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Indraprastha College for Women

Signs 2017- The Annual English Literary Festival of IPCW

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IPCW

The English Literary Society of Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) organized its Annual English Literary Festival- Signs 2017 on 21st and 22nd March, 2017. The event being divided over two days included many events including competitions, talks, poetry reading etc. With celebrated guest speakers, the Literary Event was attended by students and teachers from across the University.

“Windows and Frames”, the annual theme for the English Literary Society, the first day included a paper presentation competition, where undergraduate students from across the University presented diverse perspectives on the given theme. With discussions varying from voyeurism to Chiaroscuro, the event saw a sea of ideas flowing in. From among the various papers presented, Muskan Nagpal and Ishan Mahendru from Hansraj College bagged the first and second prize respectively, while the third prize was won by Sumedha Anand from IPCW. The day proceeded by boosting the spirits of all the Potter Heads, through the Harry Potter Quiz where the all the fans of the series competed to prove their fandom.

The second day commenced with the release of the English Literary Society’s Annual Journal – Inkspill by the college’s Principal, Dr. Babli Moitra Saraf. Congratulating the Society and the English Department of the College on the release of the Journal, the Principal addressed the audience and threw light upon all the events organized by the society throughout the year. The address was followed by a heart warming poetry reading session by the famous Poet, Teacher and Lover, Hoshang Merchant. The poet being the author of numerous poetry books and the first gay anthology – Yaraana: Gay Writings from India captivated the audience by his poetry. Next was a talk by Ms. Sheela Reddy, the author of the book, Mr and Mrs Jinnah- The Marriage That Shook India. The author, being an active Journalist shared with audience her experience of writing the novel while peeping into the old and forgotten history of Jinnah. The event closed by a slam poetry competition organized in the College’s beautiful lawns. The event wrapped up with a vote of thanks.

Priyal Mahtta

 [email protected]

 Image Credits: Tamanna Rafique from IPCW

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Events

Taarunya ’17, National Youth Convention attracts intellectual minds from all over the country

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Zakir HUssain college

National Service Scheme (NSS) Unit, Zakir Husain College, University of Delhi organized its Second Annual National Youth convention Taarunya ’17 on March 23. It was organized in the memory of Swami Vivekananda; forming the central theme.

The event started with exhibition of a brief documentary about NSS events held in college last year and Zakir Husain Delhi College to enlighten the audience. Student participation from various colleges across University of Delhi and beyond was highly enthusiastic. Distinguished guests Maj Gen (Retd) P.K. Saighal and Mr. Sumeet Awasthi, veteran journalist, Mr. Navin Agarwal, I.P.S., Director General of National Anti-Doping Agency and National Level Director cum Advisor NSS; Mr. Rakshit Tandon, Cyber Security Expert and Mr. Nitin Mandal, Stand-up Comedian proved pivotal for the promulgation of Taarunya.

Speaking at the inauguration, NSS Program Officer Mr. Mukesh Kumar Jain stimulated the dynamic audience to embed the spirit of serving the society. Dr. R. Prabhakar Rao, College Principal, emphasized the importance of environment sustainability and cleanliness for the progress of our nation.

Sumeet Awasthi, the first speaker of the day filled the room with his positivity and inspired the youth to not only become the torch bearers of the country but also to become better human beings. He talked about the importance of social organisations in the country and applauded the NSS team of the college for the remarkable contribution to the society.

P.K. Saighal, talked about the various achievements of the youth in the field of science. He encouraged the youth to tap into their unrealised potential and take the country to the next level. He re- emphasized the vision of Swami Vivekananda and made the youth believe that the sun will never set on India if the youth never gives up. He gave various examples and made the youth believe that nothing is impossible if you set your mind to.

Mr. Nitin Mandel, Stand Up Comedian was well acclaimed by one and all.

Mr Navin Aggarwal, I.P.S., who served forseveral years in Jammu and Kashmir discussed the issues faced by the youth particularly in the state. He brought the perception of youth of different states to the convention and discussed the various social issues.

Mr Rakshit Tandon, the last speaker of the day not only brought great amount of knowledge but also filled the room with smiles and laughter. He imparted great amount of awareness amongst the youth about cyber crime and much needed security and instilled a sense of responsibility in the youth of today.

The event saw large presence of the youth who were keen to gain knowledge and inspiration from speakers. It proved beyond doubt that young minds are also willing to participate in the societal issues of the current age.

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Top Picks

Binging on Riverdale: A Review

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Riverdale, a name which brings back memories of the time when we somehow first got our hands on the beloved Archie comics and binged on the famous love triangle between Archiekins, Betty and Veronica, as they sat at Pop Tate’s devouring one milkshake with three straws! The Riverdale we knew paints a very pretty picture of a happy and content town which doesn’t seem to get itself into much trouble, except when it was Jughead eating more burgers than usual!

However, in 2017, most of us are rediscovering a new meaning of the term Riverdale. The new Riverdale still has the same characters, but with a dark past and a seemingly dark future. Now, the Riverdale of our childhood memories is Riverdale, an American teen drama television series based on the characters of Archie comics. The plot of this sitcom gravitates away from how we envision Riverdale and attributes the characters with traits which we do not imagine them ever to possess.

For instance, we grew up knowing this about the Lodges: Veronica and her comically strict father, Hiram Lodge live a lavish life at the Lodge Estates; Hiram is constantly trying to keep Archie and Reggie away from Veronica’s fancy.But now, we are presented with a scenario in which Hiram Lodge is jailed for fraud and embezzlement andVeronica lives with her mom (whom we never knew of), Hermione Lodge.

Archie is the only character in the sitcom that places a sense of similarity with the comic book character, as he is still a ladies’ man trying to juggle his busy life. However, Archie seems to have developed a keen interest in music and wants to keep himself close to his guitar (along with Ms. Grundy!). Betty is still a sweet, smart, eager-to-please and beautiful, with a long time crush on her best friend, Archie. She is tired of being the perfect daughter, student and sister, giving her a hidden personality, which contains itself with anger and resentment against her brittle mother. However, the most interesting character is Jughead, played by Cole Sprouse, the narrator of the series. He is a philosophically bent heartthrob, who was once the best friend of Archie. He is shown to still be dealing with the agony of the rift that came between them. His father is the leader of a local motorcycle gang called the Southside Serpents. All hell breaks loose in Riverdale when Jason Blossom is found dead in a lake, right after going boating with his sister, Cheryl Blossom on the 4th of July.

The sitcom features characters like Reggie, Moose, Josie and Dilton Doiley who are placed in personas unlike themselves and in situations which are very hard to decipher. The new Riverdale is a dystopian and dark version of the Riverdale we once knew, and it has everyone eagerly waiting for new development on the existing storyline.

Boy! Are we hooked yet?

 

Image Credits: slashfilm.com

Joyee Bhattacharya
[email protected]

 

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Top Picks

College Trips: Exploring new places and people!

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Setting a new paradigm to the conventional education system, departmental tours and college trips have increasingly become a part of a student’s life.These serve as a source of recreation after weeks and months of classroom studies. College years are the best time to travel. Getting permission from parents is not that tough and there is no boss yet to cancel your leave request. The cost isn’t much either, so if you can sort out the money issue, the road is open.

College is that time in your life when you’re no more a child but still not an adult. Travelling to different parts of the country, seeing new things and meeting new people can go a long way in shaping you as a person.

Some places to visit with your group of friends to mark the most beautiful days of student life are as follows:

1. If your group seeks small time spooky thrills, pack your bags and visit India’s most famous haunted place, the ruins of Bhangarh! Located in Alwar, Rajasthan, you need to be around the place after sundown for some serious adrenaline rush. The trip to Bhangarh can be completed within Rs.5,000 per person.

2. Go skiing in the Himalayan mountains of Auli, Uttaranchal, and nobody will be able to catch up with you! Surrounded with magnificent Oak forests and enthralling views of Mana Parbat and Neelkanth, Auli is one of the best skiing destinations of India. The trip can be covered under RS. 5,000 if you are a large group of people.

3. College life is the best time to explore the unexplored. If never-ending stretches of sand is your calling, then you should definitely visit Rajasthan! Camping on stretches of nothingness under gleaming stars will make you appreciate the raw beauty of India even more. Oh and the desert safari in Bikaner and Jaisalmer can be covered within a bare minimum of Rs.5,000-8,000.

4. There are glaciers and there are rivers, but Chadar, a stretch along the Zanskar River in Jammu and Kashmir, has both. Its path links a series of villages in the remote Zanskar Valley. The Chadar trek is over ice, rock and water and is rated very highly by adventurers. Build your physical strength and stamina before you get there to have the gorgeous view of the valley and the experience you will never forget. This trek can at most cost Rs. 25,000 per person including equipment for the trek.

5. Not a very well known tourist spot, Meghalaya is nevertheless an extremely beautiful part of the country. Visit the majestic caves in Mawsmai, Siju, Krem Mawmluh and Krem Liat Prah, home to many stunning natural formations and endemic plant and animal life. A trip to Meghalaya can cost around Rs. 8,000-10,000.

6. Camping in Ranikhet, Almora and spending exciting and blissful moments with friends among the stunning locales of Ranikhet will be a beautiful experience. Also known as the ‘Queen’s Meadow’, Ranikhet is extremely popular for its magical beauty and camping destinations. This trip can be completed under an expense of Rs. 8,000-10,000.

7. Shimla’s Jakhoo Hill is yet another quintessential destination to travel within a college budget. Nestled amidst lush and evergreen pine forests, a trek to the peak is an astounding experience that can cost a minimum of Rs. 5,000-8,000.

8. Call Palampur the ‘Tea Capital of North India’ or the ‘Land of Streams’. At the confluence of the hills and the plains, it is an easy destination that can be best explored by college students, with a treak to the Birni Devi Temple during the earliest hours of the day. This trip can be covered within Rs. 4,000-6,000.

9. Ziplining in Kikar,Chandigargh is for the adrenaline junkies who wish to enjoy the excitement of the longest zipline in South Asia. The breeze fondling your senses while sliding down the zip will curate some of the most memorable moments of student life. This trip may cost at most Rs. 5,000-7,000.

10. The Silk Route is one amazing trip to go on in Eastern India. This is an ancient hilly road in Sikkim which is becoming extremely popular among the people. You can indulge in the place which has pure beauty and you may discover yourself in a completely new aspect. This route has a rare combination of the history of man’s civilisation and the beauty of nature. A bare minimum of Rs. 6,000-8,000 will be the expense of the trip.

Radhika Boruah
[email protected]

Image Credits: freeimagez.com

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Miranda House

Day 2: The final day of Tempest’17 concludes with Mohammed Irfan’s Super Hits

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The final day of Tempest 2017 witnessed a huge footfall for competitions organised and the much awaited Star Night.

The first event of the day was the Acapella competition organised by Orpheus, the western music society of the college. The event saw a string of high voltage performances by all the major music societies of the university. The event which was adjudged by Awarthanga Chiru, the prodigal musician and Laura Santana, an renowned jazz performer, saw Zephyr, the music society of Kamala Nehru College emerge as the victor followed by the western music society of Lady Shri Ram College and Swaranjali, the music society of Hansraj College ending up as runner up and second runner up respectively.

The second event of the day was Sangam, the solo instrumental competition organised by Geetanjali, the Indian music society of the college. The event was adjudged by Dr. Bipul Kumar Ray and Ranjeet Bishwas, both prominent musical artists from varied fields of the art. Budding musicians from varied colleges gave their best in the game, which eventually saw Shikhar Aggarwal from delhi Technological University win the first prize, Rohan Prasanna from Hansraj College win the second spot and Sanjay Anand Menon from DTU ending up third. In the following western choir competition, Hansraj College emerged as the winner for their outstanding performance, with Gargi College and Hindu College trailing at second and third positions respectively.

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This was followed by the Indian Dance Competition where Nrityakriti, the Indian Dance Society of Maitreyi College and SGTB Khalsa College tied for the first position. Nrityangana, the Indian Dance Society of Sri Venkateswara College secured the second position.

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Mohammed Irfan drew the curtains to Tempest’17 as he serenaded the crowds with his hit numbers like Baarishein and Fir Mohabbat. He did not limit his performance to his own songs. The audience seemed thoroughly involved as he made his performance more interactive by dedicating songs to the Principal of Miranda House, the Faculty members as well as the audience.

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The much awaited Tempest 2017 lived up to its expectations. A student of Miranda House, in a conversation with DU Beat said, “ This academic session had been very busy for the college. It was very impressive how the union managed the resources efficiently and blessed us with a very good fest this year”

Image Credits:  Jasmine Chahal, Hitanksha Jain, Gerush Bahal and Divyansh Dayal for DU Beat.

Tooba Towfiq ([email protected])

Akshara Srivastava ([email protected])

Swareena Gurung ([email protected])

Nikhil Kumar ([email protected])

Joyee Bhattacharya” ([email protected])

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Cultural Festivals

What happened Inside Econotize 2017

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ECOSPIRE : The Economics society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College had its annual department fest ECONOTIZE’17 on 6th march 2017. The fest kick-started with the inaugural ceremony where the convener of the society Mr Jayesh Adeshra lighted the ceremonial lamps and inaugurated the fest.

The fest had a committee event All India Economic Summit based on 3 month review of Demonetisation. The motive of keeping this meeting was to scrutinise, interpret the new economic initiative taken by the Government of India. AIES noticed qualitative participation from different colleges and the event received positive word of mouth from students and teachers.

Committee in progress at Econotize 2017
Committee in progress at Econotize 2017

Econotize had its one of a kind event DOCUDRAMA which received large number of participation because of the unique concept. Undoubtedly, the response was beyond expectations and hence tagged a successful event or an experiment whereas Jeopardy saw a huge turnout of participants who actively took part in the competition and played with all their wits. As the participants entered each round the intensity in the room kept on increasing and the level of questions became baffling yet fun.

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Ecopoly in progress at Econotize 2017

Ecopoly, again Ecospire’s creation was one fun event where all the participants relived their childhood days by playing alongside an oversized board with equally large pawns and dice. Mystery mayhem was one of the coolest events in the fest where after each round your adrenaline rush just doubles. This event involved solving clues by using all the brains you got and be on top of your game at each step. This event was hugely appreciated by all the participants and ended with a big smile of satisfaction.

Econotize 2017
Econotize 2017

Despite externalities, Econotize received amazing response from participation and their positive words gave the team immense satisfaction. Finally, the hard work paid off and ECONOTIZE became a huge success.

 

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The Econotize 2017 Team

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Uncategorized

Listen Up Students! Internship Opportunity Of A Lifetime With Magicpin

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College students are some of the most energetic, mischievously motivated, sleep-deprived, eternally hungry, and utterly broke people in the whole world.*

*Source: Ham bhi kabhi college me the.

We might not be able to provide a solution for the former four, but the last problem we can take care of. So, if you have ever wondered what it would be like to have more money than sense, read on.

Magicpin is an Android/IOS app that helps people find out the interesting food, beauty & fashion outlets in their localities and gives upto 50% cashback at all food, beauty & fashion outlets. This cashback can be used to buy BookMyShow, Amazon, and local food and beauty vouchers.

We are currently working on an internship project where college going students have already earned INR 30,000 to INR 40,000 last month. It’s a simple download & transaction based internship where students go to popular national outlets around them (McDs, Pizza Hut etc.) and tell people about the app and get them cashback.

You will be a part of a growing community that is as motivated towards work as towards having the most fun while at it. We are looking forward to have you join us and super-hyped about sharing our vision and our stories with you.

If these unrealistic-looking promises have you dreaming of the freedom of giving the perfect expensive gift to your partner without having to ask your parents for some money to buy “books”, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].

Also, don’t spend it all on the gift. College romances almost never last.

This post was originally written by the Magicpin team.

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DUB Speak

Why Social Reform should take precedence?

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No country, nation or for that matter society is a perfect one. It has its inherent flaws that need to be worked on. Be it social, political or the economic sphere, the need of reform is always felt when stagnation is witnessed. The human society across the world is affected by various problems such as the class system, caste system, racial discrimination etc.

When we talk about the Indian society, one of the biggest problems that has existed since ages is the ‘Caste System’. It categorizes people on the basis of their occupation and simultaneously compels people from a particular caste to adopt a certain occupation irrespective of their will and acumen. Over the period of time, this stratification has degenerated into a tool of subordination of the classes ranking in the lower parts of this strata by those on the top of it.

One of the great thinkers and a reformer, Dr. B.R Ambedkar, who himself was a victim of caste-based discrimination argued as to how social reform should take precedence in the Indian society. Karl Marx, in his works, described as to how the problem of the class divide can be solved by economic reforms with the Proletariats seizing the means of productions which in turn would bring a social change.

Babasaheb, however, argued that the same doesn’t hold well within the Indian society infested by the Caste system. He argued that unlike in other societies, ownership of economic resources doesn’t necessarily translate into social power in the Indian context. He explained this by giving the example of how Brahmin priests and Sadhus, who are supposed to live on ‘Dakshana’, indicating a lack of ownership of resources. Despite this, however, they are epicenters of social power according to our social system.

The same is the case with political reform. Any political reform without the appropriate social changes preceding them would only perpetuate the social differences. A bureaucrat or a Judge who himself/herself stigmatizes against the oppressed is going to do no good irrespective of whatever political reforms may take place.

Therefore it is imperative for Social reform to precede Political or Economic reform in order to proceed towards a better society. Unless we put an end to the oppression and integrate even the most left out and stigmatized sections, the ideal society which we want to build would remain to be a distant dream.

Image Credits: www.publishyourarticle.com

Aditya Narang

[email protected]

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Around the Campus

Two Girls’ Hostels in DU Impose a Holi Curfew

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As the University of Delhi rounds up with this year’s fest season and amidst a political ambivalence in the campus, the ideals of safety have been fervently debated by those within and outside the ambit of concern. The festival of colours which is often diversified into forcefully putting all sorts of elements on other people is often misused to sexually harass women, and under a garb of festivities, their safety is breached. However, instead of addressing the source of the problem directly, two girl hostels in the campus have decided to do what the nation does best: locking up women, emotionally and physically.

The International Student House for Women (ISHW) which comes under the purview of the University of Delhi issued a notice which stated:

“Holi is a festival of colours. To make it enjoyable for all of us, following decisions have been taken in the interest of residents. Residents and female guests will not be allowed to leave or enter the premises from 9 pm on March 12 till 6 pm on March 13. No late-night permission will be granted on March 12 and those desirous of playing Holi should go outside the residential block within the hostel premises.”

The Meghdoot Hostel also accompanied the above ideology, with a notice which said that “the main gate will remain closed from 6 am to 5:30 pm on March 13” and that all students were prohibited from consuming “any narcotic drugs in form of thandai.” It added that the students must not return to the hostel late in the evening on March 12.

The decision has been cited by the authorities as an “arbitrary move” to ensure “the best interest of the residents.” However, female students who had already been facing constraints with regards to time restrictions and other policies, are enraged with this unfair imposition. Far from addressing the issue and working on ways to solve the matter, the solution once again lies in the confinement of women to avoid the injustice of sexual harassment. The rhetoric of safety has been mobilised by housing authorities to consciously bar women from celebrating a festival, instead of strengthening ways to ensure their protection during this period. “Honestly, I avoid going out around the time of Holi and the day itself anyway.  It is extremely annoying and unsafe since people take the liberty of doing anything to you under the garb of Holi. The hostel thing makes some sense, since it in some ways acts on the same anxiety. But like I said, even without the circular which reiterated that I shouldn’t go out, I was in my right minds not to. So really, why do they leash us like we need it? If they insist on restricting our movement on the day of Holi, how about they lock the men up too?” said a hostel resident about the curfew.

Advocating along similar lines and fighting against the discriminatory rules and regulations in university hostels for girls, Pinjra Tod has been an active voice in raising concerns of hundreds of the residents. On speaking to a national daily about this diktat, they remarked, “The rise in sexual violence and harassment that women experience on the streets around Holi is barely addressed and instead once again, women are locked up for their ‘own safety’ and arbitrary restrictions are imposed on their mobility.”

Image Credits: Asian Age

 

Saumya Kalia

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Why Hype over Hollywood and International Awards?

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It’s commonly said that Bollywood makes movie stars and Hollywood makes star movies.

Bollywood and Hollywood rule hearts of billions of movie-buffs worldwide. Despite various similarities, both the movie industries draw their inspiration from varied sources, which provide basic ideas for commencing with a celluloid venture. Indians are always shy when it comes to comparison between Hollywood and Bollywood. Now, it’s fair to say that Bollywood is behind Hollywood when it comes to experimenting with a variety of genres. India has been making films for a hundred years; getting started just ten years later than America. Storytelling is a craft as much as anything else.  So is screenwriting.

As the film industry grows, so does the list of film festivals and awards ceremonies across the globe. What better way to spend two to three hours of your day than to watch a masterfully-written movie? From the good old movies to today’s featured flicks, film industry has something for everyone. From the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Cannes Film Festival in France to International Indian Film Academy Awards, there is an awards ceremony for various types of films. There are awards distributed by critics, the festival and industry professionals as well as the general public. But here comes another comparison between the Hollywood award shows and the Indian award shows. First, Hollywood is inclusive of films and artists from all around the world which tends to be encouraging for the artists for being recognized in a global platform. But, as the trend goes with awards of Indian Cinema, most of them include Bollywood actors only.

Of lately, Indian viewers have turned to appreciating Hollywood and to tuning to International Award shows to keep track of the best films released globally. Hollywood studios put out between 200-250 movies a year and own 85% of the world market share, while Indian movie industry puts out about 1000 movies and has 4% market share. This is not to say Hollywood always makes better movies than Indian industries.  It just means Hollywood is able to tell more universal stories. Not one Indian movie has been a mainstream movie that audiences all over the world have flocked to see.  Every year, Hollywood puts out a handful that the whole world, basically, pays to watch.  If a comparison is to be made standing on neutral ground, Indian film makers rarely venture out to tell universal stories that everybody in the world can understand. Thus, Indian viewers in the present time have turned to Hollywood as a large part of Indian Cinema is about conventional song and dance sequences whereas Hollywood rarely follows the trend of relying on music heavily, except for a few movies and it drives its motivation from a diverse set of emotional, fictional and non-fictional subjects with a universal appeal. Bollywood in general is a genre as recognised by the world but, Hollywood is a style. Also, B-Town actors like Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are creating news because they got into Hollywood. It is an achievement to enter Hollywood. Is it true vice-versa? Not really.

Image credits: india.com

Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

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