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NEXUS’25: In Sri Venkateshwara’s Fest, Jashn-e-Dilli Took Centre-Stage

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University of Delhi’s Sri Venkateswara College witnessed a massive footfall following the culmination of its Annual Fest, NEXUS, in March.

Sri Venkateswara College, under the aegis of the University of Delhi, celebrated its Annual Fest, NEXUS, on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of March this year. Upon entering the college gates, one witnesses what appears to be the college’s way of presenting an ode to Delhi—a Jashn-E-Dilli, if you will. Every corner has been decorated with banners naming popular sites of everyday pilgrimage, from the Faqir Chand and Sons bookstore to Sarojini Nagar.

An inauguration ceremony preceded the performance of the Dramatics Society of the college as they took to the front lawns on Day 1 from 9.30 A.M. onwards to celebrate Madari’25, an annual street play event, abuzz with the energy of the performers. Crescendo, the Western Music Society of Sri Venkateswara College, presented the Battle of Bands from 1 to 5 P.M. as a tribute to Delhi, the heart of the country’s music revolution. In the midst of it all, Alaap, the Indian Music Society of the college, presented Raageshwari, a polyphony of melodies, at the Indian Classical Choir Competition. While Nrityangana, the Indian Dance Society, took to the dance floor in solo and group dance competitions.

As you enter the building, leaving behind the cacophony of singing voices and the chants of the dramatists, you are met with Mehfil-e-Tamasha, an improv battle taking place in Room 57. If there is one thing that has stood out by now, it was the dedication with which all artists performed, the veneration they heaped onto artistry, eventuating in a showdown for the history books.

Kurukshetra, the crew-based dance competition, preceded the performance of the night by The Frequency Project, who gave music a Sufi spin in their own rendition of popular classics.

Day 2 was marked by Effulgence, Sri Venkateswara’s Photography Society’s annual display, Kodachrome, taking place in tandem with Opera D’Arte 3.0, Leonci Art Society’s annual display. A student from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, who planned on staying for the Mr. Professor’s DJ nights after participating in H#, the Western Acapella Competition, stated:

It’s been an interesting run so far. The wins were well-deserved. I’m staying here till 6 for the DJ.

As is the case with every DU-affiliated college, the sole event that marked Day 3 was the performance of the much-awaited artist. This time, Javed Ali of Guzarish fame took to the stage. Post Dilli Ke Darshan, the concert gave people in the audience a lifetime of memories and then some more.

Featured Image Credits: Arush for DU Beat

Aastha Singh

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Nexus 2025: Final Day Descends into Chaos amid Overcrowding

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The final day of Nexus 2025 at Sri Venkateswara College saw unexpected crowd surges, security lapses, and logistical issues, raising concerns about event management and attendee safety.

Sri Venkateshwara College (SVC) hosted its annual fest, Nexus, from March 3 to March 5, 2025, bringing together students from across Delhi for three days of music, cultural events, competitions, and live performances. However, the third day in particular witnessed an overwhelming surge in attendees due to the much-anticipated concert by renowned singer Javed Ali with an estimate of over 6000 people inside the venue. The massive turnout quickly spiraled out of control, with people even jumping over the college fences in an attempt to enter the premises, leading to injuries, security violations, and more chaotic scenes at the venue.

Even though the official instructions stated that the college gates would be closed by 2 PM, they were shut as early as 1:45 PM, leading to a massive crowd gathering right outside the campus gate. Many students, including members of the organizing committee, repeatedly requested the guards to reopen the gates, but their pleas were ignored due to the already overwhelming number of people inside the college premises. The situation quickly turned disorderly as students found themselves trapped as those outside struggled to get in, while several inside were unable to leave due to the tightly packed crowd blocking the exit as the same gates were being used for both the entry and the exit. Moreover, the crowd outside the gates was so dense that students caught in the middle or near the front had no clear path to vacate the place either.

In conversation with DU Beat, a Delhi University student, Kalyani said,

 

The crowd was so packed outside the gate that even though we wanted to leave, we were trapped there for 3 hours outside the campus until the gates were reopened. Even though the police were trying to get people to leave, it was incredibly difficult since there was no way out of the crowd, making the entire situation a lot more suffocating.

Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that beyond the suffocating conditions, the crowd was also unsafe with many female students facing groping and harassment. She said, “We noticed that no one was following the queue, and everyone had gathered at the gate, so we decided to join the crowd. However, the situation turned unpleasant as I faced a lot of groping and misconduct, which was horrible, but apart from that, once we were inside, it was fine.”

While many students blamed management, the organizers had a different perspective. Talking to DU Beat, Nandini Das, the Vice President of the SVC student union, stated,

Well, we had over 6000 students inside the campus area, and the same number of students were waiting outside the campus. As a union member, it was very tough for me as well as my fellow members to manage because we had a management team of at least 50-100 who were looking after a crowd of 6000 plus. But hopefully the police and CRPF had helped us a lot, and also the injured people were provided medical service immediately. And I think you can’t blame anyone for mismanagement because I do believe that you should have some civic and moral sense of how to behave in a public place. Out of 6000, if 1000 people are trying to violate the protocol, then I think it’s the individual who’s the problem.

However, students from SVC did have complaints regarding the management of the fest. Vanshika, another student of SVC, said, “It was very chaotic. The roads outside were blocked for over 4 hours, with even Venkateshwara students being stuck outside campus for hours. It should’ve definitely been managed better by either not allowing students from other colleges or by not making them stay outside for so long.”

Beyond the numerous issues faced by those stuck outside and the minor altercations that broke out on campus, there were also allegations of misbehavior by the management towards the media team. Aashvee, a videographer present at the event, revealed,

Despite having barricade passes for the star night as per the official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), our team was subjected to harassment, humiliation, and outright negligence at the hands of the event’s so-called management. Random individuals, including non-students, effortlessly jumped over them and entered restricted areas unchecked. Meanwhile, our media team, stationed in the designated media section as required for coverage, was singled out and aggressively confronted by two members of the event staff.”

Overall, the last day of Nexus 2025 highlighted the difficulties of managing large-scale college events. Overcrowding, security lapses, and logistical challenges created a chaotic environment, leaving both attendees and organisers frustrated and raising concerns about safety. While efforts were made to control the situation, the incidents call attention to the importance of better planning and stricter crowd management in future fests.

Read Also:  Security: The Overrated Inconvenience During Fests at Women’s Colleges

Featured Image Credits: Ayushmaan for DU Beat

Ashita Kedia 

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Campus Central

DU to end increment benefits tied to MPhil and PhD holders

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The University Grants Commission has requested a dismissal of all incentives to MPhil and PhD holding faculty members last month to prevent objections during audits. Potential salary cuts may be in the works.

Several faculty members of the Lakshmibai College of Delhi University possessive of MPhil and PhD degrees had to see pay cuts in their salaries in February following a government directive.

The directive enforced a mandate which had been in place for eight years to roll back increments provided to faculty members on the basis of the seniority of their degree (particularly MPhil and PhD holders). The implementation of the order came as a complete shock to the teaching faculty at Lakshmibai College, who then arranged a meeting with Principal Pratush Vatsala in February itself to further discuss matters.

The matter could be traced back to 2010, when the University Grants Commission had declared five salary increments for PhD holders, three for faculty members on study leaves for a PhD as well as MPhil holders and one for acquiring an MPhil in service.

Then, in 2017, The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) advocated a discontinuation of these benefits, citing benefits in relation to relaxation of required experience for promotion of faculty members from the position of assistant professor to associate professor.

The decision had yet to see implementation following Delhi University’s silence on the matter. The University Grants Commission, however, has advocated for a disruption of incentives to avoid audit objections in the near future. So far, Lakshmibai College and Shyam Lal Evening College have implemented the order. In a conversation with The Telegraph, a Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) Member had stated,

The UGC’s 2018 regulations continue the incentives. It has helped in attracting candidates with research qualifications to join institutions. Withdrawal of the incentives will adversely affect teacher quality in institutions.

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association has declared a strike for all incumbent members on 7th March (Friday), from 10.00 A.M. to 05:00 P.M. with an order of suspension of all classes until then.

Read Also: Delhi University VC Sparks Debate by Dropping Baburnama and Manusmriti from UG History Syllabus

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Media Library

Aastha Singh
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Delhi University VC Sparks Debate by Dropping Baburnama and Manusmriti from UG History Syllabus

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Delhi University withdrew its proposal to include the Hindu religious text, Manusmriti and Tuzuk-i-Baburi (Baburnama), the memoir of the Mughal King Babur, from the undergraduate History curriculum after opposition from faculty members and the DU Vice-Chancellor. 

Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh condemned and dropped a proposal to include the texts, Manusmriti and Baburnama in the undergraduate syllabus for History on Tuesday, 4th March, 2024, following resistance from faculty members. He clarified that such texts were not worth the consideration of being included in the curriculum and would be overruled in similar future proposals as well. 

On February 19th, the History Department’s Joint Committee of Courses cleared the proposal for the inclusion of Manusmriti and Baburnama into the undergraduate curriculum. However, faculty members from across Delhi University colleges criticised the proposal for lacking ‘critical perspective’ and objected to teaching the texts. Upon review by the Vice Chancellor, the proposal now stands withdrawn. Official reports claim that the History Department looks to schedule a review meeting to formally withdraw the proposed inclusion. In a statement to the Indian Express, Singh further stated that he would exercise his emergency powers to prevent the proposal from being introduced for review in the next Academic Council meeting. 

Singh, questioning the relevance of the texts, told the Hindustan Times,

We do not want to consider such texts which are not acceptable to many, and will create chaos in the system. We are in the 21st century and there is no need to teach these. Under the New Education Policy (NEP 2020), we want to bring new courses in accordance with Indian traditions, which will benefit the country and society.

Specifically, he criticised Baburnama as an “autobiography of a tyrant” with no relevance of being taught in today’s time. 

However, faculty members of Delhi University remain divided upon the inclusion of Manusmriti and Baburnama – while some professors strongly urged their removal, others defended the historicity of the primary texts. 

Associate Professor Surendra Kumar, strongly resisting the proposal, wrote to the Vice Chancellor criticising Manusmriti for “glorifying exploitation and oppression” and being “against the idea of Bharat” and argued against Baburnama for glorifying an invader’s widespread “destruction of people in Bharat”.

Professor Latika Gupta stated,

Manusmriti is a document that reflects the web of Brahmanical patriarchy and the objectification of women. Historians consider it the most prominent text of the Brahmanical system. If it is taught and treated as sacred literature, then there are serious problems. This is not a good step. It must be challenged. 

Other faculty members defended the inclusion of texts through their historical context as primary sources rather than an endorsement of their oppressive ideas. A faculty member in conversation with Indian Express stated,

How can one understand caste and discrimination if they do not read Manusmriti? To understand inequality and discrimination, one must educate themselves. After all, that is what a university space should be all about.

This is, however, not the first time that debates have sparked regarding the inclusion of Manusmriti in the Delhi University curriculum. Last year, a similar proposal to include the Hindu religious text into the LLB syllabus received resistance from the Faculty of Law and was ultimately withdrawn. The Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan too commented against the inclusion of such a controversial text in the university curriculum. 

Read Also: Delhi University Rejects Proposal to Add Manusmriti in the LLB Syllabus Post Severe Backlash

Image Credits: Devesh, DU Beat

Aaratrika Ghosh

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Communal Flashpoint at SAU: ABVP Members Allegedly Assault Students Over Non-Veg Food

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A violent altercation allegedly erupted at South Asian University (SAU) on Wednesday when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reportedly clashed with students, including women, and mess staff over the serving of non-vegetarian food on Maha Shivratri.

According to reports, tensions had been brewing in the days leading up to Maha Shivratri as ABVP members insisted that only ‘sattvik’ food be served in the university mess, citing religious sentiments. However, the mess committee decided to provide both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to accommodate all dietary preferences. Despite this, the issue allegedly escalated when ABVP members, led by Ratan Singh, Anshul Sharma, and Ram Sharma, entered the mess and confronted the staff and students.

They had been discussing this in WhatsApp groups for days. We ensured vegetarian food was available, so why should others be forced to follow their dietary choices?
– Yashada, the mess secretary and a master’s student 

She further alleged that Ratan Singh threw food on the floor and later turned violent, physically assaulting her.

The incident has drawn strong reactions from various student groups. The All India Students’ Association (AISA) condemned the attack, stating:

This is a strategic attempt to instill divisive hate. The ABVP-Admin-BJP nexus stands exposed as no action has been taken against the alleged perpetrators. The demand for separating non-veg food reeks of casteism.

Despite multiple complaints, SAU’s administration has yet to issue a statement on the matter. Students have accused the Dean and Proctor of allegedly shielding ABVP members from accountability. Yashada had reportedly filed a harassment complaint against Ratan Singh earlier, supported by video evidence, but no action was taken.

ABVP, however, denied the allegations, claiming that left-wing students instigated the altercation.

Students observing a fast on Maha Shivratri had requested sattvik food. 110 students had written to the administration, and their request was granted. When they were eating in a separate space, a left cadre member and mess representative allegedly brought fish curry and started arguing. When they were requested to eat elsewhere, she allegedly created a scene and threw food at them; this was intentional, just like the disruption of the Diwali celebrations at Jamia. Those who thrive on division feel threatened by cultural harmony among students.
– an ABVP representative

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has called for the immediate suspension of those allegedly involved and a thorough investigation into past complaints.

Students allege that the attack reflects a pattern where right-wing groups resort to violence while the administration remains unresponsive.

What happened at SAU is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader attempt to create divisions among students in university spaces. The lack of action against those accused of violence is deeply concerning.
– An AISA representative 

Calls for an impartial investigation into the incident have intensified, with student organisations demanding that the university administration take decisive steps to address the alleged assault and ensure accountability. As of now, no official statement has been released by SAU authorities regarding the incident.

Read Also: Jamia Millia Islamia administration cracks down student-led protests; imposes arbitrary disciplinary proceedings

Featured Image Credits: The Indian Express

Ritobrita Mukherjee for DU Beat

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Five-Year-Old’s Sexual Assault on School Bus Highlights Precarious Security in South Delhi Schools

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Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

Amidst growing concerns about student safety in Delhi schools, the alleged sexual assault of a five-year-old girl in her school bus casts a stark light on the issue, revealing the fragility of the safe and secure campuses boasted by prominent private schools in South Delhi. 

In August 2024, a five-year-old girl, from South Delhi was sexually assaulted in her school bus, allegedly by a 19-year-old Kenyan national currently studying in Class 11. The student was only suspended on 7th February 2025 after 100-150 parents peacefully protested outside the school premises. It has also been reported that the alleged perpetrator’s mother is a counsellor to the Kenyan High Commission. The First Information Report (FIR), registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, confirmed that he holds diplomatic immunity, which necessitates a waiver for legal proceedings to proceed. The concerned authorities have been contacted as two more FIRs have been lodged against the same individual.

While the incident occurred last year, it has received little media attention, and the school’s name remained largely undisclosed until recently when an alumnus of the school posted about it on their Instagram account.

Speaking to DU Beat, the alumnus emphasised on the tactics used by the school to curtail the situation without dispensing justice to the victim. Instead, they have advised the parents to change their daughters’ school.

They [school administration] are using everything to stop it. Even teachers from different branches don’t know about this.” he added

The parents allege that the local police and the school deliberately mishandled the case.  

When we first approached the school authorities regarding the matter, they told us the student involved was a 16-year-old Nigerian. Our daughter was called to the school to identify him, but he was absent that day and the teachers told us that he had gone for a field trip”  said the parents of the student while talking to The Times of India

Since then, they repeatedly tried to seek justice through the school’s administration, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. 

We are still waiting for justice …my daughter without any fault of her missed her school and the culprit freely was attending school and molesting more other girls which they reported to the teachers but they didn’t do anything.” the parents added

This trend of school administrations evading accountability is neither new nor isolated and sets a dangerous precedent where power and privilege outweigh social justice.

 

Read also: Nepali Student’s Alleged Suicide Sparks Protests at KIIT; Over 500 Students Forced to Leave the Campus

 

Yashika Jain 

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Nepali Student’s alleged Suicide Sparks Protests at KIIT; Over 500 Students Forced to Leave the Campus

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Protests erupted on the campus of Kalinga Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar, after the alleged suicide of a student from Nepal. Following the protests, the university dropped off Nepali students at various railway stations and asked them to return home.

On February 16, 2025, Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old student of Kalinga Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar, hailing from Nepal, was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room after alleged prolonged assault at the hands of a fellow student, now identified as Advik Shrivastava. She is alleged to have taken her own life while being on a video call with the accused. Following the incident, several Nepali students had blocked the road near the campus, alleging that the university took no action after the students reached out to the International Relations Office at the university. Police officials have claimed it to be a self-evident case of suicide, and Advik Shrivastava, the boy who allegedly played a role in the death of the student, has now been detained following his attempted escape from Bhubaneswar through flight.

The student body has alleged that the victim had suffered continuous abuse at the hands of the detained. Her suicide note, which is now missing, and her phone, now in the custody of the administration, have all important and necessary information regarding it.

As of recently, a video has been circulating on social media featuring the college administration’s response to students from Nepal and their requests for a formal investigation to be launched, with one of the phrases used being, “Pack your bags and leave.”

Source: X 


The KIIT management has passed an official order calling for hostels to restrict the movement of students with immediate effect, and students of Nepalese origin have been threatened and beaten into vacating the college premises after having met with hostilities following direct relation to the case. their protests. A notice issued by college authorities read:

The university is closed for all international students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus today, February 17.

According to reports, on Monday, over 500 Nepali students were asked to board buses, dropped at various railway stations and requested to head home.

Further sources claim that students were allegedly forced to vacate the college campus.

No train tickets or any directions have been provided to us. We were just loaded up on the hostel buses, sent to Cuttack railway station, and ordered to leave for our homes at the earliest. The staff members entered the hostel, made us vacate, and even hit those who were not vacating quickly,” claimed a student from Nepal.

Many anonymous sources have gone on to claim that this was not an incident in isolation, and similar cases of racial discrimination against international students, as well as student suicides and gendered violence, have occurred and have subsequently been brushed under the rug by concerned authorities of the college.

 

Read Also: Jamia Millia Islamia administration cracks down student-led protests; imposes arbitrary disciplinary proceedings


Featured Image Source: Times Now

Aastha Singh

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DUB Speak

Exploring the state of teen love in an ever changing landscape

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We often hear tales of romances from teenagers that leave us baffled and maybe even get a chuckle or two out of us. Here are excerpts from my chat with teenagers enrolled at the University of Delhi trying to figure out why teen romances seem so fickle these days.

“Everyone is  always on the hunt for someone better.”This quote vividly captures much of what might come to mind when encountering corny, often irrational teen romances during your daily scroll. Criticizing teenagers for their mistakes hardly makes sense, as—despite what they may want us to believe—they are still in their formative years.  Nevertheless, as someone who recently hit a miserable milestone (i.e., celebrated their 20th birthday), I thought it’d be fun exploring what the kids are up to these days. Finding people who are up for a chat is rarely a problem on college campuses, so we assembled a group of people, sat down for a cup of tea, and heard their story, trying to figure out what’s made teen romances a funny affair.

“The preferability of hookups to lasting romance in the gay space practically decreased my odds of finding love, not in Delhi anyway.”.

Gabriel, a second-year college student enrolled at the University of Delhi, laughed when making this remark, but the misery of never being able to find love couldn’t be more apparent. Dating in the queer space presents more challenges than most; to get there to begin with is a win for most. Despite the recent progress, homosexuality is still and has been historically frowned upon in most sections of the globe. Some say it’s the sexual repression that’s led to a preference for sexual pleasure over lasting romance in masculine/gay corners of the queer space that Gabriel referred to earlier.Another historical explanation often cited is the trickle-down effect of the sexual liberation movement across the West in the second half of the 20th century which retains its essence in various sections of the queer community to this day. 

“Such is life that it began the very week I stepped foot in Delhi,” said Gabriel with another poignant smile, telling how he thought he’d found love in someone who’d go on to ghost him later. Heck, they even shared birthdays!!He seemed rather at odds with how he felt about apps like Grindr, which on one hand have made dating fellow queer mates more convenient than ever and have helped him make new friends in a city relatively unfamiliar but also led to people fearing/moving away from commitment, given the barrage of options that they have now. Despite his abysmal run in the Delhi dating scene, we are hoping he twins birthdays with someone very soon!

While Gabriel’s story reflects a rather unlucky tale of teenage romance, others like Serena view queer relationships with a fondness I had hardly seen before.” I’ve had breakups before; nothing has hurt the way it hurts when she’s upset with me.” Boy, could she have put it any better? Her tale is different from that of Gabriel in that she has found herself a partner, her first and, as she hopes, last. Our chat reminded me about the variables that make young love so pure. She explained how appreciative she is of having someone she can rely on emotionally when the going gets tough, someone to help kickstart her day and, similarly, help end it. Serena speaks in glowing terms of life feeling as though it’s being viewed through rose-tinted glasses when you’re emotionally invested in someone you love, naturally not a big fan of hookups.

How often do we see videos about red flags and green flags in relationships on our tabs? These videos often reduce attraction, which could be multifaceted to very shallow and non-pluralistic parameters, i.e., music, movies, and whatnot. And because the algorithms are designed in such a way that they get us stuck in an echo chamber of like-minded people who subconsciously affect our decisions. This perhaps can explain why so many young people increasingly feel more and more caged with their partners once the initial happy-go-loving phase is over. Serena too cautions people against other mono-ritualistic parameters being deciding factors for something as multifaceted as love. “Why even bother dating if you aren’t even emotionally invested in them?” she recalled dismissing my question about music potentially playing a big role in her relationship…

Serena was someone who found comfort in emotional investment, yet in a world that’s growing at breakneck speed, that is something that’s becoming an increasingly rare virtue. In the last of my chats, I ran into Rob and Miley, sharing their insights on the matter.

” The fear of commitment in the world of fast fashion is what puts people off of long-term relationships.”

 Rob remarked when asked about the deteriorating state of a meaningful connection in recent years. This led to a brief chatter about the rise in situationships, as not so long ago, it used to be synonymous with what you call the “talking stage” but has now taken the long-term route, often leaving people somewhere in the middle for months. Not sure whether it’s the “old man speak” in me, but maybe we should do away with it, at least this iteration of it, where it may last as long as 6 months, if not more. 

Miley, on the other hand, was harsh on people giving up at the first hurdle they came across. “Everyone is looking for someone better than their current partner or isn’t willing to work it out when things get hard. They seek an easy way out,” she recalled when asked about the problems with most modern relationships. It made sense, given the number of people who avoid conversations, misjudging them for confrontation, and proceed to let the resentment build up inside of them instead of talking things out and attempting to resolve conflicts.

Ultimately, these conversations revealed what might not be the revelation one may have been expecting but was important nonetheless. Like anything else in life, love, for better or for worse, is multifaceted, with various dimensions affecting an array of people. From Gabriel’s misfortune to the raw beauty of Serena’s first love to Rob’s tale of naturally becoming indifferent to his ex-partner. As he so succinctly put it:

“My previous relationships fell apart as there was not enough attachment; maybe we didn’t try hard enough to cherish each other, and over time, we became indifferent towards each other.”

Read also: Nostalgia and Break Ups That Engulf Valentine’s Day

Featured Images credits: Hindu College

Yash Raj

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Jamia Millia Islamia administration cracks down student-led protests; imposes arbitrary disciplinary proceedings

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Following the lead of several universities banning student activism on campus, Jamia Millia Islamia has intensified its crackdown on student-led protests. 

 

A circular was issued by the college administration dated 29 November 2024, explicitly banning protests, dharnas, sit-ins and any form of sloganeering against constitutional dignitaries, days after students raised slogans against the current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. In lieu of these supposedly new guidelines, students requested permission to hold a sit-in protest on 15 December 2024, commemorating five years of the anti-CAA protests held at Jamia, which turned violent when a protesting student, Shadab Najar, was shot. Permission for holding this event was denied, and the college shut down the library and the canteen on the said date, citing “maintenance reasons,” which was allegedly done to suppress dissenting student voices. 

 

Despite this, approximately 300 students participated in the peaceful protest after class hours, so the said demonstration did not disrupt any academic activities. 

– Saurabh, a PhD student at Jamia via EdEx

 

The administration, however, quickly responded by issuing show-cause notices to Saurabh and four others, accusing them of disrupting campus order and pushing certain political agendas. On 6 February, 2025, the administration further issued Disciplinary Committee hearings against the concerned students, stating that their responses to the show-cause notices were unsatisfactory. In response to this, students began a sit-in protest demanding an immediate revocation of these show-cause notices and a withdrawal of Disciplinary Hearings issued against protesting students. Larger demands of the protesting students include a revocation of the guidelines issued on 29 November, 2024 and 29 August, 2022. 

 

When students know that standing up for their rights could cost them their education, it forces self-censorship, making the environment even more repressive. This decision reinforces the ongoing erosion of dissent, making it evident that critical conversations, even within academic spaces, are no longer welcome. 

– Azhar via Youth Ki Awaaz

 

The administration further refused to engage in dialogue with the students and responded by increasing barricading around campus, deploying 20+ security personnel armed with lathis around the protest premises. In a gross violation of the protesting students’ right to privacy, their names along with their addresses and phone numbers have been pasted outside the university’s front gate. 

 

This incident is not an isolated instance but part of a larger pattern of crackdowns on student activism and academic freedom, especially across public universities in India, reflecting the Center’s broader attempt to suppress dissent by directly attacking intellect.

 

Read Also: Student protest in Ramjas College against the sexual harassment charges on Prof. Dhani Ram violently disrupted by ABVP

 

Featured Image Credits: The Observer Post

 

Sakshi Singh

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Arts & Culture

The Hacks Are Here to Stay

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This piece reviews the comedy series, ‘Hacks’ which armed with its reliable humour and eccentricity, challenges an ageist industry and audience. Hacks season 3 premiered in 2024. 

 

I love old people. I love movies about old people. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a gerontophile. I just find older people to be wittier, sassier, and snarkier than the rest of us. The years of experience living account for more than just joint pain and cataracts. I think it makes people more honest and carefree, for when you are 70, you have little to lose, the worst that could happen to you is that you could die and most 70-year-olds are dying anyway. ‘Hack’, a derogatory word, refers to an older person, past their prime, doing repetitive and mediocre work in a professional field. So, creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and  Jen Statsky chose to call their show about a 60-year-old, female comedian, ‘Hacks’. But Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a steel-hardened, veteran stand-up comedian with 100 shows at Las Vegas’s Palmetto Casino is anything but a hack. Having cemented her 40-year-old career in comedy, Deborah saunters between the casino and paid appearances during the daytime, only to return to her cavernous mansion and dogs in the evening, take off her wig and gaudy outfit, and dine alone. She has paid a very dear price for success- years ago,  her husband, jealous of her comedic spurt, had left her and married her sister. But Deb isn’t lonely, she is quite happy celebrating Christmas with her house staff and manager, having cut off her sister from her life.  But despite her legacy, Deb cannot escape the fragilities of age and fears her career waning when the casino’s owner slashes her shows on Fridays and Saturdays every week. 

In a desperate attempt to freshen Deborah’s content, her manager Jimmy sends in a 20-something, unemployed TV comedy writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to Deb’s aid. They get off to a rocky start, scoff at each other, roll their eyes but eventually soften up. Ava is useful, she livens up Deb’s material, brings her to publicly apologise for her racist, sexist, ableist jokes in the past, and cuts down on the usage of her private jet to reduce her carbon footprint. Ava is young and was born in the age of cancel- culture and climate change activism. She makes Deb more relevant. She, in turn, learns from Deb how to be unflinchingly self-reliant to survive in a hostile world and carve her niche. They make a great team. Throughout the 3 seasons, Hacks has remained reliably, consistently funny. To watch Hacks is like watching yourself argue with your parents, both parties hold their ground, refusing to give up until one of you caves in. It is heartfelt and emotionally cumbersome at the same time. 

Because it is a 30-episode long series (that I binge-watched in 2 days), Hacks could devote a lot of time and screen space to developing well-rounded personalities of the supporting cast who are just as eccentric and geeky as the leads. Deb’s daughter (whom she named Deborah Vance Junior) is a self-absorbed entrepreneur who sells handcrafted jewelry, but because that makes her no money, she hires private agents to take ugly pictures of Deborah to sell to the media. Imagine! They have a difficult relationship. From Marcus, the CEO of her company to Kiki, her personal blackjack dealer, Deb has herself surrounded by a loyal tribe that keeps her from dying of boredom, or narcissism. She pays everybody a lot, a lot! Kayla, Jimmy’s bratty assistant is a joy to watch and at times,  I would find myself waiting for her to make an appearance, with little interest in Deb and Ava. That is the key to forging side characters, I’ve learned, that creators shouldn’t just sprinkle side characters to fill screen time, they should devote to them, traits and trajectories that make them a person in their own right, not just reduced to being the gay friend, or the black friend, or worst of them all, the fat friend. Tokenism is so last century. 

The supporting cast and leads, when Hacks won the Best Television Series- Comedy 

Image credit: Rolling Stone

 

I think it is hard to make a show about 2 women, harder if there’s an older woman, simply because an ageist audience does not want to watch a show about wrinkle cream, menopause, and lentil soup (it’s easy to digest). Old people are just not as visually pleasing, they walk slowly and slur. So, for Hacks to have won Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes and gotten a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it must have done a lot of things right. Another one of my dear favorite shows that has as in its lead a 64-year-old Julia Louis-Dreyfus (from Seinfeld) is Veep, a fictional political satire that traces the journey of the Vice President of USA, Selina Meyer (Dreyfus) and her team as she desperately claws at becoming the President. Her staff is dysfunctional and so is she. Veep was so, so funny, the outfits were so beautiful, it bagged so many awards. If you are chronically online and/or unemployed and can watch a 7-season-long show, then Veep might just keep you occupied for some time. 

It is important we make and watch more shows about old people. We cannot give up on people when they turn 60, they have too many remarkable stories to tell and too much property that they’re not taking anywhere with them. 

 

Read also: https://dubeat.com/2024/09/04/dub-review-angry-young-men-do-bhai-dono-tabahi-actualised/

Image Credit: Indiewire

 

Chetna Rani

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