2017

DUB Speak

Past DUSU Presidents and where are they now?

By DU Beat August 31, 2017

The Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections are one of the most important elections at the college level. Most of the DUSU presidents have gone ahead to make a significant mark in the field of national politics. Some examples of such leaders would be Arun Jaitley, Ajay Maken, Vijay Goel, Vijay Jolly, Alka Lamba etc. Thus being a DUSU president is one of the most lucrative posts that one can achieve at such an early stage of politics. Our country desperately needs the passion, vigour and zest of these young politicians.

With the approaching DUSU Elections, let’s have a look at what are the past DUSU presidents up to in their present lives.

Mohit Nagar

Mohit Nagar was the President of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) in the year 2014-15. He belongs to Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He did his B.Com and M.com from Shyam Lal Anand College, University of Delhi. Currently, he is pursuing L.L.B from Law Faculty, University of Delhi and is in his first year and plans to practice law in future. He is also the Organising Secretary at Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad at present (ABVP).

Satendar Awana

Satender Awana was the president of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) in the year 2015-16. He belongs to Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He is currently the head of the Delhi University unit of ABVP and intends to pursue law as a career in future.

Ajay Chhikara

He was the DUSU President for the year 2011-12. His tenure ended in September 2012 and by December 2012 he was appointed as the National Secretary, NSUI. He was also the made the Chandigarh Incharge, where NSUI won the Punjab University elections for the first time. He also worked in Amethi on Rahul Gandhi’s campaign during the Lok Sabha elections. He was later promoted to National General Secretary, NSUI. He was also made Punjab In charge during assembly elections where NSUI had a successful hold. He completed his law degree in 2012 and now actively pursues law along with politics. He also worked with the assistant Advocate General in the Supreme Court. His life is thriving both in personal and professional terms and he regards his one-year-old daughter Aavya as his lucky charm.

Arun Hooda

He had an unconventional start as compared to most other DUSU Presidents. He pursued engineering and worked as an engineer for a while. Then he cleared SSC and worked for the Indian Air Force for a while. After withdrawing from the Air Force he joined the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Law. He was the DUSU President from 2012-13. He is the Observer Incharge of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. He has politically been active in Haryana and was one of the finalist’s for the post of NSUI National President. He practices in the Tees Hazari Court and Delhi High court as a lawyer. Along with an engineering degree, he has an LLB degree along with another in Forensics. He is also pursuing LLM from the faculty of law.

Nupur Sharma

She was the DUSU President from 2008-09. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Hons.) from Hindu College. When she won the DUSU election representing ABVP, many were shocked. Until her victory, DUSU was a NSUI stronghold. In fact, the remaining three posts in her union were won by NSUI. She went on to pursue a master’s in economics from the London School of Economics. She is an official spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the 2015 Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi constituency against Arvind Kejriwal.

Image Credits -The Indian Express

Anukriti Mishra

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Kinjal Pandey

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Cluster Innovation Centre

Quora, Entrepreneurship, And Technology with Balaji Viswanathan at Cluster Innovation Centre

By Niharika Dabral August 31, 2017

If you are on Quora, a question-and-answer site, then chances are you must have stumbled upon the answers of Balaji Vishwanathan. With close to 3,57,000 followers on Quora, Balaji Viswanathan, CEO of Invent (humanoid robots for customer interaction), is the most followed person on Quora. He also has over 3,700 Quora answers to a diverse range of questions in his name.

HashInclude, the computer science society of Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) and Autonomi, the robotics society of Cluster Innovation Centre organized a meet up with him on Monday, 28th August 2017. The insightful event which began at 2 PM on 28^th August 2017 was attended by an enthusiastic crowd.

Unlike, conventional meet-ups the event did not feature any speech by the guest. Instead, Mr Balaji Viswanathan spent time addressing the questions from the audience, which was appreciated by students. In the course of question and answers, he spoke about his career as a software engineer at Microsoft Head Quarters, Live Labs, and Windows Phone. He also spoke about his return to India and tryst with his now-successful start-ups. Talking about ideas and innovations he said, “Every great idea looks crazy to people, you just have to pursue them seriously. Right now as a student you have time, the biggest luxury in the world, to pursue your passions”

Kirti Krishan, a student who attended the event said, “It was more of a Quora like question and answer session than a normal talk, literally. There wasn’t any pretentious motivational public speaking. My take away from this session would be his entrepreneurial advice that- patience and trust in your venture is the only way for success”

Utkarsh Mittal, one of the organisers said, “We wanted to invite Viswanathan since he is currently the CEO of Inventor Robotics, which aims to revolutionise the field of AI enabled hardware in India. He has also founded and been a part of various IT, Fintech and Edtech based ventures. All of this resonates with the students of CIC. Besides, meeting the most followed Quora user is anyway exciting.”

You can find the live recording of the event here.

Feature Picture Credits: HashInclude
Niharika Dabral
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DUSU Elections 2017

In wake of the upcoming DUSU Elections, ABVP organises ‘Chatra Adhikar Rally’ at North Campus

By Srivedant Kar August 31, 2017

In the sunny afternoon of 30th August 2017 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi (ABVP) organised a ‘Chattra Adhikar Rally’ at the north campus of Delhi University. The rally which was organised in the wake of the upcoming elections, ABVP pushed forward its demands for U-Special Buses, more hostels and supplementary exams from the administration.
The rally which was scheduled to begin at afternoon beginning at 1 PM. The rally started with the speeches by several supporters and activists. The crowd which was sparse at the beginning started growing in its size within an hour as individual candidates arrived with their supporters in large numbers. This was followed by speeches by the prime candidates who aspire to fight DUSU elections on an ABVP ticket. Amidst shouting of support slogans of candidates, some of them spoke about their plans for the upcoming year, if they win the elections. The major plank on which ABVP is going to fight the elections this year is hostels, U-Special buses and supplementary exams.
While speaking at the rally some leaders took the credit of drawback of FYUP as well as printing of statement of marks. Some of the candidates also highlighted that keeping anti-national forces out of the University would be their prime focus. A brief spell of rains in the middle of the event forced the supporters to seek shelter under roofs available nearby. As the rains paused, the rally begun from the arts faculty and proceeded through the Ramjas College and then passed through the arts faculty through the road in front of SRCC. The rally ended with slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.
Speaking to DU Beat, Saket Bahuguna-the national media convener of ABVP said “The rally was organised in the wake of elections. This coming out of students in large numbers is a wakeup call for the administration to fulfil our demands.”

Image credits: Srivedant Kar for DU Beat.
Srivedant Kar
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DUB Speak

How important is party, caste and gender in DUSU elections?

By DU Beat August 30, 2017

Are there certain patterns that DUSU elections follow? How much of a role does ones caste, gender and socio-economic background play? With election season round the corner, we try to answer these questions.

Winning the students’ union elections in the University of Delhi is an immense feat. Major national political student parties like Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), National Students Union of India (NSUI), and All India Students Association (AISA) amongst others are the key players in the Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) elections. Along with muscle-power and extensive campaigning, a lot of strategy goes into the DUSU elections. Are people from a community, gender, or political party more likely to win this election? We try to answer these questions through an analysis of past election data.

1) The rise of ABVP -The last time NSUI won all four DUSU posts was in 2007, some ten years ago. In the last ten years, ABVP has won the DUSU elections seven times (the criterion being winning three or more seats). Out of these seven times, in 2009 the ABVP won one seat. Howsoever the President (independent) and Joint Secretary (Samajwadi Chattra Sabha) publicly credited ABVP for their victory. Only twice was NSUI able to win majority seats in the panel. In 2012, both ABVP and NSUI won two seats each. In the last ten years, Delhi University has seen six ABVP, one independent (credits ABVP) and three NSUI Presidents. This shift in voting patterns is unconventional since DUSU had a NSUI stronghold for a long time. From 1996 to 2008, NSUI maintained its position as the key player in DUSU politics, winning the majority of seats.

Nupur Sharma was the DUSU President in 2008. She won the Presidential seat for ABVP ending a long NSUI stronghold, surprising many. There has been no female DUSU President after her. Source: @nupursharmabjp on Twitter

2) Fall in the participation of women – Between 2011 and 2017, out of the twenty-four candidates that became a part of the DUSU panel, only five were women. The role of women in the last six years has been limited to the positions of General Secretary and Joint Secretary, with ABVP’s Priyanka Chhawri (Vice President) being the only exception. It would be strange perhaps to find out that women were not always relegated to the role of a token in DUSU politics. In fact between 2001 and 2010 women won twelve seats in DUSU overall with five of them being President and two being Vice President. Where there should have been an improvement in the position of women, there has been a decline. This fall in the number of female candidates winning and the lack of female DUSU Presidents is strange. In fact, while the awareness about gender-equality and feminism is greater than ever. While DUSU President of 2008, Nupur Sharma, believes this is because posters with faces were no more allowed; Ragini Nayak, DUSU President of 2005, believed it is so because the number of days of campaigning has been shortened to four or five days, and this kind of aggressive campaigning is easier for men to accomplish. (Source: Hindustan Times)

L-R: Priyanka Chhawri, Ankit Singh and Amit Tanvar after winning the 2016 DUSU elections. All four post holders in the 2016-17 DUSU union are from either the Jat or Gurjar community. Source: The Indian Express

3) The dominance of the Jat and Gurjar community – From 2011 to 2017, every DUSU President has been from either the Jat or the Gurjar community. The last four DUSU Presidents belonged to the Gujjar community while the two before them from the Gurjar community. In fact not just Presidents, but often the entire panel hails from these two communities. For instance, in 2016-17 all four post holders hailed from the Jat or Gurjar community. This dominance of certain communities in DUSU is recent but it clearly shows how major student parties are not shy of fielding candidates hailing from influential communities who have immense social capital at their disposal, in order to win.

4) Emerging alternatives to ABVP and NSUI – Parties like AISA and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) have continuously been gaining relevance in DUSU politics. In the 2016 elections, on almost all posts, AISA candidates managed to secure the third highest vote share, thus securing its position as the third party in the DUSU political scene. It managed to secure a total of 30,000 seats. It also managed to secure an increase in its vote share for each post.

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

Kinjal Pandey

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Features

Differently-abled friendly colleges in Delhi University

By Bhavya Banerjee August 30, 2017

For a visually disabled student, a task as simple as going from one classroom to another is very difficult without tactile paths. What facilities are available in the University of Delhi for students with disabilities? Let’s find out.

The built-up environment, meaning the basic amenities accessible to everybody to facilitate daily functions, is important. Hence, it should be barrier-free and adapted to fulfill the needs of all people equally. The needs of the differently-abled coincide with the needs of the majority. This is why planning for the majority implies planning for people with varying abilities and disabilities.

To ensure impartiality among students in the University of Delhi, the Equal Opportunities Cell was established in 2008, which works for the empowerment of students of the institution with certain disabilities and gives them equal opportunities in higher education.

The Equal Opportunities Cell, since its inception, has been working towards inculcating infrastructural changes in all the colleges that come under Delhi University to create an inclusive environment. Here are the facilities offered by some colleges in Delhi University:

1) Miranda House –

Miranda House has the Amba Dalmia centre within it’s library for the visually challenged students and also has computers that read out the text. There’s also an enabling unit called Lakshita. An app, which is installed in the phones of differently-abled students at the time of admission, called Digital Vision is also used. This app scans QR codes (which can be found outside every room) so that if somebody is within the radius of three feet from, the app is going to scan the code and give directions/number of steps to be taken. There are a number of ramps across the college. Braille books in the library and a Braille notice board are also available. There are scanners, e-book readers, voice recorders and a Braille embosser that converts printed text to embossed Braille dots for easy reading.

2) Lady Shri Ram College for Women –

Most of the buildings in LSR have ramps that make them wheelchair friendly. The college also has elevators for the same. However there are certain classes with a smaller door-frame which makes it difficult to enter with a wheelchair. The auditorium has a ramp but no railings, which can also lead to accidents. Menus and other important information is available in Braille. LSR also has a research centre for visually impaired students and almost all VCS get accessible readings. Workshops and mobility training for visually and orthopedically challenged students are also available.

3) Daulat Ram College –

DRC has a ramps in various places to make it wheelchair friendly. However the college has no elevators which could not allow wheelchair bound students to go beyond the ground floor. The college also has an enabling unit which assists students in multiple ways, including counselling them. NSS-DRC plays an essential role in helping differently-abled students. It provides them with volunteers who help them with assignments, help navigate across campus, act as writers during examinations and record audios and readings for them. These options are not exclusive to DRC students either, DRC-NSS co-ordinates and organizes these plans for students from different colleges and universities across Delhi. DRC also has an extensive collection of Braille books.

4) Hans Raj College –

Credits: Hansraj Enabling Unit Facebook page

HRC has four ramps across the college. Braille books and special softwares for the visually challenged students along with laptops are also provided to students. In addition, there is a Blind Students’ Club especially formed by Hans Raj College students to look after them. Hans Raj has both Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) and Enabling Unit. The EOC provides the Enabling Unit with crutches, wheelchairs and angel recorders which end up helping VCS students, PwD students and orthopedically handicapped students. The EOC and Enabling Unit volunteers combined are more than 300. These volunteers help students in navigation, record books for them, help them with assignments and act as writers during examinations. Hans Raj has tactile paths both inside and outside the college. A lot of students had trouble feeling these tactile paths when they wore shoes. After three years of rigorous efforts, members of the EOC and Enabling Unit were able to get a tender passed which led to the installation of new tactile paths in the campus. The Equal Opportunity Cell and Enabling Unit also organized Roshini – an organ donation camp in association with National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization. The “World White Cane Day” and “World Polio Day” are also celebrated in order to create awareness and to provide students with disabilities a platform to showcase their talents and express themselves.

5) Equal Opportunity Cell, University of Delhi –

EOC DU organizes various activities all year round to help differently-abled students. It commemorates World Disability Day, organizes Udaan a sports meet for students with disabilities, organizes debates on inclusion in society and provides students with guidance and counselling as well.

Discrimination is not the only problem that differently-abled students face. The everyday hassle of fighting with both lack of resources and ignorance among people around them is extremely disheartening. Seemingly small problems like cars parked on tactile paths, no railings on wheelchair ramps, a recorder that does not work well or a pothole on the street can cause immense stress and prove to be a hurdle in living a peaceful life. It is essential, therefore, that all colleges in the University of Delhi be as accessible as possible. The aforementioned list is a short one. In an ideal world, every college would have the above stated facilities and much more. Awareness, sensitivity and willingness to talk about the problems that students with disabilities face are ways to ensure that they get the resources they deserve. It is admirable that the NSS units, Equal Opportunity Cells and Enabling Units of so many colleges take immense steps to ensure that the lives of their peers become smoother and easier. It is crucial that our institutions continue to use technology, volunteers, sensitivity training and counseling to improve the lives of all of it’s students. The University of Delhi will truly be worth the hype and recognition that surrounds it when all it’s students have access to a nurturing learning intensive environment, not just the fully-abled ones.

Feature Image Credits: Nitika Yadav for DU Beat

Kinjal Pandey

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Bhavya Banerjee

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Bazinga

BAZINGA: Student political parties can now distribute educational freebies

By DU Beat August 30, 2017

Following the Vice Chancellor’s historical decision, you can now expect student political parties to hand you out pens and notebooks in exchange of your vote.

In a press conference last week, the University of Delhi’s Vice Chancellor passed an order to student political parties that allows them distribute freebies legally on only one day, preceding the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. This decision comes right before the polls that are set to be conducted on the 12th of September this year. When the VC, Satish Saraf, was approached to reason this historical decision, he said, “The DUSU elections happen in an arbitrary manner, as no political party follows the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines anyway. Through this reform, we plan to introduce transparency in the system.” This report, however, is incomplete without the numerous terms and conditions it clearly states that need to be followed as protocol to distribute freebies legally. A few of these conditions are:

Political parties can only distribute freebies on only one day, that day being at least one week prior to elections.
Political parties can distribute only education related freebies like pens, registers, books and other similar items that add to the welfare of students.
If the political party is found to be distributing alcohol or weed, its candidate would be prosecuted and disqualified to contest with immediate effect.
No printed posters can be put up. This is in accordance with orders given by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to conduct a poster-less and digital campaign.
A maximum cap of 10 lakhs would be set so that parties with lesser funds have no complaints.
To help students make an informed decision, all those parties that partake in distribution of freebies are expected to arrange for seminars and workshops, wherein they explain in detail the functioning of DUSU and delineate the actions they will take to achieve all points in their manifestos.

Two schools of thoughts have emerged from this landmark decision- one which strongly opposes this decision and one which stands in staunch support for it. A second year student of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College under condition of anonymity, said, “I think the DU VC has gone berserk. His decision places small, genuine parties to a major disadvantage and ensures that parties with large funding get abundant visibility.” However, not everybody harbours the same viewpoint. Avni Bansal, President of Sangharsh Yuva Parishad is of the view that this decision will transform elections for the better. In conversation with DU Beat, she said, “Everybody knows that use of muscle power cannot be removed from elections. But, this can definitely be put to good use for the welfare of students. Students belonging to lower economic backgrounds can benefit immensely from this opportunity”

While we already have protests from opposition parties against this decision, the executive council has been tabled to discuss reforms in DUSU budget as well. Most students consider this to be another spurious decision by the VC and have signed petitions that would be forwarded to the administration. Whether it will face a roll back like other significant reforms or undergo rigorous implementation, only time will tell.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of believable fake news. It is to be enjoyed, and not believed.

Image Credits: Days Of The Year

Vijeata Balani

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DUB Speak

Taking the ‘Students’ out of the Students’ Union

By Srivedant Kar August 29, 2017

A few months back, when stones rained from across roads and protesting students had to face the violence that was unleashed afterwards, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), found itself on the opposite side of the students. Rather than speaking for the victims, it was accused of siding with the perpetrators of the violence. This was in stark contrast to the history of the student body, when the Union which was dominated by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) stood against the hooliganism of Youth Congress workers during the Emergency era of the 1970s. The Union which once stood to protect the freedom of expression has been accused of suppressing it after four decades.

In the days after the Ramjas incident, several programmes across different colleges and departments were cancelled or censored in the fear of instigating violence. When fests born out of the year-long work of students were cancelled, the Union, rather than coming forward to ensure peace and security of the students, went ahead to side with those who stood for censorship and prohibited certain plays from being performed.

The faculty at University of Delhi (DU) is witness to several student-led initiatives which grew into major forces in the country. The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was one of those forces which grew hugely within this University. In recent years, several initiatives like the Pinjra Tod Movement and the hostel accommodation movement have grown within this campus. However, the Union, rather than being a facilitator, has been found on the opposing side of these movements.

All these arguments lead us to ask a simple question: Is the regular ‘student’ of the University represented as a part of the Students’ Union?

Institutionally, yes. Every student who is a part of the University pays a nominal fee every year which goes towards the day-to-day functioning of the Union and its budget.

But numbers speak a different story. Through a small analysis on the voting pattern in the University, it can be seen that the overall voting percentage is falling. An ordinary student of the University, who is excited about fests and worried about examinations, has seen an erosion of her or his interest in the election process. This eroding of trust should be a major concern for both the Union and the University. It indicates a potential lack of representation, which leads to increasing the distance between the students and the administration.

While student unions across the world are challenging conventions by fighting repression and standing for equal rights, the largest student union of our country stands on the path of losing its basic student character. This distancing movement of the Students’ Union from the students should be curtailed at the earliest. A misrepresented Union not only fails to serve its democratic purpose, but also leads to a large-scale failure to address problems which might flare up in the form of tensions among the administration and the very people whom it is meant to serve, the students.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Srivedant Kar
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DUB Speak

Sarahah: The Bitter Truth

By Priyal Mahtta August 29, 2017

Sarahah.com follows the likes of Ask.fm and Sayat.me to provide a platform to share “constructive” feedback. The site markets itself as a window that helps people write feedback and/or compliments to fellow coworkers, colleagues, and other groups by allowing users to send anonymous messages to each other and replying directly to the feedback received. This has enabled Sarahah to gain the title of the most popular free app. The developers claim that the purpose of this app as a platform that “helps you in discovering your strengths and areas of improvement by receiving honest feedback from your employees and friends in a private manner.”

However, such sites have always found themselves criticised for promoting cyberbullying where the users are met with abusive responses and malicious content. In times like ours, where our self image is driven mostly by our social media status, such platforms can aggravate the situation. Anonymous feedback can do more damage than good, leaving the recipient pushed further in a state of self loathing. As smoothly as it promises to help people grow through productive criticism, it can destroy people’s self-belief and become an easy tool for revenge posts. Catering to a younger audience, it can leave a feeling of vengeance and bitterness especially amongst teens. Platforms like these can easily be misused to write destructive feedback instead of an encouraging and progressive post. Increasing popularity of such platforms is alarming as it’s indicative of the fact that we as a generation are becoming more and more dependent on external sources for validation. The platform has opened the floodgates of online harassment due to the feature of anonymity. These pieces of feedback can often turn into offensive statements which have potentially adverse consequences.

“I joined Sarahah all in good humour, but after I started receiving sexually abusive messages, I was compelled to quit the forum. It is already a hateful world and I think anonymous forums just further worsens this hatred,” says a Sarahah user.

These derogatory and snide comments may be aimed at shaming and discouraging someone, passing lewd remarks, making sexual advances, and other types of hatred channeled through the capability of being an unknown sender. The cyberbullying propagated by this app has become a concern of the general audience as suggestive of the reviews of the app. Apps that allow anonymity can be easily manipulated as a tool for hatred and gullible users usually fall prey to it.

Feature Image Credits: Sarahah

Rashim Bagga

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Trishala Dutta

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Uncategorized

Auburn Umbrella: Freshers’ Edition

By Priyal Mahtta August 29, 2017

Freshers’ Edition

Now that the Freshers have settled into their classes and gotten accustomed to the routine of college life, they are met with another crisis. But this is strictly a fashion emergency that Auburn is here to solve. The big question, “What do I wear for the Freshers’ Party?” will be answered here!

You can visibly see first-years running around, trying to find their perfect Freshers’ Party attire. There is the pressure to dress according to the theme, the fear of looking over-dressed and the stress of your Freshers’ being perfect. Well, here’s Auburn with a few tips and tricks that you can follow to make the day a stylish and memorable one!

Do it differently: In a room full of dresses, wear a pantsuit to give your outfit a unique touch. Doing it differently doesn’t mean doing something you’re uncomfortable in; just don’t follow the herd to be on the safe side.
DIY:You will always stand apart if you wear something that is handmade. Whether it is accessories, or clothes, DIY and show off your creativity. It will give a personal touch to our outfit and when people ask, “Where did you get this from?” – you can smile and tell them!
Experiment:College means pushing boundaries and stepping out of your comfort zone, so take that risk! It will be worth it. Experiment with a hair colour, a piece of clothing you’ve always wanted to try, or just do something out of the box!
Stick to the theme: It is extremely disrespectful when people don’t follow the theme, so make sure you start prepping your outfit in advance.You can go all out with the theme and dress from head to toe, or be a little subtle with it, but definitely stick to the theme.
Take inspiration: Don’t copy entire outfits; create your own by taking inspiration but make it yours. At the end of the day, you’re the one who is going to carry it so make sure to mould it according to your personality and style.
Don’t be scared: College is a new ground for everyone, so even if you look over-dressed/ under-dressed amongst everyone, don’t fret over it. Everyone here is figuring out life, this is just a Freshers’ Party outfit!
Click pictures: Do not forget to click pictures, with your friends, teachers and in every possible angle of your outfit; you’ll thank your past self for that when you look back at them. Also, save them for inspiration that you can give to your juniors next year!

All in all, make sure that after the Freshers’ Party, you’re a more confident individual; that is all that matters!

Feature Image Credits: Near Fox

Anagha Rakta
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Uncategorized

DU VC passes order for student parties to distribute educational freebies

By DU Beat August 29, 2017

Following a historical decision, you can now expect student political parties to hand out pens and notebooks for your vote.

In a latest press conference, the University of Delhi’s Vice Chancellor has sent out an order to political parties which states that they can distribute freebies legally, however, only one day preceding the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. This decision comes right before the polls that are set to be conducted on 12th September this year. When the VC, Satish Saraf, was approached to reason this historical decision, he said, “The DUSU elections happen in an arbitrary manner as no political party follows the Lyngdoh Committee’s guidelines anyway. Through this reform, we plan to introduce transparency in the system.” This report, however, is incomplete without the numerous terms and conditions it clearly states; which need to be followed as protocol to distribute freebies legally. A few of these conditions are:

Political parties can only distribute freebies on only one day, that day being at least one week prior to elections.
Political parties can distribute only education related freebies like pens, registers, books and other similar items that add to the welfare of students.
If the political party is found distributing alcohol or weed, its candidate would be prosecuted and disqualified to contest the elections with immediate effect.
No printed posters can be put up. This is in accordance with orders given by the National Green Tribunal(NGT) to encourage a poster-less and digital campaign.
A maximum cap of 5000 INR would be set so that parties with lesser funds have no complaints.
To help students make an informed decision, all those parties that partake inthe distribution of freebies are expected to arrange for seminars and workshops, wherein they explain in detail the functioning of DUSU and delineate the actions they will take to achieve all points in their manifestos.

Two schools of thoughts have emerged from this landmark decision- one which strongly opposes this decision, and one which stands in staunch support for it.

A second year student of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College under condition of anonymity, said, “I think the DU VC has gone berserk. His decision places small, genuine parties to a major disadvantage and ensures that parties with large funding get abundant visibility.”

However, not everybody harbours the same viewpoint. Avni Bansal, President of Sangharsh Yuva Parishad is of the view that this decision will transform elections for the better. In conversation with DU Beat, she said, “Everybody knows that use of muscle power cannot be removed from elections. But, this can definitely be put to good use for the welfare of students. Students belonging to lower economic backgrounds can benefit immensely from this opportunity”

While we already have protests from opposition parties against this decision, the executive council has been tabled to discuss reforms in DUSU budget as well. Whether the decision will face a roll back or actual implementation, only time will tell.

Feature Image Credits: Cloudapp

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is a humorous, light hearted column that should only be appreciated and not accepted.

Vijeata Balani

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