2017

The Ongoing War: Attendance Vs Admit Card

By DU Beat November 26, 2017

As mid-semester examination are approaching, the age old tension of attendance shortage is being clearly visible on many students faces. With lots of hustle and bustle, students manage to get a high percentage to land in India’s best university but then the monster of attendance still manages to get a 100% in every educational institution.
Let’s hear what the experts have to say on this at Quora:

“This really depends on which college you’re in. Some colleges are super strict about these rules, and some are super relaxed. To give you an example of the range, I know people who’ve had no problem collecting admit cards for their exams with 4% attendance, along with people who’ve had to sign bonds for 65% attendance, just to be able to site for exams. The fluctuations happen because even though the University has a common guideline of 67% attendance, colleges end up making their individual rules for attendance requirements. Depending on how seriously your college takes this matter, the possible consequences are: Relaxed attendance rules

Go ahead and collect your admit card, without any hassles.

Moderately strict rules

You’ll have to sign a bond that says that you’ll maintain the required attendance mark in the coming semester.

Very strict rules + Very low attendance%

You’ll be debarred from the exams, and parents might be involved. This situation might incite hunger strikes and protests from the affected students in the college.”

As per 2016, sources said that more than 100 students, whose attendance was below 66.67 per cent, have been detained across all colleges in the University. While some colleges such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) College has detained 48 students, Dyal Singh College has detained 55 students across 15 courses. “We have detained 48 students this semester across all courses. Their continuation in the college is subject to two conditions — if they have cleared their first semester papers, then they will come back next year when the incumbent batch reaches the second semester. But if the student has not cleared his first semester papers, but has been detained in the second semester too, he will lose his seat in the college,” said SK Garg, principal, DDU College.

Now only the dates of receiving admit card will decide if medical certificates can still save the students’ careers!

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Naimisha

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Understanding the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

By DU Beat November 25, 2017

The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is an occasion for international institutions and non-governmental organizations to raise awareness about violence against women. It has been observed on 25th November each year since 2000.

O 25th November , 1960, three sisters, Patria Mercedes Mirabal, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal, were assassinated in the Dominican Republic, on the orders of the then Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo. The Mirabel sisters faced this only because they fought hard to end the dictatorship. Activists on women’s rights have since observed a day against violence on the anniversary of the deaths of these women, from 1981. 25th November was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by the UN General Assembly in 1999. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) lists various forms of violence against women: rape and sexual harassment, child marriage, wife-beating, prostitution, female genital cutting/mutilation, dowry-related violence, trafficking, sexual violence during wars, forced sterilisation, and bride kidnapping. Violence against women also takes many forms of psychological abuse, intimidation, and harassment.

However, long after the Beijing Declaration in 1995 and many years after the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was embraced, some countries like Iran still don’t recognise feminist organisations, India denies armed conflict and caste, and everyone is disinclined to respect sexual rights for women, differences in sexual orientation, and gender identities.

Has violence against women become so run-of-the-mill in India that we have ceased to take note of it? Do we need anniversaries, like 16th December, to remind us of something that happens every day? Gender violence happens every day, everywhere in every form. Yet, we only take note when something horrific, like the gang rape in Delhi, happens, which reeks with barbarity. It mobilised people, who had never before been out on the streets, to shout that this culture of violence must end. That was five years ago. Today, that culture of violence remains ingrained still. It is terrifying to think that women will get beaten up on the pretext of being witches, and that girls, no matter how many years old, will be assaulted physically. It includes crimes that we don’t read about in the newspapers. Violence has been normalised in India and elsewhere, because it takes place behind closed doors where there are no eyes and no cameras.

Meanwhile, as women and historically suppressed communities have (just about) started to gain a toehold into the mainstream through political representation, ‘hyper chauvinism’ has reached newer heights, still. The increase in violence against women and minorities and attempts to criminalise alternate sexualities orientations and vehement moral policing and discourses on ‘love-jihad‘ are all part of a backlash against discerned threats to male supremacy. What is to be done, then? Feminism is not a challenge to the men of the society; it is a challenge against patriarchy.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign spanning from 25th November through 10th December (UN Human Rights Day), is taking place this year against the backdrop of global outcry. Millions have marched as part of the #MeToo campaign and have exposed the sheer quantum of sexual harassment and other forms of violence that women everywhere suffer, each day. At the center of this year’s theme, “Leave No One Behind – End Violence against Women”, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November), it is the imperative to support those who are particularly vulnerable, and to even reach out to the last woman. This November 25, break the silence on gender violence. Women need to thrive, not survive.

This post was aided by information from here and here.

Feature Image Credits: UN

Oorja Tapan

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Pros and Cons of Clicking Photos in Winter

By DU Beat November 25, 2017

The winter season brings with it a lot of mesmerising scenes much to the delight of a photographer. However, it has some disadvantages too.

Photographers keep lurking in different places looking for the perfect setting and clicking endless pictures to get a flawless photo. And the winter season offers a visual spectacle with those misty clouds and drops of water running through the leaves in the morning. The sunrays oozing out of the fog and the snow-covered mountains shining golden during sunrise can make any photographer’s jaw drop. And these are just a few to name. But, it is not as easy and inviting as it seems. The winter season is as harsh on photographers with the cold weather and freezing temperatures testing the photographer’s skill. Here are a few pros and cons of winter photography.

Pros

A good amount of blur can be created with all the air wrapped in the dense fog. This comes in use while capturing portraits or any other object.
The winter season brings a dark touch in the background with itself and so, capturing bright colors create a good spark in the picture.
One very relieving thing about winters is the minimized air pollution. This suits best for doing Astrophotography because clearer skies help in capturing some really good pictures.

Cons

The dense fog is not always kind to the photographer. It becomes difficult to focus on the object and click a sharp picture.
The lack of warmth of the sun in winters makes it very difficult to capture bright pictures as is the case in summer.
The low light haunts from picture to picture as it creates darker pictures with more shadows.
The dew and fog can end up ruining the camera as the sensors and camera lenses may get damaged.

Well, it really is a tussle to decide whether winters are advantageous or not for doing photography. It has its share of pros and cons. And at the end, it is all upon the photographer to get the best shot possible. Also, where’s the fun of getting great pictures if it isn’t challenging to click one?

Feature Image Credits: techradar.com

Akarsh Mathur

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Karan Singhania

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The Myth of Effortlessness

By DU Beat November 25, 2017

Effortlessly excelling is a virtue that is aggressively glorified in popular culture. If there existed a hierarchy of achievements, effortless excellence would be at the very top. The idea that some people are extremely intelligent, good-looking, and sociable without trying hard is a problematic façade that needs to be discredited immediately.

The word effortlessly is defined as- “in a manner requiring no physical or mental exertion.” The word ‘effortlessly’ and its relevance, usage, and impact in on our daily life has increased significantly in the last decade. Social media and television have contributed to making “effortlessness” an extremely desirable virtue. Today we are connected to everyone, from our favourite celebrity and the Prime Minister to distant relatives and close friends on various social media platforms. This has resulted in greater knowledge including copious details about how most of us lead our lives. This means that a range of emotions, especially our joys and achievements are greatly talked about on the aforementioned platforms. This has accentuated the desire to seek effortlessness. Suddenly, doing amazing things is not good enough — doing amazing things effortlessly is what is most sought after.

And while this trend of effortlessness has become even more prominent in recent times, it can trace roots to centuries ago. Sprezzatura is an Italian word originating from Baldassare Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier, where it is defined by the author as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.” Sprezzatura, or studied carelessness, has something that has been socially desirable for a long time, but its impact now is greater than it has ever been.

Effortlessness or doing things effortlessly has become a virtue and this can be confirmed by looking at current trends. Effortless chic, slouchy clothing, a relaxation in everyday language along the rise of athleisure, all signify one thing- that “trying” to look, act or sound a certain way is no more aspirational. Examples of the myth of effortlessness are- that bedhead selfie from your favourite movie star, a perfect boomerang of your friend blowing bubbles, or those stories your class topper puts a day before the exam claiming to be horribly unprepared. These are ways of making one look carefree and unbothered. The idea behind making oneself look carefree is that by looking like we don’t care for much, we automatically make our achievements even more impressive. This could be a reason why people who always score well claim to have not have studied. Projecting the idea that “this is no big deal” has become a huge problem. People are prone to perceive things on surface value. When someone appears to be effortlessly perfect, we are prone to be harsh on ourselves. We then assume that the internal mechanisms of our life are not as fabulous and interesting as those of others. The truth is things require effort, especially if they need to be remarkably good. No matter what others say, scoring a good CGPA, possessing a good physique or having a healthy social life are all activities that require time, effort, and dedication. Effortlessness is a myth, a lie that has been glorified to the extent that we have begun to chase it even if it costs us our peace of mind.

By claiming to be naturally perfect and accomplishing extraordinary feats without trying much, we set up both ourselves and those around us to ridiculously unattainable parameters. As a consequence, it impacts not just our self-image negatively, but also that of others.

Sprezzatura or effortlessness with effort is a practice that needs to be avoided like the plague. Sprezzatura strokes our ego and appeals to our vanity but it is a slippery slope to walk on. It compels us to constantly discredit our conscious effort and toil simply to look cooler. “Trying” or working is not portrayed as glamourous and that is also a part of the problem. Television and popular culture will never be completely honest about the number of weeks’ work from dozens of people that took to make Blake Lively look like Serena Van Der Woodsen, but that does not mean we can’t play a role in being breaking this myth of effortlessness. By being forthcoming about our achievements and taking into account the work that we put in anything — be it our outfit or our final exams — we will set realistic and attainable goals for all those who look up to us and admire us. We will, therefore, through our honesty and lack of pretension, contribute to someone else’s success and peace of mind.

Feature Image Credits: ASOS

Kinjal Pandey

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Green Energy in India: What are the Challenges?

By DU Beat November 24, 2017

Need of green energy has been alarming. What if this costs a bit more? We might quickly find many people’s appetite for green energy is lower, especially if the worry cited is something as invisible, distant, long-term, and global as CO2 emissions that impact climate change. Energy is the most important issue that is being discussed throughout the world. The key differentiating factor in the use of energy sources is environment friendliness. Growth of green energy in developed nations is mainly driven by environmental concerns of fossil fuel based projects. In developing nations, green energy projects are adopted to decrease the demand supply-gap and to boost rural electrification and off-grid electrification. But for countries like India, an optimal energy mix of both kinds of energy sources is essential to have a sustainable energy system.

One of the major obstacles in extraction of green energy is high installation cost. While development of a coal based power plant requires around Rs.4 crore per MW, the investment required for wind and solar power-based plants is significantly higher. A wind based plant, with capacity utilisation of 25%, requires an investment of Rs.6 crore per MW.
Operating a green energy source demands the employment of skilled labours which is another big challenge. Proper system planning and integration is another important aspect. Knowing the decentralised nature of green energy projects, the capacity and type of project is to be decided where availability of the energy source can be ensured. Most green energy systems are weather dependent; thus, factors like number of sunny days, wind condition, monsoon, tide level, supply of biomass, etc play an important role in feasibility of the system. Plant availability is not predictable as in case of conventional plants. Social acceptance of renewable-based energy system is still not very encouraging in urban India. Despite heavy subsidy being provided by the government for installation of solar water-heaters and lighting systems, its penetration is still very low. Manpower training is another grey area. Currently, the Indian power sector is facing severe trained manpower shortage. Skill upgradation of the existing manpower and training of new professionals are essential to achieve the goal of “power to all”.

Despite having an installed capacity of over 167 GW, India is facing an energy deficit of 8% and peak deficit of 12%. So far, only 4.5% of renewable energy potential has been explored in India. To reduce the demand-supply gap, the renewable energy development is the need of the hour. While there has been a plethora of analysis on whether India will meet the 175 GW goal by 2022 – the overwhelming consensus is that it will not, as the current capacity stands under 60 GW and the country is adding less than 15 GW per annum – few have stopped to ask if such a goal is even desirable. A dose of realism need not dampen ambition but can instead help in making our approach towards clean and green energy more consolidated and serious.

Feature Image Credits: Southquayenergy

Sandeep Samal
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Nap Your Way Through the Exams

By DU Beat November 24, 2017

During exams, students go an extra mile to cover the syllabus in a time bound system. They burn the midnight oil to complete the course and neglect sleep altering their biological clock of the body. Almost no student that I’ve talked to has ever even thought about power naps as a means of augmenting their revision. A daily power nap can make a genuine difference to the exam prospects of all students.

The term ‘power nap’ is a bit misleading. Research by Harvard and other institutions over the past 30 years suggested that a power nap of around 20 minutes is generally considered to be the optimal length. During this short period, the aim is simply to lie down in a dark room, close your eyes, clear the mind of all thoughts, and relax. You might well find that you begin to lightly doze off after a short while, and that’s allowed, but we’re not aiming for full sleep. In fact, if you do have a power nap for much longer than around 30mins, then you’ll be much more likely to fall into a deeper state of sleep. Doing so will mean that you’ll feel groggy when you wake up, which is counter-productive. Setting a timer to quickly rouse yourself at the end of a nap will avoid this problem.

So if a power nap isn’t actual sleep, then why is it any good? Surprisingly, studies have shown that the body and brain benefits from a power nap in the same way as they do from regular sleep. Sleeping for a full 8 hours every night should be a major component in every student’s plan for achieving exam success. Since a power nap mimics the effects of overnight sleep, it helps recuperate the sleep deprive state of every student.

A power nap refreshes the body and brain, heighten alertness and promote a positive frame of mind. This in turn improves concentration and attitudes to study. A power nap relaxes the body and brain, helping to reduce stress. It boosts cognitive function (short & long term memory) and enhances the brain’s ability to absorb information. It is very luring to brush up the concepts right before exams, but taking a power nap before it will consolidate what you have studied and hence help you to bump the grades.

Feature Image Credits: Pinterst

Sandeep Samal
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My First Semester in DU as a Fresher

By DU Beat November 23, 2017

Today while I was laying on my bed half conscious, I realised that I have been riding the bus of ‘Delhi University’ for six months now. Delhi University or perhaps the ‘Dream’ University for many students, was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It all started from the trial rooms of the Extra Curricular Activities quota. The first two months went by in running from one college to the other for my trials; it was probably the most challenging phase of my academic career. After going through the rigorous ECA trails, I made it to the University of Delhi through the Photography and English Debate ECA trials.

And once DU’s journey began, I knew it was not going to be a cakewalk. In all these months, DU showed me it’s various feathers. In all these months, DU showed me it’s various feathers. I dined with a different culture each day, bunked classes, and witnessed the clashes between the Red and Saffron. I also mastered the art of arrangement by assembling notes for the internals, hunting for a pen during the class, and counterfeiting attendance (proxy).

It dawned on me on the last day of the semester that I left behind my school life around nine months ago. In these six months of college, I have made friends that I will cherish for a very long time. I have been acquainted with their habits on which we sometimes laugh, and the rest never judge. My seniors are always there to guide me about any and every situation whilst giving advice about assignments and tests. They are more mature than I am and give self-improvement advice like nobody else. I look forward to having another six months of bonding with them and loving them for a lifetime.

Delhi University as a whole has proved to be a boundless ocean of opportunities if only you have the eye to look out for them. There are opportunities that take you out of your comfort zone and responsibilities that teach you more skills. You’ll expand the horizons of your mind and your personality will become more versatile. I look forward to having the best three years of college life at Delhi University filled with memories, laughter, and deadlines.

Feature Image Credits: IAS Paper

Prachi Mehra

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Naimisha

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Arts & Culture

Crumbling Infrastructure and the Ad-Hoc Culture are Dragging DU Down

By DU Beat November 23, 2017

It’s 2017 and the University of Delhi (DU) is crumbling under degrading infrastructure, a culture of ad-hoc and degrading standards of education; the only sustenance is DU’s history and the pride associated with it and the sense of exclusivity and hype partly owed to the ridiculously high-cut-offs.

Delhi University with its ridiculously high cut-offs, glitzy fests, and star nights and a long list of alumni winning accolades in the world of politics, films and academia, has a lot to boast of. Its reputation and prestige, along with its hype and exclusivity make it a dream institution for students across the country. The culturally rich and “woke” campus is coveted by undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students across the country. But Delhi University has been systematically degrading to meet not just global standards, but it has failed to match up to the infrastructure and resources offered in colleges in India. Globally, DU is ranked as 481-490 by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings, which is largely regarded as the most accurate ranking for universities.

The ugly truth about the University of Delhi is that despite having some of the best students and faculty members from across the country, it fails to reach its full potential or even push its own horizons. Ceilings have fallen in Daulat Ram College and College of Vocational Studies, Gargi College students complained of lack of an adequate number of washrooms, and most colleges are witnessing their main building slowly crumble away. A significant lack in number of classrooms for tutorials, no proper arrangements for recreational and extra-curricular activities, and a severe shortage of adequate sports facilities is a problem faced across colleges in DU. India has grown out of the phase where it only had the bare-minimum- when the then Prime Minister Shastri had to ask citizens to fast once a week due to grain shortage. But while the rest of the country has come out of that era of scraping by and having only the bare-minimum, DU has not. Apart from the top five or six colleges, most of the colleges still lack proper resources, auditoriums, and interactive classrooms. But infrastructural resources or the lack of them is not Delhi University’s only problem, the ad-hoc culture is as well. The practice of inviting teachers to teach temporarily in colleges as ad-hoc lecturers has become extremely common. As a consequence of this, lecturers often shuffle from college to college as they are replaced. Since their jobs are not permanent and are highly dependent on the authorities’ whims and fancies, most ad-hoc lecturers find themselves under immense pressure to meet the expectations of their immediate superiors. This is necessarily a bad thing because lecturers have often complained of ill-treatment under such a system, as is evident by the extensive number of protests that take place regarding the same issue. While these academics dedicate their time to save their jobs and seek a certain degree of stability in their lives, any autonomy that they have- to teach with absolute freedom, confidence, and passion, to criticise anyone from college authorities to governments and administrations, to speak fearlessly without censoring their opinion- is snatched from them. Most of us would think this isn’t a particularly big problem; after all they are completely free to teach the prescribed curriculum as they please. But the point is, Delhi University gets its je ne sais quoi from the kind of space it reserves to discuss unconventional and unpopular opinions. The very spirit of the university can be summed up by its culture of questioning and challenging status quo and the emphasis it lays on political awareness, activism, and protests. When its academia- the people responsible for providing students not just knowledge about the curriculum but also about the world- tread with fear and are afraid to speak their minds, students may also be afraid to do the same.

Times are changing and universities across the world are constantly innovating and offering its students better facilities. Those attempting to silence me for criticising DU’s lack of resources might say that since DU offers a highly subsidised education, it cannot obviously meet global standards due to financial reasons. The truth is, even Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) offer a subsidised education (while there was a revision in the fee structure, a professional degree is bound to cost more) as well. To say that one government-funded institute can have adequate resources at its disposal while another cannot, makes little sense. Change is the only constant and those who fail to evolve, stagnate and then disintegrate. For the University of Delhi to continue living up to its hype, it needs to evolve and adapt to modern times. Better resources, facilities for students and teachers and reformations in its problematic ad-hoc culture are some ways in which it can do the same.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Kinjal Pandey

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Small Screen

Vikings: An Era Resonating in the Present

By DU Beat November 23, 2017

The fifth season of the TV series “Vikings” premieres on 29^th November this year. The TV series has been a phenomenon travelling back to the time when swords and stones brought power.

Vikings is a TV series based on the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the most popular Norse heroes the world has known. The series portrays the rise of Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), a farmer who became the king of Kattegat. The story is set in the 13^th century and noticeably has very distinct features. One cannot help but draw similarities from these features.

Regarding law, the land has its own judicial head known as the ‘Earl’. The Earl hears the cases and gives his verdict on who is guilty. He is the most respected figure in the area. Villages today still have Panchayats where cases are discussed, and the head delivers his verdict. The jurisdiction today has a lot of law institutions, but it all still comes down to the judge who acts as the sole decision maker. The Vikings follow their God called ‘Odin’. He is believed to be the first of them and is known as the ‘Father-of-All’. All the people strive to go to Valhalla, an enormous hall where Odin resides. One must do good deeds and be a true warrior to be eligible to go to this place after death. This does not sound very different from what we know as heaven. We too strive to go to the place where we believe the God resides and all of us want to do great deeds for the same. There also happens to be a Seer, a person who can foresee the future. People go to him to find answers to their questions and know more about their future. We have our seers in the astrologers who claim to foresee our future. The people also make human and animal sacrifices to please their God seeing it as a way of inviting luck and glory. We make offerings of our own kind for the same reasons. Sounds familiar, eh?

Ragnar is an ambitious man. His ambitions lead him to create a secret team and be the first person to successfully discover and raid the North(England). This is what leads to the people hailing him as a leader. He is the one to do something that no one ever has done. The formula for creating history remains the same even today. Talk about being envious, Rollo, the brother of Ragnar is jealous of his brother’s fame and wants his share of popularity. How he wishes to kill his brother by using his brother’s trust in him. Betrayal and using people’s trust is not an unfamiliar concept. It won’t be wrong to say it is still very much in use.

The entire journey of Vikings deals with how Ragnar comes to power fending off the people who want to snatch it from him. The series is a magnificent display of how he attains and protects his power learning about men and life during his dynamic journey.

These are just instances highlighting the features depicted in the series which seem to be common in the present day scenario. We have moved from Earls to Supreme Courts, from swords to guns, and from Valhalla to heaven. The medium of beliefs and values have changed, but these beliefs and values remain the same. We have come a long way from using stones to smartphones. However, the taste of power still lures us all. The desire to attain authority and enjoy power resides within all of us.

The human behavior is so unique yet seems to be so simple. All of us have our own features, and yet jealousy, backstabbing, and fragility towards power have been prevalent even after all these years. The thing about human behavior is that we are all humans and we ought to share some similarity. Be it the 13^th century or the 21^st, those who can go beyond limits are the ones who are hailed. It is just that the criteria have shifted from discovering new lands to discovering new ideas. Modern day has brought with it the modern ways of doing things, but the motive of doing things seems to have remained the same. We claim to have come far from our past, and yet we seem to be just repeating what has already been done. This historical drama takes us to the past, and you’ll be surprised to know that although a lot has changed, our core values remain the same.

Image Credits: The Mind Reels

Karan Singhania

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