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

Prabhanu Kumar Das

Campus Central

Delhi University Hostel Residents Protest Amidst Coarse Comments by Warden

By DU Beat February 26, 2020

The residents of Ambedkar Ganguly Students House for Women, Delhi University (DU) broke open the lock of their hostel late on Sunday night in protest of the alleged remarks by the hostel warden and against the “arbitrary” rules and regulations, including curfew timings. Other hostels from the Girls Hostel Complex showed their solidarity.

The rehearsals for the Hostel Night of Ambedkar Ganguly hostel for women took a controversial turn after the warden allegedly passed comments on a dance performance for being ‘disrespectful’ and objected to the clothes for being ‘ revealing’. She asked the girls to cut those parts of the performance which were ‘disrespectful’ according to her. On being asked for an explanation of the same, an altercation took place between the residents and warden and the hostel gates were locked. The residents protested against demanding a written apology and resignation of the warden. They broke open the lock of their hostel late on Sunday night in protest of the alleged “arbitrary” rules and regulations, including curfew timings.

Solidarity was shown by other various hostels like Ambedkar Ganguly Students House for Women, North Eastern Students House for Women, Rajeev Gandhi Hostel for Girls, University Hostel for Women, and Undergraduate Hostel for Girls (UGHG) against the hostel curfews and problems faced by women in Delhi University Hostels. There was a heavy police presence whole night.

A resident of UGHG, on conditions of anonymity, commented, “ Though due process has been followed by all the hostels, by writing applications and by complaining to the authorities they seem disinterested and not considerate”.

The student collective under the name of Women for Equality consisting of residents from various hostels of the Girls hostel complex have demanded the administration to immediately follow the University Grants Commission (UGC) Guidelines and the Saksham Committee Report, and “remove patriarchal and unconstitutional curfew from all women’s hostels”.

The student body is planning to launch a protest from 27th February against the hostel rules. Their statement said, “Even the men on campus will see their female counterparts as lesser beings if women do not have the same rights as they do. By restricting women in the public sphere, is it how the institutions are preparing us or the ‘next generation leaders for the real world” ?

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Tomorrow is Ambedkar Ganguly Student House (Delhi University)for Women’s Hostel Night and the warden told girls who were performing that ” their dance is disrespectful ” “Their body should remain a mystery, so no revealing clothes ” And when we asked her for explanation she said “toh theek hai agar aapko ek boob dikha ke nikalna hai ya nanga nachna hai toh andar dikhao, bahar nahi” This was the introduction of a dance performance: Surviving and Fighting Patriarchy is an exhausting experience for women. So here is a performance about women being unapologetic and liberated. She said, this is not liberalism. She also told girls to cut those parts of performances which according to her were “disrespectful “. When the residents asked for an explanation, she walked off telling the guard ” band kardo gate”. This kind of cheap, disgusting and derogatory behavior and moral policing is intolerable. The women of Ambedkar Ganguly Hostel demand a written apology and won’t settle for anything less than RESIGNATION OF WARDEN. SHAME!!

A post shared by DU FOR EQUALITY (@aurateinlayengiinquilab) on Feb 23, 2020 at 11:20am PST

Feature Image Credits: Deewanshi Vats for DU Beat

Sriya Rane

[email protected]

A Cricket-Crazy Nation: Is India Being Negligent Towards Other Sports ?

By DU Beat February 25, 2020

With the Indian cricket team having dominated the sport for the last few decades, cricket enjoys a huge audience in the country. But obsession with one entity often leads to the negligence of other entities.

“Why is Connaught Place so empty today? It’s Sunday.” “India are playing Pakistan today. Everyone’s at home.” – overheard while strolling in the Inner Circle last year during the Cricket World Cup.

Players being worshipped as gods, thousands turning up to watch matches, millions across the country watching on television, crackers being burst after wins, effigies and posters being burnt after losses, cricket has surpassed the definition of a mere “game” or a “sport” in the country, cutting across caste and creed and rising to become a significant part of Indian culture. “Everyone wants a piece of them, to touch them, shake their hands, be seen with them, and introduce their kids to them”, is how ex-national team coach John Wright describes the Indian public’s adoration for its cricketers in his book Indian Summers.

With the sport wielding a great deal of power in the country, cricket has become a magnet for money. An enormous amount of money is exchanged between players and brands in the form of sponsorships and endorsements. Companies are ready to part with millions in order to sponsor tournaments and bilateral series’. Vivo bought the title sponsorship of the glamorous Indian Premier League for a whopping 2200 crore rupees. The powerful governing body of Indian cricket, the Board Of Control Of Cricket In India (BCCI) alone is worth in excess of 13000 crore rupees, a huge chunk of it coming from match broadcasting rights.

Pockets filled with money, the BCCI has left no stone unturned in setting up a thriving Indian cricket system, with the organisational structure going down to the grassroots. Thus there is no dearth of talent, and the country’s junior teams produce talented match winners every year. Cricket’s dominance in India has led to the dominance of India in cricket. Both are inter-related and sometimes, gains in the latter also lead to gains in the former.

Though it would be wrong to opine that other sports have a negligible presence across the nation – the country has produced numerous other successful sportspersons in a diverse range of sporting fields in its history – no other sport comes close in terms of the viewership and financial support that cricket enjoys in India. Football is popular in the country, but the majority of viewers tune in to watch European football and not Indian football. Most domestic league matches are played in near-empty stadiums and the national team languishes at 108^th in the world rankings.

India’s dismal showings at the Olympics, with a tally of only 2 medals at the 2016 Rio Games, despite being the second most populated country in the world, is a proof of the considerable disparity between cricket and other sports in the country. Hockey, the national game, a sport in which the country tasted a significant amount of success in the last century, has dwindled greatly in popularity, with the national team not having won an Olympic medal since 1980. Sports like tennis, badminton, wrestling, shooting, chess, boxing are popular in many parts of the country but do not enjoy the mass pan-India viewership of cricket. “I have observed that a newspaper usually devotes two whole pages to cricket coverage while other sports are given half a page at the most”, said Urnavo Chakrabarty, a University Of Delhi student and a state level athlete.

Infrastructure significantly affects the progress of a sport. A sport which doesn’t enjoy mass viewership often lacks financial resources, which leads to limited infrastructure and equipment. Raw talent or potential is not enough to compete at the international level and good infrastructure, equipment and coaches are necessary to harvest this potential. As with cricket, the popularity of a sport in a country and the country’s performance in that particular sport are inter-related. The more popular a sport, the more the amount of revenue generated. Money is needed to bolster the cash strapped sports organizations in the country. And going vice versa, continued successes in a sport will assuredly boost its popularity.

There have been numerous initiatives to promote other sports in the country with the conception of franchise leagues, similar to the IPL model, and though many did not pan out successfully, some like the Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian Super League have garnered considerable – if not mass – popularity and are a step in the right direction.

The obsession of the country’s public with cricket is not to be seen in a negative light, but this obsession should not act as a detriment to other sports. Other sports are equally interesting if advertised properly and if cricket can enjoy mass support and success, so can any other sport.

It would be a refreshing change to enquire about the emptiness of Connaught Place on a Sunday, and be told that it’s because the Indian hockey team is playing an Olympic final.

Featured Image Credits – ESPN CricInfo

Araba Kongbam

OK Boomers: Teaching Parents Technology

By DU Beat February 25, 2020

We have had our share of struggle while teaching our parents about “millennials’ technology”. Sometimes, these lessons turn into fights. It’s time to relate and reflect.

” I just taught you! How can you forget the WhatsApp icon? It is right there!”

“No, that is not the power button, that controls the volume!”

“No! The phone will not explode”

“That is not how you hold a phone, it is not a baby”

The advent of smartphones has affected family relations. Remember the fight you had with your parents when you were trying to teach them “boomers’ rocket science”- WhatsApp. It is a peculiar affair- parents can manage an entire household, execute work assignments without hassle, grow babies but cannot use mobiles to communicate and laptops to mail. “This one time dad saw someone go live, he wanted to learn that I taught him the entire thing and he went live accidentally for an entire hour and got hundreds of comments. He then made me come and teach him how to reply to all of them.”,says Rhea D. a first year student.

Lesson one: teaching them how to hold the phone. This, in itself, is a tug of war. Trying to move their fingers that just won’t adjust. Positioning the palm, trying to motion the wrists into acute angles, failing miserably and realising thereby that teaching isn’t that easy a profession.

How long did it take to make them understand that passwords and OTPs (One Time Password) are not supposed to be announced publicly like vendors’ prices at a flea market? Have you succeeded yet? If yes, then you should add it to your CV because that is a milestone achievement. It is hard to make them realise that “password123” or your name is simply not a strong password.

And how can we not mention the jargon disjunction! They can’t be Zuckerbergs in a day or a fortnight, you are not that great as a teacher. Do not try to teach them how routers work, do not teach them what “www” means, do not teach them about motherboards. Meditate for five minutes before the teaching voyage to avoid fights. Let them make their own words and try not to laugh sheepishly. Imagine you are in first grade, and you just realised that ‘ice-spice’ is actually ‘I-spy’ and your friends are laughing at you. Yes, they would feel the same. Aniket Singh Chauhan, another first year student says,”Whenever my parents ask me for help, a random thought comes to my mind that it is my duty to do help because even they helped me when I knew nothing. It is a tiny bit frustrating but I just love it when my parents go a bit tech-savvy.” Be calm and if that doesn’t work, remember that they changed your diapers, in a nutshell- be grateful.

Feature Image Credits: Eventbrite

Priyanshi Banerjee

The Journey of Chocolate : From Bean To Bar

By DU Beat February 25, 2020

I am the beloved of every human irrespective of their gender, irrespective of their age. The ultimate present of every occasion which never fails in retaining a laughter on an incident when one can bet of never smiling again. The richness of the cocoa, the sweetness of my bitterness lifts your spirits and serves as an eye opener on the nights meant for assignment completion. Yes, you guessed it right, I am your personal ambrosia, your life saviour, your CHOCOLATE, here I am today to take you on my journey from a bean to bar so are you ready?

My journey just like you my eater buddy is not that easy. I take birth in the tropical and humid climate which observes a short dry season and a regular rainfall of 1000-2500 mm per year, beginning my life as a cocoa bean amidst the greens of the cocoa trees I fill the surroundings with my rich aroma. The quality of the cocoa and the climatic conditions play a very important role in deciding my characteristics and flavour, and as quoted by sophocles, “If one begins all deeds well, it is likely that they will end well too.” holding the same relevant a good quality been is necessary for the production of a delicious chocolate.

After harvesting, the pods are opened and the seeds are removed which makes me ready for the next step which is fermentation. Just like a human baby after birth is given intensive care to increase its immunity for handling the exterior environment, similarly for intensifying my bitter flavour the beans are fermented for around five days. This process produces heat and demands a periodically regular stir. The perfectly fermented cocoa is then dried for around 15 days removing all the moisture attracting mould, when this process is over only the dried beans are selected and the remaining are discarded from further processing.

Drying marks a transition in my journey. A switch from the hands of my birth giver farmer to the hands of a professional chocolate maker. After drying, the chocolate maker roasts the beans at 210°F for around 10-15 minutes. Roasting, apart from sterilizing the beans also enhances its flavours and makes the next step much easier. This is followed by winnowing, the most important part of my journey which exposes the very best part of my initial bean stage. During this process the chocolate maker removes the outer shells revealing the nib of the cocoa beans – the most desirable part of the initial me.

The nibs are then ground either by machinery or in between heavy stones which result in the production of a heavenly elixir in which addition of sugar produces what is called as cocoa liquor. Changing my state from solid to liquid, grinding is the step producing the primitive version of molten chocolate. Sometimes, many makers instead of grinding go for the technique conching, which involves a continuous mix of the cocoa mass on a certain temperature. This technique does a combination of things such as drying (in case bits of moisture still remain), developing flavour and crushing the large pieces (if any).

Now, after all this to make me regain my original solid state the next step, which is known as tempering is done. During, tempering the chocolate produced in the previous step is heated and is allowed to cool slowly at its own, this enables the cocoa mass to stabilize and solidify properly. It is the most essential part in my entire production as in its absence my solid state does not harden well. And, finally after all these steps of intensive skill and hard work you have your favourite chocolate bar to scintillate your senses.

So, now my eater friends you know my entire journey, would love to know yours as well, you can share your journeys and your life stories on the below mentioned email Id. Till then farewell eaters and, keeping chewing your chocolate.

Feature Image Credits : Scopio

Kriti Gupta

Campus Central

Student Attacked in North Delhi’s Maurice Nagar

By DU Beat February 24, 2020

A 22-year-old student was attacked with a stone in Maurice Nagar, North Delhi. Police suspect a victim’s male friend behind the incident.

On 22nd February 2020, Delhi Police received a call around 11:30 AM about a woman lying unconscious near Bonta Park. The woman had sustained serious head injuries and was taken to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, where she was unconscious, but the doctors were hopeful for her survival, according to a senior police official.

The official says “Her mobile phone was also found lying at the spot. Angles of robbery or sexual assault have been ruled out in this case.” A case under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) was registered and an investigation was taken up. The 22-year-old student was a graduate from University of Delhi (DU), and was currently studying at an institute in Ghaziabad. She was a resident from East Delhi’s Kabir Nagar.

The police suspect a male friend of the victim after analysing her call logs, with whom she had an argument. The official is quoted as saying “Call detail records of the victim were analysed and it is suspected that she had a fallout with a man who attacked her. We are waiting for her statement for further probe”

The victim’s family was informed after the incident, after which they reached the hospital.

With excerpts from The Hindu

Prabhanu Kumar Das

Campus Central

Retired DU Teachers Demand Release of Pension

By DU Beat February 24, 2020

Executive Council, and University of Delhi (DU) Court urged the administration for the urgent release of pensions of retired DU teachers.

Members of Delhi University’s Executive Council, and the Delhi University Court, wrote to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi demanding the urgent release of pensions to retired teachers.

“We have been approached by many retired teachers whose files for the pension have been stuck in the administrative logjam for many months, despite being cleared for the audit. We have come to know that hundreds of such files are gathering dust in the office”, the petitioners, J.L. Gupta, Rajesh Jha of the council, and Rajpal Singh of the DU Court wrote in the petition.

Emphasizing the case of Novy Kapadia, who reportedly retired from STGB College in 2018 and served as Deputy Proctor at the University for seven years, Academic Council member Saikat Ghosh said that despite being diagnosed with a rare disease early this year, the university had “…not deemed it urgent to disburse a single penny of his hard-earned pension.” Mr. Kapadia’s case was not an isolated one, but in fact illustrative of problems faced by all retired teachers of the University, especially those whose pensions have been held up on “some flimsy pretext or the other”, he added.

The issue is a grave concern as these suffering teachers have dedicated their lives to the University, and is now on the receiving end of a raw treatment from the administration. The petitioners urged the administration to resolve the logjam on an urgent basis, to end the misery of their senior colleagues awaiting their due pension.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Paridhi Puri

DUB News

Retired DU Professor’s Plight of Pension and Poor Health

By DU Beat February 23, 2020

Retired DU Professor, Novy Kapadia, who battles a rare Auto Immune Disorder, is one amongst the hundreds who still haven’t received their pensions from the University, after retirement.

Novy Kapadia is a retired professor of English who taught in SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi (DU) for more than three decades. He is also a renowned sports commentator and author of a book on Indian Football, Barefoot to Boots. A member of several DU Boards and Committees during his career, he retired from office about two years ago.

Since then, he’s been diagnosed with a rare Auto Immune Disorder that has caused irreversible damage to his nervous system and has crippled him.

The problem? He still hasn’t started receiving his pension.

His critical medical condition owing to Auto Immune Disorder has rendered him partially disabled and confined him to the four walls of his house. He bears the huge cost of treatment alone, without a source of income, solely relying on the help of former colleagues and students.

In conversation with DU Beat, professor Kapadia said, “It has been around two years since I have retired. I served in many committees throughout my 40 year career and was a very active member of the DU teaching fraternity. After I retired, I got diagnosed with this incurable disease. My disease isn’t one that can be cured with a surgery or like a virus which goes away with time. I don’t have any relatives to rely on either, it is only my ex-colleagues and former students who are there. I have a full time attendant, who charges INR 100 an hour. All this while, I haven’t received a single penny of my pension. No money comes in, money is only going out. That is very scary for me.”

However, he is only one, amongst the hundreds who haven’t received their pensions either.

“My file is one amongst the many. This issue has been going on for such a long time and there has not been any conclusive results yet. while my friends and colleagues in these councils and committees have tried to raise the issue, no one from DU has officially said anything regarding the pension,” adds professor Kapadia.

The problem finds its root in a 2014 University Grants Commission (UGC) decision, where the UGC decided to stop the payment of pensions, as the scheme was launched in 1987 without its permission. What followed was a court case that lasted till 2017, where the Delhi High Court finally ordered for pensions to be released for all employees.

Despite the High Court order, as can be seen in Professor Kapadia’s case, there hasn’t been any progress regarding the pensions.

“Delhi University is sitting over a bunch files relating to pensionary benefits of superannuated teachers. Novy Kapadia is one such victims of apathy and indifference of a cruel administration, who has been denied regular pension since he retired almost two years ago. How dare a system treat us like this after superannuation and force us to be left in the lurch?,” says a statement in support of the ex-professor.

Saikat Ghosh, member, Academic Council DU, adds, “In his ailing state, Mr. Kapadia’s troubles have been compounded by the Delhi University’s refusal to fix his pension and help him meet his treatment expenses. Due to no fault on his part, the DU administration has not deemed it urgent to disburse a single penny of his hard-earned pension. Mr. Kapadia’s case is not isolated; in fact it is illustrative of the problems that all retired teachers are facing, especially those whose pensions have been held up by the DU administration on some flimsy pretext or the other, in recent years. Many are ailing and in need of urgent care and assistance. This is a brazen violation of the legally-guaranteed right to pension and full retirement benefits for DU teachers.”

According to Professor Saikat Ghosh, repeated pleas to the current VC, Prof. Yogesh K. Tyagi, have gone unheeded and the union government has also refused to withdraw its ill-advised SLPs against sections of teachers who have been due for pension.

Image Credits: Livemint

Satviki Sanjay

People’s Minister: The Dikshit That Defined Delhi

By DU Beat February 22, 2020

The infrastructure and development that smiles across the grand old city of Delhi, has received a new face of direction, but the previous grace has an angle that must not be forgotten.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly Polls of 2020 saw a ‘big broom sweep’ across constituencies with the people’s mandate affirming the development model put forth by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and it’s Supremo, Arvind Kejriwal. but is this the first time in Indian or Delhi politics at all?

The country broke with a ‘new wave’ of politics when incumbent Delhi Chief Minister (CM), Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP were declared as the unanimous voice of Delhi’s electoral population, inclining them for a third consecutive term after a complete term and an incomplete term, previously. Standing against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC), Kejriwal defied anti-incumbency which has been sought to be the irrefutable force in elections.

With faces like Home Minister, Amit Shah, and other national leaders of BJP standing against AAP with the ‘reputation’ they hold, winning the elections should be considered a feather in AAP’s hat; their previous term and campaign was called ‘unique’ by many for the welfare schemes and development it brought in the state, particularly in education and health care sectors. But, as to these changes taking place for the first time, Delhi itself shunned out this claim, Congress Stalwart and former Delhi (CM), Sheila Dikshit served the state for three consecutive full terms, and in many regards changed its course for the better. Akin to Kejriwal, she was elected as Delhi’s Chief Minister at a time when an opposition party was in power at the center and Atal Bihari Vajpayee was as popular a leader as Narendra Modi is.

Rising amongst contestants like Shushma Swaraj, Madan Lal Khurana, and Sahib Singh Verma, Dikshit was elected as Delhi’s CM first in 1998 and again in 2003, and 2008 with full majority, her work towards Delhi’s development is well appreciated by everyone, despite of party affiliations and ideologies.

The champion of Delhi’s development and planning held a positive approach in almost every aspect of governance, from empowering Delhi’s power supply which was in a fix before 1998, to solving the problem of lack of public transport – our beloved Delhi Metro saw its existence during Dikshit’s term and is lauded all over for the revolution it brought in the lives of commuters.

The DTC bus also lends its current stature and fleet numbers to Dikshit and so does the adoption of CNG; her vision for the promotion of alternative gases to combat pollution was done at a time when the notion couldn’t cross the periphery of textbooks. The flyovers and roads that have been built across Delhi-NCR are the testimonies of her path-breaking work and perception.

The beautification and aesthetic addendums in Delhi are also a part of her vision which were laid open to welcome the world during the Commonwealth Games that Delhi hosted in 2010, amidst controversies and charges, the smooth conduct and success of the games is endowed with enormous contributions from the then Delhi CM.

Many new schools were added and Delhi continued to be the educational aspiration for many across the nation. The accommodation of everyone was a plan that she adopted in order to improve the education and infrastructure of our country.

Every year, millions also head the capital in hope of employment that was well taken care of by the adoption of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and setup of specified areas, further, healthcare was an important parameter where she did manage to make some significant changes by extending hospitals and employment of doctors and medical practitioners.

Thriving amidst the misogynistic political ambience Dikshit didn’t falter to lose even at the age of eighty, contesting elections and standing firm to her popular reputation. This inspiring political figure passed away on 20th July 2019 but stands out unforgettable in Indian political history.

Feature Image Credits: Deccan Herald

Faizan Salik

Auburn Umbrella

Auburn Umbrella: Denim Essentials for College Fests: Comfort, Style and Beyond

By DU Beat February 22, 2020

Denim finds its way practically into every wardrobe and is versatile enough to go with all kinds of clothes, prints and fabrics. Here’s how you can style four very basic denim pieces for the fests.

Skirts:

An oversized sweater paired up with a denim skirt, along with boots, is the go-to look for girls. A solid coloured top tucked in a denim skirt can be paired well, with junk jewelry or simple hoops. Janpath or Sarojini Nagar market, must have them for as low as Rs 200. Experiment with printed and knotted shirts. Wear sneakers and go all comfortable while dancing around in concerts.

Shirts:

Black jeans compliment any gradient of denim shirts. Tuck or no tuck, just add a belt and shoes. The shirt doesn’t necessarily have to be buttoned up. Wear it over a tank top or crop top, and t-shirt for a casual look. Half tucked shirt worn over a crop top and black jeggings are very comfortable. Play with accessories but don’t go too overboard.

Jackets:

Denim jacket is a literal savior for all, and is always in trend. Wear a denim jacket, over a dress, to perfectly execute your answer. Girls can always pair palazzo pants with a tucked top and wear the jacket as a cape. A white t-shirt and jeans worn with a denim jacket, if it gets too monotonous, simply, wear loose t-shirts with distressed jeans. If you’re planning to pair denim with denim, experiment with two different shades, say lighter and a darker wash or colours like black or white.

Jeans:

Kurta and jeans are almost synonymous with University students. Paired with kolhapuri flats and a tote bag, this combination is worn by both, boys and girls on a daily basis. When it comes to fests, bling up these looks by accessorizing. Junk neckpieces, and sunglasses. Drop the jholas and opt for backpacks for fests – much more comfortable and easy to carry. Jeans for guys go best with V neck t-shirts, sweaters, and hooded sweatshirts. Distressed jeans with kurti, paired with jhumkas can transcend a regular day look to a fest outfit.

Priyanshi, a second-year student at Indraprastha College for Women, says, “I usually attend fests after class and a sweatshirt and jeans is what I wear to college but not on a fest. I’d rather put an acid-washed denim jacket as a cape over the same outfit and be ready in no time. Of course, I always have a pair of big hoops and bandana in my bag to accessorise”.

Denim can be styled in multiple ways. It is the versatility and comfort of the material that makes it all the more popular amongst college students.

Feature Image Source: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

Aishwaryaa Kunwar