2017

Arts & Culture

The Guide to Making a Study Schedule

By Saumya Kalia April 17, 2017

Lost in the maelstrom of books, readings, and incessant notes? Begin this journey with our manual and prepare a time-management device to save your lives!

With less than a month to go for the annual exams to commence and a dark pall of cover to hover over our lives, students can be seen squandering around photocopying notes and purchasing guides. The undeniable truth of a study cycle proclaims that once you kick-start the journey of studying, everything will fall into place. Thus, it is only the beginner’s bewilderment which poses questions of what to do, when to do, and how to do. Enter: Time Management. It is an art which harbours the ability to save lives, and many have tried and failed (yours truly!) But they say experience makes perfect, and the first lesson in the art involves pragmatic scheduling.

BE PRACTICAL AND REALISTIC

Your borderline anxiety and nervousness have led you to consciously manage your time, however, be rational in your approach. Don’t overestimate or underestimate your daily capability, and distribute the syllabus coverage in a systematic fashion. Also, refer to the calendar as you draw out your study schedule; accounting for weekends, coaching classes, or social commitments.

ASCERTAIN A FAIR IDEA OF THE SYLLABUS FRAMEWORK

If you haven’t endeavoured to explore the depths of your textbook or even purchase them, now would be a good time to complete these requisites. Scheduling requires you to have a foundational idea of what lies ahead. Avoid attributing a day for a chapter which requires greater attention or vice-versa. Have a sound estimation of the topics where you lack, and devote more time to them.

LIST EVERYTHING DOWN AND FILL IN THE BLANKS

Work on the aesthetics of the planner you shall be following for the next month. Usage of post-its, colourful pens, and other stationery items is highly encouraged to offer you a satisfactory experience. Mark in bold or italics the examination dates and work around them for syllabus allotment. List down the syllabus’ fragments that shall help you in the allotment. Don’t treat the Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course or the Generic Elective lightly, for they carry equal weightage. Leave a day or two before the exam for revision, and this should give you a helpful start!

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE DAILY TASKS

Fancy your preparation to be like a Jenga, with every entry in your schedule as the bricks. The failure to adhere to it might cause your Jenga to fall, and your examination aspirations shall experience a similar fate. It is a human virtue to minimalise the importance of things due to their lackadaisical attitude. Avoid the temptation to leave a certain chunk of your daily task or the whole work for the next day, for it has a domino effect on the subsequent targets.

What are you waiting for? Ready, set, schedule!

Image Credits: WikiHow

Saumya Kalia

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Arts & Culture

Discussing body image & child sexual abuse at Meraki’17

By Niharika Dabral April 17, 2017

On 12^th April, 2017 Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC), organized Meraki, its counseling fest. This year’s theme focused on Child sexual abuse and Body image.

A participant performs at slam poetry competition. Credits- Ened D'souza — A participant performs at slam poetry competition.
Credits- Ened D’souza

One of the reasons why these sensitive and pertinent topics were chosen as themes is that there are two projects being run at CIC based on Body image and Child sexual abuse, and this fest was an extension of the same.

The fest started with the screening of “Breaking the myth”, a short film is directed, written, and acted by the counseling students of CIC. The short film chronicled the journey of recovery of a boy who was sexually harassed by a trusted elder. The short film debunked many myths regarding child sexual abuse.The screening was followed by a panel discussion.

Slam poetry competition saw the most participation. Miss Sabika Naqvi, a Delhi University student and a popular feminist poet, and Miss Arushi Aggarwal served in the capacity of the judges. Miss Sabika Naqvi’s rendition of “Mera Kajal” was the highlight of the day. Amongst twelve participants, Anusuya Bohra of Hansraj College was declared winner for her poem “Of flesh and bone”.

The Doodle competition themed on Body image was an opportunity for all those back-page doodlers to draw their hearts out! Manali Raj, a student of Cluster Innovation Centre won the first prize.

Photography competition was also themed on child sexual abuse and body image. Salil Sharma won the completion for his two photographs “Eyes speak louder” and “The perfect desire”.

With enthusiastic participation of students across Delhi University, the fest was a success.

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

Feature Image credits: Ened D’Souza

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Uncategorized

Top 5 ways to beat the Delhi heat

By DU Beat April 17, 2017

With summer approaching, the scorching summer heat is guaranteed to be hard on our bodies, our moods, and our electric bills. After all, this is the time we forgo memories of our cooler past, we put behind us the days when constant sweating was not part of our daily routine.

For those of us sweltering away in this part of the world, with no obvious escape in sight, consider some of the following to beat the Delhi heat:

Hydrate: Drinking 1-2 litres of water is very essential, spruce up your water game by opting for flavoured water instead (Strawberry is highly recommended!)

Streat Treats – Cool off with a Chuski and some Banta: This is time for the pocket-friendly experience we’ve all been waiting for. So whether you head to Prince Paan or India Gate, I assure you that the mind-numbing iciness of one chuski will keep you cool for the rest of the day.

Shop Till you Drop – Head to the Malls: What better way to beat the summertime sadness than some retail therapy at the mall. Enjoy the air conditioning and check out the latest summer trends without having to worry about tan lines or sweaty faces. Head on to your favourite mall and catch the latest flick.

article-2its-shopping-time-pt-3-credits-mygola-com — Credits: mygola.com

Splash About – Hit the Pool: There is no better time of the year than to attend/organise that pool party you’v been waiting for. Step out and dive into the pool for a cool, refreshing dip.

Cotton and comfort: Make use of all the summer sales. Adopt the boho style of dressing with maxi dresses, tie and dye shirts for the girls and linen shorts for the guys!

Anahita Sahu
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Arts & Culture

Not fair, yet Lovely: Abhay Deol slams celebs for endorsing fairness creams

By DU Beat April 17, 2017

In a series of posts on Facebook, Abhay Deol slammed ads for fairness creams, many of which feature celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, among others.

The ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’ actor does not toe the line of an ordinary actor. While most actors choose to adopt a silent stance when it comes to social and political issues, Deol, however, in a rather brazen move has decided to highlight the hypocrisy that many Bollywood actors advocate when endorsing fairness creams while simultaneously talking about the importance ofother values like equality, justice and fair treatment.

India, is a country where fair is often equated with beautiful, where products that promise to make one “beautiful” and “irresistible”, sell in large numbers. After all, fairness is counted as a valid qualification in many matrimonials. Using a collation of advertisements starring reputed actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Sonam Kapoor and John Abraham selling fairness products to an impressionable and trusting audience, Deol has criticized the actors’ decision to indulge in such demeaning practices for money and fame.

Though not the first one to speak out against endorsement of fairness products in Bollywood, the stridency with which Abhay has raised the issue will help drive further attention to it, and may also make film stars more conscious about which brands they choose to endorse. In the past, actors like Kangana Ranaut, Nandita Das, Swara Bhaskar, Ranbir Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, and Upen Patel have refused to endorse fairness creams and products.

Deol makes an appeal to people to not buy into the flawed notion around skin colour in India, that fairness makes someone better. For most of their existence, fairness creams were only meant for women, but in the past decade or so, we have achieved equality in this field, with fairness creams for men flooding the market too, making lighter skin a truly aspirational state for all genders.

Anahita Sahu
[email protected]

Image credits: Telfie.in

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DUB News

Project Sattva by Enactus SRCC: Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurial Training

By Saumya Kalia April 16, 2017

The Shri Ram College of Commerce chapter of Enactus, under the umbrella of the not for profit international organisation which develops social business ventures to propagate employment and higher standards of living, has conceptualised a mechanism to help rehabilitate the rural women of Karnal, Haryana.

An endeavour to empower the lives of rural women, whose lives are perturbed by the shackles of a patriarchal and oppressive society, Project Sattva aims to ensure financial independence and amplified ambitions. The Project seeks to influence the lives of 11 women occupying the dairy sector through countering inefficiencies in the dairy supply chain and enhancing the quality of milk and milk products available to local and urban consumers. With an objective of Churning Purity Into Progress¸ the initiative by Enactus SRCC has been a first of its kind in liberating women who are deeply rooted in societal stigma. The strings of patriarchy are deeply knotted in small towns and villages, and hence the plight of women is enhanced and magnified.

Implementing the scheme in the villages of Amritput, Kalan, and Taprana, Project Sattva constitutes reinforcing ideals of economic and social development in a society where women are treated as mere homemakers. To ensure that new milestones are achieved, and the successful navigation persists, they have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Bitgiving to raise funds for providing facilities like vehicles, packaging machines, and efficient infrastructure.

Project Sattva has been actively promulgating the empowerment of rural women through its pioneering project in the dairy sector. The Project’s efforts circumvent around providing this section with literary and entrepreneurial training, to help them acquire and build on an educational foundation. Enactus SRCC’s initiative seeks to accomplish progress through bridging the social and economic fallacies in these communities.

To help make a difference, please visit https://www.bitgiving.com/ProjectSattva

Image Credits: Enactus, Shri Ram College of Commerce

Saumya Kalia

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DUB News

DU Girl Commits Suicide, Blames Her Lover

By Vineeta Rana April 13, 2017

On 10 April 2017, a 21-year-old student of the School of Open Learning (SOL) committed suicide by hanging herself in her Roop Nagar home. She left behind a suicide note in which she held her lover, Ved Prakash, responsible for her death. The note revealed that Prakash had been constantly threatening the girl that he would post their private images and videos online if she did not come with him to Patna.

The girl, whose family hails from Madhya Pradesh, had come to Delhi to pursue higher education. She had met and fallen for Prakash and the two had planned to get married after three years of being in a romantic relationship. Neither student’s family approved of this relationship. Initially, when the girl asked Prakash to marry her he started avoiding her by not answering her calls or meeting her. Eventually, he demanded that she abandon her education and family to join him in Patna. “Prakash was forcing the girl to leave her family and come with him to Bihar, but she was unwilling”, said a police officer. In an effort to pressure her, Prakash then threatened to leak videos of a sensitive nature on social media.

The girl’s family revealed that she had filed a rape complaint against Prakash on 8 April at the Model Town police station. When the authorities failed to redress her grievance, she hanged herself at her residence two days later. Consequently, the police have filed a case of abetment to suicide against Prakash. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Jatin Narwal, stated, “A team has been sent to arrest him.”

Image Credits: Fanpop

Vineeta Rana
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Uncategorized

3 PLACES IN DELHI FOR THE ‘SON OF A BEACH’ IN YOU

By DU Beat April 13, 2017

Ever feel like escaping your fast paced city life to just relax and put your feet up in the sand? Well, now you can! Here are 3 restaurants in Delhi NCR that’ll make you feel like you’re on the beach!

Tabula Beach Café

This gem of a place will charm you with its beautiful interiors, chilled out atmosphere and authentic seafood. A special mention to their outdoor sitting area – the beach chairs, sand and music make you feel like you’re vacationing in Goa. They even have a hammock! Look out for events like acoustic evenings, DJ Nights and even some theatre acts that are performed here.

For dinner, we recommend the seafood platter. The butter garlic prawns were absolutely delicious! If you’re not into seafood, they also serve a variety of American and European options with a range of salads, burgers and pizzas to choose from. There’s also a special Sunday brunch menu with sumptuous breakfast platters and a separate waffle menu. The hot chocolate fudge waffle is a must have for anyone with a sweet tooth, and the crispy chicken waffles are an interesting choice for those who love experimenting. The restaurant also offers an extensive drinks menu, because hey! A trip to the beach is incomplete without a drink, right?

Location: Khel Gaon Marg

Cost for two: 1200/-

Lady Baga

Right from the bright colourful murals that you see as you walk up the staircase, to the painted surfboards and dream catchers of the interiors, everything about this place is reminiscent of the hippies’ Goa of the 70s. The place recreates a shack from one of Goa’s beaches complete with reggae music, sounds of the sea, projections of the beach and actual sand in one part of the restaurant.

For starters, we recommend the classic chips and dip or the crazy kalamari. The churiz pulao (goan sausage pulao) and the pao with pork vindaloo are good options for the main course. While ordering, however, one must be mindful that the goan vinegar used in these dishes is an acquired taste and while they seemed to have reduced the amount to better suit the north Indian palette, these dishes are probably not for the unadventurous. If you enjoy seafood we recommend the ‘Prawns with love’ which is a Goan prawn curry, with rice. In addition to Goan Cuisine, the restaurant also serves North Indian and Italian dishes. End your meal with the Baga Bebinca or even the banana French Toast for which an eggless version is also available.

The perfect place to grab a drink and enjoy a relaxing evening with friends, Lady Baga offers you sea, sand, good music and great vibes, bang in the heart of the city!

Location: Connaught Place

Cost for two: Rs. 1500/-

Bernardo’s

This tiny jewel tucked away in a corner of Gurugram is a must try for those who want to savour authentic Goan cuisine. Bernado’s is run by a lovely Goan couple who give it a warm, homely feeling. It is a tiny place and could fit a little over six couples. The music, interiors and the aroma of the food transport us to a relaxing carefree summer on the beach.

Some of the dishes we enjoyed were the costelatas de porco or pork cutlets, the choris pulao, chicken zacuti, and pork sorpotel. The caramel custard for dessert is a nice end to a heavy meal, because it’s light and not too sweet. A great place to grab dinner and catch up with a friend.

Location: DLF Phase 4, Gurgaon

Cost for two: 1200/-

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Admissions 2017

Early Registrations, No Entrance Tests, DU to admit students for regular UG courses based on ‘Cut-Offs’

By Srivedant Kar April 12, 2017

The registrations for admissions for various courses of Delhi University is likely to begin in the last week of April. As compared to last year, this year the registration would start a month early to avoid the last minute rush for admissions into top colleges.

Early registrations

The early registrations for admissions will start towards end of April and continue till June as usual. Online registration process are likely to begin by third week of April. “There are some dates that are being considered. One of the dates suggested is April 20 but it could be anytime between April 20 and 25”, said one of the members of the admission committee. The university had earlier thought to open the registrations in March but the plan could not materialize.

Unlike last year, where students got only 15 days for registration, this year they would get nearly one and half months for registrations. “Board results are announced in May end but students can start filling the application form in advance. It will give them time to upload all documents and once the results are announced they can just fill their marks,” said the admission committee member.

No Entrance, admissions to be based on Cut Offs

Although university was mulling over plans to conduct entrance for some of its regular courses like commerce and economics early this year, but the plans have been scrapped. Admission for these courses will be based on the traditional cut off marks. However, entrance will be held for the courses which admitted students of the basis of entrance earlier too.

“There will be no entrance test for any new course. Entrance tests will only be conducted for courses for which we were conducting entrance test earlier also,” an official said. DU conducts entrance tests for courses such as B.Tech in IT & Mathematical Innovations, B.A (Hons.) in Humanities and Social Sciences, Bachelor of Management Studies, BA (Hons) Business Economics, Bachelor of Business Administration (financial investment analysis).

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)

Srivedant Kar

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DUB Speak

Dasvidanya Delhi University

By Shubham Kaushik April 12, 2017

As third years, are we saying goodbye to our years as undergraduate students in Delhi University or are we saying goodbye to the University as we knew it?

Shubham Kaushik ([email protected])

It’s that time of the year when another batch of undergraduate students from the University of Delhi are getting ready to bid their colleges goodbye. Farewell gatherings are being prepared for with as much gusto as various entrance exams. While it’s natural for third year students to worry about their future and be nostalgic about their time in the University, it is also important in the current scenario to worry about the university we’re leaving behind.

Recent events suggest that Delhi University is no longer the space it used to be a few years ago. Whether this change was in the making for a while or was caused by a few specific events is debatable but it has manifested itself in events occurring around us for the past few months. The subtle nationwide suppression of dissent and revolt against the authoritarian regimes in educational spaces reached the University in its most recognisable form with what transpired in Ramjas College a month ago. The University, which was known for the freedom it gave to students to explore their beliefs and critically analyse the dominant rhetoric, turned into a violent space where students and teachers were targeted and assaulted for doing what shouldn’t just be acceptable but also encouraged in a university space – standing up for freedom, demanding their right to dissent and challenging what years of social conditioning made them believe. When safe spaces meant for exploration and exchanges of ideas are ravaged by forces that aim to homogenise them, it doesn’t bode well for the society at large. This world wasn’t meant for the establishment of one system followed by the majority population with the others coerced to follow suit, and past attempts to do so have always resulted in bloodshed and eventual revolutions that did what had to be done anyway – put the system in motion again and allowed conflicting stances to clash and coexist.

As we’re getting ready to say goodbye to our days as undergraduate students in Delhi University, we must make sure we aren’t also saying goodbye to the university space as we knew it. Spare a thought for seminars being disrupted even as other seminars ‘nationalising’ teaching are organised. Spare a thought for the thousands of students who still look towards DU to mould their future and their beliefs, and who will then go on to mould our society. Spare a thought for the future of Delhi University.

Image Credits: The Wire

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Events

Gender Equality Mela 2017 at Miranda House

By DU Beat April 11, 2017

Gender Equality Mela is one of the key annual events conducted by the Women’s Development Cell of Miranda House. It is a celebration of the will to survive and thrive. It is a part of the efforts at generating discussions and creating a space for saying what is often left unsaid and for including those who are often left behind in the ideas and plans of ‘development’. The Gender Equality Mela is a part of MH-WDC’s campaign with One Billion Rising (OBR).

This year’s Gender Equality Mela was based on celebrating feminist conversations towards equality, the central theme being ‘Gender and Work’. There was also the celebration of MH-WDC’s Coffee Table Book, ‘Azaad Labon ki Guftagu’ which strives to provide with snapshots of MH-WDC’s journey and their tireless efforts at ‘engaging with wanting to create a more equal and free world, a world where gender equality becomes a live reality for us’, as the book reads.

The 3-day event played host to numerous speakers and panelists like Suneeta Dhar (feminist activist, Jagori), Bulbal Das (legal feminist activist, All India Women’s Conference), Jyotsna Chatterjee and Padmini (Joint Women’s Programme). These speakers emphasised on the introduction to the history of the feminist movement. The topic of manual scavenging was taken up by Bezwada Wilson (National Convener of Safai Karamchari Andolan) and Bhasha Singh. The session on Child Rights and Child Sexual Abuse was taken up by Vaishnava (Bud Foundation), Veronica Xavier (Child Rights and You) and Natuve (dramatics society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College). The round table discussion on Students in Politics consisted of speakers from Pinjra Tod and Ramjas students. An ‘unconference’ was also organised which placed emphasis on feminism through art, language and music.

On Day 2, the session on Gender and Intersectionality was taken up by Dr. Chandra Sagar and Kusum Ji (All India Network of Sex Workers) and Renuka Bhagat. The session on Trans Community and Work was taken up by Rudrani Chettri. A session on Women and Work through development framework was also conducted by Neetha N. (National Labour Institute). The interactive session on ‘Queering Workplaces’ along with Lafz 2.0, the open mic featured speakers from Nazariya and Delhi Queer Pride. Day 2 also showcased nukkad natak performances by children from SMS (Srijanatmak Manushi Sanstha), LSR dramatics society and Anukriti, the Hindi dramatics society of Miranda House.

On Day 3, the first session on Taking Feminist Conversation Forward was hosted by celebrated author and feminist Kamla Bhasin, wherein she presented her letter to patriarchy. The second session on Women and Media was conducted by Rakhee Bakshi (Women’s Feature Service), Shrey Ila Anasuya (Feminist and Freelance Journalist), Radha Rani (BBC) and Deepajana Pal (fiction writer). The session on Gender and Masculinity was taken up by Pavel (Breakthrough India), Ahmad Farz (CHSJ, Centre for Health and Social Justice) and Apurv Jain (worker on issues of gender and sexuality). The 3-day mela ended with a screening of the movie Hidden Figures.

Image Credits: Miranda House Women’s Development Cell

Joyee Bhattacharya

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