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Hindu College hosts Tale Talk with Imtiaz Ali

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Imtiaz Ali, an alumnus of Hindu College, was seen interacting with the students of the English department on Monday, 20th September. He was there to talk about his life and career, his passions, film-making, and theatre.

The event, which was named Tale Talk with Imtiaz Ali was organised by the English department, Hindu College, where one of the senior-most professors, Mrs. Swaroopa Mukherjee, who also happened to have known Ali from his college days, took the role of the speaker. This event was able to draw out from Ali a lot of his adventures during his college days, some of which even led to inspirations for the plot of his films such as Rockstar. When asked about the sources of ideas for his films, Imtiaz said, ‘Stories have just been in side me. For the ones like Highway, I didn’t have to think out of the box. It is the story of a simple girl in the most ordinary situations that anyone can be caught in. For the ones like Rockstar, I never needed to have an idea. I guess I’ve had enough idea about Hindu and Stephen’s during my time here!’

What was interesting was the fact that he revealed how he never really liked most of the titles of his movies. ‘I never wanted Jab We Met to be Jab We Met’, he said. ‘As a matter of fact, Jab Harry met Sejal was suggested by Ranbir to Anushka and neither Shahrukh nor I liked it. But I still approved these titles because I want to keep myself away from the naming business. I feel I’m not great at it.’

He was also very excited to meet Ibtida, the Dramatics Society of Hindu College, of which he happens to be the founder. He narrated tales of how even before coming to college he had planned on joining the Dramatics Society. The dilemma after coming was that there wasn’t any such society in Hindu at that time. ‘It was time that Ibtiba needed to come into being. And it did.’, he said.

The students seemed really delighted to meet him. One of the third years said, ‘He is so relatable. He is still as clueless about what he is going to do next as we are!’

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Events

Gender and Media: From Margins to Mainstream

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The Women’s Development Cell (WDC) of Shivaji College, in its efforts to generate awareness about gender equality, organized a workshop entitled ‘Gender and Media: From Margins to Mainstream ‘ on September 19, 2017, in collaboration with Breakthrough and Alliance India. 
Ms. Simran Sheikh representing  Alliance India, a not-for-profit Indian organisation with expertise in a range of disciplines including HIV, sexual & reproductive health, human rights, resource mobilisation, and advocacy to name a few, enlightened the students with her words. She engrossed the audience in her interactive session, starting with a question – “Who am I?”
Pointing towards the society and their acceptance of the ‘other gender’, she said that they can call her ‘A woman with a Man’s voice’, and also said, “Just because I am wearing a sari does not mean I am a woman.” She continued with the idea that in their community, their identity is expressed by their claps or plating. “Meri pehchan tali hai,” she said. She pondered over the idea of this identity in a society. She also elaborated how culture,  traditions, family, and neighbours bind us in some specific roles, admitting “although it’s  not bad to follow them,” their imposition certainly becomes a problem. She reinforced the fact that one must not be judgmental on seeing another person’s appearance. Her community, she believes, is “visible yet invisible”. In the end, she concluded with a trio vision of “Inclusion, Humanity, and Justice”.
The other guests, Mr. Pavel Sagolsem and Ms. Priyanka Sinha from Breakthrough, enlightened the students about the role of media in gender discrimination in India. They explained how a non-profit organisation challenges the status quo and takes bold action for the dignity, equality, and justice of all. The interactive session also included a bunch of videos explaining the audience how advertisements can bring a change in the outlook of the society towards many orthodox norms. Ring the bell, Titan Raga, and many other ad campaigns which have been seen on television over the years, were shown. In this session, the speakers also took inputs from the audience about their thoughts on these videos, and how they felt about the ads. Few volunteers from the audience weredivided into groups and were asked to prepare an advertisement on gender equality. The volunteers took up the task with great enthusiasm and witnessed great work from young creative minds. The speakers ended their session with a hope thatwould help the young minds change to a path of equality and justice to all.
The interactive session brought a change in the vision of the students,inclining them to mull over the mainstream norms.
Image credits: Team WDC, Shivaji College
Team WDC, Shivaji College
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Bazinga

Bazinga: Faulty Voting Machines in Few Colleges: Biased Results?

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Elections in colleges and universities are valued by every student.  The candidates for the post have lead to the need of more advanced and automated voting systems. However, the design, construction, implementation, effectiveness and security of electronic voting systems have proven to be problematic. The results to DUSU polls were released last Wednesday. Outflow of freebies, goodies, movie tickets came to a fruitful end. But insiders have revealed that the making of the voting machines were faulty and were used in a few colleges. So do we assume the results were biased? Vote flipping? And now, the stories and conspiracy theories have begun.

Sources have informed that there have been reports of voters pressing one candidate’s name, only to have the opponent’s name light up instead. It is unnerving for the students. Have our votes got no value? After all the buzz in the University in the former half of the year, now we get to hear of alleged ‘rigging’ of machines. The colleges which got faulty machines are demanding for another round of elections due to tampering of the ballot boxes. There is a popular demand to scrap the machines. The Chancellor has requested for a probe to look into this matter and the role of the officers involved in the entire process. It said that the machines were tested before the election and are recaliberated each day before voting begins.

But, the upheaval of students regarding justice in this issue has lead to a settlement: Now the winning party will be decided by a popular support rally, which is to be scheduled by the end of this month in DU, north campus. The working mechanism of this rally is described as follows: you have to register yourself under a party as their supporter, and then you have to join their rally-walk from the prescribed time. The party with highest number of supporters will take a win.

Statistics say that more students came out to vote in DU this year as compared to last year.  In 32 of the 41 morning colleges, the voter turnout stood at 44% — a sizeable jump, when the overall voter turnout last year was 36.9%. But, in a university like ours, we expect a higher number of voters. And if you could not vote this year, now you have another chance to have a say in the elections of your very own university. Also, increasing support implies another round of incentives to enjoy! Goodies are on their way, let’s walk a rally.

 

Feature Image Credits: Times of India

Radhika Boruah

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Reviews

The Mill On The Floss: A Book Review

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st century because of its themes of dreams, aspirations and rebellion against the societal norms. Maggie’s need for love and acceptance makes her one of the most likeable characters in the novel as it becomes very easy to resonate with her. Though Tom’s character might seem unfavourable at lot of places, it does not become impossible to empathise with him.  It is a book which will leave a mark behind and will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.   Image Credits: E-Books Directory Anukriti Mishra ([email protected])]]>

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News

UGC renews guidelines: St. Stephen’s College to re-apply for autonomy

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The University Grants Commission has renewed their guidelines for autonomy which requires colleges applying for autonomy to reapply. Following this, St. Stephen’s College says that it will reapply for autonomy in the new format. This step taken by the college has been confirmed by the governing body.

Autonomy implies that the college will no longer be affiliated to the University of Delhi and will be free academically as well as monetarily. The college in its 2050 vision states : “By 2025 and certainly by 2050, St. Stephen’s should be an autonomous degree giving University with undergraduate, post-graduate, diploma and doctoral studies, starting maybe as a “deemed to be” university.

The advance of St. Stephen’s towards academic and monetary freedom was brought up in March, 2017. The decision of the administration was protested cumulatively by the students and the faculty members, on grounds that the issue was not consulted with the primary stakeholders before being concluded. The members asked for a transparent procedure and proper consultation with the stakeholders and adjudged that the current procedures contradicted the UGC directive that says,“There are several areas where proper preparation is necessary if college autonomy is to be implemented successfully. These are: faculty preparation, departmental preparation, institutional preparation, and preparation of students and the local community. Such multi-pronged preparation should be completed well before autonomy is sought and conferred upon a college so that no part of the college community is found unprepared for the new responsibility which it is called upon to shoulder.”

The University Grants Commision and the Human Resources Development, have further decided to hold meetings throughout the expanse of the country to dissipate the general misconceptions regarding the issue of autonomy by elucidating the scheme and the monetary concerns.

A senior UGC official spoke to Hindustan Times saying, “A number of colleges fear that autonomy will come with a cut in finances, which is clearly not the case. We want good institutes to opt for autonomy. Colleges with academic and operative freedom, do better than others and possess more credibility.”

 

Feature Image: DU Beat Archive

Trishala Dutta

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DUB Speak

How To Start a Society In Delhi University

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Life in DU is not only about academics, and it is a place to hone your talents. This can be achieved through participating in the various societies.

The student experience in the University of Delhi has never been restricted just to academics. Delhi University gives equal importance to extracurricular activities, as almost every college has provisions for cultural societies that are fully supported by the various colleges and cater to talents like debate, dance, music, drama, art, music, social service, quizzing etc.

Societies nurture your potential, hone your talents and best of all, and give you immense and adequate exposure and platforms to express yourself. In addition, being a part of any society is a huge boost to your CV. However, being a part of a society does not come easy as they tend to have a rigorous audition process and have a limited intake.

Starting a brand new society in any college can prove to be quite a challenge. The long and strenuous process can sometimes prove to be demotivating. Moreover, there isn’t much clarity on either the university website or the college websites on how to do the same. Every college has a different procedure, but all of it originates from the same basic criteria.

Here is what you need to start a society in DU:

1) FACULTY ADVISOR

When starting a new society, make sure you have the support and backing of a faculty member. You can approach either your department head or any faculty member you are comfortable with and pitch them the idea so that they can disseminate the plan to the higher authorities. A faculty advisor is crucial to start a society as all the funds and the communication with the higher authorities can only be done via a faculty member. Every society has a faculty convenor or a faculty advisor. In case the principal of a college is approached directly and the society is formed, the college administration assigns a faculty member as the convenor of the society.

2) FUNDS

A society in a college of Delhi University, once registered with the college, is entitled to receive certain funds for hosting events and competitions in the college. However, once you start a society you aren’t immediately eligible to obtain access to the funds. The society, once it starts, has to be self-sustainable and prove to the college administration that it can function smoothly. This probation period of sorts determines the type of funds you can avail from college. When starting out, societies mainly have to be dependent on sponsorships for their events.

3) INTERMEDIARY BODY

To start a society, most colleges require a student’s union or an intermediary body of students to see through the functioning of the society and obtain the initial provisions. You can approach the student’s union of your college with an application signed by a faculty member or directly approach the principal to set up the society.

The concept of societies in DU is not a new one; however, with the ever-changing times and the increased creativity of the students, innovative ideas can always be turned into a reality. Societies such as National Service Scheme, Enactus, SpicMacay, Gandhi Study Circle etc are examples of unconventional and relatively new societies in the Delhi University circuit.

Image credits:  DU Beat

 

Bhavya Banerjee

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Tips To Navigate Through Internals

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With the internals’ season here, we present to you the various sources to gather in-depth, reliable information related to your papers.

It’s the internals’ season! I must point out that the exclamation mark is sarcastic because this season comes with non-stop projects, assignments, tests, and presentations, thereby creating a very big Yang to the week-long Yin of the mid-semester relaxation. Still, certain resources can help you get through this period with minimum amount of cursing and frustration. Often, readings and course material aren’t enough to form a detailed project or presentation and gain information for that class which you only attended thrice. So, here are some sources that will help you get the extra information you require:

  1. Current Affairs

Gone are the days when you were in 7th grade and ripped off of Wikipedia without any shame. Researching topics is tough not only because of the depth of material available online and elsewhere, but also because it’s difficult to find accurate sources. When looking for news items, it is preferable to look for renowned sites like the BBC and Al-Jazeera for international news, and The Hindu and India Today for Indian news, as they boast of well-researched information.

  1. Researching Facts

In the realm of subjects like History and Political Science, there often arises a need to find the compact history of a particular country or area. The BBC website has a timeline feature that does exactly that. CIA’s World Factbook also provides the economic, social, geographical and other kinds of data for countries, in a brief manner. Britannica, too, is a good source and a trustworthy online encyclopaedia which gives information on most topics.

  1. Multi-Media Sources

YouTube has a treasure trove of videos on various topics. The problem with these, however, is that their quantity doesn’t translate to quality – especially when there’s no authority verifying these videos. Certain channels, however, have large fan-bases due to their high quality content. ASAPScience, HowStuffWorks, and VSauce make easily understandable videos on Science, while Vox, School of Life, and Crash Course have videos explaining various facets of the social sciences, including Philosophy and Psychology.

  1. Previous Years’ Question Papers

For tests, there is always a set pattern of achieving high scores. It can also depend on the grading style of your particular professor (Yay for the Humanities!). The best way to navigate through their tests is to pester your seniors for their question papers and answer scripts. Resurrect the confidence of your 7th-grade-Wikipedia-thief self while doing so. Additionally, old question papers are available in college libraries and in the School of Open Learning’s  (SOL) web archives.

 

 

Feature image credits: DU Beat

 

Rishika Singh

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Hegemony in College Elections

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What are the factors affecting college elections and how they put the average student with political aspirations at a disadvantage?

It is important to keep in mind that student life and the functioning of a college is largely influenced by the elected student representatives.  These members wield immense power over the day-to-day functioning of the college. They have an essential say in everything ranging from the cultural events to be organized, the fests, facilities offered to students and more. For a lot of students, this is an opportunity to actively participate in student governance, and have a say in how the administration runs. It is important to keep into account that in politics, the beam always tilts heavily towards the side that has money, muscle power and influence at its disposal.

And while it would have been naïve to assume that college elections in the University of Delhi (DU) are free from these influences, the extent of power these factors exert is shocking.

1) Hostellers vs Day scholars                                                                               

It seems that in the College union elections, the beam always tilts heavily towards hostellers. Student’s studying in DU College’s that have both a hostel and elected students union know that in most cases, as far as elections are concerned, hostellers are at an added advantage. They have the benefit of not just being physically present on the campus at all times which allows them to contribute effectively and easily for the college welfare but also gain traction over scholars over the same. The fact that they are present in college at all times allows them to participate more actively in college activities. Hosteller’s also had a closely knit network and support group which opens up more avenues for them. The relevance of being a hosteller is particularly more in college’s that are not affiliated to DUSU, since this reduces the influence of political groups. Sanchita from the Daulat Ram College Hostel says “ day scholars are at a disadvantage because they can’t be present on campus 24*7. Hostellers are more available during fest season and other events which puts them at an advantage”

2) Student political groups

Another major factor influencing college elections is the association with parent parties and organizations that help create background support. Recently Chattra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing won 25 seats out of the 28 seats it fielded its candidates on, across DU. ABVP and NSUI are key players in these elections. A lot of support from parent parties is covert and goes into the background. Building traction, getting contacts, organizational support during the campaigning period are all ways in which these parties contribute and influence college elections. While this kind of backing may not be very public and may seem irrelevant, it ends up influencing elections in a major way. It is especially relevant in Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) affiliated colleges, where student political groups help leaders in their campaign to win college elections and subsequently these students help them in DUSU elections. It is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the parties into gaining supporters.

3) Regional sentiment

Regional sentiment plays a significant role in these elections. A student belonging to a particular region is more likely to support a candidate from the same place.  Not just that the idea of community and regional pride runs deep in the conscience of the majority. Recently a video was seen on social media which showed the celebrations post the victory of Shivam Bhadana as the President of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College Morning. The victory was seen as not just the candidate’s but also his community’s, it seemed. Statements like #GurjarPower and “Gurjar is king “could be seen in the comments section, which showed how relevant community lines are for a lot of voters. Student politics does not exist in isolation and the kind of regional sentiment that is central in all aspects of national politics, cannot miraculously be absent from universities. A source from KMC that chose to stay anonymous says “This regional idea is very internal, it’s not really broadcasted with people saying things like- we are from Haryana or we are from UP, but it’s there and it has a big role to play”.

4) Wealth 

A bevy of SUVs, music, crackers to celebrate victory and the occasional brightly coloured sports car is a frequent sight at off-campus colleges during election season. Candidates charm voters by their army of loyal supporters, their flashy automobiles and the slogans, drums, and claps that accompany them, each attesting to their popularity and influence. These shiny toys come with a shock value and they provide the student body all the more reasons to talk about the candidate. It is an effective way to generate interest and grab eyeballs. To add to that election costs include the cost of posters, hoardings, pamphlets and more. These banners and hoardings are ripped out and damaged by rival candidates and their supporters and need to be replaced regularly. These additional costs that come with contesting and winning elections acts as a barrier that filters out the majority of students. It is a primary reason why student unions’ are not as effective as they ideally should be. These candidates, with wealth and resources at their disposal, may not always be able to comprehend and relate to the struggles of the average student, which makes them ineffective as leaders. Students with an active interest in politics and a desire to contribute to change are dissuaded from pursuing it because more often than not, these factors passively work against them. A lot of debate has been going about around the idea that student politics has somehow lost its relevance. Student politics has not and will not lose its relevance but it has become ineffective and the marginal benefits gained from it are continuously decreasing. The first step to making it more effective would be realising how it has become an elite institution which heavily favours a small group of students, where everybody does not stand an equal chance. Once this insight is present in the student body at large, they will be less likely to fall prey to tried-and-tested election campaigning tricks and this would allow more dedicated students with political aspirations to pursue their goals.

 

Feature image credits: Facebook page of Shivam Bhadana

Kinjal Pandey

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Guest Post

TRIPLE TALAQ: A Battle Against Three Words

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On 22nd August 2017 came a historic 395-page judgment which was not only a victory for Muslim women who lived for centuries in a constant sense of fear and pressure of this immoral practice, but also a new milestone to women’s right and religion in India.

DIVORCE UNDER MUSLIM LAW AND TRIPLE TALAQ                                                                          Under Muslim law, marriage is a civil contract where the husband enjoys special privileges and the wife suffers certain disabilities as compared to the husband. The husband is given an unchecked power of divorce except for the restraint of the law of dower and his own moral sense. On the other hand, Muslim women must prove the grounds or get the consent of the husband to get the divorce, in which case the husband can escape the liability of paying dower.

There are different modes of talaq under Muslim law such as implied, contingent, constructive, delegated, or express. Sunni Muslims recognise all of these modes of talaq whereas Shia Muslims recognise only express and delegated divorce.

The express mode of divorce has two forms: Talaq-ul-Sunnat and Talaq-ul-Biddat, also known as triple talaq. It is the second form which has been a point of contention for decades.  Talaq-ul-Biddat is the practice under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife by simply uttering “talaq” three times. Interestingly, those who hold this decision as an attack on personal religion should know that Allah never approved this mode of talaq. Even the Shias do not recognise triple talaq.

FROM SHAH BANO TO SHAYARA BANO

The journey of the Supreme Court’s milestone verdicts in regard to religious reform is as old as independence. With regard to Muslim law, a few cases in which the Supreme Court observed such landmark decisions are the Shah Bano Case (1985), Danial Latifi Case (2001), Shamim Ara Case (2002), and Masroor Ahmed Case (2008). It was the case of Shah Bano in which the Supreme Court not only delivered a landmark judgment on rights of Muslim women but also brought the issue into mainstream media.  The judgment faced huge criticism by conservative Muslim groups who presented the verdict as an attack on Muslim personal law. Consequently, vote bank politics and appeasement led to the enactment of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights in Divorce) Act, 1986. This act negated the far-reaching effects of the Shah Bano judgment, which led to strong feminist movements against the state. Finally, the constitutional validity of the act was challenged in the Daniel Latifi Case (2001), where the Supreme Court showed an act of restraint and diplomacy. It rejected the challenge but re-interpreted Section 3 of the Act to solve the issue of the right of maintenance of Muslim women.

In the Shamim Ara Case (2002) and Masoor Ahmed Case (2008), the apex Court acknowledged the issues with regard to talaq. The jurisprudence of talaq has since undergone a vast improvement. The court observed the importance of communication of pronouncement and attempt of reconciliation before the finalisation of dissolution of marriage. Finally, last month, the Court gave its judgment on the Shayara Bano case, branding triple talaq as unconstitutional once and for all.

WHY IS THIS VERDICT IMPORTANT?

As Virginia Saldanha, a Mumbai-based theologian stated, we need to accept the fact that all religions have promoted a patriarchal mindset where “men are dominant as recipients, interpreters, and transmitter of divine messages, while women have largely remained passive receivers of teachings and ardent practitioners of religious rituals”. The judiciary of India has shown a progressive approach towards women’s rights, be it Muslim or Hindu Women. The problem arises when these decisions are taken as an attack on one’s religion rather than progressive reforms in religion. We need to take discriminatory practices and notions out of our religion to create an environment of equality and abolish the existing gender bias. This judgment is illuminating and needs to be cherished by people around the country; we need to reform our religions and its practices so that they do not threaten the constitutionally enshrined principles of equality and justice.

 

Feature Image Credits: Olive Green Institute

Guest Post by Krishna Sharma, Third-Year Student at Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

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Let’s Make Our Schools Safe Again

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Recent incidents of atrocities in schools, such as the heinous murder in Ryan International School, Gurugram, is the wakeup call our society desperately needs in terms of safety.

 

The concepts of trust and safety are complex, just as human emotions are. When children are admitted into a school, they spend a substantial number of hours of the day, in a place away from home. The first stage of a child’s education is the school. Children are absolutely naïve when they enter schools and leaving the confines of their homes is the biggest challenge for them. They whole heartedly embrace the world and the new people in it. All this while, they are trust their teachers and their elders in the school for their safety. But these days, the schools are letting them down.

Schooling is not merely an establishment to impart knowledge, but forges a place where the future of the child is determined. Children learn simple things like basic manners and etiquettes in their primary education. The parents impart massive trust in the institution. The same is expected to hone the talents of their children and develop theminto good human beings. Adults are willing to shell out a lot of money just so their child can become successful in life.

The recent incident of Ryan International School, Gurugram, sent shivers all across the country. The brutal murder of the 7-year-old boy has left his parents as well as the parents of children across the Delhi-NCR region utterly petrified. The students of the school confirmed that the specific branch was always neglected by the main administration and that the principals were puppets, acting according to the bizarre rules of the “central office”. Despite having a beautiful and big campus, the school faced severe shortcomings in logistics. The buses of the school were rejects by the other branches, and the condition of the musical instruments was very poor. Whenever a principal tried to obtain funds by sending a list of improvements required to the main administration, the list would come back with cross marks all over it, completely denying any sanctions. Else, the school was asked to revert with substantial trims made in the list.

Numerous instances all across the country have surfaced in the past 4-5 years where children are sexually exploited by school staff. Half the children are unaware of the sexual harassment they go through and the number of boys to girls in this ratio of students is staggeringly high too. A number of such instances have left young girls pregnant.

CBSE has recently passed an order to conduct psychometric tests of all the teaching staff, non-teaching staff, sweepers, peons and bus conductors. The move has come after the death of Ryan International School’s student, but the procedure is lengthy. A single test takes anywhere between half an hour to an hour, and CBSE has more than 200 schools in India and abroad. The schools can also not be fully trusted with the authenticity of the test results. As a response to the present situation at Ryan’s, Haryana Police has issued a guide to safety for the schools located in NCR.

The need of the hour is for schools all across India to implement strict safety measures. CCTV cameras should be installed in all corners. Teacher attendants must be present in the buses in the morning as well as the afternoons. A teacher attendant or a guard outside washrooms must be present. Separate washrooms for students, teaching staff and non-teaching staff should be provided. No student should be allowed to enter the class alone before all students have arrived. All students’ ID cards should be checked by the guards at the gate and each student’s arrival and departure be monitored.

The school is a child’s second abode, so the onus lies on the schools to ensure the safety of our children, because we cannot endure such atrocities against them anymore.

 

 

Feature image credits: DNA India

 

Bhavya Banerjee

[email protected]

Prachi Mehra

[email protected]

 

 

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