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Delhi HC Slams DU for Arbitrary Admission Denial

By DU Beat October 20, 2023

The High Court (HC) ruled in favour of the petitioner and stated that the University could not unfairly reject admissions of deserving students because of the inconsistency in its own information bulletin.

In a recent ruling, the Delhi High Court called out the University of Delhi for arbitrarily cancelling a student’s enrollment. The case goes back to the previous term, 2022–23, when a student was denied admission to Kirori Mal College (KMC) in the B.A. Hons Geography programme offered by Delhi University (DU) on the grounds of “non-fulfilment of subject mapping criteria.”

Since last year, admissions to many central universities, including Delhi University (DU), have taken place through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) (UG)-2022. The eligibility criteria require passing class XII from a recognised board and adhering to programme-specific requirements. In this case, the petitioner opted for English, Hindi, Geography/Geology, History, and Political Science, deviating from specific subject requirements for B.A. (Hons.) Geography.

However, the CUET allowed for flexibility if an individual Central University permitted it and The petitioner argued that, in the absence of ‘English Literature’ as a CUET subject, he opted for ‘History,’ which he considered the closest match to his prior studies. According to Clause 4 of the University’s information bulletin, the student was offered this flexibility.

After the results were announced, the petitioner was allotted a seat in the B.A. Hons Geography programme at Kirori Mal College on October 19, 2022. The seat was accepted by the student, but the University later cancelled his admission, citing “non-fulfilment of subject mapping criteria.”. This lead to a legal dispute.

The University of Delhi challenged the petitioner’s eligibility based on the subjects chosen in CUET. This case was previously presented to a single judge bench presided over by Justice Vikas Mahajan, who held that the University of Delhi had arbitrarily and incorrectly cancelled the petitioner’s seat without any of the petitioner’s fault and violated the terms and conditions outlined in the Bulletin of Information. He also noted that the petitioner was a deserving and meritorious student who had made it to the merit list in the first round of admissions.

The University of Delhi was ordered to admit the petitioner into the B.A. (Hons.) Geography programme at the same institution in the academic year 2023-2024 due to the conclusion of the admission procedure for the previous year.

The single judge’s decision ordering the University to accept the student into the B.A. (Hons.) Geography programme for the academic year 2023–2024 was challenged by DU in a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) and hence presented to the High Court.

Delhi University was represented by attorneys Mohinder J.S. Rupal, Hardik Rupal, and Sachpreet Kaur, while the respondent student was represented by advocates A. Velan, Navpreet Kaur, Nishant Bishnoi, and Mritunjay Pathak.

The appeal was to reverse the previous judgement because, as per the guidelines, the student was required to give the admission test again to get enrolled for the academic year 2023-2024. The appellant also argued that the ‘DU Exception’ did not apply in this case, and hence the judge cannot link ‘English Literature’ and ‘History’ as similar.

The key concerns of the court were to explore and understand the university guidelines and check whether ‘History’ could be replaced with ‘English literature’ or not. Secondly, the bench considered whether the student could actually be admitted to the term 2023–24 based on the previous judgement.

The court observed that although CUET required students to align with subjects that they took in class XIIth Examination, Clause 4 of the information bulletin permits the students to choose a subject that mirrors their preference in XIIth Board and resembles the programme they wish to pursue further, hence offering a deviation. In this situation, the student had rightly used ‘DU Exception’ with no fault of his own since the university had not released clearer instructions regarding the same. The whole injustice was caused by the ‘narrow interpretation’ of the guidelines.

The University’s denial of admission was hence unreasonable, according to the court, which also determined that the student had properly used the DU Exception. It brought to light the ambiguous criteria for using the DU Exception and the University’s constrained interpretation of its own guidelines.

Delhi University has failed to provide a cogent rationale regarding the perceived dissimilarity between ‘English Literature’ and ‘History’ and overlooked the very essence of the DU Exception. Notably, the University has neither delineated guidelines nor disseminated instructions that clarify the parameters of the DU Exception, such as defining the extent of “similarity” or “closeness” between subjects.

– Read the observations by the bench.

Regarding the second matter of reviewing the single judge’s decision to provide relief to the petitioner, the court referred to the judgement of the Hon‘ble Supreme Court of India in the case of S. Krishna Sradha v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (2020) 17 SCC 465. According to the guidelines of this landmark ruling, if a ‘meritorious’ student has been denied admission on arbitrary grounds or the breach of rules, affecting his or her rights, and has approached the court on time without any delay, he or she should be granted justice to not limit their academic journey. If he or she cannot be provided relief of admission in the present year, the court can direct such admission to the next academic year.

The bench thus favoured the student and mentioned,

The student cannot be held accountable for any delay or negligence. Being an exemplary candidate, he has been unfairly deprived of his admission due to the capricious and unwarranted decisions of the Appellant University.

The Court emphasised the importance of upholding the ideals of fairness, inclusion, and clarity in educational institutions, particularly those with the status of Delhi University. It criticised the absence of clear guidelines for applying the DU Exception, stating that this ambiguity not only leaves students in a state of uncertainty but also makes it difficult to foster clarity in rules and their uniform implementation.

Featured Image Credits: Google Images

Priya Agrawal
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Who Protects Our ‘Safe’ Spaces?

By Sanika Singh October 14, 2023

Against the background of an ongoing onslaught on the University’s gender-minority colleges, we seek to explore what it means to exist in DU’s so-called ‘safe spaces’ and why any threat to their sanctity must be dealt with the gravity of an ‘invasion’.

Introducing yourself as the student of a women’s college is an act that elicits a wide range of responses. From blatant objectification of yourself and your peers as ‘dream girlfriend material’ to feigned concerns about how the institutional absence of men is hindering your ‘holistic’ development, it is evident that gender-minority spaces are no safe haven from patriarchy. If anything, patriarchy operates in covert ways within and outside the walls of these institutions.

Beyond sexist stereotyping and disparaging remarks, it manifests as the very real and physical threat of gender-based violence, of which these students often become primary targets. As our campus witnesses a rise in public displays of male entitlement and territorial chauvinism, it is imperative that we learn to contextualise these incidents and understand that no violation of a safe space happens in isolation.

Before delving into the subject of gender-minority spaces and what threatens them, it is crucial to understand what these spaces symbolise for their students in the first place. The very need for exclusive spaces for women and gender minorities points to a history of sexual violence that has endangered these groups for simply existing in public. Delhi itself hosts the track record of being one of the most unsafe metropolitan cities for women in the country, with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recording 14,277 registered cases of crimes against women in the Union Territory in 2021 alone. The fear of violence is thus statistically backed up and deeply embedded in the collective psyche of gender-minority groups, who are forced to live much of their lives on ‘survival mode’.

In the midst of an overwhelming threat to life and autonomy, gender-minority spaces emerge as a cocoon of safety for historically marginalised groups. Hence, Priya Agrawal, a student of the Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW), Delhi University’s (DU) oldest women’s college established in 1924, comments,

There is a reason why our parents and relatives feel very comfortable with the fact that their daughter is in an all-girls’ college. They feel that she’ll be safe there.

In fact, this dichotomy between unsafe public spaces and the safe space of gender-minority colleges is epitomised by the daily experience of commuting to the latter. Any student of these institutions is all too familiar with the sense of relief that rushes over you as soon as you step inside your college gates and are no longer bound to check the length of your skirt or feel the gaze of a man staring down your chest. As Sobhana, a student of Miranda House, relates,

The journey from my house in Vijayanagar to the Miranda House campus, which is no longer than 3 minutes by rickshaw or 10 if you walk, gives me more trauma and catcalls than the entire day I spend on campus.

It is apparent why, despite the conflictual nature of the inner workings of these colleges, they hold sanctity as a form of ‘private space in public’ universities (to borrow author Shelly Tara’s idiom, who used it originally in the context of women-only coaches on the Delhi Metro).

All of this is not to paint gender-minority colleges as infallible institutions above any and all forms of discrimination. Caste, class, religion, queerness, and other social cleavages dictate the inner anatomy of these institutions, and indeed, the very notion of a ‘safe space’ comes to be contested in the face of social hierarchies and exclusionary cliques. Any sense of safety is accorded on the basis of privilege and it is crucial that we keep this intersectional standpoint at the back of our minds while examining the remainder of this issue.

So, it is not the case that DU’s gender-minority colleges represent some sort of progressive, feminist utopia, but more so that they unite students under the banner of shared experience and solidarity against patriarchal injustice. Payal Krishnan, an LSR alumna from the batch of 1996, says,

Even in a women’s institution, you would routinely face instances of internalised misogyny and homophobia, and it takes time and dedicated efforts to shatter. Just stepping inside a women’s institution doesn’t automatically make you a certain way. But luckily, we always had people come out in support of individuals and communities which were discriminated against, and that unwavering support and dedication towards creating a safe space is what mattered.

Despite the numerous problems that permeate such institutions, she speaks of a “culture of cooperation, respect, and holistic growth” and concludes, “There is power in the collective.” This power—this collective front put up against the omnipresent violence of gender norms—is what poses an existential threat to patriarchy. While it is not within the scope of this article to delve into the rich history of these colleges, it is true that dominant society has always felt a sense of unease in the presence of such highly-educated and liberated women. Whether it be the 1990s matrimonial ads declaring ‘Girls from JNU, LSR or Miranda House need not apply’ or the aforementioned judgemental remarks, the autonomy of gender-minority spaces has always existed as an open challenge to the hetero-patriarchal foundations of our society.

Perhaps it is this challenge, this daring not to conform, that has resulted in the repeated targeting of these spaces and attempts to infringe upon their boundaries. Case in point is that of the recent DUSU election campaigning rallies that have barged into women-only campuses, but also of much earlier incidents, such as the 2020 Gargi College fest, the 2022 Miranda House Diwali mela, and the 2023 IPCW fest. It is evident that these are not isolated incidents but rather a pattern of invasions that legitimises male entitlement to spaces clearly not meant for them. Even relatively normalised behaviours, such as men deliberately hanging around outside women’s college gates, are not to be dismissed either, since they form the root of this very patriarchal problem of ‘space and who occupies it’.

The cases of women’s college fests being invaded by men are some of the most publicized events within this scenario. These incidents, which become grounds for rampant sexual harassment in the form of catcalling, groping, and unwanted advances, and actively put the students’ safety at risk, have been meticulously covered by national media houses as well. What is often left out of the conversation, however, is the aftermath of such events. Sharing her traumatic experience during the IPCW fest invasion and how that permanently changed her perception of the college environment, one student relates,

The purity of the place was gone for me. I did not go to college for 1-2 weeks straight because there were many protests, but also because I didn’t feel like it. Many of my friends didn’t go either. Even months after, as soon as we’d enter, we’d get flashbacks from that night.

It should be made clear then that men climbing walls and trying to barge into gender-minority spaces are not a case of them doing just that. These are incidents that reinstate the fear of violence and re-establish the norm of male proprietorship over women and gender minorities. They serve as a painful reminder to the latter that no space that they construct with love and care for themselves is truly theirs forever. It is forever dangling under the threat of patriarchal violence and could be overcome, at any moment, by the ever-destructive male ego. As the above-quoted IPCW student went on to share,

Even after all this went down, people still don’t realise that this was not about a college having a concert, where people simply climbed the walls and chaos and stampede happened. No, it’s not about that. It’s about men trying to enter the space of women, trying to harass us in our own spaces, and telling us, ‘We can come here too; what will you do about it? Your administration is not going to help you out either.

Indeed, it is only within this context that one can begin to understand the visceral reaction of gender-minority students against their spaces being invaded. Recently, when the political rallies for the DUSU 2023 elections barged into Aditi Mahavidyalya and Miranda House, students of both colleges were quick to label these as ‘invasions’ and expressed dissent against them. Unfortunately, they were dismissed under the claim that such hooliganism is just ‘part and parcel’ of the DUSU election fever. Such statements, that ring too close to the common adage of ‘boys will be boys’, fundamentally fail to understand the sanctity that safe spaces hold for gender minorities and the reason why they might get so protective about them.

It is no far-fetched remark to also suggest that the way elections season has panned out over the past month in DU has been nothing but a display of power under patriarchy. Yes, money and muscle power reign supreme in this University’s (and by large, the country’s) electoral politics, but must we be so quick to accept that as the norm, as students and conscious voters? Must we allow our gender-minority spaces to be violated for the sake of more noise and pamphlet-litter? Of course, one also wonders why it is always the same political outfits, like ABVP and NSUI, that choose to engage in this chauvinist brand of student politics. Perhaps, someone will tell us to quietly accept that just as boys will be boys, ABVP and NSUI too will be ABVP and NSUI.

Ultimately, what matters, however, is the safety of our spaces. One of the most disheartening outcomes is always the immediate reaction of administrative authorities, who seem quicker to police the gender-minority students than take action against the perpetrators. Whether it be barbed wire being put up on college walls or student protestors being detained before the men who invaded IPCW, the question of who will protect our safe spaces remains unanswered.

Featured Image Credits: Anshika for DU Beat

Sanika Singh
[email protected]

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To Kill a Mockingbird: Literary Masterpiece or Controversial Classic?

By DU Beat October 13, 2023

Harper Lee’s magnum opus is perhaps one of the most widely read books today. However, it often finds itself under scrutiny for some of its themes.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that everyone has either read or feigned familiarity with. Originally anticipated to achieve only modest sales, the book is recognised today as a timeless classic. The seemingly uneventful plot and the deliberate, unhurried pacing are common points of criticism. However, it can be argued that these very attributes are the source of its strength.

The novel is narrated in the first person by our narrator, Scout Finch, a little girl from the 1930s American South. Along with her brother, she takes us through the mundane life in her small town, which gradually reveals an atmosphere of gender and racial prejudice, reflecting the prevailing attitudes of that time. The story follows the experiences of these siblings and their friend as they gradually learn about the social norms and values of society. The racist and sexist ideologies of the time are depicted through various supporting characters, who are portrayed realistically as one would imagine for that time in America.

Scout is a spirited young girl who doesn’t just accept what she sees or hears from the town folk and constantly demands explanations from her father, Atticus Finch. Atticus, hailed as the novel’s hero, is a very virtuous man who embodies unwavering moral integrity. He consistently imparts wisdom to his children on delicate subjects instead of avoiding the challenge like other adults would. Young Scout, often oblivious and unaware, serves as the perfect receptacle for Atticus’s guidance. Atticus is a lawyer representing a black man falsely accused of rape. He does so in the face of judgement from both his family and the townspeople, who, during a period when the word of a black man held little sway over that of a white person, questioned his beliefs.

Through the trial that follows, the kids gain insight into the deeply ingrained prejudices of their society. They come to realise that the seemingly straightforward act of kindness and standing up for what’s right is, in reality, a complicated endeavor. Watching the story unfold from the perspective of a little child who doesn’t get why some people are treated differently leaves the reader with a deeper understanding of the absurdity of it all. The novel, through its simple and often amusing writing, leaves one thinking about the power of kindness, compassion, and the pursuit of justice.

The book is undeniably a literary classic but often finds itself under scrutiny in the educational landscape due to its use of racial slurs and the sensitive topic of rape. While the novel does employ racial slurs liberally, it is important to remember that it’s set in a specific historical context where the use of certain words was unfortunately prevalent. Moreover, the novel’s portrayal of the subject of rape is remarkably subtle, with no sensationalism. This approach has made it easier for the reader to better explore the broader themes of innocence, morality, and injustice.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ retains its relevance as it continues to convey the fundamental message that being a compassionate human being matters. And, given the world’s circumstances today, that is a lesson humanity should never grow tired of appreciating and practicing.

Featured image source: Bookstr

Arshiya Pathania
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Campus Central

When “Fun” Crosses the Line: Casual Harassment in College Societies

By DU Beat October 13, 2023

TW// Harassment

You must have heard lately about serious cases of harassment in a few DU societies. College officials took action by banning members and even societies. While DU takes pride in providing a ragging-free campus or in taking swift, decisive measures to stop ragging, what often goes unnoticed is the casual harassment perpetrated in the name of “fun” that has turned into a “trend” among college societies.

The dancing society at Sri Aurobindo College was recently banned after some juniors complained about alleged physical and verbal harassment by the society’s president and ex-president. A similar incident occurred at the FilmSoc of Sri Venkateswara College. The college administration implemented rigorous measures in response; these incidents called the campus’s safety into doubt. While the Vice-Chancellor proudly assured the newly admitted batch of a ragging-free campus, what frequently goes unnoticed is the casual harassment that occurs under the pretence of “fun,” especially during society recruitments.

DU takes pride in providing a ragging-free campus and strict disciplinary action against perpetrators. However, one of the most significant gaps in this “ragging-free campus” is how individuals perceive or understand “ragging.” Most people consider ragging to be a serious form of harassment, but what people need to recognise is the major problem of casual harassment, which is frequently carried out under the guise of “fun” and is becoming a trend in DU societies, particularly corporate societies.

One of the worst examples of this may be found during recruiting interviews for college societies. Most of these societies hire new members following a series of stages of selection and sorting that include form completion, tasks, and interviews. All of these things are largely carried out by core members of these societies. Interviews are an important phase in the recruitment process. These interviews serve as a breeding ground for such harassment.

I was asked to propose a flower vase during the interview.

-A first-year student at Kirori Mal College

Freshers are asked to dance, sing, propose to one another, to a senior, or to any random object during interviews by seniors. Freshers are required to perform this while being secretly recorded. The majority of these “tasks” have little to do with the skills necessary to be part of such societies. This is a recent trend that has emerged in college societies, particularly in corporate societies, where seniors engage in such behaviours intentionally or unintentionally. The majority of those involved in these activities believe it’s “mazak” (joke) and should not be taken seriously. They advise that juniors see this as a joke because it is “a way of bonding.”

My friend, who is a core member of a society, showed me videos of them asking juniors to dance or propose to each other. She was laughing and pointing out how they made juniors do these tasks for interviews while they were being recorded. I asked her if they asked the juniors’ permission before recording. She replied,- ‘arre mazak mai kiya ye sab’. When I explained to her that this was wrong, she understood the mistake she had made.

– A third-year student

What they fail to understand is that this isn’t something that everyone is comfortable with. For juniors, mocking them, filming them, and circulating these videos without their permission can be traumatising. This type of ignorance comes with a certain level of privilege. Many DU students come from small towns and villages. It is not an easy road to DU, especially for female students. Most of these students lack the precise skill set that college societies want, but they join to learn and gain experience. Mocking and filming them could drive out these students from such settings, causing serious problems, particularly for female students.

Because of safety concerns, most parents from smaller towns and villages do not send their daughters to DU, and discovering videos of their daughter being posted on random groups might result in them being refused access to offline campuses. For these reasons, these students are compelled to remain silent and tolerate the humiliation.

Not only that, but in certain college societies, especially film societies, “romantic or sexual relationships” are used as a deciding factor for position. Since the old core members determine the new core members in most societies, a member’s romantic or sexual contact with old core members determines whether or not they will be elevated to core positions.

All of these events or incidents are hidden from administration since most individuals do not consider them to be problematic. As a result of the seniors’ lack of understanding and awareness, college societies are becoming increasingly toxic and unsafe. These aspects also contribute to the segregation of students, with only “privileged” students dominating the majority of these areas. While awareness is crucial among seniors, it is also the responsibility of administration to look into safety issues in societies and educate juniors about these issues during orientation.

Featured Image Credits: Nopany Institute of Management Studies

Dhruv Bhati
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DUB News

Fire Break-Out and Violation of Bylaws: All in One for Mukherjee Nagar PGs

By DU Beat October 7, 2023

Days after a fire broke out in a PG at Mukherjee Nagar, leaving 35 lives in danger, the question arises: are the PGs following the normative procedure of establishing such an institution for living?

Following the massive fire breakout in a PG at Mukherjee Nagar, a senior municipal official was put to the task of conducting a survey to determine whether the PGs were following the correct procedure to be established. A door-to-door survey was conducted and revealed that 104 PG units have been earmarked. The buildings are operating in violation of building bylaws, the survey concluded.

The officials from civic bodies said that notices are being served to 104 PG units for alleged violations of laws. The notices have been issued to the owners, asking why the premises must not be sealed.

After the four-day survey concluded, the official remarked in conversation with Hindustan Times,

We have photographed these units. If a satisfactory answer is not provided to the show cause notice, it will be followed by a sealing drive.

It has been noted that the MCD is focusing on PG accommodations operating in buildings that are more than 9 metres tall and have more than 20 people staying in them. Hindustan Times noted that the higher authorities from MCD are focusing on these accommodations, particularly those that are more than 9 metres in height and have an occupancy of more than 20 people.

Interestingly, the fire broke out at the PG a day after a sealing drive for 20 coaching centres was conducted in the same area after a fire broke out in June.

The official further added,

According to the Master Plan of Delhi regulations and Unified Building Byelaws that came into effect after 2007, such units with more than 20 students and above 9m buildings cannot operate without a fire NOC. Only one unit was found operating with fire NOC issued by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS). We will also submit these findings in our action-taken report on the coaching centre fire safety case.

It is expected that the Delhi High Court shall hear the matter related to the fire safety for coaching centres and the consequent actions taken by the higher authorities of the civic body on October 10.

After the thorough investigation was completed, the MCD officials added that so far, most of the PG’s out of the 44 have been sealed since they are operating in the basement and mezzanine floors. Such activity is strictly prohibited in the basement area since it is a clear fire hazard. 24 out of these 44 units were coaching centres, while the rest were spaces like libraries and reading rooms. A second official associated with the drive commented,

We have also issued notices to units running on the first to the third floor and a hearing has been sought by them. We will have to wait for them to present their documents.

However, according to the Hindustan Times, the owners of such accommodations and coaching centres have shown their frustration as no clear regulations have been defined for them.

Coaching institutes were allowed to operate in commercial areas, mixed land areas, and residential areas by being included in ‘Other Activities’ Section 15.7 of the MPD 2021 subject to following the norms of ROW of road. The amendment regarding 20 people in one unit and the need for fire NOC was unjustly added in 2020 whereby coaching centres with 20 or more people were clubbed under the category of ‘educational building.

– Keshav Aggarwal, President, Educators’ Society, a union of coaching centres.

He further remarked that the clubbing had been done in a hurry, and the stringent regulations under the educational building were a consequence of the same.

But in such cases, there are too many grey areas, and the MCD needs to formulate fire safety policies. Indeed, such precautionary measures are crucial for the safety of an area, whether its residential or commercial in nature.

Featured Image Source: Magzter.com

Aanya Mehta
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DUB News

DU’s Trend of Collapsing Ceilings Follows St. Stephen’s

By DU Beat September 30, 2023

A ceiling collapse disrupted a music concert at St. Stephen’s College, calling for greater accountability to address the failing state of infrastructure and misallocation of funds.

On the evening of 29 September 2023, St. Stephen’s College Music Society organized a Launch concert in the college hall. However, the event took an unexpected turn when the ceiling collapsed, abruptly interrupting the performance and causing injuries to a first-year student.

This incident is part of a concerning pattern, as several ceiling collapses have been reported at various University of Delhi (DU) colleges. In April, Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) experienced a similar occurrence when the roof of a residence hall’s bathroom stall collapsed. Then, in May, at Kamala Nehru College (KNC), a portion of the ceiling collapsed, which narrowly avoided injuring a student. In June, a ceiling fan crashed down on a student at Hansraj College.

Several concerns have been raised regarding the deteriorating state of infrastructure within DU. At St. Stephen’s College, the fee amounts to ₹23,000, with the substantial portion of ₹14,000 allocated to the college development fund. However, when students have sought transparency concerning the specific categorisation of funds within the college development fund, they have encountered unclear responses.

A student from St. Stephen’s College commented on the matter, noting,

The foyer has been closed off for four months due to safety concerns, and no repairs have been undertaken. They simply cite it as a ‘heritage building,’ using it as an excuse, while the guesthouses are in a constant state of renovation.

Furthermore, the student also pointed out that the first-floor corridor’s construction remains incomplete.

Serious concerns exist regarding fund misallocation at DU. In 2020, the St. Stephen’s library ceiling collapsed, restricting library access and operating hours for students. Despite these challenges, library fees remained unchanged. Campus Wi-Fi problems persist, forcing students to rely on limited cellular data while paying full IT/IRC fees. Team Veritas discovered a 33.3% increase in the establishment fee from ₹14,000 in 2017-18 to approximately ₹19,000 in 2019-20.

Many students were disheartened over the incident as preparations for the concert took place regularly for over a month. A student who requested to be referred to as Bob said,

We had a total of 12 performances and while the 8th performance was going on, suddenly I saw that the roof had collapsed. This isn’t the first time something like this happened. In the past, we’ve had roofs falling in classrooms and resident blocks. However, this is the first time it has happened on such a large scale with everyone present.

Following the incident, the music society immediately took charge and evacuated everyone from the college hall. However, St. Stephen’s College has not provided a satisfactory response to the situation.

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The Nominations Debacle: SVC in Uproar as Nominations of ABVP Candidates Cancelled

By Sanika Singh September 17, 2023

After a tumultuous pre-election campaigning season, the nomination period for DUSU and college Student Union elections has proven to be no less happening. Amid similar scenes being reported in Hindu College, SSCBS, and Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, ‘Venky’ or Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) saw students protesting against the administration to demand an explanation for the grounds on which their election nominations were cancelled.

On September 14, 2023, the administrative body of Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) released the provisional nomination list of candidates for election of Executive Committee of SVC Students’ Union & Central Councillors. This document listed 5 provisional candidates against the post of President, of whom two candidates—Arth Ohlan and Kartikey Tomar—were supported by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) according to our sources. The very next day, however, a corrigendum was issued by the college, removing Kartikey’s name from the list.

Even though the very first list claimed the candidates being “found valid provisionally, after the scrutiny for various posts”, the nomination of Kartikey Tomar was cancelled in the second list reportedly on the grounds of not meeting the attendance criteria. In conversation with DU Beat, Kartikey revealed the explanation he received from the college administration for the cancellation of his candidature.

Nominal list mein mera naam tha, usmein meri attendance poori thi. Par doosri list mein mera naam nahi thi aur admin ka kehna hai ki tumhari attendance poori nahi hai. Ya to meri attendance poori pehle nahi thi ya meri attendance kam karwai gayi hai.

(My name was there on the nominal list and my attendance was complete at that time. But my name was not there on the second list and the admin told me that your attendance was not sufficient. Either my attendance was not sufficient in the first place or my attendance has been reduced by someone.)

He blamed the college administration and election committee for committing such a blunder, if it was a case of the attendance criteria falling short. The latter part of his statement here is referring to a protest that happened on the college premises on the morning of September 15, where he and other sources alleged that “pass-out students” had protested to cancel his nomination. The same was mentioned in a complaint mail sent by Kartikey, addressed to the DU Registrar, Dr Vikas Gupta, Dean of Colleges, Prof. Balaram Pani, DU Proctor, Prof. Rajni Abbi, among other University officials. It read,

My name (Kartikey Tomar) was there in the list. But today a group of opposition students protested in front of the college administration and finally the election officer favored them and finally reduced my attendance by 1%.

One of our sources claimed that these protesting students had belonged to a youth organisation called ‘Happy Club’. We were able to get in conversation with one of the students from Happy Club, and they told us that suspicions arose over Kartikey Tomar’s attendance when they talked to his fellow batchmates.

Classmates ko idea rehta hai kisne kitne lectures attend karein hain… Jab humko doubt hua to humnei strongly is baat par demand rakhi. Administration ne humari sunkar cross-check kiya aur fir list badal di.

(Classmates tend to be aware of who has attended how many classes… When doubt arose, we strongly raised this demand. The administration listened to us and cross-checked (the attendance), after which they changed the list.)

They also informed us that the candidates from Happy Club have won both the posts of Vice-President and Secretary unconstested.

The provisional list of candidates is supposed to provide a final window to candidates to withdraw their nominations. ABVP activists from the college informed that they had submitted the withdrawal of Arth Ohlan’s nomination on their own volition, since the latter “was a second-year student and we thought it would be better for him to contest as President next year”. However, with the cancellation of Kartikey’s nomination, ABVP is left with no valid candidates on the final list for the post of President of Sri Venkateswara College Students’ Union.

In view of the same, Saturday, September 16, saw sloganeering and protests by ABVP activists in the Sri Venkateswara college premises. Protesting students gathered outside the administration office and messages circulating on social media also claimed that students had locked professors and staff inside a room. While the validity of the latter claim could not be fully confirmed, one of the protestors present on-ground did strangely admit during our conversation,

Ek hi professor hain jo apni marzi se ander baithe hain. Bas hum unhein bahar nahi aane de rahe.

(There is only one professor sat inside willingly. We are just not letting them come out.)

They also said that the door had been locked by the guards from the outside.

This is not the first time an incident like this is happening. Reports have been floating around of candidate’s nominations being cancelled allegedly without satisfactory explanations and students protesting against the same. The latest updates on the situation in SVC have informed that the Hostel Warden and another professor of the college advised the protesting students to send a mail to the Grievances Redressal Cell, along with assuring that their demands will be formally heard on Monday morning. Students wait in anticipation for the redressal of their grievances.

Featured Image Credits: EducationWorld

Sanika Singh
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Campus Central

Death of Democracy? Protests at Hindu College as Multiple Student Union Nominations Rejected

By DU Beat September 17, 2023

Chaos arose at Hindu College as multiple candidate nominations were rejected for the ongoing Student Union elections. Students are protesting to demand an answer from the administration for the same.

Protests are ongoing at Hindu College amidst its Student Union election procedure, where hundreds of students have staged a hunger strike. This has come as a result of the cancellation of over 30 nominations for the posts of Prime Minister and members of the Central Council at the College, without any explanation from the Principal. The students are demanding transparency from the administration, which has reportedly failed to provide any answers yet.

On September 15, the College released the final list of contesting candidates for the concerned positions. For the post of Prime Minister, only two candidates have been selected. While there are two seats for members of the Central Council, only one candidate has made the list, leaving one seat vacant.

During the nominations, scrutiny did not take place under a witness, and neither is there any video proof to rely on. The selection process has been very arbitrary and the candidates who applied have not been given any updates regarding the reason behind their rejection.

-SFI Hindu via Instagram

The situation is being referred to as “an attack on democracy” by the students, who describe this as the administration’s way of unfairly choosing candidates in order to have more control over the activities of the Student Union.

Posters Circulated on Social Media to Call for Protests in Hindu College

On the 15th, protests commenced on the campus. Posters regarding a demonstration outside the principal’s office were spread on social media, and circulating videos showed student activists entering classrooms to talk about the issue.

When we approached the administration to enquire about the rejected nominations, we were told that the principal is on leave and the office shall remain closed. We will be on a hunger strike until we receive an answer from the administration.

-Manoj Jangir, a student whose PM nomination remains cancelled.

Police forces were later deployed on and around campus, where protesters were present. In an interview covered by ‘Delhi Uptodate’, protestors claimed they were baton-charged and said their hunger strike would continue until a justification for cancelled candidatures is received from the Principal.

As of September 16, the situation remains similar. Most classes stood suspended in light of the ongoing protests.

Featured image credits: CNBC News

Arshiya Pathania
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Campus Central

Shockingly Low Admissions for New BTech. Courses at DU

By DU Beat September 12, 2023

The newly introduced BTech courses at DU had few takers, leaving many seats vacant. The university decided to conduct spot admissions as a result.

Admission statistics recently rolled in for newly introduced BTech courses at the University of Delhi. These admissions under the Faculty of Technology are based on the JEE Mains score. There have been few takers, as many seats are vacant compared to the authorized capacity. For the computer science course, 20 seats were occupied, while only two seats were filled for electronics and communication, and just one seat was taken for the electrical engineering course. Following this, DU decided to conduct spot admissions.

The seat allotment result for the BTech programs was released on September 11, and colleges will verify applications by September 14. The last date for payment of the admission fee shall remain September 15, and there will be no option to upgrade or withdraw.

Many opinions have been expressed in trying to find an explanation for such low admission numbers. Some teachers have said that the programs aren’t affordable for many because they’re expensive by the standards of a central university. Others say that there is hesitation among students to opt for engineering courses at a university more known for its humanities and commerce departments.

“I was unaware of the BTech courses offered at DU. Nevertheless, I would have still given preference to private engineering colleges with well-established courses and faculty.”

-Vardaan, a first-year student at IIIT-Delhi

Thus, apprehension towards DU’s BTech courses does exist among students, especially since the department is fairly new and will take time to solidify.

A university official also said that BTech admissions for this year had already been completed at other universities while they started late at DU, which is why seats remained vacant. They hope to regularize admissions from next year onward. Perhaps the culmination of all the reasons mentioned is an explanation for the low statistics.

Another aspect of the situation that sparked discussion was the setting up of these courses in the first place. Many are of the opinion that if the administration does want to expand its science-based courses, it must first improve the existing infrastructure for BSc courses.

“When almost every college of the university has infrastructure complaints and science courses are lacking in lab equipment and research prospects, why not focus on investing in these areas?”

-Sanviti, a third-year BSc Microbiology student

Featured image credits: Hindustan Times

Arshiya Pathania

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Arts & Culture

Signs of Cinema: Why We’ll Never Stop Going to the Theatres

By DU Beat September 2, 2023

The media had rung the death knell on theatres and the concept of cinemagoing; statistics showed a steep decline in audiences going to movie theatres to watch films. Moreover, films shifted, literally and in the making, to the smaller screen, with several releases on OTT platforms. However, in the last year, there seems to have been a reemergence of the cinematic experience as the primary choice, as opposed to one among many.

Some surveys suggest that during the pandemic, India lost over 24 million cinemagoers, according to a report called Sizing the Cinema. It also suggested that the Hindi movie-viewing audience shrank by around 20%. Several multiplexes faced immense losses due to the abrupt lockdown and sanitation measures, leaving theatres around the world lifeless. Similarly, abroad, companies like Regal Cinema were forced to shut down, given the extent of their losses.

However, 2023 has also been a year of cinema revival, opening with Shah Rukh Khan’s mega-blockbuster, Pathaan, his great comeback film. Metted out to be quintessentially Bollywood down to the last shot, it was also an ode to the true Bollywood cinematic experience: camp, chock-full of machismo and physics-defying stunts, and most importantly, larger than life. It led to the reopening of 22 cinemas across India, which had once been bankrupted by strains of the pandemic. However, just a few months down the line, we lay witness to perhaps the largest cinematic release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, or as colloquially known, Barbenheimer.

Two films, not belonging to huge cinema franchises, managed to pull more eyeballs to the screen than most films in the past decade. It was the way the two played with familiar ideas and the way they connected to common political issues like feminism or the nuclear race, which already resided in the minds of the people (that isn’t to say their extensive marketing programmes had nothing to do with their popularity). Other releases coming up in September, like Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawaan, are also expected to fill theatres to the brim.

While we saw the palpable switch to the small screen in the pandemic, or OTT platforms like Netflix or Hulu, which gained popularity for their efficiency, accessibility, and considerable lack of censorship (especially in India), it seems as though for audiences none of this trumps the community experience of watching a movie in a hall, especially the big over-the-top productions. Movies have always relied on the masses for viewership and communication. Studies suggest the idea of sitting in a cinema hall creates a degree of escapism but, more importantly, allows one to espouse some semblance of belonging, a comforting thought after the pandemic of loneliness most have faced. With the combination of the grandiosity of movie theatres as well as the sense of community they provide, where every laugh and tear is shared, it’s no surprise that cinema, as it was imagined to be, is here to stay—on the big screen.

Read also: Barbie: A Review

Featured Image Credits: Hocmarketing.org

Chaharika Uppal
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