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Humouroscope

Humouroscope: June 11th-17th, 2014

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Aries: This week shows signs of bad luck for you. Avoid it by wearing black sweaters and staying outdoors in the sun. It will help.

Taurus: You should give your friends a shopping trip. Spend as much as you can on the group of people you hang around. It will make the coming time prosperous for you.

Gemini: Folks! You have been bestowed with the power to save the world from this heat wave. Throw a pool party and invite everyone you know and you don’t know. Your name will be remembered as the angel of life.

Cancer: Why are you lazing around this summer? Find some work, make use of your time, earn some money and treat people in Delhi University with free ice-creams.

Leo: You should just relax this week. Try not to do or get involved in anything. You should waste as much of your time as you can. It’s one of your talents, make full use of it.

Virgo: Life is so good for you, isn’t it? Well listen then! Your parents might kick you out of your house. You’ve been hiding fishy stuff from them and this week they will find it all out. Good luck.

Libra: Hmm. I see positive signs in your love life. If you are single, you’ll find ‘that one’. Just don’t refrain from your quest regardless of the blazing sun. Go outdoors. He/she is waiting for you.

Scorpio: Water is going to be a bad element for you this week, child. Avoid showers, cold-drinks and anything that feels relaxing to you.

Sagittarius: Missed Humouroscope editions, all this while?  Yeah, I know we did too.Anyway, so your life is about to take a huge turn. You might get a movie offer or something of that sort. Keep all your fingers crossed.

Capricorn: A trip abroad is on cards. Stars are in your favour this week. Make use of it. And don’t really believe horoscopes.

Aquarius: You’ve been happy all this time. It’s all about to get over. Your boyfriend/ girlfriend is going to dump you, you might suffer from a heat stroke, your hair is going to start falling and you are about to witness a living nightmare. Just wait.

Pisces: You are the luckiest zodiac this week. Just lay back and relax.

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Spo(r)tlight

5 teams to watch out for during the FIFA world cup 2014

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Football fans from all over the world are buzzing as sport’s most popular event in the world, the FIFA World Cup 2014 is here. And yes, the very fact that it is going to be held in Brazil this time puts it on an even higher pedestal. As has been the case with every World Cup, a lot is expected not only from the tournament as a whole but also from certain individual teams. So it is no exception that 2014 should be any different, and here are the top five teams (in no specific order) that everyone will be dying to have a look at in this Football season.

1. Spain

A talented and creative side with a plethora of midfield options, Spain’s greatest strength however lies in their team chemistry and characteristic tiki-taka playing style. Vicente Del Bosque will be looking to add a second World Cup star to the Spanish jersey, and thus also becoming the first manager ever to win successive World Cups.

The analysis of the unique reinvented Spanish football philosophy ‘tiki-taka.’

However, many critics often cite the example of last year’s Confederations Cup, and thereby suggest that tiki-taka has been deciphered and Spanish era of football dominance is now on a decline. Therefore, it is the perfect opportunity for the defending champions to silence off their critics and regain their throne in world football.

2.Belgium

Most football pundits term them as the dark horses of this World Cup. Belgium’s squad comprises of a great young bunch of talented players. The individual brilliance of these star players have been showcased at some of the greatest platforms offered in European football. They are however not considered as serious contenders to win the cup as the squad lacks composure and experience, and might find it difficult to adjust in the varied conditions of Latin America. Nevertheless, the pacy, swift and robust Belgian players are always a delight to watch.

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The Belgium Football team 2014. Image Courtesy: www.bleacherreport.com

3. Brazil

Watching Brazil play in front of their home fans is an unparalleled joy which no football fan has ever experienced yet. Luiz Felipe Scolari has managed to rediscover the natural attacking thrust and free flowing footballing style that Brazil is remembered for, and the 5 time World Cup winners head into the competition as the favorites to win the tournament.  However, this Brazil side is relatively young and inexperienced, and it will be exciting to see whether they are able to live up to the massive expectations riding on their shoulders.

Brazil decimating the current World Champions (Spain) in the Confederation Cup, 2013.

4.Germany

No European team has ever managed to win the World Cup on Latin American soil. And if there is one team that is most likely to break the deadlock this year, it has to be on Joachim Loew’s side. Be it because of the squad’s perfect mix between experience and youth, or perhaps because of their organised style of build up play, or maybe even because of the individual quality inherent in this German side. Therefore, many people feel that it should be hardly surprising if the 3 time World Cup winners were to emerge as champions in Brazil.

 

5.Argentina

Someone once said ‘Attack is always the best defense’. He was probably an Argentinean. Messi, Higuain, Aguero, Di Maria, Lavezzi, and Fernando Gago are only a few of the star names in the Argentinean team sheet. Coach Alejandro Sabello is going to have a really tough time choosing  his attack, and will also be hoping that his immensely gifted attacking squad will be able to make up for the defensive worries that plague his side. It is definitely expected that their matches are going to attract a large portion of the neutrals.

An array of Argentina’s amazing  attacks and some of the most memorable goals.

 

Featured Image credits: www.soccerlens.com

 

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News

Delhi Students Meet Dr. Harshwardhan to demand quota in Delhi University

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On Tuesday, a delegation of students raising their demand to get quota for Delhiites in Delhi University met the Union Minister of Health- Dr. Harshwardhan to address the issue. Dr. Harshwarshan had reportedly assured the students to take up the matter with Mrs. Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Human Resource Development.

The argument for reservation of Delhi students in Delhi University traces its roots back to when AAP and BJP promised state wise quota in their manifestos for elections of Delhi Legislative Assembly. The students of Delhi are demanding 85% quota since every other state university provides for students of their state.

“I strongly believe that it is the need of the hour. Delhi students are forced to migrate to other universities due to rising cut offs. Other universities do have state quotas so why not in DU where there are many 100% state funded colleges”, said Vijay Kapoor, a resident of Delhi and a student of Economics Honours in Delhi University, in support of the quota. However, not all students favour this proposition.  “A child’s future should not be decided on the basis of the state he belongs to but on his credentials. Since there is a similar level exam by CBSE then there is no need of partiality to students of the native state. It is quite irrelevant as it is not uplifting the deprived section of the society but giving priority to a population on the basis of region in which they live which is unfair”, said Rahul Anand, a B. com Hons student in DU from Kota.

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DUB Speak

The curious case of inconsistent Internal Assessment under the FYUP

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The introduction of the FYUP is probably the biggest reform undertaken by the University in a long time. One would like to believe that a change so mighty will be properly planned out. Alas, we all know that this hasn’t been the case.

One of the less talked about issues with the new system is the huge increase in the weightage given to Internal Assessments or IA. Previously, each subject, other than the ones requiring practical examinations, was allotted 25 marks as IA. The pattern was loosely the same across colleges, and consisted of assignments, class tests, presentations and attendance.

While this still remains true for the Discipline Courses, the Foundation Course teachers have been given the freedom, (or burden?) of allotting 55 marks on their own. The actual ‘exam’ in this case, which is for 20 marks, is little more than a joke, and also checked internally i.e. by the teachers of the respective colleges. To put it in perspective, 270 out of 500 marks now lie solely with your teachers. This translates to 54% of your overall grade and 73.3% of your FC marks which depend more on your luck than on your learning abilities.

Am I blaming ‘luck’ only because I’m a sore loser? Well let’s think about this, the average IA scores vary drastically not just from college to college, but also from teacher to teacher. Whereas some colleges have adopted the method of assessing their students fairly and awarding marks with restraint, others are making full use of the opportunity to help their students score much better. Have you and your classmates been given a perfect 55 even in subjects like Hindi and English? Were you taken aback at how high you’ve scored even in subjects and classes you barely attended?

A situation which places nearly 3/4th of your FC score in the teacher’s hands is bound to promote favoritism and bias. Students find themselves losing out on marks in group discussions that never happened and extra credits they weren’t informed about. Even the teachers had come out against this shift in mark distribution, calling it the University’s way of washing its hands off tedious work.

Sports and ECA students are awarded grace marks in Foundation Courses, but even that has no fixed guidelines. Some colleges just add 8 marks for each FC and some mark the student on his or her actual performance in the said extra-curricular activity.

The CCE reform that the CBSE Board had introduced in secondary school education faced similar criticism. Internal Assessment should definitely be a part of a student’s evaluation, but is 55 marks under the same really justified? Especially when classes might not even be held, and there are Professors who aren’t able to recall a student’s name, let alone his or her performance in class? It’s indeed sad how under the new system, being a sincere student doesn’t count for much, but being a sweet talker sure does.

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Campus Central

One year on, NSUI now joins the protest against FYUP

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nsui camp Congress’ student wing – N.S.U.I. musters support against F.Y.U.P. by means of signature campaign at North Campus, D.U.[/caption] Sunny Kumar, State Secretary for Delhi, AISA in response to the same question, said that “It is high time the focus shifts to students’ issues from muscle-and-money politics.  Therefore it’s not just the question of NSUI – every party has to raise students’ issues to survive. NSUI has now realized that the rage against F.Y.U.P. is not something they can tame and hence they oppose it now.” Calling ABVP, a passive opposition, Kumar said that any action against FYUP by the central government cannot imply that the party has done any ‘concrete work in the same direction’. In their defense, Amrish Ranjan Pandey, NSUI national spokesperson, told IANS that, “It was something new  last year, so we neither supported nor protested against the structure, but now after a year, we conducted a survey and have found that it is not good academically and students are not happy with it”. Nonetheless, the coming together of all the parties is a clear sign that the students and teachers of DU unanimously agree that FYUP is not something they want and should indeed be rolled back.      ]]>

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Spo(r)tlight

Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal pen history in French Open 2014

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The 113th edition of French Open, ‘French Open 2014’ held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris concluded on Sunday with Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal taking the championship home in their respective categories of women’s and men’s singles.

The women’s singles final was held on Saturday where the Russian Maria Sharapova emerged as the winner beating the Romanian Simona Halep in a three-set match. This was the 27 year-old Sharapova’s second French Open title and her 50th match overall that she had won in the Roland Garros, more than in any other Grand Slam.

Sharapova claimed that it was the toughest final she had ever played after the match, which ended with the score 6-4 6-7 6-4. Sharapova was the favourite for the title after Serena Williams and Li Na both made early exits from the competition. However, her path was not easy as she had to come back after losing a set in successive matches to beat Sam Stosur, Garbine Muguraza and Eugenie Bouchard.

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Russian Maria Sharapova lifts the French Open 2014 trophy in Women’s Singles category defeating Romanian Simona Halep.

In the men’s singles final, it was the Spaniard, Rafael Nadal who, once again, took away the title in a match worthy of a final. Nadal lost the first set to Novak Djokovic and then won straight sets 7-5 6-2 6-4. This was Nadal’s ninth French Open title in ten years, safe to say he was a born clay-court player.

Rafael Nadal will take over the World No. 1 spot as well in the WTA rankings after the win. Rafael Nadal overcame Andy Murray in the semi-finals while Novak Djokovic had to defeat the 18th seeded Ernsts Gulbis.

Rafael Nadal becomes the only person to win a Grand Slam 9 times in lawn tennis history!

 

Images Courtesy: The Guardian, espn.co.uk

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Bazinga

Bazinga: University of Delhi all set to revise the FYUP semester marks

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Even amid all the controversies that the F.Y.U.P. is mired in, the Delhi University has come up with yet another fresh one. In what looks like an outcome of a case of discrepancy, the University is likely to withdraw the FYUP results for the 2nd semester (announced on Saturday, 07-06-2014) , re-evaluate them and release the final results by the third week of June.

“Hurried corrections, barely-followed marking schemes, and incongruity in filed records have led us to deliberate this move”, says an official from the Examinations Office.

So, all those ecstatic about their marks, here’s some reason to worry!  According to confidential university sources, the problem occurred when a discrepancy was noticed in the I.M.B.H. marks of certain roll numbers while uploading the individual statement of marks.And while the records were uploaded nevertheless, the Examination Office decided to withdraw the results once the matter was scrutinized further.

However, students need not worry about the effects of reassessment a lot as the University has a very firm stand on awarding all students pass marks. What with the possibility of reverting to the three-year programme!

The 4th and 6th semester students will now have to hold their breaths for a longer time because the reassessment will set in motion a series of delays and students may receive their results even after the new session begins.

But on the positive side, be rest assured that the marking will be as professional as it gets now that the University has vowed to oversee each process.

To all the FYUP students who said to themselves ‘better luck next time’, the good lord has heard you!

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Admissions 2014

Equal opportunity cells hard at work in D.U. admissions

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Dilliwale are known for their big hearts and helping nature and Delhi University takes it one step forward during this year’s admission process. The university is known for its various attempts to make education easier for the differently-abled, this year the Equal Opportunity Cell of the University takes it up a notch.

Aspiring students will find free bus rides from the metro station in North Campus and trained volunteers are available to help out with any situation.There are also Braille brochures about admission details and audio recordings of the whole prospectus to help out the visually impaired.

Volunteers will help out the students with filling up forms and counselling sessions. The college prospectus can also be read online on the Equal Opportunity Cell website through a screen reader both in Braille and audio format

.There is also a special advisory that has been drafted which provides useful information like there is a different form for students with disabilities with a list of different types of disabilities and their specifications and a list of necessary documents to be carried by them.

The main aim is to ensure that students don’t face any hurdle because of small reasons like accessibility. Colleges have also been issued notices to make sure that there are a few basic necessities available at their college during the time of admission like help desks, NSS and NCC cadets for assistance, wheelchairs, accessible spaces and teachers on duty to assist any grievance.

With these measures it can only be hoped that the students receive the equal opportunity that they deserve.

 

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DUB Speak

Is it too late to roll back the FYUP?

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With the new party taking over the Human Resource Development ministry, chances are that the controversial four year undergraduate program installed by the University of Delhi might be scrapped. Sources have it, that the HRD ministry is already working out a way so as to incorporate the 4 year program into a 3 year one. BJP had already given hints last year that it might rollback the controversial programme as soon as it comes to power at the centre and it had been included in their manifesto as well.

Last year, there had been much protest when the program set in and it could have been easily removed if such an action would have been brought at the same time. But if FYUP would be scrapped now, it will pose a major threat to students currently enrolled in the existing Four Year batch. Not only will they have to do away with the Foundation courses, which they have already studied in their 1st year, additional disciplinary courses would also have to be incorporated into their syllabus for the next 2 years. Which would in turn mean that a student currently enrolled under FYUP would have to study 6 DC courses per semester. That’s a 3 time increase when compared to the existing burden.

It should also be noted that during the pre poll time period, the BJP had promised that if FYUP wouldn’t be scrapped, they’ll incorporate training and internships in the last year so that it might not go wasted.  Another proposal which may bring down the burden on students has been given by Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA), in which, by doing away with the 2 Foundation Courses, 2 more Disciplinary Courses (DCs) will be added along with the existing DCs in the 3rd and 4th semester. Such a move will incorporate the whole program into 3 years. Seeing the scenario, it seems a better option than scrapping the whole program since a year has already passed.

De Facto, if one may recall, the protests against FYUP were not due to its 4 year term but due to the hurriedly introduced Foundation Courses which many termed as ‘elementary school level’ subjects. But since the new ministry is planning to scrap the whole program, it seems that students will have to suffer the consequential burden. But there are other reasons which might pose a problem in the scrapping of FYUP. The Bachelors of Science (B.Sc.) program which had been changed into Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech.) requires a minimum of 4 years to serve a B.Tech. degree. If the whole program is scrapped, then the above course will also have to be reverted back into its original form, which would simply mean playing with the future of the students currently studying for a degree in Bachelors of Technology.

To top it all, the University Grants Commission is already putting pressure on the university to either scrap the FYUP programme or the Honours degree it is giving under the old 3 year semester mode through the School of Open Learning. Since the UGC’s rules require a university to give only 1 type of degree, either SOL will have to start giving degrees for only certificate courses or DU will have to do away with the FYUP programme.

Whatever happens next would be significantly life changing for the students currently enrolled under FYUP. I hope the new government takes a step which might not hamper the future prospects of these students.

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Sex Amma

Sex Amma: Where can I make out with my girlfriend?

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Dear Amma, I’m a college student and I live with my parents. It’s very difficult for me and my girlfriend (who also lives with her folks) to find places to get it going. Please suggest some places where we can go to make out or take it a bit further, if you know what I mean.

Uff my desperate little machhi! If you lived in the greenery of my sweet Kerala, you would have no worries for you could go boating in the backwaters! And my naive idli, I always know what you mean!

But, talking about Delhi, Amma has stolen kisses in the stairs of abandoned buildings. The third floor of Rugby Sevens in the North Campus is a great place, if ever you get a chance to go in. It’s normally deserted, but you might find a dog or occasional person there, so you might have to make a run for it, but it’s mostly safe. If your parents have endowed you with a car, make use of it, or just borrow a friend’s car. Got some friends living in PGs? Ask them for a favour. Make use of the terrace at your place, or hers. Elevators are a world-renowned making-out spot. Then there’s always that deserted movie hall you could go to! Go have fun, you little honey-buns!

 

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