Kinjal Pandey, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Best and Worst of the University of Delhi in 2017-18

By Kinjal Pandey May 6, 2018

The University of Delhi (DU) is the hotbed for groundbreaking and revolutionary student-centric activities. DU takes the cake, both in terms of controversies and accolades. The following list is a roundup of some of the most significant events and happenings around the campus.

The Worst of 2017-18

August 2017

Delhi Government blocked funding to 28 DU Colleges

Out of the 28 colleges under the University of Delhi, the Delhi Government fully funded 12 colleges and partially funded the remaining 16. The Delhi government had decided to pull its funding for all the 28 colleges if the DU Executive Council does not appoint governing bodies of the colleges by July 31. The government has alleged that there has been a “deliberate attempt” to delay the formation of the governing bodies of the colleges, which is why it chose to take the said decision.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/03/the-university-of-delhi-finally-approves-delhi-governments-nominees-for-college-governing-bodies/

October 2017

List of sexually predating professors going viral

A list containing the names of 68 academicians from universities across the country was circulated on social media, tainted with charges of sexual harassment and was initiated by Raya Sarkar, an attorney. The list was instantly updated bearing the names of prominent professors, including several from renowned institutions like Jadavpur University, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, St. Xavier’s College, Ambedkar University, and more.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/10/named-and-shamed-list-of-sexually-predating-professors-goes-viral/

18% GST on Educational Institutions

Professors from the University of Delhi want the removal of the Goods and Services Tax which is applicable to academic activities such as application forms, examination fees, and entrance fees.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/10/18-gst-on-educational-institutions-du-professors-want-a-rollback/

Audit Report on DU Irregularities

An audit report was done by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the University of Delhi reveal irregularities regarding appointments; land acquisition, income tax etc. They assessed several financial and administrative irregularities in its audit report of DU. These irregularities were assessed earlier this year. A lot of questions were raised on the university’s alleged “adventurous expenditure”.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/10/audit-report-on-du-irregularities/

November 2017

Controversies Plagues the DUSU EC Results

Elections of the Executive Committee of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) saw major unrest after a voter, Gaurav Sharma, a central council member of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, alleged that somebody had forged his signature and voted on his behalf.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/11/dusu-ec-results-announced-amidst-much-ruckus/

December 2017

A steep increase in Metro Fares hit students hard

Barring the minimum fare of Rs. 10 for a distance of 0-2 km, which has remained the same, fares have been raised for all other slabs. This has evoked mostly negative responses for student commuters and has caused chaos all over Delhi-NCR.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/12/steep-increase-in-delhi-metros-fares-has-hit-the-students-hard/

January 2018

Ramjas College Principal accused of Financial Misconduct

On 25th of January, more than 200 teachers, students, and members of the non-teaching staff of University of Delhi’s Ramjas college held a dharna and demanded action against Dr P.C. Tulsian, Acting Principal, Ramjas College. Dr Tulsian has been accused of syphoning students’ fund to pay employees who were not on the college payroll, causing a financial discrepancy in the college accounts.

February 2018

ABVP Members accused of harassing Kawalpreet Kaur

Kawalpreet Kaur, the University of Delhi (DU) President of All India Students’ Association (AISA), has alleged that she was harassed and verbally abused by students affiliated to the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at an event at Satyawati College, on 22nd February 2018.

March 2018

Hundred’s participate in DUTA’s People’s March

On 28th of March, the much-anticipated People’s March led by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) saw the participation of hundreds of students, workers, and teachers. The demonstrators raised an array of issues like the 70:30 funding formula, Self-financing of courses, Negative Pay and Service Conditions of teachers, attack on Reservation and Loan-funding through Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA), etc.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/03/hundreds-participate-in-dutas-peoples-march/

Not a single student in the DU Academic Council since the last 10 Years

An RTI has uncovered that the highest academic body of the University of Delhi, Academic Council, has not seen a single student as a member in the last 10 years. The highest academic body of the varsity, Academic Council, is responsible for the preservation of standards of instruction, education, and examination within the University.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/03/not-a-single-student-member-in-du-academic-council-since-the-last-10-years/

The Best of 2017-18

HC order re-exam fora Visually Challenged student who missed his train

Setting an example of upholding the rights of disabled students, the Delhi High Court ordered the University of Delhi to conduct another entrance exam in order to aid a visually challenged aspirant. On 22^nd August 2017, the Delhi High Court directed the University of Delhi (DU) to conduct an entrance examination for the visually challenged youth who could not appear for the M.Phil.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/08/in-a-first-hc-orders-special-exam-for-visually-challenged-aspirant-who-missed-train/

September 2017

Delhi School of Journalism kicked off its journey

The Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ) kicked off its journey with an orientation programme in seminar hall of Cluster Innovation Centre on 26th September. The event which marked the beginning of DSJ saw Prof. Yogesh Tyagi, Vice-Chancellor of the University; Prof. Devesh Kumar Sinha, Dean of Colleges; Prof J.P Dubey, Dean of Faculty of Social Science as the guests of the occasion.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/09/delhi-school-of-journalism-begins-its-classes-vc-says-the-centre-will-become-better-than-columbia-school-of-journalism/

October 2017

First Digital Library installed at Gwyer Hall

Gwyer Hall, oldest DU boys’ hostel gets first digital library on Saturday, in a first of its kind initiative. Launched with 10 lakh e-resources, a seed fund of Rs 15 lakh was granted by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari from his MPLADS fund for the library.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/10/first-digital-library-installed-at-gwyer-hall/

The University of Delhi beats IITs and IISC in CWUR rankings

The Centre for World Universities Rankings (CWUR) is an annual academic ranking system of global universities. 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.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2017/10/university-of-delhi-beats-iits-and-iisc-in-cwur-university-rankings/

January 2018

NSUI led DUSU launched the Student Charter

In an exceptional initiative, the NSUI-led Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), in consultation with the University of Delhi, has drafted a Students’ Charter that seeks to enable students to exercise their rights.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/01/nsui-led-dusu-launches-students-charter/

Delhi University Students’ Union launches Gender Sensitization Cell

On 15th January, the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) launched a Gender Sensitisation Cell (GSC). Rocky Tuseed, President of DUSU, is set to act as the Chairman, while Narayani Anand, a student of Campus Law Center, is announced as the Convener. The GSC will be operated from the DUSU office space at Chhatra Marg in the North Campus.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/01/delhi-university-students-union-launches-gender-sensitisation-cell/

April 2018

Miranda House declared the Best College by 2018 NIRF Rankings

The Ministry Of Human Resource Development’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked University of Delhi’s Miranda House, situated in North Campus, as the best college.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/04/iisc-bengaluru-declared-as-the-best-university-miranda-house-tops-the-college-category-in-nirf-india-rankings-2018/

May 2018

Keshav Mahavidyalaya votes in favour of DUSU Affiliation

On 2nd May 2018, the students of Keshav Mahavidyalaya voted in favour of the establishment of a Students’ Union in the college and its affiliation to the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU). In a much-publicised referendum, the “Ayes” received a thumping majority.

Further Reading – https://dubeat.com/2018/05/keshav-mahavidyalaya-says-yes-to-the-students-union-and-affiliation-to-dusu/

All photos have been duly credited in the articles linked below the article linked to their respective point

Kinjal Pandey

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Sandeep Samal

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DUB Speak

The Practice of Trivializing Women Achievers

By Kinjal Pandey May 5, 2018

Women achievers are often defined by their relationship with the men in their life or nation, and of course their gender. It undervalues their achievements. It’s time we take a look at the way we applaud and cherish our women for their success.

Recently, Sachin Tendulkar congratulated two of ‘India’s daughters’, Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu on Twitter for their extraordinary performances in the final of Women’s Singles at Gold Coast, 2018. There was something peculiar that did not stand out in this statement but most people failed to notice it. Most of us fail to see what was problematic with two of India’s top professional athletes got reduced to being called ‘India’s daughters’. I think that we need to stop calling women daughters, wives, sisters or mothers of the nation and the men.

Let me give you another example. You know how a call for action against rapists and molesters is by asking men how would they feel if such a ghastly incident happened with their daughters/wives/mothers/sisters and hence, they need to do better? Such statements suggest that women should be honoured and respected only because the next victim might be the woman you share a relationship with. It also suggests that one should only treat those women with respect to whom you have any sort of relationship otherwise, you wouldn’t care what other men say or do to women. Women deserve respect women regardless of their relationship with men. In addition to being someone’s daughter, women are, at the end of the day, people.

Defining women by their relationships with the men in their life or the nation is misogynist and alienates women. You’re undermining the women’s accomplishments and achievements if you refer to them as a man’s someone. If you ever find the time to read a celebrity couple news headline, you’ll notice the woman addressed as Mr XYZ’s wife, even if the woman is a successful actress. You sometimes might not even notice such things because you become so used to reading it all the time that the headline might seem okay to you.

Calling them daughters/wives/mothers/sisters of the nation and the men take away their identity as individuals. Sachin and MS Dhoni were never called sons of India. Saina and PV Sindhu are professional athletes first, even their gender comes second. Let’s hope the narrative around this change because honestly its time women are addressed by their names and their capabilities and not by their social identities.

Feature Image credits – Indian Express

Disha Saxena

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DUB Speak

Why Farewells are Good ?

By Kinjal Pandey May 4, 2018

Although farewells and goodbyes make most of us cry, especially when it comes to saying it to colleges which have been our home away from home, they are in a way very necessary to our existence.

No one likes to stay in a rut. If we were perpetually stuck in a place, no matter how wonderful it is, the thought of immobility would hamper our creativity, our hopes, dreams and the creation of any goals. We would be hanging in limbo, floating through time in zero-gravity, with no sense of direction. Goodbyes make it easier for us to manage our time accordingly, to do full justice to the present so that we can make a better tomorrow.

Come April and the lawns of the University are littered with decorations of the seniors’ graduation dinners and farewells. Endless speeches of regret, love, loss, ambition abound in our hallowed halls as each batch grapples with the question: After this, what? In a way, facing this question is extremely vital to our existence as healthy, rational, contributors to our world’s legacy. We need to come to answers to this question in our own ways, decide what we want and grow up. The process of becoming an adult comes to fruition at this moment.

Farewells also serve another important purpose. They make us treasure the countless memories of school and college life. As loss sinks in slowly and we realise that we might never meet some of these people again, we tend to be kinder, more cheerful and less angry versions of ourselves. Amidst the hectic churn of entrance exams, internships and applications for student loans and grants that all final year students face, they also have to come to terms with this realisation of impermanence.

Such a sense binds us all. And hence, we do more for our institutions, willing to leave our mark, we love more and we definitely, smile more. Like, Ozymandius, we leave our sculptures of bittersweet memory behind. In the process, we also leave a part of us behind. The part that would wander around the canteens, doggedly follow the teachers and think fondly (I know!) of assignments. Long after we leave, this spirit of loss and gain, past and present, would tie us to our Alma matter, our city and ultimately, ourselves.

Feature Image Credits: EAge Tutor

Sara Sohail

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St. Stephen’s Teachers write to UGC against Autonomy

By Kinjal Pandey April 30, 2018

42 teachers from St. Stephen’s wrote to UGC and the HRD Ministry to speak out against the idea of autonomy that has been actively rejected by students and teachers alike.
The issue of autonomy has been creating contention in the University of Delhi (DU) for a while now. Teachers and students are largely of the belief that autonomy will lead to a hike in fee and will go against the socialistic structure of the Varsity. Recently Hindu College wrote to the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry demanding to know if seeking autonomy will affect the kind of aid it receives from the Center. Last year over 20 colleges from the University has been invited to attend an orientation programme. The bid to seek autonomy has been led by St. Stephens in the University, with it being one of the first institutions that were rumoured to be attempting to seek autonomy.
Earlier today, 42 permanent faculty members from St. Stephens College wrote to the HRD Ministry actively protesting against the issue of autonomy. On 25th February 2017, Principal John Varghese had claimed that the college will apply for autonomy only when the consultation of the staff council.
According to the UGC Guidelines for Autonomous Colleges-2017, a college gaining autonomy will have the liberty to decide and apply its own courses; modify and redesign the syllabi to suit specific needs, and make it more hands-on to meet the criterion of certain job requirements. This is specifically the reason why DUTA and a large number of students from the varsity have actively protested against autonomy because it comes with the fear of privatisation and seems capitalistic in spirit to many.
A second-year student from St Stephens who chose to stay anonymous said “Autonomy will lead to a lot of problems including fee hike, quality of education deteriorates, additional pressure on teachers because Ad-Hocs will be removed since funding from UGC will be cut. This was a great step taken by our teachers since it allowed reflected the values of the student. Most of us actively challenged the administration when they sought autonomy; however, they paid no heed to us. “

DU Beat has reached out to certain faculty members from St. Stephens College and will update the story once they respond.

Feature Image Credits – Hindustan Times
Kinjal Pandey

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Bollywood, Are You Listening?

By Kinjal Pandey April 25, 2018

The Hindi film industry, right from its very inception has been misogynistic and has sexualised women. Bollywood glorifies homely or ‘sanskaari’. Women deserve better portrayal and it is time Bollywood shunned these stereotypes.

Gal Gadot’s character, Diana in Wonder Woman made me feel so powerful, that my words wouldn’t be able to do justice to describe the feeling. I cried while watching ‘Wonder Woman’, with tears of joy rolling down my cheeks. No, Diana wasn’t the hero’s love interest. She was the female lead in a film directed by Patty Jenkins, a woman. She fought for herself and for others and defended her values and principles. Men around her didn’t feel intimidated. The film got over 50% female audiences in movie theatres, an achievement for the superhero world, which generally appeals to the young and male audience.

Let’s talk about the Hindi film industry where women through the ages have been shown as weak and passive. They are made to have an identity by virtue of their association with male characters. The directors show women wearing skimpy clothes in the dance numbers and use derogatory language against women. Women’s bodies are reduced to tools for control and domination. Women are given significantly shorter, less relevant roles and speak fewer words in films. It is quite obvious that women, even in the leading roles are replaceable; their presence on the screen doesn’t leave much of an impact or doesn’t take the story forward.

Bollywood has also been successful in normalizing stalking. Men in real life get inspired and keep on pestering and harassing women who reject them. They do not understand the word ‘No’ and believe that a woman who has rejected them is actually just playing hard to get. When they are unable to deal with said rejection, they decide to teach her ‘a lesson’, something that contributes to the revenge centric mentality that is on the rise. One might also notice how young women are always paired with much older men. Aged women are never given substantial roles to play in films. All women characters talk about in the films are about their boyfriends, husbands and how their lives revolve around them. Bollywood has also set absurdly high, unrealistic standards for women in terms of having an ideal body which is desirable to men. How a woman should look, dress and behave is also dictated by them.

This does not mean that film or art needs to curtain or portray women unrealistically. However, the portrayal of “real women” is extremely important. We need women who are architects, engineers and doctors, women who have careers and a life outside nurturing other men and doing emotional labour for them. We need women who defy the stereotypes and do exactly the same things as men do, except for harassing others. We need women who are in charge of their own lives and do not let others define their life choices for them. The Dirty Picture, Anarkali of Aarah, Lipstick under my Burkha and Pink changed the perception that women-centric films do not perform well at the box office. They brought the spotlight on women and how powerful and courageous they can be. It’s time that the rest of Bollywood follows suit.

Disha Saxena

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Feature Image Credits – Forbes

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NSUI took out March to Speak Out about Crime Against Women

By Kinjal Pandey April 21, 2018

Yesterday, an Asmita march was taken out by NSUI to speak out against the recent cases of crime against women and to demand greater safety for women in the varsity.

NSUI took out a march from the Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi (DU) yesterday. The protest aimed to speak out against the rising crime against women. The recent Asifa and Unnao rape cases and the subsequent silence around them compelled them to take out a march, claimed members. Slogans like “Chatron ke sammaan mein, NSUI maidan mein (NSUI is out to protect the rights of students” were raised at the march.
Present at the march were DUSU President and Vice President Rocky Tuseed and Kunal Sehrawat respectively. NSUI National President, Fairoz Khan was also present along with Deepender Singh Hooda, Member of Parliament. However, the protest was not confined to the Asifa and Unnao cases. The safety of women around campus and the need to implement ICC laws across the University were talked about.

Apart from the implementation of ICC laws, the march demanded installation of CCTV cameras outside girl’s colleges and demanded that a female constable be present outside all colleges to curb stalking and eve teasing. After the march reached the faculty of arts again, a small delegation from NSUI including the Rocky Tusseed, Kunal Sehrawat, Akshay Lakha, and Fairoz Khan met Dean Students’ Welfare, Professor Rajesh Tandon. The delegation presented a memorandum that put forth all the demands raised by the marching body. a detailed discussion on the failure of the administration to make the campus a safer place for women also took place. Fairoz Khan while talking to Professor Tandon expressed his plight at the state of the well-being of women in the Varsity by saying “If DU cannot lead the country, if we the leading institution in the country cannot set an example and be a role model, then it is a shame.” The demand for self-defence classes to be held across the varsity was also put up. The delegation rationed that they had promised the student body of DU CCTV cameras and a safer and secure campus and that they are obligated to ensure that these demands are met.

Approximately 350 students were present at the march; however, women constituted a small fraction of the same. The protest which lasted around two hours remained peaceful and non-disruptive. Heavy deployment of police officials across the campus ensured that the march was carried out smoothly. NSUI leaders claimed that they would take out another march on the same scale, within 10 days, if their requests were ignored by the administration.

Kinjal Pandey

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Feature Image Credits – Pinjra Tod

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The Auburn Umbrella: Spring Fashion

By Kinjal Pandey April 20, 2018

“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking. “quipped Miranda Preistly in The Devil Wears Prada. The dilemma of spring fashion continues to be complex as it was almost a decade ago when the film originally came out. To expand one’s horizons in terms of how they dress during spring is a challenge in and of itself especially since spring fashion has largely been contained to florals and pastels. Expand your horizons in terms of what Spring Fashion means for you in 2018 by trying out these eclectic style tricks

Wear Plaid – Plaid has made significant waves in 2018. From Blake Lively to Chiara Ferragni, everybody has been sporting the fabric this season. What makes the prospect of wearing plaid particularly exciting is how its simplicity allows one to pair it with the loudest and outrageous accessories and tops. A pair of mustard or grey plaid trousers paired with a crop top or a tied up shirt and comfortable flats would make a great outfit, ideal for a casual day out.

Wear a knotted up denim shirt – A denim shirt, knotted up at the bottom makes the perfect spring outfit. The denim shirt, thrown over a crop top or dress is a great way to deal with the unpredictable weather than spring can, at times offer. Since denim lends an element of casualness to an outfit, denim shirts are an even more versatile option. You can throw it over a black body-con dress during the day and take off the denim shirt during the evening; thus smoothly transitioning from day to night without having to change your outfit.

Wear Bright Colours- For ages Spring Fashion has been restrained to pastels. Bright colours are often relegated to a less relevant role in spring. This spring, stand out by wearing bright and electric colours that reflect your personality and make a loud statement. Be expressive with colours and do not be afraid to bring out the hot pinks and peacock blues, just make sure you tone down your accessories so that your outfit does not look excessively busy.

Experiment with Crochet and Lace – spring is the perfect time to play around with fabrics since it is neither unbearably cold nor excruciatingly hot. It gives one the liberty to wear the liberty to wear clothes that may not be tolerably worn, especially in the Indian summers. Play around with fabrics like crochet, which might be heavier or chunkier but are effortlessly elegant. Pair a lace dress with minimalistic jewelry and simple shoes and look graceful without seeming to try too hard.

Spring, with its element of natural re-invigoration, is the ideal time to switch up your style. Just as your natural surroundings begin to bloom and grow, your study and personal aesthetic should also be infused with new life. Experiment and take chances, religiously following only one rule, that there are no rules to follow!

Feature Image Credits – Chiara Ferragni Instagram

Kinjal Pandey

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Urban Waste in India: Problems and Solutions

By Kinjal Pandey April 3, 2018

Urban Waste in India is a huge problem that has led to health and environmental issues. It needs to be focused on, mainly from the ‘back-end’ with better technology, expert planning, fund-raising, and awareness.
Urban Waste can be defined, in simple terms, as the waste collected from the residential and industrial areas of cities and towns. This waste can lead to serious health and environmental issues if not disposed of, treated, or managed properly. According to Down To Earth, “Over 377 million urban people live in 7,935 towns and cities and generate 62 million tons of municipal solid waste per annum. Only 43 million tons (MT) of the waste is collected, 11.9 MT is treated and 31 MT is dumped in landfill sites.”
Sadly, India has recently proved to have flawed Urban Waste Management.A waste management system consists of a front-end (collection and transportation of the waste) and a back-end (treatment, segregation, recycling, and disposal of the waste). The issue arises when the recent wave of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan focuses more on the front-end while the real problems lay at the back-end.
Sweeping and collecting of waste, by celebrities and influential people cannot help Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore which are fast running out of dumping grounds or landfills. Even the waste collected does not go under precise segregation as it is done by manual segregation: rag pickers.

The civic bodies responsible for Waste Management are often ineffective due to lack of funds, internal politics, and mismanagement. Iswar Ahluwalia pointed out that “more than three-fourths of solid waste management budget is allotted to collection and transportation, leaving leaves very little for processing or resource recovery and disposal.”

The solution to this is not mere laws, campaigns or web application (to track the status of various kinds of wastes generated in India). Rather, it lies in technology, expert planning, fund-raising, and awareness!

Hand-pulled carts, manual scavenging, and brooms need to be replaced with waste-to-compost and bio-methanation plants, modern waste segregation plant and e-waste management. Can we make Rs. 20,000 crores that would be required to set up 400 modern waste treatment facilities reducing the risk of diseases or should we keep spending Rs. 60,000 crores annually in health-related costs?

Furthermore, to put lesser pressure on the infrastructure and therefore, to ensure a long-term investment, cooperation is needed through making citizens aware and taking expert advises for a new venture. The most efficient way to treat Indian waste is biological treatment and the worst option is open dumping and open burning (what happens to roughly 90% of India’s waste due to unawareness.) In-house segregation needs to be made popular. The rag-pickers who manually scavenge through waste to pick out a few ‘clean’ recyclables they can sell need to be given better employment opportunities and modern equipment. Furthermore, the expert suggestions like that of Bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules (Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility) need to be implemented.
Lastly, Indian citizens and leaders need to be aware that the problem of waste management cannot be taken lightly and if ignored, will continue to hinder India’s process of turning into a developed nation one day.

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Khyati Sanger
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Fashion

How to Build a Minimalist Wardrobe

By Kinjal Pandey March 30, 2018

A Minimalist yet stylish wardrobe may sound like an oxymoron to some, but there are innumerable ways to achieve it.

1) Make a detailed inventory of your possessions- Make a list of all that you own. Ensure that you take into account whether those clothes fit you anymore. Once you have a clear idea of what all you own, re-organising your wardrobe would be significantly easier. Make a list of essentials and basics that you do not have. Over the months slowly incorporate these essentials into your wardrobe one by one. Since the point of minimalism is owning less, buying everything in one go would be against the very point of this exercise. Therefore, take it slow on the purchase front.

2) Buy only what you need and love- Remember that shopping is not a leisure activity that is supposed to fight boredom. Do not buy things simply because they are on sale or because you might fit into them one day, or because you think it looks fairly good. Buy only what is necessary or what makes you look and feel absolutely confident. Any piece of clothing or accessory that you buy should be comfortable and versatile. Think of buying investment pieces that may be costlier but will last longer. Avoid fast fashion, shoddily made clothes with a short shelf life at all costs; they lack the gravitas needed to become a part of a minimalist wardrobe.

3) Develop your aesthetic- When we aren’t sure of our personal sense of style, we end up buying things that look good on us but are not expressive of our personality. These pieces of clothing may be cute individually, but if they do not reflect our style we would not do justice to them. They would remain piled up in our wardrobe, adding to the clutter and taking up precious closet space. Experimenting and trying out new things is important, but buy something unconventional only when you know you will be using it.

4) Set your own definition of minimalism– If you are adopting minimalism, one would assume you are tired of excessive consumerism and clutter. Therefore, it is you who should determine how religiously you need to follow this lifestyle. Minimalism does not mean your wardrobe needs to be full of charcoal greys and blacks. Having a minimalist wardrobe does not mean you wouldn’t buy yourself fun clothes to wear on a night out. A minimalist wardrobe serves the purpose of making your life easier, not restrict your choices. Buy that glittery dress to wear on your friends’ birthday and remember, it is cool to repeat!

A minimalist wardrobe is an act of rebellion in this world of fast fashion. By adopting it, you would choose sustainability, organization, and peace of mind. Develop a minimalist wardrobe so that your morning routine is simpler and getting dressed seems fun, not a chore.

Feature Image Credits: Madamois-Elle
Kinjal Pandey
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AISA and NSUI Join Protest against Alleged Leak of SSC Exam Papers

By Kinjal Pandey March 17, 2018

The ongoing protest against the leaked SSC papers has now been joined by student political units AISA and NSUI.

In a development considered ‘supportive’ by observers, leaders of the political units AISA (All India Student’s Association) and NSUI (National Student’s Association of India) joined the students protesting against the alleged leak of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam papers, on 16th March 2018.

The indefinite protest over the examination, which was conducted in February, has witnessed hundreds of aspirants protesting in the CGO complex, which houses the SSC headquarters. Since February 27, they have been demanding a time-bound CBI probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court into all SSC exams and the commission’s functioning. Secondly, they are demanding a stay order on all SSC exams until completion of CBI inquiry into the matter.

Responding to queries from the DU Beat correspondent, DUSU President Rocky Tuseed, who was present with the protesting students on Friday said, “We demand the suspension of SSC Chairman Ashim Khurana, and the resignation of Minister Jitendra Singh. The fight is not only against the isolated incident of leaked papers. Besides this, the SSC has delayed the joining of candidates who qualified two years ago. These anomalies speak volumes about the incompetence of the board and the government. ”

Speaking along similar lines with the DU Beat correspondent, President of AISA (DU) Kawalpreet Kaur, who was also present on the site of protest, remarked, “The students are not only demanding a CBI probe into this particular incident. They are linking this protest to a larger struggle against the numerous recruitment scams which are happening.”

When the correspondent mentioned the political mudslinging revolving this issue, Kaur stated, “Somebody has to take responsibility. It has been 15-18 days that the students have been sitting here. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that a CBI enquiry has been ordered. But the students are not satisfied because nothing is progressing.”

In a phone call conversation with this correspondent, Vice President of DUSU Kunal Sehrawat, said, “The students have taken to the streets to demand justice. Itna Time Ho Chuka Hai (It has been so long). The government must take responsibility. The student community has our full support.”

The protesters, today, were reinforced by the presence of Fairoz Khan, National President of NSUI and Sucheta De, National President of AISA, besides other prominent leaders. Shedding light on a different version of the scam, Chairman of SSC Ashim Khurana contended, “We have knowledge that certain coaching institutes are manipulating and escalating the protest. Once the exam is cancelled, they may offer a crash course to candidates’ ace it earning quick bucks in the process.”

Amidst the mudslinging being undertaken by the administration, one beacon of hope is provided by the student political units standing against the grave injustice being meted out to the aspirants, thus paving the way for a united student community at the face of a divided administration.

Feature Image Credits: NSUI

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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