India, March 22 -- From exam stress and attendance worries to delayed cultural fests and ageing infrastructure, Delhi University students have plenty to grapple with. What they often lack, however, is a direct platform to be heard. A new initiative, Coffee with VC, aims to change that. In a campus culture largely driven by notice boards and formal emails, the idea of informal conversations over coffee marks this shift. The first face-to-face session with vice chancellor Yogesh Singh, held on Monday evening, saw 10 students from Miranda House interact with him. "It was literally a 'Coffee with VC'. We all had cold coffee, but the environment was warm and friendly. It was a new experience," says Hardika Godara, a final-year BA (Hons) Political Science student. For many, the highlight was the rare chance to engage directly with the university's top leadership. "Interacting with the VC is something we don't even imagine. But sitting with him for nearly two hours and discussing so many issues really changed my perspective," shares Tripti Jain, a final-year BA (Hons) Sociology student. Students say the discussion touched upon a range of concerns, from academics to well-being. There was also a broader conversation around youth and leadership. "There was a shared belief in the room that Gen Z has the strength to bring new ideas, take on leadership roles and contribute meaningfully," says Hardika. Raman Choudhary, a final-year BA (Hons) History student, adds, "There's still a lot to discuss. If I get another chance, I would want clarity on issues like changing courses after admission. These are the things we want to be heard on." This initiative is the brainchild of Prof Rajni Abbi, the director of South Campus. With a laugh, she shares how the name for this meet was decided: "When I shared the idea, the VC asked me will the children take coffee? I said, 'All the children drink cold coffee, at least'!" She further explains how it was started,"The VC usually meets stakeholders including teachers, Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA), DUSU etc. But general students don't get an opportunity to meet him. The idea is that if 10 to 15 students from each college have an informal meeting with him, they get to ask questions and the VC also gets inputs directly." Abbi adds that the pilot has been fruitful: "The students gave such bright ideas that VC sir also had to say, 'Yes, we're going to consider it'. DU is a very big university, so sometimes the ideas which the students give us are a little difficult to implement. But they give us lovely inputs."...