Author

Shubham Kaushik

Browsing

Pinjra Tod held a press conference on May 9, 2016, reacting to the issuing of notices by the Delhi Commission for Women to universities in Delhi University based on the exhaustive report submitted to the state body by them. The report, which was submitted in November last year, documents testimonials and experiences from women students across colleges and universities in Delhi and includes a comparative study of men’s and women’s hostels under Delhi University to prove that women students pay much more than their male counterparts.

The notices have been issued to all 23 registered universities in Delhi, as well as all undergraduate colleges under Delhi University which have women’s hostels. The DCW has instituted an enquiry based on several findings included in the Pinjra Tod report and has asked the universities for a response within 15 days’ time. The various questions the Commission has asked the universities and colleges to respond to include the number of students in hostel disaggregated by gender, the entry and exit time restrictions in the hostel, and the annual hostel fees charged disaggregated by gender. The notice also raised questions on the constitutionality of the current rules in effect in universities across the country. For a state body to recognise this will have implications not just for the universities directly questioned but for institutes across the country.

The notice has been welcomed and is been seen as a powerful achievement by Pinjra Tod, which has emerged as a strong movement of women students across the country fighting against discriminatory practices that plague university life for them. The movement plans to open direct dialogue with college and university administrations about their demands in the coming semester. This is being seen as a necessity, given the lack of response and non-committal progress that has been made following previous notices such as in the case of Jamia Millia Islamia, where the authorities promised to review its hostel rules in the wake of a similar notice last year but nothing concrete changed.

Feature Image: The Facebook page of Pinjra Tod

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

 

Continuing with the reformation of how things work in Delhi University, graduates will now be able to apply for their degree certificates, marksheets, migration certificates, attestations and transcripts online. The university will also deliver the transcripts, certificates and even verified copies to desired destinations like another university, an employer or for visa application online.

All set to become the first Indian University to go completely online for the procurement of official documents, DU will also be making a long-drawn and tiresome process very convenient by making it easier for students to collect certificates and copies of their degree.

“While the application process has been made online, for security purpose, certificates will have to be collected personally,” said Satish Kumar, officer on special duty in the Examination branch of DU, as quoted in Times of India. However, arrangements will be made by the university to deliver the migration certificates to the desired university/institution directly.

Satish Kumar further elaborated on this new move and said that electronic transcripts and verified degree certificates could be delivered to desired destinations online. For delivery to employers, visa agencies and universities, once the application for the document is submitted, a personal identification number will be generated and shared with the required agencies and universities, which will enable them to access the verified documents online.

To apply for documents, alumni of the university, irrespective of the course or college they were associated with, need to submit their enrolment number and examination roll number, select the type of document they require, and make the payment for the procedure online. For degree and duplicate degree certificates, an applicant has to submit his/her examination roll number and enrolment number, but for transcripts, they’ll also have to upload examination roll numbers of all three years, along with the marksheets.

Kumar also added that online attestation of certificates is also being introduced.

Inputs from Times of India

Feature Image: LinkedIn

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

DU Beat got a chance to chat with the newly crowned fbb Femina Miss India, Priyadarshini Chatterjee, who also happens to be a student of Delhi University. Priyadarshini shared with us her thoughts on her journey from being a three year old kid dressed as Miss World to the winner of fbb Femina Miss India, her future plans, and also her preparations for the upcoming semester exams!

DUB: First of all, congratulations on your win!

Priyadarshini Chatterjee: Thanks!

DUB: The first very obvious question is, how are you feeling right now? Has the feeling sunk in that you won such a major event?

PC: It’s been almost 25 days since the win. I had a lovely homecoming after it. By now, yes, it has definitely sunk in. The kind of response I’ve got is something I never imagined I would get. Initially when it happened, I really couldn’t believe it.

DUB: How confident were you about winning, when you were standing on the stage, given that you were competing against some of the most beautiful and capable women in the country?

PC: Before the finale show actually started, I was very, very nervous. In fact, I was panicking and I was calling my parents and friends and saying, “What do I do? I’m really nervous.” But I remember that the moment the show started, when the music came on and I had to go on stage, I forgot everything and I was just enjoying. What helped me was the fact that I started enjoying the moment so much that everything else just kind of flew out of my mind.

DUB: You are from Guwahati, you went on to win Miss India Delhi and now you are the Miss India. How would you say your journey has been? What made you want to enter the pageant and what kept you motivated?

PC: I come from Assam. It’s the kind of place where everybody knows everyone and I was there for quite some time. Then I came to Delhi, where the exposure was understandably much more. Once I started working in Delhi, I figured out that I have a lot to work on with myself. I was already interested in participating in Miss India but there was this fear of rejection that was stopping me. However, when the Delhi auditions happened, I just knew I had to go for it. The credit actually goes to my parents who kept me motivated. I gave the auditions and I won, and once you’re there, there’s no looking back. The pageant continued and I kept going. The journey- the flow of it- has been very smooth for me and I’ve learnt a lot.

DUB: Where did that first thought about entering the pageant come from? Did you follow the earlier pageants, or was it something you became interested in after starting modeling and entering the circuit?

PC: I never wanted to participate in any pageants other than Miss India because it’s the most reputed one. Moreover, it’s not just about beauty and looks but beyond that. I was scared too. There are so many beautiful and smart women in India. When I was three years old, my mom dressed me up as Miss World for a fancy dress competition. That was when I knew that a platform like this existed, and it fascinated me. I never used to watch pageants. I’ve not followed any of the previous Miss India pageants. It was something that I personally wanted to do and I went forward with it.

DUB: That’s an interesting point of contact! The 3 year old dressed as Miss World!

PC: *laughs* I know!

When I was three years old, my mom dressed me up as Miss World for a fancy dress competition. That was when I knew that a platform like this existed, and it fascinated me.

DUB: You’re now set to represent India at the Miss World pageant, which puts you in the same league as many other formidable women. Have the preparations for it already begun? What are your expectation from this even bigger platform?

PC: Yes, they have begun. In fact, I just got back from one of my sessions. We have many sessions – a make-up session, hair session, nutrition session, and others. The two-other rank holders have these sessions as well. It’s about bringing out the best in ourselves. The next thing that we’ll do will be at the global level. It requires a lot of hard work. Another important thing I have to do is to know about the culture of India. I’m working on that by reading books, familiarising myself with places by travelling. What I need to do is be aware of our culture and put my best foot forward at a platform where there’ll be many smart and beautiful women from around the world.

DUB: You’re currently a B.A (H) Sociology student in Hindu College. The previous two winners, Koyal Rana (DDUC) and Aditi Arya (SSCBS), were also Delhi University students. Do you think being from DU gives a person a certain edge?

PC: When I came to Delhi from Guwahati, Delhi University itself was a big exposure for me. Being from a small place and then coming to DU, where I met people from all over the country and made friends with them, gave me a confidence boost and opened me up to new possibilities. I wouldn’t call myself an introvert but I was used to my own little world and my own friends. When I came to DU, I started exploring. I auditioned for the Dramatics society of my college and I am, in fact, a part of Masque, the English Dramatics society of Hindu College. My audition for Masque was one of the instances where I walked out of my comfort zone to achieve something. I definitely think DU has given me confidence and exposure.

My audition for Masque (the English Dramatics Society of Hindu College) was one of the instances where I walked out of my comfort zone to achieve something. I definitely think DU has given me confidence and exposure.

DUB: Talking about DU reminds us of the upcoming semester exams. Will you be giving the exams too? How’s your preparation? (isn’t that the question on everyone’s minds?!)

PC: Yes, I am giving the exams. I’ll be returning to Delhi for it. I’m going to start studying tonight.

DUB: How do you plan to balance your studies and your duties as Miss India? Would you like to continue with your studies or do you want to pursue something else?

PC: I want to continue with my studies, that’s not something I want to lose out on. It’s something that gives me a base in life. After graduation, I’d love to pursue Anthropology of Travel and Tourism.

It definitely gets hard to balance the two but I don’t think it’s impossible.

DUB: Since you’re already involved in modeling, the next obvious question people would ask has to be- does Bollywood figure into your plans?

PC: *sighs* Oh yes, it’s definitely the most common question. Personally, I don’t see myself in Bollywood right now. I think the people who do that have different aspirations and different motives in life. However, if you ask me if I would like to work as an Assistant Director, I’d love to do that. Being onscreen is something I’m not aiming for yet. Of course, if the right opportunity comes my way and if I really like a certain role, I’d consider it but I’m more of a behind-the-screen person.

DUB: Switching over to slightly different questions, do you consider yourself a feminist? How would you define feminism?

PC: Concepts like Feminism are very subjective. I may have an opinion which may be different from yours. I don’t think I am in a position to define something like this. But to me, Feminism means putting women in the front too so that men and women can be equals. It’s not just about women having the upper hand but rather both the genders working as equals for the progress of society.

I wouldn’t call myself a feminist because right now it is going somewhere- who even knows where it’s going? I think the concept of Feminism is being misunderstood and people are being misled. In a situation like this, I wouldn’t really call myself a feminist.

Concepts like Feminism are very subjective, to me it means both genders working as equals for the progress of society- but the concept is being misunderstood today

DUB: How would you correlate the concept of Feminism to platforms like Miss India which, while amazing, also perpetuate certain ideologies?

People always assume that beauty pageants are all about how a person looks and how tall they are, but trust me, there were girls in the pageant who were taller and prettier than me. It’s not just about looks, it’s also about how smart you are and if you can go and make conversation with anyone at a moment’s notice. I think it’s a stereotype associated with beauty pageants and it’s something we need to get rid of. I don’t think it’s accurate at all.

DUB: Having been involved in Miss India now, do you think there’s anything about the Indian beauty pageant scene and the modeling scene that needs to change? Is there anything that irks you?

I don’t think so. With respect to the Indian beauty pageants scene, I think we’re doing well and going places, and we’ll do even better in the future. If I can get the Miss World crown, it’ll go even better. It’s definitely something I want to do for the industry as well.

DUB: How about as a participant? Do you think anything needs to change in the way the industry treats and welcomes participants and newcomers?

PC: I was more than welcomed. We were all staying away from our families and friends during the pageant. We made families there. The people I’m working with right now, who are a part of my team, I knew them during the pageant too. They are family to me. If people believe something else, I think that’s a misconception. Everyone’s been very sweet.

DUB: What do you aspire to achieve with the power that comes with being Miss India? Is there a cause that’s close to your heart that you want to work for?

PC: Yes, I have my project Shishu Kalyan. I don’t like talking about it as people may think it’s a clichéd thing to do, that I’m talking about social work because I am Miss India. I feel for the cause and so I’ve taken it up. Shishu Kalyan is about child labour. I want to put in my bit for the betterment of the children in slum areas. I educate not just the children but also their parents about the importance of educating their kids, even in the smallest of ways. If I can even teach them cultural activities like dancing, singing, and about culture, it can give them to incentive to stay away from things like substance abuse which is very common in those areas. I’m working on this and am planning to collaborate with an NGO soon to take this forward.

DUB: Last question! Was there anything you watched or read throughout the entire journey to keep you company and to motivate you?

PC: Yes, I did. I am a firm believer of the Law of Attraction. I’ve been reading the book ‘The Secret’ for two years. I’m not a person who reads a lot. I’d rather watch a movie than read a book, but this one book changed my life drastically. The law of attraction is about how you can attract positive things in your life. It works on the principle of Ask, Believe and Receive. You ask for what you want, you believe in it and you receive it. This is something I’ve followed and I think it has played in part in getting me where I am today.

DU Beat would like to wish Priyadarshini the very best for the Miss World pageant and her other future endeavours!

Interview taken by Shubham Kaushik for DU Beat

[email protected]

 

Founded in 1922, University of Delhi celebrated its 94th Founder’s Day on May 1, 2016. Several activities took place as a part of the celebrations, including remembering martyrs and hoisting the national flag. The latter is a part of the festivities anyway but this year was a little special, with it marking the beginning of the tricolor being a permanent part of the Vice-Regal Lodge on campus.

The tricolour being hoisted as a part of the programme
The tricolour being hoisted as a part of the programme

Bhagat Singh’s name, along with those of other martyrs, featured in the programme as they were remembered for their contributions. Yogesh Tyagi , the Vice Chancellor, said in his address, “The Delhi University is built during the British Raj, but it now exists in free India. We must respect the memory of our freedom fighters, sacrifices or people like Bhagat Singh and be sensitive to the feeling of people who are his great admirers.”

The various guests present at the occassion
The various guests present at the occassion

Various teachers from different streams were felicitated for their contribution in the field of teaching. Three Supreme Court judges, Justices Madan Lokur, Rohinton Fali Nariman and Arjan Kumar, all alumni of the university, were also felicitated.

On the occasion of the Founders’ Day, Vice President and the Chancellor of University of Delhi, said in a statement, “It gives me great pleasure to send my congratulations to the vice chancellor, faculty, staff and students on the joyous occasion of the 94th foundation day of the University of Delhi.” He praised the university for maintaining a strong commitment to excellence in teaching and research, and called the university a role model for other universities.

Images from du.ac.in

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

The Tandoori Paneer Pizza The Tandoori Paneer Pizza[/caption]               The beverages came first. The Mango Mojito, refreshing and topped with a slice of fresh mango and mint leaves, was unanimously our favourite. The milkiness of the Brownie Shake was made up for by the scrumptious pieces of brownie sprinkled on top. The shake was served in an interesting looking pot. We appreciated the fact that the Banana – Caramel smoothie was not as overly sweet as we found it at other places. [caption id="attachment_41822" align="alignleft" width="805"](L to R) Banana - Caramel Smoothie, Brownie Shake, and Mango Mojito (L to R) Banana – Caramel Smoothie, Brownie Shake, and Mango Mojito[/caption] We started our meal with the Baked Bruschetta, which had a generous amount of toppings, and was baked well. The Pizza came next and was probably the best part of the meal. The thin-crust pizza topped with bell peppers and cottage cheese was definitely one of the better pizzas all of us had had in a while. There was no hint of the doughy and chewy crust which is an issue we’ve faced with pizzas at other places. The vegetarian Momos sizzler arrived, with a side of fried rice, and french fries. We dived into the serving and noticed the interesting filling of the momos (we identified a mixture of spinach and garlic) which were doused with a spicy sauce. The fried rice was also delicious. [caption id="attachment_41823" align="alignleft" width="300"]The Olive and Bellpepper Baked Bruchetta The Olive and Bellpepper Baked Bruchetta[/caption]                 We were full by the end of the satisfying meal but decided to order a dessert anyway because, hey, there’s always room for dessert! We had the brownie sundae to top off our meal, which was a delicious combination of vanilla ice-cream, hot chocolate sauce and pieces of brownie sprinkled on the top, served in a pot similar to the one used for the brownie shake. [caption id="attachment_41824" align="alignleft" width="300"]The Momos Sizzler The Momos Sizzler[/caption]                 We were satisfied with the portion sizes and more than pleased with the prompt service. Fully satiated with our meal, we decided to talk to the staff about the establishment. They told us that the place, which specialises in Italian food, has been really well received ever since it began in late 2015, despite the numerous food joints already crowding the Hudson lane area. We were informed that people often call and reserve tables in advance, which speaks volumes about the popularity of the place. A meal for two at the Spezia Bistro would probably cost around Rs. 600. After our entirely pleasant experience, we’d recommend trying out the pizza and the range of mojitos offered, although all food served to us was satisfying and delicious. Pictures by Jasmine Chahal for DU Beat Shubham Kaushik and Sudisha Misra [email protected] [email protected]]]>

It’s that time of the year where it’s just a few more days to exams. It then hits you- while you never bothered attending classes and faked your way through the internals, you don’t have that option anymore and these giant bundles of stress are sadly inevitable.

You resort to the only thing that your mind can come up with, other than setting your college on fire and that resulting in the tests getting cancelled (No, this will not work. Trust me)- an all-nighter.

Disclaimer: DU Beat doesn’t encourage all-nighters. This is strictly for when desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

Things to do (tried and tested by yours truly):

Naps:  Take a nap if you know you might have to pull an all-nighter, not longer than 2 hours and definitely not after 9 p.m, or else you risk putting your body to sleep for the entire night. A nap will also guilt you into not wanting to sleep later.

Stock up on supplies: Once you sit down for a night of productive studying, you don’t want to be running around hunting for notes or stationery. Keep it all handy and close to ensure that you spend the night before the big exam studying and not texting your friends, scrambling for photos of notes.

STAY HYDRATED: This cannot be stressed on enough. People go on about how caffeine is the most important ingredient to get you through the night. It isn’t if you don’t couple it with adequate amount of water. Caffeine dehydrates your body and after a point, leaves you feeling wired  which makes it difficult to concentrate. Make it a point to drink atleast twice the amount of water than any caffeine-related beverages.

Don’t forget your body: You are going to be slogging your body and mind so make sure you nutrition it properly enough to last the night and the exam in the morning. Eat snacks like sandwiches or maybe even cereal which will not only take care of the hunger pangs but making them will also serve as a sufficient break between studying.

Prioritise your studying: It’s a no-brainer that you are going to be your most productive in the starting few hours of your nightly adventure. Make sure you plan your studying in a way that the topics that require more concentration are covered in the beginning. Leave the revision or the easier topics for the later half of the night when your productivity will be low. This will make sure that you don’t end up banging your head on the table with difficult calculus equations or new theorems at 4.30 a.m when your patience, and supply of caffeine, is low.

 

Things you shouldn’t do:

Social Networking websites: A definite no. Don’t even check your Instagram notifications. Definitely do not log on to your Tumblr blog or Facebook account. The next thing you’ll know is that it’s two hours later and you are giggling at a Buzzfeed article about sassy tweets.

Talk to your friends: It will start out as a casual “How much are you left with, bro?”, but it WILL turn into you contemplating life, declaring anarchy and trying your hand at poetry about how exams are confining your free spirit and creativity. Just trust me on this one, put your phone away unless absolutely necessary for referring to notes.

Eat big meals: It’s 3 a.m and you’ve made the mistake of not feeding your body and now your stomach is crying out in hunger. Your biggest mistake would be to give in and raid the fridge for dinner leftovers which may include heavy, greasy food. Not only will it leave you feeling too full, it will make you too drowsy to study for long.

Reward yourself with naps: I get it, it’s been hours since you’ve been studying and you just completed a very difficult and important topic. You want to reward yourself with a nap, just thirty minutes long. Don’t do it, especially if you still have things to study. Your body won’t understand your rationale of a thirty minute nap and will give in to the exhaustion. You will wake up the next morning with things left to cover and an exam staring you in the face. Instead, energise yourself by plugging in your earphones and dancing to your favourite song (If you think you cannot dance, play ‘Uptown Funk’ and move around awkwardly. It’s the same thing, really).

Pull frequent all-nighters: Unlike what social media will have you believe, there is nothing glamorous about not getting enough sleep and messing up your daily routine. Your productivity will hit an all time low and you’ll get into the habit of procrastinating because you’ll think all nighters will save you. Take it from someone who is dealing with the repercussions of pulling all nighters in a row- after a point you’ll want to thwack yourself in the head for deciding to mess with your routine in the first place.

 

Here’s to hoping everyone makes it through these last few days before summer officially begins. Happy Studying (and don’t doze off)!

 

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

Image credits: hercampus.com

University of Delhi has released the long-awaited guidelines and dates for Masters and Post-graduation admissions for the 2016-17 session and has decided to keep the entire registration process online. The rationale behind the move has been to facilitate easy access to students from all over the country and abroad. The online registration is also mandatory for those seeking admission to post graduate courses being offered at School of Open Learning (SOL) and Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB). 

The registration is set to begin from 6.00 p.m., 28 April 2016 and will end on midnight, May 24, 2016. All admission seekers will need to register through the online PG Admissions Portal, and will be able to access all necessary documents and information like the admit card, centre allocation, results and venues of group discussions etc online as well. The entrance exams are likely to be held between June 19 and June 23, 2016.

For the first time, provisions have been made to conduct the entrances all across the country. The selected locations are Bengaluru, Nagpur, Delhi, Jammu, Varanasi and Kolkata. The format of the exam will be multiple choice questions and the duration of the exam will be 2 hours. In the case of certain foreign languages, including Persian, subjective questions will be asked and will need to be answered in the space given in the question booklet itself.

The registration fee is Rs. 500 for General and OBC applicants and Rs 250 for SC and ST applicants.

For entrance test dates, examination specifications and more, you may take a look at the University PG Information Portal here. 

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

As grand a place as India is, full of its idiosyncratic beauty, it’s also a land of many problematic ideas and beliefs; one of them was reflected in Maneka Gandhi’s statement. The Minister for Women and Child Development recently said that the concept of marital rape, and hence its criminalization, cannot be applied to India because of issues like poverty, illiteracy, religious reasons and the way Indians perceive marriage as an institution. This statement follows on the heels of the minister’s reaffirmation of India being committed to advancing gender equality.

The hypocrisy of Maneka Gandhi’s stance is probably the least problematic thing about the issue. The fact that marriage is treated as a contract for a person to often forcefully demand sex from their spouse, especially in India, makes it all the more important for a ministry that’s supposed to ensure a woman’s rights to recognize the importance of a concrete law in the context of marital rape. It’s not hard to notice the irrational light Indians see marriage in, given that certain sections of the society define a woman by her marital status and that its importance supercedes that of even financial independence and safety. It naturally conditions people to be hesitant about speaking up against abuse that springs out of this supposedly ‘pious’ relationship. Given the societal stigma that’s certainly going to surround someone wanting to complain about sexual abuse in a marriage, having the law on their side could make all the difference- between speaking up and living through an abusive relationship, often between life and death too.

It is important to realise the importance of criminalisation of marital rape in a country where sex outside marriage is generally considered a taboo, which gives rise to a situation where people get married just for the sake of its physical consummation. Maneka Gandhi’s statement and the move of not criminalising marital rape, have essentially endorsed the idea that marital sex needn’t require consent because the partners have entered into a relationship where they no longer have the agency of and control over their own bodies by the virtue of entering into conjugal life. The move also implies that there is nothing really wrong with marital rape. These are dangerous ideas to publicise because it implies that their discomfort with sexual abuse in a marriage is unwarranted. It will only lead to more instances of marital rape, because people cannot legitimise their fears and will hence give in to their partners’ demands.

The minister talks about the sanctity of marriage. What about the sanctity of a person’s body? Marital rape is still rape. It is irrational to relate the concept of consent to marriage, illiteracy, poverty and religion. No relationship in the world warrants the violation of a person’s body and their control over it. Being poor and illiterate cannot be reasons for legitimising rape. There can be no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ about rape and consent, no matter what the context is.

 Featured Image Credits: her.yourstory.com

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

 

From Chris Rock’s monologue about the lack of diversity in Hollywood to Leonardo DiCaprio winning the Oscar (can we say FINALLY?!), the 2016 Academy Awards certainly had several memorable moments which understandably sent the world wide web crazy- whether it be through the start of new memes, or the end of others (you know what I mean).

The Twitterverse once again proved itself as the place to be for anyone who wants an immediate explosion of a diverse range of reactions to whatever’s going. We present to you some of the best and most popular tweets about the 2016 Oscars:

1. When Twitter loved Chris Rock’s monologue about the lack of diversity in Hollywood:

cr1

cr2

2. Chrissy Teigen was the queen of audience reactions when Chris Rock brought out Stacy Dash, the actress who has criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black History Month, who wished the audience… a happy Black History Month. Awkward much?!

oscars3

3. Lady Gaga’s powerful performance of her Oscar-nominated song ‘Til It Happens To You’ with survivors of sexual assault onstage made the audience and the Twitterverse emotional. She was introduced by Joe Biden, who has been instrumental in promoting the White House’s “It’s On Us” campaign, aimed at ending sexual assault

oscars 4
4. When Mad Max: Fury Road went on a mini-spree and the memes, of course, followed:
oscars6
5. And of course, when  Leonardo DiCaprio finally won the Oscar for his sixth nomination. His win nearly broke the internet and definitely broke a Twitter record for the most-tweeted minute ever to take place during an Oscars telecast. There were more than 440,000 tweets per minute posted when he accepted his award, as opposed to 255,000 per minute when Ellen DeGeneres took the legendary Oscar selfie in 2014, which was the previous record holder. This tweet accurately captures our reaction:
oscars5
One of the most important tweet was perhaps that of Bette Midler’s before the ceremony even began and captured what many believe was wrong about the biggest Oscar moment of the night:
oscars1
Oh well. The good, the bad and the controversial, all found place on Twitter during the Oscars telecast and it sure made for an interesting feed!
Featured Image Credits: oscars.org
Shubham Kaushik

Miranda House hosted its annual sports event Erobern over the course of three days, from 10th to 12th February, 2016. With participation from over thirty teams from colleges like Lady Sri Ram College for Women, Jesus and Mary College, Daulat Ram College and most women colleges of Delhi University, along with women teams from co-educational colleges, the winners’ position for all events was well fought for. Erobern saw five main competitive events- Netball, Ball Badminton, Basketball, Chess and Taekwondo.

The three day celebration of women-in-sports started off with an opening address by Dr. Pratibha Jolly who voiced her support for the event. She was accompanied to the opening ceremony by Professor Pasquale Sgro, the head of the Department of Economics of Deakin University, Australia, who was in the college for delivering a lecture. The opening ceremony was followed by a yoga demonstration by the students of Miranda House and a rope-skipping presentation by the Dutch Dragon Crew who enthralled the audience with over 450 styles of rope-skipping.

Tapasya Changkakati, the president of the Miranda House Sports Society, was happy with the turnout. When asked about her experience with Erobern, having been a familiar face from the previous year’s event, she said, “It’s a great experience to host fellow sportspersons. We always learn a lot from them. We hope all participating teams take away good memories of a fair and fun event from Erobern 2016.”

Erobern 2016
Erobern 2016

While Day 1 mainly saw knockout matches, the second day was full of action with Chess and Taekwondo being the main attractions, along with the league matches for Netball, Basketball and Ball Badminton. Proving that playing on home turf is indeed advantageous, Miranda House took the first position for both Chess and Taekwondo. The second and third positions were grabbed by the teams from LSR and Laxmibai College respectively for Chess, and Daulat Ram College and Aryabhatta College respectively for Taekwondo.

The finals of Netball, Ball Badminton and Basketball took place on the third day. After a well competed match between LSR and Miranda House, the latter emerged as the winners of the final. LSR took the second position, followed by the team from Kirori Mal College in the third position. It was a special moment for the Miranda House team as they had earlier lost to LSR in the basketball event at Kirori Mal College. Komal and Meena, two first-year players on the team were all glee as they said, “We were nervous about the match but our seniors were phenomenal and we had an 11 point lead in the first quarter itself!”

The Miranda House team again reigned supreme in the finals of Netball, fighting off competition from JMC for the first position. The teams from JMC and Maitreyi College followed, making up the top 3. The winners for Ball Badminton were the teams from Gargi College, Miranda House and Maitreyi College respectively.

Image Credits: Jasmine Chahal for DU Beat