Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Archive

January 2015

Browsing
Features

Enactus SGGSCC: Bringing Naukri.com to slums

By

When we see a slum, we see the squalor, the filth, the dirt, the poverty, the grime, the dust. We see ‘dignity’ conspicuous by its absence. But there is a group who saw it differently: they saw potential job-seekers. This is the same group of college students who do not believe in giving a man a fish to eat, but rather teaching him how to fish.

These social entrepreneurs-in-action are the members of Enactus at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College Of Commerce. Enactus SGGSCC came up with Project Shakti after thorough research, and eight months later, the survey, planning and implementation has acquired palpable dimensions. Rishabh Goyal, President of the college chapter under Enactus India explains how the conceptual inception was the most crucial part, even as the implementation remains the deciding factor for the success of the project, “The research phase was definitely very grueling. We conducted a lot of surveys in different slums and talked to over 500 slum dwellers. The community we are working for is very unpredictable. Even after expressing their willingness to work and get a job, they used to back out at the very end moment. We needed to detect the problems. And, so we conducted a few experiments to find a solution and then we arrived at one. It was all about building their dignity. This all lasted for 4-5 months.”

So yes, this worked out eventually, and they have been able to employ a few people under Project “Shakti”.

What is Project Shakti: Power comes to the slum-dwellers?

Groundwork, exploration, scrutiny, analysis, plenty of brainstorming, coupled with field work in the slums of Rohini, GTB Nagar and PaschimVihar, materialized into a project which fills a crucial demand-supply gap. Under the project, the lower income group people (who are willing to work), are employed in various shops and centers that require staffs for chores like data entry, billing, delivery and other such jobs so as to provide them with sustainable jobs and earn their living.

The social tangent: benefitting both employers and employees

On one hand, the project provides the hitherto slum-dwellers a fixed source of income to meet the daily expenses, along with a sustainable living pattern, which also confers new learning and skill development opportunities, on the other hand, this aids the employers in the recruitment process by reducing their burden of finding employees, doing background checks, among other benefits that cater to the demand side of the mechanism.

Following up regularly and effectively

Surely, one can never be sure of the fickle human character. How then, do we ensure that the employer and employee are both satisfied with what the project has to offer? Goyal points out that they have this issue figured out, “For the purpose of following up, we have created a separate department of Personal Managers. So, for every person employed by us, we allot a separate personal manager. He/she keeps on following up with the employee and the employer on a fortnightly basis and is available on a 24*7 basis to them. Also, we meet the employee once every month to make sure he doesn’t face any problems in the workplace and in case, he does, we provide him additional training or talk to the employer for the same depending on the situation.

And if that doesn’t work out for another month, we find a new, suitable job for the employee and provide a new employee to the employer as per his requirements.”

The ingredients for success:  Fairness  

What sets this project apart is the fact that they have regulation checks in place, in addition to the fact that it caters to the needs of both employer and employee, with no tendency to favor one over the other. Their skill enhancement focus makes it all-encompassing.

Future prospects and challenges

While they have so many ways to take the project to the next level: taking more jobs under their umbrella, getting more people ‘placed suitably’, much depends on the follow-up and the efficiency. Hence, success will be defined more by the suitability of their placements more than any other parameter.

 

Kritika Narula

[email protected]

Image credits: Enactus SGGSCC

Keep Reading
By
Indraprastha College for Women

IP College teams up with Jagruti for paper recycling initiative

By

The Ecology club at Indraprastha College for Women has been actively engaged in a paper recycling initiative in collaboration with NGO Jagruti. They have already completed the first phase of the initiative successfully.

While the college has been involved in this paper recycling drive by donating the tonnes of paper used/discarded in the office and library in the past, it was only in the last semester that this initiative was conceptualized as a college-wide campaign. As the president of the Ecology Club, Sakoon Prabhakar testifies with zeal, “Before we initiated this drive, the NGO was only taking away used paper from the college library. We really wanted to involve the students to make them conscious about the ‘Rs’ of reuse and recycle which needed to be transformed into real, palpable action.”

Under the campaign, empty cartons are kept at strategic places near and inside the college, where students and teachers dump all the used and unwanted papers. Once the cartons are filled, they are sent to the organization for recycling. Jagruti has, in a one-of-its-kind initiative, started manufacturing custom-made paper stationery out of recycled paper in return for the raw material provided by the college for their recycling plants. They take away used/waste paper (minimum 300 kgs), recycle it and send it to the college in the form of stationery (writing paper and notepads) without charging any money, which makes this a barter exchange. These are then distributed among the college staff.

Ravneet Kaur, the General-Secretary of the Ecology Club gives an update on the success of the initiative, “The first phase was completed in the previous semester itself. The cartons filled up to the brim with huge piles of paper in no time at all. We had an enormously successful first phase. We are on to the second round of collection now.” She attributes the success of the initiative to the fact that it creates real change for the environment on the local level, and sets a good precedent for the activities of the club on the whole. It also lays emphasis on the role of the club as a champion for the cause.

“Soon after its inception, we have been successful in creating an incessant cycle of contributions from students and teachers alike”, adds Prabhakar.

Image credits: Ecology Club, IP college

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Charlie Hebdo: Where does tolerance begin?

By

The state cannot tolerate insults to its institutions, the extremists cannot tolerate insults to their religion and the layperson cannot tolerate this resistance to her freedom. Where do we start to tolerate? Where do we draw a line? Where do we debate? Or do we debate at all? After Charlie Hebdo, evidently not.

They came, they stormed and they killed. There were no dialogues, there were no negotiations. They killed eight journalists, they killed the 1789 Declaration of Rights, and they killed a million more oppressions that were yet to be vented. Today, the world stands with France and Charlie Hebdo, the world stands for freedom of expression, albeit stunned and afraid. Nevertheless, the world must stand.

We live in a society which has seen the Renaissance and the Reformation; it has seen the breaking of empires and the drafting of rights and duties, it has seen the Rose Revolution and the Jasmine Revolution. And yet, in this period that we call post-modern, we cannot tolerate the most peaceful form of protest.

What would R.K. Laxman’s common man have to say to this, one wonders.

Salman Rushdie, for one, said, “I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny. Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and yes, our fearless disrespect”.

France, the state, has ever been at odds with religious groups considering its chosen form of secularism, France, the nation, has tried its best to uphold freedom in different domains- be it religion or expression. The French government has been criticized for controversies like the veil controversy, it is also a fact that many French citizens have left the country to join the ISIS; France has been a contentious zone when it comes to radical Islam, or even Islam sometimes.

In the aftermath of the attack, even shocked mourners acknowledged that Charlie Hebdo pushed satire to its limits, yet even Islamic organizations from within France have condemned the attack. What does that tell us? That it is okay, and even healthy to question our very comfort zones, that taking offence should lead to thoughtful consideration and not violence.

There was much surprise when the controversial Danish cartoon of the Prophet with a bomb for a turban caused unrest in West Asia and elsewhere. A ‘provocative’ cartoon like that was obviously going to hurt sentiments. But the cartoon was only an illustration of what radicals are doing in the name of the Prophet.

Have we not progressed enough to stop and think? If not, satire must not stop either.

 

Feature image by Banksy.

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

King Khan’s Novelty: SRK to star in a novel

By

“Love him or hate him, you just can’t ignore him…”  Think you’ve seen enough of Shah Rukh Khan already? Well, think again!  After theatre, television and cinema,  SRK now plans to add another feather to his cap – a novel.  Nope! He’s not gonna write one, he’s going act in one!

Now  it’s no secret that King Khan has a strong inclination towards the technological arts, and this is manifested regularly in his work – he owns a VFX studio, produced the National Award winning movie Ra.One & his company has created the visual effects for movies like Krrish 3. His latest venture would once again make full use of modern technology.

For the first time in India, a Bollywood actor would be featuring in a graphic novel. This mode of entertainment is yet untapped worldwide,  as most of the successful graphic novels are either video game titles or spin-offs of big-budget movies. SRK will be seen in the graphic adaptation of Ramesh Tamilmani’s –Atharva – The Origin.  The first look of the same was released earlier this week.

shah rukh khan avatar 2_0

The trailer of Atharva shows a french-bearded Shah Rukh – heavily armed & armoured, in a mythical world with a dragon in the background. Designed by Virzu Studios, the VFX are quite appealing for a graphic novel (way better than Kochadaiyaan!)  but don’t compare them with a Playstation video game (although, it looks very much like an action RPG)! It is also the first time we’ll see King Khan in an animated avatar. His last rendezvous with animation was when he voiced-over for Incredibles (2004).

Amidst monotony and humdrumness, such attempts are rare. So do take a look!

Keep Reading
By
Interviews

Interview with CAT high scorers from DU

By

Thousands of students aspire to crack what only a handful manage to – the Common Admission Test for India’s leading B-Schools. What does it take to be one of the handful? What sets them apart? We caught up with Arushi Jamar (99.78 percentile) of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies and Hardik Wadhwa (99.72 percentile) from Shri Ram College of Commerce and tried to find out. While Arushi says she cut down on parties in the last 3 months before the exam, Hardik says his strategy was to simply not have one.

Read on to find out more:

Q. When and how did you decide on going for MBA?

Arushi: My interest in finance and related fields lead me to take up a specialised course in finance, BFIA. But an undergraduate course is not really enough to pursue a career in finance. MBA is the natural choice. Moreover, understanding management is absolutely essential to understand the dynamics on which the financial world today works. I can’t point out exactly when I decided to pursue an MBA, but it has been on my mind for a long time.

Hardik: The choice for a masters degree was between an MBA and a masters in my major subject. The degree of Master of Business Administration is considered the terminal degree for any major, hence the interest in an MBA. But the primary reason for an MBA is to gain knowledge of the intricacies of thriving in the corporate world. Pursuing my graduation in Economics from SRCC has familiarised me with comprehensive theories and real world situations and MBA is the right platform to gain, experience and act as a learner and leader. Establishing myself as a management professional is my primary target to enhance my proven area of expertise and to develop new ones. Pursuing an MBA will lead to a steep successful growth in my formal education curve. My upward sloping knowledge curve will certainly get an inflexion point and increment at an accelerated pace after my successful completion of MBA.

“I remember carrying CAT material to college and solving exercises during any breaks I could get. I was taking one mock a day in the last few weeks” – Arushi Jamar

Q. What has been your preparation strategy? How are you preparing for the subsequent rounds?

Arushi: CAT is not just about understanding concepts and knowing the right answers, but also about how you attempt the test. My strategy was optimising the use of those 170 minutes. Attempting the right questions and ignoring the lengthy ones. I practised a lot. I was taking one mock almost every day in the last few weeks.
For the Personal Interview round, I’m planning to revise everything I have studied in the last 5 semesters. As yet, I am not doing anything in particular, just reading books and magazines, which I anyway read a lot.

Hardik: My preparation strategy was to never have one. The more one makes timetables and stringent schedules for studying such a wide and diverse course as CAT’s, the less is the flexibility with which one is able to prepare, thereby restricting analytical and logical thinking – elements which are tested in almost every question of the examination. Quantitative aptitude was one area which initially seemed frightening, but with time and practice, the scare turns into keenness to solve more and that is the stage where one should believe in oneself of being sufficiently ready for the exam.
For the subsequent rounds, I have an Academic Writing Test, for which I am yet to start any serious preparation. Qualification from that stage would get me the call for the personal interview, but it is all contingent on how the test goes.

Q. Which B-schools are you targeting?

Arushi: I am targeting IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta and IIM Bangalore.

Hardik: I am targeting all the eminent B-Schools of the country, an MBA degree from which would surely give a headstart to my career. These include particularly the IIM’s and FMS.

Q. How did you manage time between college and CAT preparation?

Arushi: It wasn’t easy. I usually had classes from 9 to 5 on weekdays, so CAT prep was mostly restricted to weekends. But I remember carrying CAT material to college and solving exercises during any breaks I could get. I cut down on parties and hangouts to save time, especially in the last 3 months.

Hardik: I have been truly blessed to be studying from some amazing professors in my college, hence the relative burden of my semester exams was less. I attended classes in college diligently and made it a point to grasp the concept in the class itself, so that the remaining time could be devoted to CAT preparation. Moreover, when my preparation used to accelerate during weekends. A long mid-semester break and the preparatory leaves towards the end also helped my cause and gave me sufficient time to prepare for both.

Q. Did you take coaching?

Arushi: Yes.

Hardik: Yes.

Q. What’s your take on the culture of coaching that is prevalent?

Arushi: These classes do help, more so because of the guidance they offer. It’s not like CAT is a test which requires coaching classes, but when there is so much competition that even one mistake can pull down your percentile drastically, it’s better to be safe.
Though, more than coaching, it’s the test series that helps. If anyone wants to brave the CAT without joining any institute, go ahead, it can be done, but make sure you subscribe to at least 2 test series and attempt as many mocks as you can. As clichéd as it sounds, practice is the key.

Hardik: The culture of coaching is a helpful mechanism for getting a good start for preparation. The real difference lies in how one perceives the environment around and takes it in which direction. Healthy competition is taken positively by some, who sense the opportunity knocking on the door. They work hard towards it and are able to accomplish their goals. The most significant aspect here is to go with an open mind and bend it in as positive a manner as possible. Grasping all that can be taken home is possible only when this flexibility exists. Coaching also nurtures an urge for self-study, which is what actually brings out the best in yourself. Unless the endeavour to make one’s own efforts doesn’t come from attending coaching classes, the preparation might be superficial and incomplete. That’s why coaching is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for a good score.

“Herd behaviour is not what should guide choices, as doing what is most fulfilling to oneself has no substitute” – Hardik Wadhwa

Q. Having crossed the sea now, what tips would you like to give to MBA aspirants?

Arushi: Stay calm, don’t worry if you don’t score well in initial mocks. Don’t ever lose hope. Be sincere and consistent in your efforts. Don’t waste time in watching movies or TV series. Don’t gather unnecessary stress. Don’t pollute your mind. Minimise distractions. Stay focussed on CAT.
Also, take enough breaks while studying, go out, exercise, meet people, do things that refresh your mind, not stress it.
Remember your goal: Increase speed, reduce errors.

Hardik: The first hurdle that one needs to cross in this journey (and more importantly, at an early stage as well) is to let go of the fear of the exam. Until that persists, CAT will seem an impossible dream. Keeping the faith throughout is also important, especially in situations where the going gets tough and hope is lost. Consistent studying is extremely important, but what matters the most is enjoying the journey. Taking every failure in your stride will enable you to focus better, and being positive is what differentiates a rocky path from a smooth one.

Q. MBA is gradually becoming the most favoured PG choice for commerce students. Which factors do you think aspirants should weigh in before making a decision?

Arushi: You should think of want you want to do in life. Just follow your passion, whatever it is. Start a band, a travel company, a Youtube channel, a website, a mobile application or simply pursue a masters in your undergrad subject, whatever your passion leads you to. Try to picture where you see yourself in 5-10 years. And then decide whether an MBA fits into the picture. An MBA will give you a brand, a network and the necessary managerial skills. Whatever venture you start, it will be easier to manage its operations, find funding and build a brand, if you have an MBA backing you.

Hardik: Choosing a suitable career is an important decision in one’s life. Interest is the primary determining factor. It’s not enough for a subject to interest you, but the skills attached to it and the work environment that will be offered are also important factors influencing decisions. Future prospects are also taken into account. Herd behaviour is not what should guide choices, as doing what is most fulfilling to oneself has no substitute. Interacting with people already in those fields and learning from their experiences offers a new dimension to look at things. However ultimately the decision is one’s own, the wrong decision can bring as much misery as the joy and glory endowed by making the right choice.

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Smriti Irani joins cleanliness campaign by ABVP near North Campus

By

Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and Akhil Bharti Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) organized a public function and cleanliness drive on 8th January 2015. The program was set up at Sanjay Basti in Timarpur near Delhi University North Campus. DUSU’s office bearers and other members of ABVP addressed the public function.

Chief Speaker for the event was Shri. Umesh Dutt who is the former National General Secretary of ABVP. He spoke about ABVP’s campaign called “Drugs Free, Pro-Environment, Clean India Campaign”, which was resolved in the National Conference of ABVP held in November 2014. 

Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Human Resource Development Minister also joined the team later and starting cleaning Sanjay Basti. Saket Bahuguna, Delhi Secretary (ABVP) says, “Smt. Irani met safai karamcharis and inquired about their problems and appreciated their services. She met ladies of the basti and also requested them not to throw any garbage in the drains which creates blockage.”

[caption id="attachment_28531" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Smriti Irani interacting with MCD workers | Source: ABVP Smriti Irani interacting with MCD workers | Source: ABVP[/caption]

Smriti Irani also summoned officials from Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) when she came across a blocked drain and asked them to do their duty properly.

Irani advised and asked all the students to take part in the cleanliness drive. After the drive, while hundreds of students kept cleaning the basti, she went to the DUSU Office in the University and discussed reforms and related matters with ABVP Office bearers. Meanwhile, many passerby students gathered outside the DUSU office and they later thanked Smriti Irani for her initiative of scrapping off Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP).

Feature Image Credits: ABVP
]]>

Keep Reading
By
Spo(r)tlight

Indian squad for World Cup 2015: Controversies and team strengths

By

With the final 15 chosen from the list of 30 probables for Cricket World Cup 2015, cricket fans across the country have been subjected to heated dissension and discussion. Some feel that the team chosen is an inexperienced gamble; while others think that the responsibility is given to strong shoulders, as the new ‘era’ of cricketers are set to take over their legend counterparts.

The Final Team

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt, WK), Virat Kohli (Vice-Capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma.

The final 15-member squad for Cricket World Cup 2015 | Image Source: FirstPost
The final 15-member squad for Cricket World Cup 2015 | Image Source: FirstPost

Strengths

In the batting department, the attack is lead by openers Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane. Dhawan’s current form may not suggest a promising performance, but he is crucial for the formation of the ‘Left and Right handed’ combination. Rohit Sharma, team’s dark horse is known for his unpredictable spree of performances. The attack is followed by an aggressive in form Kohli and is further neutralized by Raina, Dhoni, and Rayudu who are capable of steering the game single handedly towards victory.

The bowling side lacks balance, especially with the pace duo, Shami and Ishant Sharma not delivering at crucial moments. Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar come in as handy replacements, if the need arises. R. Ashwin leads the spin bowling in the team and is expected to deliver as his performances have flourished at crucial times. Binny and Axar Patel have proved themselves in the IPL and less prominent series as India A members and a lot is expected from them.

The Controversy

Experienced Indian cricketers, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan were excluded from the 30-member Indian probables squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin are the only survivors from the squad that lifted the World Cup in 2011.

Many cricket fans were subjected to disappointment, especially on the exclusion of Yuvraj over injured Ravindra Jadeja in the final 15. Considering Yuvraj’s electrifying performance, consisting of three back to back centuries this Ranji season hinted that he meant some serious business and should have been chosen over Jadeja. Also a side note sympathy stays with Yuvraj through his heroic 2011 World Cup days, where after being diagnosed by cancer, he played a crucial role in steering the team towards victory.

Inclusion of Binny and Axar Patel does seem like a serious gamble, not because of their inability to perform but their inexperience and less exposure in competitive international cricket.

Discomposure of fans was also highlighted with Murli Vijay and Robin Uthappa being not chosen for the final 15.

Final Verdict

Whether we like it or not, the final 15 have been chosen to the best of selector’s abilities. Let us trust their choice (or gamble) and support our team play and bring the World Cup back to where it belongs. Go India!

With inputs from Cricbuzz

Featured Image Credits: Cricket Country

Amitoj Singh
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Features

A unique way of ‘Feeding India’

By

 

Ever wondered that a Punjabi wedding could spark an idea in a person’s mind that could make a difference to thousands of lives?

Something like this happened when Ankit Kawatra, an alumnus of Keshav Maha Vidyalaya, University of Delhi attended one big fat Punjabi wedding some two years ago. Witnessing loads of food ranging from over 35 cuisines being served to only a handsome 1,500 invitees, Ankit thought how at least 10,000 unprivileged people could be fed with the same food.

This incident  gave birth to the initiative called – Feeding India.

‘Feeding India’ is a social enterprise working to tackle two rampant and interconnected problems of India, that of food wastage and hunger. This is done by helping the needy to get an access to the excess cooked food from restaurants and caterers in marriages, functions etc.

It is rather ironical as to how in a country where there are infants,aged, young and sick people starving due to lack of food,there is also reckless wastage of food sufficient to feed more than half of such needy population. Feeding India works on this simple ideology. The enterprise works to use the excess luxury of the ‘haves’ to fulfill the basic need of food for the ‘have-nots’ of the society.

Their methodology is very simple – The volunteers of the enterprise collect excess food from bulk food sources. In order to maintain the nutritional value of food, the articles are stored in cold storage houses. The food is later donated to the hungry after undergoing three rigorous levels of quality checking by Feeding India’s expert food technologists.

Through social media, they organize collection drives in corporate houses as well. The enterprise also has an event every Sunday at Raahagiri, Connaught Place, Delhi. Feeding India aims to carry on the good work and also expand their operations throughout the country to bring about a nation-wide impact on these problems.

“It was small operating initiative until 2014. However, the core team decided to take the cause on social media platforms like Facebook which made substantial difference. Currently, the team consists of more than 35 people, both college students as well as working professionals.Leadership for each and every individual working towards this initiative as well as sustainability are the major aims of this initiative.” says Ankit, the mind behind Feeding India.

 

To be a part of this social revolution, visit here.

 

Sidhant Seth

[email protected]

 

 

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Personalities at Mood Indigo- Concerts, LitFest and Proshows

By

Asia’s largest cultural festival became an exhilarating chapter at end of the year for students from Delhi University and other universities across the country.

This edition of Mood Indigo, IIT Bombay attracted hefty number of more than 126000 students from over 1800 colleges across India. With a Limca record for the maximum number of international artists at a cultural festival, Mood Indigo this year featured Epica, a symphonic metal band from The Netherlands. The festival also witnessed Sander van Doorn, an international DJ for EDM night on Day 1.

Indian artist line up included Vishal & Shekhar and Adnan Sami along with famous authors like Neelesh Misra and Amish Tripathi for Litfest segment and prominent chefs like Vikas Khanna for the food festival.

Here is a list of all the personalities who visited IIT Bombay for Mood Indigo this year.

Amish Tripathi

Amish Tripathi, author of Shiva Trilogy addressed a group of aspiring writers and a few members of teaching faculty from IIT Bombay on 26th December 2014. As a speaker for the LitFest, he talked about his journey as a management graduate and then a writer. Dispensing his thoughts about character building as a writer, he stressed on creativity instead of organized and surrendered art.

Tripathi also sermonized the crowd with information about Indian mythology and how India is a land where liberalism and religionism go hand in hand. The author also revealed the possibilities of his book to be a Karan Johan movie soon.

[caption id="attachment_28467" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Amish Tripathi for LitFest at Mood Indigo Amish Tripathi for LitFest at Mood Indigo[/caption]

Sander van Doorn and Zaeden – EDM Nite

Mood Indigo danced to the Electronic Dance Music on Day 1 of the festival. Sahil Sharma a.k.a Zaeden performed the opening act for EDM night. The 18 year old DJ transformed the calm competitors at IIT Bombay to exuberant youngsters.

Sander van Doorn, the main artist for the night played the best tracks of electronic music for about two hours. SVD is a Dutch EDM producer and DJ. The physical set at IIT campus for EDM night complemented the Indian and international artist line up in an extraordinary manner.

The headbanging crowd at EDM night very well paralleled the enthusiasm of both SVD and Zaeden.

[gallery ids="28464,28466"]

Neelesh Misra

Neelesh Misra, venerable author and Bollywood lyricist visited IIT Campus on 26th December 2014 as part of the LitFest. Neelesh addressed the audience as he talked about enthusiasm of writers and authors in the present age. The storyteller briefed everyone about his new rural newspaper called Gaon Connection and expressed his inability to accept all applications by new writers.

His session was followed by a Q&A round where he shared how lyrics of Bollywood songs today are different from those in early 2000s.

[caption id="attachment_28468" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Mood Indigo member hands over the token of appreciation to Neelesh Misra Mood Indigo member hands over the token of appreciation to Neelesh Misra[/caption]

Adnan Sami – Contemporary Nite

The Pakistani origin singer performed on Day 2 of Mood Indigo. Adnan Sani wooed his fans with the exclusive musical delight. He sang his famous numbers like Sun Zara, Dil Keh Raha, Kabhi toh Nazar Milao and Lift Kara De.

Apart from this musical gratification, the singer was also indulging in jugalbandi with his esteemed band. Adnan also amidst his performances shared with the crowd his experience of losing 145 kgs in a few months.

[caption id="attachment_28469" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Adnan Sami performing on Day 2 Adnan Sami performing on Day 2[/caption]

Rajdeep Sardesai

Senior journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai spoke on “Corporatisation, Politicisation and Sensationalisation of News” for the LitFest. He emphasized on responsible online media reporting and talked about importance of independence of media in our country.

The session was followed by a Q&A round, where Rajdeep also added that the world is headed towards digitisation of media. He also threw light on revenue system of media agencies.

[caption id="attachment_28473" align="aligncenter" width="599"]Rajdeep Sardesai at Mood Indigo | Source: Hindustan Times Rajdeep Sardesai at Mood Indigo | Source: Hindustan Times[/caption]

Epica – Livewire Nite

Epica, the symphonic metal band visited India for the first time for Mood Indigo at IIT Bombay. Epica’s performance featured an opening act by SLAIN which is reputed as country’s finest group of live acts in Melodic Progressive Rock/Metal.

Epica’s songs revolved largely around topics like philosophy, science, religion and world events. The group was witnessed employing human choirs and orchestras with additional embellishments such as spoken word recitals and lyrics in Latin and Arabic.

Epica was the only paid concert at Mood Indigo.

[caption id="attachment_28471" align="aligncenter" width="720"]Epica, Livewire Nite | Source: IIT Bombay, Mood Indigo Epica, Livewire Nite | Source: IIT Bombay, Mood Indigo[/caption]

Vishal-Shekhar – Popular Nite

The Bollywood music-directing duo of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani performed the closing act at Mood Indigo 2014. Right after the closing-award ceremony, Vishal-Shekhar entered the performance arena pumping energy into the crowd of more than 7000 people.

The pair performed to the popular Bollywood numbers from composed albums like Student of the Year, Bang Bang, Om Shanti Om and Jhankar Beats. Open Air Theatre, IIT Bombay recorded exultant crowd singing along as both the singers individually also sang for them.

Shekhar played the keyboard as he set the record on romantic mode by singing Zehnaseeb and Ishq Waala Love. Vishal Dadlani then enlivened the tranquil audience by performing Madaari, Aao Na and Jee Le Zara among many more.

[gallery ids="28463,28465"]

Dr. Subramanian Swami

“It’s not the political position a person holds that matters, it’s the influence he has on the people”, said former cabinet minister and BJP leader, Dr. Subramanian Swami who quoted the line by Shri. Mahatma Gandhi. Part of the Mood Indigo LitFest, he guided a group of students on how to become better and responsible citizens of the country.

Realizing the need of young brains in the political system, he encouraged more and more students to enter the Indian politics and advised them to look into the intricacies of politics in our country. Emphasizing the need of innovation that fuels growth of the nation, Dr. Swami talked about innovational intelligence as well.

Others

Apart from the personalities visiting the campus for literature fest and popular nights, there were many others who enthralled the 126000 visitors by their special appearances. For the Humour Fest, Mood Indigo witnessed Carlo Jacucci, Marcel Mohab and Korean artisits for the Jump Show performing on different days.

Stand­up comedians of the viral Youtube series “Pretentious Movie Reviews” fame, Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath were also seen performing on the campus. Raju Srivastava performed at the Comedy Show. Ayushmann Khuranna came to judge Mr and Ms. Mood Indigo contest and to promote his movie ‘Hawaizaade’.

Food Fest featured Chef Vikas Khanna who released his book ‘World Feast’ among other prominent chefs like Chef Ajay Chopra, Chef Varun Inamdar, Chef Dhaval Ajmera and Chef Sandeep Pande.

[gallery ids="28470,28472,28474"]

Pt. Rupak Kulkarni visited for Mood Indigo Classical Morning. Apart from Adnan Sami, the category of Contemporary Nite featured Purbayan Chatterjee who is popular for amalgamating traditional Indian classical music with contemporary world music genres.

The International Music Festival had artists like The Los Dorados, Barmer Boys and indierock band Amsterdams from Romania. U-Theatre group from Taiwan performed their act called ‘Swords of Wisdom’, martial arts act to the beat of percussion instruments.  The FringeFest saw Yoshi and Gilard Shabtay entertaining the onlookers by juggling capabilities and surreal balancing acts respectively.

Images by Chirag Sharma, Ankit Kumar Meena and Mehr Gill

Iresh Gupta [email protected]

]]>

Keep Reading
By