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One of the biggest hurdles towards effective studying during the exam season is the internet. In particular, social media seems to be impossible to avoid. Here are a few tips on resisting the temptation to avoid checking the screen all the time.

There need not be any elaboration on the point that social media is a major irritant during exam time. It’s one of the most intense love-hate relationships of modern times. We love the fact that we can collectively laugh at the typos, puns, wordplays, and even at death and depression in the form of memes. We can connect with best friends and those we love over distances. We simultaneously also hate the feelings of anxiousness and nervousness we get as we wait for important replies, the feeling of emptiness when we see nothing new as we refresh our feeds at 2 a.m., and when we realise that we are way more dependent on social media than we should be.

While one should ideally reduce social media usage for general mental well-being and one’s eyesight, the fact that it distracts people from their exams that are to take place in a month will probably be the biggest encouragement people need. So as exams are nearing, here are some general precautions you can take to stop your validation-seeking, FOMO-avoiding (that’s Fear Of Missing Out, for all you acronym illiterates) side from running to the warm embrace of red notification pops, waiting to be clicked on.

Firstly, notice which apps you spend the most time on. Whatever they are, uninstall them. If you cannot seem to do so, then limit your use. Set time limits mentally, or set alarms if you can’t seem to check on yourself. Realise that memes and Instagram feeds will remain even after you’ve finished studying and that they will have no contribution in telling you the pointers of that 5 marker.

Note what kind of things make you spiral out of control. If they are YouTube videos, set limits on the amount you see. If they are WhatsApp messages, then mute your notifications or switch your internet off when you’re not on your phone. Whatsapp usage is actually easier to reduce nowadays. Why? Those ugly new emojis, obviously. (sorry for the burn, WhatsApp, but it’s true and we all think so.)

Finally, if you have zero self-control, then appoint a friend to police you and send reminders to stop scrolling. It might seem a little intense but if you’ve read this far into the article, you might need it. Remember, a friend in need during times of no restraint, is a friend indeed.

Image Credits: Sagoon

Rishika Singh

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With the second day infusing energy and vigour in hearts and souls, day three at Oasis 2017, BITS Pilani’s annual cultural fest, was an amalgamation of creativity and zeal beautifully wrapped up in the “realm of fiction”.

The fest opened with the dance extravaganza, Razzmatazz. The event divided the evaluation in two rounds, and was adjudged by Pradeep Adwani of Pradeep Adwani’s Institute for Performing Arts. The stage brimmed with rhythm and electrifying tunes as teams from several colleges, including College of Vocational Studies, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Ramjas College, Miranda House, and Maharaja Agrasen College, amongst others, set out to battle their dancing prowess. The event was preceded by an elimination round which was conducted yesterday to shortlist the final teams which would be proceeding to the final round. The event was host to an exuberant audience and some brilliant performances.

Andhalika was a competition aimed to discover the most versatile vocalist. It was organized by the Music Club of BITS Pilani. The categories were Eastern and Western Vocalists. The elimination round was held on Day 1 and the finals were held on Day 3. For the finals, 8 contestants out of 49 were selected. The participants were supposed to perform three pieces, one solo, and one duet which were allocated by the club, and one song of their choice. The musical background was provided by members of the Music Club itself. The judges were two members of the band, Agam. The stunning performances wowed the audience and the participants drew immense applause from the crowd.

Tandav, the classical group and solo dance competition, was held in the afternoon. The event saw three teams and various solo artists giving splendid folk and classical dance performances. The judge for this event was Priya Dinesan, head of department of dance at Birla Balika Vidyapeeth.

The face painting competition was organised by CrAC (Creative Activities Club). The location of the event was Rotunda, an amphitheatre in the college. There was no cost of registration for the event and the raw material which included brushes, paint, and trays were provided by the organisers. There were lucrative cash prizes and vouchers up for grabs for the best pieces of work. CrAC has also provided volunteers who could paint the faces of people who wanted it to be done. The event attracted a huge crowd and the participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Harry Potter, The Joker, and Wonder Woman were popular choices.

At night, the Students Activity Centre brimmed with people dressed in their best clothes for the Harry Potter themed Yule Ball. EDM artists Rave, Christina Novelli, Candice Redding, and Crave created a spunky atmosphere with their edgy music. The third day of Oasis concluded on their musical notes.

 

Feature Image Credits: Vansh Sabharwal for DU Beat

 

Saumya Kalia

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Niharika Dabral

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Kinjal Pandey

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The inauguration ceremony of Oasis’17, the annual fest of Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS Pilani), started with an exhilarating dance performance by students of the host college. Based on this year’s theme ‘The realms of fiction’, the peppy dance performance revolved around the characters of Aladdin, Jasmine, and Joker.

Just before the arrival of the Chief Guest, Padma Shri S.S. Rajamouli, filler in form of a dance video was screened. The dance video that was shot in various locations of the vast campus received loud applause, but the Mime Act stole the audience’s heart with its quirky, funny and super relatable dialogues. BITsians broke in into loud fits of laughter numerous times during the short acts. Judging by the liberal content of the skit, which was full of direct references to alcoholism and marijuana, one could establish the freedom of expression that was overtly being practiced. After a couple of impressive fillers, the organising committee and the student heads of various departments were introduced and appreciated. The introductory note of each member/head was witty and sarcastic which elicited laughter from the audience. The Organising Committee members were joined by Chief Guest, S.S. Rajamouli and together they participated in the lightning of the lamp ceremony.

On the first day of the cultural extravaganza, one of the most exciting events was the Stage Play. Copious amounts of work, precision, details went into ensuring that the event went smoothly. The first three plays were performed on the Day 1, while the remaining three will be performed tomorrow, on Day 2. The sound and lights crew amongst a large number of volunteers were at work since early morning for the Stage Play performances. The three plays that were performed were- Rise and Shine by St. Xavier Jaipur, Gaareki Deewar by IIT-BHU and Aagaz, also by St. Xavier’s Jaipur. The judges were Manil Mayank Mishra and renowned theatre personality, Shilpi Marwah. The performances typically lasted fifty minutes to an hour. The energy of the fest was enhanced with dramatic excellence of Shilpi Marwah and her team, Sukhmanch theatre group. They performed their critically acclaimed play, A Woman Alone, and expressed issues like marital rape, societal oppression, and the various contouring of being a woman with finesse. The play garnered immense appreciation from the audience, with the event culminating with a standing ovation.

Day 1 also witnessed an array of other cultural productions. Oasis was host to a film fest which comprised of story completion, poster making, and trailer making competitions. They also organised Turncoat, the one-man debate and the Hindi debate, Cocktail. Exposure, the Photography exhibition was home to a myriad of artistic masterpieces. The evening closed with a classical dance performance by Priya Murle. Elimination rounds for events like the Drum Duel, Axetacy Films, and Desert Duel  were organised,

Due to extensive practise and with the assistance of a highly efficient background team, every performance was breathtaking. It was a visual treat to be able to experience the colours, sounds and emotional thrill that came with these performances. The plays were appreciated by the audience and tomorrow’s three performances are highly anticipated.

 

Feature Image Credits: 

Niharika Dabral

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Kinjal Pandey

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Saumya Kalia

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After experiencing a restless level of anticipation from the students across colleges, Enactus Aryabhatta did justice to the long wait with Enactus day 2.0. The event experienced a prodigious response and ended with an extremely contented list of guests. The event began with all the focus directed towards the Project Utkarsh stall where the delectable wafers were sold out so quickly that even comparing them to ‘hot cakes’ would be unjust. The customer’s response at the event assured the group of students that their project is moving in a propitious direction.

Wafers by Project Utkash were sold out quickly.
Wafers by Project Utkash were sold out quickly.

Next insight came the game stalls, with the Lucky Uno game compelling people to repeatedly try out their luck.The Magic brick game brought out the Arnold Schwarzenegger within every participant and turned “I could easily do that!” into an impossible comment to make.

The handmade products were also a big hit amongst customers. If anyone went home disappointed, it’s only because they couldn’t get their hands on one of the Mason jars or lotus diyas before they sold out.

The handmade products were a big hit amongst customers.
The handmade products were a big hit amongst customers.

The event featured a mellifluous performance by the music society of Aryabhatta College that had the crowd gather around and sing to the dulcet tunes of the group.  The Lemon and Spoon race, as anticipated, brought out the vying sportsman within every participant.

Last but not the least Enigmus, the treasure hunt competition, had the participants do anything and everything to emerge as the ultimate raider. From running around the college campus looking for clues, to making a human pyramid, the participants left no stone unturned in making this one of the most competitive events.

With Enactus day 2.0 experiencing a glorious end, the groups of social entrepreneurs now look forward to reaping similar success with their projects and continue to put in their complete efforts towards making this world a better place to live in, to make this world a place where we all win.

Watch this video to get a glimpse of the day!

Image Credits: Team Enactus Aryabhatta

The world celebrates UN Day on 24th October. In light of the various crises which continue to plague humanity, the United Nations struggles to become more democratic and gain a stronger foothold in decreasing the differences between developed and developing countries.

 

The world has changed dramatically since the United Nations was established after World War II, but the global peace-seeking organisation has failed to adapt to reflect the norms and constructs of the 21st century. Many experts believe it to be a reincarnation of the League of Nations, which was a liberal, idealist manifestation of hope, cooperation, and peace amongst nations after the end of World War I. Liberalism received a severe blow by fascism and the power politics of nations, and one major fault of the League was that it did not pay heed to the interests of great powers and consequentially collapsed. The UN overcame this flaw and took exclusive care of the victorious nations and constituted the UN Security Council (UNSC) with the P5 nations (permanent five members) to reflect the global order. However, certain discrepancies in logistics run stark and need to be questioned. How is it that the second largest continent, Africa, has no representation? How is it that only one member, China, from all of Asia represents the whole of it (excluding India that represents 17% of the world population)? Instead of France, shouldn’t the European Union play a prominent role now? Over the course of decades, demands have been raised for greater democratisation and transparency in the United Nations.

The UN has proven to be incompetent in tackling the crises plaguing various nations, including Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Lebanon. With the US and Russia playing their own power rivalry over oil and Arab nationalism, the UN’s dormancy in this spectrum has allowed jihad to be perceived as a monster of its own kind. There has also been a situation of near-paralysis at the UNSC on Syria and Ukraine. Observed over various spheres, deserving countries like Japan, India, Germany, South Africa, Nigeria, etc., have no say in the big game. Politics, yet again, gains supremacy in dealing with terrorism as exemplified in China’s veto not to name Masood Azhar in the UN blacklist of terrorists. All 193 member states contribute to the UN’s regular budget and a separate peacekeeping budget, but some countries are chronically behind on their payments. In early November 2014, members owed about $3.5 billion for regular operations and peacekeeping. Furthermore, the fact that the organisation responsible for maintaining international order has never produced a female Secretary-General itself is astounding.

As the UN celebrates its 72nd anniversary this 24th October, it is important to accept the fact that the global organisation has still failed in ensuring a more equitable world order at the economic, diplomatic, social, and political fronts. It did succeed in bringing global civil society together, but it needs to introspect on whether it has achieved its global goals of equity, democracy, and peace. This multilateral world awaits a stronger and bolder United Nations.

 

Feature Image Credits: CoinDesk

 

Oorja Tapan
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The Centre for World Universities Rankings (CWUR) is an annual academic ranking system of global universities. The Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) publishes the global university rankings that measure the quality of education and training of students as well as the prestige of the faculty members and the quality of their research without relying on surveys and university data submissions.

The CWUR Rankings
The CWUR Rankings

As per the latest Centre for World Universities Rankings (CWUR), four Indian universities have clinched places in the recent rankings, and three of them manage to get into the top 500. In CWUR-2017, the University of Delhi tops the chart. It has got a world rank of 397 with 43.61 marks, followed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, which has a world rank of 399 with 43.6 marks. At number three is the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with a world rank of 470 with 43.27 marks. But, coming a close fourth in national rankings is Panjab University (PU). It is at fourth place with 43.06 marks and also manages the 550th spot in world rankings.
The Centre for World University Rankings uses eight objectives to rank the world’s top 1000 universities. The quality of education is measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have won major international awards, prizes, and medals relative to the university’s size. It has a weightage of 25 percent. The alumni employment is measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have held CEO positions at the world’s top companies relative to the university’s size. It carried a weightage of 25 percent. The quality of faculty is measured by the number of academics who have won major international awards, prizes, and medals and carries a weightage of 25 percent. The publications are measured by the number of research papers appearing in reputable journals and have a weightage of five percent. The Influence is measured by the number of research papers appearing in highly-influential journals, carries a weightage of five percent. The citations are measured by the number of highly-cited research papers, having a weightage of five percent. The broad impact is measured by the university’s H-index, carries a weightage of five percent. The patents are measured by the number of international patent filings and carry a weightage of five percent.

 

Image Credits: www.du.ac.in

Sandeep Samal

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Whether you’re about to complete your first semester or have started to fill out forms for postgraduate courses, it’s a good idea to begin working towards mastering a few basic skills before you leave college.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single college student in the duration of their undergraduate degree must be in want of the answer to “what am I doing with my life?” Initially, the refrain is followed by a small laugh or dramatic eye-rolling; it is meant to illicit chuckles. However, with time, it takes on darker connotations. The future seems daunting and it hits you that simply misquoting dialogues or lines from books and making pointless, movie-related similes do not qualify as skills. Hence, you should work towards mastering at least a few basic skills before leaving college, in order to qualify not just legally, but also mentally, as an adult.

  1. Cooking

I’m unsure of most things in life, but the fact that I will need food to survive is not one of them. Once you leave the world of hostel/PGs/tiffin services, you’ll need to know how to cook beyond making variations of Maggi and eggs, regardless of your gender.

  1. Sewing

Again, buttons coming out of your shirts or dresses, or those embarrassing tears in your clothes are not gender-specific. Life is also not a Bollywood movie so you can’t rely on your mother/female partner to do it for you. It’s quite easy to learn, really.

  1. Driving

Whether it’s a motorbike, scooty, or a car, you should have mastery over at least one form of transport besides the Metro, even if you don’t own a car. Also, use the bicycle. Don’t feel smug; there may be some people who can’t even cycle to work, though they may be skilled at pointing out how cooking and sewing are their forte.

  1. Performing Basic First-Aid

It will always be useful to know about the basics like bandaging and cleaning of wounds, and if you want to be more advanced, things like Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as well. You should have some knowledge of medicines and home remedies for basic ailments like cold, cough, stomach problems, body aches, etc. One can’t rely on the internet always, for it can pull a Peter Pettigrew and abandon you when you need it the most. (See what I meant by pointless similes?)

  1. Money Management

If you’re a day scholar, this is especially important, as one becomes complacent with money in the presence of biased human ATMs, better known as ‘parents’.  Learn to make a budget at the beginning of the month, and most importantly, cultivate the habit of saving. It is extremely helpful to have savings for times of emergency.

 

Feature Image Credits: I Will Teach You

 

Rishika Singh

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A delegation from DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association), including the DUTA President Rajib Ray, met the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, to plead to the state government to roll back its order of freezing funds of the 28 University of Delhi colleges it funds. The teachers collectively requested the government because the colleges are finding it difficult to fund salaries for teaching and non-teaching staff in those colleges.

In a written appeal to the Delhi Government, they wrote, “We support your insistence that governing bodies must be fully constituted at the earliest. However, we have now learnt that the colleges are finding it difficult to release salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff. Any delay in the release of salaries will cause a crisis in the personal lives of the employees and their families.”
On 31st July, Manish Sisodia, the Delhi Minister of Education directed a freeze of grants for the 28 colleges it fully or partially funds. In a tweet, he claimed that it was a “deliberate and mala fide attempt to delay the formation of governing bodies by DU”. On 14th August, the list of governing bodies was finally sent by DU but was rejected by the government on procedural grounds. The stand-off has been since October last year when Delhi University was required to send a list of its governing bodies of all the colleges.

Image Credits: Indian Express

Vijeata Balani

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Ahead of Diwali, there is some good news for the nearly 8,00,000 teachers and staff working in colleges, universities, and institutions run by the central and state governments.This decision will benefit 7.58 lakh teachers and equivalent academic staff in 106 universities and colleges funded by the UGC and central government, and 329 universities funded by state governments, besides 12,912 government and private-aided colleges affiliated to state universities.

“In addition, the revised pay package will cover teachers of 119 central-funded technical institutions such as IITs, IISc, IIMs, IISERs, IIITs, NITIE”- as stated by the Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar after the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For the higher education institutions funded by state governments, the revised pay scales will have to be adopted by their respective state governments. The additional financial burden incurred by the state governments in implementing the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission for teachers will be borne by the central government. The approved pay scales will be applicable with effect from January 1, 2016. The annual Central financial liability on account of this measure would be about Rs 9,800 crore, the government said in a statement. The implementation of this revision will enhance teachers’ pay in the range of Rs.10,400 and Rs. 49,800. “This revision will register an entry pay growth in the range of 22 percent to 28 percent,” Javadekar said.

For state government-funded institutions, the revised pay scales will require adoption by respective states. The government had last year constituted a pay review committee, headed by UGC member VS Chauhan, which had submitted its recommendations earlier this year. Following this, the HRD ministry formed a committee to review the recommendations.

Feature Image Credits: India

 

Sandeep Samal

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On the 23rd of September, 2017, a student-run organization called The People’s Club, the ideology of which is to initiate a conversation through engagement, organized an event called “Conditioned by Patriarchy” at the Myolo Headquarters, Green Park. The purpose of the event was to discuss the social conditioning of patriarchy in the modern world. The experts Veenu Kapoor Kakkar and Anshu Singh are a women’s rights activist and a Psychology lecturer respectively. The discussion was moderated by Manu Singh.

A large number of interesting and unconventional questions came up during this discussion. Ideas and issues like a woman’s appearance being central to her value and identity in society, clothing being used as an excuse to justify a crime against women amongst others were discussed at length. The possibility of whether a matriarchy (on a vast scale) could ever be established and if yes whether it would beas problematic as the patriarchy was also brought up. A gender hierarchy in families where the word of the father or grandfather is set in stone and how it affects family dynamics was elaborated upon. The audience was an eclectic bunch of people. Engineers, finance students, practicing lawyers, professional artisans, student journalists and activists amongst others were present. The sheer diversity of the participating group acted as a stimulant to the debate. With different people came different perspectives, which gave the discussion vitality.

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The first expert, Veenu Kapoor Kakkar, having spent more than eighteen years working for the cause of women’s rights highlighted one problematic trend she had seen all across. Whenever people talked about patriarchy, they saw it as an external agency, an outside element. They completely dissociated themselves from the patriarchy; claiming to have no relationship with it. The idea that each one of us, either consciously or subconsciously has acted as an agent of patriarchy is, unfortunately, true. We have been conditioned by society to think in a particular way and until we recognize that at times the way we think may be problematic, we will never actually work upon actually being able to change it. She told the audience that in her experience everybody is somehow affected and influenced by patriarchy and unless we recognise that our ideologies, thought-process, and mindsets may be flawed, we would never truly be able to fight it. Recognising our shortcomings and actively improving on them is a universally applicable life-hack and this is efficient at fighting hidden gender biases as well. Sometimes it is our inherent sexism that we need to fight and one should now be ashamed of acknowledging that. The second expert, Anshu Singh had an immense amount of experience in how our everyday life influenced our understanding of gender and gender roles. The “conditioning” part of the debate’s topic was expertly handled by her so to speak. Her hands-on practical knowledge along with her extensive theoretical knowledge made the discussion more concrete and scientific. Manu Singh, along with being the moderator was also highly knowledgeable about the cultural, historical and socio-economic aspect of the debate. These people with their experiences and knowledge gave the younger members participating in the discussion a different perspective to look at the issue.

Certain problems, the finer nuances of which often go ignored during general discussions and debates were brought up and discussed in detail. The opinions of both students and experts on issues like caste being inter-related with gender, the protectionist attitude of society towards women,   the idea of monogamy, origins of patriarchy, the social contract within marriage, institutionalisation and violence in the current societal system and were talked about at length. It was heart-wrenching watching men and women talk about how patriarchy has affected them in their everyday lives.

The event was concluded by a performance by Sukhmanch Theatre. Some 20 young men and women gathered to present a vivid and lively performance which depicted the condition of women in status quo. Bollywood songs with misogynistic lyrics, catcalling, harassment on the streets, slut-shaming, and child abuse were all incorporated into one cohesive performance that moved the viewers with its intensity. The performance felt all raw because we had just spent the last two hours talking about the plight of women in the modern world. Actors sang lyrics that said “chalti hai kya 9 se 12”, enacted scenes of a little girl being molested or tried to highlight the plight of an acid attack victim, I watched my emotions shift from disgust, to fear, to grief and much more.

Attending this event was a one-of-a-kind experience. It is these groups, be it People’s Club or Sukhmanch Theatre that take upon themselves to play a small role in fighting great injustices. The people who come up with and are involved with these initiatives, whether it involves organising regular discussions to fight prejudice in society or enacting nukkad natak’s to create awareness; have an extremely significant role to play in influencing the mindset of those around them. Witnessing these events, which are full of idealism, with a sense of duty and responsibility and with the purpose to contribute to something greater than themselves that strengthens my faith in my generation. At a time when it is easier to spew hate than giving love; these small initiatives have a big role to play in making the world a better place.

Image credits- The Photography Society of College of Vocational Studies.

 

Kinjal Pandey

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 Sukhmanch Theatre gave a riveting performance on sexism and crime against women in India.