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Riya Chhibber

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Marking the International Human Rights day, over a hundred Global Zero activists in India and Pakistan came together in cities across both countries asking PM Modi and PM Sharif to commit to never pressing the nuclear red button. Activists took to the streets in New Delhi, Lahore, Bangalore, Karachi and Islamabad, releasing hundreds of red balloons symbolic to the red button of a nuclear weapon, in a strong move showcasing solidarity between the two nations.

The very existence of nuclear weapons threatens fundamental human rights- and Prime Minister Modi in India and Prime Minister Sharif in Pakistan control the fate of over 200 nuclear warheads. “A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would produce so much smoke that global temperatures would fall below those of the last Ice Age, shortening the growing season around the world and threatening the global food supply,” says Rashi Jauhri, South Asia Field Organiser for Global Zero India.

“One “average” nuke dropped on a major city would vaporise everything within a kilometre radius, and kill around 12 lakh people in the first 24 hours, with significantly more deaths from radiation exposure and injuries in the follow weeks. Any nuclear explosion would jeopardise the basic human rights of clean water, food and safety for generations to come,” she added. Nine world leaders across the world have the power to kill thousands of people at a moment’s notice with the push of a button – immediately launching a nuclear strike. The consolidation of power into the hands of so few raises the threat of a nuclear war- by intent, by miscalculation, or by accident.

 

Global Zero is the international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons. It is led by more than 300 eminent world leaders and backed by half a million citizens worldwide. For more information, please visit www.globalzero.org

Atelier’s ACT Fest aka Atelier’s Campus Theatre Festival is back with its season 10! The world’s largest Youth Theatre fiesta, this festival has witnessed more than 500 performances in 9 seasons. The Season 10 in 2016-17  is set to showcase the best of Campus Theatre with emphasis on vernacular theatre as well along with unique revived forms like dastangoi and red nose clowning.

The journey

Since its inception in 2007, ACT festival is supported by the Bollywood fraternity: Saurabh Shukla (Kallu Mama fame), Piyush Mishra (Actor and Singer), Gul Panag (Film Actor), Lushin Dubey (Theatre and Film Actor), Vinay Pathak (Film Actor), Danish Hussain (Film Actor) to name a few. The Festival Director, Kuljeet Singh is a theatre and film actor with a popular Hero Motrocorp commercial (Hum Mein Hai Hero) and a cameo in “Rockstar”. His latest film “Margarita With A Straw” received rave reviews.

In Season 10, the ACT Festival (February-March, 2017) will see more than 70 performances, engage 30,000 people directly and the total outreach is around 5,00,000 across four cities: New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata & Chandigarh through print ads, hoardings, posters, online and radio.

ACT throughout the years

ACT Festival is the most awaited Youth Theatre Festival in India. After 9 seasons, it enjoys the status of world’s largest youth theatre fiesta with participation from pan-India and International college teams. Most of the renowned college theatre groups across India participate in ACT festival.

In 2007, in its year of inception, this festival made a humble beginning with support from theatre fraternity, students, media and practitioners, although there was meagre support from government and corporate sector.

Gradually, it picked up and in 2009, with the third year in continuity, it gained immense momentum, getting support from all walks of life. ACT festival also travelled to Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai in 2010 and 2011.

Important dates and deadlines

Call for Entry: November 10, 2016
Last date to receive entries: December 31, 2016
Line Reading Sessions: January 10-20, 2017
Festival Dates: February-March, 2017

For details shoot a mail to [email protected].

Send your entries to [email protected]
OR SMS at 9891092386/7838281114

Please Note:

You can send as many entries as you wish but use separate forms for each entry.

Registration for the festival OPEN now. Visit www.ateliertheatre.in for more details. Entries close 31st December 2016.

Image credits: Team Atelier

Riya Chhibber

[email protected] 

Stories are written, characters are portrayed, love stories happen, but sometimes they can become so deeply entrenched in your life that everything changes and how unimaginable it may sound if I were to say that a TV show has the power to do that!

Aired in 1994, F.R.I.E.N.D.S is one of the most iconic shows of all time that has continued to win the hearts of people, generation after generation. But let me tell you, watching this show is not healthy because you end up in a vicious cycle of tantalising, and ever so obsessive temptation for the show, that once you have plunged into this ocean, there is no swimming back. Here the characters become your friends, their problems become your problems, their smile gives you a reason to smile and their happiness becomes a reason for yours. Joey’s warm hugs, Monica’s dominating yet amiable demeanour, Ross’s silliness, Rachel’s immaculate sense of dressing and gossip, Chandler’s awkwardly loveable and desirable humour and Phoebe’s sassy nature with a big heart are traits that all fans wish to imbibe.

Addiction to this show is unavoidable. It becomes the medicine for you when you are ill, sad, low or even happy. Regardless of the emotion, it acts like that sweet syrup you are ready to gulp down your throat without any reason at all.

The emotional void caused, when you haven’t been able to see the episodes for a long time, (long time here means like a couple of hours ) is incomparable. You end up giving the show and its characters more room in your heart (even bigger than Monica’s apartment) and doesn’t bother you, rather it gives you a sense of peace.

This timeless TV series is a temptation that teaches us that love is friendship and it is all about ‘sharing and receiving (Joey did explain that well!) Sometimes the gamut of sentiments are so overwhelming that they often roll down your eyes, sometimes there is silence and sometimes they just erupt in the form of a loud roar of laughter. Trust me, you will not be the same person anymore after watching this series and your outlook towards the world will change with the blink of an eye.

So understand one thing, when life is always stuck in second gear, and when it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, this show will be there for you, because with F.R.I.E.N.D.S, nothing is off the table.

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

DUs new diktat making the Hindi Test compulsory to obtain a degree under CBCS doesnt consider the fact that a lot of its students are from non-Hindi speaking regions. In the midst of this linguistic drama (quite literally), the cultural festival of Antardhvani is back as a Diwali celebration, which too mandates following very Hindi rituals. Should education and festivity be labelled with a language? (Read our front page story for more context)

Former Vice Chancellor’s baby, ‘Antardhvani’, the annual cultural festival of the university, which was silenced after the end of his tenure, seems to have come back, as the current DU administration, instead of cancelling those festivities this year, has thought otherwise.

 

Known to spend extravagant amount of time and money on things like a pompous show of fake prestige and less time on charting out a meaningful syllabus for students, the ever so dynamic stakeholders of Delhi University have once again come forward to prove their metal, and this time, by revamping the Antardhvani celebrations under the garb of ‘Diwali’ festivities.

 

While the original purpose of the festival was to bring the university community together in a shared enterprise that celebrates creativity, talent, innovations, experiments, achievements and unique features of this large university, this year, Antardhvani 2.0 is going to be full of only ‘Diwali’ feels.

 

However, owing to its practice of deliberately squishing ‘Hindi’ in everything these days, like an average woman trying to squish her behind in the already jam packed seats of the Delhi Metro, the university has brought out a notice that mandates all celebrations to have a connection to Hindi.

 

Like Antardhvani was used as a tool to showcase the flamboyance of the FYUP system, Antardhvani 2.0 will focus on CBCS and throw some light on its achievements. Our insiders have informed us that while the whole celebration’s aim is to have a ‘university diwali mela’, the celebration will be directed by strict entry procedures.  A source, on condition of anonymity told us, “Entry would be strictly based on one’s ability to chant at least 4 lines of a bhajan, in hindi, at the entry gate. The dress code would be ethnic obviously. For couple entry, the pair will have to recite an impromptu chorus of a bhajan as asked by the sasnkari bouncers.”

 

Tired of seeing the Pakistan effigies burn, the organising committee has taken due care of laying a creative bent of mind to the whole fest. “Owing to the burring issues in the global scenario, our organising committee has decided to use US Presidential election inspired crackers. We are going to become the first university in the country or around the world, to burst ‘Hill-ladi’ and ‘Trump sutli bomb’, inspired by the traits of Hillary and Trump respectively.”

On asking about why a certain choice of crackers for a certain candidate, a member remarked, “The characteristics of a ladi are very familiar with that of Hillary. Like a ladi, she makes a lot of noise, may come across as a threat but once that noise dies down, it is all the same again. With Trump, he hands down qualifies as a sutli or thread bomb, as he can burst anywhere, anytime, pushes people to increase their guard and makes an annoying sound that forces people to cover their ears.”

 

Ps. Whatever cracker they may be, remember, both pollute 🙂 Happy Diwali to all!

 

 

*Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated, not accepted!

 

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

A recent graduate from SRCC, Yogesh Gautam has started a crowdfunding campaign so that he can embark on a 50,000km road journey to promote chess in the interiors of India.

 

Starting on October 5, from Jammu and Kashmir, Gautam’s itinerary includes places such as Bikaner (Rajasthan), Katch (Gujarat), Katni (Madhya Pradesh), Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), Agartala (Tripura) and his hometown Bhiwani, Haryana. “I will teach kids Chess, and will distribute chess sets for free, DVDs and books on the game in remote areas. As all of this require funds, I have started a crowd funding campaign for it,” he says, talking to a popular national daily.

 

The 21-year-old also seeks to break the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by car in a country. “The Guinness World Record for the longest journey by car in a country is 36,060.1km. By travelling 50,000km, I’m hoping to break that record as well. However, that will only be the icing on the cake. The main motive for me to aim for setting these world records is also only to draw more attention towards chess,” adds Gautam.

 

A fresh graduate from one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, Gautam is all praise for his college in helping him nurture his love for the game. “Not a lot of colleges go the extra mile for their sports students, but my teachers supported me a lot. Not only would I get attendance for my tournaments and practice sessions, the teachers would also give me extra classes just so I could catch up on my coursework,” he was quoted as saying.

 

His affair with Chess began over a decade ago when his sister gifted him a chess set. He believes that people in India don’t know the game and don’t care about it much. “Aaj tak mujhe koi scholarship nahi mili hai. In my own state, many have been celebrated for bringing Olympic medals in various sports, but many still don’t consider Chess asport. I want to change that”, he remarks in an interview with a national daily.

 

 

With inputs from Hindustan Times

 

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

After days of anticipation and a rigorous electoral campaign, ABVP’s Vice Presidential candidate Priyanka Chhawri emerged victorious. A graduate in Mathematics from Lakshmibai College , University of Delhi, and currently pursuing her M.A in Buddhist Studies from Dept. Of Buddhist Studies, DU, from discussing her journey into politics to her plans of bringing changes in the campuse, we got chatting with her about her new found role.

Excerpts:

DUB: What motivated you to pursue your candidature in the DUSU elections? How did your journey into student level politics begin?

Priyanka Chhawri: I am a student activist from the past five years and it all started when I appeared for CATE entrance and saw a group of students protesting at the arts faculty against the DU administration. The protest was led by ABVP.I was so influenced by the student leaders that it occurred to me that I must also be there one day! So when I got admission in LBC,  I joined ABVP and became an active member! I saw a great change in me in these five years. ABVP groomed me into a more confident and responsible person and with time I attained the leadership skills that were needed to contest in DUSU elections and now, here I am, as the DUSU Vice President.

DUB:  What are your some of the key areas that you are personally looking forward to focusing upon in your tenure?

PC: Personally , I would focus more on introducing societies for blind and physically handicapped students, constructing pathways for the same, giving North Campus a new look by putting the map of the campus near metro and recognised places, creating awareness session about the women safety app launched by ABVP – ‘I FEEL SAFE’, in every college, providing health cards,making medical rooms functional in every college and providing the facility of printed mark sheets be issued to students after every semester.

DUB:  The DUSU polls saw some lavish campaigning this time again. What is your take on the guidelines by Lyngdoh Committee and National Green Tribunal about the budget restrictions and green campaigning? Do you think they are realistic targets that can be met?

PC: I think it’s not feasible to contest DUSU election in just 5ooo Rupees. How unrealistic it is, that the same amount is allowed to both contest college elections and DUSU? From the last four years , the Lyngdoh Committee hasn’t been reviewed and it’s time that we look into this matter.So, as an officer bearer, I will certainly put forward this issue. As far as paper usage is concerned, it is reduced as compared to last two years but yes it needs to end and just be limited to wall of democracy and advertising sites.

DUB: Last year saw DUSU office bearers being involved in some controversy or the other and accountability and work transparency was also an issue. How do you seek to tackle that?

PC: ABVP led DUSU is very committed to work for the student welfare and we have started working the day we joined our office. We submitted a memorandum to the DSW concerning the issues of students and currently we are working to combat the recent mass failure of the LL.B students regarding which, we have given a letter to the VC. This DUSU panel is dedicated to work for the student community and we have started our work positively !

DUB: NSUI has alleged discrepancy in the voting process and after a hunger strike, they are now planning to move to the court. What is your take on this whole matter?

PC: DU is a democratic university and it’s NSUI’s democratic right to get their doubts clear but I think by doing this they are questioning the mandate of the students. I think they should accept the decision of the students and move on and raise students issues rather than sitting and challenging the choice of students.

DUB: Having gone through the entire process of filing nominations, becoming the final candidate to actually winning, is there anything that you wish to change (procedural or otherwise) in the way DUSU elections unfold?

PC: From filing the nomination to actually contesting DUSU was a great experience. The administration has been very cautious during the scrutiny. But, an incident that seemed like a failure to me was when a candidate who filled the nomination was not present during scrutiny. It should become mandatory for all the candidates to be present during that process.

DUB: DUSU elections have been known to provide the country with some of the finest ministers we have had at the helm of authority in the past. Do you see yourself there? Do you plan to continue in politics?

PC: As of now , I will be working for the students and continue as a student activist.

DUB: Any interesting anecdote you would like to share with us that happened during the election process?

PC: Yes. Once I was delivering a speech in Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. I was in such a hurry (because it was the last day to campaign and I had to cover many colleges) that I forgot the last part and garbled some words and ran away. The students found it so funny and they said, ‘Hum samajh gaye aapki bhaavna’.

DUB: In a line, how would you define your motto for this year as a DUSU office bearer?

PC: I want this DUSU panel to be a medium of exposure for the student community. I will work on involving more students in every activity that is organised by DUSU!

Interviewed by Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

August, 2016

Phone rings at 1 am, laptop is on, but the plate of food lies cold despite my mum shouting for 10 times incessantly. 14 years of schooling and nearly two years of college and now the moment of truth is in front of me, standing and staring at me, looking deep into my eyes, as if mocking me silently, asking me what am I really doing ? And for whom? If you were one of those kids back in school who used to take up everything with passion, from a small responsibility of decorating the class boards, to now taking up roles in and outside college, you would understand that it is more like an obsession. To be omnipresent. Yes, we are the workaholics and we are proud of it, but of late, I have been strongly reconsidering my position.

College opens up avenues to really push one’s passions beyond imaginable limits and for someone who loves to dawn new roles, oh it’s Christmas! While the cut throat competition, deadlines, struggle for perfection and lack of sleep really takes the better of you initially, but there comes a point when all this becomes a part of the monotonous routine cycle and isn’t fun anymore. It is this time when you start self-introspecting and questioning yourself for your decisions. Do you really enjoy working day and night for things you may not really care about deep down? What is this perfection you are striving to achieve? Is perfection an illusion? Maybe, maybe not.

But deep down, a very strong feeling remains unsettled. The feeling of uncertainty. We can’t deny that many a times, when a crunch situation strikes, we miss being the careless kid from kindergarten where mom and dad could answer for that fight we had at school or when we broke that test-tube in the lab, remember? The realisation of growing up with the blink of an eye and working robotically each day, in a regimented setup, can make anyone irritable and if you, by nature are a workaholic, it becomes difficult for you to sometimes define the boundaries for yourself and you don’t know when to stop being a robot.

When all these questions and situations were striking my head, there came a moment where I just sat alone and a sudden realisation dawned upon me that time has to fly anyway, so why not enjoy every moment fully. The very next moment I realised I was running down the stairs of my room and was hugging my mom in the kitchen, who was looking so pretty, and damn I didn’t realise how much time had it been since I looked at her face so carefully, as my phone’s screen was the only thing that my face was constantly bowed down to. And let me tell you, for a workaholic, more work is like more energy, but, the satisfaction I got when I hugged my mom after a hard day, no amount of work could energise me as much as that moment did and I want to do this more often. We live in a world where many families fear persecution, they don’t know whether they will see the light of the day, and here we are, on the other end of the globe, worried about the latest iPhone in the market, those fancy shoes we saw the other day on an Instagram account and don’t really enjoy the bounties of life, the presence of a family and the significance of this temporal dimension called time.

Life is a puzzle and every piece is a phase that holds its own significance to the larger picture of the puzzle. So don’t get stuck finding the ends of a particular piece. Enjoy the creation of this puzzle by giving equal importance to each of the pieces.

Featured Image Credits: www.wetslipper.com

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

Having entered the final year of college life makes me feel old and lazy. Everyday is a new reflection yet the drudgery of the daily chores never seems to leave us, does it? While on one hand, it feels as if life is circling around the same metro stations, the same college canteen hangout spots, the never ending boredom of group projects, but, on the other hand, a constant thought of this time soon coming to an end strikes hard. This time has come as a strong realisation that I have just one more year to make mistakes, without being judged and you know what, one should utilise this time in making as many mistakes as possible. Let me explain you why.

Life will be unfair to you at so many junctures that you might want to give up, but dont. Instead, fall, get bruised by the realities of life and continue playing the game of life. There will be times when youll question your choices, your decisions or even yourself, but thats the beauty of inquisition. The mortal homo sapien never gets satisfied easily, so questioning is normal.

After breaking the cocoon of school life, when a young adult enters college, hopes are high and sky is the limit, but overtime, litmus tests come one after another, some sweet some bitter, but both equally important for the recipe called experience. Make your life notes, take things as they come and never hesitate to fall. If you never fall, how will you ever know if it hurts or not? Gather the courage and tread the road not taken, whether it is taking an important life decision or just a simple day to day function, try the unconventional and put the hesitation aside. Sometimes, the ache of sitting and waiting for things to happen to you is more than the pain caused from falling down, so be wise.

To quote the poem A Thing of Beautyby John Keats, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall, From our dark spirits, that is, there is beauty everywhere but the beauty of the inner soul is supreme, and that removes the pall of all negativity, therefore, strive for it and youll succeed.

I read somewhere, If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room, and this statement left an indelible imprint on my mind. All of us are in different rooms on this earth, but our address is never permanent. There is always scope for change and thats what the room of life is all about- the unavoidable phenomenon called change. So let us work at changing our ideological addresses. For it is the fear of falling that makes us run harder, but this time, dont run to win.

Riya Chhibber
[email protected]

Image Credits: pixhome.blogspot.com

As in the daytime there is no star in the sky warmer and brighter than the sun, likewise there is no competition greater than the Olympic Games. But is it worth the cost to host them? Take note! 

From a quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity to interplay between countries, the Olympic Games are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation. The brainchild of the Greeks, this quadrennial event is put together with zeal and excitement.

There is no denying the fact that putting up something as grand as the Olympic Games requires a lot of toil, planning and capital but as they say- no pain no gain. These games are not a new fangled idea but with time the projection of this idea has changed significantly!

I was flabbergasted when I came to know that the first modern Olympics of 1896 had a total expenditure of 37, 40,000 drachmas against the 24 billion Euros spent in the London Olympics 2012. Clearly, the countries do not hesitate while spending such hefty amounts on the Olympics. But, what makes these countries spend billions to put up the Olympic village?

Hosting the Olympics might call for a lot of resources and wealth but what it gives in return is immense. The excitement, glitz and glamour of the games attract tourists from all around the world substantially in the upper income group of tourists and sport lovers. The Olympic Games transform a city into a living postcard. Comprehensive publicity is the best promotion method to showcase the host nation internationally. The 2000 Sydney Olympics has been widely known as the best example of how the mega-sports event has benefited the tourism industry.

But it isn’t just the tourist who reaps all the benefits of the Games. Hosting nation will increase transport infrastructure and provide the best transport services for tourists which will continue to render services to the local people in the long run.

Billions of outlay in developing plans provides massive job opportunities. Billions of dollars are allocated for infrastructure development, construction of the Olympics Village, hotels and new complexes. The required construction specialty gives favourable condition to modernised construction industry and creates further opportunity for oversea expansion. The construction of Olympic sites provides new structure, new technologies and new materials that will boost the level of construction area.

History is evidence of the fact that Olympic Games not only popularise the hosting city, use sports as a medium to foster global relationships, generate employment but to my surprise it also fosters trade liberalisation.

In July 2001, Beijing was awarded the right to host the Games. Just two months later, China successfully concluded negotiations with WTO, thus formalising its commitment to trade liberalisation. Nor is this a one-off coincidence. Rome was awarded the 1960 games in 1955, the same year Italy started to move towards currency convertibility that led two years later to the Treaty of Rome.

However, the budgetary allocations incurred to host the games is beyond anyone’s imagination. An Oxford study established that average cost overruns in hosting the Games are 179 per cent in real terms: that’s significantly higher than overruns for other types of mega-projects. Montreal was the worst delinquent: its cost overruns were about 800 per cent! And in the case of the Delhi Commonwealth Games, the overruns were 36 times the budgeted cost: $9.2 billion, against an estimated $250 million.

With India sending 118 sportsman to the games this year, it is the inspiration of the Olympic Games that drives people not only to compete but to improve, and to bring lasting benefits to the city and to continue the legacy of the oldest yet the young games. Will India be able to host Olympics someday? Time will tell.

Feature Image Credits: rio2016.com.

Riya Chibber
[email protected]

Alas! Finally your dream college has declared its much awaited cut-off and you are filled with utmost joy at the very thought of cancelling your admission at the college you previously admitted yourself into. Though we understand your elation regarding the same, you need to exercise caution and conscience while you plan to take a plunge into the withdrawal procedure.

1. It is always good to secure a seat

With DU always throwing a major blow at students with its high cut-offs each year, one doesn’t usually make the cut in the very first list (not for you, toppers!). It is therefore always advised to secure a seat in a college where you get your desired course and wait for the next cut-off patiently.

2. A tab on the announcement of the next cut-off list

It’s okay if you are currently admitted into a college whose name you can’t seem to recall or if it doesn’t have a happening abbreviation, you still have a chance to make it to a better college in the next list. Always keep a tab on the compiled list of cut-offs on the DU website so that you don’t miss out on any college.

3. Grab your running shoes, head to withdraw your documents

Take a deep breath and exercise rational behaviour. Before jumping in the air that you cleared the cut-off for a better college in the next list, ensure that you give a visit to that college once, confirm that you meet all the admission criteria there and only then head for the withdrawal of your documents in the college you were initially admitted to.

4. How to withdraw?

Let me explain this with an example. If in the first list you admitted yourself in Motilal Nehru College for a particular course, and in the second list you clear the cut-off for Hindu College, go to Motilal on the very first day of the second cut-off list and ask for all your documents that you submitted at the time of admission. Ensure that the college cancels your admission on their online platform so that the centralised online DU form enables you to see the other colleges you are eligible for.

5. No easy refunds, be ready to burn a hole in your pocket!

The colleges this year will not refund your fee on the spot, so keep extra money handy! After ensuring the cancellation of your admission, head to the college you cleared a cut-off in and repeat the admission frenzy from the beginning!