'U-Special' service re-launched: Delhi CM boards bus to alma mater Daulat Ram College

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) Singing patriotic songs alongside DU students strumming guitars, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta rode a 'U-Special' bus to her alma mater, Daulat Ram College, reminiscing about her college days.

Gupta on Thursday re-launched the U-Special bus service for students of Delhi University as part of efforts to provide a student-friendly travel option.

The service was launched with 25 electric buses, operating on as many routes, and will cover 67 DU colleges and other educational institutions.

Boarding the U-Special bus from Delhi University Sports Complex to Daulat Ram College, Gupta shared a video on X in which she can be seen singing 'Ae Watan Watan Mere Aabad Rahe Tu' along with students playing guitars and conga.

Captioning the video, Gupta wrote, "College, dosti aur guitar... laut aayi hai U-Special" (College, friendship, and guitar... U-Special has returned).

Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh and Transport Minister Pankaj Singh were also present on the bus.

At her alma mater, Gupta clicked a selfie with the principal, teachers and students. Posting the selfie, the chief minister said she was taken back to her time as a college student. Gupta did her bachelor's in commerce from the college.

"Today, a selfie with the students and faculty of Daulat Ram College… it felt as if a page from an old book of time had suddenly opened," she said in a post on X.

She credited her college with playing a significant role in her entry into politics. Gupta held the post of Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president during her student days.

"It was here that I learned to take flight, here that I chose the path of struggle, and here that I found the self-confidence that inspired me to become the DUSU President and dedicate myself to public service.

"Daulat Ram is much more than just walls and classrooms for me. It is a feeling that shaped my thinking, gave direction to my dreams, and provided my life with a purpose," she said in the post.

The service was originally launched in 1971, but it was discontinued during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

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