The Planning Forum

Society Description

The Planning Forum was established in 1960 at the behest of the first Prime Minister of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and is the official public policy based society of the college. It is one of the largest student-run society on campus and strive to cultivate a platform for students to engage in matters of policy formulation.

We encourage students to critically analyze problems and systematically frame solutions through events such as discussions, conferences, case competitions, workshops, simulations, debates and many other forms of engagement.

We have had the honour of hosting eminent personalities like the World Bank Country Director Mr. Auguste Tano Kouamé, His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, Ms. Meira Kumar, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Dr. Pulapre Balakrishnan and many others.

Council Members

Staff Advisor: Dr. Manisha Aggarwal

Office Bearers:

President- R. Avantika - avantikarajaram03@gmail.com

Vice-President- George Anand - georgieanand25@gmail.com

General Secretary- Loveneet Rana - loveneetrana2003@gmail.com

Director of Operations- Avaantika Vivek - avaantikav@gmail.com

Executive Council Members:

Ann Maria Jackson - jacksonannmaria@gmail.com

Ann Terese Roy - anntereseroy07@gmail.com

Charlottee James - charlotteejamesn@gmail.com

Charvi Aggarwal - charviagrawal65@gmail.com

Ekam Kaur - ekamgandhi5@gmail.com

Ishan Bennett Blest - jacksonannmaria@gmail.com

Jesna Stephen - jesnastephan435@gmail.com

Riya Thomas - riya.thomas020@gmail.com

Saksham Naudiyal (Treasurer) - naudiyalsaksham09@gmail.com

Semmozhi Ramesh - semmozhiramesh@gmail.com

Calender of Events

Inaugural Lecture and Treasure Hunt

The Inaugural Lecture and Treasure Hunt mark the beginning of the society’s activities in the academic year after the first year orientation.

The Inaugural Lecture is the first event of the academic year which features an enlightening, enriching and educational lecture by a prominent personality on a key policy issue that draws students from all across the University of Delhi. This year, the society hosted the World Bank Country Director for India, Mr. Auguste Tano Kouamé for its Inaugural Lecture on the theme ‘Navigating Troubled Waters: The Global Economy and India’.

The Treasure Hunt is an exciting event organized by the society for all the junior members of college where students trace their way to the treasure by solving a number of policy clues and general awareness questions.

Chatrashala

Chatrashala is the pro-bono event of the society aimed at making an impact and change in the society for children from the underprivileged communities by organizing myriad games and fun activities and awareness sessions for them.

Policy Conclave

Policy Conclave is the annual mini–fest of the society which comprises multiple policy based events. The events are in the form of competitions, lectures, workshops and many other interesting events and bring together policy enthusiasts from around the world. The event is an amalgam of enriching lectures, policy case competitions and policy drafting competitions.

Stephen’s Model United Nations

St. Stephen's Model United Nations hosts a three-day conference with 400 delegates in committees such as Niti Aayog, UNHRC, UNDP, UNCEB, UNCSW, UNSC addressing vital issues like women's participation and UN collaboration for conflict prevention. It is one of the most prestigious conferences in the Delhi circuit.

The event aims to provide a platform for young individuals to deliberate, debate and discuss matters of social, political and economic relevance while working with the nuances of international diplomacy.

The Planning Forum is also open and encouraging towards new innovative events and endeavours to foster a keen interest in public policy among students. We strive to promote such an environment by organizing seminars, workshops, research paper and article competitions, alumni interactions and talks, etc.

Other Events

Policy Arena

Policy Arena is a recurring and interactive event exclusively for the junior members of St. Stephen's College. It was initiated to provide an open platform for the student community to learn and discuss various policies through discussions, lectures and other forms of engagement.

Policy 101

Policy 101 is an initiative to provide insights of what the realm of public policy holds for young students. These sessions are typically conducted by professionals and experts working in the field of policymaking.

Past Events

Inaugural Lecture

The society proudly hosted its Inaugural Lecture on 13th October, 2023. We had the privilege of hearing from Mr. Auguste Tano Kouamé, the distinguished World Bank Country Director for India, as he delved into the critical topic of 'Navigating Troubled Waters: The Global Economy and India.’ The lecture imparted knowledge and key insights into the smooth sail of the Indian economy despite global headwinds. The event was also graced with the presence of many dignitaries from the World Bank.

Stephen’s Model United Nations 2022

The 15th edition of the St. Stephen’s Model United Nations, the flagship event of The Planning Forum was held from 31st March to 2nd April, 2023. The MUN saw a large number of undergraduate and school students participating in three days of extensive and intensive deliberations as part of various committees such as the United Nations General Assembly, G20, United Nations Security Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Mr. Ajay Bisaria, former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan and Canada was the Secretary General for SMUN 2023.

Chatrashala

The Planning Forum successfully organized its pro-bono event, Chatrashala on 19th November 2022 in collaboration with Teach for India for children from underprivileged communities. Besides the exciting games and activity sessions like painting and quiz, the event also featured a workshop on ‘Fundamental Child Right and Duties’ by Ms. Urmi Chudgar to make children aware of their rights and duties.

The Stephanian Forum

The Stephanian Forum is a year-long initiative where we provide opportunities to students and give them a platform to voice their opinions without a filter. It is an open space where ideas, perspectives and experiences about everything, from a grain of rice to the dire situations we face today, coexist.

Visit us at: thestephanianforum.com