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Bazinga: University of Delhi to Introduce a ‘Gender Neutral Hostel’ by the Next Academic Session

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Continuing its efforts to increase transgender awareness, University of Delhi(DU) announced on Monday its plans to introduce a ‘gender neutral hostel’ by the academic session 2018-19.

It was the year 2015 when DU took a much-needed and critically acclaimed step to introduce a ‘third gender’ category. However, as years passed by, not a single student enrolled and attended regular classes under the category. Acknowledging this, the university’s Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor J.P. Khurana announced on Monday its plans to introduce gender a neutral hostel, along with other initiatives to increase transgender visibility.

‘While pondering the idea of a third gender only hostel, we realized the decision will only end up having segregatory implications. We thought if gender neutral hostels were to be introduced instead, binary students would learn to be more accepting of students of the third gender.’ He said.

The announcement has received mixed reactions from students, some claiming it to be a ‘progressive’ and ‘moral’ decision, while others calling it ‘unnecessary’ and ‘disruptive’.  “I acknowledge the need for trans awareness, but I personally cannot defend such a potentially dangerous decision, especially for girls. How would you make sure that no atrocities happen when you put everyone in the same dorm?” Neha, a resident of Ramjas colleges’ girls hostel told DU Beat.  Professor J.P. Khurana acknowledged this issue, stating that if the decision is confirmed, he’d ensure that ‘safety of the residents remains a priority’.

‘We were aware of the criticism we’d receive when coming up with the idea. However, we thought it’d be in the best of students’ interests if they were to be exposed to third gender on a more recurring basis, and a residential program seems to be obviously the superior way of accomplishing it. It should be noted all necessary steps for the students’ safety will be taken if the decision is to be implemented. Safety of the students remains a priority for us.’ he said

Another concern raised by students is that the decision might only end up backfiring for transgender students. Suspecting that keeping them in the same hostel as trans-phobic students may trigger ‘regular abuse’ and ‘unwanted attention’.  The hostel is rumored to have the ability to accommodate about a hundred students. It is also suspected that hostel charges will be much higher than that of other DU colleges’ hostels.

This wouldn’t be the first time the concept of gender neutral hostels is introduced in India. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai announced this April its intentions to introduce sexless hostels by the next academic session. While the idea of gender neutral hostels sounds appealing, the question here remains that will DU be able to flawlessly introduce and implement the concept or will it only end up becoming another nightmare for transgender students?

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted!

Rishaj

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Admissions 2018

How School is Different From College, And How to Cope Up With The Latter

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The modus operandi of a college with its jam-packed classes and extremely busy professors defers from the relatively relaxed atmosphere of a school. Although it might not be easy to shake off the feeling that school is over, you will face the ultimatum of settling in inevitably. Here are some ways in which you can understand, right at the bat, the crucial differences between the operating systems of schools and colleges:

  1. To each his own: Unlike the schools where there are set timetables and teachers know the students personally, colleges are have thousands of students. The professors are too busy with academic ambitions of their own to go out after every student and ask them about their progress. It is largely the duty of the student to pursue their educators and let them know if they face any problems.
  2. It’s not all a party: No, unfortunately colleges in University of Delhi (and elsewhere) do not host year-long parties. Parties are highly small in number and restricted to a handful of formal occasions like fresher’s, farewell, the fests, and so on. Even though informal parties might abound, students are often seen buried in books, trying to outpace the amount of readings given to them to save their lives.
  3. Bunking is not occasional: Those of you who have concocted rose-tinted dreams of college life being full of bunking classes and going to their “hangout” spots, are about to get a rude shock. Professors are strict about attendance in many colleges, and unfortunately, it is one of those ways in which they actually track the movements of the students.
  4. Hush, it’s not all that bad: Although there are many things that make college life harder than school life, there are some amazing perks to be enjoyed as well such as the relative independence it offers, the wide range of societies that cater to the different skills of a student and of course, the out-station trips and the fests. Enjoy these moments with full enthusiasm because of their apparent rarity, almost like pearls found in an oyster.

Although college life can be intimidating to many, the important thing to remember is that adjusting to college life is something every student grapples with in the beginning and figures out by the end of it.

Feature Image Credits: Surabhi Khare for Mercatus

Sara Sohail

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DUB Speak

12 Ways DU is Like Hogwarts

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Celebrating Harry Potter’s birthday, DU Beat brings to you 11 ways through which you can access your own Hogwarts at the Delhi University and create your own magic!

Harry Potter has ruled the hearts and souls (refer: Hurcruxes) since we stepped into the Wizarding World through Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997. Today, as we celebrate Harry’s 38th birth anniversary, we bring to you a few parallels that you could draw from the world of muggles and magic to the world of the University of Delhi (DU) and the lack of it. Here’s tracing your journey at Hogwarts through DU:

  1. The Sorting Hat or in our case, DU cut-offs
download
Image Credits- Pottermore

 

The cut-offs act as a sorting hat (but in our case, they don’t really listen to us) as they sort us in different campuses and colleges.

  1. The Four Houses or in our case the different DU Campuses
0742da8e32132f969c26bd9182af4f67
Image Credits – Pinterest

 

The sorting Hat, i.e., the cut-off’s divide us up in 4 separate houses:

Gryffindor: The South Campus Colleges

Slytherin: The North Campus Colleges

Hufflepuff: The East and Central Delhi Colleges

Ravenclaw: The West Delhi Colleges

  1. Dumbledore’s Army or dedicated society members
Dumbledore's_Army
Image Credits- Wikia

 

The societies in every college are led by the man behind the show himself: Albus Dumbledore. (Meeting in secret spaces because the college rarely ever gives you space for your society/ lets you miss classes for meetings)

  1. Errol Weasley or the constantly  glitching DU website
download (1)
Image Credits – Wikia

 

The Weasley’s loyal family owl is flown out to us in the form of the DU website, which never works during results or exams or pretty much ever.

  1. Dolores Umbridge or scary faculty members
Dolores_Umbridge
Image Credits- Harry Potter Wiki

 

The professors’ and the principals’ reactions towards our self-proclaimed autonomy serve as a social manifestation of the most real villain in the series, Dolores Umbridge. (Read: I must not tell lies.)

  1. Rubeus Hagrid or in our case, college gatekeepers

Every college guard is Hagrid. Try sneaking into your college without an ID and you will see what we mean!

Rubeushagrid
Image Credits – Harry Potter Wiki

 

  1. Argus Filch and Hostel wardens
WB_F4_ArgusFilch_FilchStoodInCorridor_C394-7
Image credits – Pottermore

 

Argus Filch is every strict hostel warden ever who holds on to dear curfew as if it were oxygen. How dare you return at 8:01 p.m. when the in-time was 8!

  1. Norris (Filch’s Cat) and the one classmate who is the teacher’s pet
Image credits- Screenrat
Image credits- Screenrat

 

Every teacher’s pet ever is Filch’s Cat, ready to rat on us and score extra points with the professor. CR’s can sometimes be guilty of doing so.

  1. Voldemort and exams (they must not be named)
Voldemort-Death
Image Credits – MuggleNet

 

The nose-less demon is socially manifested in our lives in the form of exams, with its Horcruxes leaching at our souls all year long through internals and practicals.

11. Howler or an angry phone call from parents

Image credits- Howler
Image credits- Howler

 

A call from angry parents is just like a howler, involving endless screaming, shouting, and embarrassed silence on our end as we get berated endlessly.

12. Hogsmeade aka Hudson Lane and Satya Niketan

Image Credits- Pottermore
Image Credits- Pottermore

 

Each Campus has its own Hogsmeade. North Campus has Hudson Lane, South Camus has Satya Niketan, and the off-campus colleges have their own few spots to go drink Butterbeer too!

 

Every year, the applications are out and the cut-offs release, DU receives its very own fresh batch of Wizards, ready to change the world in their own ways. And even though Hogwarts has no comparison and it never will, we can’t help but wonder if Hogwarts is only accessible through Platform Nine and Three Quarters or do we really create our magic, even if it is in the Muggle world.

 

Feature Image Credits:  Cnet

Muskan Sethi

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Campus Central

Teachers’ Column: A Journey of Reminiscence

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As the University of Delhi (DU) wraps up its hectic admission season, DU Beat wishes to take you on a ‘Journey of Reminiscence’ with the people who make the University the best in the country: Teachers
As you find yourself at the threshold of this journey that you will remember all your life, we aim to give you a glimpse of what has been. Even though our teachers may seem very intimidating, not relatable, and often distant, it is important to remember that they once were where we currently are, they were once students. They have dealt with heartbreaks, failures, deadline submissions, college flings, and everything else we are experiencing right now. Over the years, they have accumulated this experience and bundled it up in warm smiles, reassuring glances, and occasionally in the form of strict reprimands.

These staunch personalities have been inspirational figures for the students of Delhi University, and will continue being the source of light for thousands of graduate students. Not only do they propel students towards the path of success, their life lessons have prevented students from gloating about their achievements, and being gracious about the little things. Teachers, they’re just like us!

Here are the statements of a few teachers of Delhi University who share some fond memories of their college days and give valuable messages to the incoming batch of 2018-19.

“I have had the pleasure of studying in both the North and South campuses of DU. Few of the fondest memories from my college days are associated with the badminton courts of South Campus and the cafes in Kamla Nagar. DU sure has changed over the years and one of the most striking features is the makeover from rickety U-Specials to the swanky Metro rides which all of us enjoy today, but the heart and spirit of the varsity is still the same. DU occupies a significant place in the academic and socio-cultural scene in the country. That will not change for many decades to come.”

-Prof. Parikshit Sirohi

Campus Law Centre

“This University provides a platform where students from the length and breadth of our country can design their dreams and decide their futures, while creating a beautiful tapestry of culture. Each college is a microcosm with its unique opportunities and challenges and I wish to see students overcome those challenges and seize those opportunities. Academic rigor aside, DU is a cultural gold mine. You must extract as much as you can!”

-Dr. Saleem Mir

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

Cluster Innovation Centre

“College memories are the sweetest memories that I cherish. In my first year our class had decided to bunk a particular lecture; as we were not prepared with our readings. Though we bunked the lecture but our leave was cancelled because of hostellers. I still remember how much we regretted our decision. College provides you with a lot of opportunities; make the maximum use of it. Stay focused, be member of societies that interest you. Go for an education which encompasses the holistic development of an individual and not just awards you with a degree at the end of three years. Hard work, dedication, and sacrifice are the keys to success.”

-Dr. Shachi Chawla

Department of Political Science

Daulat Ram College

“I did my graduation from LSR and I’ve spent some of my best moments in the college canteen. The Paneer Dosa with extra sambar on offer used to fill our days with pleasure. My class used to be an epitome of diversity. I still treasure the Manipuri Lungi that my friend from Manipur gifted me. DU is the place to be in if you want a well-rounded experience of college life. So enjoy each day, be it good or bad. You’ll cherish the good days and learn from the bad ones.”

-Prof. Sonali Chitalkar

Department of Political Science

Miranda House

“There is always something that stands out about each student. A few of them are perennially hungry and always show up to class with a bowlful of maggi while others stumble in their pyjamas for the early morning class, still groggy with sleep. The first day of college is your first step towards autonomy. Do not worry about your appearance. You don’t have to look like a student who has stepped out of a Karan Johar film. Wear comfortable clothes and a friendly smile. Here’s a pro tip, bring a few extra pencils or pens. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to break the ice with your classmates if you have an extra pen to share.”

-Prof. Garima Yadav

Department of English

Shaheed Bhagat Singh College

“During my college days, Valentine’s day had just emerged as a fad. As my friend and I attended our lectures that day, our fresh-in-college rebellious selves scribbled notes to each other, planning our coup d’état from the double lecture by sneaking out from the side windows. Owing to my horrible aiming skills, one of the balls of paper landed directly at the Professor’s desk. Incidentally, I secured highest marks in that paper and am still in touch with the said Professor. DU has much more to offer than just fashion, hip cafes, and politics. The hallmark of this institution is the vibrant spaces it creates for learning outside classrooms.”

-Prof. Rachita Mittal

Department of English

Lady Shri Ram College for Women

“Before anything else, the fresher’s must know that they are learning in an environment with zero judgment. In DU, you are safe to make mistakes. I understand that learning from mistakes isn’t always the best way, but sometimes it’s the only way. Second, even teachers are always learning. Students need to know that we are neither above nor beneath them. If we learn together, we’ll make a terrific progress. My fondest memory of teaching in this University is associated with the care I’ve received all these years. Every year on my birthday, my students get me a cake, sing me the ‘Happy Birthday’ song, and embellish the walls of the classroom with birthday decor.”

-Prof. Dhani Ram

Department of Commerce

Ramjas College

“College life is marked by a lot of freedom, so the students should make the most of it keeping in mind their limits. College life has a lot to offer to freshers: there are college societies, trips, and the eventual exam fever. I would just say that learn, grow, and groom yourself in the three years of college life.”

-Ms. Saloni Arora

Department of Commerce

Jesus and Mary College

Our professors happen to be a fascinating bunch of people. Having dedicated a fair share of their lives to academia and learning, they are able to think dynamically and creatively. Being surrounded by students, specifically the crème de la crème of students in the country, in a varsity that is the hot-bed of student politics, gives them a rare kind of insight. Their lessons and words of wisdom, both inside and outside the classroom are precious and deserve to be cherished. These snippets of knowledge come from a place of great experience and a fundamental desire to create change and are therefore, extremely valuable. The role of academia in the creation of a free-thinking society can never be over-estimated. It is easy to fear and be intimidated by our professors by virtue of their age and experience. In such moments, it is crucial that we look back at these anecdotes full of candour, vulnerability, and youthful mistakes, and remember that they too were once young, falliable, and insecure like we are.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat.

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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Meher Gill

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DUB Speak

Reality Checks for a DU Fresher

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As a fresher, you enter college with several expectations and dreams. Not to burst your bubble, but it is extremely important to get some reality checks early on, so that you don’t miss out on what really matters. Having said that, take cognizance of the following eventualities:

1. You may not make good friends on day one

You won’t necessarily gel well with someone on day one- you might even come back a little lonely. It is okay, every other student out there is lonely too. In your head, you might have already started comparing your college ‘acquaintance’ with school friends, looking for alternatives to replace them. Be prepared for heartbreaks and disappointments, as it takes a little while to create a meaningful bond.

2. Your freshers party may not be the best, and it’s okay

Your freshers party won’t be as perfect as you think, most probably. It is because there is only so much funds and freedom given to your seniors to organise your party. Furthermore, your expectations will most certainly differ from what they have in mind. Regardless of that, give them credit for all their efforts, and remember that one day your juniors will think the same for you. Click loads of pictures and pretend that the party was the best thing to happen to you, on Instagram.

3. Everyone else is as apprehensive and confused as you

We know you are cautious, nervous, confused and even judgmental of yourself right now. However, remember that every other fresher is probably feeling the same way! It is completely natural to feel this way in a new environment. One day, the same place which intimidates you, will feel like home and you’ll just laze around, comfortable with yourself.

4. Your branded clothes will not matter after a while

Buy as much as you want, for we love the shine in your eyes and confidence in your spirit that the clothes adorn you with. Having said that, this is a gentle reality check that you will be wearing your PJ’s to college henceforth.. The place becomes home, and you end up wearing all of those clothes you’d never thought would see the light of the day.

5. Taking a lead is always the best

Yes, life isn’t a race. You all are at college to learn together and help one another. However, don’t think that the first year is just a moment to relax. You have relatively lesser academic pressure, so take this time out to take the lead and boost yourself by beginning early. Relax all you want, explore, and have fun too! At the same time, start devoting time to constructive pursuits to get a head start in the corporate, fast-paced world.

 

Feature Image Credits: Afterschool
Khyati Sanger

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DUB Speak

To be or not to be, That is the Question

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College is the place where we rediscover ourselves. However, the process may not always be as straightforward as we are led to believe.

Popular culture has given us problematic ideas about what to expect from college. We hope to find friends, love, increased self-confidence, and the prospect of being gainfully employed in these three years. We hope to find solutions to the problems that have plagued us all our lives, both internally and externally, over these three years.

During our boards and across the latter years of our school life, the thought that things would be different during college was our greatest consolation. We hope to fix everything we dislike about ourselves in this one place, hoping that crossing the threshold of our to-be alma maters fills us the excitement, self-love, and success we never found. But college, and the kind of change it brings, has been largely exaggerated. Sure, we may have lost our uniforms and some of us have started living away from home, but deep down, we are the same people we have always been.

 

According to pop culture, the fundamental solution to all problems is outside us – it can be a person, an incident, or an experience. Sadly, life-changing stimuli that is neatly wrapped with a bow is not waiting there for us. There won’t be a Bunny to our Naina, waiting around in a college corridor, who will teach us how to live our life fully. For change to be truly constructive, it needs to stem from within.

We may get a new haircut before college starts, hoping that it solves our self-acceptance issues, but truth be told, issues that stem from within can never be solved by a change of scene. A lot of people experience major transformations and become altogether different individuals in college. This does not mean that it was college that led to these changes – it was the inherent desire within them to fearlessly embrace change and improve.

It is important that those who are just on the verge of a new beginning start out with a realistic thought of what the next three years would look like. You will not meet your best friends for life unless you seek new people, you won’t become a great debater unless you go out and try public speaking. You most likely will still have the same problems you have always faced; the only way to create fundamental change in yourself and for the better is to seek opportunity rather than waiting for it to find you. Apply for an internship at that organisation you aspire to be part of, write to the people you look upto, make new friends from different cultures and backgrounds, take
trips that are both planned and unplanned, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. For us to get what we want, it is imperative that we seek what we hope to find.

To the Batch of 2021, I would just like to say, for us to get what we want, it is imperative we seek what we hope to find.

 

Kinjal Pandey
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DUB Speak

How DU Offers the Best Exposure

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The University of Delhi (DU) offers students the best kind of exposure they can think of, not only academically but culturally as well.

Situated in the capital of one of the most populated nations, Delhi University has its own share of limelight. It goes without saying that anything that happens in the University, be it the admission process, cultural fests, the records of academic excellence, or even the food spots popular among its students, everything manages to grab the attention of public.

Delhi University started with only three colleges being affiliated to it and now has more than 60 colleges whose students are awarded degrees by the University. Students from all over the country apply to study in the colleges of DU. This year, over 3 lakh students applied for admission in the under graduated programmes. It is only natural in such circumstances to expect an environment that takes into consideration the interests of various groups and communities and gives them a place to thrive in.

The fact that so many students apply for admissions here is a major premise contributing to the high cut-offs. Academically speaking, the colleges are able to get students who are among the best in the whole nation. In this way, the whole process teaches a student ‘survival’, a by-product of studying in one of the best universities of the nation. You will find a lot of like-minded individuals to share healthy competition with, which will only help motivate you to do better. Apart from having a reputation of housing the “country’s toppers,” Delhi University also offers you the wisdom and experience of some of the most accomplished and oldest Professors in the country, all within the capacity of the walls of your college building.

Coming to the cultural aspects, the various societies that function in the colleges are perhaps one of the best ways to learn and experience what team work actually is. By joining a society, one does not only get to perform but also gets to practice in a simulation that is somewhat similar to the corporate world. The experience and pleasure derived from the society activities, and representing your college at different levels teaches you more than the confined walls of classes ever can. Some societies and cells like Enactus, Placement Cell, etc offer you real work experience that adds as an effective CV booster.

One very important factor contributing to the fact that DU indeed offers the best exposure is also the number of famous and eminent alumni that it has provided to the nation. For example: Ramachandra Guha and Amitav Ghosh from St. Stephens College, Satish Kaushik and Naveen Patnaik from Kirori Mal College, Arun Jaitley from Shri Ram College of Commerce, and the list continues. The paths that these people created long back are still alive in the legacy of greatness they have left behind in the corridors of their respective colleges.

 

Feature Image Credits: Sarthak Gautam for DU Beat. 

Akshada Shrotryia

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Sex Amma

Dear Sex Amma, I am a Fresher to Sexual Experiences

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Dear Sex Amma,
I am a recent school graduate and a fresher in the literal sense to sexual experiences, and a very eager one at that! All my life I have been taught to associate sex with shame. I hear college is way more liberal than school, especially when it comes to this area of life and this makes me scared. Please Amma, help me. How do I go about this?

My luscious little lamb, you are only what, 17, 18 years old? Amma understands you completely and sympathises with your intimate innocence, which I see, our lovely conservative society has had a major role in protecting. To feel that sex is something foreign and shameful is not unusual; thanks to the way we let our children grow up, despite being the world’s second largest populated country.

Do remember, that these youthful years of yours are probably the best years where you can discover your body sensually and allow yourselves the pleasure  you might not be privy to in the future due to biological constraints.

College is liberal yes, but that also does not imply you should feel any pressure to be overtly sexual. Keep in mind my curious kitten, that sex is pleasurable and needs time to be discovered. Do not allow yourself to be shamed for wanting too much or too little sex. Find other non-judgmental ripe munchkins and talk to them about your sexuality. Don’t be embarrassed about being naive about sex. Remember, every cat was a kitten once, even Amma! Your confidence in yourself is the biggest threat to anyone aiming to bring you down by their judgement.

Be sure of yourself, and explore the venereal edens of sexual pleasure and fantasy at your own time. Amma surely didn’t shy away from it. Don’t forget to be safe and always carry an umbrella in this titillating weather. After all, it’s raining men, women or whoever you’re into!

Amma wishes you a safe and lucky semester ahead!

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Campus Central

Understanding the Choice Based Credit System: CBCS

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It was amidst a lot of apprehensions that the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) was introduced by the University of Delhi in 2016.

A Brief Background of its Implementation:

The Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) was introduced in the University of Delhi (DU) in the year 2016. As the University Grants Commission (UGC) moved away from the conventional marks-based percentage system, it aimed to introduce a credit system which could match the international educational pattern. It wanted to structure this system in line with higher education systems such as the Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS) in the United Kingdom and similar credit systems existing in the US, Japan, and so on. It was argued that the previous education system produced young minds lacking knowledge, confidence, values, and skills. Many contended that there was a complete lack of a connection between education, employment, and skill development in the conventional education system. UGC argued that the percentage-based evaluation system restricted the students from studying the courses/subjects of their choice and limited their mobility to different institutions. As such, a complete transformation and redesigning of the system was considered to be necessary.

The ‘UGC Guidelines for CBCS’ state, “there is a need to allow the flexibility in the education system so that students depending upon their interests and aims can choose inter-disciplinary, intra-disciplinary, and skill-based courses. This can only be possible when an internationally acknowledged choice-based credit system (CBCS), is adopted. The choice-based credit system not only offers opportunities to learn core subjects but also exploring additional avenues of learning beyond the core subjects for holistic development of an individual. CBCS will undoubtedly facilitate us benchmarking  our courses with best international academic practices.”

 

CBCS: Its Merits and Demerits

The basic idea of this credit based system is to allow students to choose from prescribed courses, which are referred to as Core, Elective/Minor or Soft Skill courses, and Ability Enhancement Course (AEC). Unlike the traditional percentage-based system, CBCS evaluates the courses according to a uniform grading system. It helps the students to move across different institutions, within and outside the country, with ease.   CBCS also aims at helping the potential employers in assessing the performance of students. Further, it gives more freedom to students to choose subjects according to their needs and abilities.

CBCS  hopes to remodel the education system in keeping with the changing industry requirements, alternating  aspirations of students, and growing  expectations of society. When one observes carefully, an array of advantages and disadvantages of this system can be listed. CBCS encompasses a massive shift from teacher-centered to student-centered education. It focuses on the comprehensive development of students in addition to enhancing their personalities. By emphasising on classroom discussions, presentations, assignments, projects, and internal assessments, it creates a friendly learning environment. It helps them choose papers of their choice according to their interests, in turn aiding them to realise their full potential. Through its approach towards inculcating job-oriented skills in students, CBCS prepares students to face the competitive employment sector. CBCS also stresses the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in classroom teaching. Since it enables learners to pace their learning or course as per their habits and abilities, the anxiety and stress created by exams amongst students is greatly reduced.

On the other hand, it is difficult to measure or calculate the exact marks secured by a student in the examinations under CBCS. The workload of teachers keeps fluctuating. Maintaining compatibility between papers under the Core course and those under the Elective course, and simultaneously offering more than one programme of different nature is challenging. Extra burden is experienced by the institution as CBCS allows students the flexibility in choosing credits.  It poses problems in maintaining the cumulative record of every student. CBCS demands more infrastructure which is often missing in colleges. Besides hampering mastery of students over their chosen subject, it also hampers research work of the teachers as they remain occupied in administrative work.

 

Structure

CBCS works on the basic elements of semesters and credit system. The assessment is done semester wise, with there being two semesters in an academic year. Each semester has 15-18 weeks of work which is equal to 90 days of teaching.  The number of credits allotted varies for papers under the Core course, Elective course, and AEC course.  One credit per semester is equal to one hour of teaching, which includes both lectures and tutorials. Depending on the course, practicals may also be included which are usually 2 hours of practical work or field work. The total credits earned by a student in each semester is calculated by the sum total of lectures, tutorials, and practicals.

 

Outline

There are three main courses in a semester-core, Elective/Minor or Soft Skill courses, and Ability Enhancement Course (AEC). All the three courses are evaluated and accessed to provide a fair, balanced, and comprehensive result.

The core course includes the compulsory papers which have to be studied by the student. These papers, which may be different in every semester, are the basic requirement for completing the study of a particular discipline. Elective courses provide the student with the freedom to choose from a pool of options. These courses are generally offered for the students to seek exposure. They help the students in involving application of knowledge. The Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC) may be of two kinds: Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) and Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC). The AECC course offers two papers: Environmental Science and Communication. On the other hand, papers under SEC are value-based and skill-based.

Examination Scheme Under CBCS

The evaluation of each course consists of two parts- internal assessment and external assessment. The responsibility of evaluating the former is vested in the hands of the teacher teaching the particular course.

Each paper has an internal assessment component of 25 marks, out of which 5 marks are awarded for attendance. There is a credit for regularity in attending lectures, tutorials, and practicals in each paper. Assignment and class tests account for the remaining 20 marks. As per DU’s rules, a student must have at least two-thirds of attendance i.e. 66.67% attendance separately in lectures, tutorials, and practicals.

 

Conclusion

The process of implementation of CBCS was subject to intense debate and discussion for quite a long time. There was confusion among the colleges as to whether the syllabus, assessment procedures, and timetable were to be prepared according to the ‘old’ system or the ‘new’. In spite of all the difficulties and initial hiccups, DU  was successful in implementing CBCS within a short period of time. However, the assessment of whether CBCS has been able to

‘revolutionise’ the Indian education system, as the UGC had initially claimed, will only unfold and reveal itself in the coming years.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

Anoushka Sharma

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Disha Saxena

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Maknoon Wani

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Admissions 2018

A Note to the Batch of 2021

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Dearest Fresher’s

Savour this moment, as you stand in long queues, sweaty and hassled with the ongoing admissions process, because at this very second, as you make an important decision, will mark the beginning of a great adventure.

You are on the threshold of joining an institution which will introduce you to some of the brightest minds of our generation. Once you finally make it here, throw yourselves into the movements, music, theatrics, and magic of this Varsity and you’ll become the best possible version of you.

We wish we could quote Dumbledore and say, “Help will always be given at Hogwarts (read DU) to those who ask for it”. However, DU is not kind, these old-experienced walls believe in tough love. You will not necessarily get the best infrastructure or faculty, but it will provide you with opportunities to make the best of it. There will be problems, but there will also be protests against those problems. It will be your choice to pick a side which will make all the difference.

With almost a 100 colleges dotted in across National Capital Region, the University is a like a breathing-living spider web. It houses not just the future of this country but also it’s present. And at this moment it is welcoming you, another batch of thousands of stakeholders, into its vibrant universe.  Its sheer brilliance of talent and knowledge can be tempting and intimidating, but with a little patience and confidence you’ll fare well.

We hope these three years give you group hugs, jitters, breakdowns, laughter, and solace which, for the years to come, will translate into splendid stories and memories.

Good luck! We’ll see you around.

 

The DU Beat team

Kinjal Pandey

[email protected]

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

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