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Hans Raj College

Hans Raj College organises Stock Guru – a freshers’ inter-college mock stock competition

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The Investment and Finance Cell, Department of Commerce, Hans Raj College organised Stock Guru – a freshers’ inter-college mock stock competition on 9th October 2015. The competition was the first of its kind organised in Delhi University for the ongoing academic year. It witnessed a footfall of over 400 participants, who represented colleges from all over Delhi.

The competition comprised of two main rounds – the prelims and the finals, which were further divided into two rounds each. The event turned out to be a learning and a highly enriching experience for first-year students, who were acquainted with the rudiments of stock markets and portfolio management. The participants showed keen interest in learning new concepts; and with the simulation being skilfully designed and implemented by the organisers, they got to know about various aspects of finance. After two intensely occupying rounds, the results were declared, with the prize money and goodies from Worlds of Wonder being distributed on the spot.

The winners were as follows: First position – Aarush Jain and Rohan Bhatia from SSCBS; First runner-up: Sankalp Vohra from Sri Venkateswara College; and Second runner-up: Gagandeep Singh from SGGSCC.

On the whole, the competition was effective in giving the students an insight into the nitty gritties of the finance world.

 

Image credits: Shivam Jangra

Sudhant Yadav

[email protected]

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Spo(r)tlight

16 colleges move closer to league stages of DU’s Football Tournament

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After 4 days, 26 matches and 86 goals, 16 teams have survived the first set of qualifiers and are aiming to make it through to the league stages of the DU Inter College Football Tournament that are scheduled to begin from the 14th of October. The results are as follows:

 

  • 6th October:Satyawati (E) College 2-0 SGND Khalsa College
    SGGSCC 4-2 Sri Aurobindo College (E)
    Shivaji College 1-0 Aryabhatta College
    Ram Lal Anand College 2-1 Ramjas College
    Dyal Singh College (E) 1-0 Acharya Narendra Dev College

 

  • 7th October:CVS 2-0 Keshav Mahavidyalaya
    DDUC 4-1 Rajdhani College
    Sri Aurobindo College 2-1 Bhaskaracharya
    Zakhir Hussain (E) 6-0 Ramanujan College
    IGIPESS 2-1 Dyal Singh College

 

  • 8th OctoberSatywati (E) 0-0 Hansraj (4-2 on penalties)
    PGDAV 5-0 CIC
    Satyawati 3-1 NSIT
    Maharaja Agrasen College 4-1 SGGSCC
    Shivaji College 2-1 DCAC
    Ram Lal Anand 2-1 Shyam Lal College
    Swami Shraddhanand College 1-0 ARSD
    Dyal Singh College (E) 1-0 Deshbandhu College

 

  • 9th OctoberShaheed Bhagat Singh College (E) 4-1 CVS
    SRCC 3-0 Hindu College
    Shyam Lal College (E) 5-1 DDUC
    Bhaskaracharya 2-2 Moti Lal Nehru College (3-0 on penalties)
    Zakhir Hussain (E) 3-1 Shaheed Bhagat Singh College
    BR Ambedkar 1-0 SGTB Khalsa College
    SSCBS 4-1 PGDAV(E)
    IGIPESS 2-1 St. Stephens College

 

The sixteen teams will face off in another set of matches on the 10th and 12th of October to determine which four will progress to the league stages. Last year’s top four teams: KMC, SVC, Moti Lal Nehru (E) and champions Zakhir Hussain were given direct entry to the league stages and will face off against the four victors that emerge over the next two match days. The current top scorer of the tournament is Puneet from Zakhir Hussain (E) who has scored 6 times in 2 matches. Madhav from SSCBS and Thang Mamang from Shyam Lal (E) are tied for second place with four goals each.

 

We would like to remind our readers that matches are available live on www.ncfl.in along with highlights and updates brought to you by the North Campus Football League team.

 

Shraman Ghosh

[email protected]

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Jesus and Mary College

Amusement Day organised by Jesus and Mary College takes participants back to childhood

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Mercatus, Marketing Club of Jesus and Mary College organised an inter-college event called Amusement Day. The event,which was based on the theme “Back to childhood,” witnessed participation from over 800 college students from across Delhi. The maximum participation was from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce.

The event consisted of games like Tug of war, Treasure Hunt, Lucky Seven, Dare to Play, Spin the wheel, Aim the ring and Hopscotch. A variety of food and drink stalls along with photo booth, hair braiding, chalking and styling stalls were the chief attraction of the day. The event was divided into two slots and went on for 6 hours. The other activity that gained attention was the lucky draw and the creative stall of the startup ‘Kkrimoda’ managed by Jesus and Mary College student Kritika Jain. The innovative game of doubling the money invited maximum participation in the event.

When asked about the best part of the event, Sakshi, a student from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce said, “The theme was the most catchy thing. It lured me to come and take part in this mini fest. Everything here, ranging from the decorations to the fun games, has actually filled me with a sense of nostalgia.” According to Harsh, a treasure hunt participant, “This is the third time I am visiting JMC for this game, and it never fails to meet my expectations. The arrangements are up to the mark and the atmosphere is extremely vibrant and welcoming.”

The event was also visited by the faculty members. According to the convener Dr Mani Nandhi,such ideas of encouraging cooperation among the society members with engaging activities should frequently be adopted.

 

Picture Credits : Preeti Sridhar from JMC

Lovleen Kaur

[email protected]

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Lady Shri Ram College for Women

LSR’s Basta to present its business model at UN Headquarters, NYC

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Basta – ‘Waste to Worth’ is a venture started by three students of Lady Shri Ram Collgege for Women with an aim of creating a circuit of women entrepreneurs. It revolves around employment and income generation for rural women. Currently, their user group comprises 8 semi-skilled but previously unemployed rural women residing in Shampur village of Uttar Pradesh.

Basta was conceptualised as part of an international internship programme organized by the US based non-profit 1M1B: A Million for A Billion. Teams from Caribbean, India and USA participated in this 6 months long programme. From over 300 international participants, this initiative was chosen and the three founding members, Apoorva Sharma, Akshita Singla and Malvika Verma were selected to fly to New York and present their business model at the United Nations Headquarters on the eve of International Day for Eradication of Poverty, which is on 16th October. They will also be pitching to an investor group named DC Arch Angels in Washington DC and meet the two winning teams from Caribbean and the States as well.

“It’s a flurry of emotions! It’s an honour to be representing India and LSR at the United Nations,” says Malvika Verma, one of the three founding members of the initiative. Basta is supported by 1M1B, the National Service Scheme of LSR, and Connecting Dreams Foundation.

They refashion waste flex banners and cloth pieces into bags and pouches. They also have a ‘Custom Made’ option wherein the customers can place orders and have products personalized as per their preferences. They aim to promote the culture of responsible buying.

“One thing that we learnt while working for Basta is that there is no shortcut to hard work. Rejection is the best teacher. You adopt a system of self-criticism. The feeling of being 20 years old and being responsible for the income and livelihood of another individual is just unmatched,” the three founding members convey collectively.

Their aim is to take entrepreneurship to the masses, women in particular. “Globally, only 8% of the companies have female CEOs. We just aren’t given an opportunity and that’s what we want to challenge. Our ‘Basta in a Box’ model revolves around this belief,” they say.  They plan to implement this model in Delhi University wherein interested students can set up stalls in their own colleges or wherever they prefer and take a clean share of 15% from the profits made.

Image Credits: Basta, Waste to Worth

Shaina Ahluwalia

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DUB News

Sex, Sexplanation and Sexuality brought to light- Gender Studies Group

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In spite of being a sensitive issue, discussions regarding gender and sexuality are heating up all over the country. With a large number of students being a part of the varsity, sharing different backgrounds and cultures, it is a great platform to openly garner different stances. As a step forward in the view of gender sensitization,  The Gender Studies Group, Delhi University has launched four FAQ booklets on the topics – The Body, Sexual Minorities, Sexual Harassment as well as Accommodation in and around the University.

With the recently launched booklets, the Group aims to connect students to the knowledge on these issues. Often not openly discussed, students remain indifferent to the subjects of harassment, abuse and bullying. The booklets provide useful information about the rights of the students and social conditions prevalent in the university. It aims to incorporate students and make them heralds of social awareness and change.

For instance, the booklet titled “Body”, talks about the definition of gender, which includes transgender, consent in a sexual relationship, basic anatomy of the male and female reproductive organs and the misconceptions attached. It also talks about health, hygiene, contraception and date rape. “Accommodation” is another booklet that comprises of restrictive rules and regulations in hostels, especially for women and also cautions them about the forms of harassment that they might encounter. The booklet on “Sexual Minorities” deals with the LGBTQIA – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals, Trans, Queer, Intersex and Asexual — and explains each term. It also embraces the issue of homosexuality and common questions arising in its context as to why, how and if it’s wrong.

Excessively it acquaints students as to how to collectively oppose and protest moral policing, harassment, gender biased rules and violence in the university. These booklets rationally question the myths and taboos concerning gender, sexuality and accommodation. The Group’s efforts are delegated towards guiding students in the right direction and analyse such issues with a coherent and open mind.

The booklets are available at a few places in the University including the Delhi School of Economics. Soon these will be distributed in other places too.

Tanya Agarwal

[email protected]

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Features

5 Common Pitfalls of IAS Preparation and How to Avoid Them

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The moment a person decides to prepare for IAS, whether being the result of impetuous passion, careful persuasion, or a new formed excitement to ‘try their luck’, he/she is also well aware of the fact that they are now in the race of the largest, toughest and the most demanding competition in the entire world. Yet, at that moment, nothing seems to strike a chord with much intensity. It’s only after a few days, when the real fever sets in and the symptoms of a classic IAS aspirant begin to show

Here are a few common problems and their cures:-

1. I-have-already-achieved-something Syndrome: The mention of preparing for civil service examination has an unusual reaction on people. In the awe of such lofty goal, it gets you both extremely appreciative reactions from friends and relatives, so much so that it already makes you stand on a pedestal. This makes you slightly over-confident and proud.

 Cure: It is imperative to understand that these increasing dialogues are also forming a bridge to an ocean of expectations which will soon leave you burdensome with pressure. The same relatives who are now showering you with praises will also be the ones on the lookout of the result dates much before you, yourself. So keep your focus steady and be your own critic and your own teacher. Do not spoil yourself with others’ comments. Be your own constant source of encouragement and motivation from the beginning to the end.

civilsdaily

2. Chasing the wrong side of the same dream: Keep your eyes on the prize? We agree. But when the list of the rewards only contain red-beaconed white ambassadors, king-sized houses with gardens, and being treated like royalty, then these dreams are only worth spending a few seconds or minutes on, and not to be “guided” with.

Cure: Concentrate on the real sense achievement of becoming a civil servant, which only includes your contributions for the country. Think of all the changes you can make with the powers you’ll gain, instead of the feeling you’ll get with being saluted by others. Think of how proud you’ll feel when you’ll get a chance to represent your own country and its rich heritage, instead of being fascinated by the shopping sprees and around-the-world tours. Instead of the materialistic pursuit, reflect on the satisfaction for the service of your nation and its people.

Want more motivation? Read this list of 5 Amazingly Badass Bureaucrats You Would Be Proud To Know

3. Live-in relationship with insomnia: “Neend ko maaro goli. Sirf padhai pe dhyaan do beta.” is a routinely dialogue, which soon becomes music to the ears of every civil service candidate. After acknowledging the incredibly large syllabus that UPSC has gladly gifted to all its aspirants, not only sleep, but even a few extra minutes spent on eating food or talking to someone on the phone appears to be a sinful waste of time; and why not? For a syllabus as vast and comprehensive as this, it would easily take an eternity to fully finish all the topics of all the given subjects.

Cure: Relax. You don’t need to become a zombie and sacrifice all of your personal time with others. Study hard but not so vigorously that it ends up affecting your health. Don’t get flustered by the amount of material that needs to be studied. Nobody can prepare all and everything. In the end, it’s all about how ‘well’ you have studied, and not ‘how much’. So manage your time correctly to each and every subject, and give your hundred percent to each topic you study, every time. Make every minute count. Don’t study for the sake of studying, to crack the exam. Instead, study to gain new knowledge with tons of curiosity and interest.

Read this quick 5 step guide to help you start your IAS Prep while in college.

4. The jack-ass of all trades and master of none: “Arrey, Mr.Sharma ka beta vahan se coaching leta hai, toh tum kahin aur se kaise?” “In books pe time waste kyun kar rahe ho? Maine jo books boli pehle woh padhke dekho.”- This is where the most confident ones also start sweating under the rays of uncertainty and soon get drowned in the sea of doubts. “Am I doing it the right way? Am I doing it from the right place?” An even worse problem is when even the smartest ones are unable to separate genuine wisdom from verbal toilet paper. Thus, leading to a state of profound perplexity, which if not treated on time can also result in a chronic state.

Cure: Early diagnosis is the best cure. Don’t ignore. Be on a lookout for all the signs/symptoms of wrong medication (also known as, advice). If you’re not feeling comfortable with the prescribed books or new study techniques, change them. Don’t be hesitant or embarrassed to speak out. Not everyone is you, and that is your power. It’s you who should decide what’s best for you and your capabilities. Stick to what you know and what you feel good studying with. It’s your journey, not theirs. Not every advice, freely available to you is right. So take your time to analyze what you can really do before believing all the advice given to you.

5. The fear of missing out (FOMO) Preparing for civil services not only brings about a change in one’s attitude, but also a gradual change in one’s lifestyle. Now this may not seem like a problem at first. But when you see your friends catching up on the latest blockbuster movie or attending a great party, while you’re at home reading about Prithviraj-Jaichand’s legacies or find yourself with bundles of topics in NCERT books yet to be covered, you are bound to feel a little envious. You start to feel cut-off from your friends or the world outside, and feel stuck in your web of responsibilities. Very soon, you start feeling exhausted and become greedy for a change. While some remain unaffected, for others, it becomes a huge problem.

Cure: With some being masters in the art of self control, others find it a little difficult to decline exciting invitations for outings, or don’t mind whiling away a little more time in just ‘chilling’ with others or alone. They feel that they can make up for all the lost time, but then that time never really comes. It is very easy for someone to resolve that they will do it, but very few have the ability to stick to it. It all depends on one’s mental strength to understand what is right and wrong at the deciding point of time and stick to their commitment. Without mental strength, your mind will start making excuses and you will end up putting off all the work that you must do. You need to distance yourself from everyone and everything that you feel are the main cause of your distraction. Realize the true importance of your goals- what made you decide to do this in the first place, and is wasting time on anything else worthy of it? Would you prefer a moment of satisfaction or a lifetime of happiness? This is what it all finally comes down to.

Start slow and Build upon your basics. If you are in college, we would suggest you build your basics on newspaper reading first. It is important to build a good rapport with current affairs and the Civilsdaily android app is a good way to keep up with UPSC related News.

Shagun Marwah

[email protected]

Picture Credits: www.civilsdaily.com

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Jesus and Mary College

Startup Fair organised by Entrepreneurship Cell, JMC

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Entrepreneurship Cell, Jesus and Mary College (JMC) organised a startup fair named ‘Start-o-sphere’ with a view to provide a platform to the JMC students and alumni who have established their own startups recently. The fair was attended by almost 500 people from various colleges.

Hosting a plethora of activities, the event gave opportunities to the young startup owners to interact with the audience while marketing and selling their respective products. The event consisted of 15 stalls of cupcakes, nachos, drinks, party merchandise and decor items, clutches, notebooks, jewelry etc.

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The alumni who were a part of this fair included Gouri Gosain, owner of Rom, Devika Khanna, owner of Cardelicious, Megha Chhabra seller of Customized stationery and posters, Ritika Nangia owner of Fun-Cart and Rashi, owner of ‘A bit of Me’ Jewellery brand.

When asked about the event, Gouri Gosain, An alumni of JMC who had put up a stall to showcase her brand said,”I am grateful to ECell JMC for  providing me with this unique opportunity of marketing my startup ‘Rom’. It feels utter nostalgic to be back to this campus and I am glad to see such innovative ideas and plans that have been introduced to this college.” 

While the food stalls witnessed the maximum attraction, the audience also seemed mesmerized with the creative stalls.

Acknowledging this initiative, Chavi Malhotra, a second year student of JMC said, “It’s great to see such a lively atmosphere in college. It’s a proud moment for me to see my friend displaying and selling her creative items.”

The convener Dr Meenakshi, praised the tireless efforts of the whole team in organising the event for the first time ever in JMC.

 

Lovleen Kaur

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Pinjra Tod: Crusading for liberty of women

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Hit the streets in celebration

We don’t need false protection

You can’t cage half the nation

It’s time to #PinjraTod

 

Over the last one month, the equal rights campaign, ‘Pinjra Tod’, has been gaining momentum, be it through posters, gatherings, songs, graffiti or the good old signature campaign. An autonomous collective of female students and alumni from different colleges in Delhi, ‘Pinjra Tod’, has given many a platform to voice their angst against gender-discriminatory rules in hostels and paying guest accommodations of the infamous National Capital Region.

Paying tribute to the long history of women’s and queer rights activism, these girls have moved forward in their crusade, despite criticism by status-quoists, fear of patriarchal college administration, threats by the perennially-insensitive right wing outfits and the ridiculously arbitrary restrictions on their mobility. With the ultimate aim of holding a public hearing at Jantar Mantar on the 10th of October, and submitting a petition to the Delhi Commission for Women, the collective has been steadfast in critiquing the inhuman rules- all of which are violations of basic civil rights- that are imposed on adult women by institutions and even private lodgings, all in the name of ‘protecting’ the former.

Whether it is the moral policing and violence by wardens/landlords, caps on ‘night outs’ (whereby girls can only spend a limited number of nights out of their allotted rooms, and that too only after permission is granted to them, in writing, by either their parents or their local guardians), evening/night curfews, or being locked in during ‘dangerous’ festivals like Holi, women in the capital are made to feel like infants, who neither have rights over their own bodies, nor intelligence enough to take decisions for their own selves.

None of these patriarchal rules, that are meant to keep female students ‘safe’, are based on any research/survey of practices and methods of maintaining law and order, and/or preventing crimes of a sexual nature. All these grand academic establishments are operating on the simplistic misogynist principle of ‘Vagina Causes Rape. Lock up Vagina = No Rape’, and the PGs are merely following suit. In fact, there is, in addition to the preposterous assumption of ‘safe keeping’, the other countless pathetic arguments of preserving ‘decency’, ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’- all concepts that these allegedly-intellectual institutions should know better than to accept uncritically.

With the family, the principal and the random stranger on the road, all following the same Stone Age rhetoric of caging women ‘for their own good’, the female student has nowhere to go (rather literally). Instead of being encouraged for her quest towards education, she is being punished for the mere act of existing, and ‘Pinjra Tod’ hopes to put a stop to this.

 

Image Credits: indianexpress.com

Guest Post for DU Beat by Aina Singh

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Campus Central

Peace Gong Youth Team organises street play performed by dramatics society of MAC

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rising intolerance in the society and the importance of nonviolence. The play was organised during Raahgiri, on September 27, 2015 at Connaught Place, New Delhi. The play was performed by Abhinay, the dramatics society of Maharaja Agrasen College. The Peace Gong is a national platform for children and youth to connect together and work for peace, nonviolence and sustainable development. Speaking on the efforts of the team to create awareness on the importance of nonviolence, the Peace Gong youth coordinator, Abhishek Ranjan, a first year student of the Maharaja Agrasen College said the Peace Gong was planning to bring together students of different colleges of Delhi University to propagate the message of peace, tolerance and mutual understanding.

Explaining the concept behind the play, Ankita Tomar, a 3rd year Journalism student of the Maharaja Agrasen College and the coordinator of Abhinay said, “We all know how throughout our freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi placed emphasis on the principles of nonviolence. But we are all concerned at the rising intolerance in our society where people tend to follow the path of violence at the slightest pretext. Through this play we are trying to portray that violence is no solution.”
Another Coordinator of Abhinay, Kartik Kala, a third year student pointed out that they intended to stage the play in other places in Delhi. He said, “It is important to incorporate Bapu’s teachings in one’s life and work for a compassionate world.” “What we require is a student’s movement to address issues of intolerance and mutual disrespect,” said Palak Narula, another Peace Gong youth member and a first year student of Journalism. “We have to use different forms of media to reach out to each and every member of the society to influence aggressive behaviour towards each other. As a group committed to work for peace and nonviolence, we intend to learn and use the Gandhian principles of nonviolent communication to bring change and greater understanding in the society.” Ankit Kumar, a first year student of Maharaja Agrasen College and also a Peace Gong youth member said in the coming weeks they planned totake up issues like road rage etc to address issues of rising intolerance in the society. Other members of Abhinay like Vinay Sharma, Vihaan Pathak, Neha Singh, Sahil Vashist and others expressing their concern on the rising intolerance said they hoped their medium of street plays would contribute to create some awareness on the significance of mutual respect. Image Credits: Vishal Bhandari and Abhishek Ranjan Guest Post By Abhishek Ranjan  ]]>

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DUB News

How Democratic is Nepal’s New Constitution?

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It is on observing the turmoil in Nepal that one thanks the architects of the Indian constitution for their foresight and meticulous thought. The transition from an absolute monarchy, to a nominal one, and eventually to a democracy has not been a smooth ride for Nepal, with blood being shed along the way. Nepal’s 7th constitution in 67 years was promulgated by President Ram Baran Yadav on 20th September amidst much dissent.

 Cause for dissent

The constitution of a country lays down the principles on the basis of which the nation is governed, spells out the rights and duties of its people and the safeguards against them. In a country with vast and varied diversities amongst its people, the constitution must provide for the coexistence of all pluralities. Though the constitution of Nepal celebrates the country’s transition to a secular, democratic republic from a Hindu monarchy, certain sections of the society have been alienated. Madhesis (those living in the Terai region bordering India) and Janjatis (the indigenous, tribal people) are protesting against what they claim is the arbitrary demarcation of provinces within the new federal system that divides the country into seven provinces. The Madhesis and Janjatis have also predominantly acquired citizenship through naturalization, which disqualifies them from holding positions of the head of state, head of government and constitutional bodies. Only citizens by descent are permitted to hold such posts and this is considered to be discriminatory.

What is India’s take on the new Constitution?

 India sees the new constitution as being unrepresentative of large sections of the population, that is, Madhesis and Janjatis. Besides, the violent protests of these groups have led to chaos along the open border that India shares with Nepal. This instability is a cause for concern on both sides of the border. However, Nepal’s retort is that their constitution is more considerate of minorities than India’s, since it guarantees 33 percent reservation for women.

 Nepal must look inwards and make amendments suitable to that of a regionally diverse, nascent democracy that is arising in domestic and global circumstances. Ones that are drastically different from that of the rise of the Indian democracy. Nepal is a sovereign nation, but where India’s interests and stability are threatened, India must make a point.

 The shelf life of a constitution that a large proportion of the population does not agree with can be questioned. A nation ceases to be a democracy if its people do not identify with its constitution. Imposing it by force destroys the very spirit of a democratic republic. Will Nepal see the creation of a third Constituent Assembly in 67 years?

 

Image credits: www.decchanchronicle.com

Abhinaya Harigovind

[email protected]

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