fests at Ramjas College?+
Ramjas College's social calendar centers on Mosaic, alongside societies like Ramjas Debating Society, Wordcraft (Literary Society), and Backbeat (Music Society).
How do I meet people from other colleges nearby?+
In Delhi NCR, cross-college friendships usually start at inter-college fests, hackathons, or shared interest communities rather than in class. Apps like Zyber help by showing you nearby people at other campuses who share your interests.
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