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Interviews

In conversation with the newly elected Students’ Union President of Jesus and Mary College

By DU Beat August 27, 2015

Asha Elizabeth is a third year B.Com. Honours student in Jesus and Mary College. An eminent part of the Commerce Core team and NCC of the college, she is currently getting trained in athletics at JLN stadium.

Q. Congratulations, Asha! How does it feel, and did you use any strategies to win the elections?

Thank you, this feeling cannot be expressed in words. I want to thank god for his abundant blessings. The only strategy I used was to reach out to the students and make them aware of my views and agendas for the upcoming year. I did offline and online campaigning, talked to the students individually and collectively and ensured that my posters covered the entire campus.

Q. What is your immediate plan of action as the President of the Union?

My immediate plan is to take steps to ensure cleanliness around the campus and to form an effective and efficient student council. My main aim is to organise workshops for all the courses so that they can get practical knowledge related to their field of study. I also plan to introduce self-defence training in the college.

Q. What do you think, lacks the most in Delhi University colleges? How do you plan to overcome it in your college?

I feel that most colleges lack adequate healthcare facilities. To overcome that, I would want sufficient medical care to be provided in JMC. I have also observed that there is more bookish knowledge than practical knowledge in the education system. I want to organise educational trips and workshops to overcome that.

Q. What is the biggest challenge that you see coming your way this year?

The biggest challenge I see ahead of me is balancing both, the demands of students and those of the college administration. I wasn’t to be able to fulfill everyone’s expectations, but that can be difficult if they clash.

Q. What advice would you like to give to the students, aspiring to hold such leadership positions in future?

I would like to tell them that leadership qualities are not hereditary but they have to be developed and used in the right way. Be confident, be enthusiastic and find happiness in whatever you do. Make sure your actions inspire others.

Interviewed by Lovleen Kaur

[email protected]

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Jesus and Mary College

5 best known alumni of Jesus and Mary College

By DU Beat August 27, 2015

Jesus and Mary College is known for its exceptional academics and extra-curricular activities, this women only college is the alma mater of several powerful personalities. Some of them are:

Priyanka Gandhi

Daughter of former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka is a well known face in the field of politics. She pursued her graduation in Psychology from Jesus and Mary College. In the general elections of 2004, she became the campaign manager of Sonia Gandhi. Known for her quiet organizational and level headed skills, she has managed to prove herself by getting Congress seats in the Amethi Rae Bareilly region during 2007 assembly elections. She is still remembered by senior teachers in the college as having a security team following her everywhere, that she managed to slip past a few times!

Neha Dhupia

Neha Dhupia is a renowned model and Bollywood actress. A History graduate from Jesus and Mary College, she started her career as a TV actress. In 2002, she was crowned Miss India. Subsequently, she participated in the Miss Universe 2002 pageant in Puerto Rico where she made it to the top 10. She has played major roles in movies like Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Dasvidaniya (2008).

Ambika Anand

Ambika Anand is an Indian TV anchor and the Editor in Chief, Fashion at NDTV Good Times, the lifestyle channel of NDTV. She currently hosts Get the Look, Band Baajaa Bride Season 4 and has previously anchored shows like The Big Fat Indian Wedding, I’m Too Sexy For My Shoes etc. She was awarded the Cosmopolitan India Fun Fearless Female TV Personality title in 2011. She was also on the list of HT City Delhi’s Most Stylish 2013.

Sushmita Mukherjee

Sushmita Mukherjee is a senior Bollywood and television actress. She is known for her work in Bollywood movies like Dostana (2008), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006) and King Uncle (1993), etc. Born in Kolkata, She was famous for portraying the role of ‘Kitty’ the half wit assistant of Karam Chand.

Hasleen Kaur

Hasleen Kaur is an Indian Model. She was crowned Miss India Earth and eventually participated in the Miss Earth pageant in 2011. She appeared in several advertisements before making her Bollywood debut in the 2014 movie Karle Pyar Karle. After graduating in English from Jesus and Mary College, she went to Indian Institute of Mass Communication to pursue Advertisement and PR. She also worked as an Elite Model and appeared in Elite Fashion Calendar in 2011.

Lovleen Kaur

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Delhi Police conducts self defense workshop in Maitreyi College

By DU Beat August 27, 2015

Shagun Marwah [email protected]]]>

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DUB News

Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences protests for a union

By DU Beat August 20, 2015

Like a last scintillation emerging from the massive political blackout surrounding the students of Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, the 12th August strike was yet another ‘student-demonstration’ striving for constitution of a Students’ Union. The protest by 500 students was unruffled, until lathi charge dispersed them. The principal lodged an FIR with respect to vandalism which the students purported false as they were 20 meters away from the college gate. The protestors counterclaimed that they had already taken permission from the DCP to protest for their rights as long as it was a ‘peaceful demonstration’ and they had no idea what made their confidence ebb that they arrested their leader.

Notwithstanding the unanimous filing of memorandum and college ID cards of 300 students, for this proposal to be passed, the principal indignantly declared that all the ‘co-conspirators’ will be awarded a zero in their internal assessments for degrading the esteem values of a science college in pursuit of political activism and furthermore precluded them from college placements as well.

“Two years ago, a referendum was demanded for establishment of a representative body of students but the authorities tackled it deftly by imposing a 75% criteria (which originally had been 67%) and subsequently intimidated the Food Technology department from casting their votes,” said a student. The administration had approved the union in the following year but on being questioned, the principal raised his hand as if to swat the conversation away.

“We tried seeking help from ABVP, NSUI and CYSS but they all seem engaged in pre-election campaigning and had no time for an issue so trivial. We will fight for our right to form the union which shall be accountable to the common mass and give all the students the right to choose their leader, unlike faculty nominations,” said Ashu Bidhuri, leader of the Students’ Reform Group. In spite of objection from students, the college authorities decided to hold a Students’ Advisory Meeting to discuss the dispute further.

Featured Image Credits: Ravi Pratap Dubey

Tamanna Goel

[email protected]

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QWERTY

QWERTY: SOCI’ASM, THE APP THAT MAKES YOUR PHONE LIGHTER

By DU Beat August 20, 2015

Have you ever ended up purchasing an overpriced application from the mobile store, an application which is good for nothing? It turns out to be heavy; consumes a lot of memory; space and crashes while making your cell phone practically unusable.

Social applications are really heavy and consume a lot of battery. This is where our app of the week, Soci’asm, comes into play. This application is a life saver for those who are very active socially and always run out of battery just because of heavy usage. Also, it does not put any load over the cell phone. Soci’asm is an android based application which integrates three major social platforms – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This integration is really fast and reduces the pain of downloading three different applications which ultimately saves a lot of space on the cellphone. This results in making the phone much faster. Soci’asm is easy on the battery life of the cell phone. It’s really light and updates content under different tabs with a simple thumb swipe.

The user interface of the application is also really simple and friendly. The app combines different social platforms in one window under three different tabs which are easy to access. We reviewed it by using the app on a Samsung E-7 and it worked without any crashes or lags. The app had no issues while multitasking. Soci’asm is very small in size as well (under 2 megabytes).

Final Verdict: Soci’asm is light, fast, and saves battery and memory. What else does a smartphone user need? The app is available for free on the Google Play Store and an iOS version will be rolled out soon.

Sahil Siddiqui

[email protected]

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Campus Central

The Five-Card trick to a North Campus life

By DU Beat August 3, 2015

With a fresh batch of students embarking on their DU journey here is a bucket list of things to do in North Campus before you pass out of college:

1. Campus Tour:

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Image Credits: dailymail.co.uk[/caption]

No matter where you’re studying, a tour of the renowned North Campus colleges is a check in the box everyone should have to understand what DU life is really all about. Most colleges like Hindu, Hansraj and KMC usually have a lot of activities going on, with society auditions and election demonstrations being a common sight during the first couple of weeks of college.

2. The Ridge:

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Image Credits: littleblackbookdelhi.com[/caption]

The mysterious Ridge behind St. Stephen’s College has been the setting for almost every single ghost story DU has produced, but if you’re looking for werewolves and shape shifters you’ll be disappointed since the only real threat to humanity are the hundreds of monkeys that inhabit the forest. With lots of open spaces, the Ridge is a nice place to sit down and have a good conversation away from the hustle and bustle that takes place in the colleges. If you’re feeling very daring and live on campus, visit the Ridge at night for a completely different experience altogether.

3. The Vice Chancellor’s Office:

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Image Credits: dubeat.com[/caption]

Most DU students make this trip once or twice during their three years in college for many reasons (mostly to get their transcripts corrected), but it is definitely a trip worth making even if you aren’t compelled to do so. Formerly the Viceroy of India’s residence, the VC’s office has majestic lawns and beautiful statues- making it an ideal place for students to have lazy lunches or power naps especially on a sunny day in the winter.

4. Kamla Nagar and Hudson Lane:

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Image Credits: lovehindustan.com[/caption]

Kamla Nagar and Hudson Lane have and will continue to be an integral part of every DU students life throughout their college years. Filled with some of the best eating joints in the city, between ‘K-Nagz’ and ‘Hudson’ one is sure to find great places for lunch or coffee, and that too at very reasonable prices.

5. The V-Tree Festival

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Image Credits: dubeat.com[/caption]

Irrespective of whether you have plans or not, visiting Hindu College on Valentine’s Day is something everyone must do at least once during their time in DU. Hindu College’s famous ‘V-Tree’ is decorated with streamers and numerous other items for what is indeed a very unique kind of prayer ceremony. With nearly a hundred students and even a dhol to top it all off, the festival creates a vibrant and exhilarating atmosphere and is definitely an experience every DU student should be a part of.

Feature Image Credits: du.ac.in Shraman Ghosh [email protected] ]]>

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DUB Speak

Freshers, it’s time to pop the bubble!

By DU Beat August 1, 2015

Congratulations to you, freshers! You’re now officially a student of Delhi University in spite of its skyscraper like cut-offs. And by now I am guessing you must have had a taste of the LONG metro rides, the dreaded Rajiv Chowk crowd, lectures at 8:45AM or the trouble to manage the limited pocket money because let’s be honest, there are way too many places to eat and shop and very little money. But there are many more important and grave changes that you’ll experience in your first year at college which your school didn’t really prepare you for.

The diversity at DU

Everyone is aware of the fact that because of Delhi University’s reputation as one of the premier educational institutes, it caters to a large variety of students from all over the country. This sort of diversity may or may not have been present in schools. And, because of the usual habit to stay in our comfort-zones, we often don’t expand our social circle to include these out-station kids.

But, trust me, take a chance. Talk to them and make them feel comfortable. They are not only dealing with the anxiety of stepping into a new college but also the anxiety of living in a completely new place often without the warmth of family and homely-cooked food. Thus, don’t just reduce them to stereotypes but rather rise above them. Try to know more about them and their culture. You can make them experience the ever so famous “Dilli-life” which can range from trying golgappe and chaats to exploring and visiting different places and monuments.

Just scoring marks isn’t the motto anymore

You’ve given your boards and got a percentage which is soaked in your sweat, blood and the numerous cups of coffee that helped you burn the midnight oil. But, it is time to make peace with the fact that you’ll hardly ever see your college mark sheet with a percentage above ninety percent. In the next three years you’ll see people participating in innumerable events, building a CV or more importantly, building a personality. And a personality is something which will set you apart from the crowd. Thus, PARTICIPATE. Audition for the various different societies at your college, participate in college or departmental elections or join a not-for-profit student run organisation. Make use of the fact that college is a place where no one knows your history and you literally have a clean slate which makes it the ideal time to explore aspects and fields you never knew you’ll develop an interest in.

Adopting an open-minded approach

With time you’ll realise that the classmate you started hanging out with has a starkly different set of opinions and moral code than yours. Or you might start comparing this newly formed bond with the bond you share with your school friends, who are now spread all over the country in different colleges, which gives rise to expectations which may or may not be met. It is okay. Everyone is different and handles situations differently. Accept this subjectivity. We might have gotten used to our circle which makes it sometimes difficult to understand the other person’s perspective but learn to agree to disagree and still maintain the friendship. It is a part of growing up to be more open-minded and non-judgemental. And adopting a broader perspective to look at and handle things is something that college teaches you most definitely.

All in all, you have the agency to carve this phase in any way you like. So, get out of that comfort zone, take chances, make proper use of your freedom and welcome the change with open arms!

Nishita Agarwal

[email protected]

Image credits: www.pgm-blog.com

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DU Dhaba

The Delhi University foodie’s checklist – Food joints at North and South Campus

By DU Beat June 23, 2015

Tired with the admission season? Lots of food joints around but can’t decide where to head first? Campuses of Delhi University are rich with cafes that both are light on your pocket and serve delicious food. Here’s a list of the top 10 joints you can click your first Snapchat or Instagram picture of college life at!

The Big Yellow Door
Location- North Campus, South Campus

Cost for 2: 500
To read the review, click here.

Known as BYD among the students, the place is rather innovative with a yellow inclined door rather than the usual doors seen around. The menu ranges from cheese fries and salads to The Flying Chicken Pizza and various wraps.

Chacha ke Chole Bhature
Location- North Campus

Cost for 2: 100

In the streets of Kamla Nagar market, this shop has found a little space for itself. Known to every DU student, this place offers a respite when the thoughts of oily food divert a student’s attention during the lectures. Although you have to stand and eat as it is not a proper restaurant type of place, the taste of the ever-popular dish offered here makes the struggle bearable.

Indus Flavour
Location- North Campus

Cost for 2: 500
To read the review, click here.

The Restaurant has authentic North Indian & Chinese Delicacies. They also have separate Students’ Menu keeping the locality in mind. Dahi ke Sholay, Honey Chilly Potato, Paneer Gravies, Dal Makhni & Variety of Mocktails are some of their specialties.

Aam Aadmi Pakwaan
Location- North Campus

Cost for 2: 400

Aam Admi Pakwaan lives up to its name in all its essence. The menu consisting of all vegetarian, Chinese and South Indian items, coupled with a few snacks. It is a quiet place where you can go to have a peaceful time with extremely cheap prices. The food at this place is appetising, especially the spring roll, American chopsuey, chilly baby corn, utthapam and the array of dosas.

Bhelpuri outside Hindu College
Location- North Campus

Cost for 2: 40

If you are a fan of street food, then the right spot for you to have the best bhelpuri served in the campus is the bhelpuri served outside the Hindu College. More quantity (even a single plate is sufficient for two people), less cost. Don’t forget to carry your water bottles as the bhelpuri is really spicy!

Bittoo Tikki Wala
Location- North Campus

Cost for 2: 250

Popular among the students as BTW, this place is located in the North Campus and is yet another hotspot of street food lovers. The tikki served here is delicious and is offered at a reasonable price.

QD’s
Location- North Campus, South Campus

Image Credits- timescitycontent.com

Cost for 2: 600

Located in Hudson Lane, Kingsway Camp and Satya Niketan, the place is known for its tandoori momos and other Chinese cuisines. It is a proper dine-in spot where one can relax after a tiring day.

34 Chowringhee Lane
Location- North Campus, South Campus

Cost for 2: 300

The ultimate roll place of both campuses, Chowringhee has built a reputation through years of serving mouth-watering chicken, mutton and egg rolls. Following the double-single stuffing system, the joint is always bustling with college goers.

Dude Food
Location- South Campus

DSCN6619-29-1415621135 — Image Credits- sodelhi.com

Cost for 2: 700
To read the review, click here.

Dude Food looks every bit like the quintessential college hangout point. The walls are adorned with quirky graffiti and witty posters from Friends and Simpsons (to name a few) and the place is lit with coloured bulbs hanging from the ceiling.

Wood Box Café
Location- North Campus, South Campus

1209307_444151735717158_345048596_n — Image Credits- plobal.com

Cost for 2: 650

The café lives up to its name – the interiors are wooden. The cutlery is funny and unusual. There’s floor seating on the terrace. The food is tasty. The pastas and the Oreo Shake are a must-have over here.

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Campus Central

International Yoga Day celebrated at Delhi University's Janki Devi Memorial College

By DU Beat June 22, 2015

International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21st, 2015 by Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC) in their college premises.

Faculty members, students, and the non teaching staff participated in this event with full enthusiasm. The Principal, Dr. Indu Anand was seen praising the students, teachers and also joined them and practiced the yoga asanas.

Dr. Usha Singh who is a retired faculty member of Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi was also present. She is currently teaching at JDMC as a guest faculty member and is a certified yoga expert from Bihar School of Yoga, Mungar. Mr. S.K. Saggar and Ms. Divya were especially invited for the event who were also the instructors. Mr.Saggar, who is an ex- executive director in Sports Authority of India and PYKKA has been associated with yoga since a long time.

The event was well organized and despite the rain shower the event was conducted smoothly.

Guest post by Zofishan Kokab

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Uncategorized

Investigating the Infrastructure: Are we safe under DU roofs?

By DU Beat June 19, 2015

Although the monsoon in Delhi this year hasn’t been all that harsh, it is troubling to see how even the mildest of its forms is enough to cause trouble for the students in Delhi University, if not for the authorities. It is quite ironical that almost every college of DU has a welcoming ‘infrastructure’ column on their website, when actually most of them lack in basic amenities, quite contradictory to the claims of upper UGC authorities on investing crores of money particularly on the infrastructure related reforms and basic facilities such as fans, tube lights and switchboards.

The real picture is rather sad. Kirori Mal College’s auditorium, for instance. With a history shared by legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachhan, it was known as one of the best auditoriums of its time. However, while the dramatic society of the college is still considered as one of the best in the University, the auditorium has been called the ‘worst of all’ and has been deemed too dangerous to exist by the experts. Nonetheless, the need for infrastructure related reforms is not limited to societies. The other of many problems being — never ending constructions for something as simple as a lift for the handicapped. Ramjas College on the other hand has a major science department construction going on which is rather very omnipresent in its nature. “Every day I see huge trucks containing boulders being parked near the canteen area. It is like a metro-station construction.” A second year student from the physics dept. reports. But more importantly, there are roofs that need actual attention. While in some rooms leakage is reported, on the other hand there are two areas where roofs have actually collapsed. DCAC and Satyawati college on the other hand is on its never ending repairment mode. Jesus and Mary college reports a similar situation accompanied by the a severe mosquito infestation. Venkateswara is inflicted by cracking roofs especially in the canteen. Therefore, the question that remains is not regarding the appeal of the infrastructure. But rather, are we even safe under their roofs? –

Picture credits: Chirag Sharma

Priyanka Kapoor

[email protected]

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DU Beat

In conversation with the newly elected Students’ Union President of Jesus and Mary College