PhD at the Graduate Centre Humanities and Social Sciences
A Student’s Guide to New Delhi
Tips and recommendations for your stay at
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
PhD at the Graduate Centre Humanities and Social Sciences
Preface
Dear PhD students,
We warmly congratulate you to a study period at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in
India.
The JNU provides all preconditions to turn your stay and the following semester into a valuable academic experience. Being a member of the Graduate Centre Humanities and Social
Sciences, the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning (CESP) offers particular expertise
on the analysis of development problems and their handling in economic theory. Thus you
will be able to gain profound knowledge during your stay on the Indian economy, on Indian
history as well as on Indian society.
Furthermore PhD students have the possibility to also profit from the expertise of the School
of International Studies, where specialists and researcher examine other world regions from
an Indian perspective.
In order to facilitate your preparations as well as the stay in New Delhi we have conducted a
survey among the students having studied at JNU during the last years.
This small guide is the result of this survey and displays the student’s recommendations on
the time before, during and after their stay in New Delhi. We are very thankful to those students who have reported on their experiences, which will hopefully contribute to a memorable stay in India for you that you always look back with great pleasure.
With all best wishes for an enjoyable stay,
Yours EMGS and GC Humanities team
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Short facts about JNU
Founded only recently, in the early 1970s, the Jawaharlal Nehru University regarded it as her
endeavour to convey frontier disciplines and new perspectives on old disciplines to the Indian
university system. The excellent teacher-student ratio at 1:10, a mode of instruction which
encouraged students to explore their own creativity instead of reproducing received
knowledge, and an exclusively internal evaluation were a new experiment on the Indian academic landscape; these have stood the test of time. Right from the start JNU attempted to
incorporate students of all ethnic groups and casts and reserved 22.5 per cent of the seats
for students from underprivileged families. Overseas students form some 10 percent of the
annual intake.
Several Centres in the Schools of JNU have been declared by Indians University Grants
Commission (UGC) to be 'Centres of Excellence'. Amongst them you will find the Centre for
Economic Studies and Planning, which is part of the EMGS consortium and belongs to the
School of Social Sciences. This School has the largest faculty in the university.
The partnership between JNU and the European Master’s programme in Global Studies aims
to add complementary focuses of the globalization research to the study programme and to
further internationalize the study programme through an Indian perspective on globalization
processes.
Sources :
http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~gesi/joint-projects/emgs/members/
http://www.jnu.ac.in/main.asp?sendval=SchoolOfSocialSciences,
http://www.jnu.ac.in/Academics/Schools/SchoolOfSocialSciences/EconomicCenter.html
http://www.jnu.ac.in/main.asp?sendval=Introduction
Photos by: Antje Dietze, Konstanze Loeke and Maren Seidler
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Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................................. 2
Short facts about JNU .......................................................................................................... 3
Recommendations for the preparation of your stay .......................................................... 5
Visa and insurance................................................................................................................................5
Flights ...................................................................................................................................................6
Finding accommodation .......................................................................................................................6
Contact to the host university ..............................................................................................................8
Studying at JNU.................................................................................................................... 8
How to get a student-ID? .....................................................................................................................8
Where to register for… .........................................................................................................................9
… the library?........................................................................................................................................9
… internet on campus? .........................................................................................................................9
… sports? ........................................................................................................................................... 10
… your courses? ................................................................................................................................. 10
… Additional courses? ....................................................................................................................... 10
Further information concerning courses and exams ...................................................... 11
Contact to your professors and course requirements ...................................................................... 11
How to get your grades and transcripts? .......................................................................................... 11
Things to keep in mind for the exams ............................................................................................... 12
General information and recommendations for your stay in New Delhi ........................ 12
Cell phone and internet..................................................................................................................... 12
Campus life ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Social life in and around New Delhi................................................................................................... 13
Shopping ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Public transport ................................................................................................................................. 14
Travelling ........................................................................................................................................... 15
How much money do you need?....................................................................................................... 16
Recommendations when you are about to leave India .................................................... 17
De-registration .................................................................................................................................. 17
Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 17
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Recommendations for the preparation of your stay
Visa and insurance
Please visit the website of your Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to fully inform yourself
about visa regulations which vary from country to country (e.g. for native German students
Auswärtiges Amt: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/00SiHi/IndienSicherheit.html).
In 2011, the embassy of India in Berlin outsourced the process of visa applications to the
service providers Cox&Kings (http://www.in.de.coxandkings.com/munich1/) and IGCS
(http://www.igcsvisa.de/IGCSVISAFH/deu_igcs_visa.htm). Please visit their respective websites to gather information on the application process. It is recommended to apply for a visa
for a full year in order to avoid problematic deadlines.
In order to apply for a visa you will need an offer letter from the JNU that will be issued in two
copies to you since the embassy will keep one copy (original) but you will also need one
copy (duplicate, signed by the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning) in order to register
at JNU. In the past students reported that it was also possible to apply with a scan of the
admission letter. Thus in case time is running short, please try for that option.
Photos are required in a very special format and it is best to get them from the machine at
the Cox & Kings office (or at a professional photographer). In case you take the former option
you have to bring 7 Euro. No change is given. For the measures of the photograph, please
see the Cox & Kings website.
Depending on the overall duration of your stay you might need to register with the Indian
Governmental policy (http://india.gov.in/overseas/passport/passport.php?id=13) at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in New Delhi within 14 days after arrival (but
only after registering at JNU). The FRRO is about 15 minutes from the campus and a rickshaw will cost you around 70-80 Rupees. It takes about three hours to complete the registration process and you will need the registration paper once you leave India at the immigration
desk at the airport. You do not need to deregister again at the FRRO.
The following documents are required:
- Bonafide certificate from your center in JNU (after registration in JNU)
- Residence proof from your hostel/landlord in Delhi
- Your Passport
- Photocopy of all mentioned documents with photos
You are responsible for taking care of your medical (and any other) insurance yourself;
we recommend you to arrange it as soon as possible. Definitely ask your insurance whether
they pay the vaccinations, since they are really expensive. The tropical institute recommends many (http://tropeninstitut.de/reiseziel/laenderinfo.php?lid=63) but you have of course
to decide yourself which ones you will take. As a travel insurance one student recommended
LVM Versicherungen as the cheapest option in Germany.
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Flights
Be aware that it will take you approximately one week to go through all administrative procedures at JNU therefore we strongly recommend to arrive at least one week prior to the
course start in Dehli.
Try also to book your flight as soon as possible! A good agency for students might be STA
travel (www.statravel.com), which can be found in many countries around the world, they often have special offers for students and you might also find good offers by Air India
(http://www.airindia.de/) Flights depart from Frankfurt am Main, but if you book the rail&fly
option, getting there is not expensive from anywhere in Germany. Another very recommendable option is Turkish Airlines (http://www.turkishairlines.com/). They have good offers even
relatively ‘last minute’. They depart from Leipzig and have a baggage allowance of 30kg. To
get from the airport to the JNU we recommend you to take a “Pre-paid Taxi”. You can buy
coupons for pre-paid taxis from counters run by Delhi Traffic Police in the right corner of the
arrival hall. You should inform the employees that you want to go to JNU (or any other destination) and give your name. The fare is around 250 RUPEES to JNU, plus 10 RS per piece
of luggage. Please be aware that you pay the entire fee at the counter thus in case the driver
asks you for an additional fair, please remind him that the entire price has been already paid.
Pre-paid taxis usually are cheaper than the freelance taxis. But no matter which taxi you
choose, please make sure to agree on your final destination, otherwise the taxi drivers often
want to show you the city which will raise the price.
In the arrival hall you will have the opportunity to exchange money or to withdraw rupees
from an ATM/cashpoint.
Please be aware that once you left the airport building it is not possible to re-enter. Thus decide in advance if you would like to withdraw/exchange money and arrange for a pre-paid
taxi.
Finding accommodation
For your first days in Delhi, we recommend to book a room in a hostel/hotel.
The other alternative is to look for an accommodation in the city district of Karol Bagh that
offers a lot of affordable rooms and that is easily accessible by metro. From there it takes
approx. an one hour journey to JNU. (If you google: “karol bagh new delhi hotels” you will
find a wide range of possible accommodations.) The closes district to the JNU is Munirka but
Backpackers and hotels close to the campus are rare. One of the students recommends
“Chhoti Haveli” a guest house close to the airport operated by an Indian-American couple
(info@chhotihaveli.com). As another place to stay for the first nights after your arrival, the
Hotel Malik Continental (Masood Pur Main Road, Opp Lig Flats, Vasant Kunj, South Delhi,
110070 Neu-Delh) has been recommended as well (approx. 16-20€ per night).
If you want to apply for a hostel on campus for your entire stay, you
will need to go to the Dean of Students’ Office or the Office of Student Welfare after having completed all administrative procedures.
The application process might be a bit complicated and timeconsuming but we were told that it is the best and cheapest option.
Male and female students are sheltered in separate hostels. Former
exchange students strongly recommended Koyna Hostel and Shipra
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Hostel for female students. The overall amount for three months in a hostel amounted to
3.500 Rs. including deposit in 2012. The deposit of 1.500 Rs. will be reimbursed after the
stay. The dormitories maintain dining halls where three meals per day are served. The fees
for the meals have to be paid by the end of the month, regardless if the three meals were
consumed or not. That adds approx. 100 Rs. a day, meaning for a three months stay in a
hostel: 13,000 Rs. or 190 Euro including food.
Please note: Except furniture, there is nothing provided in your hostel room and there may
not always be hot water available in the hostels. You have to buy the basic equipment (like
mattresses, blankets, locks, sheets and pillows) as well as the supply for your daily needs
(dishes, electric kettle, clothesline etc.) on your own. A cheap option to get all these items is
MUNIRKA market for housewares next to the campus. Especially in the winter time (between
November – February) it can get very cold, that’s why it is recommended to bring enough
warm clothes along with you. A good option to get clothes/bags and any computer device is
NERHU place. It is about 80-90 RS from the campus by rickshaw, but is highly recommendable.
In any case please note that it cannot be guaranteed that you can be provided an accommodation on campus.
For finding accommodation outside the campus the best is to contact
an estate agent; they are usually not official but have good contacts.
You will have to negotiate with her/him about the price for your room.
One PhD-student once rented an apartment from the estate agent
Manoj Kumar (0091-(0)0871245993). Your contact person at JNU,
Prof. Pradipta Chaudhury, may also help out with some names. Likewise, the tutors can assist by giving you additional contacts of landlords as well as support with contacting them as not all of them speak
English. A single self contained room, partly furnished, in Murnika
which is the closest district to JNU, costs up to Rs. 8.000 per month
(approx. 150€), a two bedroom apartment, partly furnished costs up to Rs. 16.000 per month
(approx.300€). Please find more housing possibilities in other areas of Delhi in the annex of
this guide.
.
Contact to the host university
Your contact person at JNU is Prof. Pradipta Chaudhury (for the contact details, please see
the last page of this guide). Please feel free to e-mail him before leaving for New Delhi and
inform him about your time and date of arrival. If you wish, you can fix an appointment with
him already in advance. One fixed office hour of Professor Pradipta Chaudhury during students’ arrival period will be held on Wednesdays 4:30-5:30 pm in his office (room no. 334,
Centre of Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences-II, JNU Academic
Complex - near the Central Library). However, the best way is always to contact him via email.
A JNU student is also appointed to assist you with the more practical questions related to
your stay. Their names are Madhu Kumari, Zainab Akhter and Shibin Xavier. You can contact them via: madhukmr@gmail.com, zainab9095@gmail.com or sxavichan@gmail.com.
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Nevertheless, please bear in mind that they will have only a limited amount of hours to help
you and that there might be also other persons/institutions that can assist you.
One of them is the Foreign Students Association (FSA), now called International Students
Association, is the official body of the welfare of international students at JNU and very helpful with all kind of questions. You can visit their homepage via http://fsajnu2008.blogspot.com
or get information about them via http://www.jnu.ac.in/main.asp?sendval=ISA#contact. Or
just join them on http://www.facebook.com/groups/207032032640216/ - this will make some
things much easier.
In the past, it was difficult to contact the university via mail. Thus, most of the things needed
to get organized on site. The FSA elected a new board in the monsoon semester 2013. Helping foreign students, is the top priority on their agenda now. Please don't hesitate to contact
any of them in order to get help with the administration process, getting to know new people
etc. They also organize Hindi courses for beginners taking place at the beginning of a semester.
Studying at JNU
How to get a student-ID?
In order to ease this process for you, your tutors (see above)
will help you with your registration. Please do contact them,
if you need any assistance with the registration.
The registration process starts at the admissions office on
campus: Administration Building room 20 or in the courtyard
of the Administration Office. You need to fill out a folio with
quadruple version attaching four photos. That constitutes the
main enrollment within the university. You then have to go
with these documents to the respective department, the
Centre for Economic Studies and Planning. This is where
your ID is issued. The employees at the office are quite
helpful and will tell you where else to go. But please be prepared that the offices during the time of enrolment are very
crowded. The whole process takes up several hours as you
have to get signatures from about 4 different authorities. It is much likely that you will not able
to get all the signatures in one day. Therefore, please foresee enough time for it. Please
bring the following items to the registration: passport pictures, a letter of recommendation of
your home university (University of Leipzig), a medical certificate (get that from your doctor
back home, stating your general health and fitness in English), and the letter of acceptance.
You don’t have to pay tuition fees but an administration fee of $ 100. You will also need several passport copies and passport sized photos as well as copies of the visa. The documents
to be presented are also specified in your admission letter that is issued by JNU. Thus,
please re-check the information in the letter since changes might occur.
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Where to register for…
… the library?
With your student-ID you can register at the library and get
your library card. Therefore you need two more passport
sized pictures. Ask for your Internet Access Identity Number in the library. Unfortunately, foreign (casual) students
are not allowed to borrow books at JNU library. Yet, you
can borrow books from the textbook section (6th floor) for
the day. Just search for the OPAC code and give it to the
librarian on the desk. They will get you the book. In the
Social Sciences II library (sociology mostly) nobody can
borrow books. Yet, you can read them in the library once
you have checked them out with the librarian (only three
books at once). Please be aware that some students informed us about the OPAC being only partly functional for
searching books at the library.
The library is opened until midnight and has a good and inexpensive copy shop on the first
floor.
Please note that there are only a few plugs available in the library, thus assure to have completely recharged your laptop before going to the library. Also, bear in mind that bringing your
own books is not allowed!
For more information about the library please visit: http://www.jnu.ac.in/Library/default.htm.
… internet on campus?
On campus, you can obtain access to the internet with your identity number in the library.
However, please be aware that setting up university wifi access might take several days and
that wifi is not available on the entire campus (including the dormitories).Therefore, it might
be wise to arrange for a private internet access in your hostel room at a spectranet shop or
other available options (see chapter Cell phone and internet).
… sports?
If you are interested in doing sports at JNU, you can find an overview of the provided sports
classes at the sports building on campus. The campus is good for running and badminton. At
the sports building, there are plenty of activities, from Taekwondo to Cricket. If you are interested in doing other activities (such as working out, swimming, etc.) there is a sports center
attached to the campus. You can gain access to it without leaving the Uni. The gym is open
all year long and a swimming pool is open from approx. May to September. A gymmembership (1 month) costs 850 RS with student discount.
… your courses?
You can take courses during your stay which can either be
MPhil courses or MA-courses. The courses can be taken at
the School of Social Sciences or the School of International
Studies. You will find all classes on the black boards of their
respective institute on site.
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Some former exchange students have especially recommended classes with Avijit Pathak
(Sociology Dept.), Rajarshi Dasgupta (Political Science Dept.), Dr. Mallarika Sinha-Roy
(Women's Studies), Prof. Dr. Dhruv Raina (Centre for Education Studies) and Professors
Praveen Jha (Centre for Economic Studies and Planning) and Sujoy Chakravarty.
… Additional courses?
Please note that you can take as many courses as you want from other centres, but without
crediting. This is highly recommendable, if you want to go in depth to any particular field because of your thesis or any intellectual endeavor of yours. Entrance to classes is not restricted, and certificates of assistance/grades might be provided if you ask for them. We specially
suggest getting the most of SLS (School of Languages) courses offer, if you are interested in
languages of course. You can pick up German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese,
Spanish and French courses.
As casual students, you do not have to formally register for your classes, since admission of
a casual student to a course is entirely at the discretion of the concerned course teacher.
Thus, it is absolutely necessary to meet in person with the professors of the individual
courses and introduce yourself before the first lesson starts. Only after you have met the respective professor, your registration is completed. For the meeting it is expected that you
shortly introduce yourself and also lay down the reasons why you would like to attend the
class.
For further details, please contact:
1) For Academic Related Queries
Dr. Alka Acharya
Advisor of the International Students Affairs
Tel: 0091-11- 26704356
Email: advisor_fsa@mail.jnu.ac.in
2) For Admission Related Queries
a) Dr. D. Tekchandani
Advisor (Admissions)
Tel: 0091-11- 26742617
Email: dr_admissions@mail.jnu.ac.in
b) Mr. Dharam Pal
Section Officer (Admissions II)
Tel: 0091-11-26704022
3) For Accommodation and Facilities on Campus
a) Prof. Abdul Nafey
Dean of Students
Tel: 0091-11- 26741523, 0091-11-26704554
Email: dean_students@mail.jnu.ac.in
b) Dr. Sachidanand Sinha
Associate Dean of Students
Tel: 0091-11- 26741348, 0091-11-26704709
Email: dean_students@mail.jnu.ac.in
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Further information concerning courses and exams
Contact to your professors and course requirements
Besides introducing yourself to the professors you will take courses with (see section “Where
to register for classes”), Indian academic culture supposes that you stay in close contact with
your professors throughout the term. Thus, your professors will be happy, if you meet them
during their contact hours (t.b.a. in the first class or at the notice board of the respective Center where the professor is affiliated) to discuss any concerns or questions you might have.
The course requirements do differ for each class and will be
announced in the first session of a class only.
General information and recommendations for your
stay in New Delhi
Cell phone and internet
SIM-cards are available on campus with a University ID or in
mobile shops with Airtel or Vodafone signs for 100 – 150 Rupees. You will need a passport copy, copy of your visa,
passport sized picture and an address in India, in addition to
that a phone number of a friend whom they will ring for confirmation. Keep that number handy once you go to the phone shop. Students at your hostel
will help you with their number.
It will take one week before the SIM-card is working. Thus it is highly recommendable to apply immediately after your arrival.
Internet access in the campus hostels is provided by the private internet company Spectranet
which entertains a shop on campus (the shop is at the backside of the small shopping complex in front of Koyna hostel). Spectranet is the only option to get landline internet access in
the Campus. They get the most of it by providing ONE password per user. Ppm depends on
internet speed hired (we recommend 1.150 RS/pm which equals to 1GB). The other option is
to get State internet access which is not recommendable if your stay is no longer than 4-5
months (it’s cheaper, but takes quite a long time to get it). Good point for the first option is
that if you experience any trouble, you can go directly to them and complain about it. Please
note that the internet wire will go straight through your window, so you will have to seal it
somehow, especially in winter. To order the LAN connection for your room, you will need a
local SIM-card to be able to receive a confirmation call. Costs are depending on the speed
you prefer, but amount to 800Rs per month.
Since in ladies’ hostels men are not allowed to enter, please inform the hostel administration
beforehand and ask for a confirmation in order to allow Spectranet officials to enter the building.
Another more easily attainable option is to get a WLAN card (e.g. through one of the airtel
stores on campus). However the fees are quite high and speed is quite low. It will also take
approx. one week after purchase before it is working.
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Campus life
The people on campus are very nice and helpful. You can learn a lot about the Indian society
by talking to your dorm mates and your fellow students. There is food available at the cantine
and the hostel mensa three times a day. Besides, you will find a Post office and a travel
agent on campus as well as an office to buy railway tickets. A map of the campus that gives
you an overview of it is to be found under:
http://www.jnu.ac.in/main.asp?sendval=JNUCampus
It is highly recommendable to get a bike to move around in the campus. The Uni itself is quite
big and a cycle will save you a lot of time. You can get one at MUNIRKA or borrow it from
other students. There is a repair service on Campus, within the same main road of KC
market. Just make sure to find a buyer before you leave. A new cycle costs around 3.300
RS. There are lectures on Indian socio-political topics almost every evening which take place
in the hostels and are organized by the different student unions. Make use of the opportunity
since they have also professors and experts speaking on the topics. It is a good opportunity
to get to know all kinds of activists.
There are parties taking place on Campus either organized by the several hostels or by the
faculties, particularly at the beginning of each semester.
Social life in and around New Delhi
It is easy to get to know people everywhere. www.Wildcity.com is a
nice website for learning about parties in the city, however, also on
campus a lot of events are happening. To drink in public spaces is
illegal and alcohol can only be purchased at special liqueur stores
(closest ones to campus are at Priya market and in Munirka). In
the Priya shopping mall you can also find a cinema. Hauz Khas
Village was recommended to us as a really nice and quiet place
especially for eating out or just a nice walk but is a somewhat
priced district according to Indian standards. For example, Hauz
Khas Village offers plenty of shops, galleries, cafés, restaurants
and bars. If you use a rickshaw please do agree for the price with
the driver before entering it! As to the experiences made, there is not so much use to insist
on the taximeter since, in case you do not know the shortest way to your destination, the
driver might choose for a longer, more expensive one. In October 2012 the price for a ride
from JNU campus to Hauz Khas metro station was 60-70 RUPEES, locals pay about 40.
Higher fares might be charged during night time and for more than one passenger.
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Interesting fact: Bollywood producers are looking for white people to have some little roles in
their movies. It’s easy and VERY funny. Some students have personally experienced the fact
of being hired to shoot advertisements. It does not take more than one day and it is a good
option to earn some money in cash. So take the chance, if you are interested.
Moreover, students recommend visiting different religious communities in Delhi like Buddhist
and Hindu temples or mosques. Of special interest is the old mosque Firoz Shah Kotla where
the Delhiites pray to the Djinns/ghosts (Delhi is also known as the City of Djinns). One district
particularly interesting is the Muslim Nizzamuddin. Every Thursday there is a Qawwali singing at the Sufi shrines/tombs which is fascinating.
You can reach every destination in Delhi by going to the nearest metro station and take a
rickshaw from there. The drivers mostly know the places, if you tell them. Do not forget to
discuss the price beforehand.
It is no problem to commute from the campus to your place with rickshaw and particulary
metro (very safe) even after dark. Yet, former students do not recommend to go out alone
after, say, 10 pm, particularly to unknown places. Just be aware of the totally different gender
relations in India and try to dress in a more loose and not revealing style.
Shopping
Priya market square (which is also called Vasant Vihar) has been recommended for cinema, fancy pants shops and western supermarkets,
MUNIRKA market for housewares, mattresses, blankets, pillows, sheets
etc. A cheap option for shopping is Sarojini Nagar market.
On those markets you can normally bargain for the prices. During the first
days, when you might be still unfamiliar with the prices to be paid for a
certain good, it is recommended to check at different shops first and to
buy it only after you have an idea on the average price.
On campus you will also find a shopping market (KC) with different small
shops and stalls which offer everything you need for your daily supply. If
you want to be in a more Western-type shopping environment (as well as buying in large
quantities), then we recommend to go to the big mall which is 10-15 minutes North out of
campus. Other recommendations:
• Ambience Mall next to the campus if you want to eat out, buy books or food etc.
There is also a cinema.
• There is a nice bookstore (Oxford bookstore) at Connaught Place with lots of English
books and a nice cafe which also hosts lectures.
• The Tibetan Camp (Majnu-ka-tilla) which is a colony where a lot of Tibetan refugees
live. You can eat Tibetan food or buy Tibetan handicrafts there. It is also nice because
it is very quiet there.
• The restaurant Karim's in Old Delhi which serves Mughal kitchen
• The cheap market Lajpat Nagar.
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Public transport
Dehli has a very well working metro system (http://www.delhimetrorail.com/), which covers a
huge part of the city. Prices are really low. In case you use metro often, it is recommendable
to get a so called “smart card” in one of the metro stations (for a refundable deposit of 50Rs),
which offers the advantage that prices are even cheaper and that you do not need to queue
up for a token each time you use a metro.
Unfortunately, the JNU campus is not directly linked to a metro station (yet). The closest metro station is “Hauz Khas”, from there you will need to take a rickshaw to the campus which
will cost approx. 70 Rs. You will need to bargain the price in advance with the driver.
Generally, rickshaws are a good option for short distances since they take you exactly where
you want to go. If you want to depart from JNU campus, it is advisable to check at the so
called T-point or at the JNU entrance for rickshaws.
There are also buses available directly from the campus, however, they are often very
crowed and take much, much longer than a rickshaw.
Travelling
Travelling by train is the most comfortable option for travelling. The train system and the reservation procedure might appear a bit complicated at the beginning but once you find out
how it works, it is the best and cheapest way to travel around India. You can purchase tickets
at Railway Reservation Counters in the railway stations or travel agents in and around JNU.
Especially if you want to book a seat in the sleeping class (which is probably the cheapest
and best option), it is highly recommended to buy tickets a few days (or even weeks) in advance. For more information please visit: http://www.indianrail.gov.in/index.html
On campus, there is a train ticket selling point. For the train there are special ladies’ compartments.
Another possibility to travel around India is to go by bus or coach. You can purchase tickets
at bus terminals or travel agencies. If you choose to travel by coach, you should be aware
that the highways in India are not always in best condition.
As we were told by former students, it is worthwhile to join the JNU Mountaineering Club
(http://www.facebook.com/JNUMC) as they organize treks to the Himalaya as well as rafting
trips and smaller activities.
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How much money do you need?
Living costs on JNU campus are very low. Thus, you will need approx. 350-400 Euro for a
budget lifestyle per month. You should add another 100-200 Euro, if you plan to eat out and
make trips through Delhi. If you plan to travel, you might need around 700-800 Euros per
month.
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PhD at the Graduate Centre Humanities and Social Sciences
Recommendations when you are about to leave India
De-registration
When de-registering from the hostel you will get your money deposit back. Try to settle your
last mess bill with the deposit instead of paying beforehand. This way, you avoid the long
process of acquiring a check to get your deposit back. Prior to your return flight, print out
your e-ticket (you might need a hard copy at the airport).
Summary
To summarize, all of last years students enjoyed their stay very much. It was an excellent
academic and social experience for all of them.
We are sure that the special charm of JNU campus with its greenery, its numerous open air
cafeterias, where it is possible to meet and chat with Indian students while having an Indian
Chai, not to forget its very active students unions engaged in fighting against the negative
effects of globalization and whose impressive political paintings you can find all over the
campus, will capture you from the very first moment of your stay.
Since there are a lot of opportunities and only a limited amount of time, try to experience as
much as possible but don’t lose sight of your courses/thesis.
Or as one student put it: ”Intense, exhausting, enchanting,,,a beautiful challenge!”
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PhD at the Graduate Centre Humanities and Social Sciences
Miscellaneous
Funding opportunities
For German students we recommend to apply for Auslandsbafög:
http://www.bafoeg.bmbf.de/index.php
and to check the following website:
http://www.daad.de/ausland/foerderungsmoeglichkeiten/stipendiendatenbank/00658.de.html
German students studying in their first or second year at the University of Leipzig can also
apply for a Promos scholarship
http://www.zv.uni-leipzig.de/studium/auslandsaufenthalt/studium-imausland/finanzierung/promos-stipendium.html
Contacts
Leipzig EMGS-Programme:
Stephan Kaschner: gs@uni-leipzig.de
(or Konstanze Loeke: gesi@uni-leipzig.de)
Leipzig Graduate School “Global and Area Studies”:
Dr. Martina Keilbach: keilbach@uni-leipzig.de
Jawaharlal Nehru University:
Prof. Pradipta Chaudhury: pradipta@mail.jnu.ac.in
JNU student assistants:
Zainab Akhter: zainab9095@gmail.com
Madhu Kumari: madhukmr@gmail.com
Kirti Kyab: Kirtikyab675@gmail.com
Shibin Xavier: sxavichan@gmail.com
Representative of the FRRO in New Delhi:
Ajay Chaudhry In charge Foreigner´s Registration (F&R) Branch East Block-VIII, Level-II,
Sector-1, R.K. Puram New Delhi
DAAD coordinator New Delhi:
Pooja Midha: midha@daaddelhi.org
Coordinator - A New Passage to India
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
4th Floor, Statesmanhouse Building
B Wing, Barakhamba Road
New Delhi- 110 001
Tel: 91-11-3044 6810
Fax: 91-11-4606 8192
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Students having studied in New Delhi last year (2013):
Anandita Bajpai: ananditabajpai@gmail.com
Jan Bohnhorst: j.bohnhorst@googlemail.com
Melanie Hudler: melaniehudler@yahoo.com
Manuela Jäger: manujgr@aol.com
Peter Lambertz: peterlambertz@yahoo.de
We wish you a pleasant stay in New Delhi!
© Photos by Konstanze Loeke, Antje Dietze and Maren Seidler.
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