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An open letter to the HRD Minister: How safe is the future of India?

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Hon’ble Union Minister Smt. Smriti Irani,

It is said the youth is the future of India, the building blocks, the ones capable to usher India into an era of economic health and stability. The youth has the strength and enthusiasm to shoulder the responsibility of bringing India at par with the super power nations of world.

However ironically, the valuable resource that has to its credit a whole cabinet ministry for its supposed ‘development’ isn’t safe courtesy the carelessness, lack of proper guidelines, lousy policies, no implementation and what not.

You did hear about the recent appalling incident of drowning of 24 Hyderabadi engineering students in the waters of river Beas in Himachal Pradesh. I’ve read your tweets about how sad the incident was and how everyone is at work for all the aid they could provide. However, the event, indeed has raised numerous questions on the safety of students on excursions and education trips. It is a bizarre example as to how the students on a field trip had to pay with their lives for a supposed development exercise through an ill planned practical exposure.

Also, does it make you ponder, could the catastrophe have been avoided had the management of the trip been a little cautious, or had the students been rather vigilant? Also, as the parents mourn the death of their young promising  children whose bodies are still being fished for, who takes the responsibility behind it all?

Something like education trips is common to numerous institutions, the University of Delhi being no exception. There are excursions, both official and non official, that happen almost every semester. Apart from this, courtesy the new curriculum introduced under the FYUP, the students are supposed to undertake trips/ excursions/visits rather regularly for research, sports etc.Also, the university’s exclusive initiative, the Gyanodaya  Express, takes 1000 DU students to places like Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Ahmedabad for the study tours every semester.

Thus, the disaster that happened with the students of  VNR Engineering College could happen to anyone and anywhere at any given moment. It might happen to me, it scares me, it might happen to the dearest of my friends or siblings or maybe someone dear to you.

Though Delhi University has specifically stated guidelines ensuring safety of students in NSS, NCC and  Gyanodaya Express study tours and camps, the teachers always do accompany students and there are proper orientation sessions are held by trained officials at the beginning, still in absolute absence of central laws and authority – responsibility relationships, how safe are these excursions?

India lost 24 future engineers last week, an irrevocable loss indeed. Individual endeavors could reduce the impact and frequency of such unforeseen accidents, but it doesn’t end the entire problem. The students, the so called ‘human resources’ are at risk of stress, molestation, racial discrimination ( as in the case of Arunanchal Pradesh student Nido Taniam’s kiling in Delhi) and evils of drug abuse and ragging, which sadly are reported in some nook or corner every year.

If not at a risk of serious physical damage, the students are being treated as lab rats in their own nation, experimenting education regimes and formats on them with utter apathy towards the student’s time, careers, desires and interests. How far could we go, with the plethora of ills plaguing and hindering the progress of the youth?

I understand  you’ve got the command of a sinking ship, but owing to the gravity of situation, whatever needs to be done, is to be done now. The youth doesn’t doubt you on basis of your qualifications, they are merely papers.  We are  positive enough and wait for the delivery of the ‘India’ so promised, the one which is synonymous to progress, overall education, sufficient employment and bright futures.

Formulation of strategies for student safety needs to be the prime concern. Policies need to be designed and procedures outlaid, faulty education programs need to be revamped. The voice of students’ interest ought to have a say in what affects them, so as to make the atmosphere of learning congenial, acceptable and secure, for the Achche Din that the government promises, won’t come until the youth is safe, prosperous and working hard to hitch the wagon of India to stars.

Yours sincerely

A concerned student and citizen of India.

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Admissions 2014

St. Stephen’s to begin interviews, introduces written test for Economics aspirants

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St. Stephen’s College recently issued its cut off list for 2014 with 98% being the highest figure for General category students with Commerce backgrounds applying for Economics and English. Students who meet this criterion will now be invited for an interview with the authorities and faculty. You can check your interview schedule here.

The college has a notorious reputation for its stringent cut-offs and even more stringent interviews, which only very few manage to clear. It’s not rocket-science, but you just have to be street smart.

Aspirants must carry the following documents with them for the interview:

(a) Two recent passport size photographs.

(b) The printout of the interview call letter.

(c) The following documents, in original and one set of self-attested copies:

(i)  Certificate of date of birth (normally the Secondary School Certificate).

(ii)  Mark-sheet of the qualifying examination.

(iii) Baptism Certificate and a letter of recommendation from the parish priest concerned, SC/ST Certificate from a competent authority, Physical Disability Certificate, Equivalence Certificate (for candidates from foreign examining bodies), as and where applicable.

According to the website, students wishing to study Economics are required to report for a written test in Rooms F and G (upstairs in the main academic block) on the day of their interview. The schedule to be followed:

Morning Session: 7.45 am to 8:00 am (all who are slotted for interviews pre-lunch)

Afternoon Session: 1.45 pm to 2:00 pm (all who are to be interviewed after lunch)

Candidates will have to carry a pen/pencil. Answer sheets will be given to them. Those with physical disability (PWD) are exempted from this test. Though it hasn’t been stated what will be tested during this session, given the time duration, one can conclude that it won’t be too intensive.

The college website mentions broad parameters which the interview will be based on:

Academic: The candidate’s academic and suitability potential for the subject chosen, which is beyond the stipulated course, is taken into consideration.

Co-curricular: They check your potential to participate in college co-curricular activities and to contribute to its total life.

General awareness: A candidate’s personal outlook, sense of values, level of awareness and motivation are a huge factor which affect selections.

Still not clear? Here’s some other tips that could help you. Straight from the students who’ve ‘been there, done that’!

  1. Don’t lie your way through it: If you pretend that your hobby is sleeping and you take pride in it, the interview board at St Stephen’s College might just pose an innocuous query: Which part of the brain controls sleeping? Stumped? Trust Gandhian policies and speak the truth. Satyavachan.
  2. Be yourself: Really, they aren’t trying to see how ‘cool’ you are. All they want to see is how easy you are in your skin. Essentially, you need to sound confident and not seem like you’ve gulped down the quotes from Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln.
  3. Admit your mistake, incase you goof up: In case you don’t know anything, just stop. Don’t act all cheeky or you’ll end up making a fool of yourself. It’s okay to make a mistake. It’s humane so just admit it and move ahead.
  4. Dress semi-formally/formally: First impression is the last impression. Don’t dress up in your favourite, comfy jeans which are ripped from every corner. Try wearing something which makes you look smart and confident.
  5. Play your cards smartly: It actually depends on your ability to get all the answers right. Lead or steer the interview board towards your favourite and sound topic area.

The interview carries 15% of the total weightage of your application. Greet them with a smile, don’t panic. You’ll be fine as long as you don’t take this too seriously. They’ll test your nerves, so just keep your cool.

Ishita Sharma
[email protected]

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Campus Central

King’s College London Delhi Summer School’s first session comes to an end

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King’s College London, a premier institute under the University of London, in collaboration with Delhi University recently organised a Summer School session in Delhi. Session 1 of the same which went on from June 2 to June 13 covered three courses, The Art of Leadership, Media, Gender and Culture and International Political Economy. While the first two were held in Lady Shri Ram College for Women, the third course was conducted in Miranda House. All three courses saw more than 40 students per class, with students pouring in not only from various colleges in Delhi, but also from different parts of the country.

The Media, Gender and Culture module of the King’s College Delhi Summer was engaging and turned out to be an eye-opener for most participants. The topics touched upon during the course  ranged from Journalism and news media (from a gender studies angle) to feminism and post-feminism and men and masculinities and activism. The session also included screening of documentaries and an interactive class with eminent film-maker Rahul Roy. “After ten days of intensive and collaborative learning under an encouraging tutor Miss Rachel O’Neill, we were taught to see the world through a critical lens. The course was enriching not only in what the syllabus prescribed but in the kind of discussions we had around the different topics”, said Alankrita Anand, a student of Journalism in LSR.

International Political Economy was taught by Dr.Roberto Roccu and provided insight into the inter disciplinary world of trade, industrial relations and international relations. When asked about his experience, Sahil Grover, a student of Business Studies said, “This course provided me with the perfect opportunity to study both economics and international affairs. My experience was nothing short of brilliant. The interactive teaching style encouraged us to question conventional wisdom and taught us how politics and economics reinforce each other”.

The third course taught during Session 1 was The Art of Leadership, with Mr.Mark T Fliegauf as the teacher. This course was very practical in nature with numerous case studies, hypothetical situations to assess and team activities that the students had to carry out. Among the theoretical concepts, issues of adaptive challenges, crisis management and transformational leadership were touched upon. “I learnt a lot about leadership along with learning about myself and my personality which I think is important!”, said Namrata Kumar, a student of Philosophy.  “In the workshop we explored new ways of looking at leadership issues and how to assess them. And I am sure that all of us have picked up certain tips and skills from the various case studies and activities which will help us in future”, added Toshan Majumdar who studies in Shiv Nadar University.

As a part of the course the students also had to submit various assignments and a thesis based on the subject they took up. Session 2 of King’s College London Summer School in Delhi started from the 16th of June. This session covers International Relations and is being held at Miranda House.

 

Image credits: Manav Kohli

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Admissions 2014

English the most favoured choice of Delhi University applicants

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With the conclusion of 2014  pre- admission process, Delhi University released the statistics of applications subject and state wise.

English topped the charts with 71,359  applicants choosing this subject while Bengali saw the least applications. The second highest favourite subject was Mathematics with 67,636 applications. Unlike last year, Journalism and Mass Communication applications took almost a 10,00 applications dip at 41,805.

The trend was highest in science subjects with Chemistry, Physics all recording more than 60,000 applications. Computer Science and Electronics also have a high number of choosers.

Anthropology which is only offered in Hansraj College alone witnessed more than 11,000 applications. Newly introduced Forensic Science has more than 35,000 applications.
Economics is no longer the most popular subject choice at Delhi University with applications not touching the 60,000 mark.

course wise distribution

In the State wise distinction, the highest number of applications came in from Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. Delhi has 40,160 applications to itself while Haryana was third in the row. The least applications came in from Karnataka with just 146.

 

 

 

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DU Dhaba

Food Review: Punjab Affaire, Punjabi Bagh

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Well, what do you need of a fine dining place? Good food, a calm and serene environment, dim lights and some pacifying music. Seems a bit utopian. Doesn’t it? But if you’re guessing so, you’ve got it wrong. Yes, there is a place here in Delhi, which offers you an amalgam of all of the above.

I have been to many a restaurants but this particular one garnered my attention more than ever before. To experience some fine dining, you got to be here, at Punjab Affaire in west Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh. Located at a busy extension, the place gives you a fine cuisine in North Indian, Mughlai and Chinese food.

The aroma of aesthetic Indian food and dim yellow lights will welcome you to this eatery and as soon as you enter, you’ll hear some soft Sufi music being played here. The traditional menu serves quality food and you must try the breath taking butter chicken if you are a non-vegetarian.

The most unique feature of Punjab Affaire is the rectangular metallic box they use to serve the after-food refreshment. It has 6 compartments with a variety of mouth fresheners.

Cost : 1000 for two people

Address : Punjab Affaire 1, Ground Floor, Shanti store market, Club Road, Punjabi Bagh

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Admissions 2014

SOL opens admissions for 2014 after much delay

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Delhi University’s School of Open Learning or SOL has finally started its online admission process from June 17th, Tuesday. The students now have the opportunity to fill in online forms which will be free of cost instead of filling the offline forms and paying a fee of Rs. 100. However, that option is still available, in case students wish to opt for it.

The offline forms will be made available from June 25th and the last date for admission to the school of open learning is August 21st, while late admissions will be accepted with a late fee of Rs. 200 till September 15th.  SOL offers three years Bachelors Programme in Arts for Political Science and English and B.Com. (Honours), B.A. and B.Com Pass courses.

There had been talks about converting the three year programme of SOL to the four year university programme like other colleges of DU have previously done due to which the admission process for this year has seen a delay. But after several protests in campus against FYUP the University has decided to keep the three year plan in the school of open learning and begin with the admission process.

To apply online, click here. The prospectus along with the fee structure, eligibility criteria and so on will be available on the SOL website soon.

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Admissions 2014

St. Stephen’s College releases cut offs for 2014, goes up to 98% for Economics and English

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St. Stephen’s College being a minority college, follows a different admission process than most other colleges of Delhi University. The officials released the cut off for FYUP courses for this year on its site on Tuesday, the 17th of June. The cut off list is more or less similar to the one set last year, with minor changes.  Take a look at the category, stream and course wise breakdown of the cut off for 2014 here:

 

SNo. Course Category Science (BFS) Commerce (BFS) Humanities (BFS)
1 Economics GEN 97.25 98 97
  SC 94.25 95 94
  ST 89.25 90 89
  COTH 93.25 94 93
  CNI 82.25 83 82
  CNID 82.25 83 82
  CST 82.25 83 82
  CPwD 57.25 58 57
  PwD 57.25 58 57
  URDU 87.25 88 87
2 Mathematics GEN 97 97.25 95
  SC 92.5 92.75 90.5
  ST 89 89.25 87
  COTH 90 90.25 88
  CNI 82 82.25 80
  CNID 82 82.25 80
  CST 82 82.25 80
  CPwD 72 72.25 70
  PwD 52 52.25 50
3 English GEN 97.25 98 97
  SC 94.25 95 94
  ST 94.25 95 94
  COTH 93.25 94 93
  CNI 82.25 83 82
  CNID 82.25 83 82
  CST 89.25 90 89
  CPwD 82.25 83 82
  PwD 82.25 83 82
  URDU 82.25 83 82
4 History GEN 96.5 97 95.75
  SC 91.5 92 90.75
  ST 91.5 92 90.75
  COTH 90.5 91 89.75
  CNI 81.5 82 80.75
  CNID 81.5 82 80.75
  CST 90.5 91 89.75
  CPwD 51.5 52 50.75
  PwD 51.5 52 50.75
  URDU 86.5 87 85.75
5 Philosophy GEN 95.5 97 95
  SC 90.5 92 90
  ST 86.5 88 86
  COTH 87.5 89 87
  CNI 80.5 82 80
  CNID 80.5 82 80
  CST 87.5 89 87
  CPwD 55.5 57 55
  PwD 55.5 57 55
  URDU 80.5 82 80
6 Sanskrit GEN 65 65 65
  SC 60 60 60
  ST 55 55 55
  COTH 50 50 50
  CNI 50 50 50
  CNID 50 50 50
  CST 50 50 50
  CPwD 40 40 40
  PwD 40 40 40
  URDU 50 50 50
S.No. Course Category PCM  (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics)
7 Chemistry GEN 96.33
  SC 90.33
  ST 86.33
  COTH 81.33
  CNI 81.33
  CNID 81.33
  CST 81.33
  CPwD 56.33
  PwD 56.33
8 Physics GEN 96.66
  SC 89.66
  ST 88.66
  COTH 81.66
  CNI 81.66
  CNID 81.66
  CST 81.66
  CPwD 56.66
  PwD 56.66
       
ABBREVIATIONS USED
Gen General (Non Christian)
SC/ST Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe (Non Christians)
CST Christian Scheduled Tribe 
CNI Church of north india
CNID CNI Delhi Diocese
COTH Christian Others(Other than CNI)
PwD Person With Disability
CPwD Christian Person With Disability
 

 

The cut off list can be viewed on the college’s website here. Those meeting these cut off requirements will be called for an interview and will have to write an essay as well. The final list of the candidates invited for the interviews will be posted on the college website on June 18. For more information on the subsequent steps of the admission process, click here.

The reservation policy followed by the college has 50% of its seats for Christian candidates, 8.5% for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes  (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), 1.5% for differently-abled candidates and 40% for those from the General category. 

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Admissions 2014

Delhi University records more than 1,259 foreign applications for FYUP

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The 2014 Admission season has not only witnessed enthusiastic response from home students but also from foreign applicants.This year Delhi University has seen a significant rise in the admission applications by foreign students. The tally has increased to 1,259 applications in case of the Four Year Undergraduate Program, 609 applications in case of Masters programme and 107 applications for Phd. programmes.

Apart from the main programmes, Diploma courses, Certificate courses and advanced diploma courses have also received a significant number of applications from foreign students. 36 students have applied for M.Phil courses as well.

Coming to the demographics of the students, the maximum number of candidates were from Tibet with a number of 475 applications, followed by 237 students from Nepal and 127 students from Bhutan. We managed to contact an official from the Foreign Admissions Office who said,”This year the number of foreign students applications have increased and there has been significant interest by students of Tibet and Bhutan. It shows how Delhi University is growing in popularity.”

The University has received applications from African students who want to study Hindi and Sanskrit while some French students have opted for Punjabi.Most of these countries provide accommodation through their embassy connections. Delhi University reserves 5% seats fro foreign students whereas a majority of colleges provide relaxation in cut offs for such students too.

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Admissions 2014

Learn a foreign language in Delhi University

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Language courses are gaining an increased amount of popularity amongst students and adults alike these days. Not only do they help you with skill development, but they also play a crucial role in widening your horizons and introduce you to the inter culturality of various disciplines.

M.A/ M.Phil/ PhD/ BA Hons:

  1. Department of Germanic and Romance studies (North Campus):

Falling under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, this department offers FYUP,MA, Mphil and Phd programs in French, Hispanic, German and Italian studies.
Admission is through entrance tests, the dates of which have been released.

Website:http://grs.du.ac.in/index.html

Telephone:91-11-27666426,  91-11-27667725 / Extn. 1296

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Office:Room 37-38, Faculty of Arts, Main Building

 

  1. Department of Slavonic and Finno- Ugrian Studies (South Campus):

The department offers Phd and Mphil in Russian and Bulgarian language. The admission is through an entrance test:
Total Marks: 100: Written (85) + Interview (15)

Date of Entrance test: 27th June, 2014 from 2.00 pm. to 5.00 pm

Date of Interview:  30th June, 2014

Duration : 2 hours

No.of seats: 30

Other information such as phone number, email ID can be found here-

http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=slavonic-finno-ugrian-studies

 

  1. Department of East Asian Studies:

The centre offers M.A. in Japanese and M.A. in East Asian Studies. It also offers language course in Chinese.

The brochure for admission 2014-15 can be found here-

http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=east-asian-studies

Other details pertaining to contact number, email id, etc, can be found here-

http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=east-asian-studies

 

Diploma/Advanced Diploma:

1) Department of Germanic and Romance studies offers diploma and advanced diploma in French ,German,Spanish ,Italian, Portuguese, Romanian.
Admission criteria: Candidates who have passed the Certificate Examination in a language are eligible to apply for admission to the Diploma Course in that language. Admissions will be made strictly in order of merit of the respective certificate course examination.

Advanced Diploma

Candidates who have passed the Diploma examination in a language concerned from the University of Delhi or an examination recognised as equivalent thereto are eligible to apply for admission to the Advanced Diploma Course in the respective language.

2) Department of Slavonic & Finno-Ugrian Studies

The department offers diploma and advanced diploma in European languages.
For details: http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=slavonic-finno-ugrian-studies

 

3) Department of African studies:
This department offers Diploma in Swahili language.

For more details: http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=african-studies
4) Department of Buddhist studies:
Diploma in Pali and Tibetan language:
For more details: http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=buddhist-studies
5) Department of Arabic:
Diploma, advanced Diploma in Modern Arabic
For more details: http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=arabic

All aspirants are advised to keep themselves updated with the deadlines by checking the above websites timely.

Certificate Courses:


Admission criteria: Students who have passed the Senior School Certificate Examination (10+2) with at least 45% marks are eligible to apply. Admission will be made in order of merit based on the degree/certificate in each of the following categories:

I Post-graduate and above

II Graduate

III 10+2.

The admission is direct and on the availability of seats.For eg, for admission to a certificate course in St. Stephen’s, a candidate needs 80% and above in English in 12th standard or equivalent.

The admission for these courses usually begins after the regular admission but students should keep a track of the college website for the same.Classes usually begin from the first week of August and continue until the end of March.The fees for certificate courses can range from Rs.15,000- Rs, 20,000.

List of colleges in Delhi University which offer certificate courses:

North Campus Colleges
Daulat Ram College Certificate,  Diploma, Advanced  Diploma in French, German, Spanish& Italian.
Hans Raj College Certificate,  Diploma, Advanced  Diploma in French & German
KeshavMahavidyalay Certificate  in French & German
Mata Sundari College, Certificate  in French, German & Spanish
Miranda House, Patel Chest Marg, Certificate  in French, German & Spanish
Ramjas College Certificate  in French, German, Spanish& Italian
Satyawati  Collage Certificate,  Diploma in French & German
SGTB Khalsa College Certificate  in German & Spanish
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Collegeof Commerce Certificate  in French & German
St. Stephen’s College Certificate,  Diploma & Advanced  Diploma in French ,German, Chinese, Japanese.
South Campus Colleges
Acharya Narendra Dev College Certificate,  Diploma in French, German & Spanish Advanced  Diploma in Spanish
Bharti College Certificate,  Diploma & Advanced  Diploma in French & German
College of Vocational Studies, Certificate,  Diploma in French & German
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce Certificate  in French, German & SpanishDiploma in German & Spanish
Gargi College, Siri Fort Road Certificate  in German
Jesus & Mary College Certificate  in French
Kamala Nehru College Certificate,  Diploma & Advanced  Diploma in French
Sri Venkateswara College Certificate in German

2) Department of African Studies, Buddhist Studies, Arabic Studies and Department of Slavonic & Finno-Ugrian Studies also offer certificate courses: For information on them, see the links provided above.

Siddhi Goel
Niharika Singh

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