Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Author

DUBeat

Browsing
DUB Speak

DU Diaries: Events to watch out for this week

By

Its that time of year when DU is once again buzzing with activity, with most colleges slogging to organise their annual  festivals. Before the zing of these take over the varsity , DU Beat brings to your notice a few events to look forward  to this week .

Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival

Duration: Starting time Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 5:00pm

End Time: Friday, October 30, 2009 at 11:00pm

Location : Sirifort complex

Osian’s-Cinefan aims to promote world cinema with an emphasis on Indian, Asian and Arab Cinema by bringing to its audiences an eclectic range of films. The Festival particularly encourages Cinema as a form of artistic expression, and is engaged in the creation of a Cinematic Infrastructure which will support such efforts. The Festival accepts entries of feature length and short films in accordance with the criteria outlined in the following Rules and Regulations.The official sections of the 11th OCFF are: InCompetition; Shorts InCompetition; and InDialogue. In addition, the festival will screen films as part of retrospectives and tributes and special presentations.

Convergence

Duration: Start Time: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 9:00am

End Time: Friday, November 6, 2009 at 5:00pm

Location: Shaheed Sukhdev Bhagat Singh College

About : Convergence is a two day Corporate Seminar, wherein experts from various industries are invited to fortify the students’ knowledge and to provide an insight into the matters that will shape the future of corporate India. The theme of Convergence ’09 is “CONTAINING GLOBAL CHALLENGES”. This concept of a corporate seminar is unique to Delhi University.The occasion will also be graced by the  presence  of Delhi chief minister , Mrs  Sheila Dixit

Dr. Bharat Ram Open Sports Meet

Venue: Lady Sriram college for women

Duration: 30 th  october- 1st of November

About : Lady Shri Ram College for Women will be holding their Annual Sports Festival-the Dr. Bharat Ram Open Sports Meet 2009 from 30th October to 1st November. This is the only sports extravaganza hosted by a girls’ college in Delhi University for both men and women. It enjoys participation from thirty to fifty institutions, which comprise of most colleges in DU as well private colleges such as Amity, IIPM, AIIMS, MAMC, IILM and IIMC (JNU), each year.

Some of the popular events are Volleyball, Basketball, Athletics, Chess, Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, Shooting and Golf.

Blisspoint

Duration:  27th-29th October

Location : Sri Venkateswara College

About :Organised by the Economics Association of Sri Venkateswara College in collaboration with ‘ Development alternatives’, this international economics summit has’ Inclusive Growth and Environment’ as its theme.Its one of the most  prestigious  economics festival of the university and  has even witnessed international participation in the past. This time round the festival is offering prizes of a total value of Rs. 1.5 lakhs.

Premchand Memorial International Debate

Duration :  3rd – 6th of November.

Location: Hindu College

About : It is organized by the Hindu College Debating Society and  is one of the most prestigious 2 member parliamentary debates in Delhi University. A total of 38 teams from colleges from all over India and abroad are expected to be in competition for prizes worth Rs 81,000.

Keep Reading
By
News

Condemning Military Offensive Against Naxals

By

In the wake of the central government’s decision to deploy the army and air force against the Naxals, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, People’s Union for Democratic Rights and Jan Hastakshep organized a public meeting demanding the immediate calling off of the military offensive. The meeting was held last Saturday, at the Speakers Hall of the Constitution Club, Rafi Marg.

The speakers included political activists, social workers, scholars, ex-army personnel, etc. Although they held divergent views on the Naxalbari movement and the methods employed by it, they unequivocally condemned the use of violence by the state against its own people.

The meeting opened with an evocative speech by Prof Randhir Singh, who highlighted the role of ‘structural violence’ of the state in forcing the Naxals to take to arms

Indeed, a running theme through the speeches was an attempt to highlight the need to address the underlying causes of the problem, rather than suppressing it through the deployment of the armed and air forces. In terms of participation and support, the meeting was an affirmation of a belief in values of democracy and equality. However, it remains to be found how effective initiatives such as these and others would be in keeping the state from launching a military offensive against its citizens.

Keep Reading
By
Reviews

WOTS: Max Mueller Bhavan

By

Quick service, scrumptious filling food and a next door library , all contribute to the upbeat chilled out atmosphere of the open air pseudo canteen, a popular hangout of students during winters. The food is as delicious as the prices are cheap. A word of caution to the health freaks: probably not your sort of place if you want to keep your stomach light. However for those desiring to keep both their wallet and their stomach comfortably full, it is the perfect haven. In a measly sum of Rs. 50 one can get a complete meal. Specialties: The lip smacking sesame toast and sinful chocolate brownies are much hankered after by the regulars. We hear the macaroni and cheese too is particularly delicious. One can wash it all down with a drink ranging from the oh – so – healthy Prov and energy drinks to the creamy cold coffee. The crispy potatoes, on the other hand , are not much to write home about. Beware of the rather enticing service lane in front of the Bhavan if you are on the look out for a parking spot. Like the DUB team, the tow away crane, we hear is a regular visitor here too.]]>

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

MONSTER MYSTERIES REVEALED

By

and Aina 

Winged and hoofed, horned and haloed, these fantastical friends of ours have guided us through many books and movies, showing us glimpses of their magical world. DU Beat opens the door to their realm a little wider.

Dragons

You may have caught a glimpse of one breathing fire in underground Gringotts in your worn- out copies of Harry Potter or chanced upon a full blown battle between one and Beowulf. Yes, the legendary, fantastical, majestic Dragon. In most European myths, Dragons are large, reptilian creatures with large bat like wings and two or four legs. The Chinese dragon, on the other hand, is typically portrayed as a long, scaled, serpentine creature. The Chinese dragon is believed to be benevolent as opposed to their European counter-parts. The Dragon was historically the Chinese Emperor’s symbol and has come to represent China culturally.

There was much furore about dragons existing in the Middle Ages but the good old archaeologists have established that there were no dragons. There is proof that the bones believed to belong to dragons are actually those of dinosaurs or wooly mammoths.

So that makes the dragons mythical, but that only adds to their splendor and magnificence.

Trivia

  1. Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
    (“Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon”) is the motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
  2. Smaug, the dragon was the chief antagonist in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
  3. Dragon images have been found on the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, on scrolls from China, in Egyptian hieroglyphs and Ethiopian sketches, on the prows of Viking ships, in bas relief on Aztec temples, on cliffs above the Mississippi River and even on bones carved by Inuits in climates where no reptile could live.

Elves

Few beings arouse more awe and interest than the infinitely fair, light- haired immortals. Elves were first introduced in the Norse mythology.  Although the concept itself is never clearly defined in the exact sources, the elves appear to have been conceived as powerful and beautiful human-sized beings. The myths about elves have never been recorded. Full-sized famous men could be elevated to the rank of elves after death, such as the petty king Olaf Geirstad-Elf.

The most common rendition of an elf today is drawn from Tolkien’s version who himself was greatly inspired by Norse culture. Elves, in the Lord of the Rings and other books by Tolkien , are described as immortal, fair and agile. Elves are also, in a lot of popular literature, considered to be rather small, pixie like creatures. In Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling depicts house elves as 2-3 feet tall, with spindly arms and legs and over-sized heads and eyes. They are bound to their masters and their nature is servile.

Trivia

  1. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland the modern children’s folklore of Santa Claus typically includes diminutive elves at Christmas; green-clad elves with pointy ears, long noses, and pointy hats as Santa’s assistants or hired workers.
  2. William Shakespeare imagined elves as little people. He apparently considered elves and fairies to be the same race. In Henry IV, part 1, act II, scene iv, he has Falstaff call Prince Henry, “you starveling, you elfskin!”, and in his A Midsummer Night’s Dream, his elves are almost as small as insects. On the other hand, Edmund Spenser applies elf to full-sized beings in The Faerie Queene.
  3. The original German elves (Old Saxon alf; Middle High German: alb, alp; plural elbe, elber; Old High German alb, by 13th century) are thought to be light creatures who lived in heaven during the era of Germanic paganism, and may have included dark elves or dwarves underground (as understood to be similar to the álfr of Old Norse mythology).

Vampires

With Twilight being all the rage these days, vampires have re-made a foray into popular culture. Although the series shows them in a very positive light, vampires were traditionally evil figures who feasted on the blood of humans and other living creatures. They were reported to be bloated and purplish or ruddy in colour owing to their intake of blood, in sharp contrast with present day descriptions of vampires as being fair and pale-skinned.  Clad in the shrouds they were buried in, most representations showed blood dripping from their mouths and with long hair, nails and teeth. Though typically believed to be “undead”, some minor traditions believed them to be living people. The vampire as we know today was first created by John Polidori in 1819 in his book The Vampyre. However, it is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897 which is considered the true vampire novel and continues to inspire modern vampire fiction even today.

Trivia

  1. In Slavik and Chinese traditions, corpses were supposed to become vampires once animals, particularly a dog or cat, jumped over it. On the other hand, according to Russian folklore, vampires were once witches or people who rebelled against the Church when they were alive.
  2. Vampiric elements are found in Indian mythology as well. For example, the Baital Pachisi mentions vetalas who were ghoul-like beings that inhabited corpses. Goddess Kali, with her flaming red tongue, garland of skulls and fangs was also linked to the drinking of blood.

In the 18th century, there was a frenzy of vampire sightings in Europe that later came to be called “The 18th Century Vampire Controversy” and gripped the nation for almost an entire generation, fuelled by superstitions and causing mass hysteria

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

The Happy Hands Foundation

By

Sustainable development never got so innovative.  It’s not unlikely that at some point you may have admired the intricate workmanship of Indian handicrafts. Well, it isn’t surprising considering  India is one of the largest handicraft producing countries in the world,   with a range of crafts and products that is almost unlimited. What is surprisingly ironic is that all these products of lasting beauty and value are often produced in conditions of abject poverty ( under neglected and often poor conditions) the craftsmen often live in bondage to local money – lenders. It was to do away with these challenges faced by local artists that the idea of the Happy Hands Foundation was conceived in the November of ‘08.  Conceptualized by two twenty two year olds, Happy  Hands Foundation  became a registered NGO early this year. At Happy Hands, the focus is on creating sustainable development opportunities for artisans and craftsmen of India, while reviving traditional culture through contemporary and innovative platforms and development programs to showcase their talent.

“The idea was borne of providing dignity to these artists, by retaining their craft as well as giving them a fresh approach to modern product ideas”, comments Medhavi Gandhi, Founder and Director HHF.

As cofounder and vice president of The Happy Hands Foundation , Suneera puts it,” These crafts  are losing their lustre. The Happy hands foundation looks towards reviving this form by creating economically viable markets for them both locally and in metropolitan cities.”

This has been done through the organisation of various out of the box activities that help establish a unique aura around handmade products and traditions unheard-of making it.  To increase visibility and expand markets   cultural festivals and development programs like Purple Street and Green Room have been organized as ways to facilitate display of handicrafts and even encourage product development workshops.

The products made by these artisans: apparel, accessories, jewellery, stationery, paintings, cater to all  classes creating an awareness about eco-friendly goods and at the same time promoting Indian Handicrafts.

One of the prime target audiences for The Happy Hands Foundation is the youth who they feel are the ones capable of imbibing fashion into culture. For garnering this market as well, the  HHF  has collaborated with the Pearl Academy of Fashion for an annual event which would involve students in to the different forms of  product development and designing where students and rural designers could  learn from each other. Recently, they also made their presence felt at the JMC Diwali mela as well as the Sunder Nagar Diwali Mela, gathering a positive response.  More recently, they have developed Red Earth, a cultural programme involving a art appreciation\management course followed by  student rural exchange programme that helps open up the rural landscape for young students, simultaneously providing them a hands on experience in  terms of marketing , developing and designing the particular product of their interest.

Basically HHF works with artist clans all over India who produce high-quality apparel, handicrafts, etc and market them locally and globally to make these groups financially independent, thus providing the opportunity to empower those who can make a difference to their own lives and to those around them by providing them the required avenues and platforms. (For those of you who want to lend a helping hand, you can volunteer ( do not mention event management), communications , product  development and research at  www.happyhandsfoundation.info)

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

THE COUNTDOWN TO CAT

By

and Mehak Batra

The Common Admission Test or CAT as it is popularly known, one of the most competitive exams in India, is just around the corner. Being touted as one of the toughest exams to conquer, primarily due to the sheer number of students appearing for it, students all over the country are burning the midnight oil. The basic eligibility criterion for the CAT has been carried forward from previous years. The eligibility criterion includes graduation with minimum 50% marks.  However, there have been major changes in the way it is to be conducted. It will now be a 10 day affair starting from the 28th of November and will go on till the 7th of December. It will be a computer based test (CBT). Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on an option. It will be held over a span of 2 hours and 30 minutes. A candidate will have to encounter 60-70 questions testing verbal and quantitative ability as well as data interpretation.

The competition among the candidates has become cut throat. Only the best of the best performers in the CAT get calls from the prestigious IIMs, which are every aspiring management student’s dream. And the contest keeps getting tougher by the year. According to the data available, only the candidates scoring above 99 percentile and clearing sectional cut-offs, that is, who score better than 99 percent of the students giving the exam, are the ones who generally get into IIM’s. Last year 99.89 percentile was the overall cut- off score at IIM-Ahmadabad, whereas the same for IIM-Calcutta was 99.32 percentile. So, let’s see who bells the CAT this year.

Keep Reading
By
News

Neck and Neck: Antaragini and Oasis

By

October was a busy time for the colleges this year with two major fests taking place one after the other in quick succession. IIT Kanpur’s annual fest Antaragani was held from 22nd to 25th October and immediately after that, BITS Pilani is hosting Oasis 2009 from 27th to 31st of this month.  Both being equally popular and anticipated, societies had a hard time choosing between the two. This time, BITS reported a turnout of over 1400 students compared to last year’s figures of around 1000 participants. They credited this to increased sponsorship which translated into more events being held, and better organization and management. Certain untoward incidents which took place last year in IIT K involving students from DU may have also been responsible for a shift in preference for Oasis this time round with some girls’ colleges switching to BITS for the said reasons. Since IIT Kanpur also celebrates its Goden Jubilee this year, Antaragini 2009 was slated to be bigger and better than ever with performance by the likes of KK, Jaded Suns, Sitar Funk and Advaita. Oasis, on the other hand, has Rahul Bose gracing the awards ceremony and handing them out to the winners.

Most societies with the exception of ICS (Indian Cultural Society) and several music societies were represented in these fests but with a huge variety of competitions taking place in both, involving activities for almost all societies and a limited number of participants slotted for each college, there were internal disputes as well regarding which societies would be sent for the events. A disgruntled student of the Expressions Magazine Society of LSR,on conditions of anonymity complains against the unjustness of the procedure where certain societies have to suffer at the expense of others due to a lack of coordination. She alleges that the members of their society were not given a fair chance simply because they happened to be a minority and were dropped at the last minute. This itself is indicatory of the intense competition between college societies seeking representation in this prestigious festival and the high standard of the competition that is to be expected at both these outstation festivals this year

**

JMC – English DramSoc, Hindi DramSoc, Magazine Society and Photography Society attended Oasis

LSR – Music Society and DebSoc attended Oasis

Hindu – Participated in Antaragini

Ramjas – DebSoc attended Antaragini

Stepehens – Participated in Antaragini

Miranda House – With the exception of Indian Music and Western Music, all other societies went to Pilani

SRCC – Fashion Society and their stage play went to Pilani

**

SUMMARY

Two major fests, of IIT K and BITS Pilani, took place back to back. Antaragini in Kanpur from 22nd to 26th and Oasis in Pilani is taking place from the 27th to 31st. BITS reported higher turnout due to better sponsors and improved management. IIT K also celebrated its Golden Jubilee alongside. Excessive competition within colleges regarding selection of representation in fests , with some societies complaining of being ignored because they’re in the minority.

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

WOTS: TEFLAS (JNU)

By

teflas

Not to be disloyal to DU or anything but when it comes to superb canteens and Dhabas JNU too offers tough competition. Ganga dhaba, north eastern dhaba , ISC canteen and TEFLA are patronized by students , alumni and professors alike.

After navigating our way through the sprawling Jawahar lal Nehru University campus, we finally spotted TEFLA canteen. The voluble owner of Tefla Mrs. Mittal was most generous with information as well as her food helpings.

Spacious, unpretentious and graffiti covered walls , it radiated the archetypical easy going yet vibrant JNU atmosphere. Good cross ventilation and ample table fans made TEFLA a respite from the otherwise sweltering heat.

This place is the perfect student hangout. Even at 4 p.m , clusters of students involved in deep conversation and intellectual debates were spotted. Catering to all sorts of taste buds, TEFLA menu hosted a range of cuisines from chinese , south Indian to Mughlai.

Perfect for students with relatively empty pockets and even emptier stomachs , TEFLA with its exorbitantly low prices and generous helpings can provide one with a wholesome meal for as much as 40 rupees.

The favorites of this place include the freshly prepared rose flavoured coffee, vegetarian thali , non veg momos and shahi paneer. We do advise the health freaks to steer clear of those oil exuding pakodas.

M y rating Rating 3.5 / 5

Keep Reading
By
Reviews

Bookstore review – New Book Land, janpath

By

Situated down the sidewalk of Janpath is this tiny round store, stacked from floor to ceiling with books of every imaginable shape, size and colour. One of the oldest bookstores in the city, New Book Land has been around for well over five decades and continues making brisk sales even now.new book land “Salim uncle”, the owner of the store has a reputation for never sending a customer back empty-handed and though you wouldn’t guess so looking at its diminutive size, the shop has virtually every book you could need, ranging from the latest hard covers to books on world history, Indian culture, religion and the usual bestsellers. All you need to do is name the book and it magically appears in Salim uncle’s hands, fetched in an instant from some secret nook of his snug booth. In the rare case that a book is not available or out of stock, he even offers to order it for you. Free of all the customary dawdling and long queues that are so typical of the fancy bookshops around the city, this is one store which really values its customers’ time. If it’s some quick book-shopping you’re looking for, this is the place for you. Instant gratification comes at a price, though. And a fixed price at that, as the manila cardboard sign screaming “NO DISCOUNTS” would tell you. True to the board’s words, no bargaining is tolerated here and “window-shopping” is also a practice that is actively discouraged. Purchases, orders and inquiries can also be made via phone: 011 41530938.]]>

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

I WANT MY 90s NICKELODEON BACK!

By

I sat down with my bowl of cereal in front of the idiot box with enough time for me to catch an odd cartoon or two before leaving for the distressing reality of college life. I flipped through the channels in the hope of finding something that would compensate for the dowdiness of the coming day (I could sense it, can’t we all?). I finally stopped at Nickelodeon in the anticipation of coming across one of ‘em good old toons I expected them to air all the time, but what I did come across instead was ‘Perman’, some silly wannabe kid trying to play superhero rip-off. Ugh, I mean what kind of a name is that? Perman! Where did the ‘Super’ go anyway? Part plagiarism I say! And where’s the moral in the story? The same frantic questions were directed to my friends the very same day and pat came the reply, “What morals? They’re cartoons; they’re ‘supposed’ to be stupid!” Or are they? That’s when I realized how the old Nick and all other cartoon channels have slowly lost its charm, how the good old days of what I call genuinely creative animated motion work have given way to shallow disfigured blabbering bits of nothing. And all Nick fans would agree. We grew up on Nick in the India of the 90s, it taught us kids what the world around us then didn’t. When globalization was still a new deal and parental advice never extended beyond coming first in class, Nick came to our rescue. Some would call it the discovery of a better life beyond. nickelodeon

While Legends of the Hidden Temple scared the hell out of us courtesy the temple guards every time and ensured us kiddos knew everything about world history by the time the game ended, others found their zeal for adventure and sportsmanship around the world via Global Guts. And while Kenan & Kel’s bloopers, All That and The Amanda Show reigned as the epitome of coolness; Spongebob Squarepants and The Rugrats just took you to another world altogether. Ah and who can forget the oh so hung up Helga and the wild grandfolks of Hey Arnold, The Wild Thornberrys and Clarissa Explains It All (courtesy whom most of us learnt what animal rights, origins of witchcraft in England and onomatopoeia were by the age of twelve thankyouverymuch). And for the potentially insane, a dose of Rocko’s Modern Life and the wild escapades of Ren & Stimpy always did the trick. Thus needless to say, today’s ‘stupid’ cartoons ever repeating themselves without an aim just don’t measure up. I have since signed endless online petitions to get the Old Nick back, and hope it comes springs back up again just like it vanished one day. To Nick-aa-loo-deon!

Keep Reading
By