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DU, North DMC Clash Over Highrise in North Campus

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Delhi University (DU) moves Supreme Court against the construction of highrise near Vishwavidyalaya metro station as North Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) approves its building plan.

 

Earlier this year, the Delhi University had filed a petition to the Delhi High Court (HC), challenging the transfer of public land to a private construction firm for the construction of a high rise near the Vishwavidyalaya metro station. This petition was dismissed by the HC which led the varsity to approach the Supreme Court (SC). Even as the SC hears the case against the proposal to construct a 39-storeyed building in the vicinity of DU’s North Campus, the North corporation has already approved the building plans of the structure.

 

DU had also written to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Home Ministry as well as the Defence Ministry on this matter. Officials said that the proposed building is not viable keeping in mind security concerns for the North Campus students, since the building will have a bird’s-eye view of five of the girls’ hostels on the campus – Miranda House Girls’ Hostel, the Central Institute of Education, University Hostel for Women, Meghdoot Girls Hostel and the Girls’ Hostel of the Department of Social Work; apart from several other University buildings.

 

Moreover, the North MCD had in 2018 denied permission to this plan and asked the parties involved to approach the HC by the means of a writ. But earlier this year, the writ was withdrawn from the court and permission given to the plan, by North MCD, online.

 

A senior corporation official however, said,“All issues have been settled. The builder has complied with all formalities and, so, the approval was given. The allegations by DU are not true as all rules and regulations have been followed,” as reported by the Times of India (TOI).

 

According to a DU official, the land was bought by DMRC from defence ministry for Rs 42.4 crore for a public purpose. But a portion of it was sold to a private builder for Rs 218 crore. Now, the SC has asked the Ministry of Urban Affairs and the  Delhi Development Authority (DDA)  to file their responses to the case by August 23 and the next date of hearing is scheduled on August 26. Another case is pending with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in this matter, for which the hearing is scheduled on August 19. An affidavit filed by the Ministry of Defence in the NGT and the SC has stated that the issue should be “decided as per law”.

 

Bipin Tiwari, Deputy Dean (Works) at DU, questioned the urgency to give approval to the plan. “It is surprising that the corporation has cleared the proposal, flouting all norms, and despite the pendency of an SLP in SC and a writ in NGT. Land acquired for the public purpose at public expense can’t be given to a private builder,” he said in a conversation with TOI. DU also insists that the construction of this building will come in the way of the Master Plan of Delhi, 2021, that has been envisaged for the city’s infrastructure.

 

Image Credits: Times of India

 

Bhavya Pandey

[email protected]

 

 

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Campus Central

DU, Expression and Freedom: The other Tricolour

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DU is not solely known for its notorious cut-offs, but also known for the power of expression each and every student has. Here’s an insight into the love-hate relationship between DU, freedom and expression through all these years.

 

DU has been a kaleidoscope of expression, being the hub of the youth of the nation, it has captured the ‘F’ word- ‘freedom’ in the most pristine form, each year, each batch, each student- having a different aspiration from the concept of freedom. This ambiguity has not weakened the meaning of freedom when it comes to DU, rather expanded the arena of freedom. DU has been a melting pot of all definitions of freedom. From the restoration of sovereignty back to time when DU was the hotspot of freedom struggle- Hindu being the epicentre of political waves, students being actively involved in the Quit India Movement to the extent that students and teachers of the college went to prison following their participation, Ramjas hostel sheltering Chandra Shekhar Azad in the past; to the realization of civil liberty back in 1975- wherein the entire Sanskrit department of Delhi University was prisoned, Arun Jaitley from SRCC was seen as the first satyagrahi against the emergency, DU transforms everyday!

 

As we further pass through the passage of time, freedom trickles down to the involvement of having a student-centric opinion when it comes to academics and education. Some regard the pioneer of the anti-Mandal agitation as Rajiv Goswami from Deshbandhu College who stirred the movement after his attempts of self- immolation. Furthermore, anti-Mandal agitations were launched by students of St. Stephen’s College and Delhi School of Economics, which took thousands under its fold. When attempts to bring the Four Year Programme were brought into the light, it was alleged by the students as an attempt to make education elitist. Many put forth their voices, stating that it to be against the interest of students coming from economically weaker section as they would not be able to meet the expenditure of an additional year. Expression of grievances and concerns have constantly been under the alms of DU.

 

Entering into the thought bubble of recent times, freedom is seen to be fighting the underlying sexism which seemed to be lurking around the campus gates like an underdog earlier. Well thanks to DU, it has got you covered, not literally……….. Be it the embargo on the length of one’s skirt or the restriction on the hour of the day, we fought it! Back in 2017, Pinjra Tod decided to hold a protest demonstration slogan- ‘Jhooti Suraksha Ki Khol De Pol, Pinjra Tod’. This was in response to the arbitrary and unilateral decision of shifting the entry time into the hostel from 10 pm to 9 pm by Ambedkar Ganguly Hostel. Women from St. Stephen’s, Lady Shri Ram College, and Delhi School of Economics resisted against the move as well as the instilled sense of fear of losing the hostel seat for speaking the truth.

 

Just a few days ago, freedom’s definition added another feather to its cap- inclusivity! The seven lettered word- Freedom has now knocked out homophobia as we witnessed the most seven coloured march of North Campus! On 3rd August, we saw one of the most vibrant pride marches in the North Campus which was glittered with face paints, flags, and posters.  “prem che, prem che, tharo maro same che” all said in unison! The all-inclusive character of freedom is a new level achieved! With the rainbow in it, even the sky is not the limit!

 

Feature Image Credits: DUB Archives

 

Priyanshi Banerjee

[email protected]

 

 

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Arts & Culture

The Politics of Leila

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Why a Netflix series on politics and water crisis with huge potential got stuck with a sluggish IMDB rating?

 

Like every curious person, I googled Leila immediately after binge-watching the series in complete awe, to discover more about the creator, her inspiration and the subsequent storyline for the second season. What shook me the most was its IMDB rating, a parameter that a regular movie/web series connoisseur entrusts upon before wasting or investing his time on an alien art. 4.4/10, Leila stood there in the myriad of average films/series dejected by the public. Before seeing the reviews I had kept the show in racks of Sacred Games, thinking Leila was as dark, raw and wrenching as the 2018 cult hit starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan. But I  couldn’t switch my admiration for the Huma Qureshi and Siddharth starrer based on reviews of deeply hurt religious fanatics. So what really brought the flack is worth pondering?

Well, Leila is a dystopian story based in the late 2040s with two ominous themes dissecting each other. It’s a society where the water crisis has engulfed the metropolitan and people go as far as purchasing illegal water to fill their swimming pools. At the same time, we are in a fascist state, in the world of Aryavarta ruled by totalitarian leaders willing to uplift pure Hindu race and deject the mixed ones, the Muslims and the depressed class. Aryavarta has sincere resemblance with the Third Reich and Orwell’s dystopian state Oceania from the novel 1984. Sandwiched between water scarcity and the totalitarian regime is a mother’s quest for her lost daughter. The gripping six-episode series ripples the developments in contemporary Indian politics and presents an exaggerated version of it.

 

What parallels can be drawn between Leila and the current political ecosystem?

Leila is primarily about a majoritarian government that subsequently becomes autocratic. A majoritarian government at the centre means a weak opposition who bestow weaker resistance towards autocratic decisions. Be it the regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, Fransisco Franco in Spain or Winston Churchill in Great Britain; we have seen how majoritarian government have seldom tried to homogenize society. Contemporary politics is marked by right-wing governments all over the world. In India too, the Bhartiya Janata Party won a second term in May 2019 with an unprecedented mandate and as soon as the budget session of Parliament started, the saffron party tabled a plethora of bills and amendments, some commendable but some potentially exploitative. The RTI amendment bill was one such bill that weekend one of the most powerful weapons bestowed to citizens of this country to extract unclassified information from govt. agencies. Again, the UAPA bill which will allow Individuals to be declared as terrorists also got the presidential assent, meaning any individual if deemed appropriate by NIA can be declared a terrorist irrespective without any FIR, charge sheet, trial or conviction.

Leila’s story is also a sharp critic on the involvement of religious organizations in the country’s politics. Repeaters resemble the Hindu Yuva Vahini who commit vigilantism on common people. The state of Aryavarta is somewhat similar to Hindu Rashtra that many leaders and supporters of the present government yearn to establish. When BJP leader Vijay Katriyal claimed that Taj Mahal was built at the site after destroying a Hindu Temple called Tejo Mahalya people barely took cognizance of it. It was ridiculed and the politician was made a laughing stock. But  TV channels conducted hour-long debates with religious and political leaders from both ends of the spectrum and made a fuss out of it. Leila’s dystopian world is where these things are taken seriously.  There’s a scene in the show where Taj Mahal is being taken down by dynamite and people of Aryavarta are celebrating it.

The world of Leila has already irked a lot of Hindus who think that the series is over exaggerating the narrative of liberals. And that might be a reason for its poor IMDB rating. Scroll through the user reviews and you’ll see a lot of offended people. But the series which abruptly ends with suspense has raised important questions about power, politics and water.

 

 

Image Credit- Netflix

 

Priyanshu

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DUB News

Youth of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow: TDMUNC 2019

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The fourth edition of The Delhi Model United Nations Conference (TDMUNC) 2019 went on for two days, with great zeal and enthusiasm.

 

“A king is not known by his crown, he is known by his followers,’ with these words by Rajiv Chandran, the National Information Officer for India and Bhutan, UN Information Centre, Shivam Ahuja, the Secretary-General for TDMUN addressed a keen audience of young students eager to dive into debate and discourse.

 

Day 1

 

The first day of The Delhi Model United Nations conference on the 10th of August held at the Conference Centre, University of Delhi, North campus, witnessed enthusiastic young leaders discussing world politics and national issues. The conference welcomed more than seven hundred participants from across the nation and was a great learning experience for all.

 

The opening ceremony began with introductory speeches by Vinayak Pundir, Head Coordinator and Siddhant Magon, Under Secretary-General for the conference. The Secretary-General further went on to talk about the true essence of Model UN – addressal, involvement and discourse. He encouraged the participants to take part in the proceedings wholeheartedly, learn and make memories.

The occasion was graced by Chief Guest Mr Aditya Shankar Prasad, an advocate at the Supreme Court and National Co- in charge of the Law Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Also present were Mr Gaurav Arora, Managing Director, RedKnot Marketing Solutions and Mr Shakti Singh, President, Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) as the Guests of Honour.

 

Mr Gaurav Arora, in his speech, mentioned about how education and crime are inversely proportional. The lack of education leads to an increase in crime rates. He further addressed the students by saying that they all are the fuel on which the nation works.

 

The Chief Guest spoke at length about the history of the University of Delhi and its dynamic culture that taught its students the importance of inclusivity, discussion, building a vision and participation in various fields and arenas. He highlighted the transitioning of our nation over two decades into being a global leader and how the youth holds the baton of the future in its hands.

 

The committees of the conference included the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Open Forum on Environment (OFE), The All India Political Parties Meet (AIPPM) as well as the International Press.

 

The MUN was braced with enthusiasm and energy by the participants, organizers and visiting members. Vrinda, Social Sciences teacher at Bal Bhawan Public School said “I really like the opportunity they’ve given to the kids as they are representing various countries on world issues. The platform for them to learn politics and issues faced by the world is very appreciable.” Ruhin Agarwal a delegate of the OFE seconded by saying, “Even if you’re not a part of the debate, just being here (at the MUN)  is very informative. It also helps me get over my fear of public speaking. It’s a great platform for all.” In conclusion, Sabrina and Aakriti of the Hospitality Committee told DU Beat, “The day was quite tiring but everything was managed well. We’re looking for more enthusiasm and support from delegates tomorrow.”

 

Day 2

 

The second day of The Delhi Model United Nations (TDMUN) 2019 was held in the Delhi University Conference Hall and the Department of Botany with great fervour and commitment. Diligent and bright delegates engaged in discourses ranging from national to international agendas thereby, honing their skills in the process. The event saw many first-time MUNner’s as well; Bhavi Khanna, from DPS Dwarka, a first-time MUNner and a member of Office of Environment said, “I wanted to participate in MUN’s because I wanted to develop on public speaking and research skills. We have had various interactive sessions and the Executive Board is very nice and supportive”

 

Committees proceeded towards elaborate deliberations on their respective agendas. The All India Political Parties Meet undertook an extensive discussion on discrimination and corruption in the law enforcement system. Representing the portfolio of ‘Brinda Karat’, the need for making Lokpal and Lokayukta a constitutional body in order to make it incumbent was proposed. The United Nations Human Rights Council dealt with the issue of, problems and causes of human trafficking; raising pertinent pointers of cheap exploitable labour, poverty and lack of jobs. The United Nations General Assembly indulged in a substantial conference on ways to combat cybercrime, leading to a few basic conclusions of upgrading software, cyber literacy, and being aware of security breaches and identity thefts.

 

The United Nations Security Council was left in a dilemma and conflict between the Permanent and Non-Permanent Nations on the grounds of a draft resolution and a working paper.  In the later part of the day, a delegate from UNSC representing Uruguay tabled a resolution to introduce the United Nation Emergency Peace Council (UNEPC) in order to look after the affairs of UN Peacekeeping forces deployed in various parts of the world. He proposed that no country should have veto power or permanent membership in this organ.

 

“If the diplomat of a country is representing a country at a conference it doesn’t inculcate the diversified views of the people residing in that country, so for inculcating that, the idea of keeping a council which was actually proposed by the Netherlands in 2006 is a very good idea.” Laiba, a member of the Executive Board of UNSC commented.

 

A press conference was in session in the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in relation to tackling various forms of organised crimes and related terrorism; with statements given by Delegate of China on the lines of “Which country doesn’t have corruption?”.

In the UN Organisation for Drugs and Crimes, the committee unanimously voted in favour of the Resolution proposed by Kuwait, Bosnia and Republic of Korea, that sought to put international drug trade under government controls. Arihant, from DPS RK Puram, who represented the portfolio of Kuwait found the Executive Board to be extremely cooperative and well versed with the agenda. Devanshi, a student of St Marks’ School, Meera Bagh, who held the portfolio of Palestine, found the debating level okay, and was disappointed to see more newcomers in a specialised committee. She found the Background Guide extremely helpful and the EB very well-groomed for the committee.

 

Other than the International Press working effectively in the production of the newsletter, the Office of Environment gave a platform to budding first-time MUNners under the agenda of the water crisis in India. In the Organisation for Environment, where the agenda of “Water Crises in India” was being discussed, the Chairperson, Adarsh Pratap, felt that the level of participation was not up to the mark of the gravity of the agenda. “Unexpectedly, the agenda attracted more of first-time MUNners who didn’t think too deep and kept repeating basic points. This, I feel, hindered the analytical progress of the committee.

 

So, to make the sessions productive, I allowed the usage of Hindi and divided the committee into groups pitched against each other to home the skills of diplomatic lobbying and adjusting to a flexible framework committee,” he said.

 

The moderator of AIPPM Aniket Basu shared his experience regarding the committee and said that topics in their committee had a lot of prevalent issues like the backlog of cases, judicial killings, accountability of police and lack of infrastructure for technology incorporation in the judicial system. He found the discussion fruitful, “It was a very engaging conversation with all political parties and stakeholders. The conversation culminated with everyone knowing more than what they came here with.”

 

The event culminated with a closing ceremony speech and light-hearted games which was followed by final results of various committees. The best delegate for UNSC and UNHRC went to the People’s Republic of China. Palestine grabbed the position for Organization on Drugs and Crimes. The high commendation for International Press went to Stuti while Arushi Mehra and Shantanu grabbed the Best Photographer and Best Videographer award respectively. The General Assembly committee which saw huge participation had to pick 14 verbal mentions and 7 special mentions. Russian Federation won the best delegate for UNGA.

Feature Image Credits: Gauri Ramachandran for DU Beat

Bhavya Pandey

[email protected]

 

Priyanshi Banerjee

[email protected]

 

Priya Chauhan

[email protected]

 

Abhinandan Kaul

[email protected]

 

Satviki Sanjay

[email protected]

 

Chhavi Bahmba

[email protected]

 

Anandi Sen

[email protected]

 

Priyanshu

[email protected]

 

Yaksh Handa

[email protected] 

 

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DUB Speak

An ode to Sushma Swaraj, the Iron Lady of India

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Former Foreign Minister of India, Late Shrimati Sushma Swaraj passed away last night at AIIMS, Delhi. A true leader and people’s person through her words, deeds and actions, the nation mourns at the loss of one of the ladies of firsts and one of the finest parliamentarians in the history of India.

As a young adult, I found inspiration in the only a handful of people, most of the time the ones who did not fit into the watertight compartments of the ‘ideal inspiration’ or the ‘ideal role model’.

And one of them had to be Madam Swaraj.

It wouldn’t be wrong to call her the Iron Lady of India- the woman who had been a path-breaking revolutionary woman in the turf of Indian Politics; a field with massive male dominance.

She had been a woman who wrote and redefined history, one moment at a time, with grace and grit. Her untimely demise is indeed the death of an era of contemporary Indian politics.

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smt swaraj 1Sushma Swaraj being sworn in as the youngest cabinet minister in the history of India

Dearest Madam Sushma Swaraj,

Your name will be etched in gold and remembered throughout ages, dear Ma’am. I am so heartbroken, shook and grieved by your untimely death.

Your death is such a grave loss and it’s so heartbreaking. I simply cannot come with terms to accept the fact that you are no more. Truly a people’s politician, you gave new standards of viewing Parliamentarians with hope and the will that there are still people who won’t let the populace of the nation down.

You are that one person who made me realise how women have the highest potentials in themselves to carve out their own space and respect in the highly male-dominant politics of India. You shifted grounds and were the proud owner of indeed many a ‘firsts’ in the history of India- be it right from being the first female Chief Minister of the power centre of India to the first full time woman foreign minister of India- loved across the face of the earth for your wisdom, wit and words.

You stood as the tallest example, inspiring and giving courage to so many young Indian women to venture into Indian Politics and view it with a fresh vision as one of the noblest ways of serving the society, truly enough, one person at a time.

You changed the definition of a politician and parliamentarian for all. Breaking away from the stereotypical image of the pot-bellied ‘netas’ who spend their lives in air-conditioned bungalows, away from the ground realities, you made people realize how accessible, warm and homely they can feel even if they are far away from home and have a guiding light to take them back.

And when you said, that you would even rescue if any Indian was stranded on Mars, in all honesty, the world believed your power and glory, in all senses.

You gave power and made the Ministry of External Affairs reach great heights across all spheres be it the immense humanity displayed to people of any and every nation to the strong Indian diplomacy which shook grounds and redefined the sphere of contemporary international relations.

You had been a lioness, a lady of firsts, strong, bold and one of the finest persons of Indian politics. Keeping up with the times, you left no stone unturned in reaching out to people- the social media platform Twitter being the greatest advocate of both sides of you-humane and humour.

You gave hope to thousands of young, ambitious women that at the end of the day, against all odds, a woman is as capable as a man to carve her own identity with her own achievements.

You made thousands of young, ambitious girls realise that one need not be associated with a man’s identity in order to be known in the public sphere.

You made thousands of young, ambitious girls realise that a woman’s identity is not defined solely by her gender, but by her actions, words and achievements.

You were, are and will forevermore be counted amongst the best faces our motherland had been blessed with to serve this nation, until the last breath.

We have lost a gem, a heroine and one of India’s greatest daughters today.

Dear Madam Swaraj, bless this nation of yours from the highest peaks of heaven above.

 

Image Credits- Zee News

 

Amrashree Mishra

[email protected]

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Delhi School of Journalism

Student Charged with Unfair Means Case in DSJ; Protests Ensue

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On 31st July, over 100 students of Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ) staged a protest outside the Vice Chancellor lounge. The students were protesting against the frivolous action and discriminatory treatment of Prakash Ranjan, who is one of the Journalism students in his third-year.

The students who participated in the protest expressed their solidarity with him and raised many key contentious issues. Ranjan was framed in a fake Unfair Means (UFM) case. He is not the first student to be framed in such a manner and the same has happened previously also, reads the WhatsApp text message that was circulated.

It was alleged that he tried to manhandle and abuse the teacher during an examination. However, as per the message, it was a simple argument which turned into a serious UFM case. The complaint filed by Ranjan against the concerned teacher has also been ignored.

Prakash Ranjan said, “I was simply asking for a pen around 8:45 a.m. when the exam had not even started. It was at this time that I got picked on by the teacher who made some derogatory remarks.”

According to Suman Shekhar, one of the classmates of Prakash, the teacher was downright obnoxious and derogatory. When they approached him, he abused and mocked them and said, “Agar voh yahan sey chooth gaya, tab bhi mein usko tangwa dunga.” (Even if he is relieved in this case, still I will teach him a lesson).
To Mohammed Ali, who is another classmate, he was not only derogatory but also communal and was quoted to have said, “Ali tumhari bhi bali hogi.” (Ali, even you will be sacrificed).

There is a delay in the enquiry of Ranjan’s complaint letter. Due to this, his attendance is not being recorded and his result has been withheld. If the enquiry is delayed further he won’t be able to approach the courts for a fair trial and his case will be dismissed as immature.
However, Ranjan has filed a Right To Information complaint to get the copy of his case and is adamant to go to court even if the decision turns out to be against his favour. He further said, “I am falsely implicated in this case by Manishvini Yogi as I am an activist. A simple act of asking for a pen has been turned into a grave UFM case which can have severe consequences but I am not deterred as I will seek proper legal actions.”

According to the sources, several other students have alleged that they were targeted in the fourth exam and also being singled out due to their participation in the protest. They were allegedly failed in internals despite submitting all their assignments. It was also noted that a student who received a zero in his  Media and Culture Studies internal assessment was reporting a fake caste allegation made by another faculty member on the teacher, who has resigned due to unfair appointments.

Last year, students protested against the lack of basic amenities in DSJ. They went on a hunger strike and were able to procure basic infrastructure and facilities. Some students also got a hostel seat and everyone can now avail a bus pass.

The students further demand a centralised evaluation and external invigilation during examinations to ensure complete fairness.

 

Feature Image Credits: Delhi School of Journalism

 

Antriksha Pathania
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Admissions 2019

After Many Delays, DU Finalises Admission Schedule For BBA/BMS/BBE

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Finalists can change their preferences for colleges till Sunday, 4th August, and the first allotment will be released on Monday, 5th August.

 

The University of Delhi (DU) released the revised schedule for admission to the undergraduate courses: Bachelor of Management Studies, Bachelor of Business Administration (Financial Investment Analysis) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Business Economics (BMS, BBA, and BBE, respectively) on Saturday, 3rd August. The rank-wise result list, as well as a list of ineligible candidates was uploaded by the varsity on its website. 

 

Applicants have the option to view their results and change their preferences for the respective courses and colleges that they would like to seek admission to, till Sunday, 4th August. The first allotment list is scheduled to be released on Monday, 5th August. After which, applicants will be able to apply to the specific college that they have been alloted, by Wednesday, the 7th of August. The allotment list shall be displayed on the DU admissions portal as well as on the applicant’s login page. The allotted course (and college) shall be displayed as per the availability of seats with respect to the applicant’s preference and acquired rank. In case the applicant wishes to get admission to the displayed course, the applicant can do so by cancelling their admission in any course they may currently be enrolled in. This process has to be done online itself, and the candidates are not expected to visit the colleges for the procedure. Applicants who do not choose “Apply for Admission” or do not pay the fees shall not be allotted any seat in the courses during the schedule announced. 

 

On receiving approval for admission by the Principal, the applicant would be required to submit the college fee within the stipulated time allotted for the purpose. Applicants already admitted in a course at the University of Delhi shall be required to cancel admission in any such course, and pay cancellation fee in order to be eligible. At the time of fee payment, the applicant can choose to either be upgraded as per their registered preference order to another college/course, or to remain with the current allotment. Only the applicants who choose to be upgraded shall be provided another allotment that is higher in their preference order during the next allotment, if seats are available. The fee for the first round of counselling needs to be paid by noon on Thursday, 8th August. 

 

The admitted students shall be required to present themselves with their original documents for verification at the time of commencement of classes, or as per the directions issued by the college on the college website, and/or directly sent to the applicants on their registered email.

 

Similarly, the second round of counselling is scheduled to commence on Friday, 9th August. The detailed instructions and deadlines can be found on the DU admissions portal. 

 

Moreover, the University has also set up a helpline in case of any query regarding admissions to BMS/BBA(FIA)/BBE courses; candidates can send their mails to [email protected] with their form number, name, category, a copy of class XII mark sheet, and a copy of their category certificate, if any.

 

Applicants are also advised to refer to the Undergraduate Admissions Bulletin 2019-20 for details regarding the counselling and admissions based on the Joint Admissions Test (JAT). 

 

Feature Image Credits: Namrata Randhawa for DU Beat.

 

Bhavya Pandey 

[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

Azadi from Homophobia: Pride March at the DU North Campus

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On 3rd August 2019, the University of Delhi (DU) witnessed one of its most vibrant pride marches ever in the North Campus, starting from the hostel of Hansraj College, till the office of the University’s Vice Chancellor.

On Saturday, Project CLAP organised the DU Pride March, as a celebration of fifty years of pride. The march was inaugurated with a performance by the Western music society of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College.

Members and allies were seen with face paints, flags, and posters. The event began with an introduction by the members of CLAP, followed by a Bollywood mashup rendition. Rishi Raj Vyas, a famous queer activist, addressed the parade and spoke about the repeated suppression of the community’s gender identities and sexual orientations.

Chants of “prem che, prem che, tharo maro same che” (your love and my love are all the same), and those of “Aazadi!” (freedom) from homophobia.

When asked what Pride meant to them, a member of the community commented, “For me, pride is being proud of who I am and finally accepting myself, it feels like I have a place where I belong.” Another supporter who was attending their first-ever pride march felt relieved to be a part of the event.

Arshia (name changed), a student at Lady Shri Ram College and a part of the community, remarked about how homophobic the Indian society is, how members are constantly subjected to violence just for showing love, and how pride representation was important.

With the marchers getting down to the tunes of the dhol, each step drew more traction and support. The event drew to a conclusion with an open-mic where few enthusiastic members and supporters took to the mic and performed for spectators with a vow to promote awareness and break the shackles which restrict people to love freely. “Pride is a day to showcase yourself as freely as possible, and to ask more and more people to support you. So it’s more of a supportive act than being proud of yourself, because we’re proud of ourselves every day,” a member of the community remarked.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: Bhagyashree Chatterjee for DU Beat

 

Shreya Juyal

Anandi Sen

[email protected]

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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News

DU Student Organisations Protest Against the Planned Attack on the Unnao Rape Victim

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Various University of Delhi (DU) Student Organisations gathered to protest against the planned attack on the Unnao rape victim. Read on to know more. 

Student organisations of DU held a joint protest in front of the Faculty of Arts, North Campus, on 1st August 2019, to show their dismay over the lack of protection provided to the Unnao rape victim, and the delayed actions taken by the Supreme Court and the Government with respect to this incident. They also condemned the BJP Government, especially Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, for being complicit with the accused.

All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), Pinjra Tod, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), etc., were some of the student parties that had joined the protest.

Shreya Singh, a member of the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) said, “This protest is not only for the Unnao rape victim, but for the lack of safety provided by the Government to girls and women in the country. This protest is against patriarchy. It is for true equality and real freedom for women.”

In the shadow of the Unnao Rape Case, Siddhant Raj, a member of the Progressive Democratic Students’ Federation (PDSF) questioned the Government, the police, and the Supreme Court’s capabilities to protect the girls and women in the country. Many present also condemned the BJP Government’s hypocrisy with respect to the status of women in the country. Harish Gautam, a member of KYS said, “The BJP MLAs go around chanting slogans of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and promote themselves by clicking selfies in front of campaigns like this, but when it actually comes to it, they do nothing to protect the girls in the country. Right from the beginning, the Unnao rape survivor was being threatened but the BJP Government failed to provide her with any security.” Shreya Banerjee, a member of AISA agreed to this and said, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao has been murdered.”

On 28th July 2019, the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer were critically injured and the rape victim’s relatives killed in a car accident in Rae Bareli, allegedly planned by the BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the main accused in the rape.

 

Feature Image Credits: Juhi Bhargava for DU Beat

 

Juhi Bhargava

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Campus Central

NSUI Protests Against the Changes Made to RTI by the Government

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The National Student’s Union of India (NSUI) held a protest march against the amendments made to the Right to Information Act (RTI) by the Government. Read on to know more. 

On 1st August 2019, the NSUI held a protest march in front of the Faculty of Arts, North Campus, showing its strong displeasure towards the move taken by the Government to make amends to the RTI Act. The members of the students’ political party marched from the Faculty of Arts to Kirori Mal College, all the while chanting slogans like “RTI Bachao, Desh Bacho“. 

Neeraj Kundan, National President, NSUI said, “Today the RTI is one of the most important laws in the country, it directly affects the people. In 2017, when the BJP Government saw that the RTI could expose high government officials like Smriti Irani, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they started trying to curb its power. The Government is now trying to reduce its autonomy and cage it. NSUI is going to hold protests all over the country until our rights are given back to us.”

Students and associations like The North East Students’ Society, Delhi University (NESSDU) turned up in large numbers to support the NSUI’s protest against the RTI amendments. They marched with bold banners and enthusiastic slogans. The presence of the Delhi Armed Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) showed how protests in the DU are feared to turn violent, but this was an extremely peaceful protest.

Surbhi Dwivedi, National General Secretary of NSUI and the RTI Team Convener emphasised on the importance of the RTI for the student community. She said, “The RTI is the most effective tool in student politics. It helps students to find discrepancies in the University. A strong RTI is our right.” Robin Chaudhary, National Secretary of NSUI, said that they were determined to fight for democracy and that if the Government did not heed to their demands, they would go on a hunger strike.

The RTI Act, 2015 is an Act of the Parliament of India “to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens”. It has made the workings of the Government more transparent, helped to reduce corruption and has facilitated in the workings of this democracy. The RTI Commissioners used have fixed five-year tenure and their salaries were equal to certain posts in the Election Commission and the bureaucracy. The recent amendments made to the act by the BJP Government have changed this. According to the new amendments, the central government now has direct control over the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners’ term of office and salaries. The changes made to the RTI are being seen by many as the Government trying to control it, and as a result of this many voices in objection to the RTI amendments are being raised all over the country.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: NSUI

 

Juhi Bhargava

[email protected]

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