April 2017

In 2012, international publishers from the Oxford and Cambridge University presses sought to clamp a case of copyright infringement on the Rameshwari Photocopy shop and University of Delhi under the Indian Copyright Act 1957. The case was actively defended by the University and pursued by the international publishers. On the 9th of March, 2017, three of the publishers withdrew their lawsuit thus marking a win for the University. Our correspondent reiterates why this win is important.

Background

In 2012, a consortium of international publishing giants sought to restrain the Rameshwari Photocopy Service from supplying photocopied material to students on the grounds that the photocopy shop was violating the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, by selling copyrighted excerpts from their books. In response to this, students and teachers rallied against the suit and challenged it on the grounds that exceptions within the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 have provisions that allow the copying of chapters within books for the purpose of education.

The case was expected to be a long legal battle but the withdrawal brought an end to the five-year-old tussle.

Why this win matters

Delhi University students have to cite multiple books in the course of their study, which makes it only reasonable for them to get the relevant portions photocopied from the related books. If one goes on to buy every referred book in the University syllabus, the cost of books itself will run in thousands of rupees. Now if we start exercising an uncompromising copyright law that restricts photocopy, then higher education in India will become almost unaffordable and will gravely hurt those who come from economically deprived backgrounds.

The publishers also oppose photocopying on the grounds that it reduces their market. But since the original books are exorbitantly priced, their market is actually the institutional buyer instead of a normal student. Besides, providing portions of course material available to students favours the publishers as it allows for wider distribution of the latter’s content and in many cases prompts students to actually buy the book.

The move to withdraw the lawsuit is appreciable on the part of the publishing houses. In wake of this positive development one can hope that the coming years will see a more progressive partnership between publishers and students, as well as academics as a whole, that will lead to newer and equitable models of production and content distribution.

Image Credits: Mint

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Around the Campus

Plaster from ceiling falls off in Hansraj Hostel room, close shave for student

By Srivedant Kar April 10, 2017

As the admissions season are yet to take steam, another incident that happened in Hansraj hostel has raised eyebrows about the bad infrastructure prevailing in the colleges of the university. This Saturday night, a large portion of the plaster fell of the ceiling in one of the rooms of Hansraj College hostel. This is not the first time such incident has happened in the hostel.

Around 9:30 to 10:00 PM, the plaster fell off in room number 40 of the hostel. Luckily the student who resides in the room escaped unhurt. “When the plaster fell on my bed, I was just studying a little far on my desk. Had I slept earlier, god knows what would have happened to me” says Akarsh Sharmaa, a final year student of the college.

After the incident took place, he placed a complaint to the hostel warden which has been forwarded to the principal of the college. Dr. Rama Sharma, who is the officiating principal of the college said that the portion of ceiling collapsed because of the cracks that have developed. “I have spoken to the contractor and sought a report from him,” said Dr. Sharma.

This morning the principal, hostel warden and the contractor visited the room and assured the resident of repairing the damage at the earliest. Every year during the summer break the hostel is closed for maintenance. “They just whitewash the rooms in the name of maintenance, but never repair the plasters” said another student.

The pathetic condition of the infrastructure in the university despite of funds being allocated by central government and high cutoffs remain a concern for both students and parents. Last year, the ceiling of Daulat Ram College collapsed injuring four students which led to severe protests by students demanding renovation of the college infrastructure.

Students appearing for exams under tents, falling ceilings, water sipping walls in colleges of the university have earlier created a lot of hue and cry for proper infrastructure. We hope this incident at Hansraj College be the last one to catch the attention of authorities.

Srivedant Kar

[email protected]

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

What does DU mean to outstation students

By DU Beat April 10, 2017

As another academic year draws to a close, the outstation students give us a nostalgic account of their journey in DU’s campus so far.

The University of Delhi (DU) becomes synonymous with ‘home’ for most students, by the time their three-year tenure is about to end. Even for last years’ fucchas, by now, the university has begun to resemble a place of everlasting comfort. There is a nostalgic value, almost automatically attached to the beloved space where scores of college memories are created. For the outstation students especially, as time for the admission of a new batch draws closer with the end of yet another academic session, there is a lot to say about DU.

“DU is very inclusive, though perhaps not as much as it could be. But there is definitely a lot of freedom to learn, explore and research in this huge arena. One gets to see a diversity of class, caste, regions and social backgrounds. Also, as opposed to private universities,where there is a filtered crowd coming in, here one gets to meet different people. My experience has been very nice, especially in terms of getting to know people who are not necessarily similar to me, as far as my ‘marked identity’ is concerned,” says ToobaTowfiq, a final year student of Miranda House, originally from Kashmir. She also mentions how her college is like a “mini India” and reflects the country’s essence and tensions in entirety.

For some students, DU is all about the experience of living in Delhi after coming from another state. Thus, many of them bond over food-based memories. “Coming from Chandigarh, I never expected to enrol into a college with mostly South Indian faculty members, which also serves delicious South Indian fare in the canteen. I now enjoy the canteen’s stuffed naan as much as its sumptuous masala dosa,” says Srishti Kapil, a second year student of Sri Venkateswara College.

As the year draws to a close, it’s nearly time for the outstation students to head home again for the vacations. The final year students will be seeing the last of DU before graduating. No matter what the future brings, a new set of college memories have already been etched into stone in this last year. They will now adorn DU’s walls forever.

Image credits:The Indian Express

Deepannita Misra
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Uncategorized

Love Games? Then You’ll Never Get ‘BOARD’ of these 5 Cafes in Delhi

By DU Beat April 10, 2017

Fed up of party plans every weekend? Want to do something different without leaving the city? Then you’ve come to the right place. Head to these 5 cafes in Delhi NCR and enjoy the games and food they have to offer.

Tpot

Be sure to come to this place if you’re ever in the area because Tpot Café has some great BOGO deals running – which, combined with their delicious Lebanese Chicken Wraps and Pastas – is truly a great way to spend your afternoon. Be sure to come here with friends and family, and play anything from Jenga to Monopoly to while away your time.

Cost For Two: Rs. 400
Cuisine: Café
Address: Malviya Nagar, New Delhi

The Colony Bistro

Come here if you’ve got a hankering for strong flavors and huge portions of food. They have rows of cupboards filled with board games and books to read, so you’ll probably end up having a great time, with or without friends. Their Chili Chicken Pizza and Strawberry Diaq will surely give you a foodgasm. End your meal with their Chocolate Truffle Jar.

Cost For Two: Rs 1000
Cuisine: Café, Chinese, Italian, American, North India
Address: Lajpat Nagar 4, New Delhi

Young Wild Free Café

A hit with the youngsters of Delhi – Young Wild Free is known for its reasonable prices, great books and fun games. The zesty food flavours can warm the hearts of even the fussiest of eaters. The thick shakes are a must try if you’re ever in the area, and a true Delhiite would sue you if you haven’t tried their Butter Chicken Pizza yet.

Cost For Two: Rs. 500
Cuisine: Café, Continental, Chinese, Italian
Address: Satyaniketan, New Delhi

Another Fine Day

As soon as you enter this café, you get a warm, cosy feeling thanks to the cushy chairs, white brick walls, and the humongous collection of books and board games. This place is perfect for chilling out with your buddies while enjoying delicious grub and drinks. Besides being super affordable, their ‘Pancake Steak’ plays a huge role in enticing people to visit this café more than once.

Cost For Two: Rs. 800
Cuisine: Café, Mediterranean, Continental
Address: DLF Golf Course Road, Gurgaon

Café Wanderlust

As the name suggests, this café woos the traveller in you with its quirky interiors and laid back atmosphere. The setting is such that you will probably end up spending hours playing classic board games while gulping down their specialty shakes and coffees. A special mention to their red velvet cake. It’s just out of this world!

Cost For Two: Rs 850
Cuisine: Café, Street Food, Continental
Address: DLF Phase 4, Gurgaon

ABOUT US:

Magicpin is a platform where users and outlets in a locality discover, interact and transact. For users, we are the one-stop destination for finding the best restaurants, fashion stores, spas, and salons in their localities. For every visit you make to an outlet, you get free cashback in magicpin points, which can then be redeemed at Amazon, Book My Show, for mobile recharges, and a lot more.

Best Cashback App of the Year 2016
Backed by Google (Google Launchpad Accelerator Program)

Backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners (Other investments include OYO, Snapchat, Limeroad)

The app is available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Explore the platform here: https://magicpin.in/

Image Credits: Magicpin Team

Keep Reading

Arts & Culture

Leaders for Tomorrow Organises Youth Festival on Social Change

By DU Beat April 9, 2017

The largest youth festival on social change, DATE WITH DEVELOPMENT 2017, brought together over 6500 people and was organised on Wednesday, 5 April at Kamani Auditorium, Mandi House by Leaders For Tomorrow, a not for profit youth organisation.

Mr. Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister, Delhi addressed the youth gathered at the event, engaging them in a conversation of how the youth can be a part of development and the role education plays in achieving this dream.

Youngsters from colleges across Delhi/NCR, including University of Delhi, Indraprastha University and other private colleges came together to celebrate young changemakers. The event was based on the theme of “India 2030: Achieving Development through SDGs” and was aimed at increasing the awareness among the youth about overcoming India’s development challenges.

The festival included panel discussions and sessions on achieving the sustainable development goals by Ms. Atishi Marlena (Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister), Dr. Ritesh Malik (Forbes Asia 30 under 30 Entrepreneur), Mr. Ankit Kawatra (Founder, Feeding India), Dr. Sanjai Bhatt (President, National Association of Professional Social Workers), Mr. Martand Shardul (Representative for Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth in South Asia) and Ms. Ritumoni Das (Co-founder, Katkatha).

The event also included cultural displays from different states and conducted final competitions in fifteen categories, including music band performance, opportunities fair, etc.

“It is very exciting to see so many young students here today, who have voluntarily come together. This shows that the youth wants to make a difference and that we are willing to work towards creating a better world”, said Mansi Saluja, one of the core organising team members of the event.

About Leaders for Tomorrow

Leaders For Tomorrow is a not for profit youth movement aimed at awakening the social consciousness of the youth by encouraging them in volunteerism and skill development. We work in the campuses to conduct social action events and leadership programmes to create true LEADERS FOR TOMORROW.

Contact details:

Prabhu Kunwar Singh Chetna Saini

9971394831 9255667466

Email: [email protected]

Image credits: Leaders for Tomorrow Team

Keep Reading

Admissions 2017

Delhi University Masters and research programs to have online entrance from this year

By Srivedant Kar April 9, 2017

Delhi University has decided to conduct online entrance test for Masters and Research programmes like M.Phil and PhD. Several of its undergraduate courses for which entrance was conducted across different cities of the country will also be going online from the commencing academic year. This will delay the regular entrance schedule normally followed by the university by nearly a month. The registration for entrances which earlier started in the first part of April will now start in May. “There is a delay in the application process, but admissions will be conducted on time as online tests can be completed in three to four days. The application process can be announced in the first week of May,” said a senior official at the examination branch.

The entrance test for Master’s , research programmes and selected UG programmes like BEd, Law, B.A(Hons.), Business Economics, Bachelor of Business Studies and Bachelor of Financial and Investment Analysis will be held in nearly 18 centres across the country. For every 10,000 applicants there will be one facilitation centre. As per the plans the online tests will consist of multiple choice questions, with a duration of two hours. Every day the tests will be conducted in three shifts between 8AM and 6PM.

The responsibility for conducting this entrance test will be outsourced to a third party, which will facilitate the process in cities across India for which the university has already floated a tender this Wednesday. The organisation which bags the tender will also have to create facilitation centres to familiarise the candidates with the computer-based tests, which are expected to function from at least one month in advance.

Earlier this month, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) protested against the online based entrance system.

Image Credits: www.du.ac.in

Srivedant Kar

[email protected]

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

The Destructive Wave of Flawed Feminism

By DU Beat April 9, 2017

It is often said that films are a representation of the real world and movie stars are very often the people we draw inspiration from and look up to. With the mass appeal they have, it is only natural to expect responsible and cautious statements from them, but a lot of times movie stars unconsciously end up saying statements which might be wrongly construed.

Mira Rajput added her name to the long list of celebrities speaking out the wrong thing. On being asked about choosing to stay at home with her daughter, Mira Rajput retorted,
“I am a housewife and wear that label with pride.” She said that her daughter Misha wasn’t a puppy and she didn’t want to spend just an hour a day with her and rush off to work.

The statement has triggered the fury of many feminists who took offence to her ‘new wave of feminism is destructive’ statement. They accused her of being regressive and having spoken from a position of privilege from where she failed to look at and understand the deeper dynamics of the circumstances under which women rush off to work and often do so to support their families. Her statement wasn’t well received and she was charged of belittling women who choose to not stay at home.

It is only human to err but all said and done, movie stars need to understand the profundity of their appeal and the influence they can have over people. As they say, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Image Credits: Mid Day.com
Akshara Srivastava
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Around the Campus

DU continues to face financial crunch despite access to funds

By Niharika Dabral April 9, 2017

“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Judging by the current fiscal situation, these lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge fit the University of Delhi quite well. While state-funded educational institutions in India are struggling for funds, Delhi University has a different problem – it is unable to utilise the given endowment.

Recently in March, Delhi University had to return Rs 108 crore to the University Grants Commission (UGC) because it was unable to spend it. Between 2012 and 2017, an amount of Rs 300 crore was given to DU, of which only 100 crore was put to use. From the remaining Rs 200 crore, Rs 105 crore lapsed as this amount was time-bound. The remaining Rs 95 crore was to be spent by March 31^st, or else would be terminated. As this realisation drew upon the officials, they proposed to use the remaining Rs 95 crore to buy Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flats across Delhi which will be used as hostels and living quarters for staff. This abruptly-planned proposal is already being contested by Residents Welfare Associations and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Other than this, an amount of Rs 56 crore designated to Faculty of Management Studies for expanding the buildings is also about to lapse. In their defence, the officials have reasoned that the building of Management Studies is in the Ridge area and the University could not get environmental clearances for the revamp. However, this fund was allocated ten years ago so the varsity had enough time to look for a solution.

Of surplus and scarcity

In February, Lady Irwin College was forced to increase its fees because the UGC reduced its bankroll. So while on the one side there is surplus, on the other there is scarcity. Besides, it is a well-known grievance how clubs and societies in various colleges suffer while seeking the meagre ECA grant. Even the workers, non-teaching staff, ad-hoc teachers as well as the lab attendants who protest frequently against low wages and delayed bonus are told off on the grounds of “insufficient fund”. Therefore, in this situation it is nothing but ironic that a university is unable to utilise the allocations. The officials can put forth many excuses in their defence, but the truth is that lack of accountability and sheer laziness are the reasons why this problem exists.

Image Credits: India Today

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Uncategorized

Attack on Indian Diaspora under Trump’s Rule

By DU Beat April 8, 2017

The world community is now at a stage where anti-globalisation sentiments are clearly visible among all sects of people. A major section of the United Kingdom voting in the favour of Brexit is evidence of the same. So is the result of the US presidential election that made Donald Trump, President Trump.

Donald Trump, in his campaign, appealed to the angst and resentment that certain parts of the population had towards the immigrants who got jobs in the United States, making them feel deprived of the opportunities apparently meant for them. He also allegedly synonymised terrorism with the Muslims, making them look like the reason for all terrorism-related problems. Having come to power, his xenophobic feelings got transfused with the state machinery which led to the introduction of laws like the Travel Ban.

Strangely, there has been an increase in the number of attacks on immigrants including people belonging to the Indian diaspora. An Indian-born engineer was shot dead in a Kansas bar on 30 March and witnesses said that the gunman shouted “Go back to your country” before opening fire. This is not the only incident or diaspora that’s under attack. The question that arises here is whether it’s just a coincidence or is there some correlation between these events?

When a person gets voted into a position of authority, his or her opinion gets a huge amount of legitimacy and following. Such persons get recognised as what various social theorists call ‘opinion leaders’. This has the propensity of fetching their narrative legitimacy, making it a hegemonic narrative. Once that happens, sects of people ascribing to that narrative assume a sense of authority and end up imposing their views on others, sometimes violently. This phenomenon is not just prevalent in the United States. It can be seen in our country as well. Yogi Adityanath becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and shutting down meat shops is one such example. All such incidences give rise to a very important question – is it not necessary for people assuming such offices to be careful of the messages they transmit, directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally?

Image Credits: Politusic

Aditya Narang

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Uncategorized

Tales of Summer: 5 Ways to Cope Up with the Heat

By Saumya Kalia April 8, 2017

As the weather and newspapers report the sudden wave of summers, a collective sigh envelops the heat-stricken inhabitants of this nation. Reports of woes and whines are being heard in great proportion from the collegiate-section as the temperature continues to rise and temporary respite of rain appears sporadically. Amidst the sudden arrival of the sunny season, here are a few ways to survive the heat.

The Deluge of the Sunscreen

Scientific facts time: Global warming, harmful UV rays, skin cancer. Weather and skin maintain a perpetual caring relationship. While winters cause dryness, summers can cause major skin damage due to the glaring sun rays. Summers call for shorts, skirts, dresses, and sleeveless shirts. Hence, cover every spot of your exposed body with sunscreen.

The Periodic Water Intake

Doctors reiterate a few things during your monthly/annual/contingent visit. Exercise daily, don’t eat an excess of junk food, and most importantly, drink LOTS of water. Besides the obvious health benefits, a sufficient water intake is of monumental importance to keep you sane and active during your eventful days.

The Wardrobe Makeover

The primary reason which leads to shopping is the seasonal transition. Bidding adieu to jackets, mufflers, and sweaters, summertime calls for airy clothes which shall be your sustenance in the heat. This summer complement yourself with shorts, dresses, or skirts, or go wild and buy a skort. The right outfit selection can prove to be your saving grace.

The Strategic Hang-Out Spot Selection

Gone are the days when the whole gang would sit under the sun anywhere and everywhere for cold comfort, for the troublesome heat waves will prevent you from occupying your spots of liking. You shall find yourself constantly in search of restaurants and cafés which offer the luxury of ACs, because that shall be your respite in the coming future.

The Recreational Bonanza

The theory of fun constitutes a direct relationship between rising temperatures and the frequency of plans involving water. Pool parties, Goa trips, and water park plans shall all emerge at once, so ensure your friends don’t bail out on trivial grounds. Are you ready for some fun in the sun?

Image Credits: Brinkley Walser Stoner

Saumya Kalia

[email protected]

Keep Reading