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AmbitionME: A blend of flavours!

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AmbitionME, an online portal, is a unique contest platform which specifically targets college students across the country. It’s an innovative idea which germinated in 2012 and started its main operations from October, 2013. The brain child of Prashi Agarwal, Varsha Sarkar and Vishal Haria, AmbitionME was conceptualized by starting with workshops for students of various universities to find out their interests and hobbies.  A year and a half was devoted to research and field work. And then started the quest to expand and make it into a fully fledged website which initially focused on career centric activities. However, over the time, the founders have branched into a variety of interests ranging from technical, management business to movies, lifestyle, sports etc. AmbitionME provides various incentives for taking and winning contests such as cash prizes, career advice, merchandise and internships.

The main objective of AmbitionME is to provide balanced flavors. The story behind AmbitionME is the desire to help youngsters “experience” the careers they are dreaming of, before taking the final dive. The biggest of the company lies in its experienced founding team whose focus is on gameification and an interactive atmosphere with its 10,000 users. The weakness and threats lie in the gestation period of starting such a business and its competitors.

Currently, a fun campaign titled ‘BeBetter, in collaboration with Naukri.com, Healthcard etc, is on, which encourages the participants to be creative. Various other programs like the Mint internships and other contests have been a hit in the past.

According to Ms. Prashi, one of the founders of AmbitionME, “We want to provide students an enriching experience and want to expand from being local to global.” The future plans of the venture are to aggressively raise funds and to reach out to more users.

Ishita Sharma

[email protected]

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Hans Raj College

Interview with a shooter: Shreyasi Singh

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Not every sport in India gets its required share of attention. Neither does the sportsperson. The Commonwealth Games 2014 that were held in Glasgow got back many laurels to the country, in the so titled ‘less famous’ games. With 64 medals in total, the games are fetching the winners their much deserved appreciation.

Shreyasi Singh, a shooter from Delhi got back a silver medal for the country in the double trap event. Shooting that won back the maximum number of medals at the games this year, got the 22 year old getting candid with our correspondent Iresh Gupta. From being a student from the Delhi University’s Hans Raj College to going back in times when she started the game, Shreyasi also talks about the change in her techniques from the Commonwealth Games in 2010 to that now in 2014. Singh also discloses her interests for politics in the country apart from shooting.

Presenting to you, Shreyasi Singh in conversation with Iresh Gupta (Photographed by Mehr Gill)

Iresh: Hi Shreyasi. Many congratulations for this achievement. The nation is really proud. Now that you are back in Delhi, how does it feel?
Shreyasi: Hello Iresh. It feels great to be back here. Luckily these games got all good for the shooters. Our hard work paid off. I am sitting back now and enjoying the media attention a little. (laughs)

Iresh: So would you like to tell us more about yourself?
Shreyasi: I am born and brought up in Delhi though I have my roots back in the state of Bihar. I have done my schooling from Delhi Public School, R.K Puram and my graduation in Arts from Hans Raj College, Delhi University. I started shooting right after my Class 10 under Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who first encouraged me to hold the gun. Since then, I have been working continuously on my game and I believe that shooting defines my life.

Iresh: So Shreyasi how has Hans Raj College contributed to your game, shooting?
Shreyasi: Hans Raj College contributed in many ways. The college first of all had great facilities for the game. I spent my three years of college practicing and not attending classes. The best part about the college is that it has no attendance issues and it supports its sportspersons. M.P Sharma Sir, the sports teacher was always there for us and the principal also never failed to understand. Our internals were always rescheduled. I couldn’t concentrate on my studies much, so I failed my Philosophy exam thrice (laughs) but then Rachna Sharma ma’am, who passed away a few months back helped me with my exams too. Her presence is surely missed.

Shreyasi after wining silver at CWG 2014

Iresh: And what are your views on the sports in the University itself?
Shreyasi: The opportunities are explored less. University has great sportspersons who have proved their metal in some game or the other. They are well trained but never tried. Like for example, the prestigious World University Games are held each year but the University never took the charge of sending us for the games which would have helped us improved our performance in terms of competition.

Iresh: You were part of the Commonwealth Games 2010 where you finished 6th, so how did you go about the preparation this time?
Shreyasi: These games were really important. I had to get a medal this time. During the Delhi Commonwealth (2010), I lost my father who had brain hemorrhage. I was very disheartened and upset. I couldn’t perform well then, but it was my father’s dream that I get a position in the games. After 2010, when I started working on my game again, I was thrown out of the team. It for once discouraged me a lot. But it gave me strength, after all I was doing it all for my father. I earned my team back by working a lot. I worked hard, changed my techniques, practiced well and silver it is, this time. (smiles)

Iresh: And was there any such incident in Glasgow that made you feel at any point of time that the medal is slipping out of your hands?
Shreyasi: Challenges are always there. There were two such incidents. I chose to sideline my health because I was too determined for the games but then I got a back injury which led to a loss of three days of training. I was worried because that meant a lot. Another was when I realized that the gold medal is gone for sure. But I made sure that I don’t lose the hope and remembered that silver and bronze are still there are worked for them.

Iresh: And finally you succeeded. To whom do you credit your success the most?
Shreyasi: I guess it is my father. I have always played for him. Otherwise for the game, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who introduced me to shooting, everyone at Hans Raj College, my coach Paramjit Singh Sodhi and all my co-players for the game like Ankur Mittal (also from Hans Raj) who became one of the finalists in the game this year, Sangram, Chintan, Ravi Kumar and others from whom you get to learn a lot.

Iresh: Being a native of Bihar, you have always represented country from that state. How have you been received back this time?
Shreyasi: Yes I have always played from Bihar. I am really proud to be playing for and representing my state. But the condition of sports is very sad there. The state never was or is very welcoming. Others states I have seen are really encouraging in terms of honoring the sportspersons. Bihar in that way lags behind.

Iresh: If not a shooter, what else you think you could have been?
Shreyasi: A politician for sure. My dad is from politics. While growing up in an environment like this I have developed great interest for this field. 15-20 years down the line when I don’t want to shoot anymore, you maybe see me somewhere in The Parliament or something.

Iresh: Any message for the budding shooters in the University?
Shreyasi: All I can say is that stay determined, focus on your game and practice hard. Nothing is difficult. Success will surely be tasted one day.

Iresh: In the end please tell us something about your future plans?
Shreyasi: Glasgow was a good amount of training. Now I will be trained again in Italy as I’m preparing for the World Championship that is to be held in September and for Asian Games in October. On the academic front, I wish to go back to Hans Raj College for pursue my post graduation in Political Science to help me get more insight into the field of politics. As Hans Raj will never stop me to play, there can be no better place than that.

Iresh: Thank you so much Shreyasi. DU Beat wishes you all the luck for the upcoming competitions.

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Hindu College

Symposium to conduct three days of Hindu Policy Summit’14

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Symposium, the Parliamentary Society of Hindu College will organize the Hindu Policy Summit-2014 from 22nd to 24th August. During the course of the three-day Summit, major agendas of discussion would be economic welfare, citizens’ empowerment, conflict resolution, sustainable development, socio-economic justice and multicultural co-operation.

First day of this event would witness a stakeholder’s meet specifically on Article 370, Uniform Civil Code and Higher Education Reforms. On the second and third day of the event there would be National Commission to review the working of the Constitution of India, Planning Commission-National Development Council Joint Sitting and Tripartite Security Meet (India-Pakistan-Afghanistan). These committees would meet up and work towards finding solutions to various national crisis.

“Hindu Policy Summit is one of its kind conferences which provides the young generation the platform to act like the actual policy makers and to understand the implications which arise during the formulation of policies. Through this event they will see how the things work and how the policies are formulated”, said Alankrit Bhatia, Joint Secretary of Symposium. He also said that they were aiming to make youth the actual pillars of the country and enlarge their vision to achieve a solution to every problem.

Participation in the event is open to all undergraduate, post-graduate and school students.

Venue: Vallabhbhai Patel Convention Centre, Patel Chest Institute, Delhi University- North Campus.

 

 

Shaurya Sahai

[email protected]

Picture Credits: Hindu Policy Summit’s Facebook page

 

 

 

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DUB Speak

Reasons you should be part of a society in college

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College is like another milestone for all students, its a new beginning after our school life. College societies play a very important role in college life and most colleges provide you various kinds of societies that you get to choose from.

The five reasons you should be a part of a society are :-

For meeting new and your kind of people: The most important and exciting reason is that you get to meet a lot of new people. Societies are full of like minded and interesting individuals whole may share the same  interests as you. Its unbelievable how you get to meet students from different walks of life and various other courses who you would have never interacted with otherwise. .Like if you’re crazy about photography then you’ll get to be a part of a group where every single person is equally dedicated and likes doing what you do.

For the society meetings: Sometimes you can find yourself sitting in a class and feeling out of place.  Academics is a very important part of college but if you want to explore your options and learn different things apart from what you’re being taught in class you should certainly consider being part of a society. Society meetings that take place often are almost as important as classes, sometimes even more. These meetings turn out to be very interesting as the topic of discussion is regarding something that you love doing and has attracted you towards the particular society in the first place.

For not having a single identity: Im sure you just don’t want to be known by the course you’ve taken up in college. Like being the “Math kid” or the “English kid” can become your identity in college. Instead being a part of a society helps to make your peers or seniors  look at you in a different light.

For building up your resume: Being part of a society also is a very good way to build up your resume. Everyone wants to have a strong resume in college and being in a society and working with people is a good way to master the skill of team work. You learn to make decisions as a group, considering every individuals opinion.

For all the perks: Lastly one of the most exciting parts of being in a society are the perks that you get. You get to own fancy society badges and t-shirts. You get to visit various colleges and give out station performances. Societies also have small get togethers and parties, specially after good performances or if your society has received good feedback.

Overall being in a society can be really fun and adds up a lot to your college experience.

Meghna Mitra
[email protected]

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Bazinga

BAZINGA: VC Gatecrashes Freshers’ Party!

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Disclaimer: Bazinga is DU Beat’s weekly column of almost believable fake news!

 

All was well on Friday at a café in Saket where the unofficial freshers’ party of a popular college was on, before the VC of Delhi University decided to gatecrash it; whether it became better or worse is up for speculation.

“I visited the college and thought I’d take everyone by surprise, but I was surprised to find the college completely uninhabited. I asked some teachers, “Where’s the protest tonight?” They told me everyone was at a freshers’ party. It sounded like a pleasant kind of protest, so I decided to go there,” the VC said.

The students in the café panicked and hid their hookahs and beer bottles in a hurry. Some coal from the hookahs fell on a few people’s feet, creating a more panicky situation. The VC took a while to understand the scheme of things there, but it wasn’t long before he asked the DJ to play 4 Bottle Vodka (some argue that they heard him sob and sing “4 Saal Ka Course Tha”) and grooved to the beats.

Reportedly, he even shooed away excise and police officers lurking around the café in anticipation of a share in the organisers’ profit, to the delight of everyone.

“These students who organise fresher’s parties make more profit than their total course fees. If someone had just told the students who could not have endured the cost of studying for an additional year that all they needed to do was organise a freshers’ party, perhaps my FYUP would have taken off!” said a disgruntled VC.

He also went on to suggest that internal assessment marks be given to the winners of titles like ‘Ms.Fresher’ & ‘Mr. Fresher’.

 

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Uncategorized

In conversation with: Shashi Tharoor

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DU Beat talked to Dr. Shashi Tharoor, an eminent Indian politician, at the Shri Ram Leadership Summit organised by Club for Leadership, Innovation and Finance (CLIF). Here is what he had to say about making the most of college life, participating in the rat race and developing entrepreneurial skills:

IMG_7207

Q. You are a great personality known all over the world. How do you think your life experiences can help the students of Delhi University become someone like Shashi Tharoor?

A. I personally feel that nobody can teach someone to lead a particular life. You can look at a person’s life for examples to an extent but ultimately most of the motivation comes from within. Moreover, circumstances change from time to time. There may have been some opportunities then that do not exist now and some constraints then that people do not face now. Every person has to deal with their own problems and advantages but one can certainly learn from other people how they have dealt with adversities, taken risks and how they have overcome setbacks.

I was very active in college, participated in various extra-curricular activities and that ultimately has shaped the kind of a person I am today. College is a place where you don’t only learn in the classroom, in fact I would argue, you learn the least inside the classroom. Those who just come to class and go back, miss out on the real experience.

 

Q. Now-a-days it has become a rat race for students not involved in professional courses like CA to pursue an MBA. However, in a country of 1.2 billion people, not everybody can be a leader although almost everybody wants to be one. So how, in your opinion can we satisfy the needs of all such aspirants?

A. The rat race is a relevant reality. In India the number of opportunities is much fewer than the number of people chasing those opportunities. As a result, the rat race becomes much more intense. In my time, the politics of scarcity was a major factor. There were fewer of us but we were chasing even fewer possibilities. The emphasis on marks alone and the so called “cut-offs” is a pity as it has spoiled the educational environment and relying purely on percentages misses the fact that university is a place of all activities.  There were so many students that I would have loved to see in my college but could not make it due to lack of percentage, so, I went to the principal regarding the matter and he told me that it is the Supreme Court’s guideline if he interviewed a 90 percent student when the cut off is 95, he will be obliged to interview everyone between 90-95%- which would become an impossible task. This is probably why most students run blindly for percentages. I remember a friend who was a theatre person and went on to become one of the first anchors of Doordarshan. He did not do well in school but St.Stephen’s still took him for his extra-curricular work. He was a great addition to the college.

When we talk about rat race for management, managers are not necessarily leaders. A manager may not be an effective leader and an inspirational leader may not know how to manage the nut and bolts of an organisation.  So you should not mix the two terms. As far as management education is concerned, in the whole world there were no management institutes till the early 20th century. In my time, there were only two IIMs- at Calcutta and Ahmedabad. It has all gradually changed in recent times, now it has become more popular course of study and people think an MBA will make their resume more attractive to companies.  It is true of some MBAs, some institutes and companies but I also know companies who would rather have a person with a substantial degree whom they can mould accordingly for their company than having an MBA from a wrong institute.

Q. In Delhi University, a large number of students aspire to be entrepreneurs and some begin their start-ups in college days itself. In your opinion, should they try to earn through their learning or learn while earning?

A. Students should certainly learn because without learning they won’t have the capacity to earn anything worthwhile. Having said that, entrepreneurship does require gut feeling, the ability to spot opportunities and take risks, and that can come to you at any age, sometimes with your education having nothing to do with it. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs, let’s face it, have been college drop outs. So entrepreneurship, in a sense, probably cannot be learned. The state and the university can help incubate. One way is by providing a safety net to students who have a very good idea in mind but cannot afford to take risks. One of the things we will be pushing in my constituency is an incubation program. I welcome this development as I believe this is a defect in our society. In my generation, people mostly opted for government jobs and stayed in the same job throughout their lives. All this has changed in recent times as youngsters have realised the potential of entrepreneurship in the world.

It is also not possible for the formal economy to create jobs for everyone. If more and more people become successful entrepreneurs, they can generate employment for even more people. Everything cannot happen top down. If we take IT for instance, I believe we have generated only about 5 million jobs last year whereas there are 12 million young people entering the market every year. Hence, self employment should be the pattern of the society, even if not exactly entrepreneurship, people who are skilled in writing or other creative talent can be hired for such services and earn probably more than what mediocre government jobs can offer. These initiatives will certainly solve the problem.

Ishani Rajkhowa with inputs from Arjun Talwar

Image Credits: Chirag Sharma for DU Beat

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DUB Speak

Redefining Raksha Bandhan

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When asked what is Raksha Bhandhan, most would say that it is about tying rakhis and receiving gifts, some would go into the significance of it and say that it is about protecting sisters and gaining their goodwill and blessings. And then there are those who might find this very premise unsettling.

A strand of feminists has found the idea of Raksha Bandhan problematic because of its original meaning. The word raksha means ‘protection, and Raksha Bandhan refers to the sacred thread that begets protection from brothers. Clearly, this idea of women needing protection has not gone down with many.

But, in today’s post-modern and capitalist world, is Raksha Bandhan still a sensitive festival in terms of gender equations. No doubts it has those roots, and always will. But I send my brother a rakhi every monsoon, and I definitely don’t demand any protection in exchange. However, I do make it a point to get him the nicest rakhi and the nicest card from an Archies or a Hallmark. (Sadly, I cannot afford the more embellished ‘designer’ ones.)

So, what does that tell you about Raksha Bandhan? As for me, it is that one time of the year when I think about sending something nice to my brother. And I do so only because I think that it is a nice gesture to make when you live miles apart.

Yes, I know that the premise of Raksha Bandhan is a patriarchal one, but I do not celebrate it for that. I celebrate it like it were a ‘Siblings Day’ of sorts. For the critics of Raksha Bandhan, I completely understand the validity of your argument and also the logic behind it, i.e., to uproot patriarchy one has to uproot all social practices associated with it. To those who celebrate the festival, make it about indulgent celebrations and gifts if you must, make it about remembering your sibling on that special day; but don’t make it about the brother protecting the sister.

Let it be about the relationship that siblings share, it can be about that one time when your brother told on you when you sneaked out of the house or that time when you took his phone and got mischievous to take revenge. As human beings, as especially those that share such strong connections, it is only natural that we will stand by each other and protect each other in times of adversity.

This Raksha Bandhan, make it about celebrating that mutual connection.

 Image credits: webneel.com

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Arts & Culture

Mildly Offensive Content: When Students of DU and Poetry Come Together

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Mildly Offensive Content is a group trying to revive the dying form of verse, the Spoken Word; it is a group which is striving to amalgamate the thin line between rhyme and events of our day to day lives and where the students of DU have come together with one of the most blessed forms of human expression- Poetry.

It’s a Delhi based student’s run group which excels in performing the Spoken Word form of poetry. Starting with their first performance at the American Embassy School, Mildly Offensive Content has taken long strides forward since then. Till today, their shows have expanded to various cafes like Kunzum Cafe in Hauz Khaz Village, Potbelly in Shahpur Jat, NSIT College, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and the Downstairs Space in Panchsheel.

Apart from the performance by their own team members, Mildly Offensive Content also invites several other guest poets. According to one of the members, ‘We also invite several guest poets to perform with us, to be able to spread not just the culture of hearing poetry, but also the inspiration to imagine, write and perform. The most beautiful imageries have been crafted at our shows through a kaleidoscope of words. Following the conventions of Spoken Word, the audience show appreciation through snaps as and when they feel touched, overwhelmed or even provoked by what they hear.’

Under the genre of Spoken Word Poetry, they cover themes such as love, heartbreak and memories, to larger issues of communalism, freedom, gender, class and homosexuality. Currently at a strong 8 member team, Mildly Offensive Content plans on to work in the field of spoken word poetry for the coming years and enthrall their audiences through various strands of it.

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Spo(r)tlight

Changing Winds: New Sports Shine through in India

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With cricket being synonymous with every Indian, we take a look at some other sports going for the big in this country.

Golf

The sport which is considered for the well elite is gaining immense popularity in India. Over the past few years, golf has been growing annually at around 25 percent. The country boasts of approximately 5,00,000 players, a number which continues to grow. Golf, which is usually associated with middle-aged and senior citizens, is gaining popularity among the youth of the country. With new golf courses popping up, the future for the game looks bright. Anirban Lehri, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jeev Singh Milkha are some famous golfers of India. The Hero Indian Open, one of the flagship open of India which is held at the Delhi Golf Club every year has started to attract crowds in thousands.

Badminton

With emerging shuttlers such as Saina Nehwal and Jwala Gutta coming up, the Indian badminton paradigm has completely changed. In the recent years, we have had an Olympic bronze- medalist and a world number 2 from India. This growing potential of the sport has also caught the eye of corporate world which led to the inception of Indian Badminton League (IBL) in an inter-state competitive format similar to the Indian Premier league (IPL). The first edition was quite successful and the tournament gathered a cumulative viewership of about 21.7 million according to a Deloitte report. The tournament offered a winning prize of $1 million, the highest for a badminton tournament ever in the world.

Hockey

The sport, known to many as the “national sport of India”, has seen some dark days in the past few decades. Inadequate investment in the sport led to India’s inability to adapt to the modern game which ultimately has caused this sport’s decline since the 1970s. However in the recent years, big companies have started to invest in the sport and channels have started to take initiatives to bring the sport to the masses. Hockey India League was a small but a significant step taken in this direction. This year, Star Sports planned to spend Rs.100 crore on advertising and promoting the event, which was four times the budget allocated for the year 2012. “We want to create a multi-sport culture in India. Cricket is already big and we want to grow other sports like hockey as well,” said Nitin Kukreja, head of sports business for Star India to a leading Indian daily. “To do that production and how it looks on the screen is very important.” This year, the tournament calculated a viewership of 41.4 million.

Football

Of all the sports excluding cricket, the one which follows a huge fan-following in this nation is football. Since the broadcasting of the English Premier League (EPL) in India, the sport has grown exponentially over the years. The 90 minute play-time is perfect for our reducing attention span and the match times fit perfectly for the people.  All big clubs like Manchester united, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Liverpool have set up academies in India and see India as a potential hotspot for talent. An EPL-like tournament, Indian Super League is also set to kickoff this year. It is an initiative of one of the biggest companies of India, Reliance together with IMG and has team owners like Ranbir Kapoor, Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. The league has also roped in veteran players such as Andy Cole and Diego Forlan coming in as coaches. For the Indian football, these sure seem to be exciting times.

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