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Daulat Ram College elects Student Union 2016-17

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DRC Elections

The student union elections were finally held in Daulat Ram College (DRC) after being delayed by a month due to protests and renovations. On 26th October, 2016, thousands of DRC students went on to cast their votes to elect the Student Union for the year 2016-17. Most posts saw close competition between the contenders, especially for the posts of general secretary and cultural secretary. The option of NOTA (none of the above) was also a popular choice, with a count of 103 for the post of treasurer.

The results were announced around three hours after the voting ended. The newly elected union celebrated their victory with music and dancing in the college premises. The Student Union for the year 2016-17 is:

President – Nishita Narwal

Vice President – Rajni Upadhyay

Treasurer – Tamanna Chaudhary

Proctor – Prachi Goswami

General Secretary – Surbhi Hooda

Cultural Secretary – Rakshanda Bhat

Joint Secretary – Sanchita Jain

Image Credits: Bhavesh Bellani

Vineeta Rana

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DUB Speak

5 steps to becoming the perfect woman

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No matter what we do as women, we are constantly under scrutiny for our choices and actions. Unable to escape the never-ending misogyny, our correspondent outlines how to deal with it on a daily basis.

 

As women, our lives are full of dilemmas that we regularly face. Luckily, our patriarchal society makes our job easier and dictates exactly what we should do! Here is your 5-step guide to abandoning all individual agency and embodying the characteristics of an ideal woman:

 

STEP 1: Do not think

Do you think you know what is best for you? Do you think you are capable of making your own choices as an adult? News flash: you’re wrong! If a man suggests a course of action for you, take it up! We don’t have the intellectual capacity to analyse situations and expect consequences for ourselves!

STEP 2: Apologise

Have you been exercising your free will? You can’t have individual agency – apologise! Have you been doing as you’re told? You’re such a pushover – apologise! Even if you think your actions are completely justified, remember that you’ll be shot down for them anyway, so it’s better to say sorry in all situations before you even start speaking. Let everyone know that you’re aware that your opinions will be overlooked and that you are apologetic of even voicing them in the first place.

 

STEP 3: Practice moderation

Always remember that balance is your best friend. Your family, your friends, and even strangers on the street will all tell you that you are ‘too ___’. As a woman, you can’t be ‘too’ anything! Don’t dress skimpily, but definitely show some skin. Don’t cake your entire face, but definitely cover up the blemishes. Don’t be too bossy, don’t be too foolish, don’t be too slutty and don’t be too prudish. You may face difficulties in this step, simply because there’s not much you can do without being criticised for it. Don’t worry though; it’s just part of being a woman. Practice makes perfect!

heels

 

STEP 4: Please everyone

Make it your personal mission to please everyone in your life. When people tell you to smile more or be less aggressive, do so. When men ask you out repeatedly, just give them a chance! You can’t possibly go against someone’s personal desires. Your rights and choices are irrelevant as long as everyone else in the world gets what they want from you! A woman must sacrifice.

 

STEP 5: Stay vigilant

Of course, the last step on this list is the responsibility that lies with you to take care of yourself. Don’t attract attention to yourself, because you’ll be the only one blamed for it. There’s no such thing as rape culture! Rape only happens because of short skirts! Referring to Step 3 though, don’t stay too vigilant. Catcalling is completely normal – why can’t you just take a compliment?

Once you successfully complete all five steps and make them a part of your daily routine, you will be well on your way to finally being accepted by society – an impossible feat for any woman. Give yourself a pat on the back – you know no one else will!

Image Credits:  www.vev.ru and www.wordpress.com

 

Vineeta Rana
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DUB Speak

The experience of being bisexual and blithe

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I came out almost accidentally over a year ago, after at least six months of intense mental conversations with myself. I remember the exact moment I felt the words come out of my mouth for the first time, to a friend I’d recently reconnected with after years of no conversation. “I’m pretty sure I’m bisexual anyway”, I said. He nodded in acknowledgement, and we continued our chatter as if what I’d just revealed was a perfectly normal statement. The astonishing part in all of this is that it was, in fact, a perfectly normal statement.

I don’t have qualms about sexuality. Ever since I gained understanding of the concepts of equality, I’ve believed that everyone deserves to be loved. Being bisexual was difficult to figure out, but only because it involved an analysis of my actions and feelings since childhood, as well as a re-evaluation of what I’d established as my identity for so long. There were several stages – from ‘I only like men’ to ‘I like women only physically’ to finally, ‘I can see myself marrying a girl’. The discovery was groundbreaking, in the way scientific inventions are. It offered me a fitting definition and a new perspective. I came out to all my friends one by one, and I couldn’t have wished for better responses. The best thing is that it didn’t stop there. My friends are supportive, silently and unwaveringly but also vocally and emphatically. We joke about stereotypes but appreciate our identities. My boyfriend laughingly exclaims that he’s always up for threesomes, and in the same breath gushes with pride for my openness about my sexuality.
While I’ve yet to come out to my parents, the conversation I had with my brother within a month of labeling myself as bisexual is one of my most treasured memories. We’re not the closest siblings, and we’ve never talked about it since, but the knowledge that someone I immensely look up to knows who I am, is liberating.

Coming out can be hard and traumatic. Luckily for me, I have a support system that can’t be rivaled. The stigma attached to the LGBT community, especially in India, is still highly prevalent. However, not every queer’s life has to be full of distress. There are people who care. People in your family, people in your college, friends you’ve known for years, and a worldwide community. This is what most people do not have the opportunity to realise – that it is possible to be queer, accepted, and happy.

Image Credits: www.whatsuplife.in

Vineeta Rana

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QWERTY

QWERTY: Online Shopping at its barest- the Lingerie industry

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Online shopping has revolutionized the fashion industry over the past few years. With regard to women’s lingerie, this revolution has been even more rapid and tangible.

COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE

In a conservative society like that of India, lingerie shopping can often seem a hassle to middle class consumers. Unless one shops at luxury brands such as LaSenza and Victoria’s Secret, lingerie shopping in real life has the potential to lead to feelings of discomfort and embarrassment, especially if one wants to experiment with their wardrobe. In this context, the introduction of lingerie brands that cater to women’s requirements is a welcome change in the online industry. It allows women to explore their options and find what fits them best.

 

ONLINE PLATFORMS

  • Amazon and Flipkart – Platforms that cater to all varieties of items such as Amazon and Flipkart have a relatively inadequate range of innerwear. They are successful due to the ease and convenience that they provide customers, and benefit hugely from merely their brand name, but fail to offer a fulfilling experience when it comes to lingerie shopping. At best, they are quick fixes for women unwilling to spend more than a few minutes on shopping for intimatewear. The clean and crisp interface makes it a no-nonsense affair, with impersonal filters and preferences.
  • Jabong and Myntra – Fashion platforms definitely one-up mass retailers for the simple reason that they cater to the needs of the consumers more directly. Lingerie is easier to find, as well as easier to explore on fashion-only websites. Jabong and Myntra make it simpler to search for what one wants, especially as they offer a wide range of different brands and their products. This adds variety to the choices available to women, in terms of both style and price.
  • Zivame and Clovia – Entire platforms dedicated to lingerie are naturally the most preferred choice for women looking for something unique and specific. The number one selling point of these brands is that they offer a plethora of choices, from everyday essential bras to corsets and bridal lingerie. More importantly, they provide filters with precise categorization to cater to the needs of every woman. Due to the immense range of products, there is a higher chance of finding something that fits in the budget and size of every consumer. Most such websites provide a guide to the best fitting lingerie for every body type, including self-measure guides to help women determine their bra size. Some platforms such as Clovia also offer discreet packaging. The only drawback of these platforms is that they largely, if not entirely, offer only their own products and do not sell clothing from other brands.

 

The online lingerie industry has only recently taken off as a major subset of the fashion industry. If it continues to progress at the same rate, it is possible that it could become the number one choice for women to carry out their shopping.

 

Vineeta Rana
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Features

Carpe Diem: A venture by Teach For India

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Teach For India (TFI) is widely recognised as an organisation that works on ground level with underprivileged children and people who want to change the nation through education. Its ‘Be the Change Project’ encourages TFI fellows to design a project which they then execute with a particular aim in mind. One such project is ‘Carpe Diem’, which was started in 2014 with the intention of creating educational residential camps for students of TFI. DU Beat spoke to Asif Rahman, currently a TFI fellow involved with ‘Carpe Diem’, to gain a better understanding of its journey and accomplishments.

‘Carpe Diem’ was started by a group of fellows in Delhi wanting to provide concrete learning to extraordinarily talented TFI students. Students from TFI classrooms around the city take aptitude tests, of which the highest scoring students qualify for the ‘Carpe Diem’. This year, over fifty students are part of the project. Five fellows are leading the team and volunteers work throughout the duration of the camps. The camps are organised in collaboration with other organisations and schools, and vary from short ones over the weekend to ones that last a week.

Fellows in the team tackle different tasks with which come several challenges. For example, Asif Rahman, who handles logistics and manages external venue partners, has to create contacts and raise funds for the execution of the camps. There is never a moment when the fellows can be lax; they must stay on their toes to ensure that the project is completed successfully. As Asif said, “The fellowship is one of the most challenging but at the same time fulfilling experiences that many people have in their entire lives.” With its vision and purpose, TFI aims transform the nation, and ‘Carpe Diem’ is one of its many projects that turn this dream into a reality.

Feature Image Credits- Teach For India

Vineeta Rana
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DUB Speak

The Culture of Period Shaming in India

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Period shaming is a phenomenon that occurs all around the world, aiming to portray the menstrual cycle as something to be hidden and be ashamed of. We often fail to recognize its oppressive nature because of the values that have been instilled in us from the onset of puberty. For example, we must hide our pack of pads at the back of the wardrobe lest our male family members see it. Even chemists cover pads in black polythenes or paper bags, stained bedsheets are hastily thrown away and advertisements for pads imply we bleed a pleasant blue liquid. These practices are, in essence an attempt to deny the existence of periods altogether.

Examples of period shaming include whispered conversations regarding menstruation, using euphemisms such as ‘Aunt Flow’ or ‘time of the month’ to refer to your period, a lack of understanding about complete and personalized menstrual hygiene, and the inherent tendency to hide all things menstruation-related. The taboo around periods hinders healthy discussions about this natural process, and thus may have medical repercussions for those who require special care and assistance with regard to menstruation. Complications can go unreported or even unnoticed by people who lack sufficient knowledge.

For a society that views women mostly as baby-making machines and glorifies motherhood, we do a grossly inadequate job of understanding and teaching the science behind it. Age-old traditions deem women ‘impure’ and restrict their participation in religious activities. Even daily soaps portray menstruating women as unfit for the kitchen. This results in a society where women internalize such oppressive ideas and learn that they are defined by their biological processes. They are robbed of individual agency when others view their bodies as public property to be discussed and policed.

Women and men have recently made news through attempts to break social barriers and destroy the taboo around menstruation. In April 2015, Kiran Gandhi ran a London marathon without any menstrual hygiene products while on her period. She claimed it was to draw attention to the millions of women who cannot access or afford menstrual care. Women in India pinned sanitary pads on trees to end the stigma around periods. A Reddit post by an adult woman detailed how her father had helped her through her first menstrual experience and always kept extra pads and tampons in his car.

While these achievements must be celebrated, we must also recognize the reality of menstruation around the world. Thousands of pubescent girls drop out of school upon getting their period because they lack adequate information and care. Women are banned from partaking in certain activities and touching certain objects while on their period. Without proper hygiene, girls and women are vulnerable, which often leads to them being victims of assault by predatory men. We need to evaluate our educational systems and societal prejudices to ensure our women receive the tools to lead a healthy and free lifestyle.

Feature Image Credits: www.keyword-suggestions.com

Vineeta Rana

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DUB News

Protests at Ramjas College regarding canteen prices

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Ramjas College saw organised protests held by its students on 11th August, 2016. The protest primarily targeted the exorbitant increase in prices in the canteen since the start of this academic year. The canteen staff apparently charged higher prices than those mandated by the college. In what a student called an act of “corruption,” the canteen staff would charge a first-year student INR 50 for an item that actually cost INR 30. Speaking out against this practice, a group of students spread word through social media and organised a protest by inviting the Ramjas community to gather at the college gate and march towards the canteen.

The canteen was accused of not only charging more than what was written in the price list, but also of failing to provide good quality and hygienic food. The staff does not provide receipts or bills and has failed to deliver on the promise of a digital price list. There is also a shortage of staff in the canteen. Students demanded the lowering of prices, failing which they intended to boycott the college canteen.

Rishabh Bajpai, who is also running for this year’s college elections, along with a group of students filed an application. However, when no action was taken, they staged a peaceful protest to grab the attention of the administration. The tagline of the protest was “halla bol,” a sentiment close to the students’ hearts. The protest had no political backing, and the organisers ensured that the student body was fairly represented in terms of their demands and grievances.

sign campaign 2

The hard work of the students was indeed fruitful as the Principal and Vice Principal themselves conducted an examination of the canteen, and invited the students to hold meetings regarding their issues. Some student representatives went on to discuss their requests with the staff advisers and the Student Welfare Committee. Here, they brought up additional concerns regarding the water coolers, hostels, etc.

In an effort to thank the students for showing their solidarity and to inform the college community of the consequences of the protest, the organisers set up a signature campaign. Approximately, a thousand students acknowledged the protest and the steps taken by the administration. The canteen prices have since been lowered and the other issues are on their way to being resolved.

Image Credits: Halla Bol Campaign

Vineeta Rana
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Campus Central

Protests at Daulat Ram College question the governing style of the Chairperson

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Protests regarding the governing body took place in Daulat Ram College on 6 and 8 August 2016. Both students and teachers came together to question the governing style of the chairperson, Ms Suneeta Sudarshan. The protest revolved around key infrastructure problems that the college faces, as well as the chairperson’s reluctance to handle these issues.

[caption id="attachment_43751" align="alignleft" width="375"]Protests at DRC 1 Image credits: Sukanya[/caption]

The protest concentrated primarily on the issues of infrastructure such as unhygienic washrooms, inadequate space in classrooms, and the unstable condition of the college building itself. A teacher from the political science department also highlighted the fact that ID cards are yet to be issued to first-years due to the lack of administration and section officers. Furthermore, no permanent appointments – of either the teaching or non-teaching staff – have taken place in several years. Posters of ‘We Want Dignity’ and ‘Save Daulat Ram College’ were spotted. Students also exclaimed slogans such as, “Chairperson hosh mein aayo” and, “ek do teen char, band karo yeh atyachaar.” Priyanka, a student of Philosophy Honours, claimed that “we have contracts and funds,” but that the chairperson was hindering access to them and thereby the renovation process of the college. The administration staff refused to comment.

[caption id="attachment_43750" align="alignright" width="413"]Protests at DRC 2 Image credits: Vineeta Rana for DU Beat[/caption]

After hours of protesting in the front lawn directly opposite the admin block, the gathering was addressed by the Principal, Ms. Savita Roy, who explained the conflict with the governing body. She claimed that the condition of the college was “pathetic” and that despite carrying out proper procedure and taking permission for its renovation, the process was taking much longer than necessary due to lack of cooperation of the chairperson. She claimed that the governing body had frozen the hostel accounts and had filed an FIR against the Principal for breaking a lock that was put up by the matron in the hostel. With regard to the students’ demands for lowering of the tuition fee (the fee has more than doubled in a span of two years), the Principal said that she invites a delegation to formally present the issue so that it can be resolved. The chairperson has denied the allegations against her.

After the demonstrations in college, several students and teachers marched to the Vice Chancellor’s office in an effort to make their demands heard. It was reported that the Teachers’ Union of the college had an altercation with Satender Awana, the DU Students’ Union (DUSU) President, who verbally and physically assaulted staff members from the college. The DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) issued a press release which detailed the events of the day and declared its solidarity with the staff of the college. Students of the college have also been posting messages on social media which detail the shortcomings in the college’s infrastructure and management, particularly with regard to the hostel, where the warden is seen as being autocratic and unreasonable. The outcome of these protests is yet to be seen.

Featured image credits: Asmita 

Vineeta Rana

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Reviews

A Potterhead's Review Of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child

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Released on 31st July 2016, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is already the UK’s fastest selling book of the decade. The book picks up right where the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ended: at platform 9 ¾, with Albus Severus Potter worrying about being sorted into Slytherin. The familiarity of the words is overwhelming – a theme that resonates throughout the book. It does not feel like nine years have passed since the penultimate HP book was released, and the nostalgia that comes with this realization is both enthralling and plaintive. Right off the bat, the language and dialogue are strikingly appropriate and allow the characters to stay true to themselves, which gives credibility to both the characters and the book. The Golden Trio are exactly as we remember them – brave, hilarious, and setting unattainable friendship goals since 1991. While many may describe the HP series as one of good over evil, to me it has always been a tale of friendship. In that sense, the Cursed Child continues that trend and highlights an unlikely but extraordinary friendship between the two protagonists – Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy. On the other hand, the actual plot promises more than it delivers, and is unfortunately a letdown. The storyline turned out to be redundant and while there was definite potential for a more wholesome story, the plot in itself was underdeveloped. The primary twist was a welcome relief and added not only purpose but also pace and intrigue to an otherwise stagnant setup. This may be simply because the Cursed Child is not a novel. It is the script of a play, and while it may read like an oversimplified text, I do believe that the play would be an entirely different and more rewarding experience. Image Credits: www.pottermore.com Vineeta Rana [email protected]]]>

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Campus Central

DU expands to three more campuses

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Delhi University, famous for its north and south campuses, is now looking to build three new campuses in different areas of Delhi.   DU will expand to Dwarka in the southwest and Karkardooma in the east, along with plans for a west campus. Professor Yogesh Tyagi, Vice Chancellor of DU, recently revealed the news for the additional campuses in a council meeting. Dr R.N. Dubey was quoted in The Asian Age as saying that DU has bought land in Karkardooma and is currently looking for land in west Delhi.   Two new colleges, which were previously affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), will now be added to DU since the academic council approved such a proposal. With the addition of Safdarjung Hospital’s Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital’s Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education, DU will now be the parent body of six medical colleges. The 50% reservation awarded to Delhi students in GGSIPU will be reduced to 15% as per the guidelines for central universities such as DU.   Other changes discussed during the council meeting include the introduction of reference books for History Honours, as well as programme courses in Hindi medium. Lastly, Ramanujan, Kalindi, and Jesus and Mary colleges will be providing vocational courses such as retail management and web designing for undergraduate students.   Feature Image Credits: www.du.ac.in   Vineeta Rana [email protected]  ]]>

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