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

DU Beat

Browsing
Top Picks

The Mid-Semester Crisis: Are you feeling it too?

By

A crisis every DUite has been through, every semester, with the same level of regret, is the Mid-Sem Crisis. The crisis that keeps bugging you in the back of your head during those merry mid semester times, but you, the happy creature, continue to avoid it.

Mid semester is that part of the semester, when you start liking the college all over again after missing the lazy holiday times. The time when you’re brimming with the zeal to explore and have fun.

But, it is only then, when the realization dawns upon you, that college isn’t as fun a place as you wish to believe. This usually happens when all the teachers one by one, and then all at once; start firing their list of tests and assignments. You try to brave the attacks, but, the crisis begins when the firing takes a toll on the plans you had made for the semester.

Nights spent watching movies or tv series, are now spent writing long assignments and questioning the education system (Why do we need to write assignments!?).

The society practices that seemed fun, now feel like a burden, because test schedules keep bothering you at all times. You can’t find time to explore places and food junctions after college.

And, if you attempt to be the brave woman, who takes up the task to give equal time and effort to everything despite the crisis, you end up being a perpetually sleep deprived, baggy-eyed creature! Gloom starts sinking in.

Gradually the fearlessness in you starts to voice itself. Consequently, you attempt to disregard the Mid-Sem crisis very boldly. You do not give up on plans or watching movies late at night.

Despite the fun, you feel the constant pricking of the long list of tasks to be done. You poor creature decide to give in to the “Do or Die” situation. Prepare for the tests or write assignments in a day or two and breathe a sigh of relief! Furthermore, you perform the ritual of pledging to be a sincere kid the next semester and continue to follow the cycle for the future semesters.

But, my friend, I believe in you, for being the brave fighter, who follows all the steps of the cycle religiously and makes the “Mid Semester Crisis” the most popular DU phenomena!

Image Credits: campusriot.com

Priyal Mahtta

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Hans Raj College presents it’s Second Edition of Breaking Brands

By
The Marketing & HR Cell, Department of Commerce, Hans Raj College organised its second edition of Breaking Brands with the preliminary round being held on the 21st of September and finals on 24th September, 2016.
The event saw a participation of more than 250 teams consisting of budding marketers sending the solutions to the case study online. After rigorous evaluation, 14 teams were shortlisted for the finals held at Hansraj College.
img_0110
The final round was judged by 2 IIM-L Alumni who specialise in the fields of Marketing and consultancy. The final round involved the students in innovating a pressure cooker and devising a unique marketing strategy for the same with proper budget allocation.
img_0132
Prizes worth Rs.  6000 were distributed amongst the top 3 teams.
Breaking Brands was a huge success and saw participation from students all over the University of Delhi.
Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Hans Raj College presents it's Second Edition of Breaking Brands

By

The Marketing & HR Cell, Department of Commerce, Hans Raj College organised its second edition of Breaking Brands with the preliminary round being held on the 21st of September and finals on 24th September, 2016.

The event saw a participation of more than 250 teams consisting of budding marketers sending the solutions to the case study online. After rigorous evaluation, 14 teams were shortlisted for the finals held at Hansraj College.
img_0110
The final round was judged by 2 IIM-L Alumni who specialise in the fields of Marketing and consultancy. The final round involved the students in innovating a pressure cooker and devising a unique marketing strategy for the same with proper budget allocation.
img_0132
Prizes worth Rs.  6000 were distributed amongst the top 3 teams.
Breaking Brands was a huge success and saw participation from students all over the University of Delhi.
]]>

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

CVS organised ‘Sanrakshan’ on the theme of Heritage Preservation

By
Green Brigade, the Environment society of CVS organised “Sanrakshan” in association with Zephyr, Criador and Explore.Excavate.Enjoy on the 21st of September, 2016.
Following the theme of Heritage Preservation, so much for our future lies in the past. Well known Heritage activist, Founder of India’s largest heritage hobby club, Vikramjit Singh Rooprai enlightened the audience with his Talk on Delhi’s History and Heritage.
dsc_9689-copy
Some of the main highlights of the talk were The Seven Cities of Delhi, Religious Beliefs and Myths, The Water Bodies of Delhi, and The different Languages and their origin. He also spoke about the Sufi poet Bulle Shah. He brought out various incidents from History, in context with the history of the necropolis, Delhi. His self written poem on Delhi’s History left everyone speechless.
A photo booth was setup by Zephyr following the green theme. Props such as Leaves, Flowers, Banners, tags were made by the students of Criador. A large number of students came to the Photo booth.
Following next was the Heritage walk to Satpula, a 14th Century dam, where themes like Heritage conservation and the cultural history were discussed. The sad state of our neglected monuments were seen. Hardly any participation knew about Satpula which stands right in front of the famous Select Citywalk and is centuries older than the Mall. The ecstasy and excitement was seen on their faces. The students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the Heritage walk.
img_0544
img_1394
The last event for the day was The Treasure hunt, which started from Satpula and finished at College.
The event was a great success, promoting themes such as heritage preservation and awareness. Water Crisis was also discussed in context to Satpula and the 22 Baolis of Delhi. The neglect of our monuments and environment is a major concern and we all should look forward in the enrichment of our society.
Image Credits: Zephyr, the Photography Society of CVS 
Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

More than a piece of Plastic: Your ID Card

By

Today morning, as I was walking past my college gate, a rusty structure with some green shades- the security guard threw an odd look towards me. Both of us knew what he was thinking and what his look asked for. I took out my purse and showed him something to which he responded with a deep smile and waved his hands signaling me to go ahead. The thing that I showed him was a card with a deep blue head border with the logo of Delhi University, made up of hard plastic. Identity card, as it is popularly known has turned into something very basic to every student across the country. It is regarded as something not so important in a student life, but the trivial role it plays in everyone’s life is something worth discussing about. Some students hang it around their necks as if a piece of valor. Then there are those like me, who store it in a purse like a currency note. There are some who go forward to pin the cards in their belts as well.

The same day, our teacher reminded us about a test that was going to take place the next week. One of my friends then realised that he had to borrow some books from the library and had to regret as he hadn’t brought his Identity card with him. In the college campus, I-cards play a very important role from letting students within the college campus to accessing books in the college library. Even the college Wi-Fi form mentions, ‘Attach a photocopy of your college I-Card with the form.’ They have the power to win you freebies if you possess them during an election day. Every DU student realizes their power while getting entry into a popular college fest.

Outside the college campus, they come to your aid while claiming great student discounts after a wholesome meal at various restaurants. Be it a bulk photocopy or an entry in one of the parties with student discounts, your I-Cards are always there to your rescue.

For all the years anyone spends in a college or in a university, his/her I-Card remains an integral part of his/her life. After passing out from college, the same I-card that was was once used to enter into the college campus turns into a souvenir. It turns into a piece of memory that all of us would be carrying. The memory of all the fun that we did with our classmates, the fun of bunking a class and the fun of enjoying a new recipe every weekend at different restaurants and then claiming a student discount with our I-cards.

Next time you look at that little piece of hard plastic, remember it’s small contributions to make your student life better.

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Features

Reminiscence 2016: Annual Alumni Dinner of Delhi School of Economics

By

The students of the Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, organised their Annual Alumni Dinner, Reminiscence 2016, on Saturday, 17th September, 2016, at Hotel Radisson Blu, Dwarka, New Delhi. The event was a huge success, and witnessed a total participation of more than 300 people, including the faculty, alumni and students of the College. The Chief Guest of the event was the Honourable Member of Parliament from West Delhi Lok Sabha Constituency, Mr Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma.

copy-of-dsc_2460

 

The event started at 7 pm in the evening, with the lighting of the lamp by Prof. Kavita Sharma, Head of Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics. Thereafter, an enlightening welcome speech was given by Prof. Kavita Sharma, followed by melodious singing by Soumya, a MBA (HRD) student. Then the course coordinator of MBA (IB), Dr Ashish Chandra addressed the audience and it was followed by felicitation of distinguished senior alumni of MBA-HRD (MHROD) and MBA-IB (MIB), who are serving in some of the top corporates and have made the department proud.

This was followed by a power-packed singing performance by Poojan, a MBA (IB) student. The students also gave an invigorating dance performance to entertain the guests and the fellow students. Later, a troupe of Sufi performers enthralled the audience with their melody. An alumnus of MBA (HRD), Mr Kushal Dubey, charged the audience with his solo singing. The session culminated with a vote of thanks by Dr Urvashi Sharma, course coordinator of MBA (HRD) followed by speeches of student Conveners of Alumni Teams of MBA (HRD) and MBA (IB).

copy-of-dsc_2452

 

Dinner was served at 9:30 pm. All the alumni of the college and the students, as well as faculty, had a healthy interaction over dinner. Reminiscence is an annual affair, and every year, students, faculty and alumni of the college gather over dinner in order to interact and catch up with each other as well as the happenings in the college.

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

Rajdhani College Elections: 2 posts, 8 candidates, 36 nominations!

By

The Student Union Elections in Rajdhani College witnessed 36 nominations for the only 2 posts of Central Councillor.

This year, the students of Rajdhani College actively participated in the elections. The desire for the post went so bizarre that 36 candidates ended up filing nominations for the only 2 posts of Central Councillor that the college union has.

The college witnessed a huge protest on 2nd September against the Principal and election committee members as students in big numbers gathered in front of the college gate restricting any entry or exit, to raise their voices against the cancellation of about 30 nominations for the post Central Councillor. College guards doing their righteous duty held the gate and controlled the mob as far as possible. The situation soon became eccentric and the Police men showed up to established the decorum.

It was after hours that the members of the staff finally made an appearance and justified the procedure and decision of choosing a particular nominee and certainly assured that no unjustified candidate will be allowed to contest the elections. They also mentioned that they’ll be reconsidering all the applications just to make sure that all the worthy and deserving make it to the list.

Soon the classes resumed and nobody was penalised though, students actively participating in protest were given a warning.

The college staff avoiding ambiguity for students made a wise decision by being very harsh with the selection process of nominees. The criteria looked upon while selecting a particular candidate consisted attendance, academic records, behaviour of the student with teachers and students, to name a few. Last year 19 students contested for the two posts. The number shrunk down to 8 in spite of more nominations.

It was finally on 9th September that the results were announced with Avnish Malik, B.Sc. (Honours) Chemistry, Third year, and Sahil Antil, B.A. (Honours) History, First year, ended up winning the elections.

Hardik Kakar

[email protected]

Image Source: indianexpress.com

Keep Reading
By
Your Beat

Leaves of Chinar: Snow capped stains – 2016

By

A silence of grief echoes at the tip of the country and there is no one listening. You’re meant to fear speaking out, would you still say something? While Kashmir’s visual tranquillity may survive, the hearts in the mountains grow weak and hopeless.
Devastating waves have continued to test The Valley for as long as we can remember. In times where the land you worshipped starts to crack on foreign orders, you either succumb or rebel. The outcry on 8th July ’16 of over 3 lakh people moaned a rebel, almost every mosque in Kashmir prayed for this terrorist’s departed soul. We have only seen heroes being moaned so where did Burhan Wani invite this devotion from. Wani was not shy of the authorities and the only way he felt fear could be battled was with fear. Hizbul Mujahideen, the militant group that Wani was a part of is the load less travelled but travelled at that for many Kashmiris. If the effort is worth it, only time will tell but the initiative to stand tall and demand to live life the way you pictured it is what really has been setting a standard for the locals. Is this the direction Kashmiris are looking to now?
The fight for freedom is often a thin line between terrorism and heroism. Wani’s case was best described as desperation. Extremism, in a suppressed climate like that of Kashmir’s, is part and parcel to larger checks and balances. The killing of a militant set yet another cloud of curfew in all of Kashmir.

As Kashmir entered the 66th Day of confinement, the dangerous silence on some streets is eerie. While on some others, voices of the hopeful masses refuse to die in protest. Is this Kashmir’s second intifada as the Political Commentator Prem Shankar Jha describes?
Resentment is fresh in the air for many like one young Fatima. She is depressed by these dreary days and curfewed nights, everytime she comes back to Kashmir, a piece of its soul has broken away. There are still a hundred pellets embedded in skulls.
Fatima describes the alternative that was introduced to these pellets, some toxic PAVA shells which will be introduced to numb the crowds along with red chillies. It’s a battle to risk losing your senses or your life and that’s why entrapment is all they can resort to with absolutely no contact to the outside burrows even with all communication lines being cut as felt convenient.
2 kms before the Srinagar Airport there is a sign that reads “Any trespasser will be shot”, its propaganda now, so deeply rooted that it doesn’t startle Fatima anymore. Her son is used to erratic education; he’s seen brutality and no longer allows any hope to get ignited of an undisturbed childhood, out there in his playground, its cricket with guns.
This Bandh has killed around 80 in Kashmir, most in Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian. PM Modi had sent his trustee Rajnath for Mehbooba Mufti’s solace, “To apply balm on the wounds of the people of J&K, the entire leadership of the country should come forward” but the balm coming out of our bureaucratic backlog is too little too late.

Fatima prays that come November, as the leaves of chinar have fallen, snow has started to descend and the branches are lilac with frost, the blood of our people will be covered but she knows that the pain will remain.

Featured image credits: blogs.tribune.com.pk

[email protected]

Baani Kashyap.

Keep Reading
By
Indraprastha College for Women

IPCW organises a talk by Dr. Shirshendu Chakrabarti

By

The English Literary Society of Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) organised a talk by Dr. Shirshendu Chakrabarti on 8th September,2016. The talk was based on the topic, “The Eighteenth Century City : The Insanity and the Insane”. It was chaired by the college principal, Dr. Babli Moitra Saraf, who is also a senior member of the English Department.

Dr. Saraf, while welcoming Dr. Chakrabarti introduced the audience to his credentials. Dr. Chakrabarti has been teaching in the English Department of St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi; for over 40 years, and is a globally known figure in the English Literature sphere. He has authored a book on Tagore called ‘Towards an Ethics and Aesthetics of the Future: Rabindranath Tagore 1930-41’. He has also written various scholarly articles on 18th century, and has now devoted himself to the study of Tagore.

The talk started by discussing the major aspects in which the city grew and attained modernity. He then talked about the reality of the 18th century, that is, the ‘Polarisation of the Polite and the Popular’. Under popular literature, he elaborated on the separation of ‘Sanity and Insanity’, and how this idea of separation finds its space in the 18th century city. During the course of the talk, Dr. Chakrabarti made various references to London and the Shakespearean City. He further elaborated on the Shakespearean City and its social aspects. The talk moved further down in the discussion of squalor and crime in the 18th century city.

Towards the end, a question and answer session was held, in which the literature enthusiasts of the college and guest attendees delved into a deeper discussion of the subject. The gathering and members of the IPCW LitSoc then expressed their gratitude by a standing ovation and round of applause.

Image Credits: Prof. Kanav Gupta from IPCW

Priyal Mahtta

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Think Before You Stereotype: The Gorkha community and Flipkart fiasco

By

The entire Gorkha community has been stereotyped as security guards for ages. Recently flipkart has reiterated this generalisation. Stereotyping is the most basic form of racism, and the Gorkha community is enraged at their portrayal.

Although very common, stereotyping of others, by relegating certain characteristics to groups of people on the basis of common ethnicity, religion or language is wrong and reflects unawareness. Persistent stereotyping of certain communities by the mainstream media runs the risk of reducing the community in its entirety to a mere image that has been propagated of them. With the enormous impact that Bollywood has on us Indians, we seldom fail to look beyond its generalising tendencies and accept whatever image of a community that it provides.


A recurring stock character in Bollywood movies is that of a Gorkha security guard, always named “Bahadur” for some reason, as if all Gorkhas are called by that name. In August, the retail giant Flipkart picked up this mothballed stereotype in two of its advertisement commercials. In both of them, a child dressed as a security guard wears a gorkha topi with a ‘khukuri’ insignia, and speaks in a ridiculous accent attributed to the Gorkhas who apparently cannot speak Hindi. This commercial received massive flak from the Gorkha community for being racist and highly insensitive. The Gorkha Youth and Students Assocition of India (GYASA) filed a police complaint against Flipkart in which they have said, “Stereotyping a community is the most basic forms of racism and by promoting their business using racist stereotyping; Flipkart has shown how insensitive they are and at the same time exposed the hypocrisy of our great nation. While we cry for blood when an Indian is ‘stereotyped and racially abused’ in foreign shores, we tend to silently accept stereotyping as an accepted form of comedy when it is done to the minorities of our own nation.”


After pressure was applied through social media sites, Flipkart did address the issue and made changes to their commercials, by removing the ‘khukuri’ from the child’s ‘topi’ and changing the voice of the characters. In its statement the company maintains, “Our intent has never been to stereotype or typecast any community and hurt their sentiments in any manner. Rather, it has always been to celebrate the diversity and nuances that are unique to us as Indians,” and very cheekily urges “Gorkha friends” to “enjoy the innocent humour of the communication”. The company has asserted the important role that security guards play in our lives and also highlighted the valour and bravery that the Gorkha community are associated with.

However, the problem is not so much with the portrayal of Gorkhas as security guards, but the persistent and repetitive manner in which it is done. Why do the media fail to perceive that besides being security guards, multitudes of Gorkhas are involved in many other fields as well? The captain of the Indian football team is a Gorkha for that matter! The stereotype, through its common usage, has become so accepted that we have come to think nothing of it and Flipkart has only capitalised on its ‘taken-for-granted’ nature. 


Flipkart committed a highly racist act by feeding into this stereotype. The company should’ve considered the wide reach of its advertisement campaigns. It shouldn’t have negated the interest of a minority community, which is almost 10million strong.
The media’s regular portrayal of Gorkhas as security guards named ‘Bahadur’, or as Chinese surrogates or citizens from Nepal, and for that matter Anglo-Indians as English speaking old aunties, negates the multi-faceted nature of these communities and marginalises them as the ‘other’. We are all Indians, and it is our duty to be aware of our counterparts and not impose an image upon them with which we are most familiar and comfortable.

Image Credits : www.huffingtonpost.com

Swareena Gurung
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By