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Lessons From The First Semester

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Through the drudgery and the delights – a perfect balance of all things great and small. The greatest lesson of all is to learn that you retain yourself even as you transform.

 The experience of the First is possibly the most everlasting. We always remember our firsts. As I recount my first semester in the University of Delhi, I am deemed inefficient to render all my emotions and experiences in words. But let’s use an image. It is like an ocean, and I have been surfing on its waves. The waves are turbulent, but even in that moment of tension there’s a greater sense of knowing, and there’s joy. Freshly out of schools, every fresher in Delhi University feels themselves to be in this ocean.

Unsurprisingly, surfing the tides of this ocean, we have come to settle with its moods. Naturally, we have acquired a safe-place in our small corners; a place of our own in this ocean. Now it feels that you can anticipate the next wave and adjust your balance accordingly. There is a lot that has been learned. And my lessons through the first semester in one of the most eminent institutions of the country have made a seemly figure out of me. It’s only a little that I have learnt, but it’s a lot still.

For instance, I learnt here, that everything is possible. Here, you are allowed your own space, a space where you can explore yourself in ways you have only imagined prior to this. The varsity is what you want it to be for you. And that is important to note.

But I have, in a short span, observed that this opportunity is as liberating as it is scary. And this complexity is what makes every experience worth it.

In a classroom of subject and stream-toppers from their respective schools, academic backgrounds, and ideologies, another important lesson was learnt. You are one amongst the crowd. Your specialization is everyone’s. That could possibly be a challenging truth to deal with, but in truth, it is a highly humanising one. Humility drives this bargain. There is so much to learn from someone’s ideology as much as there is so much for you to share with them. That is a liberating thought. The endless process of learning ever remains a wondrous possibility. “College is a place where you unlearn and learn a lot of things,” says my best friend. It is this journey from the known to the unknown that leads us to the known back again.

“I am not the best,” most of us were brought to this realisation in the first semester. Easily, this is a saddening discovery. The critique that hits home, the comment that comes at you when you are full to the brim, it forces you to a moment of analysis. “You are You, and that is your power.” I learnt how different we all are, and how I should, to respect my own differences within myself, and accept these differences. But I also learnt that everything cannot be accepted. Sometimes, we need to call out someone’s witticisms when they hit at more humiliation than humor. I learned not to be afraid of this calling-out. My voice is my own and that defines me. I am best at what I am, but I am open to growth too.

Openness to other’s concerns and expression of my own has become more empowering. I have realised that spontaneity is one of the most exciting exercises in college. I learned that the ‘sense of belonging’ dawns on its own course and duration.

Every experience, every place, every conversation has oscillated between good and bad, but each one of them has always taught me something or the other. Every lesson that I have learnt is rightfully accredited to these experiences, and the people I have had to share in these experiences. Much to my gratification, I have shared the best experience with the best people. But also, I have had some other experiences not so gratifying.

And I feel, it is in this oscillation that you learn the most.

Even in this I have learnt nothing more than I wanted to. But I know this too, that there is a lot that still needs to be unlearnt, and a lot more that needs to be learned.

And I look forward to all of it, with the thought that I am more learned every day.

 

Feature Image Credits: Kartik Chauhan for DU Beat.

 Kartik Chauhan
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DU Admissions

Admissions 2019: DU to Make Process Entrance Based

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The University of Delhi (DU) is set to implement entrance based admissions for UG Courses in 2019.

The Delhi University Admission Committee has announced that plans to introduce entrance exam-based admissions for all it’s undergraduate courses. The results of these centralised entrance exams, along with a fixed weightage of class 12th Board Examination results, will determine the admission criteria. The first shortlisting of eligible candidates will be based on the entrance exam score. Thereafter, weightage will be given to best-of-four aggregate in Class 12th. The final list will take into account both the entrance results and the 12th Board Exams results.

The Admission Committee is an independent panel that has education experts, college principals and faculty as members. After conducting research studies, and observing the remarks of many high school students, DU originally decided to conduct entrance examination in 2017. This was done in order to compensate for the prevailing biasness of the Senior Secondary Education system. Huge discrepancies had been found in the 12th Board Exam marks of students from different boards. This can be attributed to the amount of syllabus, low difficulty level of question papers, and marking patterns. The committee also sought to increase fairness and transparency by keeping the minimum eligibility criteria lower and avoid spikes in cut-offs.

However, these plans have been shot down in the past by students and faculty members. In 2017, student groups pointed out that aspirants from remote areas would be at a disadvantage in computer based exams due to short notice. The plan couldn’t materialise in 2018 since the admission committee and the University Advisory Committee couldn’t reach a consensus.

The University already conducts entrance examinations for a select few, including as the DU JAT (Delhi University Joint Admission Test) for B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) among 8 other Exams for UG and PG courses. According to DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, the university is still considering whether the entrance exam can be outsourced to the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NTA is responsible for conducting National Exams such as JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NET (National Eligibility Test). The committee has also added that outsourcing the test to a private agency has its problems. Therefore no further information regarding 2019 Admissions has been provided.

Feature Image Credits: Wikipedia

Nikita Bhatia
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DUSU Elections 2018

Rise of the Vice

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ABVP bigshot Shakti Singh who served as the Vice President of DUSU assumed the powers of the Presidential office now. Here’s a look at whether this decision is just or unfair.

A fake degree row involving ex-Delhi University Students Union President and Akhil Bhartiya Vidhya Parishad (ABVP) titan, Ankiv Basoiya had showed the first signs of drama after the results of this year’s DUSU elections; a matter that DU Beat covered extensively for the past few months. After Basoiya was removed from the organisation, the top seat of the Union was left empty. To this, representatives of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) had expressed their displeasure on Ankiv Basoiya’s ascendancy to power by crafting a fake degree to get admission in the University of Delhi. The matter was dragged to the High Court which took some time to investigate but eventually dismissed NSUI’s petition. This was followed by the incident in focus which happened day before yesterday. Shakti Singh, the DUSU Vice President from ABVP, took over the President’s office and assumed his powers. However just like every student’s politics issue, this has two narratives.
The Lyndoh Committee and Delhi University Constitution both state in clear terms that re-elections are to be conducted if any such seat of power is left vacant. However, they also state that of re-elections don’t take place, then automatically the Vice President gets the green light to rise in power. Stating this as their justification, Shakti Singh entered the President’s office. Saimon Farooqi, National Secretary of NSUI alleged Shakti and his comrades to have used force to break in and exercise their dominance, without any proper court order. He admits that even after the HC rejected their plea, they accepted the decision and waited for re-elections or appointment of a new candidate.
ABVP however claims that it has not violated any rule and not involved in contempt of court. The High Court order and the Lyngdoh Committee seems to be in favour of their argument. ‘No re-elections had taken place in the last two months. One whole semester had ended and the students of University still had no President. Someone had to come to power and we have done this through democratic means. Now after the present incident, we are waiting for a notice showing the approval from the University administration. The administration has anyway been really lazy in such matters be it with Ankiv or Shakti.’ Monika Chaudhary, the National Media in-charge of the ABVP commented on the statements of NSUI which called Shakti Singh’s methods ‘undemocratic’. She added that it was a planned coming to power and no violence and unfair means were used. ‘If day before yesterday would have been violent, the ABVP itself would have condemned Shakti Singh.’, she said.
So as of now, Shakti Singh still sits in power as President. The administration’s response is yet to be seen. NSUI and their presidential candidate Sunny Chillar are still fuming but it needs to be seen whether the odds will be in their favour or ABVP will exercise its full control over the Union without any obstacles.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Asian Age

Shaurya Singh Thapa 

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Dyal Singh College

Dyal Singh College’s Principal Locked Out of Own Office

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In a complex situation that sees no end in near future, Dyal Singh (Morning) College stays in confusion.

Delhi University’s Dyal Singh (Morning) College, has been contesting in an unending rift. Reportedly, after joining the college on Friday following a court order, principal Inderjeet Singh Bakshi found his office door locked on Monday, 18th December, again.

Reportedly, the office was sealed late on Sunday night with a note from the officiating chairperson of the governing body(GB), Surajit Dasgupta, stating that it could be opened only after GB gets the order and takes a decision.

To go back a few months into the history of the incident, Bakshi was sent on leave in September by the then GB chairman, Amitabh Sinha, alleging financial irregularities. His office was sealed then.

The principal had sought aid from the Delhi high court and had effectively enforced the GB order to be stayed, with legal aid. “I even worked on Saturday. But late at night on Sunday, I was informed that two students and private guards had entered the college by climbing the gate and sealed my office,” said Bakshi later, who filed a complaint with the local police against the guards and also informed Delhi University.

“I waited for almost two hours. Then in the presence of my staff, the lock was broken and I entered the office.” said Bakshi.

Two academic council members, Pankaj Garg and Ramananda Mayanglambam, have written to VC Yogesh Tyagi against Dasgupta, saying the post of the officiating chairman does not exist as per the ordinance and the statue of DU. However, Dasgupta claimed that in the absence of the chairman, the treasurer officiates.

As students prepare for the upcoming semester, it remains to be seen how the college authorities handle this delicately confusing situation.

With inputs from The Times of India.

DU Beat tried contacting faculty members but they were unavailable for a comment.

 

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Kartik Chauhan

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DUB Speak

The False Consolation That A New Year Brings With It

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The New Years are a time of utmost revelry and celebrations, where people come together to welcome the new year. However, what is really so new about new year, except a change in the calendar?

A century lasts for 100 years. A year constitutes 12 months with 30 days in it. It is an endless, repetitive cycle wherein everyone crosses off the same dates in the calendar in their kitchen every year, yet with a different digit at the end of the year itself. The point being, that time is a social construct, packaged into minutes and hours and days and years, every passing minute, every tick on the clock, a glaring reminder that the “time” that has passed is not to return and each second spent unproductively, is each second gone to waste. This again is a reminder of how in this super competitive, goal-oriented era, we are also addled with this pressure to do well and “make every second count’. Sure, this is also somewhat a product of capitalism that prevails in society, which has completely altered our mindset and made us believe so.

Now at the end of every year, people adorn their party shoes or choose to stay back at home instead and order-in pizza. On the last day of December, the ball drops in Times Square, there is mad celebration and festivities all around the world, adhering to different time zones.  Every first day of the month January, the old calendar hits the bin and is replaced with the one with a new digit at the end. Whatsapp messages are circulated around, wishing health, peace and prosperity, the same old jargon. New year resolutions are made, mentally by the adults and jotted down on colourful sticky notes by children. The same old reiteration of resolutions that didn’t see the light of day last year, some being of course, false promises of going to the gym, or traveling more in the upcoming year.  All in all, there seems to be a very peculiar way in which people seem to celebrate the arrival of a new year, that in fact, has nothing new in it at all. Your life is still going to be the same; you’ll return to the same house, same job, same family. Of course, it will have its share of change in it, change is the only constant, and something that doesn’t really have to do anything with the new year.

Sure, I do have my share of complaints with this whole idea of ‘new year, new beginnings’’, but I also do accept the fact (quite grudgingly) that this false consolation can almost be appositive and not just another reason to party. This whole pessimistic rant comes from a very dark, rather too rational a place, however, if we were to look at the bright side, new year’s do bring about a certain hope in the hearts of people, and a certain break from the everyday monotony. Even if I were to debate about the legitimacy of this, it wouldn’t still be able to take away the fact that sometimes this new beginning brings with it the kind of encouragement and motivation that we need to go on with our lives, and one which we desperately seek time to time, and this, somehow, outweighs it all.

Feature Image Credits: Festival Sherpa

Anoushka Singh
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Around the Campus

A Jab to the Punjabi Department

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An account on how the poems of a Punjabi Leftist poet sparked up a chain of protests in the University’s Punjabi Department.

“We fought for very basic democratic rights which we think must be provided to the students of a public institution like Delhi University.” Those are straightforward and to-the-point lines from Rajveer Kaur, the president of the student body, Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM). It has been a tumultuous time recently for Rajveer and her peers at the organisation getting involved in gheraos, hunger strikes and, tussles against the administration. What prompted all this? For this, we will have to rewind to a few months back.
It was in March when the first signs of trouble began showing. Rajveer, who also happens to be an MPhil scholar in the Punjabi Department of the University of Delhi, had to make a statement on behalf of her organisation and stuck a magazine at a wall and notice board; a work containing the poetry of noted Punjabi poet Avtar Singh Pash and ideas of India’s celebrated martyr Bhagat Singh. For the unacquainted, Pash was a wordsmith known for his strongly Leftist views which he expressed in his works. This angered the Head of Department who ordered this ‘revolutionary’ paraphernalia to be taken down instantly. Rajveer’s act won her a trip to the HoD’s office along with an unwanted complimentary threat of being rusticated if she ever indulged in any such act again. And to top it all, she along with her colleague Manpreet, was detained in the upcoming examination. This is from where the first hunger strike began.
From this personal prejudice rose some personal demands like setting up a committee to look into the biasness towards Rajveer and Manpreet, and some department demands as well such as improvement of basic infrastructural facilities in the Department and to keep all official notices and syllabi in the Punjabi vernacular. It was also asked for the Head of Department to apologise for her behaviour. To compel the administration to accept all the demands, the student organisation took to protesting. Subsequently in a response, the authorities would agree to all the conditions, but only to deny all of it later.  And like (almost) every time, the administration agreed to these demands and later denied them.
The heat increased and in these cold months, more gheraos around the administration’s office and a four-day hunger strike (from 24th to 29th November) took place. “The administration tried to break the students’ unity through various repressive methods like even denying the mats and blankets for our night stay. Still we were adamant that unless all our demands are met, we won’t give up.”, Rajveer adds.
As of today, the HoD called a meeting for the MPhil committee at noon. The result of this was holding a re-examination in January, for the paper in which Rajveer got detained. It was also declared that the department would act in the matter of making signboards and official notes in Punjabi and changing the HoD for Manpreet. Although, the BSCEM is celebrating at the moment looking at today as a victory, would the Punjabi Department actually live by its words? That is what will be seen in the coming days.

 

Feature Image Credits: Shiraz Hussain

Shaurya Singh Thapa 

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Offbeat

Things To Look Forward to in 2019

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With a new year approaching, we step into a whole different arena of possibilities that are up for grabs in the coming year.

If you can already feel the crispness in the air, the inkling of a little something called hope in your hearts, then my friend, you’ve stepped into that time of the year that marks the end and beginning of something. With the whole excitement surrounding the new year, here are a few things one can look forward to this upcoming year.

  • ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

For all cricket fans, this year brings a wave of excitement, as soon enough it will be the beginning of the World Cup season when patriotism reaches its all-time high. Fans and non-fans alike will get together and watch India-Pakistan matches(and all the other too of course) with similar fervour, rather than executing fights over the TV remote. India won the World Cup last time in 2011, a very historic victory indeed, and it would be a treat to watch something similar. Here’s hoping for the best!

  • General Elections 2019

Another tussle, a war of words this time around, will ensue with each party fighting over votes. Will BJP retain its throne, or will it be over-thrown, we need to wait and watch. On second thoughts, don’t. It is important to be an active participant in the political functioning of the country and be politically aware. If you are above 18, rather than busying yourself in making a fake ID, get yourself a voter Id card and cast your vote for your preferred candidate.

  • Too Many Long weekends

You can start planning weekend getaways and trips to your nearby hill station, or you can choose to just sit back and relax, because 2019 has about 14 long weekends at its disposal, making room for a lot of leisure and relaxation this year. Don’t miss out on the opportunity and start planning already.

  • Movies to Look Forward to

A series of our favourite animated movies are coming up with there sequels, like Frozen 2, How to train your dragon 3, The Lego Movie 2, Toy Story 4, and the list goes on. It almost seems like It’s the year of sequels with Jumanji 2 and two new X-Men movies coming out. Here’s hoping that the sequels live up to their prequels.

  • Game Of Thrones season 8

Now a lot of people might just not share the same amount of excitement but it seems fitting to include the release of the final season of GOT on the list. The spoilers and the memes that have been a source of discussion for the viewers and the non-viewers alike will finally reach its culmination in 2019, wrapping of the story of the seven kingdoms. Truly the end of an era.

 

Feature Image Credits: Abhinav Chandel Photography

Anoushka Singh
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Exams

How to Have More Faith in Your Preparation: A Guide to Not Freak Out!

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The exam season leaves us in an air of uncertainty and anxiety related to the syllabus! These are a few tips to keep you positive throughout the exams.

“We live in a test-conscious, test-giving culture in which the lives of people are in part determined by their test performance. (Seymour Sarason et al., 1960, p.26, Yale University).”

Having faith in oneself is vital to performing well. This is something every exam goer should keep in mind. The exams are a testing time for you, mentally, but here are a few tips to be confident about your preparation for the exams.

  • You have given your best

If you know you have delivered your one hundred percent into the preparation, keep reminding yourself about it. The syllabus is ever so vast, but if you are confident that the topics you’ve done are in perfection, you can climb Everest with that confidence!

  • Do not let others cause anxiety to you

The night before the exam is filled with a lot of distractions. Friends and classmates calling you up to clear the doubts or to share the notes, Whatsapp groups will be filled with multiple discussions. Above all, there will always be that one friend, who will hype things up so much and freak everyone out. Do not let all of this scare you. Believe in yourself and be confident you will be able to pull off a good examination.

  • Be confident and positive

Do not let the negative thoughts brim past you! Believe in your preparation and be confident and happy you were able to pull off all that you decided to work on. Stressing unnecessarily will affect your performance in the paper as well!

  • It is not the end of the world

Being dedicated to your studies is an important activity but stressing too much on an exam might not be an ideal situation. Believe in the preparation, and even if you feel you are lacking in something, there is always a better time. Invest more in the preparation for the next paper. Do not let the blues affect your performance in all of your exams.

  • Strategize your preparation

If you feel a little blue looking at the vast expanse of the syllabus to be covered, take a cue and design a schedule in such a way that you target all the main and the important topics! A study by the Stanford Research scholars revealed that college students who employ a strategic approach to the use of study resources improved their exam scores by an average of one-third of a letter grade. Smart studying is an effective way to cover up all of the important topics of the exam in a shorter time. Focus on efficiency.

The exams are for sure a testing time for everyone, but do not let it affect you in a way which will delineate your performance. Give your best, at all costs, and relax knowing this fact, at the end of the day.

 

Feature Image credits: Very Well Mind

Avnika Chhikara
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Offbeat

All That is Wrong With The Indian Wedding Season

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As we welcome the winter months with open arms, the Indian wedding season comes following it, making it that time of the year when the baraat, babbling relatives and the music just won’t stop, not so much to everyone’s delight.

As we enter into these awfully pleasant months of December and January, when we are finally offered some respite from the ruthless heat of the north and can finally say with a smile, “Winter has come”, it is not all good news. The arrival of winters also brings with it the arrival of the wedding season at its tow, though an information of joy for many, but also nightmare-inducing for certain innocent children, not very much unlike me.

The Indian Wedding business is a multi-million industry with people splurging money on the weddings of their daughters and sons and nieces and nephews and sisters, like crazy.  No matter how stingy a person is all his life, the one time they are ready to spend notes and notes of rupees, is on their daughter’s wedding, because obviously family honour will be tarnished otherwise and it is above all. The truckload of gifts that arrive at the house, being distributed to even the son-in-law’s distant Chachiji’s daughter’s husband’s sister, only the complaints regarding the gifts outweighing the gifts itself.

The constant playing of ridiculous songs in the baraat, giving many sleepless nights, and the stop that it puts to the already slow-moving traffic. The baraatis go on about their business with much aplomb and no care in the world, relaying the exact emotion in fact with songs like aaj merey yaar ki shaadi hai (It is my friend’s wedding today). Of course, that is a good enough reason for the hundreds of people to be stuck in traffic for three hours while the dhol waale bhaiya is busy entertaining all the “once more” requests.

A wedding, if we were to go by the notional meaning of it, is the getting together of two people who have decided to spend the rest of their life together. An Indian wedding has a somewhat different meaning which is often of two people who are brought together by the families and then everything about the wedding becomes about the families, and not the bride and groom. When I say ‘family’, I have taken the liberty of including even those relatives you wouldn’t recognize if you were to pass them on the street. However, they would still come, gushing to savour the shaadi ka khaana, while the bride is busy placing them. Later, the same relatives would be seen criticising the bride’s  lehenga, with seasoned critical opinions straight out of Vogue, and parallel comparisons with another Sharmaji’s shaadi they went to.

As much as there is to look forward to in weddings, Indian Weddings as a whole just can be a handful at times. If we were to take out a certain materialism, and retain the cultural aspect of it as it truly is, I’m sure it can be a whole deal bearable, even enjoyable.

 

Feature Image Credits: Bride Box

Anoushka Singh
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Offbeat

Precautions Before Taking Your First Drinks

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 Your first drinking session can be a super exciting milestone in your life. However, for no regrets, it is advisable to take care of a few things so that you can have fun, responsibly.

  • Make sure you are with trusted people

Since it can be a little risky getting drunk for the first time when you don’t know your own capacity or tendencies, make sure you get your most trusted people to be with you for the first time. You might go out of your wits and you’ll need somebody to take your home and hold your hair while you puke.

  • Make sure that you are at a safe place.

You should be at a safe place, preferably home, for the first drinks. A nights stay is the best for it! You would need a certain comfort to make all kinds of faces and comments about your experience. Also, if you lose consciousness, its always better to have easy provisions for resting rather than later, rushing to a safer place for comfort.

  • Know about the drinks

You must be aware about the drinks, how they taste and how must they be taken before you actually hit the place! You would be able to flaunt how much you know about it and would also be able to make the correct decisions about what to consume, when. It also helps in deciding to mix your drinks well and you would be a little mentally prepared about what to expect out of the drinks.

  • Don’tdeliberately try to GET drunk, just yet.

It is only fine to get drunk but not just yet! Don’ hurry! Get some lemon or some heavy food along with your drinks. Your first experience must be actually experiencing the taste of the drinks consciously rather than it being a night you don’t remember. Gather a little self-control! Pick your favorites later and get drunk on them if you like! But, for now, you could go slow and actually experience the moment!

  • Be prepared! Your dreams may shatter!

You may have really high expectations and hopes about your drinks since everyone around you is always going bonkers over them! However, remember, it might seem overrated when you actually experience it yourself! The beer that people bond over might taste like piss and that is just fine! Some people will tell you that you need to “develop” your taste for the drinks. However, if you don’t want to, be vocal about it and do not judge yourself! Just pour in some Sprite, pretend its vodka and Cheers!

 

Feature Image Credits: Unsplash

Khyati Sanger
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