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Vijeata Balani

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A Review of Amazon Prime's Pushpavalli

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Pushpavalli is a brilliant and witty show that is so hilarious that it will leave you gasping for breath – only before you realise that it is not funny at all. Sumukhi Suresh does an admirable job in playing the titular role of Pushpavalli.  Pushpavalli (literally means a creeper) is intelligent and independent. So, when she develops a fixation for the charming and handsome Nikhil Rao, it only seems extrememly strange. This is rendered even stranger by the fact that she initially did not like Nikhil and got his number only because her friend wanted it. However, a friendship develops between Nikhil and her in a couple of days. When Nikhil has to go back to Bangalore, the only logical step according to her is to give up her life and move there too. Of course, she denies this fact to everyone around her and maybe to herself too. When once in Mumbai she stalks Nikhil and even employs the tea vendor in front of his office to help her in her pursuit. This all seems quite hilarious as you assume that in two or three days she will realise that her actions are wrong. But, Pushpavalli is a creepy by not only her name but also through her actions. Even before you realise it, the show develops a very dark shade. Sumukhi Suresh needs to be praised for portraying a character who is a compulsive liar. She has to distort even the simplest of all situations and to turn them very complex.  The rest of the cast is also very funny and leaves you with tears rolling down your eyes. Naveen Richards plays the angry boss and a friend of Pushpavalli. Ex- RJ Shraddha plays the role of an overbearing landlady, and there is also a special appearance by Kenny Sebastian. I will suggest this web series to all those who are into India-based web series. This is something new and very fresh. It only asserts the fact that Indian web series are all up for exploring new areas.  You will not find even a sing dull moment in the span of eight episodes. Feature Image Credits: The Opinionated Anukriti Mishra [email protected]]]>

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DUB Speak

An Overview of the Revaluation Process

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The process of revaluation is inclusive of correcting and marking answer scripts again while rechecking refers to the totalling up of marks received to avoid calculation-based errors. This system was done away with in 2013 on the premise that answer scripts are jointly invigilated, but it was again reinforced following protests. Since then, DU has introduced a restriction that only theory papers of non-professional courses can be sent for revaluation.

To apply for revaluation, the student should fill the application form available on the DU website and should submit it to the nearest centre within two to three weeks after the declaration of the result. For revaluation, a fee of INR 1,000 is required to be submitted along with a copy of the candidate’s recent scorecard. The application form should be verified and attested by the Principal or Head of the Department. An extremely pertinent point to remember in the entire process is that the student will have to surrender his/her original marks and accept the revised result.

The revised result can be any of the following – an increase in the mark, a decrease, or no change. Therefore, a student should apply for revaluation only if he/she has reasons to believe that his/ her marks are less than expected. It should be kept in mind that rechecking is a strenuous process which should not be taken as lightly as it is by students. A paper shuffles from one examiner to the head invigilator, and so on. Students should consult their friends and teachers before sending the application.

Once the application form has been filled by the student, it should be submitted to the nearest Revaluation Cell Counter. The counter can be found in the Examination Branches of both campuses. The updated result will be published on the DU website under the results portal after four to five months. It usually comes in right before the next semester’s result. The entire procedure and rules are described on the Delhi University website and should be browsed well to avoid errors.

Important points for revaluation

1. The application form for revaluation is available on the university website, www.du.ac.in. The application must be submitted within 15 days from the date of publication of results.

2. The fee for revaluation is INR 1,000 per paper and must be paid to the University of Delhi along with the application.

3. A photocopy of the statement of marks for verification of roll number is required. The photocopy should be inclusive of the marks of the subject which is being revaluated. This document must be verified by the Principal or the Head of the Department and must contain the official stamp and signature of the authorities.

4. Candidates are advised to submit their request to Revaluation Cell Counter. The Examination Branches of both campuses receive the revaluation forms. The timings for public dealing are from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

5. The result may be issued by post or uploaded on the university website within 45-60 days of the submission of the form. The marks may increase, decrease, or not change at all, but result after revaluation is final.

6. Revaluation is not undertaken for practical or professional courses. The student must carry his/her admit card along with a self?addressed envelope of 9”x 4” size with a postal stamp worth Rs. 5 affixed thereon when submitting the application form.

 

Image Credits: Pin Art

Bhavya Banerjee

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Vijeata Balani

[email protected]

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Events

A Conference on Psychological Applications and Interventions

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The Psychology Department of Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi organised its First National Conference on 18th and 19th January, 2018 on the theme ‘Psychological Applications and Interventions: Reaching Out and Making a Difference’. The Inaugural function was graced by Chief Guest, Prof. Devesh K. Sinha, Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi and Dr. Savita Roy, Principal, Daulat Ram College. The esteemed dignitaries released a book of selected papers presented at the Conference, edited by Dr. Preeti Kapur and Dr. Pooja V. Anand, Convenor and Organising Secretary of the Conference respectively.

The Conference involved participation from over 250 delegates across India in various paper and poster presentation sessions as well as workshops in diverse domains of psychology. Participants were undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral students as well as teachers from Psychology departments from various educational institutions all over India. The Conference provided a platform to the delegates to present their innovative research papers as well as facilitated exchange of ideas on various topics as enhancing hope, emotional intelligence, resilience, self-esteem, gender issues, developmental issues, body image, health, and well-being to name a few. Since most papers were authored either by students alone or a student-mentor combination, the Conference illustrated how mentoring students helped in realising the immense research potential in students. The two days of deliberation helped in instilling a scientific temper and a thorough understanding of concepts, theories, and research methodologies. This allowed students to go beyond classroom teaching and understand the applications of Psychology in the real world. The Conference involved various events as a panel discussion on the Conference theme, paper, and poster presentations and workshops on Arts Based Therapy, Depression, and From Personal to Interpersonal Effectiveness.

The Conference aimed to create awareness about the scope of Psychology in various domains of life. It helped in understanding how knowledge from research in Psychology should not be limited to textbooks but can be applied to find a solution to various issues ailing individuals and communities, and, finally how the knowledge of Psychology can be applied for reaching out and making a difference to the society.

Credits to Dr. Preeti Kapur & Dr. Pooja V. Anand
Department of Psychology, Daulat Ram College

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News

Students and Teachers Rebel Against Ramjas College’s Principal

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Ramjas College has again hit the headlines, and this time too it’s a controversy. On 25th of January, more than 200 teachers, students, and members of the non-teaching staff of University of Delhi’s Ramjas college held a dharna and demanded action against Dr. P.C. Tulsian, Acting Principal, Ramjas College.

Dr. Tulsian has been accused of siphoning students’ fund to pay employees who were not on the college payroll, causing financial discrepancy in the college accounts. According to the findings of a committee founded by the Staff Association, two staffers who worked as the personal staff of the Principal marked their attendance manually whereas all non-teaching staff members used biometric attendance.

“They are not employed by the college, but are paid salaries of Rs 15,800 and Rs 11,000 per month from the students’ fund,” Prof. Surender Singh Dahiya, President of the Staff Association said. “The Principal has continued the employment of a large number of staff on a contract basis who are engaged in his office with no work”, he further added. The Principal was also accused of delaying a long-standing demand for an audit of the funds from 2013.

In his defense, Principal Tulsian told the Indian Express, “This is an absolutely baseless allegation, these things are not true. If you Google my name, you will see my contribution to the nation. As I am the head of the institution, I have an attendant who also drives and takes me to the Vice Chancellor’s office, Minister of Human Resource Development, and the University Grants Commission. ”

Following the protest, a delegation of teachers, students, and staff members submitted a representation to the Prof. Devesh Sinha, Dean of Colleges, J. P. Khurana,  Pro Vice Chancellor, and Mr. Yogesh Tyagi, Vice Chancellor. The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has also extended support to this agitation against the Principal.

“Earlier this month, our college celebrated its 101st Foundation Day. However, if you see past our legacy, the current state of the college lacks even basic infrastructural facilities, despite the 25% fee hike”, a student of Ramjas College said.

 

With inputs from PTI

Feature Image Credits: Ramjas College’s Facebook Page

Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

 

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Bazinga

Bazinga: Delhi University to Clear All Back Papers of Students

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As a part of University of Delhi’s Republic Day gift, the backlogs of all students from their previous university examination will be removed, with effect from the November-December 2017 semester exam results.

In an attempt to pacify the increasingly growing crowd of students failing, the Executive Council of Delhi University came up with the idea of clearing the pending backlogs of students from the immediately preceding semester. Following this declaration on Monday, some students were seen rejoicing the decision, while others were visibly distressed about the unprecedented spike in marks and subsequent competition this decision would bring.

However, after probing into the matter, DU Beat found that this decision is not devoid of conditions. A student can only clear his/her backlogs provided the attendance in that particular subject in the last semester exceeds 85%. The rationale employed behind this is to credit the daily commitment of the few students who are willing to work, and despite of their hard work are unable to perform well in the university examinations. The backlog would be cleared and the student would be given a 4 grade point for that subject, that is, the minimum passing marks. This move has received flak from the student community and teachers alike, and has necessitated an urgent inquiry by the Human Resources ministry into the underlying facets of the Delhi University examinations.

Radhika Boruah, a student majoring in Economics at Daulat Ram College has objected to this resolution. She has asserted that this step disregards a bright student’s efforts and places them in the same category as those who are less deserving. On the other hand, Niharika Dabral, a student at Cluster Innovation Center (CIC) has contended that this opportunity is available to those who genuinely put efforts into studying and still are not able to score as much, or fail because of unforeseen circumstances.

Since this rebound is available only to a selected few, it is bound to create hullabaloo in the University campus. North Campus was seen brimming with protests demanding a roll back of this sudden “gift”. Many student political outfits have lead protests and have roped in teachers’ associations as well. Delhi University Teaching Staff (DUTS) has lent its support for these protest marches and have written to the Executive Council to demand an urgent probe into the matter. Desh Singh, a member of DUTS has also sent a written appeal to the concerned government officials. He has stated that this is a mala fide attempt by the DU officials to appease to the student masses and not aimed at their actual benefit. DU Beat tried reaching out to these officials to no avail. Considering the current heated atmosphere, there is high likelihood that the government will force DU to roll back this decision, or clarify the contents of this “gift” on an urgent basis.

*Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is a humorous, light hearted column that should only be appreciated and not accepted.

 

Feature Image Credits: PinArt

Vijeata Balani

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Events

Impreneurs Organises B-Plan Competition 2.0

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Impreneurs – The Entrepreneurship Cell of Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC) successfully organised B-Plan Competition 2.0 on 11th January 2018 as part of Symphony 2018, the annual cultural fest of JDMC.

15 teams from colleges all across Delhi NCR were shortlisted to present their business plan in the on-campus round. The competition was judged by Mr. Ashish Kumar and Mrs. Neeru Vashisth.

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In addition to the cash prize, the top three teams will get internship opportunities from Everyday Innovators. Offers from Leantrack on Pre-Accelerate Program were also awarded to the winning team and the 1st Runner Up. Team Impreneurs heartily congratulates the winning teams for their commendable efforts!

For more information, follow us at: https://www.facebook.com/ecelljdmc/

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Events

Youth4Swaraj Organises Vivekanand Youth Summit 2018

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Asserting that the teachings of Swami Vivekananda should be followed, Yogendra Yadav, on Friday, said it is unfortunate how the present condition of apathy in terms of false notions of nationalism and patriotism, which the youth are misled with, is a sheer misinterpretation.

“The notions of patriotism went much beyond any religion, caste, or creed for Swami Vivekanand. The idea of tolerance and ‘Bharat belonging to the Shudra or the last man’ was upheld by him. So, idolising him as the face of a single religion is incorrect,” he said while addressing the students at the Vivekananda Youth Summit 2018. His appeal of giving two years and contributing to new politics inspired the youth present in the summit.IMG-20180112-WA0051

Each year in India, the National Youth Day is observed on January 12, on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Mr. Yadav was the chief guest of honour along with MLA Pankaj Pushkar, Professor Shashi Shekhar, Professor Harish Khanna and a few other dignitaries. The event’s beginning was marked by a documentary clip on the life and struggles of Swami Vivekanand as Narendra Dutta and his journey to become the representative of India and the ‘Hindu Dharma’ in the World Parliament of Religions, 1893, in Chicago.

Manisha, a student of Ram Lal Anand College recited the entire speech, which Swami Vivekananda had delivered at the World Parliament of Religions. The focus of the speech was to reiterate the latter’s ideology in front of the youth today. The glorification of his ideas about the nation and oneness, which ‘hindu dharma’ propagates, was central to the narration.IMG-20180112-WA0057

Winners of Vivekanand Youth Contest, which was a write-up contest, were awarded. Viren Sheoran of Dyal Singh College was the winner of the contest. Sakshi Wadhawa, Sumantra Mukherjee, Malik Ul Haq, and Karishma Arora were the runners-up of the contest. Top 50 write-ups were also awarded by Prof Harish Khanna.

MLA Pankaj Pushkar’s address to the youth was an oration declaring the similarity in the issues that the youth faces today and the issues faced by Narendra Dutta.

Anupam (Delhi President, Swaraj India) also addressed the gathering and said, “You don’t need a big mob to bring the change. You and your five friends with hope, vision, and commitment can create a revolution. ”

Youth4Swaraj announced that this event was not the end but the start of a campaign. Youth4Swaraj will continue this talk in various cities across the nation. Punjab University(Chandigarh), BHU, JNU, Kurukshetra University among others, are marked for this. After the event, students had an informal talk with Professor Yogendra Yadav for more than an hour.

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DUB Speak

Looking Back at the Past Year: India’s 2017

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India saw its many ups and downs in 2017; demonetization was on people’s minds till March and a couple more months. Peace was restored in Kashmir, but communal clashes and numerous heinous crimes committed by cow vigilantes reigned in 2017.

India started the year with a victory by successfully launching 104 satellites in a single mission on 15th February. ISRO’s PSLV – C37 consisting of two nano-satellites of India, INS -1A and INS -1B, and nano-satellites of other countries i.e. Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and United States of America from SDSC SHAR Sriharikota. The 101 international satellites were launched as a part of the commercial arrangements between Antrix Corp. Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO and international customers. ISRO set a world record by launching 104 satellites in one go.

On July 1, India woke up to one of the biggest reforms after Independence. GST came with a baggage of confusion, uncertainty, and critique. All small and medium-sized businesses have to register with the government and now every business has to make cash memos and bills. The months that followed the reform saw inflation in certain sectors and lower quarterly GDP. Critics are divided on its long-term results, but for now, the loopholes and glitches in the technology have been dealt with and the process is smoother.

The same month, India’s 14th President, Ram Nath Kovind was elected with a majority of 65%  and M. Venkaiah Naidu was elected as the 13th Vice-President of India on 5th August.

Soon after, India’s most contentious issue which persists to date, the triple talaq bill started gaining heat across the debating circles in India. Supreme Court made historic decisions on the right to privacy and triple talaq. The 9-judges bench ruled in favor of the right to privacy and declared it as a fundamental right. Indian citizens were awarded the basic liberty of taking decisions of their lives, which was a much-awaited right for the LGBT+ community. Legalising same-sex marriages in India still has a long way to go but India is beginning to tread on that path.

In the case of Shayara Bano VS Union of India and Ors, the court banned the custom of triple talaq. Thousands of women in our country have suffered because of this practice and our neighboring countries banned the practice ages ago. On one hand, the court’s decision is still questioned by women’s rights’ organisations, and on the other hand, the Muslim community contends that they are not bound to follow the law because religion and the constitution are two separate entities.

The Supreme Court criminalised sex with a minor girl, whether in wedlock or out of it, but the Kerala High Court did not rule in favor of Hadiya, who had a consented marriage with a Muslim.

In what can be termed as a dark mark in the journalistic history, Gauri Lankesh’s cold-blooded assassination sparked outrage and people from various walks of life questioned the freedom of media under the present government. It was a blow to the very spirit of journalism but the media woke up to a renewed fire of protecting its freedom as an homage to Gauri’s death.

The year ended for North India on a bitter note with pollution levels rising across all the northern states. The pollution levels had reached disgraceful levels last October and it is high time the government and we take strict action towards it.

 

Feature Image Credits: Newslaundry

Prachi Mehra

[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

DU to Release Admission Guidelines By Month End

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The University of Delhi’s admission committee is expected to come out with the admission guidelines by the end of this month. The Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, Prof. Yogesh Tyagi, is expected to brief the media about the admission guidelines of the 2018-19 session even before it is formulated. This tradition had been discontinued during the tenure of previous Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dinesh Singh.

“We will soon announce the admission committee and a lot of details regarding the forthcoming admission season. The admission committee will be led by Prof. Maharaja Pandit and majority of the former members will be a part of the committee. However, we are also thinking of expanding the committee further, details of which will be revealed at the briefing for media,” Tyagi said while talking to The Times of India.

When DU Beat approached professor Maharaja Pandit, he said, “I have been appointed as the chairman of the admission committee formed on Monday and the admission guidelines will soon be formulated.”

The admission committee aims to invest arduous efforts to complete the admission process in time for the forthcoming session. The University is also striving to eliminate the loopholes of last year’s admission process. The ambitious aim of conducting online entrance exam for selected courses will also be reconsidered.

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Sandeep Samal

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DUB Speak

‘Absolutely Mandatory’ to ‘Voluntarily’ Get Yourself an Aadhaar!

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From making the Aadhaar card a mandatory document to leaks of Aadhaar details online, Aadhaar had been one of the central controversies of 2017. However, Aadhaar’s specific impact on the student community has been one of the lesser ventured-into areas, ironically. Here are 7 points relating to Aadhaar and its impact on the student community:

1. Student loans will be more conveniently accessible when acquiring them from banks: 

Sometimes, parents, guardians, or whoever is initiating the loan on behalf of the student does not have a credit history making it difficult for the bank to understand the credit-worthiness of the individual. This may lead to the loan application being declined by the bank. But after the implementation of Aadhaar, banks will be more confident in giving out loans, since they would be more secure in knowing who they’re working with. 

2. Student scholarships:

Students entitled to receive a scholarship from the government will get the amount credited to the Aadhaar enabled bank account. This unambiguous way for students to avail their scholarship under various schemes will leave little scope for irregularities or illegalities in the process, like siphoning off money meant for students from BPL families by administrative servants. This increases the accountability of many of these schemes which were hitherto not implemented well. 

3. Minimisation in the use of college-paperwork: 

Because Aadhaar would incorporate the important biometric details of students starting from the date of birth to the specimen signature, it reduces the administrative overhead of colleges by minimising the use of paper. So during admissions, Aadhaar would save you the trouble and hassle by enabling you to submit all the required documents through one concrete database of biometric details.

4. The privacy concern: 

Whether you acknowledge this or not, privacy is, in no uncertain terms, is authoritative. From the ‘personal integrity’ point of view, the discomfort that arises from information about our lives being available to people or institutions with whom we do not wish to share it is real, especially among the youth. Some believe that this interpretation of privacy is an elitist concern. However, this should not trivialise the debate on privacy, as students of today would best understand. 

5. Potential for misuse against targets from the student community:

 Delhi University is known to be the hub of student politics and youth leadership. Often these high-flying student leaders get embroiled in conflicts with the state forces or parties holding political affiliations which differ from theirs. In the rather complicated present day student-state equation where police are often found complicit in crimes, spying, and persecution, it may be possible for vested interests to plant records of biometric details matching someone they want to target among evidence.

Image Credits: Mission Sharing Knowledge

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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