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Shri Ram College of Commerce

Meher Malik judges Western Dance at SRCC, IIT Delhi bags top prize

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Day three of Crossroads kicked-off with the Exuberance – the Western Dance Competition. The event was organised by the Western Dance Society of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) – Panache. The competition was split into two categories – duet and group dance.

The judges for the events were Meher Malik, renowned belly dancer and founder of Banjara School of Dance, Jyotsana, also from Banjara and Anubhi Jindal of Dance Works. Meher Malik is known for her performances at popular Indian dance reality shows such as India’s Got Talent and Just Dance.

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Image Credit: Greta Khawbung

Among the ten pairs competing, Aseng and Somya of Kamala Nehru College emerged as winners at Exuberance’s duet competition. The runner-ups for same were Ravish and Kritika.

The group dance was won by IIT-Delhi’s 15 member group from their dance society ‘We-Defyn’. The president of the society Akash Singhal, a fourth year Biotechnology student at IIT-D seemed elated and excited about the win. “This is our eleventh win in this season which is a great thing. The crowd connects with us well and that helps us in winning these competitions”, says Akash.

IIT-D has won major dance events in the recent past at various colleges of Delhi University including Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), Sri Venkateswara College and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (SGGSCC). IIT-D was followed by SGGSCC at the second place in the group dance category. Shambhavee Sharma of LSR took away the prize for the Best Star Performer.

The highlight of the event was Meher Malik enthralling the audience with her powerful moves at the stage after all the performances by the participants were over. “All the performances were tightly packed and participants put up a great show. The crowd was great and I enjoyed it a lot performing here”, said Meher Malik on the competition and her own performance at SRCC’s Crossroads 2014.

Ishika Gupta from our team catches Meher Malik for an exclusive byte!

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Indraprastha College for Women

IP College’s Shruti 2014 concludes with performances by Delhi Dance Fever and Rock Veda

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The final day of the three-day annual fest of Indraprastha College for Women was abuzz with a lot of competitions and events lined up for the day that attracted many students from various colleges. Among these was a dance performance by Delhi Dance Fever (DDF) in the swimming pool area pf the college. DDF is a team formed by alumni of various colleges in Delhi University from different dance societies. They put up an energetic and well-coordinated performance which was quite a treat to watch.

Under the Fine Arts events, the Best Out Of Waste competition saw around 10 participants competing. A team of three which consisted of Deepshikha, Princy and Astha from the host college won the competition for ‘Best out of waste’. Just-A-Minute competition saw 10 participants for which the J.A.M master was Shriyam, a student from Hansraj College. The first prize winner was Nikita Shukla, the second winner was Surbhi Bhatia and third prize was taken by Caroline – all from IP College for Women.

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For the star night, the Delhi-based progressive Sufi fusion band Rock Veda performed at the college ground. They engrossed the audience both with their original compositions and some popular Bollywood tunes. Their original work included songs like  Mere Maula and Baat Chalet, riveting the crowd at IPCW. They also engaged the listeners with some celebrated songs like Tum Hi Ho, Main Tenu Samjhawa etc.

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Delhi College of Arts and Commerce

DCAC’s History department organises Dharohar 2014

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The annual fest organised by the History Department of Delhi College of Arts & Commerce was held on 25th and 26th February 2014. Dharohar 2014 aimed at commemorating the centenary of the beginning of the First World War. The two day fest kicked off with a lecture by Professor Upinder Singh, author of ‘A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India’ and daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She talked about the ancient history of the city of Delhi, the remains of historical sites in the city and suburbs and how there is a constant conflict between heritage and development where eventually development gets an upper hand.

After the lecture, the college saw numerous events at the fest. The college ground was abuzz with different street play societies from various colleges for the street play competition which was won by Jesus & Mary College followed by Hansraj College. The bilingual debate centred around “This House believes that Indians are inherently racist”, where a team from ARSD was adjudged as the best team and Shivangi, a student from LSR won the prize for Best Speaker. There was also a poster making competition based on the theme ‘Meri Dilli’.

Day 2 of Dharohar 2014 started off with a talk delivered by Sucheta Mahajan who talked about how the First World War had its repercussions in India through letters written by Indian soldiers recruited by British army. She threw light on the paradoxical situation where Indians were throwing away their lives for the British with whom they were fighting for freedom.

Then we witnessed different academic and cultural events. The general quiz was won by a team of two from St. Stephens, online photography competition on ‘Mughal Influence in Delhi’ by Pallavi, a student from Cluster Innovation Centre, Swarachit Kavita by a student from P.G.D.A.V. For the dance competition, among a large number of participants, solo dance was won by Rahul Vaid from Hansraj College and duet dance by Nimisha and Bharat from Deshbhandu College.

The History Department also put up an exhibition on centenary of First World War which attracted inquisitive crowds. “It was the kind of event which you just don’t wish to get over and gives me another reason to miss college after I pass out”, said Shaurya, a final year History student at Delhi College of Arts & Commerce.

Image credits: Kaushik Barua

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Arts & Culture

TV Show Review: True Detective

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The new crime series by HBO is an addition to the league of detective shows which makes an amazing dramatic entry. The lead role is being played by popular Hollywood actor Mathew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, a TV veteran who seems to bring every bit of confidence, skill and charisma to ‘True Detective’.

On a bizarre Louisiana murder case,Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson) were detective partners in 1995. Seventeen years later, when a similar case leads to an investigation of the ’95 murder, Cohle and Hart are questioned by a new set of detectives. Then they separately recount the story of the case and their lives, with constant flashbacks handled with genius style by director Cary Joji Fukunaga.

As we skip back and forth into different time periods, we see characters evolving along with time. Besides hair loss, Hart seems little-changed since the events of 1995, whereas Cohle seems much worse for wear. As the tale of “True Detective” unfolds, it becomes clear that the nonlinear story has many layers yet to be unfolded. The mystery becomes less about who committed the murder being investigated and more about what drove these two men to change so completely from the past to the present day.

McConaughey’s acting in particular is riveting as raw nerve while Rust Cohle, a guy whose unorthodox thoughts and troubled history make him an uneasy fit in the show’s Louisiana setting.  Both McConaughey and Harrelson are playing slightly against type, and it’s clear how much both actors enjoy getting to do something different. Finally, the series features the direction of Cary Joji Fukunaga, who most recently directed a thrilling feature adaptation of ‘Jane Eyre’.

“True Detective” seems to be more about detectives than about crime solving. As Hart and Cohle follow leads, the show is really focused on their personal predicaments. The show is meant to be a deeper and more ruminative exploration of the crime procedural.

Image Credits: www.bloguin.com

 

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Delhi College of Arts and Commerce

DCAC’s Journalism Department concludes annual fest

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The annual fest of the Journalism Department of Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, Scoop 2014 started off with ‘Heads-Up’ with Sheila Dixit and M.J Akbar for a panel discussion on ‘Lok Sabha Elections 2014: Is the traditional political landscape changing in India?’.

After the interactive session, Scoop 2014 kicked off its numerous events which are to be held over two days at the college campus.

The events on Day 1 unfolded as follows:

General Quiz

Popular Quiz Master Aniket Mishra hosted the general quiz at Scoop where around 40 teams participated and cross college teams were allowed. The winning team consisted of students from St. Stephens and Jamia Millia Islamia. The runner up was a team from the host college itself.

Ad-Mad

The ad-mad event also saw a large number of participations across colleges and universities. A team from Delhi College of Arts & Commerce emerged victorious and took home cash prize worth Rs. 4000 and a travel voucher by Roads Less Travelled.

The events on Day 2 unfolded as follows:

Football Bidding

Football fans participated in the Football Bidding competition where 8 teams were shortlisted on the basis of a general football quiz among 24 teams. These teams were given an amount of imaginary 150 million dollars to buy their team among a plethora of international football players and sit for the auction. Abhinav Paliwal and Rishabh Singh Chauhan from Delhi Technological University won the First prize and Second prize was won by a team from DCAC. The winners won cash prizes worth Rs. 4000 and a complimentary dinner at Hilton Hotel.

Street Play

DCAC saw students from various colleges flocking the campus to participate in Street Play Competition. Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce’s act ‘Chidiya ki Kahani’ walked away with the First prize followed by P.G.D.AV’s ‘Jhukna Toh Humne Seekha Hi Nahi’ amongst the 10 acts shortlisted for the main event. The winners took home cash prize worth Rs. 10,000.

Photography Competition Results

The two day fest by Journalism Department concluded with the announcement of winners of Aks-Online Photography Competition with about 30 participants from various universities. The First prize went to Koyna Tomar from LSR and Second prize was bagged by Pratyoosh Kashyap from Kirori Mal College. The theme of the competition was Taboo/ Expressions. The judges were Omar Khan, a photojournalist for News X and a freelance photographer covering F1 racing at the Buddh international Circuit and Saumya Khandelwale, a freelance photographer.

Image courtesy: Aman Kumar and Namit Datta 

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News

DU Professor Nayanjot Lahiri felicitated with Infosys Prize

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The Infosys Prize is given annually to promote scientific research and honour outstanding achievements of contemporary researchers and scientists by the Infosys Science Foundation. The award, carries the prize of a gold medal, a citation and a purse of Rupees 55 Lakh.

Felicitated on 8th February, one of the recipients of the Infosys Prize 2013 is a Delhi University professor – Nayanjot Lahiri. She received the award for her contribution in the field of Archaeology, and her work that focuses on the integration of archaeological knowledge with the historical understanding of India. Her areas of specialisation are proto-history, Indian Archaeology, Archeological Theory, Heritage Studies and Ancient India.

She earned her M.A, M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Delhi. She was appointed as a Reader at the Department of History, University of Delhi from 1982-93 and Lecturer at the Department of History, Hindu College, University of Delhi. She has also held the post of Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi from August 2007 till December 2010.

She has myriad number publications to her name which include Ancient India: New Research, Finding Forgotten Cities: How the Indus Civilization Was Discovered, The Decline and Fall of the Indus Civilization, Copper and its Alloys in Ancient India etc. She has also reviewed books in academic journals, newspapers and newsmagazines.

“She is one of the leading archaeologists in the country with very innovative work stretching back from the early days when she was working on the early history of ancient inscriptions of Assam. She has brought to light an understanding of ancient Indian history drawing on archaeological records and historical records and linking them in a way that has transformed the subject”, said Amartya Sen, the jurist for the award in his congratulatory message.

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News

Not just VC, three other personalities from DU also receive Padma Shri

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Although the most highlighted news about Padma Shri awards is of Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh being honoured for ‘distinguished service’ to the field of education, apparently there are 3 more names from Delhi University who have been named in the honourable list of Padma Shree Awardees for the year 2014. The three other academics are Dr. Mahesh Verma, Prof. Rehana Khatoon and Keki N Daruwalla.

Shri Keki N Daruwalla is a renowned poet and leading literary scholar to be awarded the Padma Shri 2014. He is also a visiting scholar for a few months at South Campus, University of Delhi.

Rehana Khatoon is a retired professor at Department of Persian, University of Delhi. She has 23 publications to her name, most of them related to lexicography. She has also been credited for a source book-‘Delhi Past & Present: Focus on Persian Sources’. “The happiness of getting this award cannot be put into words; it is feeling of pride and joy for me as well as my family, relatives and neighbours too. It is a proud moment to be the sixth recipient of Padma Shri in the field of Persian literature which has also been awarded to my father in the past”, remarks Rehana Khatoon on celebrating her win of Padma Shri this year.

Dr. Mahesh Verma is working as a Director of Maualana Azad Institiute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) and set on to become the President at Indian Dental Association next month. He is also acting as a President of Indian Academy of Restorative Dentistry (IARD) and Vice- President of Dental Council of India. He is also involved in research at the Institution level and in collaboration with various bodies like Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and WHO sponsored projects related to Prosthodontics and Dental Materials, Implants and other Dental Sciences.

“It’s recognition of not only to you but for the whole team as everybody contributes to it equally. It’s a very exciting and ecstatic feeling. Even after 3 days you wonder are you the one who got the Padma Shri at being awarded such a prestigious award when people come and congratulate. It’s quite surprising too because there are so many other accomplished people and to being chosen among so many is a wonderful feeling”, said Dr. Mahesh Verma on his thoughts for winning the fourth highest civilian award of India.

Featured Image: (Left to Right) Dr. Mahesh Verma, Rehana Khatoon, Keki N Daruwalla

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DUB Speak

Self-help books: How much help do they really offer?

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With catchy taglines and titles, most of the self-help books find it not very hard to attract the attention of a passerby on the book-shelves. The publishing industry has exploited the term self-help and offered a wide variety of advice books from diet and financial happiness to love, relationships and the pursuit of happiness. But do they actually help in achieving this or remain just a ‘feel good’ read which we tend to forget in a week or so remains a question.

Perhaps bestsellers like ‘Who Moved my Cheese’ and “How to Win Friends and Influence Others’ dwell upon the man’s urge for self-improvement by reading out the writings by experts. The authors of these books generally have a high profile platform with a built-in audience and most people buy these books because it’s in vogue. We tend to buy these self help books for dressing our mental wounds but they only serve as a painkiller. They work enough to make you read the next one, but if they really worked, people would fix themselves and the market would disappear.

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It’s often said a good book can change one’s life and self-help books do offer some inspiration and hope. Their ultimate message is clear: If you are dealing with the lock of despair, hope is the key. So, yes, well-thought-out, well-written self-help books can be helpful to just about anyone, but they are absolutely essential to those who are in need of a sudden change. It’s like a revelation that introduces them to a whole new world of possibilities.

Ultimately the key to benefitting from a self-help book evolves from the quest of changing our lives for the better because the stronger our desire to change, the more likely we benefit from any kind of self-help vehicle. But it’s important to remember that merely reading out a self-help book would not garner support for long in true accomplishment of changing selves. It acts like a teaching tool that leads us to the trail of helping yourself by stimulating you to take action.

imagecourtesy:selfimprovementebooks;

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Biblio

Book Review: The Good, The Bad and The Ridiculous

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The latest book by Khushwant Singh that recently hit the bookstores is a compilation of 35 famous and controversial personalities through the eyes of the 98 year old celebrated columnist. The Good, The Bad and The Ridiculous pens uncensored attacks on people with whom Khushwant Singh had relations, met and interacted over the years. Co-authored by Humra Quraishi, this book provides an insider’s look at the lives of people like Indira Gandhi, Giani Zail Singh, Jinnah, Gandhi and many others and introduces us to their not-so-pleasant characteristics.

He dedicates small chapters to each personality and narrates his accounts wittingly and candidly. The book engages you with innately honest opinions and makes one curious to know what bomb would explode in our perceptions of the famous ones after reading about them.

Reading out blurbs like, “There was something cold and haughty about her. Not my type at all … But she had her set of admirers … and never forgave anyone who said anything against her” for Indira Gandhi or “He took a vow of celibacy in his prime, but without consulting his wife, which I think was grossly unfair. He would sleep naked beside young girls to test his brahmacharya. He could be very odd” for the Father of the Nation makes the book both intimate and irreverent.

He quite clearly expresses his bitterness for L.K Advani and expresses his ‘ambivalence’ for Indira Gandhi. Khushwant Singh dedicates the biggest chapter to V.K Menon followed by a close second of Giani Zail Singh.

The book entertains and shocks the reader with Singh’s sketches of the good, bad and the ridiculous shades of the people whom he knew for almost a century.  Well informed accounts and frank opinions by KS have been appreciated by all and makes him one of the most honest and candid writers in this industry.  Khushwant Singh also makes it very clear in this book he that neither dreads criticism and nor is bothered about it.

This book will certainly ring a bell for people who crave gossips coming out from the elite class of the country. Notwithstanding the fact that the book is only a person’s opinion which need not be a full story, the book can prove to be useful for peeking into the lives of others through the eyes of the Big Old Man of the writing world.

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News

DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh honoured with Padma Shri

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Professor Dinesh Singh, Vice Chancellor of Delhi University has been honoured with the Padma Shri award this year. Padma Shri is awarded to Indian civilians for distinguished service in any field. The fourth highest civilian award in India was conferred upon 101 people including some popular names like Yuvraj Singh, Vidya Balan and Paresh Rawal.

Professor Dinesh Singh earned his undergraduate and postgraduate degree in mathematics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. After earning an M.Phil degree from DU, he went on pursue a Ph.D degree at Imperial College, London. Following that, he taught at the Department of Mathematics in St. Stephen’s College.  He was appointed the Director of University of Delhi South Campus in 2005 and the Vice Chancellor of the University in October 29th, 2010.

Dinesh Singh has been responsible for the implementation of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) last year in Delhi University. He also led the shift to the semester system and introduction of Antardhvani – the annual cultural fest of DU and the Cluster Innovation Centre.

This year’s nominations for Padma awards were shortlisted by UPA government and approved by the President. The awards were presented on 26th January by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to the 127 Padma awardees this year.

Image Credit: Gurman Bhatia for DU Beat

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