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Rewarding abusers, the Oscar way

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I sat in front of my television at sharp 8 a.m. on a Monday morning to watch the Oscars. You see, I wanted to watch how the Oscars would go in the shadow of the sexual assault allegations leveraged against many powerful men of Hollywood and, trust me, I wasn’t disappointed. Gary Oldman won the Oscar for Best Actor for his film Darkest Hour. Kobe Bryant won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball. Ryan Seacrest was seen hosting E!’s Oscars red carpet despite being accused of sexual harassment by a former stylist.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Gary Oldman has been accused of violently hitting his wife in the face with a telephone receiver in 2001. Kobe Bryant is accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. Last year, Casey Affleck won the Best Actor for his film Manchester by the Sea even after being accused of sexually terrorising female colleagues on the set of I’m Still Here, a 2010 mockumentary. In the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, Oscars are not even paying attention to the ongoing conversation about the prevailing culture of sexual harassment. Instead, they are hell-bent on rewarding rapists and abusers.

Gary Oldman and Kobe Bryant have joined an exclusive club of Hollywood – the accused who get away with anything because of their ‘art’. Everybody knows who they are – Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, etc. Hollywood has a sick forgive-and-forget attitude towards its guilty white male artists. These men should have been facing serious consequences for their actions. Instead, here they are, standing unhurt and continuing with their illustrious careers. Giving these abusive men awards for their work is almost like giving them an institutional approval and dismissing the claims of the victims and survivors.

Why are we stressing so much on this? It is because winning an Oscar gives you a worldwide recognition and elevates your career. As you become more successful, there are higher chances of the victims’ voices to be unheard. By keeping and validating these abusive male artists, we are forcing more and more women and vulnerable populations like children to work with them and subsequently endangering their physical safety and mental health. By awarding the professional credentials of these sexual abusers we are conveying a message that we do not care about the testimonies or the trauma of those who suffered at the hands of these men because the value of successful ‘art’ is more than the lived experiences of anyone.

To make #MeToo a successful movement, it is important that we listen to the victims and believe them. It is also important to make sure that every predator faces serious consequences for every wrong doings and doesn’t get away with it. Not anymore because Times Up!

 

Feature Image Credits: Getty Images

Disha Saxena

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Cultural Festivals

Tempest 2018 Begins with Power-Packed Performances

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Tempest, the annual cultural fest of Miranda House kicked off today morning with the theme of this year’s fest being “The Future of Fun”. The theme was prominent across all the decorations spread across the college, and the enthusiasm of all cultural societies to organise successful events was applause-worthy. A myriad of events took place today – Indian Music group, solo classical performances, folk dance performances, and more.

The day began with Orpheus, the Western Music Society of Miranda House organising A Capella, the western music competition (group), wherein each team was given 10 minutes to put forth their rendition. Team ‘Echo’ from Jesus and Mary College bagged the first prize, while the second position was bagged jointly by ‘Dhwani’ of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, and the Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College. Team ‘Euphony’ of Gargi College came a close third in the same. In their second event, ‘Euphony’s Solo’, Aronjoy Das from SBS triumphed over 12 other participants and bagged the first position, while Gatha Akashmani from Hansraj College and Jannis Joe from Jesus and Mary College bagged the second and third positions respectively.

In the Battle of Bands competition organised by Orpheus, seven teams from across universities competed to gain the top spot. Common Thread, a from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College performed their original composition titled, Rahein. Backbeat, a fusion band of Ramjas College thrilled the audience with peppy jugalbandi of tabla and guitar. Musicians Dan Thomas and Joshua Peter judged the competition.  Backbeat from Ramjas College emerged as the winners. Musoc from Kirori Mal College and Commonthread from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College came 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Jigyasa, the Quiz Society of Miranda House organised multiple quizzes as part of Tempest 2018. In the first quiz, which was themed around mythology, the cross-college team consisting of Bishal Kumar, a student of the Department of Buddhist Studies and Durgesh Rai, a student of Dyal Singh College bagged the first position. The second position was secured by a team comprising of Kuchi Sri Harshvardhan and Yatish. The third position was sealed for the rather vibrant team constituting Jignesh M. E. and Nayan Kumar.

In the Cinema Quiz, the team comprising of Tushar Anand and Amit Sinha secured the first position. Ankur Agraj and Priyam’s team came second by a close margin while the team consisting of Amlan Sarkar and Shatabdi Singh bagged the third position.

The Folk Dance Competition was organised by Mridang, the folk dance society of Miranda House. Nrityakriti from Maitreyi College achieved the first prize while Annhad from Daulat Ram College and Etram from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College shared the second prize.

In Sangam, the Indian Music Competition organised by Geetanjali, the Indian Music Society of MH, the first rank went to Alaap of Sri Venkateswara College, whereas the 2nd position was jointly shared by Alankar of Hindu College and Alahyaa of Daulat Ram College.
Swaranjali, the Music Society of Hansraj College bagged the third place.

Tempest 2018 Day 1 drew curtains on a high note with an electrifying performance by the band Parashara, that enthralled the audience with songs like “Fitoor”, “Rock On”, and “Dil Se”.

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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Niharika Dabral
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Bhavya Banerjee
[email protected]

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Events

DramaNomics from CVS and Ibtida from Hindu Shine at Montage’18; DJ Zaeden Closes Day 1

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Montage’18, the annual cultural fest of Jesus and Mary College (JMC) was inaugurated by Sister Rosily, Principal and Sister Lawrence, Superior General of the college. The lighting of the lamp ceremony was initiated by the sisters and the teachers followed while Tarannum, the Indian Music Society of JMC, performed on the stage and then the fest declared open by the Student Union.

Ashwamedh, the theatre society of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) kick-started Stagecraft, the stage play competition, in the presence of Gaurav Gautum and Udit Goel of Theatre Leela Acting Studio. Ashwamedh of NSIT, Ibtida of Hindu College, Pratibimb of Delhi Technological University, and Fourth Wall Productions of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS) showcased stories on themes ranging from identity, obsession, insanity, a cycle of life, and rivalry. Ibtida of Hindu College won the prize and cash money of INR 10000. The best male actor award was given to Akshay Raheja of SSCBS and female actor went to Devanshi Khanna of Hindu College respectively.

The most coveted, insightful, and fun-filled event of the day, Awaaz ’18 was hosted by Kahkasha, Hindi Dramatics Society of JMC. Various dramatics societies of the colleges from all over the University of Delhi participated in the Nukkad Natak competition. The underlying themes of all the street play ranged from issues of Islamism, third gender, body-shaming to rape, depression, and education among others. The first prize was bagged by DramaNomics, the Theatre Society of  College of Vocational Studies, whose heart-wrenching performance on ‘rape’ shook the audience. Lady Shri Ram College for Women finished second performing on the crucial issue of ‘Body-Shaming’.   Abhivyakti, the dramatics society of Indraprastha College for Women, was awarded consolation prize for their special performance on the theme of ‘Body-Shaming’.

Nrityanjali, the Indian dance society of JMC organised Adaa, the staging of solo and folk (group) dances. The judges invited to the competition were Nandita Kalaan Mehra, a professional Bharatnatyam dancer, and Hemant Guru Maharaaj, a professional wizard of heterogenous dance forms. Commencing the solo dance competition with her incredible depiction of Lord Ganesha, Nandita from Hansraj College lit up the stage with intriguing steps of the Bharatnatyam fold.  A little while later, Anjana from JDMC  impressed the audience as she swayed and whirled in her violet Bharatnatyam costume coupled with gold zari embroidery design. Setting the stage ablaze with a fiery spirit, Raghav from Sri Venkateswara College put forth a breathtaking rendition of the ancient dance form of Kathak. The first position in the solo dance competition was bagged by Nimisha Devi from Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC). Priya Das from Maitreyi College, who performed Kathak, took away the second position. There was a tie for the third position, bagged by Raghav from Hansraj College and Nandita from JDMC, who had charmed the audience with her Bharatnatyam dance performance.

Engaging the audience in their aesthetic rendition of the Bihu dance, the team from Kamla Nehru College was the curtain-raiser for the group dance competition of Montage. Following this, the team from Hindu College enthralled all those present in the auditorium with their exquisite Chauu Dance, a folk dance form originating in Odisha. Combining elements of tremendous kinetic fury and very fast foot-work with mellowed elegance, the dancers displayed beguiling movements with sword and shield in hands. Mesmerizing the audience with their arresting Khoriya Nritya, a folk dance from Haryana, the 10-member team from Maitreyi College depicted a scenario of the sangeet ritual that traditionally takes place before an Indian wedding.

The western music society of JMC, Echo, organised Madrigal. The first competition was western solo, Tap That Treble wherein participants from DU, NSIT, and DTU participated. The judge was Mr. Erwin. Aditya Paul of Hansraj College bagged the first prize. The second position was a tie between Alankrita Bari of Lady Shri Ram College for Women and Christina A. Dayal of Ramjas College. The third position was bagged by Aronjoy Das of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.

In the A capella competition Finding Do Re Mi, music societies performed their lyrical pieces, beatboxing and harmonising the melodies that are mellisonant. Medleys of different popular songs like “New Rules”, “Hips Don’t Lie” were sung by Zephyr, the western music society of Kamala Nehru College. The Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College of Women was awarded the first position as they sang “Show me how you Burlesque” by Christina Aguilera. Dhwani of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies won the second position in the same event.

The eventful and lively concluded on a musical note with DJ Zaeden’s groovy and upbeat tunes.

 

Feature Image Credits: Sahil Chauhan for DU Beat

Anagha Rakta ([email protected])

Prachi Mehra  ([email protected])

Oorja Tapan ([email protected])

Radhika Boruah ([email protected])

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak ([email protected])

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News

Students March to PMO Demanding a Rollback of Metro Fare Hike

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The student fraternity of Delhi, led by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), marched from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the afternoon of 8th February 2017.

Demanding the rollback of the metro fare hike and metro concessional passes for students, the students engaged in spirited sloganeering like, “Aaj Hartal Kal Hartal, Naa Mane Toh Dera Daal” (we’ll protest every day, until our demands are met), “Saste Metro Ka Adhikar Mangte, Nahi Kisise Bheek Mangte” (we will ask for our right to affordable metro, we will not beg), “Delhi Police Sharam Karo, Sharam Nahi Toh Doob Maro” (Shame on you, Delhi Police).

Once in front of the PMO, the students were met with barricades and a cordon of policemen blocking their way.
As the students ambushed a few barricades, DU AISA President, Kawalpreet Kaur gave an ultimatum to the police, “The Delhi Police has 10 minutes. If within 10 minutes, a representative of the PMO doesn’t communicate with us, then no matter how many thousands of barricades you put up, we’ll break them all.”

Responding to questions regarding their motives, she declared, “We’re not here to engage in ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with the PM. Whether you give us green tea or black tea, we’re here solely for two demands: one, roll back the metro fare hike; and two, provide metro concessional passes to students.”

Kaur, in her impassioned speech, further said, “Students don’t have an earning source. The fare hike has affected our monthly budget. Not only the students, but Delhi’s common people are being affected. That’s why Delhi Metro ridership has lost 1 crore people. We want to ask Modiji, “who are the 1 crore people?”. They are the common people who shed their blood and sweat every day. If those 1 crore people aren’t being able to afford the metro, what’s the use of the metro being a public transport? Shut it down.”

When there were still 8 minutes left, the gathering received a notification from the PMO which asked a delegation to be sent inside the office. Thereafter a delegation of 5 students representing the 5 different universities- DU, JNU, IPU, AUD and Jamia Milia, was sent inside.

Following this, Madhurima Kundu, Delhi State Vice President of AISA told the correspondent, “PM Modi always talks about the youth being the future of our nation. When today, the youth has come out to the streets he has to take responsibility and listen to our demands.”

On being asked about their future course of action, AISA State Secretary Niraj Kumar remarked with resolve, “The delegation met a representative of the PMO, and handed over the memorandum of demands. The PMO has taken a time period of seven days within which they would reciprocate to our demands. Meanwhile, we shall continue to struggle against this injustice.”

Feature Image Credits: Hemantika Singh and Prakash, AISA

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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News

Pinjra Tod Demands Redressal Mechanisms Against Sexual Harassment

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In a move to struggle against the abysmal mechanisms to address sexual harassment in colleges of University of Delhi (DU), members of the Pinjra Tod, a feminist collective, came out to protest outside the Proctor’s Office, in the afternoon of 7th February 2017.

With passionate sloganeering such as “Sexual Harassment Nahi Sahenge, Saare Pinjro Ko Tod Denge” (we won’t accept sexual harassment, we’d break the cages created for women) and “Saare Chatraaye Hai Taiyyar, DU Prashasan Khabardaar” (all the women students are prepared, beware DU administration), Pinjra Tod put forth their demand of autonomous Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) with elected student and staff representatives to the Deputy Proctor.

It is noteworthy that the sexual harassment complaint filed against a professor in Daulat Ram College by a student last week is not an isolated incident. Facing sexual harassment is a lived reality for many women students on campus, the fight against which becomes particularly difficult when the complaint is against someone in a position of power, in a context where institutional mechanisms of redressal are absent or non-functional, and the complaints are regularly silenced in the name of destroying the ‘reputation’ of the college.

Despite the University Grant Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2015 mandating all colleges of the DU to constitute autonomous and elected ICCs, elections to elect representatives have not been conducted in any college besides Miranda House, Ramjas, and Hindu.Daulat Ram College, like most Delhi University colleges, does not have an ICC and no elections have been held in the college for student representatives to the ICC, as was mandated by the UGC.

Responding to passionate slogans like “Elected ICC Dena Hoga, Warna Rozz Dharna Hoga” (you’ll have to constitute elected ICCs, or else we’ll protest every day), the Deputy Proctor who had come out of his office, tried to assure the gathering by saying, “We will request all colleges to abide by the UGC Regulations and constitute elected ICCs”. Retorting to this, a Pinjra Tod member put forth a rational argument, “By the nomenclature of your position, you hold a certain kind of authority that we don’t. Requesting is not your job. You’re drawing money from the Indian government, which is why you need to get things done.”

In an emotional and spirited deliverance, senior Pinjra Tod member Subhashini declared, “Ladkiyon Ko Hostel Mei Bandh Karna Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo” (stop locking girls in hostels). On being asked by the correspondent regarding their demands, she answered, “Besides ensuring the constitution of independent ICCs, the Proctor must ensure that colleges hold compulsory gender sensitisation workshops, sessions on sexual harassment, and initiate redressal mechanisms for freshers.”

Shedding light on the importance of these ICCs to be gender neutral, Dr. Vinita Chandra, English Professor at Ramjas College, observed, “While you will not find a single girl who will say that she has not been sexually harassed in campus, boys also face sexual harassment. Men report that there is pressure on them to ‘act like a man’ by catcalling and commenting on women.” 

Further, senior Pinjra Tod member, Devangana Kalita, in her heartfelt speech questioned, “Can you guarantee that in another two weeks, all DU colleges will hold ICC elections?”, before handing over the Memorandum of demands to the Deputy Proctor.

 

Feature Image Credits: P.V. Purnima for DU Beat
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

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Reviews

A Review of Netflix's Sense 8

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What if there is a completely different species of humans living among us? What if we are somehow connected to each other in real time? What if there were an inbuilt world wide web of humans? Such questions are taken up in the riveting Netflix show, ‘Sense 8’. Sense 8 is a sci-fi drama that follows the lives of eight ‘sensates’ who can see, feel, and experience the lives of those within their ‘cluster’. It is a form of internet framework that exists within eight individuals, where everyone’s skills and abilities can be pooled together. Using these shared resources and skills, these ‘homo sensoriums’ work through the obstacles in their lives. Still not intrigued? Each season features a big orgy scene! With locations and actors from all across the globe, this show includes them all. Not only that, but this show is also very LGBTQ inclusive. Through this, Sense 8 showcases how people from different cultures, different identities, and different orientations live. What may seem problematic is the insistence of cultural stereotypes in the show. The role of Kala (Tina Desai) who actually sits and talks to Ganesha’s statue feels forced and not relatable to the average Indian. Though, in the larger picture, the show depicts an (exaggerated) tussle between religion and science in our country at the moment. In terms of originality, the show’s creators, Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and J. Michael Straczynski have achieved a great feat. A great sci-fi show is one which makes you want to live the lives of its characters. It should neither be too distant from reality, nor, should it let its audience base escape easily. Sense 8 succeeds in  preventing that with ease. While watching the pilot one might lose track of who’s who and what’s happening, but as the show progresses and each character realise their neo-human state, the intra and inter character development reflects the brilliance of the acting abilities as well as of the cinematography of the show. Like any other drama, this show also has a villain, in the form of a research facility called Biological Preservation Organisation (BPO) that is trying to uproot ‘sensates’ from the face of the earth. Again, thanks to the brilliant creators of this show, the reasoning that ties everything is very realistic and logical. BPO came into existence due to the humane fear of the different. Since someone ‘different’ becomes a threat to the rudimentary functioning of society, their first instinct is to get rid of it. In a deeper sense, this explains the origins of prejudice, violence, homophobia, and transphobia. Sadly, since the show couldn’t garner a sizeable viewership compared to its budget, Netflix had to call-off further production of the show. Fortunately, for the Sense 8 fans, a finale is on its way sometime during this year.   Feature Image Credits: Netflix Raabiya Tuteja [email protected]]]>

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Events

Mushaira 2018: Performing Poetry of Dissent

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The much awaited literary festival of Hindu College, Mushaira 2018 witnessed students flocking from a myriad of colleges of the University of Delhi. The event started with customary lighting of lamps by Nasera Sharma, Guest Speaker, along with Dr. Anju Srivastava, the Principal of Hindu College, and Manisha Pandey, Speaker of Hindu College Parliament. Muhammed Daniyal, Minister of Literary Activities of the Hindu College Parliament delivered the keynote address delineating the problems they had to face to come up with the speakers line-up. He presented a timeline of how the society evolved from the stage of genesis to the present day. He painted Mushaira as a stage to revoke the atmosphere of hysteria and intolerance.

Nasera Sharma began with the first speaking session on “Ignored languages and their revival with special emphasis on Urdu”. She made a strong point about the current generation before talking on her subject, about holding the power to resolve the issues that the current generation created. She quoted “Sarkar aati jaati hai par naagrik bane rehte hai”. She protested the belief of eliminating the use of English in order to promote Hindi before telling about how different languages like Pashto and Sanskrit are related through grammar. She emphasised on how India came close to the Middle Eastern countries through literature. Bemoaning the lack of knowledge of people she mentioned that Urdu is a victim of political divisions. Concluding her talk, she shed light on how the originality and beauty of the Hindi language is dying.

Maintaining the poetic vibe, Hindi Kavi Sammelan followed next. More than ten guests were invited to speak on this event. Madhyam Saxena was the first speaker who started the session on a comic note leaving the audience in giggles. The short poems or shayaris as we know them revolved mainly around romance. Some notable guests who came up to mesmerise the audience were Shambhu Shikhar and Azhar Iqbal. The presence of such renowned artists added to the lustre of the already entertaining event. Even though it was the longest session of the day, but the laughter didn’t let the enthusiasm fade. The session also featured some university poets such as Nitin Kumar of KiroriMal College and Sanjana Jha, who is a Hindu College alumuna.

The last and the most anticipated performance of the day was a Qawali session by Junior Qutbi Brothers. They began their performance by informing the crowd about the 800 year old tradition of Qawali, which they believe, is an integral part of the cultures of the Indian subcontinent. They serenaded the crowd with devotional songs like Chaap Tilak as well as popular hits like Coke Studio’s version of Afreen Afreen by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The first day of Mushaira 2018 ended on a soulful and melodious note.

 

Feature Image Credits: Sahil Chauhan for DU Beat.

Oorja Tapan
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Karan Singhania
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Sandeep Samal
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Bhavya Banerjee
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DUB Speak

Scholarships That Every Third-Year Should Apply for

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There’s a reason why the word “money” is used more frequently than any other word in a rap song – money is important. Whether you agree with the likes of Eminem, Jay Z, and Tupac, or not, we can all agree that money can be a major deciding factor when you are choosing where to study abroad. With the falling rupee and the rising cost of tuition and living, scholarships are all the more crucial in your student life now.

Below is a diverse selection of international scholarships on offer that students in their final year of graduation can apply to:

1. Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships:
These are scholarships for Indian students to study abroad in North America or Europe. Applicants must be under 30 and should reside in India at the time of application. For postgraduate study, this scholarship covers tuition fees, adequate living expenses, and one-way travel. These scholarships are of two types: university courses and specific programmes.

It is essential to have prior admission to any institution and course chosen in order to be eligible for the scholarship by the Foundation. The deadline for submitting the application is April 15, 2018

Link to the application form: http://inlaksfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Inlaks-Scholarship-Application-Form-2018.docx

2. His Majesty the King’s Scholarships and Her Majesty the Queen’s Scholarships:

These are scholarships by the Thai government for Indian citizens to study in Thailand at master’s level within the fields of engineering and technology, management, or environment and development. These scholarships are granted to candidates who have applied or have qualified to study at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. Each scholarship award covers tuition fees, accommodation, and a bursary for living expenses in AIT’s residential campus, for the entire period of the 22-month master’s degree program. Application Deadline is March 31, 2018.
Link to the application form: https://d2oc0ihd6a5bt.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2404/2017/08/KQ-Scholarships-Nomination-form.docx

3. University of Queensland BEL India Scholarship:

These are fully funded international scholarships for Indian students who have applied or have already qualified to study a master’s degree within the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Queensland in Australia. Applications for the scholarships close on April 30, 2018.
Link to application form for postgraduate courses at UQ: https://future-students.uq.edu.au/apply

Link to application form for the scholarship: https://uq-gmytz.formstack.com/forms/uq_bel_scholarship_application_2018

4. Orange Tulip Scholarship:

This scholarship makes grants available for Indian students to study in the Netherlands at master’s level at 22 participating universities of the Netherlands. To qualify for the same, students needs to be admitted to a Dutch university or should be in the process of enrollment. Although there are Dutch universities that offer a 100% (full) study fee, other colleges may only offer 50% reduction in study fees. The deadline for submission of applications varies for different universities.

Link to participating universities: https://www.nesoindia.org/scholarships/orange-tulip-scholarship-programme/scheme-2018-2019/scheme-2018-2019

Link to application form: https://www.nesoindia.org/scholarships/orange-tulip-scholarship-programme/ots-form

5. University of Bournemouth Business School Dean’s Scholarships:

This scholarship offers a 50% reduction in tuition fees for students applying for a master’s degree within the Faculty of Management at Bournemouth University in the UK.  Application deadline for the scholarship is May 31, 2018

Link to application form: https://www1.bournemouth.ac.uk/bu-scholarship-application-form-2017-18

 

6. University of Warwick Graduate School GREAT India Scholarships:

These are a group of scholarships for Indian students who have applied to study an applicable Master’s degree starting from Autumn 2018 at the University of Warwick Graduate School.

The Scholarships are worth £9,000 (that contribute towards the tuition fee) each and are jointly funded by the GREAT Campaign and the University of Warwick. The deadline for submission of application forms is March 15, 2018
Link to the University website: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/scholarship/typesoffunding/greatindia/

7. The Next Gen Scholarship Fund

Worth US$1,000, students must be enrolled on a program at an accredited university within Washington DC, Maryland, or Virginia to qualify for this scholarship. Applicants must further have at least a 3.0 GPA from an accredited institution to be eligible for the same.

Their online application for the scholarship for the academic year 2018-2019 will be available beginning from February 19, 2018.

Link to the application form: https://perkconsulting2.wufoo.com/forms/z10yv6qx0j57sis/

8. Rotary Peace Fellowships

Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 students from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of their peace centers (such as at Duke University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and field-study expenses. The Master’s degree programs last 15 to 24 months and require a practical internship of two to three months.

Applications for the academic session 2018-19 will begin in February.

Link to their website: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/peace-fellowships

 

Feature Image credits: DigitalLearning Magazine

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

[email protected] 

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Enactus

Enactus Nationals 2018: Battle of Entrepreneurial Action

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Founded in 1975, Enactus is a global student organisation which inspires students to take entrepreneurial action to improve the lives of others. The Enactus World Cup is an annual event featuring the best social innovation projects created by the top university and college teams. With less than a few months left For the world cup and even fewer months left for the Nationals, it would be fitting to take a look at the preparation of some of the Enactus teams from Delhi University.

While Enactus Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies was named Global Champion for Project Rahat last year, this year will witness heightened competition among colleges of University of Delhi to qualify for the Enactus World Cup.
Home to some of the pre-eminent Enactus teams of India, DU claims the legacy of presenting some of the best social innovation projects in Enactus history.

On being asked about their preparation for the Championship, President of Enactus Ramjas Rohit Saha asserted, “With various up and running projects fulfilling many a sustainable goal of the United Nations in the fields of health and well being, our focus for this year’s World Cup is on providing social welfare through clean water, sanitation, and zero hunger.”

As we move on to the college nestled at a walking distance from Ramjas, we will feel the heat of the competition emanating from Enactus Hindu College. The team from Hindu prides itself upon three remarkable projects, Project Oorja, Project Veerangana, and Project Shreshth, the first of which boasts of being in collaboration with LEDsafari, a social start-up based in Switzerland.

One of the strong contenders amongst teams from 36 countries, 1700 campuses, and 72,000 student participants around the globe is Enactus CVS (Centre of Vocational Studies). Sticking to the forte of their college, CVS has decided to pick projects that involve earning livelihoods through vocationalisation- Project Raah and Project Madari. Speaking about their preparation for the Nationals, President of Enactus CVS Anshul Arya claimed, “As a team of young minds, I think Enactus CVS has a perfect blend of knowledge, commitment and dedication to help the underprivileged people.”

Keeping in mind the inputs provided by the judges at the competition last year, Enactus LSR is also gearing up for the Nationals, and has taken some major steps to drive its projects towards sustainability and scalability.
When entreated to spill the beans on their preparation, President of Enactus LSR Amisha Patel commented, “Under Project Auric, wherein our women entrepreneurs of Mangar village in Haryana produce dishwashing liquid, we are actively looking to collaborate with NGOs to expand our reach.”

Claiming the legacy of exceptionally brilliant initiatives such as Project Jazba, Project Zaffran, and Project Tarang, Enactus Miranda House led by its President Anjali Rai, is expected to provide some intense competition to the other teams of Delhi University this year.

As the we inch towards the Enactus Nationals, it would be a marvel to watch these incredible teams challenge each other in the entrepreneurial battle of the year. However, even as these teams battle it out, it is important not to lose track of the motive that ENACTUS stands for: channelising entrepreneurial spirit, passions, and ideas to create good in the world.

 

Feature Image Credits: Arran High School

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

A Review of Mukkabaaz

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Directed by the brilliant Anurag Kashyap, starring talented actors like Vineet Kumar Singh along with Jimmy Shergill, Mukkabaaz had set itself up to high expectations. While Mukkabaaz stepped away from the norms of our film industry, it couldn’t really keep itself away from it. Within a few minutes of the film’s start, we see an aspiring wrestler Shravan Singh falling in love with Sunaina, who later becomes the love of his life. Her uncle, Bhagwan Das unleashes his torment on the couple but they manage to defeat him. Such a cliché model is mainstream in Bollywood since its inception. In the movie, Shravan’s love story becomes the plot and the fight against corrupt sports management becomes the setting. For anyone who despises such a cliché, the movie can become tough to watch.

Shravan Singh is a man who stood up for himself, and pursued his passion wholeheartedly. But, life is never easy for a person who does that. Bhagwan Das, the villian of the movie, was a disinterested trainer who used his disciples as personal help. When Shravan confronts him to focus on their professional training, Das’ ego decides to unleash a reign of terror over Singh’s life. Interestingly, at the end, Shravan’s love for Sunaina makes him give up wrestling, a passion and profession he had fought for (literally, and metaphorically).

Filled with several fights, the movie runs for over two and a half hours which can get exhausting for the audience. In an attempt to make it realistic, Vineet Kumar Singh followed a rigorous boxing regime to look like a boxer, who is fit enough to box for real. The film engages the audience with a pragmatic approach, steering away from the cliché of victory-of-good-over-evil.

The movie touches upon the oppressive politics of caste, class, and power in a subtle yet powering way. In one scene, Bhagwan Das gets beef delivered to Shravan’s trainer who is later pummelled into a coma by the rightist Hindu mob as an attempt to hinder Shravan from wrestling. In another scene, Bhagwan Das gets his niece married off for his own benefit, showing that marriage has become institution out of force rather than love. Impregnated with insidious commentary on the current societal issues along with the open criticism of the deceitful, and the crooked sports management, Mukkabaaz is definitely a must watch.

Feature Image Credits: koimoi.com

Varoon Tuteja

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