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Brij Pahwa

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What comes first – the nation or the individual self? Well, for patriots, it would be the former. But what about the self-satisfying class that we have now become? What about our own needs? What about our own desires and free will, which the constitution of this nation entrusts us with? Here goes the dilemma – what should come first, the country or self?

Such a concern has recently confronted the lawn tennis players of this country and more categorically, the Sports Ministry of India. So here goes the controversy: the ministry was wary of the fact that some senior national tennis players chose ‘other’ tennis tournaments and not those which would have had made them serve India at the International tournaments, like the Asian Games 2014. The reason given by the players was that they needed to ‘revive’ their rankings. Though, this hasn’t been the first controversy as a matter of fact when it comes to players participating in tournaments where they are recognised as not playing for the country but themselves.

If one goes onto find the reason of why such a thing even takes place, the first thing which comes to mind is ‘money’. De facto, the international tournaments such as the Wimbledon and the US open give more as reward money than other tournaments such as the Asian or the Commonwealth games. But is money the only issue? Sometimes it is pride which instigates players to play for such tournaments rather than those which will propose their national identity. Other times, it is being just horns-locked with the government for not providing enough preparation funds.

Whatever may be the case, the whole controversy certainly demoralises the spirits of the nation as a whole. And for the fans in a country like India, one of the more enthusiastic sporting nations of the world, the feeling gets buried deep inside. But what if tomorrow, you are given a chance to represent your nation and at the same time in a private international tournament which gives you a chance to make more money? Which one would you chose? In a dilemma, are you? Such has been the case with the sporting veterans of India as for what to choose, the country or self.

Featured image credits: www.bigstockphotos.com

The only state in India where you might not find liquor is Gujarat. But what if it were to be banned elsewhere? And what if that place would be none other than the capital of India? Well! The former chief minister of the only dry state now resides in New Delhi and he might find a reason somewhere in the near future to completely ban the consumption of alcohol here.

People who consume it and are reading this article would already have gone in a state of eternal shock. But what else could happen? Here are 5 most likely scenarios that would emerge if alcohol was to be completely banned in Delhi:

 

1. An end to the bars, pubs and clubs

The first and the foremost damage that banning of liquor will cause would be to the proud owners of bars and pubs. Liquor shops would close down, disgruntled owners would be seen having clashes with MCD shop sealers and many other unprecedented consequences would follow. What can be ensured though is a marginal economic crisis (seeing the huge number of alcohol serving shops).

2. A Juxtaposed Dharna

If the alcohol were to be banned amidst the rule of the incumbent government, likely scenario would be that the opposition local parties of Delhi as well as the national parties might stage a Dharna at all the likely spots possible. What will be interesting to see would be a clash between organisations favouring the ban as well as those (mostly the alcohol lobby) against it.

3. The Positive Side

Although banning of alcohol might create havoc in this alcohol loving city, we must not forget the other much positive scenarios that would build up. There would be a drop in the number of road accidents, less cases of domestic violence, day workers would be bound to secure money they now use on buying alcohol, chances of diseases which occur due to alcohol consumption would become minimal, etc.

 

4. The Rise of the Dark Corners

United States saw a huge surge in illegal consumption of alcohol when it was banned there for a whole decade between 1920s and 1930s. Such a scenario is likely to be caused in Delhi as well. Since illegal consumption would become phenomenally high, chances are that the rate of crime would also grow.

5. New Liquor Havens

A possible bane for the capital, banning of alcohol might become a boom for the NCR region where new liquor hubs would come up so as to ensure a regular supply of liquor based drinks to people who would now be travelling outside Delhi to consume their favorite drink.

 

The fight for power between the political honchos of Delhi University is about to begin and students affiliated to different political parties all over the campus have already started preparing themselves for the Delhi University Student’s Union elections to be held next month. For a normal DU student though, these elections are just another way a big political party uses to make utopian promises that are never fulfilled. Well, such perceptions are always in transition but there are in fact some things which remain constant during most DUSU elections. Let’s have a look at some of them:

 

The Great Irony (Wasting paper):

One of the many promises made by the political parties during the elections is management of different resources, the irony being they start their campaign by wasting one of the most crucial resources, paper. Every time you step out of the Vishwavidhyala metro station, you’ll find numerous pamphlets lying unattended and several more being distributed, again unattended.

 

Male Domination:

Sounds controversial, doesn’t it? But every time you witness such elections taking place in the university, the male candidature is drastically higher than the female candidature. One expects that when it comes to the national elections though not in those taking place at India’s top ranked university.

 

The Clichéd ‘Bhai’:

You are sitting in your class studying peacefully. Suddenly, the door is banged open and several people start pouring in while your teacher cannot do anything to stop them. Yes, they are called ‘Bhai log’. They come into your class and then address themselves as, well? Bhai Log. Anyway, the address will probably start with the line ‘Hamare Bhai (a person pointing to the candidate) iss election mein khade honge’, and then go on with about the promises they will fulfil and finishing with the trademark dialogue ‘Hamare Bhai ko hi jeetana hai aapne’. So much ‘Bha-ism’!

Mildly Offensive Content is a group trying to revive the dying form of verse, the Spoken Word; it is a group which is striving to amalgamate the thin line between rhyme and events of our day to day lives and where the students of DU have come together with one of the most blessed forms of human expression- Poetry.

It’s a Delhi based student’s run group which excels in performing the Spoken Word form of poetry. Starting with their first performance at the American Embassy School, Mildly Offensive Content has taken long strides forward since then. Till today, their shows have expanded to various cafes like Kunzum Cafe in Hauz Khaz Village, Potbelly in Shahpur Jat, NSIT College, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and the Downstairs Space in Panchsheel.

Apart from the performance by their own team members, Mildly Offensive Content also invites several other guest poets. According to one of the members, ‘We also invite several guest poets to perform with us, to be able to spread not just the culture of hearing poetry, but also the inspiration to imagine, write and perform. The most beautiful imageries have been crafted at our shows through a kaleidoscope of words. Following the conventions of Spoken Word, the audience show appreciation through snaps as and when they feel touched, overwhelmed or even provoked by what they hear.’

Under the genre of Spoken Word Poetry, they cover themes such as love, heartbreak and memories, to larger issues of communalism, freedom, gender, class and homosexuality. Currently at a strong 8 member team, Mildly Offensive Content plans on to work in the field of spoken word poetry for the coming years and enthrall their audiences through various strands of it.

Well, what do you need of a fine dining place? Good food, a calm and serene environment, dim lights and some pacifying music. Seems a bit utopian. Doesn’t it? But if you’re guessing so, you’ve got it wrong. Yes, there is a place here in Delhi, which offers you an amalgam of all of the above.

I have been to many a restaurants but this particular one garnered my attention more than ever before. To experience some fine dining, you got to be here, at Punjab Affaire in west Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh. Located at a busy extension, the place gives you a fine cuisine in North Indian, Mughlai and Chinese food.

The aroma of aesthetic Indian food and dim yellow lights will welcome you to this eatery and as soon as you enter, you’ll hear some soft Sufi music being played here. The traditional menu serves quality food and you must try the breath taking butter chicken if you are a non-vegetarian.

The most unique feature of Punjab Affaire is the rectangular metallic box they use to serve the after-food refreshment. It has 6 compartments with a variety of mouth fresheners.

Cost : 1000 for two people

Address : Punjab Affaire 1, Ground Floor, Shanti store market, Club Road, Punjabi Bagh

With the new party taking over the Human Resource Development ministry, chances are that the controversial four year undergraduate program installed by the University of Delhi might be scrapped. Sources have it, that the HRD ministry is already working out a way so as to incorporate the 4 year program into a 3 year one. BJP had already given hints last year that it might rollback the controversial programme as soon as it comes to power at the centre and it had been included in their manifesto as well.

Last year, there had been much protest when the program set in and it could have been easily removed if such an action would have been brought at the same time. But if FYUP would be scrapped now, it will pose a major threat to students currently enrolled in the existing Four Year batch. Not only will they have to do away with the Foundation courses, which they have already studied in their 1st year, additional disciplinary courses would also have to be incorporated into their syllabus for the next 2 years. Which would in turn mean that a student currently enrolled under FYUP would have to study 6 DC courses per semester. That’s a 3 time increase when compared to the existing burden.

It should also be noted that during the pre poll time period, the BJP had promised that if FYUP wouldn’t be scrapped, they’ll incorporate training and internships in the last year so that it might not go wasted.  Another proposal which may bring down the burden on students has been given by Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA), in which, by doing away with the 2 Foundation Courses, 2 more Disciplinary Courses (DCs) will be added along with the existing DCs in the 3rd and 4th semester. Such a move will incorporate the whole program into 3 years. Seeing the scenario, it seems a better option than scrapping the whole program since a year has already passed.

De Facto, if one may recall, the protests against FYUP were not due to its 4 year term but due to the hurriedly introduced Foundation Courses which many termed as ‘elementary school level’ subjects. But since the new ministry is planning to scrap the whole program, it seems that students will have to suffer the consequential burden. But there are other reasons which might pose a problem in the scrapping of FYUP. The Bachelors of Science (B.Sc.) program which had been changed into Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech.) requires a minimum of 4 years to serve a B.Tech. degree. If the whole program is scrapped, then the above course will also have to be reverted back into its original form, which would simply mean playing with the future of the students currently studying for a degree in Bachelors of Technology.

To top it all, the University Grants Commission is already putting pressure on the university to either scrap the FYUP programme or the Honours degree it is giving under the old 3 year semester mode through the School of Open Learning. Since the UGC’s rules require a university to give only 1 type of degree, either SOL will have to start giving degrees for only certificate courses or DU will have to do away with the FYUP programme.

Whatever happens next would be significantly life changing for the students currently enrolled under FYUP. I hope the new government takes a step which might not hamper the future prospects of these students.

School of Open Learning ( SOL ), Delhi University’s institution which provides correspondence degrees and which is likely to find its name in the Limca Book of Records for adding maximum number of students in a day, might soon lose all the credit it has achieved till date, thanks to UGC’s guidelines which prohibit a university to give two different types of degrees.

This situation has arrived due to the inclusion of FYUP in the colleges run by the University of Delhi. Since, FYUP was not introduced in the correspondence courses, they’re still running on the old 3 year mode which in turn is conflicting with the UGC’s rules. The follow up would be that the university might discontinue the honours degree it is providing through the SOL Programme. Such a decision would mean, that the open learning institution will only be giving out degrees for certificate and vocational courses.

Not only this, according to sources, it is also being alleged that the University is thinking of diverting the funds, which will be appropriated from the admission fees of students who applied for SOL, to start regional study centres for different colleges of the university. Adhering to which, principals of different colleges would also be given an amount of 25000 a month to give out the desired land for the constitution of study centres.

Faculty of SOL seemed perplexed when we asked them about these developments. ‘We have received the information through media only, though we are totally against scrapping the honours degree from SOL’, said Dr. U.S. Pandey, senior faculty in the department of Commerce, SOL.

Delhi University Teacher’s Association ( DUTA ) staged a dharna today condemning the same.

It’s the election time again, and the fruit of utopian promises has again found itself on the long braches of the autumn stricken tree. Yes, the ‘promises made, never fulfilled’ barb is back into the mainstream debates of several news channels but wait! Here is a party that claims that it has fulfilled that many promises in just 49 days, a feat which they claim, no other party has achieved so far in the history of India’s independence.

By now, you must have got a hint of the political party I’m talking about. Yes, I am in fact talking about the Aam Admi Party which has promised us some revolutionary ideas and reforms in their manifesto for the election year 2014-15. One such idea which has come under serious consideration is the set up of an East Delhi Campus for the University of Delhi. Shocked? Yes! We might soon have another campus of DU, on the lines of the north and the south campus, if the AAP candidate from East Delhi comes to power.

A poll promise gone too far? Not quite so, according to sources in the party. But here comes the tricky part, where will the resources come from, for this proposed plan? Land is a major issue which is already in a sorry state in the congested area of East Delhi. Imagine a cluster of colleges at a place where people still don’t have a place to live. Well, let’s not be pessimistic, as the AAP members say! The land will be sourced. But what if AAP does not come to power in the centre? Where, then, will the money come from?

These are some serious questions which have us wondering that the whole plan might merely be a vote-catching trick.

Not only AAP, another national party is trying to woo the youth of Delhi through some promises mentioned in their procrastinated manifesto. I am, of course, referring to the Modi Janata Party! Oh wait! Did I just say Modi Janta Party? My apologies, but the Modi hangover (and his ‘abki baar Modi sarkaar’ phrase)has seriously taken over me and most of the ‘janta’ of this country. The Bhartiya Janata Party has promised the scrapping of the much controversial ‘Four Year Undergraduate Programme’. Definitely, that’s a treat for those who still feel (and hope) that the FYUP can be scrapped. But the reality is, not only is it a difficult process to eradicate a whole study programme, it would also mean that the there would be uncertainty with regard to the batch of students already enrolled under it. Once again this has us doubting the possibility of the party going through with the move.

Coming to the old party of India, the Congress party, the leaders of which, have already indirectly declared a defeat so let’s not waste time discussing their vague promises.

As far as we, the students of DU, know, promises are something which political parties always make, and they have the right to do so. What we have is the right to find the one who is eligible to run the country. Speaking of which, I hope, we all intend to cast in our votes for the person we think is the most deserving. For those who think there aren’t any deserving candidates? Well, there’s always the option of NOTA!

Image courtesy: thehindu.com and theindianexpress.com

Preliminary rounds for Bizkrieg 2014, the Finance and Investment Cell of College of Vocational Studies organised the final rounds with select teams who made it through. The morning of 7th April saw a turnout of around 150 participants who reached Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute in North Campus, geared up for the various finance and management based events lined up for the day. The formal attire of the competitors added to the corporate aura that the organisers had hoped to create for the event. The day started off with the Opening Ceremony during which the Chief Guest, Mr. Upkar Joshi, the Financial Planning Manager at HSBC, addressed the students. After that, it was time for the competitive events! The participants and teams from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, College of Vocational Studies and Shri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce were the frontrunners in nearly all the events. During the course of the day the following competitions took place; The Schindler- Best Manager, (Bizkrieg’s flagship event), The Belfort- Best Marketer, The Gekko- Mock Stock, The Sheldon- Business Quiz and The Clash of Titans- Contingent Task. All the events, though based on core business skills, had a twist of historical elements mixed in them. The highlight of the event was The Schindler and The Belfort. In the quest to find the best manager and best marketer respectively, the participants were put through a series of tasks which included stress interviews and crisis situations that they had to crack using their presence of mind. The Schindler in particular had an innovative task which saw the participants take on the role of an official from the East India Company, who had to answer gruelling questions from an organising committee member posing as Aurangzeb! The questions were centred on a hypothetical situation that had been presented to the students wherein Aurangzeb’s ship, along with a bounty and his relatives, had been captured by an English Pirate. Nandita Jaitley from CBS took home the title of The Best Manager while Mahima Dissoria from the same college came second. Sanjivni from CVS was adjudged the Best Marketer for her creativity and spontaneity while Jashan Gupta and Aakash Singhla from CBS came first in the Mock Stock event.  The Sheldon, the business quiz was won by Anuraag Gupta and Tanmay Garg from SGGS, after they made their way through the intensive yet innovative rounds of quizzing. Ecovision from CBS took home the award for the Contingent Task, the Clash of Titans. 10176222_599212570168834_1678083956316941725_n With that, the first edition of Bizkrieg came to an end. Sasha Mongia, who is a part of CVS’s Finance and Investment Cell, told us that the participants had all shared positive feedback with the organising team and even praised their hospitality. Mahima Dissoria from CBS confirmed that by saying, ‘I liked the creativity of the events and it was clear that a lot of effort had been put in to them. The attention to detail ensured that all competitions were carried out in a synchronised and smooth fashion’.  With inputs from Meenakshi Kukreja and Anumeha Grover Image courtesy: Team FIC, CVS]]>