NEW DELHI, January 11: In the late 1960s, Kavita Sharma walked into the English Department of Hindu College and asked whether they would let her join the second year of the Honours course. Her unusual request was granted and two years later she passed out with a first class first degree. Today, she is the college's principal.Topping the university was no mean achievement for a person who had walked into an English class after two years of pre-medical training. ``I still remember my first class. It was Marlowe's Dr Faustus and I had no clue of what was happening. After the lecture, I went up to the professor and asked him who the author was and which was the play,'' she recalls, smiling.That was just the beginning. For the next two years Kavita wrote reams of tutorials, made the most of the excellent teachers and topped the graduating class of 1969. By now she was so much in love with Hindu College, and more so with her teachers that doing her masters from the same place was a natural step.``In 1971 I joined Hindu College as a lecturer. It was a very funny thing. One day I was the student and the next day a teacher. Everyone used to pull my leg a lot. But at 21 it was really fun. With my first salary, I remember buying a whole lot of bright coloured silk sarees.''Kavita's parents were doctors and they expected their only child to follow suit. She did do two years of pre-medical at Deshbandhu College. ``One of my professors at Deshbandhu recognised my potential to write and encouraged me to continue with it. He was a good teacher and helped me realise that medicine was not exactly what I wanted to do.''So, she became the twelfth Englsih Honours student of that batch in Hindu College and worked very hard. ``Come to think of it, we attended all classes, including the subsidiaries and wrote a lot of tutorials. I am amazed at our regularity. In fact, it is a pity that students today don't do that. Tutorials are the best method of learning.''But she is quite aware of changing attitudes and student perceptions. ``I always try and make lessons contemporary. Take Hopkins for example. He is a tough author to teach because of his deep involvement in Christianity. But his work also becomes a class thing and unless that is explained to the students, why would they want to read him. Connections have to be made with the present, students have to be enthused.''In her presence that should not be difficult because she has a lot of energetic vibes around her. She loves singing, learnt Bharatnatyam and Kathak for a while, has published books and even has her articles on the Internet. While doing all this and teaching, she also found time to do law, which she thinks should be introduced as a brief course for everyone.``I think everyone should do law. Not only does it make people aware of their rights, it also brings in rational thinking. Moreover, it is essential knowledge for everyone.'' She is involved in things that matter and since she has become the principal, Hindu College tops her agenda.With her husband - who is a senior foreign service officer - posted in Chicago and both her children studying there, Kavita has a lot of time to do a lot of things. Hence, finding her on the college campus on a Sunday is not surprising. ``There are times when I tend to agree with Surjeet Kalsi's poem and I want my chaos back. But the moment passes.''
