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English Department Freshers at Hansraj College

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The official freshers party of English (Hons) students of Hansraj College took place on September 7. The theme of the party was “The Chronicles of Harry o ween” giving freshers an option to dress in themes of “Harry Potter”, “Chronicles of Narnia” and “Halloween”. Every fresher was asked to introduce themselves, and explain about the character they portrayed. The ones who did not follow the theme were asked to enact scenes of Bollywood movies and dancing (eg: ek chutki sindoor from Om Shanti Om). This was followed by the talent round. Meghna and Rishabh (both first years) did a ballroom dance and Vaishali performed a martial arts sequence. “It was fun. The freshers were very cool and sporting. We all danced our energies out, seniors danced with us too”, says Baruni, a fresher. Vaishali and Karan were titled Miss and Mr. Freshers respectively. “We had put in a lot of effort for this party. We’re glad freshers liked it”, says Drishti, a second year student.   Picture credits: Additi Seth]]>

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Campus Central

DU in Desperate Need of Revaluation

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Exam results are generally not what most students look forward to. So when Delhi University decides to go ahead and make the experience even more harrowing, you can’t really blame them for being disgruntled.

Most of them would agree without question that the revaluation system is a major pain. Under the system, if there’s a difference of 5% between the original and the revaluated marks, no change would be made. In case the difference in between 5-10%, average of the two marks would be awarded. And if it is more than 10%, the paper would be reexamined and the average of the two highest marks amongst them would be awarded.

Something that appears to be troubling most students is the methodology of awarding marks within this system itself. The question that’s on their minds, put simply, would read something like this- why am I being awarded averaged marks instead of what I actually secured? “Why am I being penalized for the examiner’s mistake and why am I being charged for it? This is rubbish”, says Rudrakshica, a 3rd year economics student.

The whole system, however, now seems like a money making gimmick. Not only has the revaluation fee sky rocketed from Rs. 250 per paper a few  years ago to Rs. 1000 per paper in the present day, it also seems as if the papers have been deliberately marked less to possibly increase revenue from this source. Take for instance, the curious case of notoriously low marks in one of the Economics 2nd year papers- Indian Economic Development (IED). It is true that students were given grace marks in Microeconomics on account of the horrifying paper but that in no way justifies the enormous scaling down that has happened in IED. This has led to most of the students applying for revaluation in this paper. Taking into account the number of students currently pursuing this course in DU, the revenue that they would have generated from this is something that boggles the mind.

There is no questioning the fact that such a steep increase in revaluation fee is to deter those who give in their papers just for the sake of it. However, what they seem to forgetting is the fact that those who are genuinely facing a problem are also students and Rs. 1000 per paper might not be something that they could afford. Time to become a little more student friendly, DU?

 

Surya Rajappan
[email protected] 

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Juxtapose

St. Stephen’s v/s LSR: War Of The Cafés

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Graphic credits- Siddhant Sharma

Stephen’s steamed chicken momos or LSR’s kathi rolls?
Not only is Stephens known for its “egg” recipes- the delicious omelettes served with a knife and a fork,and the cheese scrambled egg, it’s Minced chicken maggi and dosas are also famous.
LSR on the other hand has to it’s credit a vast menu which ranges from keema dosas to butter chicken and from pizzas and hot dogs to seek kebab rumali rolls. While both these canteens assert themselves as “cafes” , it is still tough to say which is better.

Leave your comments to give us a winner.

Post your argument below.

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Arts & Culture

The Gig Week 2012

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Pulsating music. Graffiti tees. Red light shining on guitar picks and drumsticks.  The second edition of Gig Week had arrived and there was no music lover in Delhi who didn’t know about it. The organizers kicked off Delhi’s only contemporary music festival  at the Stage, Manajsa  with a highlight performance from Half Step Down, followed by different venues that ranged from Smoke House Grill, Verve, Lemp, Shroom, Blue Frog and Sura Vie. The bands ranged from newly-formed to well-established on the circuit, but the effort the organizers had put in to reduce the gap between talented artists and the platform was obvious to every audience member.

An event organized by the youth was defined by the raw passion, energy and talent that existed for its own enjoyment. Not driven by commercial need or demand, the vocalists sang their hearts out because they wanted to.

They drowned the room in sound and art even if their audience was a lone technician during sound check, or the hundreds of sweaty bodies jumping next to each other. The audience composed of their friends, fellow musicians and music lovers who had accidentally stumbled onto Delhi’s version of an indie platform, sang along to the classics covered. More importantly, most of the bands found a receptive audience for self-compositions, people who listened critically, applauded loudly in appreciation and winced at faulty notes.

Each evening had a single band as the highlight performance, which was a smart technique used by the organizers to increase footfall for bands just as good, if not as renowned. This edition also saw the inclusion of more variance in artist genres, and the organizers made sure to include larger venues to accommodate the event’s growing popularity.

Every band DUB spoke to, raved about the arrangements, quality and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to play at such a stage. Most audience members (the writer included) could be spotted walking out either engrossed in a ‘That band’ vs ‘This band’ discussion or just quietly bobbing their head in silence.

Everything they knew was being changed with one song at a time. They just didn’t know it yet.

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Kamala Nehru College

Commxcelsior: The commerce fest of KNC that shall conquer numbers!

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Zoom into the campus central of Kamala Nehru College on the 13th of September and you shall witness some adroit minds at work, some creative juices overflowing accompanied by a lot of numerical analysis floating in the air. In a situation like this let worry not overpower, for you are at the enthralling Commerce Fest of the college, named Commxcelsior to my extreme fascination.

As grand as it might seem, what is veiled behind the making of this fest is also pure grandeur. With an anticipated participation of more than 600 students from across the universities (as enumerated last year), this fest is soaring high to make a mark of its own. Their sponsors range from Haldirams and tupper ware to 104 FM and an array of others. If caught amidst a rare spurt of boredom, it shall be very short lived as you’d find yourself surrounded by the most quirky stalls of hair braiding, tattoos, tarot card reading and accessories along with some delectable food delights of Subway and others to satiate your hunger pangs.

Commxcelsior will be organizing five commerce centric activities to test the businessperson in you.  Commencing at 10.30am with AD-MAD, which is an advertisement making competition, you could awaken your creative as well as marketing geniuses to grab prizes worth Rs 13,500 in a team of three. Simultaneously set to be conducted are some presentations depicting a Business plan on the theme of Social Entrepreneurship. This activity invites participation from teams of 2 members each, who will compete for prizes worth more than Rs 15000. Next is the most highlighted happening, a mock stock exchange taking place at 2 pm, called ‘Bulls and Bears’ that shall put your dexterous skills of sale, purchase and investment to check. Each team can have two members for this activity, and strive for cash prices worth Rs 15000. The same will be held alongside a Commerce Quiz, which shall be played with a partner where the team can gloriously display knowledge of the subject in text and in practice. Prizes up for take here are worth Rs 9000.The final activity shall be a group discussion at 2.30 pm that seeks participation from those willing to discuss Commerce related agendas, with a bait of Rs 6,500.

“It will be an enriching experience for all those who believe in thinking out of the box and conquering the world with their knowledge” says Upasana, the General Secretary of the Commerce society. So if you want some stimulating fun along with some gripping exchange of ideas, this is the event that you should definitely not give a skip. Pin it up for the 13th of September, as lots of frolic awaits you in the environs of Kamala Nehru College.

 

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News

Justification Behind The Ban: The Complete Story

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18th August, 2012 an association of three publishing companies namely, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor and Francis sued Rameshwari and other such photocopy shops for selling the Xeroxed version of foreign authors’ books or “readings” without payment of Royalty. Following this incident, the readings at North Campus were banned which led to massive protests from students all across Delhi University. The students and these shops maintained that readings are sold to reduce the financial burden of the students. Where a student can get the “readings” at Rs 200 to 300 a foreign authors’ book costs around Rs 1000 to 2000, and most of the times a student needs just a chapter from the entire book.

Thus the students’ protest is partially justified. But if we examine the true scenario, we’ll find that the publishers did nothing wrong or “immoral” by banning the readings. Authors write books to communicate their idea or knowledge and in return expect a Royalty income. Similarly publishers, publish, distribute and sell books for making a profit. When the content of these books is photocopied beyond a “fair” limit, Copyright law is broken. The point is “photocopying” is not illegal, but in order to do so the sellers must get the permission or “licence” from the “Indian Copyright Collection Society” or the “Indian Reprographic Rights Organization” (IRRO) .The IRRO has set tariff (or rates) for licenses for different Institutions and Organizations for the purpose of copying. Normal rate of photocopying is Rs 12000 per institution per annum. This tariff has the approval of the Registrar of Copyright and is the Lowest in the World.

However “Readings” are not “normal photocopying”. They consist of the entire course in a semester and are generally content taken from several books which may be published by various Publishers. Where such “Course Packs” are made available, the Publishers books stop selling. Even the libraries stop buying multiple copies of the textbooks. Therefore the sale of the books is reduced affecting the income expectations of the Author and the expected return on investment for the Publishers. While a course pack may cost 300 to 400 Rupees, the value of the textbooks that the student would otherwise have to buy would be as much as Rs. 2000 to 3000. So it is a huge saving for the student at the cost of the Authors and Publishers.

Hence there is a “Course Pack” rate for Delhi University which is 50 paisa per page. That is the lowest rate for course packs in the world. If the readings are sold legally the cost of a course pack may go up a bit but still it will be lesser than having to buy 6-7 textbooks. A Rs. 200 course pack can become Rs. 300. If the University feels that this copyright fee is too much for the student, then they can subsidize by paying the IRRO directly.

In countries like UK and USA every time a library photocopies these books a little amount of the total cost is set aside for Copyright Collection Centre in the USA and the CLA (Copyright Licensing Agency) in U.K. Publishers and Authors have a right to protect their Copyright. All they are asking the Academic and Student community to do is to pay a small license fee to make photocopies. “There will always be some people who’ll want everything free but that is not sustainable. Surely the Academic and Student community does not expect a subsidy from Authors and Publishers? Without proper IRRO licensing that is what illegal photocopying amounts to” says Cambridge University Press. The “readings” are still banned in the North Campus and those shops selling the readings are doing it illegally. Their claim that they have got the licence from the publishers is absolutely false.

Aishwarya Chaurasia
[email protected]

Read the initial report here, https://dubeat.com/2012/08/readings-banned-in-north-campus/

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Interviews

A Tête-à-Tête with the Chess Champs of DU

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“All I want to do ever, is to play chess.” Bobby Fischer said it, and these kids seem to happily reiterate it. (For the uninitiated, Bobby Fischer was a former World Chess Champion).

These wunderkinds started playing the game at the incredulous age of seven and eight, an age when all that we could strain our brain cells for would have probably been the discovery of a new hideout for hide-and-seek or an attempt to tie the shoe-laces!

Shreyansh Daklia, a student of SRCC, in his third year of B.Com (Hons), can easily pass by as the most unassuming lad on campus, but just get that checkerboard out and he’ll amaze you with some of those lethal moves he keeps, neatly tucked under his belt. Shreyansh holds an international rating of 2216 (in chess, the higher it gets, the better it is ), and has 3 International Master norms to his credit, a title given to chess players. Also, he has received prestigious awards and scholarships like the Shaheed Koushal Award from Chhattisgarh Govt. in 2010, and scholarships from the Airport Authority of India.

Here I am in a conversation with him:

Q. When and how did you start?

A. I started when I was 7. My dad happened to visit a stadium the other day, and he saw small kids getting prizes, came home and told us, “Tum logon ko bhi aise hi prize jeetna hai.” We went on to attend a summer coaching, then participated in the district tournament (under 7). Once I became a State Under-7 Champion, there was no looking back.

 

Q. Has chess helped you evolve your mental faculties in any way?

A. It surely has, to a great extent. Chess has helped in improving my concentration, patience and logical reasoning.

 

Q. Who do you think are better at chess, boys or girls?

A. Statistically, boys are better, personally also, I think they are better. After all, fighting is in their genes. (laughs)

 

Q. What are your future plans for chess?

A. I’m confused between preparing for MBA, looking for placements. I’ll think I’ll complete my MBA, and then continue with Chess.

 

He’s not making these moves alone. We also have Kanika Saxena, another student of SRCC, in her second year of Economic (Hons). You’ll find her wheeling around the campus with the most endearing smile etched on her face but engage her in a game, and she’ll bare the most devilish grin as she knocks down your pawns and rooks. Kanika has an international rating of 1600, has participated in the Asian and Commowealth Games for chess and is the founder of the girls’ chess team in college.

This is what she had to say:

Q. How did you start with chess?

A. When I was in class 2, I used to watch my grandfather play. That s how I got intrigued by the game, pursued it at school level and started training under one of Delhi’s best chess coaches, V.S Negi.

 

Q. What role has chess played in your life?

A. It has certainly made me more cautious about things, makes you a bit calculative. I had to discontinue playing after class 10, due to studies and personal reasons, but Chess still holds a dear place in my life, and I hope I’m able to come back to it once I’m settled.

 

Vatsala Gaur
[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

Surprise Raid In The LSR Hostel

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On the night of 1st September, a surprise raid was conducted in the LSR hostel, more popularly known as the Residence hall. The raid was conducted to find out whether the residents had any high wattage electrical appliances or items like spoons, fork, plates, etc. from the mess. A significant amount of items were confiscated, ranging from hair dryers, clothing irons, electric kettles, mess spoons to even vapourisers. The residents, specially first years, were in for a rude shock as members of the security committee of the hostel barged into their room at nine in the night, when they were actually expecting the Superintendant to be on rounds for attendance. The security committee members deftly searched nook and corner of every room and found out these ‘illegal’ items from the remotest of corners. The night turned a little dramatic, however, when one of the residents, who was ill, and distressed about the confiscation of her vapouriser, had to rush to the warden to re-claim it. The security committee members were considerate enough to return her vapouriser for an hour to relieve her from her distress. “We did what we had to do, it was our duty,” stated one of the security committee members. “We don’t care whether people hate us after this. There are stories about hostel fires due to circuit failures, and despite repeated warnings, girls still kept hair dryers worth 2000 watts. We hope this is a lesson for everybody, and they will refrain from keeping such items and breaking the rules in the future.”

The LSR hostel handbook states that hair dryers are allowed, but in the meeting that ensued with the hostel warden on Monday, the distressed and surprised residents were informed that only 500 watt hair dryers were allowed. The students whose items were confiscated had a long rendezvous with the hostel warden, who was extremely angry at the huge turnout of confiscated items including mess spoons. The warden gave the residents an ultimatum till October, and stated that if any resident was found with mess spoons, forks, or other mess items, then the hostel would stop giving the residents any spoons, forks or plates in the future, and they would have to bring their own. The owners of clothing irons as well as hair dryers were also given an hour long lecture and asked to leave their irons and hair dryers at home when they leave for the October holidays.

The LSR hostel had been repeatedly warning the residents, since last year, about not keeping any electrical appliances in the hostel, but even after numerous warnings, some girls kept high wattage items in their rooms. The hostel President has warned about  more frequent raids in the future, and with an effective security committee in tow, it is hoped that the residents do not keep any such items in their room in the future!

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Spo(r)tlight

The Hiking Club at St. Stephen’s College

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Formed in 1949, this is the second oldest hiking club of India, the oldest being The Himalayan Club of Bombay. The hiking club of St. Stephens consists of 15 adventure sports junkies who take time out from their studies to celebrate the spirit of adventure. “College is the best time of your life. It is about making memories and having some fun”, says Suraj, Secretary of the Club.

The members meet every day and practice climbing at the Eshwaran Bharatan Memorial wall, an artificial rock climbing wall situated outside the college gymnasium. The annual St Stephen’s open short climbing competition also takes place here. The wall has been named after Eshwaran Bharata, president of the club in 1979-80, who was killed in an expedition in Lahaul.

“So what all activities do you do?” I ask Mohamin, President of the Club. “We’ve ventured into mountaineering, trekking, cycling, sport climbing and rafting. People think all this is a just-for-fun thing. But it’s serious business.”

The group has two divisions, one is the climbing team and the other is the organizing team. The latter concerns it with organizing treks and arranging for sponsorships. While membership of the group is strictly restricted to students of the college, everyone (that includes foreign exchange students, students from other colleges) is welcome to join the group in their treks. “The more, the merrier”, says Suraj, with a smile.

The club went to Kedarnath last year and also paid a trek visit to Ladakh. While most students prefer to cuddle in the comfort of their bedrooms during weekends, these guys choose to pedal away their weekends on cycle treks or sometimes go rock climbing in nearby locations like Damdama, Dhauj and Lado Sarai. They also organize talks with eminent personalities so as to learn the finer nuances of trekking.

However, a lot goes behind planning the treks. “We have a lot of work throughout the year. Before choosing a location, we have to see what season in favorable. We organize a long trek in the summer break and shorter treks in October, March and September, depending upon holidays. Then come sponsorships. A 10 day trek will have a budget of around 1 Lakh. So there is a lot to look into.” says Lucky, captain of the club.

Recently, the Equal Opportunity Cell of St. Stephen’s organized a trek for the visually challenged students, which was a great exposure to those students.

On being asked how the whole experience of being has a member of this club has been, they say, “The places where we go trekking are so serene and beautiful, and when you come back to the hustle bustle of the city it makes you appreciate the magical feeling of treks.”

 

 

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