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Arindam Goswami

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Reid Hoffman once said, “an entrepreneur is someone who will jump off a cliff and assemble an airplane on the way down.”, the founding team of E-Cell Ramjas took him at his word as they sketched their launch pad event roughly ten days before its implementation. Fighting against all odds, the team put together 500+ students and 30+ companies making The Internship Fair 1.0 a grand success! ‘ – Cover

 

The Startup Edge- Entrepreneurship Cell, Ramjas College organised an Internship Fair on 15th November 2016. The fair witnessed a chock a block participation of more than 500 students hailing from several states and varied educational backgrounds who thereby availed a chance to be interviewed by the HRs of 32 companies, startups and NGOs ranging from First League Ventures to Karma circles, DU Beat to Visok Advisors and Yoddhas to WWF. Approximately 3500 walk in interviews were conducted and 250 CVs were submitted to the online hub for evaluation by 10 elite brands. Also, the event’s training partners Internshala & Talerang guided the students on CV making.

internship fair

Being the society’s first event, The Internship Fair 1.0 became the stage for its inauguration. The principal of Ramjas College, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, officially proclaimed the society by cutting the ribbon and reinforced our Prime Minister’s initiative of ‘Startup India, Standup India.’ Along with the Principal and Vice Principal , the event was attended by supreme faculties of Ramjas College such as Dr. PC Tulsian and Dr. ND Vohra and the Secretary of DUSU, Mr. Amit Sangwan.

At the conclusion of the event, the founder of Clado and an alumni of SRCC asserted, “This is the best internship fair I have ever perceived” Alike were the thoughts of the founder of Esmee network who appreciated the quality of participants by saying,” I have been paying several websites in order to find interns but none could compare the quality I found at Ramjas.” The team of Clazzez professed that they ended up selecting double the number of people they initially planned on hiring. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, being flooded with positive reviews, congratulated the E-Cell Team and invited collaboration proposals from several NGOs and startups.

startup cell

In the words of the president of the society, Sunny Garg, “ The Internship Fair 1.0 accorded E-Cell Ramjas with mass recognition, a strong startup network, an indomitable spirit and most importantly, a high fervent and proficient team that shall lead the society to newer heights!

The global citizen festival took place in Mumbai yesterday and thousands went to witness the mega vent  from all over the country. Headlined by British band Coldplay and frontman cum curator of the festival, Chris Martin, the festival was described by fans as nothing    short of out-of-this-world!

Enthusiastic festival began to que from 9 am in the morning outside MMRDA grounds and estimated figures were well beyond 100,000 after the gates were closed. The Prime Minister greeted the audience through a live webcast and appreciated the efforts of the organisers in making the festival happen.  While being playfully humorous he spoke of the concerns of our nation and thanked the citizens of India for being with him during his recent ‘cleanliness drive’.

Shankar Eshaan Loy
Shankar Eshaan Loy setting the mode to groove!

The line up for the day was Coldplay, Jay-Z, Demi Lovato, Arijit Singh, Aamir Khan, The Vamps, A.R. Rahman, Big B Amitabh Bachchan, Rock On star Farhan Akhtar, Shah Rukh Khan, Frieda Pinto, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Shraddha Kapoor, Sachin Tendulkar, Vidya Balan and Shankar Eshaan Loy. The focus of the festival was on issues such as gender inequality, world poverty, world peace and sanitation.

Amitabh with Shillong Choir
Melody and Bass! Amitabh Bachchan and the Shillong Choir

Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor announced the opening of the festival. Arijit Singh went on stage  to set the pace with ‘Ae Dil Hain Mushkil’  along with other favorites . Sonakshi Sinha delighted the audience next with her performance of ‘Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta’. Shankar Eshaan Loy had them singing along ‘Breathless’ and their other hits.

Actor Alia Bhatt introduced the first international act of the day with pop icon Demi Lovato who thrilled the audience in her iconic golden get-up.  Amitabh Bachchan collaborated with the Shillong Choir which constituted one of the highlights of the day.

Farhan Akhtar came on next to set rock the audience with songs from Rock On and Rock On 2.

Jay Z
“we gonna run this town tonight” – Jay Z

The main highlights of the day were Jay-Z and of course, Coldplay. Shah Rukh Khan went on stage a second time to introduce the rap star legend. The audience grooved to track ‘Empire State of Mind’ which was the most loved among his line ups. The stars of the evening, Coldplay, collaborated with A.R.Rahman and Arijit Singh to sing Maa Tujhe Salaam and the crowd went nuts. They played for a good 1 hour and 45 minutes, a perfect showdown to such a grand event.

The charity event was not all fun and joy though. Midway through, the stalls had run out of food and water. The congress put up a last minute opposition to the festival claiming that the BJP was using the event to get political mileage. Moreover a PIL was filed by two activists in the Bombay High Court alleging the exemption of entertainment tax on the event to be reversed. A few hiccups nevertheless but the excited audience remained enthusiastic and unperturbed.

Image credits: hindustantimes.com and Global Citizen India at Twitter

With inputs from Arushi Pathak

Arindam Goswami

[email protected]

 

The US elections have been a rollercoaster ride for the citizens, officials of governments and people around the world. World leaders have been quick to congratulate him on his historic win. Sparks of outrage, tension and nervousness led to hopes of better bilateral relations between the US and other countries. We can say that America, at this point, has an unpredictable future ahead. Below compiled are different countries’ reactions to Trump’s win.

India

Trump had highlighted how he loved India and Hindus during his campaign. This might spell positive for India’s relations with the US but not so much for the H1b visa holders, for whom, reality has become a nightmare. If the President-elect decides to go ahead with the immigration policies, Indians working in the US are in big trouble.

Pakistan

Pakistan’s reaction seems to be circling around the ‘unpredictability’ the shock-win brings. While they definitely not apologizing for being accused of sheltering Osama, they certainly seem worried that Trump’s prejudice might further the cause of the failing Jihadist movement. Pakistan already beset with fighting terrorism on its borders might have to deal with a lot more. While some officials are anxious about the hardline approach, they are hoping in favour of America’s legacy of policy commitments and engagements.

Mexico

President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico was heavily criticized for receiving Trump during his campaign after the he had called Mexicans ‘rapists’ and vowed to build a wall between the two countries. Although after being elected, he was quoted saying it would be ‘more of a fence than a wall’. President Nieto expressed desire to continue and tighten bonds of bilateral relations between the two countries. Mexico’s economy is highly dependent on exports to the US.

Canada

Reacting to Trump’s landmark victory Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister congratulated him and stressed the importance of close ties between the two countries. He said Canada has no closer ally than the US and their friendship serves as a model to nations around the world. This came in the wake of Trump calling Canada’s export deal with the US as the ‘’worst trade deal in history.’’ A little more than 60 per cent of Canada’s global trade is accounted for by the US.

European Union

Donald Tusk, president of the European council and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission congratulated him and urged Trump to come to US-EU summit at his earliest convenience. At a recent meeting of the EU leaders, Juncker said that Trump’s victory poses ‘the risk of upsetting intercontinental relations in their foundation and structure’ and interestingly added that it would ‘take two years to explain how Europe worked to an ignorant Trump.’

United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May congratulated Donald Trump and said that Britain and the US have “an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise”. She added that they will continue to maintain strong ties with the US to ensure the security and prosperity of the two nations. The head of the Number 10 policy unit at Downing street, a fierce critic of Trump described him as Trumpolini, after the Italian Fascist Mussolini. “It is clear that a genuine crisis of legimatacy is sweeping through the western political economy”, says Freeman.

France

The French President Francois Hollande congratulated Trump but with little enthusiasm. Hollande was a ardent supporter of Hillary and remarked that, “Certain positions taken by Donald Trump during the American campaign must be confronted with the values and interests we share with the United States”.

Germany

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany has close ties with the US and that the new President-elect will carry on the responsibility that comes with the seat of power. She goes on to say that Germany is willing to offer a close working relationship on the basis of the common values of democracy, freedom, respect for the law and human dignity irrespective of skin color, origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation and political conviction that both States share. It becomes clear that Germany is not going to entertain any of the hardheaded policies underlined in the Trump campaign.

China

President Xi Jinping called Trump to congratulate him on his victory and hoped to establish a working relationship while upholding the principles of ‘non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation’. He believes that ties with the US have benefitted the US more and was looking forward to working with the new administration.

Australia

As Trump’s votes began to rise on election day, the Australian shares started to go down with the dollar falling by 1.5 percent. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he Australia would work ‘as closely as ever’ with the US. He added by saying that, “the bond between our two nations, our shared common interests, our shared national interests are so strong, are so committed that we will continue to work with our friends in the United States”. Investors fear a ‘disastrous shock’ to the Australian economy if Trump’s economic policies go unchecked.

Here I have listed only a few countries but it can be safely said the world watches with bated breath, how the policies of the new American government unravel.

Image credits: Aljazeera, Christiansinpakistan, wallpapercave, noscommunicanos and samaatv.com

With inputs from The Guardian.

Arindam Goswami

[email protected]

Harry Potter fans around the world are always in want of getting that ‘magical’ feeling back. And what better way to tingle the senses than the latest magical flick of Fantastic Beasts! We all know how stretching a concept too far can make it lose its charm (Golmaal 4?) but this is completely different.  The movie scheduled for release on 18th November in India promises all the thrills and magic of the earlier Harry Potter versions.

The story is set in the America of 1920s where Newt Scamander (author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them) played by Eddie Redmayne, arrives in New York with a battered suitcase full of magical creatures. All hell breaks lose after it gets exchanged with a No-Maj (the American equivalent of a Muggle) Jacob Kowalski played by Dan Fogler who accidentally lets the creature escape. The Wizarding community is threatened to exposure by the magical beasts who run amok.  Running the risk of a war with the No-Majs, Scamander has the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) breathing down his neck while he frantically attempts to round up all the creatures. He is helped in his quest by Tina Goldstein played by Katherine Waterston.

Even as I apologize for ruining the storyline for the highly sensitive Potter-heads out there, here are a few interesting facts about the upcoming film:

Fantastic Beasts will be J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut. After having drafted three versions, the final version was sent to David Yates, who directed the previous four films in the franchise. With inputs from producers David Heyman and Steve Kloves, the script finally had the right balance of dark and good.

The Americans No-Majs are dangerous. The European muggles could be handled with a simple Obliviate charm but the No-Majs are not messing around. Wand wielders and armed police are seen fighting and on the brink of a war. Scamander’s little accident seems to have threatened the entire wizarding community.

Gellert Grindewald is back and there is a brand new Dark Wizard in town. Very less of Grindewald is known except for the fact that he dueled Dumbledore in 1945 and was held prisoner in a fortress. And this is exactly what Rowling plans on changing. With Fantastic Beasts, many aspects of the wizarding world previously unknown (and fantasized by fans) will be revealed. This alone is a dream come true for Potter-heads!

Finally, the best part. There will be four more films, that is, four more sequels to Fantastic Beasts! Director Yates has confirmed that he will be directing all four upcoming films which will also be scripted by Rowling. This has to be the best news for fans in a long time.

It remains to be seen whether the film can bring back the magic of old but as of yet, it looks to be holding all the promising cards. Here and hoping!

BONUS: Google has partnered with the film to allow Android users to cast spells! Just open the google search app and say lumos, this will turn on your flashlight! Say Nox and it will turn off. Silencio switches your phone to silent mode. There are more fun features you can enjoy. Click here for more.  

Image credits: cdmfansided, cosmopolitan.co.uk, laineygossip, maxresdefault, odeonfrastly, the geekianreport and warnerbros.co.uk


Arindam Goswami

arindamg@@dubeat.com

 

 

 

The Ramjas student union elections finally took place on the 17th of last month. We caught up with the new president, Mr. Yogit Rathi  to ask a few questions on his big win. A third year student from the history department, Mr. Rathi had won by a landslide victory with a margin of 104 votes with his biggest competitor Anuj Damara landing 421 votes. The rest of the candidates who came third, fourth and fifth were Kapil Choudhary, Mohamed Alam Tyagi and Rishabh Bajpai respectively.

Student elections at Ramjas were scheduled to be held in September but were suspended in the wake of a fight which broke out between two presidential candidates. The Faculty had unanimously decided on suspending the elections till the issue was sorted out. After much consultation and many meetings with the DSW, DUSU office and the Principal, a decision was taken to keep the election date on the 17th of October, 2016.

Following is the interview with Mr. Rathi, as taken right after the results.

Arindam: What made you fight for the college elections this year?

Yogit: Unfortunately I had enrolled in an engineering college right after 12th but since all my friends were in DU and the political atmosphere kind of lured me in so I changed my mind and came here instead. Once here, I actively took part in union politics since my first year. I had made a lot of friends and associates in that time. So when somebody suggested that I should try for the president, I did not hesitate as I believed it would be a good idea and since it was the centennial year, this was my chance to work for the college.

Arindam: Were there any difficulties in winning this year? What was your strategy for this year’s elections?

Yogit: There were a lot of major obstacles and the competition was a tough one, no doubt. The college was facing multiple issues such as the absence of college fests, management problems and other issues faced by the blind students in the library. Another hurdle was when, on the day of scrutiny in early September, a fight broke out between two candidates (names withheld) which led to the elections being suspended for some time. After repeated pleas on our part, the Principal finally agreed to conduct the elections in October.

Arindam: Have you participated in politics before? Also, are you working for any social cause or in college events?

Yogit: I have actively participated in my departmental activities and also worked for college events over the years. I had also tried for the centennial team but unfortunately was not selected.

Arindam: In your manifesto, you have mentioned ‘Technologically advanced tuck shops..to help students meet their basic necessities’. What kind of facilities are you talking about? Can you elaborate on this?

Yogit: If you look around you will notice that our college, in spite of having a photocopy shop, does not have a stationery one, which many colleges have and is a necessity. For various reasons the students have to take printouts, browse the internet and have a basic need of stationery items. The purpose of a ‘Tuck’ shop is to provide all these facilities within campus grounds.

Arindam: Another interesting thing you have mentioned in your agenda is setting up an ‘Analyst Programme’ and ‘introducing a new software’. Can you explain further?

Yogit: This was an idea that came up amidst all the centennial fervor. The idea was, to create a link between the Ramjas college library and the university library which would be further connected to all the central universities in the country. I realise it is a big dream to have and would need  lot of work but it is not impossible. The principal has promised to consider this proposition once the centennial celebrations are over.

Arindam: That is a big project. Good luck with that! Now for my last question. You have made a lot of promises and it seems with the centennial celebrations and faculty and staff working around the clock, you might fall short of adequate resources or time, to deliver on your word. How, if this comes to be, are you planning to tackle this?

Yogit: The centennial team has a lot of students to handle with organising the celebrations but I believe for our goals to be reached we have all the resources we need. It would take time but I plan to involve all the class representatives (CRs) from ach department, to make it a more unified effort. If each department chips in, fulfilling all the agendas will be no hard task!

Image credits: Mr. Yogit Rathi

Arindam Goswami

[email protected]

Ramjas college, in lieu of completing a hundred years has been alive with celebrations and events, keeping the cheer in the air, all year round. Recently the college came with another extravaganza, the Grand Centennial Carnival which was a two day show in the campus. Bringing out the voices that often go unheard and sharing the joys of the centennial year by supporting the artists who need it, was the spirit of the Carnival.

 

DAY ONE – OCTOBER 25th, 2016

The Two-day Carnival commenced with the inauguration of the Centennial Parade by the Chief Guest, Shri Raj Kumar Gupta, chairman, Managing Committee, Ramjas Foundation, led by Acid-Attack Survivors. It was led by transgenders, bagpiper bands from Patiala, jugglers and acrobats, stilt-walkers, folk performers – all belonging to Purani Delhi. The parade portrayed the ethnicity of each state and culture, concocted by dhol and nagada beats. Teens, from the NGO Sankalp Foundation, ranging from the age of 12-14 presented a mind- dance performance. The foundation aims to uplift the social status of the students and supports them economically and emotionally.

An exquisite Mughlai cuisine was served at the food court: Zaika-e-Dilli with delicacies from every corner of the capital: Shahi-Tukda to Kebab, from lachhedar-Parathas to Rabdi and Kulfi Faluda to devour on. Biryani, chicken korma, kheer, chicken tikka, khamere roti, kebab roll topped the list of mouth-watering platter of various cuisines.

Sanchit Mahajan, founder of start up ‘Artysan’ and also an alumnus of the college, went ahead with the graffiti works, to paint one of the 40 feet long walls of the college. The event was in collaboration with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD).

The fun didn’t stop here, Life-sized Games (Ludo and snakes & ladders), rides and paintball, laser tag were some of the most indulged-in by the students. Ramjas was a host to students from colleges like Lady Shri Ram, Miranda, Hansraj, Hindu, Stephens, SRCC, Gargi, PGDAV and many more.

World-famous Sahitya  Academy awardee Puran Bhatt presented a Life-sized Puppet show that left the audience mesmerized .The First day culminated with dazzling Street Performances by fire-dancers and acrobats who enthralled students and teachers alike. Day one ended with the promise to keep the same level of energy, fun and enthusiasm going strong the next day.

 

 

DAY TWO- OCTOBER 26th, 2016

The second day of The Grand Centennial Carnival began with the speakers blaring up high to the final stride of Youthoria: a series of open-street fitness drives, with the zumba trainers giving it a kick start. It was followed by a skit presented by the students of RVS-4, Roopnagar spreading   a wonderful message of a pollution free Diwali  which was well received by the audience. Inauguration of Life-sized games by the chief guest commenced the board games and the adventure camp where students got an opportunity to escape the approaching exam stress and to showcase their best foot in Paintball, life-sized Ludo and snakes & ladders.

Extravaganza – a club of slam poetry session by Wordcraft – The Literary Society, was held which took everybody on a poetic tour of refreshing thoughts and memories which was followed by a jaw dropping performance by the dance society of Ramjas College: in step.

Fashion Show by Transgenders in collaboration with Ramjas Chapter of Enactus, was an inspiration to the crowd showcasing the confidence that the LGBT society has in itself. The show went on merrily, with the promise that Ramjas will never step back from its support towards making the country a transgender friendly hub. The rainbow flag, representing the desires and dreams of the neglected transgender community, was hoisted by Ramjasites,  giving it all a powerful boost. It was urged to be a reminder of the Ramjas alumnus, Justice Ajit Prakash Shah’s verdict on section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

Mystery painting followed by Sand Art, by a collaboration of Artysan and Melange: The fine Arts Society reminded the audience of the sacrifices of the untold stories of the heroes at the border-front.

After this came the much awaited part of the day, Dandiya Night – the main highlight of the day. It witnessed a foot-fall of 4638 students from all over the university. Celebrating ethnicity and cultural heritage in the most colourful way, everyone grooved to the dandiya mixes of Bollywood.

The Carnival culminated with the release of fire-lanterns symbolising ever-burning light and knowledge. The celebrations in Ramjas lit up the whole college and took everyone in its stride.

 

Image credits: Ramjas Centennial Team

Arindam Goswami

[email protected]

While the Indian rendition may lack our much-loved classics such as F.R.I.E.N.D.S and How I Met Your Mother, Netflix has plenty more to offer!

With multiple additions in the past two months, the ingenious online library of Netflix boasts of a wide range of TV shows, documentaries and movies! So turn off that phone, cancel your Saturday night plans, lay back and grab that one month free membership- we give you 6 reasons why we shouldn’t give up on our very own Netflix just yet.

  1. For all those Marvel fans out there, not only can you find the first season of Jessica Jones with the feisty Ritter, but you can also explore the dark shadows ofDaredevil’s Additional titles include Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Marvel’s game changing series, Defenders.

 

  1. For all the culinary enthusiasts whose deepest desire is to live on the Food Network with Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay, Netflix offers an exciting alternative. With a new documentary series that traces the lives of individuals who’ve made a real difference in the food industry, Chef’s Tableand its extension Chef’s Table : France , Netflix gives you a chance to discover picturesque locations and exotic cuisines. Kicking off with Massimo’s, Osteria Francescana, the third best restaurant in the world, it breathes everything that Indian culinary shows lack- good lighting, presentation and attractive studios.

 

  1. Netflix’s Originals cater to all genres – so whether you are looking for shows that are unique, exhilarating, pacey, thrilling, emotional, humorous or just the perfect mixture of bitter sweet, Netflix has got you covered. With the edgy Narcos and Making a Murdereror the Beasts Of No Nationthat pulls at our heartstrings, the Originals definitely have the potential to occupy those lazy Sundays.

 

  1. In addition to these TV shows, we can also avail a variety of crime and entertainment documentaries. Whether it is the highly sensationaliSed case of Amanda Knox, the American in Italy accused of murdering her roommate or films documenting the lives of icons like Frank Sinatra, Steve Jobs, Amy Winehouse and Gregory Peck, we can get it all.

 

  1. We all know the pivotal role that humour plays in our lives and Netflix understands our need for simple, plain-old downright , no-frills comedy. With Aziz Ansari’s very lovable Master Of None, the hilarious antics of Andy Samberg’s (yes it the man who created Lonely Island) Brooklyn Nine Nine and Russel Peter’s Almost Famous– it is a goldmine of sarcastic, forthright humour. This is also your golden chance to watch the critically acclaimed sardonic yet relatable series, Bojack Horseman. So what you waiting for folks, get on that bandwagon now!

 

  1. Last but not the least; giving into the clichés of clichés, it features the iconic, cult classic, The Breakfast Club. Talk about taste!

Image Credits : bidnessetc.com

By Anahita Sahu

 

Commerce Association of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College hosted the second edition of its annual case study competition – ‘Contrivance 2016’ on 21st October 2016. In Contrivance, the participants are encouraged to select a business case study on their own within the premises of a generic theme. In the first edition of the event, the theme for selecting the case study was “Marketing Challenges” and this year, the theme chosen was “Strategic Management in Business”. The theme was selected with the belief that strategic management is the key to developing complex business models and understanding the nature of challenges in business.

The participants were required to prepare a case study under the ambit of the mentioned theme and form an analysis and solution for the case. The event was organised over two rounds. The first round was an online preliminary round and the selected top 9 teams made it to the final round where they were to give presentations to a panel of judges.

The event drew participation from over twenty colleges of Delhi University and various other colleges of Delhi-NCR. The judges for the event were Mr Vivek Bhatt, Vice-President, Axis Bank and Dr D.R. Saklani, Associate Professor, at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. Toshiba and Rex Shoes were the proud sponsors of this event.

The Contrivance team along with participants.
The Contrivance team along with participants.

The event started with addresses by the Convenor of Commerce Association, Ms Ruchi Gupta, the Principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Dr. P.K. Khurana, the teacher-in-charge of Department of Commerce, Dr. Anil Sardana and the judges. The participants then proceeded with their presentations of their cases. All presentations were followed by a series of questions from the jury and the audience. The judges said they were fascinated by the idea of graduate students having done these case studies on important business scenarios and encouraged the participants with their words of wisdom. Even the participants were very excited and were seen talking to the judges and taking their views at the end.

Vrashali Lohia and Shubhangi Gupta from Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology came in first.
Vrashali Lohia and Shubhangi Gupta from Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology came in first.

The first prize was bagged by the team of Vrashali Lohia and Shubhangi Gupta from Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, who were awarded a cash prize of Rs.10,000 and a sterling trophy. Their case study and analysis was on the upcoming Google Pixel phone. The second prize went to Shreya Verma and Shreya Chawla from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies while the third position was secured by Vartika Agarwal and Apoorva Goel from Shri Ram College of Commerce. Their case studies were on P&G and Walmart respectively. The participants and winners appreciated the management and organisation of the event at the conclusion to make Contrivance a success.

 

We are grateful to the authorities for listening to our pleas, but we shall not hesitate to go on strike again, if our demands are not met and discussed with proper attention” – Brajesh Singh, one of the student representatives during the strike in September.

Amit Tanwar and Priyanka Chawri joined forces with the students.
Amit Tanwar and Priyanka Chawri joined forces with the students.

On the 13th of October, Thursday, the students of Law Faculty went on Hunger strike again after the faculty refused to accede to their previous demands.

BACKGROUND

On the 14th of September, the students of Law Faculty sat on a hunger strike after mass failures where almost half the students had failed. Their demands were:

  1. Relaxation in promotion.
  2. Restoration of supplementary exams in the first and second year.
  3. Free revaluation for this semester and for introducing a full fledged revaluation scheme.
  4. Modification of the currently existing Improvement System with Best of Two.

In the end the Dean, Ved Kumari came forward and signed a written agreement stating that the faculty will fulfill their demands as soon as possible.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

After almost a month of being promised justice, the students were yet again, forced to sit on strike. Out of the four, the faculty was willing to recognise  only the first demand, that is, the rest were denied. According to one of the students, “Even after assuring us, they have moved back on their word. Relaxation of Promotion was our priority but it was not our only demand, as is being said. When classes do not take place regularly, syllabus is hardly completed and mass failure is happening, revaluation becomes imperative.

Outside the Dean's Office
Outside the Dean’s Office

Allegedly, the statutory committee which was supposed to draft the proposal to be sent to the UGC, discussed only on the issue of promotion. Afterwards, the faculty denied the rest of their demands stating them to be impossible. On the other hand, the Dean, Ved Kumari stated that when the faculty was willing to give them the rest of their demands, they did not agree. The issue remained locked on both sides. SHO of Delhi Police, Aarti Sharma was also present on the scene.

Amit Tanwar, President of DUSU and Priyanka Chawri, Vice President, sat down with the students in support of their cause. Even an hour long discussion among the Dean, Tanwar, Chawri and the grieved students yielded no results. “The issue of mass failures has been here since a long time and it is time that somebody takes the first step to resolve it.Mithilesh Jaisal.

According to DUSU PresidentAmit Tanwar, “ Many of the students here are also working and a year back or bad results can jeopardise  their careers. The students of Law Faculty have the full support of DUSU and we will see to it that this issue is resolved as soon as possible.

For more information, read our previous report: Mass failures In Law Faculty – Students Protest In Agitation

Image credits: Arindam Goswami for DU Beat.

Arindam Goswami

[email protected]