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On the last Wednesday of June, tensions rose and confusion ensued as the police was called in to Daulat Ram College to assuage the worried applicants. June 28th marked the last day for applicants to enrol in college under the first cut-off list, and some candidates were denied admission to the college due to a lack of availability of seats.

Admission denied

According to some student testimonials, applicants wishing to pursue B.A. Programme were prohibited from entering the college as the authorities claimed that the seats were full. These candidates had cleared the cut-off and fulfilled all eligibility requirements, and as per the varsity’s rule, were entitled to secure a seat in the college.

While the University has a prescribed number of seats for admission into various courses, there is no bar on the number of students who actually register and confirm admission under a certain list. Moreover, as the undergraduate portal was riddled with technical glitches, several students were unable to obtain the acknowledgment slip of a college on the first day. Students also often wait till the last day of a cut-off list to weigh in the college options available to them, and to clarify the Best of Four requirements. The time frame allocated to a cut-off list allows every student who meets the criteria to secure a seat in a given college, without any counter policy.

Intervention by ABVP and DUSU

The situation scaled when volunteers of the RSS-affiliated student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), intervened on behalf of the aggrieved students. The Delhi University Students’ Union’s President Amit Tanwar expressed his dismay at the erroneous decision on the college’s part. He said, “According to the University rules, all students who clear the cut-offs are to be admitted. There is no first come, first serve policy. Several applicants had come to seek admission today [on Wednesday] as it was the last day to do so under the first cut-off list. They were, however, told that the seats were full. This caused panic.” As the agitation transferred from the applicants to the student leaders, the police were asked to step in.

The college has lodged a complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station against the ABVP, DUSU, and parents who allegedly manhandled the Principal, along with vandalising her office. The Principal, Ms Savita Roy, claimed that the ABVP and DUSU members entered her office without permission and misbehaved with her. The complaint filed proclaimed that, “They used abusive language, manhandled me, and threatened me with dire consequences if I did not admit the students.” She also added that the crowd refused to send a representation of two people despite her request. An FIR has been filed against six persons who were involved in the scene, and the Principal has requested police protection to continue with the admission process.

However, these allegations have been refuted by the ABVP as an “excuse” by the administration, and are being labelled as an “arbitrary denial.” Tanwar adds, “The parents of students, who were confused after being denied admission even after the verification of documents, approached the ABVP and DUSU members. All of them went to the administration to ask why were they denied admission.” A student from DRC spoke to DU Beat and confirmed the refusal of admission, and also added that the teacher coordinators for the admission process refused to allow a student to opt for B.A. Programme on account of the lack of seats, and continued to “misguide” her by advising her to enrol in other courses. She said that the ABVP proceeded to help the student who had to bear the brunt of the commotion. However, she claimed that members of the ABVP and DUSU barged in the college and misbehaved with the officials.

Authorities’ stance

A senior member of the administration said that the college complied with the admission process of all candidates who met the cut-off requirements after the ABVP volunteers barged in. However, the number of seats would act as a hindrance for them to undertake the subject-combination of their choice.

According to sources, a committee was set up to look into this issue.

Daulat Ram has set the cut-off for B.A. Programme at 91% this year, a lower number as compared to other North Campus colleges. An all girls’ college, it offers 169 seats for the course. The next cut-off list is scheduled to be announced by the midnight of June 30th.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Saumya Kalia
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Many students studying Journalism Honours and Psychology Honours under CBCS guidelines received information about the Skill Enhancement Course’s external and internal assessments’ final marks distribution from their college’s faculty members close to the date of their final examination. With the dates of receiving this information varying in different colleges, students from Journalism Honours in Kamala Nehru College (KNC) learnt about the same from their teachers hours before their examination. Interestingly, the confusion of the Psychology Honours’ batch of Daulat Ram College (DRC) was clarified only upon receiving the question paper.

The discrepancy was found out in various colleges upon receiving the admit card. Students of Journalism Honours in KNC and Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) found a 50-50 marks distribution for external and practical assessment for SEC in their admit cards. While KNC students had been studying the course keeping the 50-50 distribution in mind, LSR students were uncertain as they had been following the 75-25 marks distribution, with 25 being allotted for internal assessment. Students from other colleges also underwent similar confusion. “Our admit cards said that the SEC paper that was documentary production would be of 50 marks. But the paper actually was for 75 marks.”, said Aditya, a Journalism Honours student from DCAC.

The situation varied across different colleges and different departments. In certain colleges, the final distribution came to the students’ knowledge quite late, while in certain colleges like Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW), there had been no discrepancy about the same neither in the admit cards, nor with the faculty.

The entire situation around the distribution of marks created confusion and hustle among students. “We were pretty confused since we didn’t know how the marks would be divided and how we are supposed to answer had it been for 50 marks.”, said Utkarsha, a Psychology Honours student from Daulat Ram College, where no clarification from the faculty had been received regarding the SEC Emotional Intelligence paper.

DU Beat reached out to faculty members, but received no comments from their end. There is still uncertainty whether the discrepancy had been for the Journalism Honours and Psychology Honours courses only.

Such action by the college administration as well as the faculty members makes us question whether the students’ best interests are really at heart. After all the formalities and unnecessary steps the students are forced to go through to receive their admit cards, such a massive error with regards to the marks distribution is a careless mistake by the authorities. Students who prepared accordingly, having faith in the college administration and the teachers, were shocked on the day of the examination. With all the buzz around exams and the pressure on students, why was this matter handled so inadequately by the authorities?

 

Priyal Mahtta
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The much celebrated fest season of Delhi University has almost come to an end. Most of the colleges have had their annual cultural fests with spectacular performances in the competitive events, and to the amazing EDM and Star Nights. With the tribal theme on point, Daulat Ram College successfully organised its two-day fest Manjari’17 on the 22nd and 23rd of March. The pots painted with warli paintings and tribal masks: everything was splendidly placed, decorating the entire college premises beautifully.

The audience relished the amazing performances of different colleges in the western dance competition Laasya, folk dance competition Ulhaas, classical dance competiton Yogya, and semi classical face-off Darpan organised by Zenith, the western dance society of DRC and Annhad, the Indian dance society of DRC respectively. Alahyaa, the Indian Music Society of DRC held its annual music fest Aaroh’17 where the leading music societies competed in the different events like Sur Sangam, Jugalbandi and Annhad. Memesis, the theatre society of DRC organised Adakari’17- the theatre festival of DRC which saw a vast multitude of spectators pulled towards the amazing annual productions of the different theatre societies. Annual exhibition Taabeer’17 was organised by Sepia, the film and photography society of DRC. ‘Shades’ was organised by Spectra– the fine arts society of DRC. Tajagna, the quizzing society of DRC hosted Big Fact Hunt- a general quiz. All India Mushairah was also organised. A talent hunt competition was held for the visually challenged students. Events like Promenade by Debonair, the fashion society of DRC and Zaahir-e-Hunar, the open talent hunt, had immense spectation.

Superstar singer Guru Randhawa of Suit, Patola, Yaar Mod Do fame ignited the evening with his peppy numbers, making the crowd dance on their toes. The two-day celebration was drawn to a close with Bollywood hits like Pee Loon, Tere Sang which are credited to the name of the soulful singer Tulsi Kumar.

 

Feature Image Credits: Pinterest

Radhika Boruah
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The day before Manjari, the annual cultural fest of Daulat Ram College, saw a Sports Day be conducted. It started off with the entry of the chief guest, Dr. Kuljeet Kaur, who is an athletics champion and alumni of the college, and the Principal, Ms Savita Roy. A round of felicitations then took place, with the chief guest, the Principal, and the organising teachers being recognised. This was followed by recognition and appreciation of the students who excelled in the previous Sports Day. Their hard work was applauded while they were received by a warm welcome from the crowd.

The actual event was an exciting affair, with wide participation from not only the students, but also the teachers. Most surprisingly, even the Principal took part in a couple informal events, which truly lent an element of fun to the occasion. Some of the races included classic favourites such as frog race, spoon race, and three-legged race. Such events brought everyone back to their elementary school days, when these races were the highlight of the school year. Apart from this, there were the usual formal sports events. These included distance races such as the 100m race, long jump, and so on.

Once the competitive events were concluded, there was an awards ceremony where all the winners were presented with their prizes. All in all, the day concluded on a note of laughter and excitement, and got both the students and teachers all hyped up for Manjari in the consequent days. It was a successful event that left everyone with a high.

Feature Image: Daulat Ram College Cricket Team

Vineeta Rana
[email protected]

On 27 October 2016, the film and photography society of Daulat Ram College, Sepia, held a photography exhibition in the gazebo in the front lawns. The exhibition displayed photos taken by the current team, as well as some ex-Sepia members. It included a variety of shots, such as those of nature, animals, and portraits. The event was open to all, and students from other colleges also came to admire the efforts of the team. Sepia also constructed a photo booth with a funky background and quirky props that everyone could use. They also had a feedback book, in which it was apparent that the viewers of the exhibition truly appreciated the hard work put in by the society members.

The event was a success overall and is only an indicator of the events to come this year.

Myraid themes came together in one exhibit.
Myraid themes came together in one exhibit.

 

Image Credits: Team Sepia

Vineeta Rana

[email protected]

Electric rickshaws have garnered huge popularity ever since their inception as cheap, accessible and affordable modes of transport. Though a lot of discussion and debate has been taking place regarding the legality and benefits of this recent innovation, research in this segment is still scant.

University of Delhi facilitates innovation projects where the students from different colleges take up potential topics and conduct extensive research upon them under the guidance of a mentor and teachers. One of the projects undertaken this time is by the students of Daulat Ram College on the topic ‘A Comprehensive Analysis of Electric Rickshaws in Comparison to Conventional Fuel Vehicles’.This Project is brought together by Ms. Ritu Khanna, Ms. Shikha Singh and Ms. Raman Arora and 10 students under the mentorship of Mr. V. Packirisamy. The team of students comprises of Harshiel Chahal, Aleena Khan, Arushi Gupta, Aishna Sharma, Gajal Jain, Aswitha Visvesvaran, Astha Goyal, Garima Goel, Talat Khanam and Muskan Gupta.

DRC innovation project
Primary surveys of e-rickshaw drivers were undertaken

The main objectives of the project were to study the socio-economic impact and environmental effects of e-rickshaws and to make policy recommendations for future action. A primary survey of 220 passenger electric rickshaws was conducted across Delhi with the comprehensive questionnaire designed to include social and economic profile of drivers and the vehicular profile of e-rickshaws. It has also questioned the regulatory and legal ambiguities in the e-rickshaw industry and suggested key improvements in the urban public transit governance for the same. Based on the findings of the survey and methods of calculating carbon emissions accepted globally, electric rickshaws have been found more environmentally sound than other conventional fuel vehicles.

 

The most significant contribution of the project has been the quantification of socio-economic impact to e-rickshaws, which had been an ignored area of study till now. The project could make several conclusions encompassing many socio economic indicators like income, working schedule, education, and living standards among others. These results play a pivotal role in putting together an inclusive report to the grass-root realities and make it possible for policy makers to look beyond a veil of fabricated understanding.

 

DRC innovation project
A comprehensive understanding of the on-ground situation along with the socio-economic conditions of drivers was attempted at.

The project also facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the on-ground situation of e-rickshaw drivers, which pointed towards several loopholes and administrative failures. Along with a pragmatic study of evolution of the regulatory framework, this helped us make necessary policy recommendations, which account for problems faced by the drivers that is often overlooked in the face of need  for rapid development. Thus, it will prove to be an indispensable piece of literature and act as guiding study for future researchers and policy makers                                                                                     .

 

This project has provided the students a first-hand experience of working with the target group along with the academic curriculum.The team has presented papers at prominent conferences including the International Conference on Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability, the National Conference on Social Science and Economics (NCSSE) and the National Conference on Emerging Issues of Climate Change: Sustainability and Economic implications, receiving immense appreciation for the research and innovation undertaken. It will also be presenting a paper at the International Conference titled ‘Socio-Economic Justice after Seventy Years of India’s Independence: Domestic and Global Challenges’ organized by Faculty on Law in November, 2016 and International Conference on “Green Chemistry in Environmental Sustainability & Chemical Education” (ICGC-2016).

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

[email protected]

On 17th February, the Maths department, Affine, of Daulat Ram College put together its annual fest called SHOONYA’16. The day started off with the much awaited inauguration of the third edition of the department’s annual newsletter called “MathPunch”. The college’s Principal Dr.Savita Roy graced this event and encouraged the students for their future endeavours. Throughout the day, various competitions were lined up by the department.

Tattoo-making was an event where teams of two were allowed to participate. One of the team members had to design a tattoo on the other team member’s hand using mathematical symbols, terms or figures.   The winning team had participants, Nishtha and Lata from Daulat Ram College, Economics (H).

In the event Pictionary, a total of 39 teams participated and 6 teams made it to the finals. The team consisting Arnav Vats and Saksham Garg stood first, from Hindu college. And, Aakriti and Rajneet from Daulat Ram College stood second.

Tambola saw a participation of approximately 50 teams. The department improvised the game and announced a corresponding mathematical problem in place of the number. The participants had to solve the problem within 40 seconds and strike the number off their ticket. There were four prizes which were bagged by Pragati from Daulat Ram for a Full house, Purva and Bharti Sharma from Daulat Ram College for a First Row, Anisha and Mohit from St. Stephen’s for Second row and Ashna Singh from Daulat Ram College for Third row.

Treasure Hunt was another popular event and saw students enthusiastically running all around the campus. The team consisting Riya, Shivani, Shalu from Daulat Ram College came first and won a cash prize of Rs.3000.

There were various stalls where students tried their luck at games like Lucky 7, Hollywood TV Mania, Flip the Coin and made the day memorable for themselves.

“When the fest got over, I just got the feeling that all the hard work has finally paid off. SHOONYA’16 has made us all happy and proud. Thanks to the people who’ve contributed in making it a success and to those who had trust in us! Hail Affine!” said Shreya Arora, the President of the Maths Department, Daulat Ram College.

The Department of English, Daulat Ram College, organised a UGC sponsored National Conference on the topic, Migration and Identity: The Urban Subject. It was a two day event held on January 28 and 29.

The conference discussed the topic in question comprehensively by investigating various literary works to realise the importance of the topic and to find out how migration is shaping our lives- knowingly and unknowingly.

The first day of the conference began with an inaugural ceremony where the Head of the department and Convenor of the conference, Dr. Deepshikha Mahanta, welcomed all the esteemed guests. She also thanked the college Principal Dr. Savita Roy for her constant guidance and help. The keynote speech was given by Prof. Avadesh Kumar Singh, professor of Translation Studies at Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

This was followed by various sessions where the invited students and scholars from all over the country presented papers and indulged in fruitful discussions. Topics such as Migration and Labour, Migration, History and Gender, Migration and Identity, and Migration and the Subaltern were discussed. These discussions  were chaired by respected guests namely Prof. B.P. Sahu (Dept. of History, DU), Dr. Shimi Doley (Jamia Milia Islamia) and Hany Babu (Dept. of English, DU).

There was also a movie screening of a film called Essential Arrival by Prof. Ariva Javed, Dept. of Sociology, Wayne State University, Detroit. The day ended with a short play on migration by Memesis, the dramatics society of Daulat Ram College.

Day 2 saw discussion on topics such as Migration and the Urban Question, Politics of Migration, and Narratives of Migration chaired by distinguished guests which included professors from various universities. The day came to an end with a Valedictory session where everyone congratulated each other for pulling off a successful event and hoped to organise more such productive and rewarding conferences in the future.

“I believe the conference taught us both, academically and practically and we all just hope our guests and audience enjoyed participating in the conference as much we enjoyed organising it” said Sanya Dhingra, the Cultural Secretary of the English department.

 

Image Credits: Sepia, The Photography and Film society of Daulat Ram College

Nishita Agarwal

[email protected]

The newly elected union of the debating society of Daulat Ram College with its members organised the first debating event of the year, the Intra-College Conventional Debate 2015 on the 26th of September. The motion at hand was “This house believes that marriage is an outdated institution.”

The total number of teams that participated was 14. The judges of the event were Dr. Seema Rani, a teacher from the Hindi department of the college, Ms. Abhipsa Chakraborty, from the English department and Ms. Megha, a graduate of DRC and currently pursuing M.A from Delhi University.

The event kicked off with the felicitation of the convenor of the society and the judges by presenting them bouquets. Then a general introduction of the debating society was given and soon the waiting participants were called on stage to present their debates. As the topic is quite controversial, there wasn’t any dull moment throughout the event.

As the topic is quite controversial, there wasn’t any dull moment throughout the event. It was interesting to get such different perspectives of the students for both, for and against the motion. The few debates that were presented to affirm the motion were strains of patriarchy seen in such an institution, no more than a regressive idea, no space to acknowledge LGBT rights or a homosexual union. Also, live-in relationships were proposed as an alternative because they’re hassle-free. These arguments were refuted by points such as marriage being a stable environment for the development of the kids; people sustaining faith in marriage even after divorce; if the sanctity is nullified then why is the world seeking approval of same-sex marriage; live-in relationships seen just as an excuse to not bear responsibilities and so on.

After the participants had spoken, there was also a small ceremony where the union members were presented with badges of their respective posts by the teachers-in-charge to formally mark their advent in the society. Then, the judges addressed the audience and told them how it’s an endless debate and there will always be two sides to a coin but they are also happy that the students of Delhi University are doing justice to its standards are well-aware and open enough to debate on such topics.  The winners were announced as follows: Akansha Sharma and Aparajita Talwar both of final year, Political Science (H) as the best team of the event, Nisha, 3rd year, Political Science (H) as the Best Speaker (For), Himadri Bhatt, 2nd year, Political Science (H) as the Best Speaker (Against) and Arunima, 1st year, Political Science (H) as the Best Interjector of the event.

“It was great to see such an exceptional participation from students considering it was our society’s first intra-college event. We deliberately kept a topic which every student could relate to. And, seeing it execute well encourages us to organise more such events in the future”, said Disha Singh, president, Debating Society of DRC, after pulling-off the event successfully with the help of her team.

Nishita Agarwal

[email protected]

Image Credits: Aakriti Jindal