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Enactus SRCC: Project Asbah – Every Drop A Promise

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Enactus SRCC has taken a commendable leap towards providing potable water in India. Read more to find out how.

In a bid to tackle the adverse effects of unavailability of potable water in many parts of India, Enatus SRCC has taken a unique approach. They’ve sought to address this problem, by harnessing the talent of indigenous potters whose craft is on the decline. After collaborating with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, they’ve come up with an inexpensive clay filter that can be locally made and purchased.

Priced at Rs 550, the filter comprises two clay pots placed atop each other, with two Terafil candles placed in between. Terafil, a solid disc composed of a mixture of red clay, river sand and wood sawdust, serves as the filtering agent. Having a capacity of 15 litres, this filter is particularly useful for treating water polluted by sediments, pathological and biological contaminants and microorganisms, which are commonly found in rural areas. Not only do they help in eradicating water-borne diseases, but also generate income for the potters and are affordable to the rural consumers while effectively countering competition.

The initiative has been put into force in Uttam Nagar in West Delhi which hosts the largest community of potters in India, whose subsistence depends upon their craft. Within a single month, the income of every potter has increased by Rs. 1560. In the coming months, the potters will earn an income of Rs. 6,600 per month, marking an 83% increase from their previous income. For every filter sold, the local dealer who has been identified so as to create an efficient supply chain earns Rs. 75. The filters significantly reduce expenditure on clean drinking water to less than Rs 1 per day. Therefore, Project Asbah has impacted more than 100 lives in one month of operation by providing 15600 litres of clean drinking water and reducing the risk of waterborne diseases.

Within the next year, the society plans to include more potters under Project Asbah. They have also identified 11 villages so far, in order to collaborate with area specific implementation partners to ensure scalability and sustainability.

Photo credits: Enactus, SRCC
Learn more at www.enactussrcc.org

Swareena Gurung
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

To the third year students: Remember to breathe

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Applications, placements, scholarships, entrances and expectations- It’s a chain of words large enough to drown in. If you’re not drowning already, you’re nearly there- head barely visible above the mounting anxiety, voice a hoarse whisper as you dramatically send out a plea for help, or for some hot chocolate fudge and temporary respite.

But the above describes just one end of the spectrum. The other end comprises the clueless and the lost, those who watch the mad rush like a tennis match, struggling to find their place in this whirlwind of CVs and recommendation letters, and trying to pin-point a single course or career they would like to pursue.

Whether you belong to Category A or B, or fall somewhere in between the two extremes, first remember to breathe. If you’re preparing to immerse yourself in the onslaught of application deadlines and entrance examinations, remember again, that you must breathe. It’s absolutely alright if you are wandering and most certainly lost. Maybe everybody around you has got it all figured out- their future path of life charted out with the precision of an airplane. Maybe their goals are clear and set, while you’re still fumbling through college.

Most of us, while we are busy struggling to survive this barrage of applications and interviews, forget to make the most of our last year in college. Sometimes I hear myself saying I won’t do something this year because it’s my third year and I have “better things to do” or I’m “too busy” to plan a trip with friends for the mid-semester break. We’re so preoccupied with preparing ourselves for what will come once college is done and dusted, that we tend to forget to live in the here and now. Afterall, we will someday look back nostalgically at our times in college, wishfully yearning for one of those time turners.

For, at the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters? How happy you were while at college and how many memories you can look back on and smile? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not naive enough to say that pay packages and scholarships don’t matter. They do. A great deal, sometimes. But breathe through it all. We’ll survive.

 

Image credits: www.popsugar.com

Abhinaya Harigovind
[email protected]

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Campus Central

NOTA option to make a debut in DUSU Polls

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Delhi University will have a None of the Above(NOTA) option in the students’ union polls slated to take place on September 9. The decision comes following a UGC directive to include the same. Prior to the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections in 2015, there was widespread clamour for the inclusion of a NOTA option on the electronic voting machine, after which the UGC had recommended the inclusion of the button. However, it could not be implemented last year as the EVMs were prepared before the UGC order was released. Student wings of leading national level political parties like the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) welcome the inclusion of a NOTA option in the DUSU polls. “The NOTA option gives students the voice to express their disapproval towards all candidates,” says Saket Bahuguna, spokesperson for the ABVP. “It thus becomes easier for organisations like us to know what the status of our candidate is on ground, and what the student body thinks of our candidates standing for elections. This makes the NOTA option a very powerful democratic right,” he asserts. Angellica Aribam, National General Secretary of the NSUI concurs that it would be a great idea to include a NOTA option in the DUSU elections. However she points out that the NOTA option has no teeth to make an effective impact. “There ought to be a mechanism in place to give more teeth to the NOTA option,” she says. “If NOTA polls more votes than any candidate standing for election, there must be a re-election and the parties must be asked to field different candidates. This doesn’t happen in the current scenario, making the option less powerful,” she said. Feature Image Credits- www.thehindu.com Abhinaya Haragovind [email protected] Arindam Goswami [email protected]  ]]>

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DUB Speak

Relevance of the Student Union

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As the elections inch closer and the level of chaos, cacophony and flyers only rise, a lot of you will find yourself asking this question – Why do we even have elections? While your question is entirely justified given the situations that arise every election season; disruption of classes, blind and unmindful wastage of paper and the rising decibel levels, having a student union has its own benefits.

The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) was established early on as a representative body whose aim was to highlight and protect students’ interests. It is one of the largest student political bodies in the country.

While DUSU might come with its fair share of problems, as a student of Delhi University, I am extremely appreciative of having a body like this in place. Having a union in place makes it easier for students to raise their voices against the unfair practices and issues faced by them in colleges. A huge win for the collective political system of Delhi University in recent history has been the rollback of the FYUP system.

Moreover, a functioning union also helps in bridging the gap between the faculty and students. These benefits don’t just apply to DUSU but to the individual college unions as well. Just last semester, mid-semester exams in SGTB Khalsa College were postponed due to the collective efforts of the college union and, pleas and uproar from the students.

Many colleges around the country do not have any union in place and are restricted from forming any.
For raising issues and to protect the welfare of the students, a well performing union is a must for any college and is a huge part of the whole experience of being a student. Though, one is forced to wish if only it came with a little less chaos!

Feature Image Credits-  www.gettyimages.com

Akshara Srivastava
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Offbeat Olympic Events

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The world’s largest sporting spectacle is drawing to a close in Rio and almost 11,000 athletes from 207 National Olympic Committees are heading home. What an eventful Olympics it has been! Michael Phelps is retiring after his 23rd gold, Bolt is still faster than lightning and Indian women are steadily overshadowing their male contemporaries. Like every sporting event though, some sports rake up more viewers than other. Especially in India, where sporting infrastructure doesn’t warrant participation in every Olympic event, some sports are overlooked. Here are a few events that even avid sport gawkers may have overlooked:

1. TRAMPOLINING

TRAMPOLINING
TRAMPOLINING

With gymnast Dipa Karmakar reaching the finals in 2016, gymnastics did see a lot more viewers in India. But did you know that professional trampolining is also an Olympic event? In this, bouncing on a trampoline to heights of eight metres, athletes perform acrobatic movements such as twists and somersaults in mid-air, and are awarded points for difficulty, execution and flight time. The techniques and finesse shown by gymnasts in this particular event is astounding!
INDIA: We did not have a participant for this event, but after Karmakar, gymnastics is bound to be more popular in this nation.

2. CYCLING BMX

CYCLING BMX
CYCLING BMX

BMX racing is a serious deal and is even an Olympic sport! Cycling’s most recent Olympic discipline which debuted at Beijing 2008, BMX is an exciting sport which mixes intense racing, big jumps and plenty of crashes. In Rio there are men’s and women’s individual events.
INDIA: No participants for this as well.

3. EQUESTRIAN

EQUESTRIAN
EQUESTRIAN

Interestingly, this is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete against each other on a level playing field. It has three disciplines: eventing, dressage and jumping, all of them with individual and team competitors. Equestrian disciplines and the equestrian component of Modern Pentathlon are also the only Olympic events that involve animals. The horse is considered as much an athlete as the rider.
INDIA: No participants.

4. STEEPLECHASE

STEEPLECHASE
STEEPLECHASE

The steeplechase at the Summer Olympics has been held over several distances and is the longest track event with obstacles held at the multi-sport event. The men’s 3000 metres steeplechase has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1920. The women’s event is the most recent addition to the programme, having been added at the 2008 Olympics. It is the most prestigious steeplechase track race at elite level.
INDIA: Lalita Babbar ranked 7th in the women’s 2000 metres steeplechase.

5. SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING

SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING
SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING

An only women’s event, it is like an aquatic ballet. Synchronised swimming has been delighting Olympic audiences with its grace and rhythm since Los Angeles 1984. If you thought swimming or diving was testing, try dancing skilfully in water!
INDIA: No participants.

Image Credits: Rio 2016 official website, indianexpress.com,thesource.com

Swareena Gurung
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

“I’m a gay teen and many of you may think we are different”

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If you aren’t familiar with the term already, LGBT is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Described by many as a colonial baggage that has outlived its relevance in the present times, the infamous Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 is a silent reminder of the sheer failure of the system to be inclusive and progressive. We got in touch with one such teen who narrated his side of the story, as a student who is part of the sexual minority. Read along as he describes the concept of homophobia, his experience as a DU student and more..

“It’s the 21st century and the LGBT (Lesbian is excluded because of the legal recognition and rights given to them recently, although they still face rampant discrimination.) population in India is still almost non-existent; well that’s according to the government who turns a blind eye towards the LGBT community and the Supreme Court which said in its 2013 judgement that “the LGBT population constitutes only  a minuscule fraction of the country’s population” and reinstated section 377 in the statute books.

I’m a gay teen and many of you might think that You and I are very different. Well that’s not true because at the end of the day we are all humans except for the fact that you don’t have to live a dual life.

It wasn’t easy in the beginning, when I realised that I was gay. Being made fun of, the gender stereotypes and the countless myths and taboos are some of the things associated with being gay. I used to ask God “why me?” hoping that I would turn out to be “normal” and that this is just a phase.  This was, until I read about being gay on the internet which gave me an assurance that it’s normal. I’m lucky that I had access to the internet, which showed me a ray of hope. I clearly remember reading a quote which said, “being straight is not normal, it’s just common.” It made me realise that I was not alone and that there are millions of others just like me. I even read stories of gay people from all across the world and the LGBT rights movements across North America and Europe.  

I live a dual life and I’m good at it because I have never been bullied or called names, although I may have garnered a little bit of suspicion from some people. It’s basically living a lie; I have to pretend to like girls and hide my feelings towards a person of the same-sex. One instance I can recall in this regard is that I made a girlfriend just so I could show those ignorant homophobes that even I can get a girl. This act proved my “manliness” to my peers and put a stop to all those jokes and suspicions. They thought that I’m a late bloomer.

My experience at DU has been good so far. I haven’t encountered any discrimination/homophobia but also haven’t met many LGBT people. Maybe that is because they are in the closet just like I am. In my first year at DU, I came out to two of my close friends. They took it positively and hugged me together, twice. In fact, one of them only asked me to write this article. Coming out isn’t easy. That’s because you have to run a thousand simulations of how the person to whom you are coming out will take it. Then you have to predict how this person will take it or go with your gut feeling. After all this, find the right time to tell them. After telling them, see their first reaction and if its negative then say I’m kidding and it’s a joke or make up some lame excuse. So basically it’s a long process. After coming out, the person may ask questions, but that’s good because it shows their interest and that they care about you.

India is a free country, yet I’m not allowed to live openly and freely. There is always the fear of someone finding out. But now I have got used to it; it does not affect me as much as it used to. I have a long term goal which is to move out of this country and live freely, without any fear. It’s not like I’m unpatriotic, it’s just that I deserve better. Why should I suffer in this country when I can live a better and dignified life abroad. The reason I want to leave this country is simple- India is homophobic and ignorant. The country has no laws protecting the gay community; instead there are archaic laws like section 377 that still exist in the statute books.

However, there has been a change in the Indian society, people have started discussing the issue of LGBT equality. The media has played a significant role in highlighting the problems faced by the LGBT community. In the parliament a private member’s bill was proposed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to drop section 377 from the statute books. It was rejected for discussion, but at least it’s a start.

To be honest I don’t think India might adopt marriage equality and employment rights for the gay community anytime in the near future. Also, with the pace at which things are moving in this country, I feel its best if I move out of the country and live a better life.
The opinion expressed is a solely personal account of the writer, who wrote this with the promise of anonymity. LGBT rights is an important issue for discussion and such voices need to be heard. Does the mainstream even know about their existence? If not, we all should.

Featured image credits: : www.aljazeera.com 

Compiled by:

Riya Chhibber
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Spo(r)tlight

Why Dipa Karmakar’s Feat is What India Needed

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Kamarkar is a trailblazer, who had to fight hard to reach her goal. Read on to look beyond her success story.

We live in a nation where gymnastics is not and has never been considered as a serious sport. Few Indians strive to be gymnasts, but Dipa Karmakar did, and at Rio, she gave us something amazing to gawk at. Someone said “You never win the silver, you just lose the gold.” This saying deems a person’s achievement as substantial, only when pitted against someone else’s. What we need to understand is that solely beating somebody else should not be the parameter of success. This is why Dipa Kamarkar’s 4th position is of such great importance to Indians. She embodies the aspirations of a marginalised breed of sportspersons, striving to excel against an inadequate sporting infrastructure and viewership for their sport. She has won the competition in her own rights.
For starters, having flat feet, she was deemed by doctors as being incapable of turning into a world class athlete. She persevered any way and didn’t let it get in way of her Olympic pursuit. Her father Dulal Kamakar quoted in The Indian Express, “It hasn’t been easy for her. Initially, we didn’t have the equipment. She practised on discarded second-hand equipment. The first vault she practised on was made using the parts of an old scooter. The Sports Authority of India had rejected her and told her that she’d never be a gymnast because she was born with flat feet. With each medal that she won, her resolve grew stronger. She refused to take ‘no’ for an answer,”
Even after bagging a bronze at Glasgow, Kamarkar was refused a personal physiotherapist at the Rio Olympics even after coach, Bishweshwar Nandi requested for it. It was only when she placed 8th in the vault qualifiers, that the Sports Ministry flew a personal physiotherapist to Rio for her. Until then, she had to rely on the Indian contingent’s physiotherapist. None of her gymnastics contemporaries had to face this, the US gymnast team is so vastly popular that they even have a nickname, ‘the fearless five!’
Even at the finals, she was one of two participants who performed the Produnova or the ‘vault of death’. World number one, Simone Biles said, “It’s insane! Just simply insane. I would never attempt it.” Coming from a marginalised nation, Kamarkar had to take the risk of executing the manoeuvre which measures 7 in difficulty level. One wrong move on her part could have been life threatening. The Produnova, which distinguished her from the rest, is a symbol of the obstacles she has had to jump over to attain an Olympian status.
Amidst Indian ministers who have attracted global attention for their “aggressive and rude behaviour” at Rio, we have witnessed how Karmakar has sprouted into a model of resilience, perseverance and hard work against an effete sporting system. At 23, she has directed the glares of the Indian media towards a marginalised sport and Indian gymnasts finally have someone to look up to for hope and inspiration.

Photo Credits: indianexpress.com

Swareena Gurung
[email protected]

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DUB News

The Sushant Rohilla Case – Where do the rules bend?

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Last week, reports of Sushant Rohilla, a fourth year law student from IP-Amity committed suicide for being debarred from giving his exams over short attendance. The student had an attendance of 43% where the required amount of attendance was 75%.  Then where was the University’s fault?

IP-Amity has been known to allow students with attendance starting from 50% to sit for examinations. “Our college has strict attendance rules, yes, but they do bend them at times. Just last year, a girl had to participate in the Ms. India competition and faced no attendance issues at all,” said a source on the promise of anonymity.

It has been widely reported that Sushant was a good student academically and was an excellent debater. He had won several moot courts and was even the convener of the debating society of the college, who won many laurels for the college and even when he had a fractured leg, was fetching sponsorships for the college. The college did not accept his medical application, informed Sushant about debarring him only a few days before exams began and paid no heed to his requests and pleas.

On speaking to a couple of students from the college, we got to know about Sushant’s personal relations with the teacher, which came into play in this case. The teacher let her personal bias get in the way of allowing Sushant to sit for his exams or accepting his medical application. The alumnus of the college along with the current batches have also formed a close group on Facebook, where many pass out students have shared personal accounts of facing back handed harassment by the authorities over attendance issues.

In most colleges, ECA regulations are in place; which allow students to participate in extra curricular activities without the sword of attendance hanging over their heads. It is the prime purpose of a university to impart education and wisdom in students and not stress. The need of our universities to change existing regulations seems dire in the light of  mass protests.

It has also brought to fore and compelled us to think about the kind of society that we live in, where repeating a year in college, or failing in academics is condemned to be the worst possible thing to happen to a person. In a recent development, the teachers in question have resigned after facing severe backlash by the students of the college.

Akshara Srivastava
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Exploring the other side: Is DU as liberal as it looks?

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Delhi University always boasts of a liberal exterior. However, little do we know about the many practices and special customs that some DU Colleges follow. Are you aware of these practices already? Find out!

The social fabric in DU:

Tradition is something that runs deep in our societal practices, right from the celebration of important calendar dates to following a set of rituals and Delhi University is no different an institution when it comes to following these practices.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, a renowned Sikh minority college, has formalised strict rules and regulations, mainly revolving around the kind of clothes its students can wear.  While sleeveless outfits, crop tops and short skirts are prohibited for girls, boys are not allowed to wear shorts.

Misbah, the Western Dance Society of SGGSCC, faces major problems when it comes to getting ECA attendance or wearing short costumes and practicing in the open within the college premises, as informed to us by many students on condition of anonymity. Insiders tell us that, initially there was no budget for societies except the societies of Folk nature like Bhangra and Gidda.

While there is a separate room allotted for western dance practices, outside the room, the dancers can’t wear short costumes. Though the rules have become a bit more liberal of late, but the college’s administration committee is stricter than that of other Sikh minority colleges like SGTB Khalsa.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan in colleges:

It is not just our Prime Minister who takes the call for a clean India seriously. Some colleges have gone a step further in promoting this campaign. Kamala Nehru College does not permit its students to eat anywhere in the college except the canteen area. The whole college is adorned with notices that read ‘Don’t eat in the lawn’, ‘No eatables allowed in the class’, while the college has failed to alternatively create sitting spaces for its students and faculty. The lack of chairs, benches and other places to sit is inadequate to meet the current number of students.

While colleges have their own set of rules, it is important to understand the story from the other side as well!

Written on condition of anonymity (With inputs from verifiable sources) . Have similar stories to share? Write to us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Image credits: sggscc.ac.in and DU Beat

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