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Faculty Alleges Discrepancies in Allotment of Reserved Teaching Positions at IPCW

By DU Beat May 18, 2023

On 15 May, a story covered by the Press Trust of India (PTI) revealed that teaching faculty from the University of Delhi wrote a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, Yogesh Singh in order to report the lapsing of Scheduled Tribe reserved teaching positions in some departments of Indraprastha College of Women.

Delhi University professors have accused the college of “twisting the roster” in order to practically do away with ST teaching positions in the commerce and economics departments. In both the aforementioned departments, the positions have decreased from a singular vacancy in 2019 to none in 2023.

As written in the letter, close to 10 teachers have expressed their concern over the issue and urged the University to take some action,

It is a harsh reality of the current times where we see the various efforts done by administrators to oversee the category section in the context of recruitment blindly.

The Press Trust of India has claimed that their attempts to reach out to the administration as well as the principal, Poonam Kumaria have been unfruitful, due to the lack of response. Even the DU Beat’s request for a statement has been left unanswered. Reports in the past few years have pointed out DU’s failure to allot reserved teaching positions to SC/ST candidates, even though the University has had qualified and suitable candidates, a response that has been criticized before. Such discrepancies, however, have prevailed previously as well.

On 12 May, DU Beat itself covered an ongoing issue at Keshav Mahavidyalaya regarding teacher’s union protests following the alleged lack of adherence to reservation policy, in regard to teaching posts among other issues. Moreover, as recently as October 2022, the SC/ST/OBC Teacher’s Forum had expressed concern over the non-implementation of University guidelines when it came to reserving administrative and faculty vacancies in colleges across DU. The chairmen of the Forum, Dr Kailash Singh Yadav had said that while teachers were still given reserved spots at a later date, the same had never been done for the position of principal ever.

Featured Image Source: collegedunia.com

Reviewing the SC/ST Act

Chaharika Uppal

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Déjà Paper: Wrong Question Paper Haunts Students Yet Again

By DU Beat May 17, 2023

In yet another instance, students in the fourth semester of Delhi University’s BA Programme SEC Economics (Research and Methodology) received an incorrect question paper.

May marked the beginning of the examination season at Delhi University, and as usual, the university preserved its tradition of giving students incorrect question papers causing confusion among students and faculty members. The problem was brought to light after an Instagram post by SFI Miranda House started making the rounds around student groups.

Inefficiency of Delhi University in conducting exams!! – Exam held (16th May 2023) for BA Programme (Research and Methodology) SEC Economics of 4th sem was provided with question paper of 2nd sem. Out of 8 questions, 6 were out of the syllabus. Each and every student was forced to write the other 2, the right of choosing options of questions was denied to thousands of students writing this exam! Examination authorities of Delhi University should take responsibility and rectify the issue immediately!!

-SFI Miranda House

The examination at Kirori Mal College was cancelled. The professors informed the students that the question paper is incorrect and that the exam has been cancelled; they would be notified of any updates as soon as possible. However, this was not the case across all colleges of DU.

The invigilator said someone might come to inform you all about it, till then do whatever you know. A few minutes later they asked us to sign a letter addressed to the dean of the examination branch of the university about the issue.

-Udita Narru, ST. Stephen’s College

At SGTB Khalsa College, the question papers were distributed, taken back after noticing “Semester 2” written on the top of them, and subsequently redistributed with the explanation that it was only a printing error.

The professor instructed us to answer the questions (one from the syllabus) while noting down the other questions (one out of the curriculum) and indicating “out of the syllabus” in front of them. Later, we were asked to sign a letter addressed to the dean.

-Ayush Rah, SGTB Khalsa College

Ayush further stated that the invigilator instructed them not to leave the examination hall even if they were finished with their exams in case there can be updates from the examination branch. However, even after waiting for 1.5 hours, no notification was delivered.

Later, the professor of SEC Economics at SGTB Khalsa College addressed the students, assuring them not to worry because the question paper was not from the syllabus and that the university will handle the marking scheme.

Image Source: – Delhi University Examination Wing Website

Dhruv Bhati

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Tu Jhooti Main Interviewer

By DU Beat May 16, 2023

Persuasion has always been a fundamental skill set in building corporate rapport. However, just as easily, the lines of persuasion can blur into exaggeration. Is the romanticised representation of your accomplishments ethical or is it a necessary aptitude to survive against corporate homogeneity?

All’s fair in love and war.

This famous proverb, attributed to John Lyly’s Eupheus, dubiously justifies our moral transgressions. In some sense, every one of us experiences a situation resembling a battleground. The perpetual stress and restlessness over the outcome? Check. The constant side glances towards your opponents and likewise updating your strategy and standing? Check. The continuum of sleepless nights and anticipated phone calls from anxious families desperately praying for pleasant news? Unfortunately, college does not spare us the opportunity of escaping from the wrath of war. The student force is compelled to practice the tactics of war in the context of their respective careers and aspirations.

Perhaps, there is no greater battleground in college than the society elections and placement season. The stealthy rivalry consumes every student, regardless of how desperately we wish to maintain symbiotic relations. The tedious application process and the proceeding interviews determine who will continue the legacy and the golden crown of a sparking CV. However, in such an academically rigorous space, the preliminary process that constitutes these selections is eliminative rather than selective. Therefore, a huge emphasis is placed on the interview rounds. A selective verbatim is already memorised by the students appearing for these interviews.

“I am an incredibly passionate and detail-oriented individual…”

“I am a good candidate for this position because…”

“I align myself to the vision of the company and I want to…”

The use of these saturated phrases is often used to project an overenthusiastic zeal for the position. Whether the students are genuinely passionate about the position or if it is just a persuasive mechanism to imitate the idea of interest is where the art of lying takes place. Do interviewers see through this fallacy? In the United States, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA) prohibits private employers from conducting lie detector tests. Unfortunately, such a law does not exist in the Indian constitution and let us hope interviewers remain blissfully ignorant of this provision.

The interviewers are also acquainted with this verbatim. They have also developed a skill set to truly extract students who have considerable respect and passion for the position. However, a wide grey area exists where the interviewers may genuinely not have enough understanding to filter out overtly convincing students.

However, the exaggerated interests expressed by the students can be sympathised with. The rat race is an intrinsic part of the culture that dominates interview season and any opportunity to distinguish yourself is far too precious to let go of. To an experienced eye, the repeated exaggerations may appear tedious but the desperation of the students to crack an interview is far too painful to ignore.

People do tend to stretch it a bit when they are interviewing for any position or organisation. The world is so competitive right now. You go on LinkedIn and you see people doing this and doing that and you think ‘What am I doing at this moment?’ So, you want that position at any cost and in order to achieve that, you just end up selling yourself in front of the interviewer. People also do end up lying about a lot of things. I remember this individual didn’t complete an internship and they said that they were a part of that organisation for a month or two, which I think is not ethical enough considering the fact that you need to get an internship certificate for completion. Quantity nowadays is much more valuable than quality. The more and more projects you have under your CV, the more and more chances are there for getting selected for a position

-recounting her experiences of interviewing students, Himasweeta Sarma, the ex-editor-in-chief of DU Beat said

Interviews are an unusual predicament for most students. In Gen Z’s flair of self-deprecating humour, suddenly the opportunity of presenting yourself as a desirable candidate is a humongous challenge. Striking the right balance between self-doubt and arrogance is an incredibly delicate skill set to master. However, in an environment competing with the best of the best, how do you even distinguish yourself and make a difference? Your CV only plays a minimal role in the interview process because various other candidates have credible accomplishments backing up their positions. This is exactly where the idea of presenting yourself as an ideal candidate comes forward. The interview process, in a sense, is a facade of the accomplishments you employed and they are only deemed to be valuable if you present them as so. Persuasion, or glorified manipulation in certain cases, is truly an art form that needs to be mastered to dictate your success. However, in the process of persuasion, the boundaries of accuracy are blurred. Your accomplishments are heavily overestimated in the process, conveying a false sense of capability.

In our college, there is a formula most seniors preach. ‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t have experience or expertise or if you think someone deserves this more than you. Tell us why you are the superior candidate and the position is yours,’

Bhavya Nayak, a first-year student from SRCC observed.

On the flip side, the success of your accomplishments may sometimes need to be compromised. Specifically for college societies, interviewers place extremely stringent conditions that are often extremely demanding and strenuous for the candidates. Students often need to underestimate their accomplishments or blatantly disregard their leadership positions during interviews in order to falsely exhibit a commitment towards the position.

In a sense, the interview process may seem futile since the outcome is so heavily influenced by factors beyond our control. It may also raise the question of the validity of such a demanding process. Can you really determine if a candidate is capable of performing the job through a 10-minute, carefully fabricated process? However, an even greater question needs to be addressed. Does it even matter who gets the position if the work is getting done?

The quality of the recruitment process greatly determines how societies will function for the upcoming tenure. In this regard, there are greater implications that arise in terms of how the interviews are carried out. Oftentimes, there exists a wide gap between the expectations held by seniors and the actual result delivered by the newly recruited students.

Especially in societies like the Entrepreneurship Cell and the Placement Cell, they have a big recruitment process with several steps so they try to sift as much as possible. But even through that, something that depends upon college to college, crowd to crowd is that they have a mindset that they need to get more people on board than the quality of the people they are hiring. Because of this reason, the quality of work received by the placement cell, especially in my department, social media content writing, was not up to the mark,”

remarked Aayat Farooqui, a second-year student from Deshbandu College.

On the moral high ground, there are ethical considerations that need to be understood. The recruitment process is often incredibly taxing to both the student and the interviewer. Interviewers have no definite way of knowing the intentions of the interviewers. A student may appear to be enthusiastic about the position because of the spark it lends to their CV. However, the responsibility that comes with these positions are incredibly demanding and students are expected to fulfil their responsibilities in promised ways. If a student is apathetic towards the work, it derails the morale of the workplace and leads to dissatisfaction.

As Benjamin Franklin once famously stated, “Would you persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.” The romanticisation of interviews is inherently connected to this notion of persuasion. In a sense, the art of exaggerating is a requisite in surviving today’s competitiveness. However, the illusion of passion should not later become a liability to the ethos of the organisation. The balance needs to be struck. So while you’re nervously shaking for your next interview, just remember to be proud of your accomplishments and grateful for this opportunity, regardless of the outcome.

Image Credits: Sakshi Education

Sri Sidhvi Dindi

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Delhi University Students Organize a Protest Against Attack on Tribal Students on Campus

By DU Beat May 14, 2023

Delhi University students organized a protest in the Delhi School of Economics against the recent violence and attack on tribal students in North Campus. The attack on the students was an extension of the crisis in Manipur. With the protest, the students tried to initiate important discourses around mental health, student safety, women’s safety, xenophobia and various other sensitive issues that affect tribal students on campus.

On 12^th May, students of the University organized a protest at the Delhi School of Economics to spread awareness about the attack on tribal students in North Campus that took place the previous week. As inter-community violence grips Manipur, even those living away from home are constantly tormented by the possibility of being attacked. Last week, a group of Kuki students were reportedly attacked by a group of around 30 students who identified themselves as belonging to the Meitei community. The victims were followed as they left a prayer meeting near Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute in North Campus. The women were pushed and the men were beaten up. The incident has left tribal students across the university concerned about their safety.

During the attack, women were molested and threatened to be raped. The men were badly beaten up. They have sustained injuries and have scars all over. They are traumatized. Delhi University is a campus for all students. But being tribals, we do not feel safe anymore even on campus

– a participant who wishes to remain anonymous

The protest was an attempt to create a space in which tribal students could express themselves freely and be part of a larger community of students with shared experiences. Students gathered near the Ratan Tata Library at the Delhi School of Economics and expressed their concerns, fears and experiences with one another. Students from different colleges, across the university joined in. The participants spoke about the trauma that tribal students have been experiencing and pointed out that there is a general atmosphere of fear that has affected not only the victims of the attack but all tribal students from Manipur. One of the speakers pointed out that earlier, students would stay out and study in libraries till 2 a.m. in the morning. However, after the crisis unfolded in Manipur, many fear even going outdoors. Such an atmosphere of hostility is hardly conducive to academic growth. It was repeatedly stated that although the situation in Manipur is deeply disturbing, it is important to ensure that what happens in Manipur, stays in Manipur and does not culminate into further violence outside the state.

We are really concerned about the safety of tribal students here. On the night of 4^th May, there was a mob attack on Kuki students by the other community which we vehemently condemn. We should not be against each other. This is an academic space and we need a peaceful space to progress in our academic career.

– Mr. Haokip, a research scholar at the university

Many of the students were concerned about the impact of the traumatic incidents on their academic life as they are in the middle of their semester exams. Reportedly, many tribal students have been experiencing cyberbullying on social media platforms for being vocal about the crisis in Manipur. They have been receiving death threats and rape threats for their social media posts on Manipur. The victims of the attack and those who have received online threats have become so paranoid that they could not bring themselves to join the protest. One of the participants spoke to DU Beat about the online harassment, transphobic and homophobic slurs that they have been enduring ever since the violence unfolded in Manipur. They further elaborated upon the systematic oppression and xenophobia that tribals experience in Manipur.

Growing up in Imphal, we were used to people calling us (the Kuki people) illegal Burmese immigrants. At school, we were bullied and shamed for our tribal identity. We are mocked a lot for reservations as well.

DU Beat approached multiple stakeholders to include their experiences and insights. However, owing to the matter’s sensitivity, many were uncomfortable speaking openly about it and declined our request for interviews. Nonetheless, the participants at the protest made their demands. Overall, the gathering was a peaceful one.

We would like to put out the message that we all are here for progress. During my 5-year study in DU, I have never felt unsafe. But now, even though I am not a victim myself, I have to constantly look over my shoulder after that incident. We are here to protest against the attack. We are not here to target any community, but simply demand that the culprits are arrested.

– Another participant who wishes to remain anonymous.

Image Credits: Tulip Banerjee for DU Beat

Tulip Banerjee

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Demand Raised for Permanent Principal in SBSEC (Evening)

By DU Beat May 11, 2023

A section of Delhi University’s Executive and Academic Council members have demanded the appointment of a permanent principal at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) and have halted teachers’ interviews until the need is met.

Professor Arun Kumar Attree, principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Morning) has been the ‘acting principal’ of the Evening college since December 2022. Several teachers from Delhi University’s Executive and Academic Council penned a letter to the Vice Chancellor, Yogesh Singh recently on Sunday, 7^th May 2023 demanding the recruitment of a permanent principal at the evening college claiming that such a temporary arrangement for a full-fledged working college goes against the “ethos and practised norms of the university.”

The letter also highlighted that the staff association is deeply concerned about the future of the college as the “incumbent principal in collaboration with governing body chairman has been instrumental in displacing a large number of experienced teachers from the morning college in a recently held recruitment.”

The letter also requests for upholding the “university ordinance” and appointing the senior-most professor of the college as the acting principal unless the permanent principal is recruited. While citing that no major efforts were made to fill the vacancy for a year, it appeals for a speedy recruitment process and the halting of all faculty recruitment interviews unless the permanent principal is appointed in the “larger interest of the institution and the genuine demand of the staff association.”

As DU Beat ventures to converse with students at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening), we find out that the agitation among the staff circle has not affected student forums in the college much. A student of B.A. Programme at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) who wishes to remain anonymous alleges that the appointment of Professor Attree as the acting principal has “significantly improved” the condition of the evening college- in terms of academics and infrastructure in a matter of four months.

Whenever I have sought help from Professor Attree, I have found immediate action. Previously, under the former principal, my classes were irregular, our teachers would sometimes be unwilling to take classes and only 4-5 students would come. Professor Attree looked into that and placed strict attendance rules due to which 40-50 students come for evening classes without fail now. Not only that, he has revamped the washrooms, improved the library seating, made the evening timings for the library more flexible, and initiated building lifts in the college while also making sure the sincerity of teachers and students in taking regular classes. I am very satisfied with him being the acting principal of the evening college — a student at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College who wishes to remain anonymous.

As claimed by the students, in general they are facing no discrepancies in their academic schedule caused by the conflicts against the position. However, there is no clarity as to why the senior-most professor of the college was not appointed as the acting principal on the retirement of the former permanent principal, Dr. S.K. Sinha and instead, Professor Attree was chosen. Most students allege that Professor Attree in spite of being “burdened” with additional responsibilities of the Evening college has done an exemplary job compared to his predecessor.

This rising demand among the teachers could be a political agenda and even personal motives could be involved. The students in general do not support the removal of Professor Attree –a student activist at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening) allegedly claims.

The appointment of a permanent principal at the college has become a burning issue within the forum and needs urgent attention from necessary authorities to resolve it in due time in order to preserve the educational integrity and progression of such a reputed South Campus institution.

Featured Image Credits: Shiksha.com

Priyanka Mukherjee

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The Sky is Falling – State of Infrastructure at Kamala Nehru College

By DU Beat May 10, 2023

A recent incident at KNC where a chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling, nearly injuring a student standing nearby has raised greater questions about the college’s infrastructure and the administration’s attitude towards such issues.

Recently, Navya Pathania, a second-year Psychology student of Kamala Nehru College (KNC) witnessed a part of the ceiling, on the ground floor of the college, collapse just a few feet away from her. The student claimed that this incident took place in the early hours of the morning when the college was mostly empty. However, upon approaching one of the caretakers nearby, she was told that they’d simply sweep up the fallen plaster.

He said to me at that moment, ‘Haan beta, jhaadu laga denge’, I wonder what would have happened if it fell on top of me – Navya Pathania

The victim was shaken by the incident and the seeming callousness of the adults around her. As recounted, she went to the administrative office afterwards to make them aware of the incident. But after having to wait for twenty minutes, she was disappointed at their inaction.

It felt like an earthquake, I was really scared and couldn’t process what had just happened.

The tales of Kamala Nehru’s poor infrastructure don’t just begin with this, as the college continues to face extreme shortages regarding classrooms, benches, chairs, etc.

A student from first-year Economic Honors raised similar concerns. Having a class size of around 80 students, most classrooms in the college aren’t able to properly fit the entire batch of students. This corroborates with previously covered accounts of students having to spend a large period of class time looking for empty classrooms or enough chairs, having to study on the grounds or open areas during the harsh Delhi summers, giving internal assessments while sitting on the floor or sharing a chair, etc.

Sometimes, a few of us have to sit outside the classroom while attending. It becomes difficult to study as we can’t hear the teacher. – a first-year Economics Honours student at KNC

However, this incident points to not only poor infrastructure but also a larger disregard for student well-being. This can also be seen from recent videos circulating on social media of the flooding of the entrance of the college during heavy rains which led students to have to swing across whilst clutching to the gate.

While Kamala Nehru does have one of the lowest fees for most courses across all of Delhi University’s institutions which may help understand why such issues are being faced, the aforementioned incident and the treatment of the student subsequently highlight not just infrastructural shortcomings, but also a certain degree of apathy surrounding the student welfare.

Featured image source – Navya Pathania

Read also: DU and its Pervading Issue of Inadequate Infrastructure

Chaharika Uppal

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Hindu College Suspends and Issues Fines for Protesting Students

By DU Beat May 10, 2023

Hindu college students face possible suspension for having protested against the decision to reduce the 3-day college fest ‘Mecca’ to just 1. They have been asked to pay a heavy fine; failing to do so may lead to their being barred from writing exams. The affected students have held a meeting with the principal, hoping for the withdrawal of the notice.

On April 20th and 21st, students at Hindu College held protests against the administrative decision to wrap up the three-day fest “Mecca” in just one day. Eventually, the authorities allowed for a two-day fest. On May 8, more than a week after the fest, the administrative body issued a notice suspending the protesting students for two months. The notice states that the protesting students blocked the principal’s way, not allowing her to go for a meeting. It further accuses the students of causing damage to college property as well as “maligning and misrepresenting the college on social and print media platforms”. Furthermore, the students have been informed that they would be barred from writing their semester exams should they fail to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000 by May 12th. According to the notice, the students would also be barred from holding positions of responsibility in the college.

Reportedly, 30–35 students have been suspended and fined. One of our sources informed us that some of the students who have been suspended were not part of the protest but were simply part of the general crowd. They alleged that these students had been arbitrarily named and punished by the college authorities. The protestors claim that the protest was conducted in an organised and orderly manner. One of the protestors stated that the students would organise a protest against the action if the notice was not withdrawn.

What has happened is extremely wrong and arbitrary. Many of the students who are affected by this action were not part of the activity and had nothing to do with the protest. We strongly condemn this action. The protest was not organised by any political group. It was an independently organised protest by the students of our college.

– A student of Hindu College who wishes to remain anonymous

Later in the day, the student body held talks with the principal in order to discuss the concerns of both sides. One of our sources states that the outcome of the meeting is expected to be positive. During the meeting, students expressed their concerns, and the principal reportedly attempted to hear them out and responded to their demands. The students hope that the suspension order will be withdrawn, although there is still some ambiguity around the removal of the fine and the complete dismissal of the notice.

We reasoned with the principal that various students cannot afford to pay the fine as it is a humongous amount. Many of us live off less than Rs. 10,000 a month. It is cruel to demand such a large sum from students. We hope that ma’am understands our concerns and waives off the fine.

– A student of Hindu College who wishes to remain anonymous

Some of the students have their exams scheduled in less than a week, and the possibility of suspension and the imposition of a heavy fine has caused outrage and agony among many. The students are deeply disturbed by the notice and are keen on resolving the matter at the earliest possible time.

Featured Image Credits: Keshavi for DU Beat

Tulip Banerjee
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DTF Criticises 8 AM to 8 PM Workday Guidelines Issued by DU

By DU Beat May 9, 2023

The notification released by DU to issue guidelines to keep colleges and departments open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on working days has drawn criticism from teachers and students across the University, the latest of which included a press release issued by the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF). It is feared that the inadequate infrastructure to implement such guidelines will exert additional stress on the faculty and students and lead to administrative problems.

On May 4, 2023, Delhi University (DU) issued guidelines to inform all colleges and departments to keep their classrooms and laboratories open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all working days and to take appropriate measures to ensure “optimum utilisation of resources”. The guidelines received criticism from the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), which condemned the “irrational” order.

In the statement released by DTF on May 8, 2023, the organisation criticised the implementation of the 12-hour, 6-day week without consulting the Academic Council and the Executive Council on the feasibility of the guidelines. The press release also discussed whether the infrastructure facilities of colleges and departments are adequate to sustain a 12-hour work week. Additionally, it raised objections on behalf of cluster colleges and the commute time students require to move from one college to another.

Most university departments and colleges do not have adequate resources to sustain 12 working hours 6 days a week. There will be acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff if classrooms and laboratory facilities are kept open from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM. This move seems to be a means to subvert the UGC norms about the weekly work provisions of teachers. Consequently, this will increase the stress levels of teachers and students and result in setbacks to academic outcomes.

– DTF Press Release dated May 8, 2023

The statement also mentioned the inadequate human resources available to execute the guidelines. They alleged that authorities are unwilling to equip the teaching and non-teaching staff to proportionally accommodate the 12-hour timings. Concerns of administrative efficiency have been raised in particular reference to colleges that hold both evening and morning shifts.

To implement this irrational order either more (teaching and non-teaching) staf need to be provided which the Delhi University administration and the Union Government of India are patently unwilling to do. Or they expect the work duration of teaching and non-teaching staff to exceed what is warranted by labour laws which would be patently illegal. Or they expect the same number of teaching and non-teaching staff to handle the longer hours which would necessarily reduce the quality of academic outcome.

– DTF Press Release dated May 8, 2023

The guidelines were implemented to ensure the “optimum utilisation of resources” and extend benefits to students and researchers. However, DTF questioned the rationality behind such a decision, as the holistic development of students cannot happen under the magnified stress of academics. The question of security also arises with the implementation of such late-night classes.

Getting trapped in the 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM classroom schedule will affect the academic and overall development of students adversely. Such late-hour classes would imply that they will return to their homes at even later hours. This raises significant security concerns, especially for female students and staff.”

– DTF Press Release dated May 8, 2023

Students have also raised objections regarding the feasibility of such strenuous guidelines. The implementation of these guidelines will cause stress and anxiety among students who are already under the burden of their academic pressures.

The first-year students already have to attend Saturday classes. The New Education Policy (NEP) is demanding as it is, and students and faculty have just started to come to terms with such a foreign academic curriculum. Suddenly, with the 12-hour workweek guidelines, it feels like we can’t escape this academic maze. We’re perpetually drowning in academic work, and now it feels like it’s a luxury to even expect an 8-hour workday.”

– first-year student at Gargi College

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

Sri Sidhvi Dindi
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DU Professor S.D. Biju Named Harvard-Radcliffe Fellow

By DU Beat May 9, 2023

University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju, also popularly known as the “Frogman of India,” has been named among the fifty worldwide Radcliffe Fellows at Harvard University for 2023-2024. This fellowship will allow him to extend his research on the conservation of amphibian species in the Indian subcontinent at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in the upcoming academic year.

The Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University is a highly prestigious research institution that selects fifty fellows each academic year who “demonstrate an extraordinary level of accomplishment in their work” and grants them a year-long stipend to fulfil their respective projects amidst an interdisciplinary setup and the immense resources of Harvard. It is a highly competitive fellowship, with acceptance rates falling as low as three percent. Amidst this statistic, the University of Delhi professor, Sathyabhama Das Biju, who is currently the head of the Systematic Labs at the Department of Environmental Studies, has been named for the award for the academic year 2023-2024.

It can be noted that this year’s Radcliffe cohort is highly diverse and involves talented minds from around the globe, with one fellow from India in Biological Sciences, Professor Biju. With an interdisciplinary focus, the Fellowship Programme brings together scholars from a range of fields such as the humanities, arts, sciences, and even writers and journalists to pursue their work in a concentrated way amidst the intellectual and resource-rich, vibrant environment of the Harvard-Radcliffe community. Past fellows have included intellectuals and academicians like Jill Lepore, Samantha Power, Zadie Smith, Elizabeth Warren, and the Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

After kick-starting his career as a plant systematist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute in 1992, Professor Biju quickly shifted to amphibian research in 2000 and joined Franky Bossuyt at the Amphibian Evolution Lab in Brussels. From then on, his career faced an upward progression, with him discovering 100 new species and formally describing 96 new species, eight new genera, and two new families of amphibians in the span of a decade. His work came into international limelight with the creation of his conservation projects, namely, the Western Ghats Network of Protected Areas of Threatened Amphibians (WNPATA) and the Lost Amphibians of India (LAI), to save rapidly vanishing amphibians in the South Asian subcontinent. Moreover, his works were advanced in terms of collaborating molecular techniques with traditional methods, thus coinciding with international practise in amphibian research. His efforts have also resolved long-standing taxonomic issues in difficult amphibian groups like those of frogs.

At Harvard, Prof. Biju will be able to pursue his work on species conservation and identify further amphibian biodiversity hotspots in the Indian subcontinent while engaging in on-site collaboration with Harvard faculty, postdocs, and students and exploring the Museum of Comparative Zoology in the upcoming year.

Professor Biju is the sixtieth fellow representing Biological Sciences in the 23 years of this programme and only the second fellow in this discipline from India, a reflection of his vast contribution to the arena of amphibian research and exploration and his immense passion and potential to save India’s shrinking amphibian biodiversity in the future.

Featured Image Credits: tn.com.ar

Priyanka Mukherjee

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DU Invites Applications for Second Edition of Vice Chancellor Internship Scheme

By DU Beat May 7, 2023

Delhi University opens online applications for paid internship opportunities at its departments and centres for summer 2023. Last date of applying on the university website is May 17, 2023.

Dean Students’ Welfare Office, Delhi University has launched the second iteration of the Vice Chancellor Internship Scheme – Summer Internship 2023 on its official portal. Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of the university are invited to apply for a multitude of paid opportunities. Applications are open till May 17, 2023, on the university website.

All regular bonafide students of DU, irrespective of their course or stream – excluding First Year and Semester 2 students, are eligible to apply for the Summer Internship 2023 program. This opportunity can be availed by students only once during their course of study at DU, therefore, students who had already availed VCIS-2022 cannot apply for this edition of VCIS: Summer Internship 2023.

The internship demands a flexible time commitment of 15-20 hours per week. The program will run over a period of two months – tentatively June and July 2023. It has also been informed that the attendance requirement in the candidate’s enrolled UG/PG course will not be relaxed during the internship tenure. The university is offering a stipend of Rs.10,000 per month, drawn from the University Student Welfare Fund. Students completing the internship tenure will be awarded an experience certificate from the Dean of Students’ Welfare, subject to an appraisal report from the concerned employing department, centre, or institution.

All university institutions, departments, and centres, including the VC’s office, Office of Dean of Colleges, Registrar’s Office, the central reference library, departmental libraries, departmental labs, the admissions branch, and the Equal Opportunity Cell, will be covered by the program. The selection process involves filling up an application form, stating three domains of interest, uploading a letter of recommendation (LOR) and no objection certificate (NOC) from their head of department/college, and an interview round.

VCIS was launched in the 2022-23 academic year with the objective to “impart training on soft and hard skills by integrating cognitive knowledge with experiential learning”. The program is said to achieve the objectives of “Samagra Shiksha” (holistic education) as enlisted in NEP 2020. For the 110 openings in its paid internship program last year, the university got more than 3,800 applications from undergraduate and postgraduate students. All further information will be shared on the DSW website.

Featured Image Credits: Anshika for DU Beat

Bhavya Nayak

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