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

iQOO is a high-performance smartphone brand focused on delivering unique experiences for the performance-seeking Gen-Z.

Driven by unmatched performance and a relentless pursuit of excellence, iQOO is a high-performance smartphone brand focused on delivering unique experiences for the performance-seeking Gen-Z. It aims to reshape the industry with innovative products and a fresh, dynamic experience for youth chasing big dreams. iQOO has recently launched The Quest Report 2024 with the help of CyberMedia Research, which looks at around 6700 responses from across 7 countries, and sheds light on the hopes, dreams, and what drives the youth of today.

The survey found that one in four Indians show interest and talent when it comes to new-age careers like content creation and artificial intelligence. Additionally, 73% of Indian respondents believe that taking a gap year can help them pursue their dreams and aspirations. Notably, 65% view failure as a valuable learning experience, and 60% feel it propels them closer to achieving their goals. Moreover, Indian youth take 2x the initiatives compared to their global peers. They are driven, focused and ready to hustle despite mounting external barriers like economic slowdowns and conservative values. They’re ready to push the envelope.

Today’s youth are characterised by their bold dreams and an unwavering drive to bring those dreams to fruition. This indomitable spirit is encapsulated in our brand philosophy: ‘I Quest on and on’ and we proudly refer to these passionate and determined individuals as Questers.” – Nipun Marya, CEO of iQOO

A Quester we’re all familiar with is Bhuvan Bam, a youth sensation with over a fan base of over 40 million online. The recently released #MyQuestStory, directed by renowned filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, features an inspiring message by content creator and actor, Bhuvan Bam. The movie tells the inspiring journey of a young man who defies family expectations to follow his quest for content creation. The work is a part of the campaign to validate and support the growing ambitions of the youth.

iQOO’s aforementioned flagship projects highlight the need to be the wind beneath the wings of India’s fledgling youth—as Sircar mentions when asked about his work with the brand, the time is ripe for the Gen-Z to continue their quest for innovation and “break new ground.”. The aim is to encourage those interested to chase and realise their dreams, no matter what may stand in their way. The Quest for passion must never stop for the world to grow.

Features

The success paradox and the death of our passions

‘The College Experience,’ as it were, does not assume the shape of a romanticised campus and campus romances for most. For some, within the thousands of searing red bricks that make the buildings, lie dreams—scores and scores of dreams. Do they drop into our hands, or do we catch them?

In a universe that is suddenly deprived of illusions and of light, man feels a stranger. His is an irremediable exile…This divorce between man and his life, the actor and the setting, truly constitutes the feeling of absurdity.” – Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus.

Entering through my college gates as a freshman, I had no hopes from the campus. I did not hope to fall in love, I did not hope to reminisce when I graduated, and I did not hope to forge long-lasting friendships. I might have had some of these in high school, or I think I did. It did not matter then. It does not matter now. To tell the truth, I did not know what to expect. I had thought too far ahead, and planned my life out rather prematurely. My first year was largely spent manacled to the bed, counting in torturous wakefulness, the hours as they pooled on the wall and melted away.

In the second year, the exertion feels Sisyphian. The same routine repeats, and the first chunk of hours are eaten out of my plate by useless classes in college. I want to read, I tell myself. I want to write; I shake myself. Languor weighs my eyelids down as I ponder in inaction. I wake up the next day, and the cycle repeats. Time outruns me horribly. I remember having asked one of my professors back in the second semester, referring to the few enthusiastic students in our batch, “If we were students in your class, sir, would we be among the good ones?” “You would be decent,” he said. It broke my heart.

He also said that the days were indeed longer then.

The days were longer then. When summer afternoons were spacious, and the clock ticked slowly in the winter evenings.”

Eliot would agree. He would return from college and ask himself, “What now?” When his floor echoed no answer in response, he would read. He would think. We have forgotten how to think. We have not even begun to think.

From the second our eyelids are estranged from each other to the moment they are reunited, we forget that we had been breathing the entire time and that if we hadn’t, we wouldn’t have another sun to wake up to. All days escape notice. Therefore, we are ceaselessly working through ourselves in a pendent acceptance of livelihood. It is a morbid revelation. Nothing is enough. What meaning lies in prolonging a life signed away to an inhumane consumerist trap hole that ceaselessly and effortlessly renews itself? We are entrusted to think that we are a race that is dying.

The current generation wails at the thought of reading beyond a page. Our jaws start to rot past the second syllable in the word, and therefore we must shorten them. We have trained our brains to consume audio-visual media without restraint, and we remain content in a vacuous state of being. Our generation does not question, simply processes and moves on. We do not criticise, for we like to tell ourselves that we have not the time for it. It is the pedantic’s errand. Could a worldwide pandemic have so immoderately flipped our lifestyles? One is left grappling with unsubstantial prospects. The resolution too seems elusive.

I’m uncertain what to call this disease, but what I am certain of is that this will make possible the emergence of a world that is capricious, unambitious, and uncritical. The death most hazardous is the death of our passions. When we stand astride the line between meaning and meaningless, an absurdist world is conjured where our discernible identities no longer matter. Perhaps the medicine for the restitution of sensibility lies in the denial of sensibility itself; we might never know. The question itself remains unclear; whether we should attempt a recognition of ourselves in the first place. Now, we might seek solace in this idea, for when our identities no longer amount to concrete vision, a lifeless body and a passionless body are no different.

What of success? Our dreams? What of ourselves? Slow down, I say. Herein lies the paradox of success and the paradox of failure as well. The more successful one becomes, the more set up for failure they are. The more one fails, the more they may rule out what not to do, and therein, climb a step closer to success.

The words ‘probable’ and ‘improbable’ are essentially the same, and not antonyms, as we present them, for both the words contain a certain degree of probability; the flavour of the nuance lies in the degree of the probability. Otherwise, that which is probable has a degree of improbability. They are both parts of one whole; that is ‘possible’. Similarly, the words ‘success’ and ‘failure’ are a part of one whole; ‘progress’. In success, we make progress towards the next failure, and in failure, we make progress towards the next success. Slow down, I repeat. Breathe. Think. You shall get there. Where you want to be.

Slow down you crazy child

You’re so ambitious for a juvenile…

Slow down you’re doing fine

You can’t be everything you want to be before your time…” – Billy Joel.

Featured Image Credits : Pinterest

Aayudh Pramanik

DUB Speak

Curfew to the rescue?

The 8 PM curfew at the KG Hostel, IPCW, not only restricts the students’ basic freedoms, but also shrinks their lives.

College hai ya cage?” – anonymous

The curfew time of the girls hostel at Indraprastha College for Women has always been 8 PM. But the ever-so-generous college administration allowed students to walk within the college campus till 11 PM. Only recently, this provision was revoked. Now, students living in the hostel cannot venture into the college premises after 8 PM. The explanation granted was that some students had been seen loitering around the campus past 11 PM, which was outrageous, of course. For fear of this piece turning into yet another personal rant on why I am aggressively opposed to curfews, I spoke to students at IPCW to know how they’ve been faring with this change.

When asked what they feel about the curfew timings, one of the students, Shruti*, said,

Earlier, I didn’t really mind the curfew at 8 PM. I enjoyed going out for walks on the college premises after dinner. My friends and I would buy ice cream from the vendors at the gates. But now that we aren’t even allowed out of the hostel gates after 8, I feel suffocated. It’s an outright brutal move. I feel like I am held captive, caged. It feels like I am back home with the restrictions that my parents imposed.”

The curfew grossly hinders students’ academic opportunities. Riya* shared,

Classes end around 5 PM; if I pursue any extracurricular endeavour or offline internship, it gets very difficult for me to be back to the hostel in time. My friend couldn’t take evening coaching classes because the duration between the end of daily classes and curfew wasn’t enough for her to make the journey back and forth.”

Aradhya* shared that she harbours no hope from the hostel administration for any change.

You know, we have tried to be radical; we questioned why there needs to be a curfew at all in the first place. We signed a letter demanding a change in timings. All we got in response was a meeting with the warden in which we were told that the curfew could not be done away with as it was for our ‘own good’. It is the same old template of response. I am exhausted. So, now I have come to make peace with it. It would be better if special provisions could be made so curfew can be delayed when a student is pursuing an internship or part-time job.”

Shruti* also commented,

I understand that the hostel administration is responsible for our safety, and hence, they feel that curfew is the perfect solution for ensuring that nothing ‘untoward’ happens. But, at least the curfew could be delayed till 10:30 PM every day. I know well enough that it’s wishful thinking. I am thinking of moving out of the hostel in my 3rd year.”

In the year 2018-19, within the ambit of the Pinjra Tod movement, students at Miranda House had successfully protested to end the stringent curfew restrictions. Today, the students I spoke to displayed no such resolve. The presence of a stifling institutional mechanism (and a relentlessly indifferent principal) has ebbed their will to keep calling out to deaf ears. They don’t outright reject the curfew but rather request a delay in the curfew timings. Resignation and hopelessness for any change ring heavy in their voice.

Shilpa Phadke writes in ‘Why Loiter’ that a woman’s presence in a public place is fraught with anxiety, an anxiety to prove their reason for being there. Women always act busy in public. It is a performance. A woman without a visible, obvious purpose is seen as soliciting. While the men, of course, lounge around gawking at every passerby. Why is it that women cannot simply loiter? At a time when the whole of the country has come together in solidarity to demand safety for all, one wonders when women will be able to truly reclaim the night. When will the women loiter?

*Names have been changed to maintain the anonymity of students. None of them were comfortable with their names being used in this piece. They did not want to get into ‘trouble’.

Featured image credits : TimesContent

Read Also : Mad Women in the Attic: The MH Hostel, A Take

Chetna Rani

Uncategorized

Transforming Identities: The Unseen Side of College Life

Stepping into college often comes with high expectations about academics, friendships, and even politics. A rather ignored side of the college experience is the unexpected arc of self-discovery and growth that comes with it. This piece attempts to explore how college may challenge you in unforeseen ways.

I remember 2nd November, 2022, as if it were yesterday. Skittish with nerves but bubbling with excitement, I stepped into college for the first time. Like the hundreds of other freshmen, I could not wait to experience the much-anticipated college life.

We all have fantasised about our lives in college, props to the ‘wild’ college stories we’ve heard or the media we’ve consumed. The college experience is often glamorised and romanticised, becoming almost inescapable due to the ubiquitous college student trope in popular culture. Through all these narratives, we consciously or subconsciously end up building certain expectations about our time in college. However, one aspect of the college experience that we rarely foresee is how profoundly it will transform our identity. On my first day, I had a certain idea, an expectation from my three years at Delhi University. However, nothing could have prepared me for the journey I was to go through. A third year student of sociology at LSR shares a feeling similar to my own,

Since coming to college, I have realised that I have a newfound confidence in my ability to think for myself and make decisions completely of my own accord. Owing to all the discussions that we have had in our classrooms since the first year, I have become even hungrier to know more and to learn more. I feel I have become more fearless with my decisions, and I participate more comfortably and confidently in conversations as I have the right facts and ideas of my own,

One of the most dramatic shifts that we experience as teenagers is perhaps the transition from school to college. Suddenly, we no longer have to wear a uniform, no one is checking our notebooks, and we have a newfound autonomy. Many of us have longed for this freedom—this autonomy—but when it finally arrives, it brings with it a certain anxiety. Now we are on our own, and no one will be holding us accountable but ourselves. This sudden leap into adulthood can be quite jarring and challenging, but at the same time, the sense of independence and empowerment that it brings with it makes it worthwhile. Over time, we come to appreciate how some seemingly small moments have contributed to our growth and maturity. Another student from LSR resonates a similar feeling,

My time at DU has instilled a certain sensitivity in me regarding other people’s opinions and cultures, and I have come to appreciate being exposed to different ways of thinking,

While one can argue that there is still some work to be done on the diversity and inclusivity front of the university, it is not a stretch to say that being at Delhi University introduces you to people from very different social realities than your own, something that I find lacking in many other institutions, and particularly private ones. Students from markedly different socio-economic and regional backgrounds converge in their common pursuit of knowledge. These interactions challenge our preconceived notions and biases, prompting us to reflect on our own experiences and perspectives. This microcosm of empathy and understanding can then become a catalyst for positive developments in your personal identity.

In my own experience, engaging in conversations with people from diverse backgrounds heightened my political consciousness. I found myself more involved in socio-political discourses and issues. While I do recognise that my thoughts or actions alone may hold little value in comparison to the gravity of the socio-political issues, I do not feel as powerless as I once did. I now have a voice, even if it may not be as loud as others. This realisation has also made me more comfortable expressing myself unapologetically, whether through conversations, fashion, or art. A third-year Economics student from Gargi College remarks,

Before coming to college, I was a shy kid. I didn’t speak unless I was spoken to, and sometimes I even tried to escape regular conversations. I anticipated that my college life would be similar. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. These three years transformed me from an introverted kid to someone who makes small talk in the metro now,

While the prospect of finding connections in college may seem daunting, these shared spaces and daily interactions make it easier. For many of us, college becomes a place where we find a community and a sense of belonging.

From navigating administrative tasks to participating in student politics to daily commutes, every small experience in college contributes to the transformation of our identities. To anyone who’s just about to start their college journey, here is an unsolicited piece of advice: take a deep breath and strap in, for the next three years just might surprise you in ways you never imagined.

Featured Image Credits: Disha Bharti for DU Beat

Disha Bharti

Features

Navigating Neurodivergence in Academia

By DU Beat September 8, 2024

Neurodivergence, as an impairment, unfolds to become a disability as social and educational institutions heavily lack in its recognition; resourcing for such students remains a dream.

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that enlists to include people with atypical brains, which adds a difference to how they ecologically interact. It is inclusive of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD), and others.

There have been positive changes in terms of recognition and importance of mental health in India. However, all alerts and emphases on mental health leave out the back door when the shallowness of such a performance is exposed with the invisibility of neurodivergent students in academia. An understanding of “the mental” on educational campuses limits to only believing it as a wave of sadness and discomfort that needs counselling. This idea is reiterated with Delhi University’s Counselling Centre, which fails in its purpose to mention and include the experience of neurodivergence, even for namesake.

While the stigma and prejudice (along with other factors) around disorders limit accessibility to diagnosis, those already diagnosed have it no easier in navigating academic and university spaces. The confusion and strictness of college societies collude with a premodern educational setup to confound the sense of achievement and goodness that these spaces should be offering, very often becoming places of disinterest and hurt.

Recollecting her experience, Silvia Nath, a second-year student at Miranda House, who has been clinically diagnosed with ADHD, shares

In my first year, I completely detached myself from my department since my batchmates and teachers weren’t helpful and held stigmas around therapy and mental health. I was judged also for my food habits (as a non-vegetarian) along with my unwillingness to contribute to classes. This detachment caused a very low attendance, which again was a traumatic experience for me. Teachers have been harsh towards me and questioned my competence. Being happy should not be so normalised so that other spectrums of emotions are seen as unnatural and unhealthy.”

The general ignorance to this problem is reflected in the casual usage of medical terms amongst neurotypical people to express mood phases, which has inadvertently reduced the real symptoms to a bluff, non-serious setting of the mind—which can be auto-altered. Sharing rigid spaces like college societies with such groups that lack a reasonable understanding then becomes challenging.

In conversation with DU Beat, Debolina Bhattacharya, a graduate from Delhi University 2024 batch, shares,

I was working with a lot of neurotypical people, for sure, in my college society. Personally, it was not the best of times. It’s very hard to get along with people. I was told that I was overdoing things, talking too much, and other things that were singled out. Naturally, I prefer to do a lot of things together, which allows me to move from one thing to the next. But when you have to deal with people who don’t understand it and have very rigid ideas of how you’re supposed to behave, it becomes hard to curate your personality. I have reached a point, after college, to not hide who I am. But there was a demand to conform, to ‘fit in’ and it was made very clear that I wasn’t. The burnout was so severe that graduating college was what helped.”

(Debolina is a diagnosed neurodivergent person)

The range of exclusion and vulnerability expands when various markers of identity such as caste, class, gender, sexual identities, or geographical locations intersect. Students who are already disadvantaged are pushed deeper to the margins, where their potential is untapped, and their abilities are overlooked.

Norzin, a Ladakhi student, currently preparing for her NEET examination, has been diagnosed with OCD and anxiety.

Since I am currently preparing for NEET, I have faced challenges in staying organised due to the lack of a structured environment. I believe a college space with a more structured environment and access to resources and opportunities to interact with peers and professors would provide a more conducive environment for me to work and will help me to deal with my mental health issues more effectively.” – shares Norzin

Institutional reforms beginning from classroom recognition of neurodivergence and sensitisation towards it, are a good place to start when addressing the problem. Pedagogical methods that allow for behavioural support or interventions to promote communication in academic, social and everyday life skills should be used. Most essentially, kindness and empathy should be used to deal with and comprehend the nature of those around us, whether they are diagnosed or undiagnosed. It’s not a burden, but rather a responsibility.

Read also: Mental health societies in DU

Featured Image Credits: Education Times

Bhavana Bhaskar

DUB News

Over 30 teachers detained in Delhi during anti-NEP protest

By DU Beat September 8, 2024

Approximately 30 teachers were detained by police in Central Delhi’s Mandi House area while they were participating in a unity march to protest against NEP 2020, paper leaks, and other issues.

On 5th September 2024, also celebrated as Teachers’ Day, over 30 teachers from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University, and others were detained from Mandi House for protesting against the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Testing Agency (NTA), paper leaks, and the undermining of reservations in educational institutions. The Federation of Central University Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA), All India Federation of University & College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO), and Joint Forum for Movement on Education (JFME) organized a joint march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar to address the increasing government interference in the autonomy of educational institutions. However, before the teachers could reach Jantar Mantar, FEDCUTA President Moushumi Basu and former President Nandita Narain, among others, were forcibly detained.

As per The Federal reports, a senior police officer stated that the teachers were arrested as they attempted to move towards the Embassy area.

The teachers were permitted to protest, but when they tried heading towards the Embassy area, the police had to detain them. The protestors at Jantar Mantar were allowed to continue their protest,” he said.

However, Moushumi Basu stated that although the police promised to drop them at Jantar Mantar, they dropped them to Kapashera Police Station near the Gurugram border, far from the protest location. The teachers’ association also issued a statement condemning the detentions and calling it a clear violation of democratic rights.

On the day that the nation observes as Teachers’ Day, senior teachers and students were forcibly detained by the police in order to prevent the March. The action of the Delhi Police today…is a shocking demonstration of the continuing assault on Indian democracy and the utter contempt with which the state views education, learning and the teaching community”, the statement read.

As per the reports, FEDCUTA President and JFME Coordinator, Moushumi Basu spoke about the incident,

The police action today only serves to vindicate the very sentiments behind this teacher-student Unity March. This protest is about the unity of those engaged in the teaching-learning process who are standing up against the destruction of the nation’s future through the erosion of public education. NEP 2020 threatens high academic standards and makes education inaccessible to all, particularly marginalized groups.”

She further added and said, “By detaining teachers and students on a day meant to celebrate educators, the government has shown its utter contempt for the teaching community. The Delhi Police has been used to silence our voices, but our fight continues.”

The Democratic Teachers’ Initiative (DTI), in a statement issued following the detentions also condemned the government’s actions.

Look at how teachers are being humiliated on Teachers’ Day! Today’s protest, held on FEDCUTA-AIFUCTO-JFME’s call, was meant to demonstrate our collective resistance to NEP 2020. Yet, instead of listening to teachers and students, the government has chosen to suppress us by force. This is how we are celebrating Teachers’ Day—by being detained for fighting for the future of education!”

Despite being detained, the senior leaders have asked for continued demonstrations. Professor Nandita Narain, former FEDCUTA president, said,

This is a critical moment for education in India. Our public education system is under attack, and teachers, students, and citizens must stand together to protect it. We will not be silenced.”

Meanwhile, student groups from different universities, including Delhi University and Ambedkar University, continued the protest at Jantar Mantar. The protestors also raised slogans, placards, and posters to highlight the issues of NEP and paper leaks, among others. The demonstration reflected the increasing dissatisfaction within the academic community over educational policies and other systematic issues. The detainment of the teachers highlighted the growing tension between the teachers and the government over the crisis in the education sector.

Featured Image Credits: The Hindu

Reeba Khan

[email protected]

Campus Central

SFI Delhi organised the annual Pride Parade; chants of Azadi echoed throughout

By DU Beat September 7, 2024

On 6 September 2024, SFI Delhi organised a Pride Parade at the Arts Faculty, in collaboration with Queer Collectives from across Delhi. The rally condemned the discrimination and injustice faced by women and the Queer Community across educational institutions in India.

On 6 September 2024, SFI Delhi called for a Pride Parade—commencing from the Arts Faculty. The march denounced discrimination, demanding Queer Liberation, inclusive campuses, and equality for all. Sheets were handed out to the hundreds of students in attendance, with SFI putting out their demands in their ongoing efforts for a safer, more equitable campus. Among the demands were horizontal reservation for transgender students, establishing gender-neutral bathrooms, and a Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GCASH) for affected students to put in their grievances and receive assistance.

When asked about what pride means to them, Ojaswi, a second-year student of mathematics from Deshbandhu College, remarked,

Pride means being at peace with existing in this world,” while for Nandini Das, a student from Miranda House, it meant “finding a community that is inclusive and accepting.”

One female police officer stationed to manage the march, when asked about the march taking place alongside the DUSU elections, shared,

We are on duty here from 9 in the morning to ensure no issue happens and there are other staff taking care of the DUSU rallies.”

Some of the slogans and sentiments that remained constant throughout the demonstration were:

Inquilab Zindabad;

Teri Mukti Meri Mukti Queer Mukti;

This queerphobic government isn’t going to last another term.”

These sentiments and statements echoed throughout the march, with discontent with the government and its policies being quite apparent.

While discussing how being queer shaped the experience of being at Delhi University, Ojaswi shared,

As a visibly queer and trans student, navigating spaces in the college can be scary because it would take only a second for me to get discriminated against.”

They elaborated on how the queer collective at Deshbandhu College is very recent, which added to the difficulty and finding spaces within the university. They said, “I had to figure out how to navigate college while also having to be good in social situations.”

When the conversation turned to the internet and how social media affects the attitudes towards queer acceptance and organising the queer movement, a student from IPCW remarked,

While social media has made people aware and given us a freedom of expression, the same freedom of expression has enabled people to spread hate and bully others online.”

A while ago there was a huge wave of acceptance and support for the message of ‘love is love’, but now homophobia and misogyny have returned on these platforms, making them inaccessible.” – Nandini Das

The message ultimately was that everyone deserves to be freed from all forms of pain, no matter who they are or where they come from. “We’ll snatch back our freedom ourselves” was one of the strongest slogans that was echoed, reflecting how frustrated and disillusioned people have gotten towards the incumbent. Wanting to liberate themselves then signified a sense of urgency to take matters into their own hands for changes.

When asked about their views of the future of the queer movement in the country, particularly in the context of students, Gouri, a first-year student from Lady Shri Ram College, described herself as “consciously hopeful” despite the “negative trend of dismissive and insulting attitudes of the youth towards queer acceptance.” Ojaswi, too, described themselves as “hopeful but cautious as the political situation in the country is not very favourable for queer people.”

The ironic juxtaposition of the hundreds of ABVP banners under which the march was taking place was brought up to which Haya, another first year student from LSR, observed,

While it is ironic, it is also empowering to be under these flags and still be out and proud, wearing all these clothes and expressing ourselves in this way while standing under ABVP flags.”

Disha Bharti

Yash

DUB Speak

Lesbianism and Sodomy Marked ‘Sexual Offences’ in revised CBME Guidelines – NMC Heavily Criticised

By DU Beat September 5, 2024

The revised Competency-Based Medical Education(CBME) Guidelines recently issued by the National Medical Council(NMC) have re-categorised ‘Lesbianism’ and ‘Sodomy’, as ‘sexual offences’ and transvestism as sexual perversion at the head of other changes; doctors, disability rights and LGBTQIA+ rights activists have called for an immediate redressal and annulment of the same.

The New CBME guidelines issued for the MBBS curriculum, to be implemented in the 2024 term have attracted vast censure from the community of doctors and activists alike, given, what is claimed to be ‘regressive’, changes in the light of the previous revision by the NMC in 2022, in response to directives from the Madras High Court. Omissions done in the module then have been reintroduced, to wit, the recognition of ‘Lesbianism’ and ‘Sodomy’ as ‘sexual offences’ and the re-inclusion of transvestism in the category of ‘sexual perversions’ alongside fetishism, voyeurism, sadism, necrophagia, masochism, exhibitionism, frotteurism and necrophilia. It has notedly excluded the mandatory seven-hour competencies for disability, a part of the foundation course. Its medical ethics module has also discarded any topics on disability.

The 2022 modification had left ‘Lesbianism’ and ‘Sodomy’ out from under ‘unnatural sexual offences’ and asserted that the ‘two-finger test’ for virginity is strictly “unscientific”, endeavouring to train students to relay the same onto to courts which ordered it. The medico-legality of the hymen had also been de-emphasised, as was to have been in due course, given that the SC had ruled it out years back.

Changes to the psychiatry module significantly shifted focus onto the study of the spectrum of gender and sexuality, and aimed for the students to be educated on matters of sexuality, gender dysphoria, intersexuality and such topics to no longer be considered as “psychosexual and gender identity disorders”. The same module included detailed distinctions between the concepts of sex and gender, in order to sensitise students to topical and social issues that they might encounter whilst handling patients from diverse backgrounds and social realities.

The new curriculum has undone the changes it had made in the 2022 revision, without citing any reasons for the same. Topics such as the dated ideas of the ‘importance’ of virginity and defloration have been brought back, the psychiatry module has excluded all details regarding sexuality and gender identity, and no longer differentiates between ‘consensual sex between queer individuals’ and offences such as bestiality, incest and adultery. Attempts to contact authorities involved in the decision making process have yielded no results.

Transgender and Disability Rights activists have expressed thorough discontent with the revised curriculum and have voiced their intention to the appeal to the World Federation for Medical Education to take action in the event of NMC’s failure to do so.

Dr. Aqsa Shaikh, Professor of Community Medicine at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and transgender rights activist gave the following statement on the issue-

,“NMC had itself issued the new curriculum for forensic medicine and weeded out queerphobic content from the medical curriculum after being directed by Madras High Court. But in the latest edition of its guidelines, it still seems to be frozen in time in pre- 377 abrogation era and calling sexual acts like anal sex, oral sex as unnatural sexual offences, and adultery as crime and transvestism as a sexual fetish,” further adding that the change is reminiscent of the reversion to archaic ideals noted in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita(BNS).

Addressing concerns regarding the inadequate information on disabilities and surrounding issues in the 2024 curriculum, Dr. Satendra Singh, Director Professor of the Department of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, and prominent disability rights activist, said

“The MBBS curriculum for 2024 is a significant letdown in social responsibility. With great difficulty and judicial advocacy, we succeeded in including disability and LGBTQ rights in the new competency-based medical education curriculum.”

And further highlighted that the new CBME guidelines are in violation of the ‘Transgender Persons Protection Act 2019’, ‘Section 39 (2)(f) and Section 47 (1) (b) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016’, both of the latter of which mandate the “inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the curriculum of universities, colleges and schools” and “the integration of disability as a component in all educational courses for university teachers, doctors, nurses, and paramedical personnel”, respectively, writes Bindu Shajan Perappadan .

Dr. Singh has filed for transparency concerning the decision-making process behind the 2024 revision of the curriculum under the Right To Information Act, as well as, with Dr. Sanjay Sharma from the Association of Transgender Health in India, written to the Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, stating “We, therefore, appeal to you to use the influence of your high office to correct this wrong which not only directly impacts the interests of persons with disabilities, the transgender and gender-diverse individuals, persons with differences in sexual orientation and persons with differences in sex development, but also damages the image of our nation in the international fora.”

Featured Image Credits: Times Of India

Aayudh Pramanik

[email protected]

Arts & Culture

DUB Review: Angry Young Men-Do Bhai Dono Tabahi Actualised.

By DU Beat September 4, 2024

Angry Young Men dives into the lives of the celebrated writer duo -Salim-Javed, whose Dostana changed the Andaz of the Indian Cinematic Plane, however, it barely scratches the surface of the magnificence of the minds behind it; resulting in a warm filter bubble of sycophancy.

Kitne aadmi the?

Sardar do, Salim aur Javed !

The aforementioned quote precisely encapsulates the colossal impact the writer duo of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar had, and continue to have, on the Indian cinema and landscape as a whole. Whether it is the ‘Soja, warna Gabbar aa Jaega’ that is frequented by mothers around the country, the gratifying ‘mere paas maa hai’, or the hysterical ‘Mogambo khush hua’; each one of us carries a slight amount of Salim-Javed in our veins, perennially referencing their iconic dialogues and characters, often blissfully unaware of their origins. With short, albeit crisp lines that resonate with people against the backdrop of dimensions, divisions, and geography, the duo commenced a dramatic tectonic shift in Indian Cinema. However, ‘Angry Young Men’ fell short of truly encapsulating the grandeur the duo holds.

The documentary, produced by Excel Entertainment, Tiger Baby Productions, and Salman Khan Films—all managed by family members—feels like an extended family video. It highlights the achievements of Salim-Javed and features members of the film industry celebrating them. However, it offers little insight into the creative minds behind their impressive two-time blockbuster streak of ten films. The show was driven by nostalgia, relying heavily on dramatic effects and long soundtracks. The struggles dragged on endlessly compared to the brief bursts of success, probably just to garner a sense of faux sympathy for the duo. It would not be an exaggeration to state that the Old Koffee with Karan episodes or the renowned Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai episodes, did a better job at creating an echo chamber of appreciation than the way this series aimed to.

‘Main Phenke Hue Paise Nahi Uthata’, the first part of the tri-episodic documentary, follows Salim Khan, a young man in his twenties who arrives in the city of dreams. While his good looks guaranteed him the stage name of ‘Prince Salim’ and a constant infamous comparison to James Dean, the lack of exceptional acting abilities type-casted him into the role of the stereotypical good-looking minor character, which slowly descended to cameos, advertisements, and B-Grade movies. In the decline of his acting career, he met Javed. In an almost Kismat Konnection, they met at the sets of Sarhadi Lootera, where Salim was a small-time actor, and Javed the clap boy-turned-dialog writer, and thus began their Dostana.

The Second Episode ‘Mere Paas Maa Hai’ revolved around this freshly minted partnership that shook the confined fortress that Bollywood bigwigs established it to be. From Rom-Coms like Geeta aur Seeta and Andaaz, the duo progressed towards Zanjeer, a marvel that ensured they’d forever be famous. While Javed claims that the Angry Young Man prototype, which embarked from the creation of “Vijay”, an anti-establishment, eat-the-rich rational person, was not influenced by the socio-political situation of the country, the stark shift in the interest of the nation from the Romantic Chocolate-Boy heroes to the Angry Young Man, mirrored the angst that the young nation experienced. In a political turmoil embarked by staggering unemployment, deprivation of resources, and a widening economic gap between the classes, ‘Vijay’ became the Messiah that rejuvenated the spirit of insurgence amongst the people. However, while the documentary continues to celebrate the character built and its expanse on cinematic history, it barely divulges into the socio-economic and political impact brought about, and centres around hollow hero worship of the character, and its creators by renowned celebrities.

The Last episode of the series is probably where the lines of PR and praise vanished, a large chunk of the episode focused on white-washing the public perception of the duo. A preposterous narrative of ‘Pyaar toh ho Jaata Hai’ reverberated through the episode to justify both Salim and Javed’s failed marriages due to adultery. Their short-lived separation was broached without revealing its causes, with any shortcomings artfully obscured, while the discourse continued to bandwagon their combined star-power.

The mere mention of their names brings about prominent epistemological moments from the Indian cinematic trajectory, the petrifying portrayal of ‘Gabbar Singh’, the riveting morality clash between ‘Vijay’ and ‘Ravi’ in Deewar, the dual role in Don et.al. The Show focused on the success of these films and their underlying impact on the lives of Salim-Javed, however, the intellect of the writer duo was left untouched. Of how their brainchild Vijay, a morally grey character, became the fan favourite in a nation that doted on righteous moral-compass-driven leads, how they helmed one of the first female-led movies in the country with Seeta aur Geeta, of how mundane conversations and dialects were picked by them and mutated into momentous and unforgettable dialogues; a lot was left unsaid and superseded, and thus, brewed on what can easily be described as a long-form ‘Viral Bhayani’video.

Featured Image Credit:Amazon Prime Videos

Shikhar Pathak