Avnika Chhikara, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

The placement season in the University of Delhi (DU) is a period of adrenaline rushes and great havoc. After shedding sweat and efforts of three years, the students have passed with flying colours as top recruiters visit the campuses of one of India’s premier universities.

The highest package, this year was provided to a student of B.A. Economics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram (LSR). The student received an offer of INR 38 Lakh per annum, which is a Rs. 1 lakh per annum increase from last year’s highest package offered, which was INR 37 Lakh per annum. A total of 127 students were placed this season with more than a hundred companies with stellar companies like BCN, EY, ICICI, KPMG, Schoogle among the many, this placement season.

Students from LSR, St. Stephen’s College and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) are usually the top performers, with respect to packages offered. B.A. Economics (Hons), B.Com. (Hons) and B.A. Statistics (Hons) continue to be the most sought after degrees by companies. Highest offers have increased, and so have the average salaries offered.

A B.A. Economics (Hons) student from St. Stephen’s, Nitish Korada bagged a package of Rs. 31 Lakh per annum, from consultation firm Ernst and Young-Parthenon. St Stephen’s College has seen an increase of INR 12 Lakh per annum, from the highest salary being 19 Lakh per annum last year. At SRCC, a B.Com. (Hons) student has been offered a package of Rs 31 Lakh per annnum from EY-Parthenon. At Hindu College, the highest offer witnessed an increase from Rs 29 lakh last year to INR 31 lakh this year.

While colleges like Hansraj College received packages shooting to Rs 31 Lakh per annum with companies like Macquarie Global Services, Deloitte USI, Deloitte India, ICICI bank, Outgrow, Boston Consulting Group among the many coming for campus placements. The average package rose to 5.5 LPA as compared to 5 LPA in the previous session. An impressive number of 168 students have already been placed out of a total of 220 applicants, with the most popular job profile offered in this placement cycle was of Business and Financial Analyst

Ramjas College saw the highest package worth INR 21 Lakh per annum with companies like TresVista, PWC, Decathlon, Growisto, BCG, Zee Media, Tata Consultancy services, ITC Group, and EY being some of the companies out of the total 32 companies that visited the campus this placement season.

Maitreyi College saw a 100% hike in the highest placement, which is Rs 12 Lakh per annum as compared to INR 6 Lakh per annum in the previous season. They conducted their very first Placement & Internship Fair which saw a participation of almost 600 students in the fair. Over 50 companies provided internship opportunities to the students in a multitude of profiles ranging from digital marketing, content writing, graphic designing, business development, finance, blogging, teaching, volunteering, and research. The stipend ranges from INR 3,000-15,000.

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College saw highest packages worth INR 6 Lakh per annum with companies like McKinsey, S&P Global, L&T Construction, Red Carpet, Six Red Marbles, Just Dial, Life Easy, Jaro education, Decathlon, EY India among the many, with around 128 students being placed into the 37 companies that came this placement season.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College saw highest salaries at INR 9 Lakh per annum with companies like Egon, Byjus, Patent Yogi, Smith and Drucker, Eigo, Paathshaala, etc. recruiting students from all fields of study.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi received of 10 LPA and an average package of 4.5 LPA. Companies like PayTM, Dell, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, Wipro (Computer Science scholar program), Byju (Computer Science Associate), Zycus, Deloitte (Computer Science Associate) and CVent came to the campus.

It is observed the most generous packages have been offered in the consultation field, which attracts many young students aspiring to carve a niche for themselves in the corporate world. Top Companies also look for Extra Curricular activities, Social Work, Analytical and Logical abilities and communication skills, apart from good grades.

Following are some statistics that explain the colleges with the highest placements.

College	Highest Placement [Rs]	Average Placement [Rs]	No. of companies visited that campus this placement season	Number of students that were placed this year
LSR	37.8 Lakh per annum	8.9 Lakh per annum	>100	127
Hansraj	31 Lakh per annum	5.5 Lakh per annum	70	168
Ramjas	21 Lakh per annum	4 Lakh per annum	36	80
SBSC	20 Lakh per annum	4.89 Lakh per annum	20	160
Maitreyi	12 Lakh per annum	4 Lakh per annum	7	62
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa	6 Lakh per annum	3.5 Lakh per annum	45	128
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa	9 Lakh per annum	4.77 Lakh per annum	48	66

DU Beat congratulates all students for their extraordinary achievements.

Image credits: Debaangshu Sen for DU Beat

Avnika Chhikara

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Antriksha Pathania

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Shreya Agrawal

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Arts & Culture

Of Goodbyes and Partings: A Bittersweet Oxymoron

By Avnika Chhikara April 27, 2019

Goodbyes are meant to be cathartic, period.

The very first time I experienced a goodbye in my life was bidding adieu to my neighbour in Mumbai, to whom I was the closest to, as she parted to move to New Zealand. I was five and very oblivious to what a goodbye meant. A bye for me was customary to say when I parted with my friends, after an evening of playing with them by the swings; to kiss a goodbye to the elders as they would leave from their short stay at our place or to part from my cousins as we would come back home after the sweet summers. What all of these were to me were temporary, with an assurity of coming back. But the goodbye to my friend, as she went for a journey crossing seas, and starting a new life there, was new. The feeling never sunk in, of the fact that I will in fact never be seeing her soon enough and this is how the fear of a goodbye grew-because it grew so over bearing and emotional.

As we approach the time when we will be bidding adieu to many people- our beloved friends who will all graduate and go to different places, to our family from whom we will render away, and to so many other things which will come our way, because they are cyclical in their nature. For a beginning, there has to be an end. Everyone has a different sense of affiliation when it comes to parting. For me, it starts with the initial step of developing a sense of a slight fear, you know the one where you need to heave deep breaths and where you want to lure away into this whimsical land, as it is more peaceful than the reality next to you. It then starts with formulating skillfully crafted personalized messages, to each of the parting member, as you want that last proper conversation to mean something; after all we all value every single thing. The finality where you know this will be the present conclusion and then a dramatic vision of them fading away.

Why goodbyes are this bittersweet oxymoron is that they can be so sudden and they can be so drastic. The calculative element that surrounds a goodbye seems to get away into some other dimension. When I realised while typing this article out, this would be my last article for this workplace, a thousand ideas as vast and clueless as the seven oceans whizzed past me, and after keeping this one on hold for quite a long time, I knew that I needed to develop something which was ultimately, heartfelt. To peruse the thread, and not glide on to the hobby horse, i.e. memories for me; the keys started synchronising in a choir I half knew and half came magically as I scanned my brain for everything I did in the past ten months here with a calming bliss.

How does this upsetting feeling, feel better? Well, thanks to different arts of venting it out, for photographs which serve as a perennial memory, to the paranoia which will keep surfacing, but above all, to submitting yourself to Sinatra and lights out eyes closed feels, the realisation that the need to move on comes with a subconscious hope that we are moving onto something better. A supervisor of mine, from where I was last interning said, “The correct time to leave, will never really approach, but a point of satiety will. That is when you know to call it quits and move on.” From her verses, I gaze through my journey on so many different paths that I have crossed in these past nineteen cruising on twenty years. Every place you land on and are ready to take off from, remember to take the part of it you adore the most (which whilst explaining to people I say, “jaise kisi jagah ki mitti ko lekar aa rahe ho apne saath” as a touché’ souvenir), alongside a spiritual maturity you receive at every end.

Waving goodbye by FR Harper Image Credits: American Gallery — Waving goodbye by FR Harper
Image Credits: American Gallery

Its good and it’s a bye, it is bitter and it is sweet, paradoxical, but fortunate enough to depict us, this is what a conclusion to a current chapter in life is. The next battle is to move on, and while I cannot guarantee out of the two which would be relatively smoother, but the fact that when you will look up to the sky and realise every cloud has a silver lining, rise and shine to seize the new day!

And here as I will sign up for the last article, I thank every single reader, every single editor and team mate who has sailed with me for so far, and when I am here to place my anchor on the good shore, you will tread forward and I hope for the very best for you!

Feature Image Credits: Fine art America

Avnika Chhikara

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DUB News

DRC Hostel Continues Ill-Practices Despite HC Inspection

By Avnika Chhikara April 24, 2019

The Daulat Ram College hostel residents continue to suffer at the hands of their matron as the HC Inspection is underway.

Unhygienic toilets, walls crawling with roaches and semi-cooked food, the tyranny of the Daulat Ram College hostel towards its residents continues.The residents of Daulat Ram College hostel have been protesting for months against the warden and the matron. Facilities in the hostel are in deplorable condition along with incessant moral policing and sexist comments.

In February residents of the hostel marched to the Vice Chancellors office and staged a sit down, demanding their rights. The Delhi High Court, finally intervened in the matter.During the inspection by court commissioners, allegations of harassment over social media posts and usage of makeup were reported.

In the detailed report by Nandita Rao and Shubham Mahajan, acute shortage of toilets and it’s facilities were reported. The rooms too were found to be in dilapidated condition.

An aura of fear and hatred surrounds the hostel, “The condition of the hostel is terrible. What is really disheartening is that one can bear the effect of the lack of infrastructure to some extent but the fact that there is nothing space for even mental relaxation is traumatizing. Several students are having anxiety issues and the matron doesn’t seem to care even a tad bit.” said, a second year resident of the hostel.

Another resident who chose to stay anonymous elaborates on the moral policing and harassment, “the matron takes printouts of social media pages like Instagram and shames the women. Her sexist remarks are nothing new.”

“It’s almost like she’s taking revenge” continued another student, “the washrooms were filthy before the protests and HC inspection, now they are worse. The food has affected my health. I can’t go back to the hostel, it’s a horrific place. It has affected my mental and physical health”.

The matron, Dr. Sushma Tandon has been the hostel matron for over 40 years has had compliance against her earlier as well. The tumultuous and tyrannical atmosphere has barely given students space to breathe.

“The HC inspection took place about a month ago, and the commissioners who came were really helpful and sweet, and more than that understanding. But between the inspection, and the submission of this report, the SC gave a stay order to the current warden, which made the students lose all hope.” The matron has now reportedly resorted back to harassing students and students are forced to pay the mess fee which they had boycotted during the protests. The verbal abuse too, has ensued.

Students regret ending the protest too soon. “We had help from Pinjra Tod too however, we ended the protests too soon. Maybe that gave them an excuse to treat us this way”

The High Court has now directed the report should be placed before the Supreme court, which is hearing the matter relating to appointment of the girls hostel warden.

Image credits: DU Beat archives

Jaishree Kumar

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Campus Central

Modern Indian Language courses to get 10% cap on enrolments by Delhi University

By Avnika Chhikara April 24, 2019

The Delhi University has decided to bring out a proposal where a 10% cap will be put on the number of students opting for Modern Indian Language (MIL) as optional subject at the undergraduate level.

Various colleges of the varsity provides students with different Modern Indian Languages such as Sanskrit, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Punjabi as an optional subject to students of BA programme and B Com programme courses which when opted are compulsory for the students to study in the first two years as a core course.

The decision taken by the DU’s Academic Council (AC) aims at equally distributing students in each of these languages in every college. The committee is also contemplating introducing a uniform relaxation policy for all the colleges who awards 4% to 10% relaxation in marks to the students who take up these languages while taking admissions.

The standing committee passed the agenda items during its meeting last week which states, “The admission committee felt the need to relook the eligibility criteria related to MIL having a uniform policy of awarding advantages to students who wish to pursue languages in higher studies for all colleges.”

This move also reduces the burden on colleges which are offering more than one language courses as an optional subject. All the language courses would be able to draw students and not only a select few will get precedence over others.

According to a B.A. programme student from Gargi, “Fixing the number of students for language is beneficial for students as some colleges do not have infrastructure to accommodate too many students in one class, that leads to the division of sections and many times a complex time table not suitable to all. Above all, if a student is really willing to study a particular language allotment needs to be done on the basis of merit or any other fair procedure”

This move might also reduce preferability for only one or two languages and complete neglect of others which often results in colleges to stop offering them to the students not only affecting the students but also the teachers.

According to Hindustan Time’s unnamed source from the standing committee, “This has happened in many colleges, they have stopped offering many languages eventually. The idea behind fixing the number of enrolments is to encourage regular admissions in all languages.”

Image credits: Adithya Khanna for DU Beat

Antriksha Pathania
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DUB Speak

Changing the landscape of Gothic literature one horror story at time: Edgar Allan Poe

By Avnika Chhikara April 24, 2019

“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality” – Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe is renowned for introducing the world to detective fiction as we know it and his unmatched gothic tales which are chock-full of morbidity and macabre elements. He saw strangeness and horror in things that were common place, through his words he weaved horror that not only rattled the soul but also captured the imagination of his audience.

The 19^th century America was plagued with high mortality rate where children died in infancy, women rarely survived childbirth and the general atmosphere was filled with despondency. This proved a solid ground for Poe’s morbid tales to take root and thrive. His words brought the elements of violence, cruelty, madness, horror and existential dread alive in the heart of his readers and they could relate it with their surrounding which was at that time pervaded with feeling of grief and loss.

He derived inspiration heavily from his life which saw tragedies early on, with death of his mother during childbirth, death of his foster mother and death of his young wife Virginia. His work derived from this despair of his childhood and combined shock seamlessly with horror pulling the reader into his world of melancholy.

The Gothic tales of that time were becoming cliched with their repetitive content which involved dark castles and haunting secrets and in that environment Poe’s macabre tales emphasized on the strangeness of human psyche. He made his horror realistic by using the very whimsical and complex nature of psychology and tried to rationalize it through the medium of science.

In Premature Burial, Poe pens down the very real fear amongst the public about being buried alive which was a common occurrence at that time. He takes his dark romantic vision to another level with works like Berenice which has a level of psychological depravity that can give you goosebumps. In my personal favorite, The Masque Of The Red death, Poe personifies the plague like death itself which comes down on Prince Prospero and his horde of nobles with a vengeance. With the splendor of abbey, general sense of foreboding and the inevitability of death he draws a compelling horrific narrative.

Poe would construct the beginning in such a manner that it brought the feeling of apprehension upon the readers, cue this beginning from The Tell-tale Heart, “True! –nervous –very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses –not destroyed –not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?”

While his literary career was full of ups and down and death brought his turbulent life to an end, his stories paved way for rational horror stories and now he is immortalized in his works, forevermore!

Image credits : Pinterest

Antriksha Pathania
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Why Skinny Isn’t Beautiful

By Avnika Chhikara April 18, 2019

Being skinny is not as ideal as it seems to a layman, read on to find out more.

From what society dictates- petite bodies, thin waists, skinny legs have been considered desirable. But even after spending eighteen years in this skinny body, it is safe to say that I have never felt beautiful. A common misconception among people is to generalise this concept of beauty. Beauty exists on a spectrum, we all perceive people and how they look differently. While there is a majority and minority perspective it is unfair to dismiss the problems of either.

The concept of skinny shaming refers to criticising people’s bodies for being too thin or underweight. People often talk about fat-shaming, but skinny-shaming is often invisible to many people. The reasons for this are obvious and understood. Being skinny does, to an extent, come as a privilege which is something one cannot deny. But the problem arises when we refuse to acknowledge skinny-shaming which could affect an individual’s mental and physical health, esteem and confidence, daily functioning and so on.

Today in pop-culture ‘thicc’ and ‘big booty’ has been popularised and equated to ‘looking like a snacc’ to spread love to all sizes, negative connotations have now been attached to those who do not look that way. Beyond song lyrics being offensive, such as in Anaconda by Nicki Minaj, to people who are skinny, several instances of antagonising thin people also arise.

A few weeks ago, I almost fainted in a mall, instead of helping me two elderly women pointed at me publicly and assumed “I had not been eating to become skinny like Instagram models”. Several remarks and comments become a part of our lives especially in Indian households and even by strangers, where skinny girls are told to eat more to give birth to healthy babies or to look good in their wedding dress. Most people are in fact ignorant to the concept of metabolism and oblivious to the idea of body issues.

Jokes on skinny people are endless. From “Arrey, hawa chal rahi hai kuch pakad lo, udd jaogi” to “I can hold your entire wrist with two fingers” to even “Don’t worry, not all boys like curvy girls”. Being compared to sticks, scales, children in Africa are all experiences we face in school. Seeing other boys and girls become older looking and here you are still fitting into a t-shirt you bought in class nine.

The craze to become skinny has reached many highs- models eating once a day to exercising endlessly to even surviving on napkins. But it is normal to feel isolated in a place where curves are pedestalised and complaining is out of question. On the first idea, several body issues also arise out of being too skinny such as- on wearing jeans, people commenting how super skinny your legs are, wearing loose clothes, several failed attempts at highlighting your ‘shape’, staring at yourself in the mirror and hoping you were bigger in places by just a few inches. Being disappointed at not finding how-to-gain-weight-apps, trying mom’s nuskas of eating papaya, mango and what not, only to see no change and feel unhappy.

On the second idea, thin people are not even allowed to feel bad about themselves. Any dissatisfaction is dismissed with a “You are so lucky you are skinny” and every hurtful comment is hidden under the garb of “It was just a compliment ya”. These people are not even allowed to speak out about their experiences of facing body insecurities.

Skinny isn’t just beautiful. Skinny, fat, hourglass, pear, apple, fork and whatever other body category we are forced into are all appealing and attractive. No one has been a bigger critique of us than we are of ourselves, we cannot mold ourselves into what society dictates next but can try to accept ourselves. To those who love you, you will be cherished. Being big or small will never define you as a person, only what you make of yourself.

Image credits: Kali Kardia Apparel

Shivani Dadhwal

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Auburn Umbrella: Gossip Girl Inspired Fashion

By Avnika Chhikara April 17, 2019

It has captivated us for ages now and this Auburn will help you pick out GG inspired outfits that do not get restricted to your Pinterest likes.

Along the steps of University of Delhi, a revolution is heard. Will S win the battle with her bohemian-chic outfits or will B and her minions’ crush the efforts with affluent seasonal picks? It is a battle worth finding out.

Gossip Girl has been a guilty pleasure for its engaging dramatic content and its glamourisation of the affluent. What made this series ever more charming has to be the amazing fashion choices pulled out by all the characters, yes even Rufus!

Find out how you can create your own Gossip Girl inspired outfits at a budget:

1.“Tights are not pants”

Thanks to B.Waldorf’s bold choices, it is acceptable now that dressing up in rouge isn’t half as bad!

Queen B also made us fall in love with yellows, ensuring that it can also be styled and worn in a million confident ways possible!

Definitely a bold choice, but try out any patterned tights with solids, or a cross-pattern work to enhance your outfit’s appeal. Pair it up with an eclectic bag which you can find at any thrifty store or a flea market, to add some desi flair to your outfit!

2.Easy and breezy like S

Serena Van der Woodsen’s style has been bohemian, and yes she doesn’t shy away from trying on the coolest outfits ever. Through the seasons you may have witnessed her outfits comprising of flowy summer dresses and oversized sweaters and chunky jewelry, making the appeal for the boho-chic ever brighter! Do not restrict the summers for a more casual and flowy look. Invest in oversized sweaters and cardigans and pair them up with dresses and tights, or the usual skinny jeans and thigh high boots for the perfect laid back look! Add bright summery skater skirts or palazzos with a solid tank top and uber cool flats to complete your summer look!

Auburn tip: Check out the men’s section to find the best collection of oversized and comfortable sweaters.

3. Little J Day

Jenny’s style was more towards gothic and comprised of more tight-fitting clothes and heavy smokey eyes, the appeal is pleasing nonetheless.

Here is how you can create a Little J look which would be a perfect outfit choice for a night out or for a concert. Fishnet stockings and high-waisted jeans with boots, followed by an eclectic accessory collection does wonders. Definitely load up on the smokey eye and pair it with the grey’s or the blacks. Grunge redefined!

4.Suit up like Chuck Bass

The raspy voice wasn’t the only thing which added more to Chuck Bass’s appeal. This UES boy featured one of the best menswear in the entirety of the show. Be it checked blazers or pink suits, nothing could beat the Chuck Bass appeal.

While his style will definitely not come off as casual, to suit up like Bass, invest in a proper formal wear outfit. If a blazer seems too much, stick to suspenders to give it a cool vintage vibe, but also look extremely presentable at the same time.

5. Dazzle unlike Lonely Boy

It seems that the only person who dresses up like an actual teenager/youth in the entire series is Dan Humphrey, hence being a big source of outfit motivation. A typical Dan Humphrey outfit would entail flannel shirts and denims. For a smart casual look, a solid tee with a blazer and jeans and an impressive pair of oxfords will complete the look!

6.Mama Lily sans her weddings

Lily Bass/Humphrey/Rhodes defines elegance and charm. With her sleek buns and enviable jewelry collection, she leaves all of us dazed and that too with her added calmness, even in the crumbling world around her.

The sleek and elegant look can be attained by pairing your outfits with a befitting bun up-do. A sleek low bun with a middle part and simple studs and a nude lip tone will make your look sparkle and scream sophistication. Here’s to all of the department fests coming up where you want something edgy or different!

Image Credits: You know you love fashion

7. Brooklyn it up like Vanessa

She is bold and definitely proves that style shouldn’t be synonymous with money. Vanessa appeals to a more bohemian and carefree look, but being an assertive and independent woman at the same time. This marks as the ideal daily wear for college, now that summers are approaching.

Include Aztec print shorts or skirts alongside tank tops and chunky jewelry to glam it up like V! Throw in a bohemian or eclectic handbag to give a complete carefree vibe. What is better is that this entire look can be created by visiting your favourite flea markets and won’t pinch a bit! So what is the wait for?

8.On your way to replace headbands with tiaras

It was the Blair Waldorf fever which made us all aware that headbands are an essential in our wardrobes and not something restricted to just little girls! Ranging from bandanas to scarves and headbands, there are so many of them to choose from. They are extremely versatile and go with both- the Indian and the western outfits!

Definitely invest in headbands and wear it like a crown so you step out and seize the day!

9.Ever more Trench

Trench coats are a perfect piece of clothing. They are warm, look extremely chic and make us look tall!

From patterned trench coats to solid ones, you can pair it with your dresses, jeans and boots or even over sweaters! Complete the look with a beret cap and a bold lip colour to make a perfect style statement.

Spotted on the steps of the Met: an S. and B. power struggle. Whose fashion would appeal to DU more? There’s nothing Gossip Girl likes more than a good fashion fight. And this could be a classic.

Avnika Chhikara

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Campus Central

Ramjas College administration: will Not accept Articles on Politics

By Avnika Chhikara April 17, 2019

The administration has put out a notice asking students to refrain from sending articles on political themes.

In a recent move by the Ramjas College administration, articles with political themes will not be accepted for the college magazine Anand Parvat but rather, students are encouraged to submit ‘generalised’ writings instead. A further notice was sent clarifying that students may send the article on any topic but, which stated that, “students should however take precautions that the Election Commission of India has issued certain guideline to give views on social media in light of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections”.

The move apparently comes after the February 2017 clashes in Ramjas which erupted after Umar Khalid was called for a seminar organised by the literary society and the department of English. Repeated censorship and systemic silencing in Ramjas has been condemned by the students.

“I don’t understand how can academic space be divorced from the political and read in isolation, that too in a college like Ramjas, whose walls smell of resistance and dissent. I find it very immature and undemocratic on the part of the administration to issue such an arbitrary notice.” said Yash Chaudhary, a third year statistics student.

Dr. Vinita Chandra, an associate professor at the Department of English who was previously a faculty advisor to the student editorial board remarked that this was the first time in Ramjas’ history where the magazine was brought under the staff council, “the money for the college student magazine comes from the students…College magazines, like school magazines, are meant to provide students a platform to express their creativity and their ideas about college life and the world they live in. It is not meant to be an academic journal. An administration that thinks it needs to censor its students and is afraid of allowing them to speak is truly out of touch with young people and needs to look into the reasons for its mindset.” she added.

The drastic move has also brought about resistance from the students. The Students Federation of India (SFI) plans on organising a protest on the 18th of April, 2019 in the college premises against the administration. Resistance follows Ramjas in uproar on social media and posters in college as the administration remains mum on the move.

“Well, the kind of censorship being seen in a space like Ramjas only further reiterates that there isn’t a better time to serve your country by writing politically, and keep fascism at bay” said another student, who would like to remain anonymous.

According to a Hindustan Times report, magazine convenor G. Chilana said that he had received complaints from various departments about the notice. “We are not sidelining any department or subject. We just want students to write more on academic issues rather than about any political event or ideology which has no relevance for the magazine. They should understand this,” Chilana said.

Image Credits: DU Beat archives

Jaishree Kumar

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News

Successes in National Security, failures in Economy: DU students on Government Performance

By Avnika Chhikara April 10, 2019

DU Beat looks at the results of its exclusive election survey, ‘DU Mandate: The 2019 General Elections’. The results are out and the first part explores the students’ views on the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and the Government performance.

With a little over 85 per cent DU students hoping to vote for the first-time, this election holds greater significance for the students. While over 72 per cent said they would be voting, the remaining who didn’t plan to vote or weren’t certain about it, mostly explained that their voter ID cards belonged to a different state than Delhi; some others said that they hadn’t had theirs made.

Asked to select the three biggest achievements of the government, there seemed to be a considerable consensus that the government performed best in the field of ‘Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy’ with 69 per cent respondents choosing it as one of their three preferences. Accounting for the overlapping preferences, ‘Defence and National Security’ and ‘Welfare Policies’ followed with 52.7 and 51 per cent votes respectively.

Understandably so, the Government had been able to create its image of being a tough and determined one. The post-Uri and post-Balakot strikes, the Rafale deal despite its controversies, had turned the tide in the government’s favour in terms of defence and national security. The support that India received from the international community after the Pulwama attacks and in its bid to have the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist also served well. Making schemes like ‘Swachh Bharat’, ‘Ujjwala Yojana’ and ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’ some of its hallmark policies, the government seems to have drawn support for attempting to bring grassroot change.

Conversely, in the fields of ‘Economy’, ‘Delivering on Electoral Promises’ and ‘Ensuring Press Freedom’, the government performed worst with 52.7, 36.7 and 32.3 per cent people respectively naming these as one of the three biggest failures of the government. A close fourth was ‘ensuring civil liberties and rights of citizens’.

These failures can be understood in light of the demonetisation exercise along with a faulty GST, which adversely affected the economy, especially in the informal sector. A sharp fall in employment, which reports claimed has hit a 49-year low, was a far cry from the BJP’s promise of providing 2.5 crore jobs per year. Moreover, death threats to and killings of journalists by people considered to be close to the ruling party and its affiliates, the imposition of seditious charges and severe laws like the National Security Act (NSA) on students, activists and journalists and branding many as ‘anti-national’ had been widely criticised. The multiple lynchings severely damaged the status of fundamental rights.

The Prime Minister seems to have attracted diverse opinions on a personal level. Mr. Modi was described by 34 per cent respondents as being ‘strong, bold’, while another 30.5 per cent felt that ‘nation first’ was one of the three best descriptive terms for him. ‘Manipulative and shrewd’ emerged as the third best adjective for the Prime Minister.

Terms that describe Mr Modi the best. — Terms that describe Mr. Modi the best.

This falls in line with the achievements and failures of the government. A reasonable correlation can be drawn between the voted successes in national security and diplomacy and the description of Mr. Modi as being a strong leader who puts the nation first. On the other hand, a similar correlation perhaps exist between high percentage of being ‘communal, divisive’ and the failures in ensuring civil liberties in the light of lynchings, and so does between low pragmatism and failures in the economic sphere.

The Prime Minister’s performance rated on a scale of 1-5

When asked to select a maximum of three of the best performing ministers of the union government, a considerable majority of 65.6 per cent chose Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External Affairs, as one among the three. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, were each selected by 34.7 per cent of the voters. This again substantiates the consensus on defence and foreign affairs being two biggest achievements of the government, as per the survey. Mr. Gadkari had also been hailed as one of the best performing ministers of the government especially because of his work with road-building. He also came to the fore due to speculation that he might emerge as a possible prime ministerial candidate in case of a hung assembly.

The performance of the Council of Ministers.

While the rating for the Council of Ministers seems similar to that of the Prime Minister, with both being rated highest at 3 out of 5, the rating for the former tended to concentrate more around the Centre. However, the rating for the Prime Minister drew 13.5 and 16.3 per cent votes at the two extremes of 1 and 5 out of 5 respectively – indicating a much more polarised and divided opinion over Mr. Modi’s personal performance as compared to that of his Council of Ministers who drew less than 10 per cent votes at either extremes of the scale.

The ratings for the overall performance of the government from 1 to 5

Keeping in line with the performance rating of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the overall performance of the government also was largely considered average, with 27.1 per cent respondents voting it 3 out of 5. However, at a more general level, the ratings of the government tended to be nearer to those of the Prime Minister – for instance, both drew over 12 per cent votes at the extremes.

Conclusions

The general consensus seems to be that the government’s performance was largely mediocre. Marked by gains in spheres of defence, national security and foreign affairs along with fiascos in terms of employment, delivering on poll promises and ensuring press freedom and civil liberties, the government stands at an interesting position. If it managed its external affairs well, the same cannot be said for matters home.

These achievements and failures are being seen in the run-up to the elections as well. The BJP has raised its national security and Pakistan rhetoric to a fever pitch. “Modiji ki sena” (Modi’s army) has come to the fore at the expense of jobs and vikaas. The picture being painted of Mr. Modi isn’t one of a harbinger of change, but that of the only true patriot in a sea of sharks.

Image Credits-

(Feature image) – Hindustan Times

(Graph sources) ‘DU Mandate: The 2019 General Elections’ by DU Beat.

Prateek Pankaj

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Campus Central

NIRF Ranking 2019: Delhi’s Miranda House and Hindu college ranked as Top colleges

By Avnika Chhikara April 10, 2019

The Ministry of Human Resource and development released its fourth edition of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) which was announced by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The Top Institute (overall) position was given to Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) whereas Delhi University’s Miranda House topped the list of colleges and Hindu College was ranked second. This year, six colleges of Delhi University featured in the top 10 which included St. Stephens College, Lady Shri Ram College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Hansraj College and were respectively ranked as second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth.

“The credits for achieving this feat belongs to foremost the Principal of our college, the phenomenal support of the professors and obviously students who played a major role in achieving this position by participating in classes as well as in learning process outside the classes.” Says Prof. R.B. Azad Choudhary of Hindu college.

While Miranda managed a glorious hattrick for itself by taking the first position, Delhi University’s other 22 colleges also managed to get featured in the list of Top 100 colleges of India.

Snimar, the Vice president of Miranda House said, “I think I speak for every Mirandian when I say that we are more than proud to be recognised as the best college in India for the third time in a row. The atmosphere and environment of Miranda House, the inclusivity, the wonderful faculty, our former Principal and our acting Principal have all been a huge part of this success.”

However, as compared to previous year when Delhi University was ranked seventh amongst top universities of India, this year it saw its position dipping to that of 13^th.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) featured at seventh in overall category and bagged second rank in the Top 10 universities of India whereas the first rank in this category went to Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. IIT-Delhi was placed third in the overall category whereas was ranked second in Top 10 engineering institutions. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) retains its position as Top Medical Institute of India.

Nikita Mohta, a student of Miranda house sums up the excitement in these words, “I am privileged, blessed and grateful to be at an institution with this repute. While I couldn’t be happier, I also know that on other side this is a fraction of the women in the country receiving quality education. The rankings speak of the capabilities of women today and how we need to work for the education of every girl child in the country.”

Image credits: DU Beat archives.

Antriksha Pathania
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