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Shri Ram Economics Summit 2013

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8th and 9th February saw SRCC become a hub of everything economics-related. The Shri Ram Economics Summit, put together by the Economics Society of the college was characterized by speaker sessions by eminent people from the field of business and economics to competitions that were held to test the economic prowess of interested students. On Friday, the campus was graced by Mr. C.M. Rangarajan, Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, who spoke at length about current macroeconomic policies in India. With him C.P Chandrasekhar Microeconomist and professor, JNU also had to be there but didn’t turn up. Mr Rangarajan enlightened the crowd about capital flows in India. The same day and the same venue also witnessed the arrival of Mr. Ashok Gulati, Chairman of Commision for Agricultural Costs and Prices, who expressed his views on the “Elusive quest for growth in agriculture”.  “1% growth in agriculture is more effective in reducing poverty than growth in any other sector of the economy.”, said Mr. Gulati fervently.  He also spoke extensively on China’s exemplary economic growth that rests largely on its flourishing agriculture. In the evening session of the summit a panel discussion was organised with Mythili Bhushnurmath a consulting Editor of The Economic Times and Reetika Khera, a social activist and professor of Economics, IIT Delhi. On Saturday, the day began with Mr. D.K Kumar  enlightening the students about the importance of CSR in the corporate sector. He gave the examples of several known brands and conglomerates that have now understood the importance of CSR and are working towards making it an important element of their success. Alongside, a number of events took place, like Paper presentation, a debate on Macroeconomic policy and a short film making competition which had enthusiastic students participating in good numbers. Aishwarya Chaurasia            &    Vatsala Gaur [email protected]         [email protected]]]>

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Features

Make a Difference(MAD)-Girls Camp

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Make A Difference (MAD) Delhi hosted its first Dream Camp for girls at Chattravas shelter home in East of Kailash this weekend. As the name suggests, the purpose of the camp was to motivate the children to dream bigger – aim higher. It was meant to encourage them to think about their future, set tasks for themselves and work hard towards achieving their goals.

Catering to 136 girls, the day started with a treasure hunt. Filled with puzzles and games, it was a great way to get the girls excited about the day. The first event of the day was a motivational talk by Dr. Mukesh Sethia, who told them various stories and taught them how to deal with day-to-day problems like stress, anger, hopelessness, etc.

Following this was a very interesting talk by Wing Commander Anupma Monga, who talked to the girls about her own life, how she decided to join the Air Force, what all challenges she faced, and how she overcome them. The girls were inspired by her story; they wanted to know more about their future options, especially in the government and defence forces. After this, people from the Corporate Executive Board came, who told them about various other professions such as singing, dancing, art, etc. They encouraged the students to think about entrepreneurship; each of them was made to think of an idea for a business they would want to start.

It was not all talk and no show; the talks were followed by the event Limitless Ramp organised by NIFT, who enlightened the girls about careers in the fashion industry. The girls were divided into groups and told to design a costume for their ‘MAD teacher’. Once their design was complete, they were given some fake currency, and told to buy materials from a market that had been set up in the room, and make the costume. The girls were ecstatic! The day didn’t end here. They had a Cultural Extravaganza, where they were taught about other countries: their language, their food, their dresses, etc. The last event of the day was AD MAD – where the girls made products about of waste material and advertised it for sale through a jingle.

The event was a great success, and the girls wanted a camp every month. A couple of them talked about joining the police, doing computer design and becoming a teacher, etc. The dream camp lived up to its name – it helped the girls realise that dreams can come true. A round of applause to the entire team of MAD!

 

Adita Bhatia
[email protected]

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News

DU Marksheets go MIA

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They are calling it the case of the missing marksheets. Well, not quite literally. But certain administrative lapses in Delhi University and its colleges are surely jeopardizing some students’ prospects. These lapses involve marksheets, which still haven’t been received by enrolled students of the annual mode and re-evaluation results, both of which have dampened the future prospects of third year students in several colleges.

Take the case of Shanti Kapoor*, a History Honours student at a prominent college on campus. Her ordeal began with her second year result’s announcement, and continued until last week. Due to a discrepancy in her marks on the first marsheet she received, she was made to forfeit almost half of her third year.

She was disallowed to attend classes in the third year until she officially passed her second year, due to a re-evaluation result that refused to come out until mid-December. And even then, she was lucky to have found out through a friend who happened to chance upon a list on her college notice board. The authorities did not bother to inform her directly.
She says, “It was terrible. I was lucky that my friend saw my name on the list of re-evaluation results that were out. But that wasn’t the end; I had to complete so many more administrative formalities until I was finally granted re-admission. I had to waste more than half of my third year for no fault of my own, and the laxity of the University. I hope no one else is made to go through this.”

While hers is one of the exceptional tragic cases, an acute problem being faced by students since time immemorial is the late issuance of marksheets. While the results are declared by late July-early August, the marksheets come much later. This derails the aspirations of numerous students keen on applying for further studies abroad, as they don’t have the relevant academic credentials to demonstrate to universities for the process.

Says Vandana Sharma* of another well-known college, “We only received our marksheets for second year in December, by which time several deadlines were over. We had to get unofficial transcripts made from the college, and explain our plight to universities abroad. It was not pleasant.”
This issue seems to be another one of the several glitches that the University needs to fix before the start of the ambitious revamp of a 4-year degree next academic year onward.

*Names have been changed on request

Tanya Dua
[email protected]

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Bazinga

Bazinga

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Following her recent string of high-profile relationships, including a romance earlier this week with Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is now dating Suri Cruise, sources confirmed today. “Taylor and Suri were seen grabbing lunch at a Thai restaurant in SoHo earlier this afternoon, and we can confirm that the two are now officially an item,” TMZ reporter Allison Raeber wrote of the budding romance between the 23-year-old pop star and the 6-year-old daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, nicknaming the couple “Saylor.” “Fans spotted the two holding hands on the way out of the restaurant, and Taylor was even seen giving Suri a quick peck on the lips before getting into a car.” At press time, sources reported that Swift had just entered Cruise’s apartment building in downtown Manhattan.

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Campus Central

Venky Disabled Unfriendly?

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Another example of the callous attitude of the administration at Sri Venkateswara College was seen on 21st January. Few manholes were opened up for routine maintenance purposes; however, these were left uncovered for a long time with no sign to warn passersby. Due to this careless attitude, a handicapped person almost fell into one. The person, shocked and enraged, went to complain about the same to the Vice Principal, Dr. Rajinder Kumar, who is also currently the acting Principal. The victim was mistreated by the administration staff, including the Vice Principal following which he was forced to call the police.

The college administration and Vice Principal Dr. Kumar have both been infamous for their unfriendly attitude towards students, which seems to have hit a new low. What is surprising is that amidst all this and even after the college’s ‘routine maintenance work’, one of the manholes continued to overflow this morning. The leaking manhole was situated in front of the various course counters, where students deal with the admin staff on a day-to-day basis. However, the response is mostly on those days when Mishra Ji and his colleagues are in a mood to deal with students. The incident that took place at Venky is just another example of how the administrative staff at most DU colleges treats its students, despite repeated complaints.

 

(Writer does not wish to be named)

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Campus Central

Seminar on Indian Literature as Comparitive Literature

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Professor Didier  Coste of Bordeaux University, France, conducted the seminar on “Indian Literature as Comparative Literature” at Bharati College on 14th January, 2013. Comparative literature is the study of literature and other cultural expressions across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Dr. Chandra Mohan, Secretary General of Comparative Literature Association of India, chaired the seminar that was attended by  Students and teachers of B.A. English Honours.

Dr. Promodini Varma, the principal of the college, briefly introduced Professor Coste and Dr. Chandra Mohan. Prof. Coste began by explaining how he came across Indian literature in 1974. He elaborated on how he “was a young man of the 1960s, the time of the hippies,” and supporting his statement was his psychedelic sweater that attracted many listeners’ attention.  He was liked instantly by the young crowd.

He began his talk on Modern Indian literature being a heterogeneous literature due to the numerous languages in India. Professor Coste expressed concern over how Indian literature was considered modern only when written in English. According to him, Indian literature is all-embracing, non-specific and complex. It can also be confusing and contradictory due to the many traditions of different regions and their languages in India.

 

Prof. Coste points out that modern Indian literature uses old stories, myths, epics and fables, such as the conclusion of The Guide by R. K. Narayan. He states that the way to make sense of the mystical aspect of Indian writing is not the validity, but knowing the structure.

The talk was ended with a summary given by Dr. Mohan. He said that Indian literature is based on the concept of cultural plurality and comes naturally to us because of our multilingual aspect. He also said that translation is very important, as it goes very well with the inter-culturality.

In the end, teachers and students asked questions and gave their comments regarding the talk. As one of the answers, the speakers said that Indians usually know three languages, their mother tongue, the national language and an international language, while the citizens of most other countries are mono-linguistic. The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks to the speaker and chairperson.

Rajni Gupta, a student, felt that “The talk was intended to enlighten one and all, but Prof. Coste ended up striking a chord only with the teachers and as for the students, we ended up feeling obfuscate”.

Mrs. Mukti Sanyal, lecturer of English, commented that “It was surprising to know that trends in literature sometimes grow autonomously at the same time, in different places. Modern Indian writers are returning to historical novels, and there is a sense of continuity”. She also said that Prof. Coste was engaging and had such a vast amount of knowledge that the one hour was not enough for him to present all his views.

 

Shreya Mudgil
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Return of the Mahabharata

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After having masterfully tackled the challenge of penning down one of the greatest epics of human history- the Ramayana- author Ashok Banker takes on the daunting task of retelling what is unarguably THE greatest epic ever written- Mahabharata, in his latest novel, The Forest of Stories.

Unequalled in size, the Mahabharata is considered a giant in the world of books and stories. And rightfully so, consisting of 10000 shloks in its original Sanskrit version, written by Ved Vyasa. Over the centuries that followed, it has been told and retold innumerable times, changing with the narrator and with time itself. Today there exist over hundreds of versions of this epic and Banker’s version is just one in this vast ocean.

The first book in what he refers to as his MBA series, The Forest of Stories provides a brief outline of the events that led up to, and in ways unfathomable, shaped the foundations of what is considered to be the greatest war ever waged in human history. Whether you consider it to be a part of Indian history or as mythology is a different question altogether.

The distinct feature about Banker’s Ramayana was that he seemed to have effortlessly humanised Lord Ram. However, if you expected him to have achieved the same with this epic, it would be asking for a little too much, for the story itself is so mind-boggling. The real test of his excellence would lie in his narration of the epic, while keeping true to the essence of the story. And he seems to have come out with flying colours in that department.

Word of caution: venture into this narrative only if you have a knack for epics and the other worldly; the names of the numerous characters may prove to be overwhelming; you might lose all respect for the Gods you believed in after going through stories of their sexual exploits.

 

Surya Raju
[email protected] 

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Features

Delhi Gang Rape – DU Speaks

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Delhi, now christened as the ‘rape capital’ of the country, witnessed the most horrific rape, even by its own standards, last week. For the public records, this was ‘just another rape’, like the numerous in the past and the numerous to follow. But for the citizens of this city, led by its youth, this was the tipping point. Delhi University students made international headlines when they turned Vijay Chowk into their Tahir Square. Hundreds of students gathered, and egged on by their courage, lakhs of supporters poured into Central Delhi to show their solidarity. DU Beat wants to engage all students of the University to share their opinions, experiences, suggestions etc with the world. For those of us not physically sitting there, let us endeavour to start an online revolution which will jolt the political class into action. Make yourself count towards this movement. Comment here with anything and everything relating to this case in particular as well as the issue at large. Let the world know what the youth of this city thinks. Write in your experiences at Vijay Chowk, your views for the future, past experiences of such incidents, your message for victims and their families, etc. You can also send us photographs clicked by you, illustrations, articles or even poems. Whichever way you wish to express yourself and give a message to everyone.
Link for the portal on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DU-Beat/185088874900840?sk=app_108629702551895
Please tweet with #DUspeaks 

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DUB Speak

Delhi Rape Case – Who is to Blame?

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The recent developments in Delhi were appalling; and unfortunately, they are the dire reflection of our society. I am the part of the city-Delhi where we actively encourage and assist inhumane violation of our women. To serve the purpose, our supreme police force works around the clock to actively remove any encumbrance to the rape of a woman. Here, we welcome you to satiate your most carnal desires and we find them justified! After all we are the rape capital of the world and we thoroughly believe in “if it is consensual, it ain’t fun.”  Here, women get raped, bystanders look on and the help-lines don’t work!

The article 21 of the constitution gives us-the women, the right to bodily integrity- right to life and liberty to men and women both alike. But does that extirpate such crimes like molestation, does that promise a safe haven for us. I feel scared to walk on the roads now, after it is dark. Men can get drunk, and go out at night alone, wear what they want, and get in a car with any number of people of the same or opposite gender without the inherent risk of being assaulted, but women have to take precautions not to do the exact same things, then women are not free, and certainly not equal. Everyday women have to think how to avoid such tragedies; we may rise to the highest positions in business and academia, but we cannot walk in a skirt late in the evening, and rely on our police forces. Yes, indeed we are talking of gender equality.

Blame the victim- defence of the defenceless! We are asked to take precautions, not from bombs and bullets, but men! Ours is a civilised society, a free democratic society, where half of the population is expected to behave and dress up according to the other half. Am I really free if I am asked to restrict myself to prevent from being attacked by other members of the same society?  This is outrageous.

And the response this incident has evoked is despicable. My Facebook wall was swarmed with posts that condemn the victims, for being out late at night, for wearing provocative clothes, for wearing heavy make-up, for having male friends. There are people out there who believe that a woman would deliberately provoke a sexual assault! As if being a rape victim was so much fun. Rape is always unwanted, always uninvited! Rape is the most heinous crime. A woman that gets raped remains brutally scarred for her entire life. Frankly, I don’t understand why we debate that what-was-she-wearing?, what-time?, must-have-gotten-him-aroused. Rape is hardly about sex and it’s almost always about exerting power. Girls as young as 2 years old get raped, young boys get raped. What’s the arousal thing involved here? Civilised men should take a stand against it instead of justifying and blaming the victim.

And rhetoric in the parliament will not solve the problem, but stringent laws and prosecution will. Because the ones who commit the crime are very well aware of the loop-holes in our judicial system, which they conveniently exploit and then get away with horrendous crimes like rape.

In fact, in most of the rape cases that go to trial, only a handful is such in which the rapists are convicted.  In Mohd. Habib v/s State, the Delhi High Court allowed a rapist to go scot-free merely because there were no marks of injury on his penis- which the High Court presumed was a indication of no resistance. The most important facts such as the age of the victim (being seven years) and that she had suffered a ruptured hymen and the bite marks on her body were not considered by the High Court. Even the eye- witnesses, who witnessed this ghastly act, could not sway the High Court’s judgment.  Another classic example of the judicial pronouncements in rape cases is the case of Bhanwari Devi, wherein a judge remarked that the victim could not have been raped since she was a dalit while the accused hailed from an upper caste- who would not stoop to sexual relations with a dalit.

The constitution did witness amendments in the rape laws in 1983 but there is a need to commute life imprisonment to capital punishment in rape cases. The idea is simple, remove the weed and let the society grow undeterred. Castration (removal of male sex organ) was suggested by Delhi Judge Ms Kamini Lau and we would love to have a law that allows us to bobbitize or stone them to death, but our legal system will not. Capital punishment is possible, like in case of Dhanonjay Chatterjee and if not, then the least they could do is sentencing them to solitary confinement, for life, without bail. Every single day in darkness and isolation, till death.

But now they are resorting to stupid band-aid tactics…Banning tinted glasses as if all rapes happened in buses! The big tank of crime is leaking from all corners, but our government and law will prefer to put a little bit of plaster to temporarily deal with one little crack. And that is because they have been so accustomed to doing nothing that now when the people are angry and demanding action, they resort to such stupid solutions! But I am glad the people are angry, I am glad we are voicing our concerns in as loud a manner that our leaders cannot ignore.

Skipping the blame-game, let us think beyond punishments. What can we actually do? As a parent, I would regularly talk and watch over my children, not making topics like sex, rape a taboo but talking openly about it. As a teacher, I will constantly show the right path to my children. As a friend, I will be a good moral support; I would never let my friend indulge in anything that is faintly equivalent to harassing. As police, I will give a sense of security to the citizens. As a politician, I would work to uplift the nation. And as a society, I will contribute to create a healthy environment, reject those who cannot respect all sections.

I will be the change that I want to see.

 

Guest writer – Megha Baid, LSR

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Events

Youth Leaders Drive to Donate

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AIESEC in Delhi University, in association with the Rotary Blood Bank & Rotary club of New Delhi, Organized a blood donation drive on world AIDS day at the Select Citywalk mall in Saket, South Delhi.

About AIESEC

AIESEC In Delhi University is a branch of the Organization AIESEC, which is the largest youth run organization present in 113 countries. It focuses on creating a positive impact to the society, being the global youth voice, providing the students with leadership opportunities and exchange programs.

About the Event

“Do your bit,” was AIESEC in DU’s 1st pre-event to the, NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT ’13 to be held in the month of February’13 at Jaipur. “Do Your bit” was an initiative about setting an example for the youth, by having the largest number of students gathering to donate blood on the occasion of World AIDS DAY. The blood then went to Rotary Blood Bank & Rotary club of Delhi, who would provide it to those who needed it. On the 1st of December, the students campaigned around the mall, Select Citywalk, spreading facts about AIDS as well as convincing people to come and do their bit, by donating to contribute to the Nobel cause.

The event started at 1pm and began with the blood donation drive. There were about 150 registrations and around 80 accepted people donated blood. Others were rejected due to smoking, alcohol, Blood Pressure related issues etc. Apart from the students of AIESEC in Delhi University there were also interns from abroad who contributed to this cause. “I was very glad to be a part of this cause” was a sentiment shared by a Japnese Girls named Masa, who donated blood on the day. The event was thought to be, “Very Supportive” by a Sri Lankan girl named Sayuri, who supported the AIESEC interns in their initiative. The donors were provided with certificates, donor cards along with mugs as a token to their contribution. A gentleman of about 50 years, donated blood for the 45th time. He was, “Very glad to see students working on such a Nobel cause.” “I am very happy with the success of the event” was a closing remark made by Adhiraj Singh, president of AIESEC DU.

This camp stood out from yet another blood donation camp by having foreign interns (students) from AIESEC contributing to the cause. The day ended with 80 donors at 6 pm in the evening, and AIESEC in Delhi University an organization run for the students, by the students and from the students succeeded in their mission of Leading Young India.

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