Age no bar, seniors return to Delhi University for learning

Delhi University’s (DU) Competence Enhancement Scheme (CES) - an age agnostic plan - is allowing adults to return to studies.

Manju Mittal had never thought she could return to active studies. A homemaker with much at hand, she devoted a large part of her life to family and routine chores. In 2023, when Delhi University introduced its new lifelong learning model - the Competence Enhancement Scheme (CES) - things changed.

Manju Mittal and four others in their 50s returned to the campus to realise their dream of studying a bit more and completing the course they always wanted to. “I was the senior most in my class. I quite liked the experience of returning to the campus. I had always wanted to pursue M.Com. So when I learnt that DU had launched this new scheme, I was thrilled and enrolled for it,” Manju told The Tribune today. She had finished her B.Com from DU’s Lakshmibai College in 1995 and returned to the campus in 2023 after 28 years.

“I never felt any awkwardness in the department,” said Mittal, who pursued M.Com (Financial Planning) under the six-month course.

Manju is not the lone student to benefit from CES, which is enrolling its fifth batch this year (every year, DU enrolls students in two batches of six months each under the plan). Rakesh Jain, a 56-year-old Delhi-based businessman, also pursued MA (Psychology) under the same scheme and has now passed out.

This year, DU’s Competence Enhancement Scheme has seen the maximum interest with 18 enrollments, and officials pointing to a growing interest for adult education.

The CES, launched by DU in 2023, allows individuals of any age to study alongside regular students and earn certificates for the courses completed. The initiative, envisioned under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, promotes lifelong learning and aims to empower a diverse range of learners.

“The expected outcomes of this scheme are to fulfill educational dreams of those who could not get the opportunity earlier, to upgrade academic and professional skills using the latest technology, knowledge and innovation, and therefore, enable senior and non-senior citizens to continue as lifelong learners,” Prof Sanjoy Roy, Director of Lifelong Learning, Delhi University, told this correspondent.

When the scheme was introduced in 2023, only three students had taken admission in the first batch (Manju Mittal was in the second batch of five that year). “The number of students has now reached 18,” Roy said.

DU invites applications from interested candidates to its CES 2025-26 programme for the papers offered by the university’s departments and colleges in semesters I, III and V of the academic session July-December 2025.

As envisaged in the NEP 2020, CES endeavours to provide an opportunity for knowledge enhancement to learners of any age to get enrolled and study along with the regular students of existing courses offered by the departments and colleges of DU.

Any person who fulfills the minimum eligibility criteria and prerequisites, if any, specified for an existing paper, can register for the same.

About the scheme

The Competence Enhancement Scheme aims to empower individuals across diverse backgrounds by enhancing entrepreneurial ventures through newly acquired skills and technologies, and by improving managerial capabilities among low and mid-level professionals. It provides a second chance for those who were previously unable to pursue higher education due to socio-economic constraints. Senior citizens can upgrade their knowledge and continue contributing meaningfully to society, while traditional artisans and workers can modernise their craft using latest tools and techniques. Learning alongside young students fosters confidence, and the scheme ensures optimal use of university resources. It also promotes student mobility by allowing learners from other institutions to study selected papers at the University of Delhi, and helps society adapt to the evolving demands of the professional world.

Aim and objective

Launched in 2023, the Competence Enhancement Scheme at Delhi University aims to provide students with additional learning opportunities beyond their regular curriculum. Offered by various university departments and colleges during semesters I, III and V, the scheme has seen encouraging participation. Four batches have successfully completed the programme, and registrations for the fifth batch are currently underway. So far, 52 students have enrolled under the scheme, reflecting a growing interest in skill and knowledge enhancement among DU students.