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On the Cliff: Empathy and Kindness for Post-Millennials

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The life at the University of Delhi (DU) teaches us to internalise pressure and believe that everyone is capable of handling their pressure the way we have been doing so far. Caught up in this web, we millennials tend to let go of empathy and kindness.

Last week, as the World Suicide Prevention Week was coming to an end on 14th September, in a casual conversation with a friend – who thinks Jake Peralta is the best thing that happened to planet Earth – she said to me when a movie she loved ended, “Oh God, I want to die it was that good!” Neither did it make me uncomfortable, nor did it make me question her if “wanting to die” was the phrase she actually wanted to use, but it made me laugh and move on. Only when the very next day, I found myself in my bed, wanted to vanish into a world only Jaadu could know of, did I come to think of how trivially she, and most of us, use death terminology in our daily lives. I was not suicidal – I want to make that very clear (and not only because my parents read this) – but I was triggered into a state of unbearable sadness, and numbing anxiety, due to something relatively insignificant in retrospect.

DU is a space that swings between two extremes: one, of lethargy and passivity to a point that you feel your potential decrease, or two, of activity and competition to an extent that you feel you are always short of your own best version. If you are somebody who is driven by the second extreme of DU, then the pressure of balancing academics (the neverending assignments and internal tests), internships, co-curricular, and social life, gets to you. This is not an advisory on how you need to prioritise and compartmentalise to maintain your mental health and sanity, because I know we all try to do that. Nobody likes always being on the verge of a breakdown, overworked and, in proper millennial slang, “dead inside”. But we often forget that the world around us has an integral role to play in how stressful our lives are.

For students who find themselves in the same classroom, society, or college, it is tough to develop understanding and familiarity. At our age, we are used to a certain lifestyle, a certain mindset, and a certain kind of friend circle. However, empathy is a concept we often forgo in this literal and mental journey. We are all so infused in our adjustments and issues that we trivialise the value of someone else’s issues. We are quick to pass judgments and form lasting opinions based on Instagram stories that fade away after twenty-four hours. Caught up in our 8:45 a.m. lectures, Friday deadlines, and weekend trips to Majnu ka Tilla, we generalise that everyone is capable of handling their pressure the way we have been doing so far.

When my friend suggested “death” in that moment of thoughtlessness, I paid no heed. But data suggests that there is approximately one suicide happening across the world every 40 seconds. The statistic is a frightening reminder that self-harm and death are not punchlines for over eight lakh people who die in just a year.

It is insensitive to categorise every stressed or sad youth as depressed, but it is important to understand that so much of what we do, say, or give out to the people around us – especially our peers – has the power of being a trigger. We, in our bubbles of tremendous pressure, have come to a point where we are empathetic to causes in Hong Kong and China because of accessibility, but we are mindless to the well-being of our peers, despite accessibility.

While it is not possible to save everyone around us since our well-being is compromised every day in the challenge that young adult life is, the least we can do as learners of empathy and kindness, is not pushing or even nudging, somebody off the cliff.

 

Anushree Joshi

[email protected]

 

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Editorial – Real World 101: Lessons for Life

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Let’s look back at the first institution of education you were introduced to, and see how it failed to teach you ‘Real World 101’.

The Internet is a wonderful place. You have grown up listening to the incessant debates on how social media and communication are a drawback for our generation’s growth. Your parents almost always blame your wretched cell phones for everything – from your flu, to your accidents. But the greatest thing about the Internet today is not just its ability to connect; but its ability to connect meaningfully with a space for discourse, dissection, and analysis through forums like Quora, Reddit, Tumblr, etc., which never cease to amaze you with the bizarre, informative, and yet strangely comic variety of questions and answers. In the Indian school student’s world though, the questions searched for on Quora are a sadly discomforting reality.

‘How do I score 100 in English CBSE Boards class 12?’

‘Which books to study for MCQ IIT JEE preparation in class 10?’

‘What are the important pages to study in Class 10th Science book?’

The thing is- you should not be scoring 100/100 in a paper like English, or be concerned with the MCQ of a competitive exam without knowing the concepts, or be asking for pages to study from in a grade 10 textbook. But that’s what Indian schools make you think you need.

In a classroom of 50 to 60 students, majority of the school teachers bring a prescribed textbook to class, write formulae on the board, read the text as it is, make you mark the ‘important points’, give you answers for ‘expected questions in exams’, and leave without encouraging you to think beyond the text; even reference material is discouraged. Rushing through the syllabus is a common phenomenon. Honestly, most school students in India, instead of feeling robbed of precious learning methodologies, feel glad because their entire focus depends upon the coaching centers where another cycle of spoon-feeding and keyword-vomiting occurs at a much higher price. As your schooling ends and your college classes begin, you have already become systematically habitual to run away from research, opinion-making, questioning, a and most importantly, believing that learning things is worth it.

This is not to say that the higher educational institutions in India are devoid of flaws. Even the best colleges have fundamental or deep-rooted issues that need to change. But when you sit in a college classroom where people don’t know you at all, your opinions set you apart. Unfortunately, you have been taught to stay firm on your lack of opinion and graded on your keyword-clad answers.

Even the competitions held at schools tend to throw the spotlight on a few selected students who always bring either glory or loyalty through continual participation. This practice of extreme favouritism towards some and lack of initiative by most in an institution as small as a school, where you spend more than a decade of your life, kill the spark of curiosity.

Those who are good at things begin to fear rejection and failure in colleges, buzzing with talent and enthusiasm, while the ones who were left out in school develop a sense of confidence in the lack of their capabilities. To be politically correct and not offend people, schools in India have evolved towards a sad dearth of awareness.

Above everything, what makes schools in India a funeral pyre of reality is the lie- ‘Study hard to score well in twelfth and you’ll enjoy for the rest of your life.’ This statement is a scam. It is an unsettling blow to the very principles of education. Your life will not be one of growth or joy unless you constantly learn, unlearn, research, analyse, and think with all your strength about your field of interest. There is no ‘thus, this is how it works’ to find success in your life beyond school. But the best plan is to know, and know it like your favourite song, your learning ends only with your life, and college is just the first step of learning- by unlearning.

 

Anushree Joshi 

[email protected]

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JOMO v/s FOMO

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In this happening world, it is quite impossible to catch up with everything and we end up missing on something or the other. The feeling of joy or fear of missing out on something is what decides if you have JOMO or FOMO. 

In the world of social media, keeping up with all the latest happenings, attending social events and parties forms a part of the list of things that we’re supposed to do. You open Instagram once and see people vacationing or partying and feel sad about the fact that you are working or studying. This is where FOMO starts. Going out, meeting new people, making friends and learning new things brings happiness to some people. However, there are a set of people who feel better to not connect with people and miss out on social events and at the same time feel good about it. Knowing about the fact that somewhere someone is having a good time but not being impacted by it is what the opposite of FOMO called JOMO stands for.

There are a number of people around us who face both JOMO and FOMO. The two terms are an antithesis to each other. While JOMO is all about disconnecting, opting out and being okay with where you are, FOMO is the fear of missing out on something that others are a part of. Feeling sad about the fact that your friends are having fun at a party that you aren’t invited to makes up for FOMO. In contrast to this, JOMO refers to understanding ourselves and choosing what we want to do or not do. 

Aatreyee Tamuly, a second-year student of Miranda House feels that the whole trend of FOMO started with the coming up of social media. She further adds, “Every second person now seems to be suffering from FOMO which leads to sadness or even depression. Even now there might be one person on your social media enjoying and this will make you doubt what you are currently doing.” However, she feels like she suffers from both FOMO and JOMO at different times. She adds, “I have severe FOMO when friends make plans without me but I have JOMO on missing on to some family functions and other events.”

Priyanshi Singh said, “I have FOMO when there is some BTS concert going on”. Another student of Miranda House, Dhritee Bordoloi also feels that she suffers from both the syndromes and it completely depends on the situation. She said, “I have FOMO when there are get-togethers and I am not invited. In college as a first-year kid seeing people go out and have fun made me feel left out and lonely. However, I feel JOMO when I have had a tiring week and want to spend some time with myself. In such a situation, no matter what a lit life others are having, I am relieved to be in my own room spending time alone.”

FOMO and JOMO are concepts that differ from person to person. Being college goers, it is very common to suffer from FOMO. However, FOMO is a syndrome which can have worse outcomes while JOMO can help you lead a happy life. Being in your own comfortable space and feeling good about it is the mantra to a happy life. There are a number of reasons for embracing JOMO. Spending our free time consumed by the drama of social media leads to a lack of time for other activities. Getting away from FOMO and moving towards JOMO will get you more time for carrying out productive tasks.  

Saving up on money is, of course, the main reason for embracing JOMO. While FOMO can leave you in debt, JOMO can help you save up for anything that you wanted to buy. Being free from unwanted commitments and online addictions also mean more space and time for spontaneous acts and unplanned moments. Another important benefit of JOMO is that it allows you to experience life at its fullest. It helps us slow down and know ourselves better.

We’ve got one life and we can’t spend it with the fear of missing something. 

As Naina in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani said, “Life mei jitna bhi try karo, kuch na kuch to chootega hi. Isliye jahan hain, wahan ka hi maza lete hai. (No matter how hard we try; we can’t explore everything. So it’s better to enjoy where we are, what we do and appreciate what we have.)”

It is better to be joyful and choose real connections rather than shallow distractions. 

Feature Image Credits: Wonder How to

Priya Chauhan

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Impact of the Syllabus Controversy on the English Department

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The English Department of the University of Delhi (DU) continues to be negatively affected by the Syllabus Controversy. 

The Executive Council of DU has approved the syllabus for English for the first semester, but this approved syllabus continues to be a mystery for not only the students, but also the professors. In fact, even the Head of the English Department, Professor Raj Kumar has not been made privy to the new syllabus. This continued delay with regard to the syllabus has now moved beyond ideological and ethical debates, and has started to negatively impact the students, causing mass worry and frustration across the University campuses. 

In most colleges, professors have started to teach the first-year students the old syllabus, but they are not sure about whether what they are teaching the first-year students is going to be relevant to them with respect to the upcoming examinations. Priyanshi Banerjee, a first-year student of English at Lady Shri Ram College, said, “No one seems to know anything about the new syllabus and this is causing a lot of problems for us first-years. Examinations are not going to get postponed, but considering the current slow pace of studies I don’t know how we are going to manage to complete our course work.”

Students are not even able to procure the books being taught currently because the bookstores in the college campuses are not stocking them, because of a lack of clarity with respect to the prescribed texts. Shyla Sharma, another first-year student of the English Department, said, “All of us are very anxious. It is very odd for us to see other department’s students going about their course work when we don’t even know what our syllabus is. Even the professors seem upset and lost, and this is causing a lot of confusion. We don’t even have all of our books yet, as we have been told not to buy them. I hope the syllabus is soon released.”

In spite of the mass tension, an academic debate in the midst of the syllabus controversy continues to flourish. Royina Chhabra, a first-year student of the English Department, said, “Restrictions are being put on our academic freedom. We should have a right to study what we want to, especially our history and culture irrespective of whether it is good or bad. How else are we supposed to learn and think for ourselves? This entire controversy is taking a huge toll on our education.” Many students also seem to be specifically upset about the negative debate with respect to the exclusion of the Queer Literature Paper. A first-year student of the English Department, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, “Queerness is a part of our lives. Section 377 no longer criminalises homosexuality, so why is our education system doing so? In fact, I believe that it is the responsibility of our education system to educate people about queerness because most people in India aren’t aware of, or comfortable about it. The fact that our new syllabus is probably going to be politically motivated and authoritarian in nature highly antagonises me.”

The Syllabus Controversy began when right-wing organisations like the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) objected to the English Department for including certain study material relating to caste and gender in the new syllabus. Specifically speaking, they had an issue with the story Manibein alias Bibijaan in which the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal are portrayed negatively, with respect to the 2002 Gujarat riots, and the inclusion of the depiction of Hindu deities in queer literature by taking references from texts like Bhagvath Puran, Sankar Puran, and Shiv Puran. Counter-protests for academic freedom by organisations like the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), and Pinjra Tod soon followed, leading to ideological and educational confrontations. This controversy has led to the syllabuses of many subjects not being released, even though the new academic year has already started. 

Feature Image Credits: Sriya Rane for DU Beat

Juhi Bhargava

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Women in Sports, Finish Last

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What are the different connotations that sports hold for us? Have its horizons expanded to accepting women, and how successful is it now?

29th August is celebrated as the National Sports Day, dedicated to the sportspersons and their hard work. It is a day to commemorate their contributions towards playing for our country and winning laurels. But, in reality, it is a day to celebrate popular sportsmen like Virat Kohli, with huge cults around them and few popular sports like cricket, which have a massive viewer-base. With a few days still left to this important day, why not realign our horizons and shift our focus?

PV Sindhu, Dutee Chand, Mithali Raj, Deepika Kumari, Tanlai Narzary, the Phogat sisters – over the past few years, Indian sportswomen have created a name and distinct space for themselves. However, the recognition from people still seems to be a far-fetched dream. But movies like Dangal and Mary Kom haved helped in garnering traction to and some attention towards their struggles. With these films, not only did they gain more recognition, but it also tackled the ideas of social stigma attached to women in sports.

Recently, there was a celebratory parade for the four-time Women’s World Cup Champions in the United States of America. This event is significant given that, not just in our country, but all over the world, women’s sporting events are disregarded. The idea behind this attitude often stems from the belief that their performance is not at par with those of the sportspersons in men’s sporting events. The only focus, if given at all, is upon their clothes and their outburst. 

Tennis, which is one of the only sporting places where women are seen as equals, also tends to gain attention only when Serena Williams displays her anger. What this normal emotion of rage is linked to is the idea of how women are ‘too emotional’. Women are represented in the light of being too sensitive in magazines and news pieces. What we do not realise is that this discrimination in terms of behaviour, pay, and popularity only pushes women to the background. 

The problems extend further to the lack of funding and even basic training conditions. Stories of sportspersons having to sell their medals to earn money, because they are not provided with anything, have become commonplace. Many talented sportswomen are not trained in the first place, due to the many obstacles that lie ahead.

Female products-oriented companies will now sponsor their events, in the big leagues, more companies now want to be front-of-shirt sponsors. India’s Dutee Chand opened up about her sexuality as a queer person recently, and fought the backlash she received from her village, in order to make a more inclusive environment for others like her. Megan Rapinoe has also come out with her partner, Sue Bird. These mark historic steps for our country and the way sportswomen demand respect. 

In a country like India, ideas of equality cannot be implemented immediately because of how our society thinks. But movies become an important access point to normalise this. The film, Chak De India, recently completed twelve years since its release. Despite being a decade old, its plot and issues remain relevant. It deals with women not being allowed to play sports, women’s teams being deprioritised, being considered at an inferior status from the men’s team, among other issues.

What has opened up today is a dialogue. Newspapers talking about the starkly different salaries for Kohli and Mithali Raj, advertisements campaigns trying to spread awareness – there are some of the things contributing to it. This dialogue may have just begun, but it could soon lead to equality among sportspersons of all genders. Maybe soon, people will stick to their televisions for a Women’s Cricket World Cup tournament, as they did for the one played by men.

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Shivani Dadhwal

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Precisely Professional: Entrepreneurship in DU

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“Brilliant ideas don’t make a start-up; its business sense does.”

Design Innovation Centre (DIC) situated in the North Campus of the University of Delhi (DU) is a Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) initiative to promote creative problem-solving, and provide an incubation space for the start-ups of DU. DU Beat interviewed the co-ordinator and one of the most successful start-ups of DIC, called Precisely– the opportunity hub.

In the Interview:

Professor Bibhunanda Biswal, Co-ordinator, DUDIC

Saurabh Patel, CEO, Precisely

Desh Deepak Dwivedi, Head of Business Development, Precisley

Hitesh Gautam, Chief Product Developer, Precisely

Here are some excerpts from the conversation for all the aspiring entrepreneurs of the University:

Sriya: From being undergraduate students, to establishing a start-up, how did the whole journey start?

Hitesh: I started my entrepreneurial journey in my first year of college in DU with my colleagues sitting in this room of DIC, thinking of some idea to give the right kind of opportunities to the right kind of students. We pursued this idea and worked really hard to establish a start-up to help students, and develop a product out of it. There is where the journey started. 

Sriya: What motivated you to go for this start-up venture? Also, please tell us about the venture.

Saurabh: I don’t think any of us ever wanted to be an entrepreneur. The very reason we started Precisely was to solve a problem that we faced ourselves, as students. I remember one of my friends went abroad for a paper presentation. I had a similar project that I had done during my summer vacations. But simply because I did not have access to information about that opportunity, I could not apply for it. And this was the motivation to build Precisely.

Desh: Adding up something to what Hitesh said about how we started, and why we started this venture, (one of the reasons) is that we were the introvert students of our class and did not hang-out much.  We used to have our own space, and always wanted to do something different. My college, Cluster Innovation Centre, in its core, had this mentality of entrepreneurship and not just getting degrees from the institution. We wanted to be different and actually, the introvert thing came into play and we formed a very small group of our own. For us, it was really new to venture into this business. Moreover, we were students of B.A. (Honours) Humanities and Social Sciences, having no background in anything other than the Microsoft package. We identified our strengths, and pooled different skills we had in our group in the sphere of logistics and e-commerce. 

Sriya: Why is the start-up called Precisely?

Saurabh: When we started out searching for international opportunities for any internships or conferences, there were so many of them. In any discipline, there are millions of opportunities out there. Even if one had access to all of it, it was difficult to filter out which ones to apply for. We wanted to help students find those opportunities, which are “precisely” tailored to their interests and skill, and to “precisely” provide them those opportunities.

Sriya: How is the start-up culture and entrepreneurship ecosystem in DU?

Hitesh: In DU, the start-up culture is booming. When we look around, there are many online market places that DU students are launching. For example, people are creating business models and start-ups on e- rickshaws, PGs etc. 

Saurabh: The access to incubators, business plan competitions and accelerators only started in the last five years, but before it, there were projects happening in colleges. Cells like Enactus have their entrepreneurial projects, but they are not called start-ups, however they have the potential to grow into start-ups. So, the ecosystem has always been there.

Sriya: How does the Design Innovation Centre support the start-up ecosystem of the University?

Professor Biswal: In the University, what we are doing is that anyone who has an innovative idea and wants to make a product, and if we see potential in it, we give them three months’ infrastructural support to sit here, and work on the product. If we see progress happening, then we give them another three months. Apart from that, we provide internships in product designing for under-graduates and post-graduates. We also provide mentoring through training workshops and experts.

Sriya: Precisely has 45,000 downloads on Play Store and is a resident start up at UNIncept NUMA Accelerator. Could you explain the role of accelerators for the establishment of start-ups and their success?

Saurabh: Accelerators largely help start-ups secure funding or achieve a product market fit. I may have 10,000 people using my app right now but they may not be drawing money out of it. Accelerators provide mentorship and funding in many cases, the central idea being building a business around it.

Sriya: Being college students, there is much stress due to the college work pressure, and managing the work of the start-up can be quite daunting. How do you maintain a balance between both?

Saurabh: You have to have priorities and have to have one thing in mind that you have to make some progress every day. If you are determined to build a start-up, you will find time out for it. Like Hitesh did by working below the benches inside his classes (laughs).

Desh: (amusingly) For us, the advantage was that the place we were working was situated inside the campus. Therefore, it was comparably easy to manage it.

Sriya: What were some of the challenges that you faced during your entrepreneurial journey?

Saurabh: There is not a lot of support initially. There are not many people who can guide you in the right direction. As you scale up your start-up, the journey does not get easier and throws newer things and challenges. If, yesterday, funding was a problem then, today, product market fit is a problem. It is very unstable, but I think that’s where the fun and beauty of this business is because it teaches you about a lot of things.

Sriya: Can you quickly brief the procedure for getting an incubation space at Design Innovation Centre for our readers?

Professor Biswal: If you have an idea which you think can convert into a product, then you can come to us even in the idea-stage. Just walk-in at the centre and you will have to fill a brief form and, after going through your idea, if it makes business sense then we will call you for a discussion and provide you co-working space and other support to convert the idea into a product.

Sriya: What would you like to tell the budding entrepreneurs of DU, who wish to embark on their entrepreneurial journey?

Professor Biswal: The fundamental thing for success of a start-up is that you are able to take a product to the end user. Brilliant ideas don’t make a start-up; its business sense does. You must have the ability to take the product to the market.

Saurabh: Perseverance is very necessary to continue your (entrepreneurial) journey because it is very tough. When we started, there was this popular web series called Pitchers which had a great influence on me. There is a quote in it where the character goes on stage and says, “Jab kamre me andhera hoga na, light jalaane ke liye switch pe haath maaroge aur tab tak maaroge jab tak light nahi jalegi (When the room is dark, you will find the switch to turn the lights on. And you will keep finding it till the lights turn on). You have to believe that light jalegi (the light will work).”

 

Interviewed by Sriya Rane for DU Beat

[email protected]

Feature Image Credits: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

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Editorial: No, DU, I Did Not Read ‘That’ Book and You Can Calm Down About It

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A year in this space has made me question my personal notions- what kind of diversity do we have? And is the presence of diversity the same as accepting it- those who bring it to the University of Delhi (DU)- with open arms? Read a take on the culture of shaming in a space meant for diversity.

For a University situated in the Capital of a nation that sells itself to globalisation with the tagline ‘Unity in Diversity’, cultural, economic, and social diversity is always a good self-promotional point. However, if you have been in DU for even a semester, the rose-tinted lenses wear off soon enough. We may have students from all over the country and beyond, but our academic and cultural spaces have not learnt the rhetoric of respecting the history that comes with different family and socio-economic backgrounds.

An average day in an English literature classroom in a  college considered ‘intellectual’- like Lady Shri Ram College- involves professors coming in class, throwing names of critics (mostly foreigners, usually white), and expecting students to have read them. An academic space is meant to challenge you, and to inform you about things you were formerly ignorant of. But the sighs of disappointment, ‘how do you call yourself educated’, and steely eyes filled with judgement when one is unaware of what the professor is speaking of; all are methods of shaming that do more damage than the promised ‘good’. 

It is unfairly ignorant to only speak of professors and classrooms as the harbingers of this attitude, since our own friend circles play a significant role in this process. We, as young-adults stepping outside the comfort of our homes, seek a sense of self-worth and validation from our friends. When belittled for listening to a certain kind of music, or for not having watched or read a movie or book considered ‘high art’, it is inevitable to lose faith in our intellectual capabilities. To be told that you need to have done specific, mostly privileged, and expensive things in order to fit in, is not only elitist, but also a form of childish bullying that all of us have been subjected to.

Most of us have not grown up with our fathers playing vinyl records of Bob Dylan or The Beatles to us as kids. The tag of a Grammar Nazi (wrong on every level), that we wear as a badge of honour will never encourage somebody to learn better English, but will be a reminder of the inefficiencies in their background. It says something about their history, over which they did not have active control, but it defines you as a person- an elitist who does not wish to be kinder and more empathetic.

To recognise that there are conditionings different than your own is a significant aspect of mental maturity that DU colleges fail to instil in us. Challenging us academically or giving us a plethora of resources to learn from is the thing one seeks, but DU’s rather popular culture of shaming us into learning is psychologically flawed, and ethically problematic in a time when we are learning and unlearning the caste, class, and cultural privileges and meritocracy. It is true that DU is not the only place where the culture of shaming is prominent and propagated, but when I think of DU, I think of diversity. To have diversity comes with the need to accept it, and I know our classrooms can change for the better. Arundhati Roy said, “To love. To be loved… To try and understand… And never, never to forget.” (If you have not read her, it’s okay. Take this as my recommendation, if you were looking for one?) I hope, DU does not forget its role and duty to diversity- intellectual and of all kinds- and understands that we are all learning, and we can do with a little kindness.

Anushree Joshi 

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Stephen’s Supreme Council Row: Delhi HC Sends Notice to College

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The college’s controversial decision to have a member from the its ‘Supreme Council’ in the interview panel was challenged in court.

On 2 June, the Delhi High Court sent a notice to St. Stephen’s College following a plea by three faculty members challenging the decision of the college to have an additional member, from its Supreme Council, in the interview panel for admissions of students.

DU Beat had previously reported that the Principal of the college, Professor John Varghese had made this announcement in a meeting of the Staff Council of the college dated 13th May.

The decision was challenged in the High Court by the faculty members of the Governing Body of the college – Abhishek Singh, Nandita Narain and NP Ashley, for allegedly going against the constitution of the college.

The notice issued by Justice C Hari Shankar fixed 12th June as the next date for the hearing. A press release issued by him said that the counsels representing the faculty members argued that the decision “went against the constitution of Stephen’s College which expressly prohibited interference of the Supreme Council in the administration of the college.”

It further stated that “the counsel also pointed out the observation of the Supreme Court in the St. Stephen’s case of 1992 where the Supreme Court had held that admission of students was an essential facet of the of the administration of the college.”

“It had also approved the of the selection mode which at that time only had the principal and teachers of the department concerned conducting the interviews for admission of student,” it said.

The Supreme Council includes six members of the Governing Body of the Church of North India. The Chairperson of both the Governing Body and the Supreme Council is the Bishop of Delhi and the Member Secretary of both is the Principal of the college.

The decision was challenged for alleged violation of the constitution of the college. Clause 4 of the constitution reads, “The Supreme Council of the college shall have the control of the religious and moral instruction of students of the college and of all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian College of the Church of North India; and, in addition, shall appoint, after proper advertisement, the Principal of the College who shall be a member of the Church of North India or of a church that is in communion with the Church of North India.”

According to Clause 5, “The Supreme Council of the college shall have no jurisdiction over the administration of the college.”

Feature Image Source: St. Stephen’s College

Prateek Pankaj

[email protected]

(With inputs from ANI)

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Admissions 2019

Open Day Sessions for DU Aspirants Starting from May 31

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In an endeavour to simplify the process of admissions, the University of Delhi (DU) is organising several open day sessions where officials will be available to answer and address various doubts and concerns that students may have.

The DU admission process for the academic year 2019-2020 has finally begun, following various date speculations and unprecedented excitement from young people all across the country. The online applications for all undergraduate courses began on 30th May and the other online applications too will be available shortly.

Every year, the Dean’s Student Welfare Office hosts open day sessions before the admission process ends, in order to address questions and concerns from prospective students and parents. The application process and the documents required for various categories and courses are different, and hence many questions are bound to arise. These sessions are structured like press conferences where the University officials will be available to answer any question or doubt that the students may harbour regarding the application process.

DU is one of the most reputed and sought after universities of the country. A large part of that can be credited to the diversity of students it invites to its campuses each year. Students can apply via sports quota, ECA quota, foreign quota, etc. These open day sessions are especially useful for students from the the aforementioned different categories who have a significantly variable admission process as it helps them understand the requirements better.

Here are all the details you need to know about the Open Day sessions being held for the admission process in 2019-

DATE AND VENUE :

  1. Conference Centre, North Campus Gate Number 4 –

May 31st, June 3rd & June 8th

  1. Kamala Nehru College, Zakir Hussain College, Rajdhani College, Ramlal Anand College and Maharaja Agrasen College –

June 4th, 6th, 7th & 10th

TIMINGS:

These sessions will last from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM on all the above mentioned dates.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additionally, a help desk will also be set up outside the conference centre in room number 5 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM everyday during the admission process to assist students and parents if any concern arises.

The different colleges under DU will also set up separate counselling sessions and help desks to address the concerns of applicants and explain their admission processes further.

Pragati Thapa

[email protected]

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

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Campus Central

Top Societies of DU Fest Season 2019: Alahyaa of Daulat Ram College for Indian Music

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A thing that brings all the aspirants of the University of Delhi in this country to a sense of fascination is the University’s engagement with the performing arts. With a plethora of opportunities in fields like dance, music, dramatic, students are exposed to the discipline and the adventure of the arts that interest them. DU Beat brings to you the first of the six installations of its analysis of the top society in DU. The hard work was persistent, and the competition heartening. Let’s delve into who made the cut and how.

Methodology

The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions that could be won at various events. The society that secured the 1st position was awarded 3 points, the society that secured the 2nd position was awarded 2 points, and finally, the society securing the 3rd position was awarded 1 point.

34 college fests were considered in the making of the tally. The selection of these 34 colleges was based upon an analysis done by speaking with members of numerous college societies, and tracking the fests they considered most prestigious. The considered colleges are:

Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College
Aurobindo College (Morning)
Aryabhatta College
College of Vocational Studies
Dyal Singh College
Daulat Ram College
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce
Gargi College
Guru Gobind Singh College
Hansraj College
Hindu College
Indraprastha College for Women
Jesus and Mary College
Kamala Nehru College
Keshav Mahavidyalaya College
Kirori Mal College
Lady Irwin College
Lady Shri Ram College
Mata Sundri College
Maitreyi College
Miranda House
Moti Lal Nehru College (Morning)
PGDAV College (Morning)
Ramjas College
Ramanaujan College
Ram Lal Anand College
Satyawati College
Shaheed Bhagat Singh College
Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies
SGTB Khalsa College
SGND Khalsa College
Sri Venkateswara College
Shivaji College
Shri Ram College of Commerce

Top Three Positions

Alahyaa, the Indian music society of Daulat Ram College, bagged the first position with a robust lead of 39 points. Alaap (Sri Venkateswara College) followed at the second position with 17 points, while Miranda House and Hansraj College tied at the third position with 16 points.

Points Tally: Indian Music

The Winning Society at a Glance

The winning society, Alahyaa, shared its joy with DU Beat-

“Alahyaa is a group of people who relish music and more than that, understand it together. In togetherness and in unity, is how our society has functioned all these years.
This year we wanted to try something really unique and decided to create an amalgamation of two raags: Shankara and Chandrakauns. We begin with a Bandish in Shankara set in Ektaal, Jhoolna Jhulao which includes vivd taans which brings out the valour which Raag Shankara portrays.
Further ahead we sing a Tarana again in Shankara and set to Teental. We then enter Raag Chandrakuns through a Taan which begins in Shankara and then blends into Chandrakuns using the Nishad used in both these ragas. In Chandrakuns we sang a Tarana in Adachautal representing the fierceness in this raag. Finally, we recite a Ganesh Paran, in teental as we end our composition with a Sitar and Vocal Jugalbandi coupled with every instrument coming in sync at the end.
The incredible teamwork by every member helped consolidate something as soulful as this piece.
Starting from the raw ideas, the scattered Taans, the putting together, learning like absolute newbies, introducing modifications every other day,  learning from scratch again,  exercising our throats early morning, pushing each other,  preparing rigorously, feeling electric onstage , winning and lunching together is what we basically live out. It’s kept us adaptive and resilient. Our love for this legacy we’ve had  is what brought us here. We would like to take this opportunity to thank every person who has directly or indirectly contributed to Alahyaa’s growth.”
Performing Members
Mareelina Tamang (President)
Vasudha Prakash (General Secretary)
Aanchal Singh
Navya Whig
Sonalisa
Shreya Sharma
Samiksha Srivastava
Rashim Anand
Jullee Akham
Vandana Rohilla
Ishita Sabharwal
Instrumentalists 
Sahitya (Co President) – Keyboards
Ashutosh Verma- Tabla
Antara Bhattacharya- Sitar

Winners Tally:

Out of the colleges included in the tally, Alahyaa secured victorious positions at the following college fests:

1st: Dyal Singh College, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Hansraj College, Miranda House, Ram Lal Anand College, SGTB Khalsa College

2nd: Sri Aurobindo College (Morning), Gargi College, Maitreyi College, Kirori Mal College, Hansraj College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Moti Lal Nehru College (Morning), Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

3rd: Kamala Nehru College, Lady Irwin College

Data Analysis and Compilation by:

Shivani Dadhwal

[email protected]

Anushree Joshi

[email protected]

Feature Image Designed by:

Palak Mittal for DU Beat

[email protected]

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