In the era of Game of Thrones, Suits, Sherlock, Friends and other such sitcoms from the West and Permanent Roommates, Tripling, Pitchers, Little things, Girl in the city, The Trip, AIB Podcast, Shut up ya Kunal, A Man’s World and other such web series and shows from India, I know we have a lot of things on YouTube and Netflix to hop on a couch with our laptops and a packet of chips. The University of Delhi (DU) offers a good old number of courses in Economics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science etc. And since we have become a part of DU, I think we should expand our viewing and use the web culture to its fullest. Here’s a list of series and documentaries that you need to watch right away!

1. For the lovers of Literature and all you sensitive beings

Epic Channel came up with a wonderful show, Stories by Rabindranath Tagore, featuring some of the Nobel laureate’s classic works like Chokherbali and Charulata in an episodic format on TV. Netflix has bought this show created by acclaimed director Anurag Basu, and it can be viewed on Youtube as well. If you are interested in short films, watch those created by Terribly Tiny Tales, the world’s most celebrated micro-fiction platform, as they call it. You will fall in love with their Aamad, Elayichi, Rear View, Dry Day, The Last Day and Cuddly Bunny amongst all the other stories filled with the tiny estranged emotions of our daily lives. I hope all of us have watched the Malgudi Days and I sincerely suggest you to go for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries based on the classic Pride and Prejudice.

2. For all the thinkers and postulators

Watch Zeitgeist (film series), made up of 3 documentaries directed by Peter Joseph, where it tries to draw conspiracy theories about religion—Jesus myth hypothesis, 9/11 attacks where it asserts that the American government had advanced knowledge on the terror attack, and the third part calling for the Federal Reserve Bank to be controlled by a small group of bankers who collude to create global disasters, all in order to benefit themselves. Also watch CONSUMING KIDS- The Commercialization of Childhood, which portrays the harmful effects of fast food, violent video games and crass materialism being sold to American children by ruthless marketers, and sheds light on the ethics required to preserve the innocence and sensitivity of children. The War of The Worlds (TV series) postulates extraterrestrials invading our planet and War On Our World (documentary) examines imperialist tendencies and war. A must watch for all the theorists out in DU!

3. My dear future bankers and economists, better watch these!

OVERDOSE: The Next Financial Crisis is a top notch 47-minute documentary on whether the governments can save the banks or the banks can save the governments, based on recession and economic crises happening all around the world, with stock markets crumbling down and how it unravels into a time of payback for all the years of partying during a boom.  In the entire world’s quest for oil and the rise of renewable energy, watch another documentary, Fuel, for its the optimistic take on world’s problems and the solutions to unemployment and depletion of natural resources. Also go for the UK based 97% Owned, a well-researched take on money and the financial markets of the world.

4. For the sake of politics

In order to understand the creation of a whole, united India, watch the episodes created by ABP News—Pradhanmantri. Shekhar Kapur is the anchor of this docu-drama, and it is an interesting take on the politics of India since 1947. Go for similar shows like Ramrajya, Samvidhan and Bharat-Ek Khoj. You will get all the much needed political insights on the Constitution of India and the ‘Discovery of India’.

5. Military, war and International relations

I am sure you’ll remember Shahrukh Khan’s debut serial Fauji, based on the life of an Indian Army commando. Definitely watch it to get inspired. It was first aired on DD National and went on to become a huge success. In a similar fashion, go ahead with Sea Hawks, starring Milind Soman and others and  Aarohan, starring Pallavi Joshi, in order to get an idea of life in the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, respectively.

Nowadays, international conflict and international law are the hot favourites of students and if you loved movies like 300, Clash of the Titans, Troy and others, and want to get to know about the Cold War, the World Wars, Nazi Germany etc., do watch Cold War (TV mini-series) first broadcasted on CNN, Band of Brothers, Science and Swastika, and Iran (Is Not The Problem.)

And that’s a wrap! If you have watched other videos, vlogs or short films, do suggest them in the comments section.

Oorja Tapan

[email protected]

Image credits:

1. Youtube
2. Wikipedia
3. Indianetzone
4. Amazon

It was amidst a lot of apprehensions that the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) was introduced by the University of Delhi in 2016. This was an attempt on the University’s part to introduce a uniform grading system which would open doors for student mobility into institutions not only within the country but across the globe. It aims at having a student centric approach by facilitating flexibility in courses. According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), the objective of CBCS was to provide a “cafeteria approach” to education where students have the freedom to customise their own course.

The UGC  introduced CBCS so that students could adopt skills by choosing different courses to enhance their employability. The UGC considers CBCS to be a  measure “to bring equity, efficiency, and excellence in higher education.”

The credit based system has been established on an idea of interdisciplinary studies and flexibility. It allows students to take up papers outside of their specialisations in the form of the General Elective courses offered. CBCS offers three kinds of courses: core, elective and foundation. The core course may be different every semester and is studied by the students as an absolute requirement to complete a programme in a said discipline of study. The elective course can be chosen from a pool of papers. It enables the students to seek knowledge that is different from their principal course. Foundational courses, which are Environmental Studies and Communication Skills, are mandatory for all disciplines as they are based inter-disciplinary content that leads to knowledge enhancement.

The grading system is considered to be better than the conventional marking structure. It is a uniform grading system that comprises relative marking, which means that scoring is dependent upon performance in relation to that of other students rather than individual accomplishment. The system has widely been criticised for its scoring procedure as students noticed a downfall in their grades in the pilot year of implementation. The arrangement of the system is such that relative grading is based on the distribution of marks obtained by all students of a course. The grades are then awarded on the basis of a percentile. The exact percentage of the student is very difficult to determine due to this assessment procedure. The university has provided no guidelines to judge the same. The results of the students are presented in the form of a Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA) after the semester exams and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) after every academic year. Both GPAs are a measure of the performance of work carried out by a student.

Overall,  students have a mixed opinion about this system.  According to Snehil Singh of Shaheed Bhagat Singh(M), “  It provides a constructive and comprehensive outlook and optimises the efficiency of pedagogy”.  Sanjana from Ramjas College holds the view that the CBCS is not all about choice and not all about earning credits. According to her it just partially apes the format of American universities without bringing any substantial change.  Lastly, Nimish Nanda from Deshbandhu college says, “CBCS could have been a better system if the things which are on paper, existed in reality. The University offers so many additional Skill Enhancement Courses but the colleges provide only 2 or 3 options to choose from due to lack of infrastructure”.

-Anukriti Mishra

[email protected]

-Bhavya Banerjee

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Delhi is one of the most culturally rich cities in India. The ‘Dilli Gharana’ of music and dance has produced a lot of aficionados. Also, the Delhi Theatre Circuit is home to some of the finest actors in the country. It is also a place which recognises and encourages artists and one might see art exhibitions happening at various places. The city is an abode to numerous museums, art gallery and performance spaces. The vibrant cultural scene is active throughout the year and provides abundant choices to indulge your senses.

• Alliance Francaise De Delhi 

  

Alliance Francaise near Lodhi gardens is an Indo – French house (Maison Franco-Indienne) established in 1956. It hosts a lot of musical performances, dances, film screenings, plays, art exhibitions, literary readings and other events. It is funded by its mother institution, the Foundation Alliance Francaise and also holds beginner and advanced classes in French.

• National School of Drama( NSD) 

  

National School of Drama (NSD) is a premier theatre institute in Mandi house that was set up by Sangeet Natak Akademi as one of its constituent units in 1959 and gained an autonomous status in 1975. It boasts of alumni that include veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Irfan Khan, etc. The Bharat Rang Mahotsav, an annual theatre festival, held generally in January is acknowledged as the largest theatre festival in Asia and attracts performers not only from the country but also from around the globe.

• National Gallery of Modern Art
  

The National Gallery of Modern Art on  Sher Shah Road near India Gate is known for housing a distinctive collection of paintings, sculptures, graphics, and photographs. This neoclassical building formerly served as a palace for the Maharaja of Jaipur and was established as a museum in 1954. It aims to acquire and maintain works of modern art from the 1850’s onwards. It also organises numerous seminars in the fields of art history, art criticism, art appreciation, museology and the inter-relations on visual and performing arts.

• Siri Fort Auditorium 

  

Siri Fort Auditorium is situated near Connaught Place market and is the headquarters of the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It was commissioned by the late Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. It has a seating capacity of around 2500 which is spread over its 4 auditoriums. It hosts numerous cultural events and musical performances.

• Triveni Kala Sangam 

  

Triveni Kala Sangam is situated on Tansen Marg near Mandi house and is one of the foremost cultural and arts complexes in Delhi. It was founded in 1950 and contains four art galleries, a chamber theatre, outdoor theatre and an open air sculpture gallery. It holds classes for Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Chhau, Sitar, Flute, Tabla, Painting, Sculpture, Glass Art, and photography.

• Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts (SRCPA) 

  

Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts on Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House hosts plays throughout the year. The Shankar Lal Murli Dhar Auditorium has a capacity of 375 people. It offers a two-year acting course. The Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts (SRCPA) Theatre Repertory Company was started in 1980 and performs plays throughout the year.

Image credits:
1. Alliance Francaise de Delhi
2. National School of Drama
3. gocityguides.com
4.  www.nationalfilmawards.com
5. trivenikalasangam.blogspot.in
6. www.edunuts.com

Anukriti Mishra

[email protected]

Having conducted a number of programs/ events as the Child Rights Leader (CRL) for Jesus and Mary college, 2016-2017, Devika Chopra’s journey is a tale of dedication and commitment towards bringing a change in the lives of underprivileged children. As the CRL for Child Rights and You (CRY), Devika undertook a wide array of events with a simple desire of adding a little something to the lives of those who were a part of the programme. From holding ‘Book Collection Drive’, setting up a bake sale, to organising a plethora of after-school workshops such as clock making, origami and animal sensitization sessions, the Child Rights Leadership Program (CRLP) under Devika’s leadership has gone a step beyond spreading awareness amongst college students.  As a member of the JMC Education Program (an after-school tuition program for underprivileged children), Devika and her team were able to establish an association between the two programs with the sole aim of providing the few means that are required to foster creativity amongst children, in turn making the college a safe space where children could express themselves freely.

“Project Jyoti”, a ray of hope and a door to endless possibilities for underprivileged kids is an initiative envisioned by Devika. For her, it has been a journey of reinforcing the very idea of giving children space and time to be creative as she holds the firm belief that all children have the ability to innovate. With the support of the JMC Education Program, she strives to polish the creative skills of underprivileged children.

The execution of the program is simple as it involves conducting arts, theatre and other extracurricular workshops for children within the college campus. Devika and her team meet the children post their school hours and hold a variety of workshops every fortnight. The team focusses on making these workshops meaningful by combining arts with themes of environmental sustainability, animal sensitization etc.

The inspiration behind “Project Jyoti” is an interesting story that goes back to the summer of 2015 when Devika was an intern with CRY. Sitting at a girls home in Delhi, never did Devika imagine that she would be inspired by talent which technically came all the way from the North-east. Devika never actually got the opportunity to meet Jyoti but feels she met a part of her through the many drawing sheets she found while cleaning the office. As an artist herself, Devika was completely taken aback by Jyoti’s work.

Such is the power of art. Despite never having met Jyoti, Devika felt a strong connection with her work. Devika tells us it was her bold use of colours that was most striking, for who would think blue and orange flowers would turn out to be this pretty. While one could go on dissecting Jyoti’s work from a creative perspective, it’s the simplicity and purity of it that made it so beautiful. Each and every drawing was unique and inspiring.

Jyoti’s imagination, like all children, knew no boundaries. At the home, Jyoti found herself in a place that gave her the few means that were necessary for her to put this imagination on paper, and the result is in front of us- work that is absolutely priceless and touches a chord deep within. This meeting with Jyoti’s artwork is the inspiration behind the project. By understanding the importance of creativity in the lives of children, how it shapes their intellectual abilities and allows self-expression, Devika believes we can truly transcend the boundaries placed by the current education system. But more importantly, by launching this project on her campus, Devika hopes to give each and every child an opportunity to explore their creative sides.

Signing off, Devika says, “The word ‘jyoti’ literally translates into light, and Jyoti truly lived up to her name, creating artwork which I sincerely hope will inspire each and every person who has the fortune of coming across it.”

*The child’s name has been changed to Jyoti for confidentiality purposes.

Compiled by
Priyal Mahtta- [email protected]