Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Author

DU Beat

Browsing
Life at Delhi University

5 Things Every DU Student does in Winters

By

Whine about 8:30 classes Morning classes played antagonists in the sweaty days of the summer, and their peculiar attribute of unhappiness is carried forward to the foggy days of January and February as well. Minds old and young can comprehend the struggle of waking up early in the morning and amassing all perseverance into stepping out of the warmth of the blanket, and the unfortunate result ends up being a sad zero in the attendance record. In the words of everyone, “Dear morning classes, go away, we don’t need you!” Problematise regular wardrobe selection As cute and adorable winter outfits might look and attract us with all their stylish supremacy, it might be a struggle to put together an ensemble of our dreams every chilly morning. The weather variations don’t help either; for a brief while, the mornings are a source of significant shivering and grumbles but the afternoon brings in the very bright sun, and all those additional layers of sweaters could never appear to be more redundant. To wear or not to wear, that is the question! Hog tea and coffees Hot beverages are to winters what F.R.I.E.N.D.S is to a binge-watcher. The perfect embodiment of love and warmth in a cup is what these sources of happiness provide, with the yearning for those plastic cups increasing with the decrease in the temperature! Your love for coffee or tea from Sudama’s during the times of winters can give the Gilmore Girls a strong competition at Luke’s! Bunk classes for funsun-time As the day processes and the sun conveniently moves out of the confines of the clouds, the inhabitants of every college begin their journey from the darkness and cold air of the classrooms to the greenery of the grounds which rejoice under the warmth of the bright yellow sky. Once the residents settle in the designated areas and bask in the rays of comfort, the motivation for attendance in the scheduled future classes is significantly minimised, for the gleaming sun is our personal heater! Schedule the fest timeline plans Fests and winters are synonymous to a Delhi University student. The semester which we have embarked on comes with the woes of attendance issues and incessant internals and assignments. The only saving grace amidst the cold and bleakness can be the bountiful of merriment which resides with the days and times of the fest season, and the abundance of them require planning regarding when to go and where to go! Have you done these yet?  Image Credits: DU Beat Saumya Kalia [email protected]]]>

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

Delhi Poetry Slam 2017: Inspiring poets across the nation!

By
DelSlam

Delhi Poetry Slam provides a platform for budding poets from every corner of India to showcase their original work, reciting their poems and helps them get guidance from renowned people from India and abroad.

Poetry does what little else can – inspire. Poetry is the salve and soul of the civilized world. Slam Poetry is where poets evince their emotions of all kinds in front of willing audiences who want to immerse themselves into the flowing streams of words. Amidst mist, chilly winds and the frozen breaths, poetry is what can be celebrated with the people of Delhi Poetry Slam. From 4th February 2017, DelSlam begins another journey with the talented poets of Delhi and 28 other states plus 7 Union Territories. Since the past few years, the participation in DelSlam has been quite significant with the emerging poets competing for the prize money and their poems getting published in a poetry book.

This year DelSlam, all set with its new programs has introduced Wingword Poetry Prize which is for the poetic talents which are yet to be discovered. Poetry enthusiasts from every nook and corner of the country can produce their piece, maybe a humorous tale, or a love story, a ballad or even a soliloquy. Every kind of poetic piece is most welcome in this program. A huge sum of prize money has been announced as well that will help attracting participation. This competition is open to all Indians of the age group of 15-24 years. The course has been designed for beginners, who have an ardent desire to express themselves but haven’t had a chance earlier. Thus, in the Korean Cultural Centre, Lajpat Nagar, this February DelSlam puts forth a huge opportunity to the ones seeking out to learn slam poetry and convey emotions and perspectives about the world with the help of a powerful and supportive committee. Befriending like-minded people and sharing ideas, DelSlam is giving a chance to share everything you have ever wanted to.

Also, DelSlam has got international performer Alok-Vaid Menon from New York who will be there as the mentor to the participant poets during the program that will take place from 4th Feb-22nd Feb’17. The poets at DelSlam perform on various genres and on topics like taboos related to sex in our society, misogyny in the rap industry and many more.

Here’s a link to watch these young poets delivering artistically their original works that have been updated into a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuv7kk9fhHwKtIjK2Nta6qQ

Image credits: http://theyellowsparrow.com/

By Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

Stages of Procrastination

By
procrastination

Do you find yourself in impregnable walls of alarmingly close deadlines, overwhelming work, and nowhere to go? Read how procrastination victimises the minds, motivation, and lives!

One of the greatest arts a college student garners over the three-year period is of specialised time management. The term, for a collegiate, involves the regular juggling of assignments, internals, mid-semester exams, societies, internships, and probably a social life. As the pile of nothingness transforms into a maelstrom of chaotic work, one is bound to wonder what goes wrong every semester. What happens to our assiduously planned out schedules and hopes? What hinders our ‘sky is the limit’ ideology?  Ironically, we do. Or more precisely, procrastination does. The process commences with the building of a strong foundation of deception, goes on to inducing lethargy in our lives, and shines in the glory of stress and frustration. Accustom yourselves to the three-fold structure of the perturbing habit!

1. False Hopes and Security

As soon as work intrudes into our let’s-do-nothing-time, the will power squashed within us screams of every probable excuse for us to grant leave out of the mess which lies ahead of us. The humanistic instincts of self-consolation and self-deception comes into play and, thus begins a cycle of work minimisation and inaccurate hope feeding. From “I can finish the assignment in maximum two days, so let’s leave it till then” to “Internals ke pehele ek din padho, ho jayega,” it’s curious how the mind is in cahoots with our pit-low desire to succeed in life!

2. Laziness and Denial

To be fair to the likes of this world, laziness is an inherent trait of this generation. A confluence of incessant scrolling our Facebook feed, clicking puppy-snaps on Snapchat, and stalking year-old pictures on Instagram, our schedules always manage to be occupied. Our lackadaisical attitudes are the USP of our personalities, and this characteristic connects the next dots which form the base of procrastination. In our endeavour to be lazy, denial of truth is like the icing on the cake. Imagine a red devil on your shoulder, telling you to hide the bitter truths of assignments and tests in the deepest pits of your memory. The nerves in your brain churn out a vicious process of indolence, deniability, and severe delusion.

3. Crisis and Midnight Work-Management

The concept of deadlines is like the blaring sound of an alarm clock in the morning. It’s unappealing, stressful, and a symbol of incoming tragedy. By the rules of mathematics, the addition of laziness and self-deception gives a distraught sum of impending crisis. Assignments are often initiated post-midnight, get completed mere hours before the class, and are exceedingly proofread in sighs and close-calls. As the crisis becomes a re-occurring element in our lives, our midnight work duty calls begin to improve over time, till the extent one can write articles and ideas as the envoy of the entity called Procrastination.

Image Credits: Healthline

 Saumya Kalia

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Is our society really progressive?

By

The 21st century human takes pride in being a part of the Forward March of humanity. Inventing ways of leading a smarter life on Earth, we’ve almost believed that the direction in which we’re surging ahead with all our power is the perfect direction to move in. We like calling our ways ‘progressive’, but does a forward march necessarily mean that we’re progressing ahead?

Progress as a society would mean evolving from a place of ignorance to that of awareness, taking everybody together in that direction. But is our society’s advancement from the past to the present an advancing growth of values, mind and the rationale?

Scrolling through the latest music releases, I find catchy titles and music with really good beats, which means that the entire nation is grooving to the music while chanting something like, “Gandi Baat”.Funnily enough,the creators of such music talk about the existence of subtle sexism even in the music of the older times, which means that the meaning thence derived about ‘progressiveness’ is the shift from subtle to explicit and unabashed sexism. While accepting and openly promoting such evolutionary trends, are we actually progressing ahead with our value systems?

Being a woman, I walk alone on the streets with a belief of doing a very bold task, but at the corner of my mind I know that however bold I feel, the intent gazes that follow me all the way do intimidate me. I keep the fear away from my face, but I avoid meeting those men in the eye. And that is what makes me rethink of our society’s progress, the fact that even my mother and my little sister have gone through the same trail of emotions while walking on the streets. Similar gazes, similar defense, have we really progressed?

Flipping through the newspaper, I find the government promoting religious scriptures with all its might, or people fighting over others’ food preferences sidelining their own livelihood in this ‘secular’ nation. Talking about this with my peers, I get insights about incidences of religious intolerance in our nation’s history. Does this then mean that all we’ve been doing ever since is deciding on the superiority of one religion over the other?

As people of a country growing at a phenomenal rate, isn’t it time that we pause and think whether our march ahead is taking our society towards a more rational light? No economic growth is capable of realising the progressive potential in its true sense unless the people of the nation aren’t surging in the right direction. It is time we ask ourselves crucial questions, because if we continue walking blindly ahead, we’re soon going to see our people and society collapse due to misdirected advancement, while being incapable of understanding the cause of the collapse.

Priyal Mahtta
[email protected]

Image Credits: www.dreamstime.com

Keep Reading
By
Your Beat

What shall the world miss as Barack Obama bids adieu tonight?

By

As the Obama presidency comes to an end, the world would not be same again. We would be deprived of a leader, who had camouflaged behind his serene smile and a rangy gait, a stubborn optimism, unfailing grit, indomitable will and incredible gravitas. Every time Barack Hussein Obama took to the podium, the world held its breath to hear out, as he conjured dreams for countless people through his genuine determination, those crescendos alternating with pregnant pauses, the eclectic hint of a Hawaiian accent and ecclesiastical notes jingling with his prodigious charisma in an ethereal voice and inhuman grace.

The New York Times quotes Beverly Tan Murray, an African American resident from Miami as saying, “ Mr. Obama’s presidency was the living embodiment of a dream we were once promised. If we could live in a world where he was president, maybe America saw, respected, even loved us. For a brief, magical time, that “maybe” felt like reality.” Mr. Barack Obama carried hopes and aspirations on his towering image of a sensitive husband and a loving father, and that of a compassionate, humble and thoughtful man.  His persona made the government feel alive as he offered a beacon of hope to a restless world in troubled times, time and again in these 12 turbulent years.

 

The posterity shall of course also be made to remember, time and again, that the very magnetic eloquence which led to his ascent, proved to be his Achilles’ heel. There always remained this formidable difference in his unquestionably noble motives and what he was finally able to attain for America and the world.

His massive domestic and international political fails, diplomatic setbacks in Russia and Israel, his inability to persuade the Congress on many key reforms, utter failure at being able to check gun violence even after the Sandy Hook and Charleston killings and developing breeding ground for terrorism in middle east due to detrimental inaction will always be blemishing his tenure at the oval office. Some even logic that it was his timidity and inaction on crucial matters at critical junctures which led to the general frustration against the vernacular politics leading to the rise of Donald Trump.

At the end of the day, inspite of his many heroics, irrespective of everything he did,  be it Stimulus Bill, Obamacare, salvaging America of two economic recessions, Paris agreement on climate accord, Bilateral agreements with China, Russia and Latin America including Cuba and new paradigms of relation with European and Asian nations, his critics will see his failure over what he saw as pointless.  He will be remembered as a leader who did not flaunt his achievements.

The Telegraph quotes Barack Obama saying to a young child interviewing for People’s magazine last month about the Tuesday farewell party.  “We are going to have a big party before we leave office. But I’ll be honest with you- it’s going to be after your bed time. ”

As for us, this is no bed time. We will watch in delirium as your antithesis takes over as the 45th POTUS, who unlike you, is vindictive, irritable, argumentative and dangerous.

As for you, some will question your being a good president,  no doubt about that.  But you will always be remembered as the  most beautiful person to ever reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Feature image credits:  White House Photo/Pete Souza

Nikhil Kumar

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Enactus Molilal Nehru College aims to create a Parivartan through Campus Leader Program

By

Enactus Motilal Nehru College is currently working on ‘Project Parivartan’ which aims to bring a change in the lives of underprivileged women. Furthermore, they are also in the process of bringing a change in the mindset of people about stray dogs by improving their living conditions and giving them social acceptance.

For this, they have designed a DESI MODEL.

img-20161012-wa0009

 

The DESI MODEL is a prototype which focuses on entrepreneurial action along with social offerings. Their primary agenda revolves around the Duty to Empathize, Sterilize and Immunize (DESI) model for all stray dogs.

  1. Under the ‘duty to empathize’, all the dogs within their campus are cherished and are living in a shielded environment at the campus itself.
  2. Under the ‘duty to sterilize’, Enactus MNC in collaboration with PAWS has been successful in sterilizing the dogs at a nominal cost.
  3. They are also successful in immunizing the dogs and making their campus rabies-free under the ‘duty to immunize’.

img-20161012-wa0018

They have, therefore, successfully implemented DESI MODEL in one such external body- SECTOR 50 RWA NOIDA  where around 200 dogs were sterilized and vaccinated and 5000-7000 people affected through this model. The model is also recognized as an innovation by NAAC, has been presented at World Sustainable Development Summit 2016 and won a Campus Impact Challenge as well.

They now, want to implement this model program in various colleges and localities of Delhi and NCR to create a sense of compassion and kindness towards the dogs along with a shift in the conventional mindsets due to which the stray dogs often live a life full of human atrocities.

To implement The Desi Model, they have initiated a Campus Leader Program where students from various colleges will be chosen to be the representatives of this project in their colleges and neighboring areas as well.

DETAILS ABOUT THE CAMPUS LEADER PROGRAM (CLP):

Enactus Motilal Nehru College presents Campus Leader Program (CLP) 2017. The aim of CLP is to form a team of individuals in every college who will work as the extended hands of Enactus Motilal Nehru College for ‘Project Parivartan’, which aims to teach the underprivileged women useful skills in improving their standards of living by making them self-sustained entrepreneurs. They will also work towards the implementation of the DESI (Duty to Empathize Sterilize and Immunize) Model in various colleges and localities of NCR to change the perception of people regarding stray dogs and improve their present conditions by giving them social acceptance.

2017-01-05-photo-00000042

For an overview of the tasks and responsibilities to be assigned visit: goo.gl/J4pWNV

For registration, apply here: goo.gl/dhnrXV

Last date to apply for Campus Leader Program is January 8th, 2017

For queries, contact:
Abhijit Das :- +91 8587859470
Suman kumar :- +91 9650503463

Keep Reading
By
Small Screen

Gallivanting through the Anime Land

By

The realms of entertainment stretch far and wide, catering to an assortment of genres and interests. A binge watcher in today’s age is presented with a plethora of abstractions of TV shows to indulge in for hours, days and weeks. One such flavour to satiate our palate is that of Japanese TV shows. A confluence of intriguing story lines, convoluted characters and nail biting turn of events capture your imaginations and explore stories of a different fashion with the world of animes!

Death Note

Transcended from the line of Japanese mangas, Death Note written by Tsugumi Ohba narrates the story of a high school student, Light Yagami and his exploits with the supernatural ‘Death Note,’  the notebook of a Shinigami (the God of Death) which grants him the power to kill anyone with the knowledge of their faces and names. The story spans around 37 episodes, with the heroics of the mystifying detective L as he endeavors to stop the mass murderer.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

One of the top rated animes having enchanted the likes of the world far and around, Code Geass spans over two series which unfolds its story in an alternate timeline. The plot revolves around the former prince Lelouch vi Britannia who procures the manifestation of power ‘Geass’ which he uses to destroy the Holy Britannian Empire, a symbolic superpower which is conquering countries of the world. Directed by Goro Taniguchi, the series will be introducing a new anime in 2017 along with a film which compiles the events of the initial two series.

Bleach

Another masterpiece borrowed from the realms of manga with additions of its own innovation, Bleach penned down by Tite Kobe is an anime which ran for 366 episodes and dazzled the minds of the viewers. It follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki who acquires the powers of a Shinigami or a Soul Reaper, a Death God. Owing to his newfound abilities, he takes on the role of warding off evil spirits from the humans and guiding the souls to afterlife. The sixteen series anime has been popularly placed in the top ten lists of the Japanese TV rankings.

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z

Yes, this is the anime with the iconic character Goku. Adopted from the Dragon Ball manga created by Akira Toriyama, the former series follows the story of Goku, the protagonist, who begins on the adventure of amassing the seven wish-granting Dragon Balls. Dragon Ball canvasses Goku’s story as a boy who faces off against a variety of antagonists like the Red Ribbon Army, Piccolo, among other intergalactic creatures. The sequel, Dragon Ball Z, takes off in continuation and introduces the life arc of his sons- Gohan and Goten in parallel to the changing of equations with his rivals.

Naruto

Based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto’s original run spanned over 220 episodes narrating the tale of the adolescent ninja, Naruto Uzumaki, and his desire of becoming a Hokage (the leader and the most revered ninja in a village). The series has been acclaimed for its fascinating fighting scenes along with the comedic flavour it lends. The sequel, Naruto: Shippuden carries forward the story, two and a half years later, following the original timeline and is currently airing its 21st season.

Image Credits: Animes Myu

Saumya Kalia

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

4% reservation in the education sector : Disability Bill

By

On 16th December, the Parliament passed the Rights of Person with Disability Bill (2014). The bill is in alignment with the United National Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and will replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Rajya Sabha members discussed and made 199 amendments to the bill. some of which are the addition of Speech and Language Disability, Parkinson’s Disease, disabilities caused due to acid attacks, Autism, blood disorders (Thalassemia, Haemophilia and Sickle Cell disease), Multiple Sclerosis, and Cerebral Palsy among others, expanding the list of disabilities from seven to nineteen.

Other changes include right to free education for every child with benchmark disability between the age of 6 to 18 and reservation in education, job and other schemes for individuals with benchmark disabilities (at least 40% disabilities). The education and job reservation has been raised from 3% to 4% and 5% respectively.

Delhi University’s commitment towards removal of physical barriers, easy access to study material, special equipments, counselling is yet to be a success with lack of disabled friendly toilets and inaccessible infrastructure, but with the Rights of Person with Disability Bill, the government has a two year deadline to ensure a barrier free access in all kinds of physical infrastructure and transport system.

The bill also address guardianship, creation of special courts to handle the cases concerning violation of rights, creation of national and state funds to provide financial support to differently abled individuals and penalties for offense committed against the individual with disabilities and also violation of the provision of new law.

Adarsh Yadav
[email protected]

Image credits: TOI

Keep Reading
By
DU Dhaba

The Delhi Christmas Food Guide

By
Christmas

‘Tis the season to be jolly, folks! Christmas time is back in Delhi, and it truly feels like the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is signified by the carols, the Christmas trees, Santa Claus and warm hearts all over the world. But most significantly, Christmas is known for its rum cakes, mulled wines, and hot chocolate and, grand feasts of celebration. So for all you people celebrating Christmas in Delhi this year, here are 5 places where you can get your Christmas spirit going with edible indulgence.

1. The Grand Christmas Brunch, India Habitat Centre (IHC)

Every year, IHC is decked up with lights, Christmas trees, Mistletoe and a vast array of food delights in their Christmas Brunch. Non-members are open to the option of the Christmas Brunch in the All American Diner and members have the option of attending a brunch at their poolside Deck. Spoil yourself with pancakes, waffles, lamb, turkey, chicken and fish along with a variety of cuisines, drinks (Mulled Wine is divine) and desserts. All of this comes with live entertainment! IHC may be a little heavy on your pocket, but it is truly a satisfying experience.

2. A Simple Christmas Meal, Cafe Turtle

A cute and cosy option is at Cafe Turtle, with their three-course Christmas Meal. Indulge in a heart warming Pumpkin Soup, and the warmth of the Carrot Cake, perfectly complemented by the earthiness of the maple cream cheese frosting. Homely Christmas on a plate!

3. Baked Goodness, Wenger’s

When in doubt, go with Wenger’s! One of Delhi’s oldest bakeries, it is known for whipping out divine Christmas goodies at reasonable prices! Treat yourself to delicious Plum Cakes, Rum Cakes, Christmas Cakes, pastries and savouries and then end it with a warm cuppa from the Wenger’s Deli or cool milkshake from the original Keventer’s at Connaught Place.

4. All American Christmas, TGIF

TGIF prepares a set turkey meal, complete with American comfort food like mashed potatoes and Mac n’Cheese. Along with the meal, you can get 2 soft drinks or a glass of red/white wine. The meal is priced reasonably and is a good option to head to with friends for a fulfilling Christmas brunch while rocking out to Bon Jovi and Elvis Presley.

5. An Unconventional Christmas meal, Mamagoto

Christmas may be signified for spreading the holiday cheer with traditional dishes like roasted chicken and plum cakes. But for those of you who want to switch things up a bit, head to Mamagoto who launched their Winter Menu recently which boasts of delicious Asian fare. The menu includes plenty of spicy and tantalizing flavours, guaranteed to warm you up during these holidays.

Knock yourself out with these tantalizing options and spread some holiday cheer. Here’s wishing you all a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Photo Credits: pinterest

Joyee Bhattacharya 

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

Paytm Karo

By

Demonetization conjures images of almost every issue related to overpopulation – insanely long queues, the inevitable loss of livelihood, the few deaths, the many problems of penury and even creates a long standing love for the humble 100 rupee note. However, ironically the one thing that doesn’t come to mind is the fact that our economy is being weeded of black money (myth or fact, ‘who knows’ which ultimately leads to the stage of ‘who cares’). Well, no fear for Paytm is here – at the risk of sounding like a very cheesy advertisement with the long somber sound of “Paytm Karo”, I give you reasons why Paytm is truly a lifesaving hack. I mean. Truly!

I know most of us think of this as a rather taxing procedure but once you’ve managed to add money to your account, you’re sorted. I discovered Paytm when Delhi University recently postponed the GE examination from the 12th to the 13th December, I had no option but to reschedule my flight. With skyhigh rates and six thousand already down the drain, Paytm was kind enough to offer me a ticket for only Rs. 5000, a day before and with cashback!

It doesn’t stop here, you can book movie tickets for half the price, get a million different discounts for a range of restaurants, get killer discounts on travel options, buy electronics for cheaper , and go on for days without cash, even paying your Uber driver with Paytm. The list is exhaustive with its many benefits and it even works at Nescafe in college, I mean what more could we ask for!

It takes about five minutes to set up and serves you forever, so what are you waiting for? Devote some space on your phone to a useful application. After all, we do deserve to watch a movie for free once in a while.

Anahita Sahu

[email protected]

Image Credits: 3ghackerz.com

Keep Reading
By