Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Author

DU Beat

Browsing
Uncategorized

#AuburnUmbrella-The Elegance Of Ethnic Casual: Junk Jewelry Serenades Street Fashion

By

Junk jewelry is the newest casual-ethnic discovery, and is creating a furor on the streets of Delhi. In its latest addition of Auburn Umbrella, DU Beat brings to you the charm of accessorizing your kurtis with (not so) ordinary metal trinkets.

The newest fashion craze to dawn upon the Delhiite nooks and crannies famous for street-side fashion, might well be a game changer for the Boho-casual ensemble that college students have been experimenting with these past five years or so. That’s right: junk jewelry has finally caught on with the fashion savvy youngsters and is busting charts like never before.

The rich microcosm of fashion blends encompassed by these pocket-friendly trinkets, has exploded into a million colours on the relatively muter hues of North campus fashion. The colors of ethnic wear have deepened to richer shades of Maroon and Blue in order to match the grounded affluence of metal jewelry.

“The charm of junk jewelry for me is how popular fashion has never been more affordable! I can pair it with anything during more bold experimentations, and ethnic is anyway the go to look when I want to flaunt my latest finds.”

Sonia Rawat, 2nd year history student at Hindu College

While adornments of faux gold and oxidized silver have long ruled the roost, the trend of junk jewelry, or lightweight, funky jewelry, seems all set to displace their flattering elegance with an earthy panache.

Come summers, the by-lanes of the city, from Sarojini to Janpath, will be brimming over with fashion connoisseurs hunting for that perfect piece of accessory that can glow up their print skirts from a ‘no’ to a classy ‘boho’. The real reasons behind the popularity of junk trinkets is that they have brought jewellery to the informal realm, and that they blend with greater ease into everyday looks there by enhancing them.

1. JANPATH: THE SHOPPER’S SHOW STOPPER

As any Delhiite is bound to gush: the Delhi shopping experience is incomplete without a walk down the aisles of Janpath. While the market is generally renowned for affordable and chic clothes amongst university students, it has long been a hub of junk jewelry, even during the out-seasons of the trend in question.

From oversized rings and exultantly designed earrings, to one-of-a-kind choker designs, Janpath is a mountain of all the junk jewellery that your inner fashionista can possibly desire for. The prices, of course, are vastly negotiable so we suggest carrying along a friend trained in the art of bargaining. A more recent edition to the junk jewellery collection here is faux nose-pins. Go before the peak season to avail the best offers and grab the best pieces off the shelves.

“I shop a lot at Janpath. Most cancelled lectures find my clique strolling down its lanes. Though, of course, bargaining is something we sorely lack, and I would recommend being armed with this skill before visiting Janapth, and, less often, Sarojini.”

Hiba Nasrin, Hindu College

2. KAMLA AND  KALEIDOSCOPIC COUTURE 

While Kamla is more of a complex than Janpath, and lacks the appeal of street-side fashion that the latter possesses, its occasional vendor with cartloads of metal jewellery at every third corner redeems it enough to warrant a mention here. Standing right beside the North Campus, its ease of accessibility is unmatched. While the prices are less negotiable than Janpath, the variety is way more intensive. An added advantage is Kamla being a clothes-oriented mart: you can here buy yourself the perfect print skirt  and match it withjunk accessories at the very next corner.

 

3. JUNKS AND PRINTS

So you have bought for yourself the perfect junk necklace and danglers to match the piece. Why not pair it up with a printed kurti from your neighbourhood Sabhyata? Junks and prints serve as perfect complements to each other. Stand out with a bright kurti, white palazzos, and your Janpath conquest. Commonly, the metallic colour of junks is most highlighted by bright yellow kurtis.

4. SARI NOT SORRY

The perfect poise of a sartorial blouse becomes ten times more glamorous  when juxtaposed with junk jewellery. A low cut blouse with boho necklaces is the go to fashion for the season. Adopted by influencers, the plain white sari with print flowers and junk jewellery, are a perfect couplet of the fashion verse this year.

Undoubtedly, two factors have been at play in this surge: the affordability and the rise of Instagram influencers. When fashionistas like Komal Pandey promote ordinary metal jewellery as an amphibious trend that can fit in with any outfit, the impact is obviously immense. The idea of such affordable ‘high-fashion’ knows no limit of appeal to college goers whose finances are barely put together. The junk jewellery trend therefore is one major success of the E-fashion and influencer era!

Also Read: https://dubeat.com/2020/03/everyday-college-fashion-minimalist-and-affordable/

Feature Image: Delhi Planet

Samya Verma

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

A Dearth Of Hostel Facilities Forces Girls Out Of Sports Seats in DU

By

Girls accounted for nearly 292 out of the 528 students who took admissions under the sports quota at Delhi University but chose to drop their seats due to the lack of hostel accommodation in Delhi. The matter draws our attention to many impediments to women’s higher education.

Near the close of the University’s official admissions season in late December, the administration officials discovered that 528 of the total number of students selected for sports-based admissions had failed to deposit fees and confirm their registrations. Many informed the University that their decision was born out of uncertainty with regard to hostel accommodations. Since 292 of such applicants were girls, the larger issue of women’s higher education being fraught with obstacles is brought to light.

“We found that of the 528 applicants who did not pay the fees, 292 were girls. These are applicants, who despite the approvals given by the principals and college admission committees, after the allocation of courses and institutions, didn’t confirm their admissions by paying the fees. So, these seats are now vacant and need to be filled.”  – Pankaj Sinha, Chairperson of DU Sports Council

It comes as no surprise that a dearth of hostels at the University is clamping down upon the merit of so many girl students. The thought of off-campus accommodation in a city like Delhi invoked fear and is expensive as well. When added to the social pressure of ‘saving’ the money that could be ‘wasted’ on a girl child’s education, one can see the complete scope of the problem raised by these dropped admissions.

“When we spoke to some of these students and their parents, we were told that they weren’t keen (on admissions) after they found accommodation in Delhi a major concern since there weren’t hostel facilities available for them.” – Pankaj Sinha, Chairperson of DU Sports Council

As Mr. Pankaj Sinha correctly observed- vacancies of such a nature would attract negative publicity for the University, and “greater scrutiny by the government agencies, the public, and the media.” As such, the Chairman has urged the University to release the third list and fill the remaining seats immediately. The third list won’t be open to those who had applied in the previous two lists but failed to make good on confirmation of their admission. It came out on 4th January 2021.

“We will issue a new list with a fresh set of students. Currently, I am asking colleges to send me their seat matrix to see how many vacancies there are. We will allot seats in colleges to students as per their preference.” – Pankaj Sinha, Chairperson of DU Sports Council

What becomes exigent is a revamp of hostel facilities by the University. Allocation of funds to building more hostels, as well as improvement of existing infrastructure, will go a long way towards the golden futures of female aspirants. Special education drives aimed at educating the aspirant’s parents on the necessity of higher education for the girl child will also have a role to play. These measures, however, seem much lower on the University’s list of concerns for now.

The Sports Council, meanwhile emphasized how the entire process was made successful with ‘zero-contact’ and ‘without any human intervention’,  in the wake of a global pandemic. The procedure was relegated to the sphere of software specially designed for admissions. No interference, except occasional scrutiny of the machinery, on part of the administration, marked the duration of college and course allotment in a year that proved to be a major obstacle course for the University.

Feature image credit : Parveen Negi

Samya Verma

([email protected])

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

Music, Protest and Poetry: Celebrating Bob Dylan

By

We take a look at Bob Dylan’s impact on anti-fascist movements in the world and at home and his impact on counterculture

Robert Allen Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan has been a figure in counterculture for more than 50 years. With a career in music starting from 1961 and continuing to this day, his songs challenged the establishment and its oppression still remain relevant now. One could call him a nobel laureate, a folk music icon, or a symbol of protest against oppression worldwide, but for the man himself, he doesn’t fit into any of these definitions.

As he once said “ I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be.”

It wouldn’t be fair to call Bob Dylan a musician who just writes protest songs or just writes love songs, his music spanning 50 years contains everything from protest music, to songs about love, loss, belonging, hope, and so much more. The man was incredibly hard to report on with the way he reacted to journalists and paparazzi, but his ideologies can be somewhat gauged from his songs against racism, war, and exploitative governments. Like most folk musicians of his time, he took great inspiration from and admired Woody Guthrie, a folk singer who was a leading name in the mid 20th century for his songs against fascism and oppression.

Bob Dylan’s songs such as “blowing in the wind” and “the times they are a-changing” have been protest songs since their release in the 60s, sung by the american youth to protest against the Vietnam War. The matter and lyrics behind this song remain relevant to this day, even more so in India where a current fight against a fascist regime is engulfing the country. In some protests led by Dastak DU or other collectives, Bob Dylan’s music could be heard sung by the voices of our youth against the tyrannical oppressors.

Midhun, the convenor of Dastak DU speaks about why the collective’s first song was “the times they are a-changing” and the importance of reviving the progressive artists movement.

“Our writers and artists were heavily influenced by the people’s art movement and the marxist aesthetics, which ultimately gave us the Progressive Writers Movement, Parallel Cinema, Bombay Progressive Artists Group, IPTA etc etc. But that movement has died and it’s rotting smell is all over in the corners of art and literature in India. As Dastak believes, decline in the progressive thinking and it’s reflections through art and literature is the main reason behind the smoothly done Hindu fascist uprising in India. What Dastak, as a progressive student artist’s forum really wish with our efforts is to revive the died out Indian progressive artist’s movement, from Sajjad to Faiz, from Premchand to Safdar Hashmi. Undoubtedly Dylan was the best way to start it and that’s why we picked Dylan’s song as our first song to be sung in Arts Faculty.”

Midhun, the convenor of Dastak DU

His music, even in lockdown, still questions the privilege and ignorance in the larger Indian public and a government without sympathy to the working class. As the lyrics in “blowing in the wind” say

“Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take ’till he knows

That too many people have died?”

Prabhanu Kumar Das
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

The Colours of a LGBTQ+ Life

By

This piece talks about how the colours of the rainbow flag reflect upon crucial junctures in the life of a LGBTQ+ person. 

Life is a strange phenomenon, an uncharted journey with several twists and turns. This journey is different for each but each journey is incredible and worthwhile. Since childhood, we are told to embark on this journey according to some standard ‘guidelines’. These guidelines do help us grow and make our lives easier. But often they become so overbearing that they cage our essential being and we are forced to fight for who we are.

LGBTQ+ community has been fighting for their recognition, rights and acceptance since many decades now. From the 1969 Stonewall Uprising to over 100 countries of the world decriminalizing homosexuality, the LGBT social movement has grown stupendously. The LGBT social movements began as a response to years of persecution at the hands of the church, state and medical authorities. The condemnation of homosexuality or deviance from established gender roles/dress was communicated through public trials, exile, and medical warnings. These paths of persecution not only entrenched homophobia for centuries—but also, in a way alerted the populace to the existence of ‘difference’. By the 20th century, the movement started taking shape and since then it has never looked back. From pride parades and organized activism to representation in positions of power, the movement has grown and has developed its own community, literature, signs and symbols, etc.

One of the most interesting symbols of the LGBTQ+ movement is the rainbow flag. Proudly waved at pride parades and displayed to show solidarity to the movement, each colour of the rainbow flag has a meaning. But if you look closely into the lives of LGBTQ+ folks, the flag symbolizes various stages from their lives as well. Here’s decoding their journey through the colours of the rainbow –

Lilac and blue of fathoming Identity 

This phase is not fun at all. Clouds of confusion, anxiety, denial and emotional distress gather around as one tries to come to terms with one’s ‘lilac of spirit’. A spirit or identity that does not behave as heterosexual, but still tries to force into its place in the closet. So, many seek out information online or through reading or friends and slowly, manifest their true selves. But self – discovery is not enough as what must follow is identity acceptance. By being one with the self, a serene wind blows away those distressing clouds and one gets enjoy the clear blue sky of what their true identity is.

Harvansh, a student, shares his experiences of this stage in the following words, “Right from when I was very little, I always felt different from the boys of my age group. At that age I couldn’t say what the “different” thing in me was. I always ignored it and focused on my studies and music.

I was popular in my school for my music and other cultural activities, so everybody knew me. Though it felt good being known and praised by others, it also brought a lot of bad encounters. Some of my seniors would taunt me for my hand gestures, the way I walked and stuff. It bothered me a little but I never cared. All I could think, to make a sense out it, was that I was a good boy and they were the bullies. After high school, I joined a coaching centre to prepare for the college entrance exams. There were few guys whom I found very attractive; at this point of time I was still unaware of my sexuality. I thought that I was impressed by their personalities or their dressing sense, so I ignored it again. I joined an engineering college and it was far away from my home. As I got some alone time, I wasn’t afraid of being seen or heard by anyone. So after many years of thinking and ignoring; I started googling, youtubing and it took me a while to find out I’m not alone. This has happened to many others and this is normal – this is my sexuality. I had finally understood that ‘different’ thing in me.

And then I realized why it took me so long to figure this out – the fear, the homophobic experiences, the “how a boy should act” attitude of the society had led me to suppress my sexual attraction towards boys. It wasn’t easy at all to accept my sexuality; I had to go through months of sadness, silence, fear, anxiety, anger and what not. But finally I got comfortable with it, happily. I met a lot of people talked to them about their experiences and coming out. I started coming out to my friends, and they accepted me with all the love. I came out to my sisters, and now we are much closer. But the most difficult one was when I came out to myself; when I said the words ‘ I am GAY AF’.”

Natural Green of disclosing to others

After accepting and integrating identity, there comes the innate desire or even need of disclosing or sharing it with close friends and family. Coming out is a life – long process and not easy. Whether one has come to terms with their sexual orientation or gender identity, or are still thinking about it, it can be difficult to deal with on your own. There comes a point where one needs to talk about it with someone, to get support or simply get it off one’s chest. Coming out is the most natural stage as the person is able to share with others who they are and what is important to them, rather than having to hide or lie about their identity. Confronting the assumption that everyone is “straight” and also the discrimination, homophobic and transphobic attitudes along the way, allows the person to develop as an individual, allows for greater empowerment, and makes it easier for an individual to develop a positive self-image. Every LGBTQ+ person has their own, unique story of coming out(s), some are good and others are bad. Yet, each story has the natural virtues of courage, self – love and honesty ingrained in it.

Fighting discrimination with the power of yellow and orange

The heterosexual standards have been so deeply imprinted on our minds that anything else seems disturbingly unnatural. Even though there is evidence of homosexual activity and same-sex love, whether accepted or persecuted, in every documented culture, the dualism of modernity which teaches to see everything as yes or no, right or left, man or woman; gets the better of us. As a result, LGBTQ+ people across the world have to go through pervasive discrimination that negatively impacts all aspects of their lives. Due to a range of factors such as discrimination, isolation and homophobia, they are forced to make from subtle to profound changes to their everyday lives in order to minimize the risk of experiencing discrimination, often hiding their authentic selves. Being pushed back to the closet leads to members of the LGBTQ+ community being more likely to experience a range of mental health problems such as depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and alcohol and substance misuse.

The gentle yellow rays of the sun shine equally on everyone, without prejudice and without hate. Likewise, one should never let the slurs, the stares, the injustices to prevail over our right to live full, equal, and authentic lives and let the calming orange glow heal the scars and give more power.

Vibrant red of community building and activism

Discrimination and scorn can pull anyone down. But when you know there are others out there who go through the same things and that there is a community of people who are more than welcoming to your identity, there ignites a new kind of life force that is comforting and empowering. In the space that the community creates, one also engages in education and dialogue and from there, emerges in the individual the impetus to engage oneself in activism and fight for the fact that sexual orientation and gender identity are very important components of who I am as a person, but they are not all of what defines me and it certainly does not justify any kind of discrimination towards me. Resolving to take up ‘red as life force’, one joins the activism for equal rights, respect and recognition.

Talking about LGBTQ+ community and the future of activism, Pankaj, a law student, says, “’Queerness’ isn’t some acquired trait that is almost always influenced by the social environment around us. But, by not implementing ‘queer education’ in school curriculum, our system is essentially depriving everybody the ability to understand themselves and the social differences and injustices in our society and thereby, increasing the probabilities of young, impressionable LGBTQIA+ youth to engage in unsafe practices which includes misguided activism on social media platforms and mental disorientation. As a part of the community, I personally feel that there is an incumbent need to educate ourselves in the fluidity of gender. Also, I think I would be too shallow to not hold my own community accountable for the problematic things that are preached and practiced. For instance, social media dating apps like ‘Grindr’ and ‘Blued’ normalizing ‘hook-up culture’ to the extent that a whole new lot of younger LGBTQIA+ youth is asked to label their body types and preferences pertaining to their physical appearance, which further spreads body dysmorphia and just plain and unscathed hatred towards one’s own image of self. Ever since the Sept 2018 judgement, there is a lot of misinformation being spread within the community about gay rights for marriage. This is because of the sheer ignorance and neglect to educate ourselves by actually taking out the time to read the judgement and the commentary to fully comprehend the extent of the ratio decidendi of the matter. And this brings me back to my earlier appeal to have programmes in schools and colleges to meet the needs of this unfortunate gap from the “law of the land” written, pronounced, published and promulgated, to its conveyance to the general public especially, LGBTQIA+ community.”

The above stages are not linear, and don’t always unravel in the same order. We can temporarily skip stages or land in the same one twice or even discover very different meanings of the same colours. The most important thing to bear in mind is that everyone’s journey is unique and valid and never be afraid to show and celebrate your true colours.

Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Ipshika Ghosh
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Glitches Behind the Glamour: Problems in Fashion Societies

By

Societies work tirelessly every year to put their best foot forward and perform at various colleges gaining a whole load of exposure and memories. But often these experiences come at the expense of one’s mental health and personal restrictions.

Even semesters at the University are jam packed with all kinds of events – dance, drama, debate and fashion, most notably college fests. And fashion events amongst them are considered the most glamorous of all – shows with extra spotlights, flawless garments and charismatic models. However, this screaming confidence on stage involves hours of practice and dedication, a fact most people tend to ignore.

What people also don’t realize is the untoward pressure, toxicity, shaming and biases that members of a fashion society deal with on a daily basis. They might be forced to follow certain diet restrictions, compromise on their personal life for the sake of endless practices and expected to deal with the toxic environments. You either adapt to this discomfort for your passion or end up leaving the society.

On the condition of anonymity, an ex-member of a renowned fashion society shares, “I was so thrilled to be a part of the fashion circuit in my first year. It seemed like the perfect start to my college life. However, it turned out to be so toxic right from the first week. The seniors who were so kind and considerate in the auditions were actually so rigid and egoistic when it came to following their instructions. One of them literally kept an eye on me to check how much time I spent having lunch. She not only scolded me for being just five minutes late to the practice but also didn’t shy away from passing personal comments. Because of their repeated misbehavior, I ended up leaving the society in the second week itself. But even after that they would talk nonsense about me and pass comments every time they saw me. I don’t know how much I have cried because of them.”

On the performing front, fashion productions often seem to be reduced to a mere display of ‘walk and entertainment’ and exquisite clothes with eve-teasing and name-calling during shows being recurrent occurrences.

DU Beat came across instances of the audience passing lewd comments from the crowd, throwing notes and papers at models on stage and clicking inappropriate pictures. This behavior is so uncalled for and affects the participating members mentally and emotionally. Societies have rightfully taken a strict stand against any such instance. However such shaming might not just be restricted to the crowd.

A member from a reputed girl’s college in South Campus talks about how fashion policing and judging is so normalized within the circuit. “You are expected to look presentable at all times, beyond the stage and practices as well. Because when it comes to shaming, even your society peers won’t leave a chance. I guess that is one reason why fashion societies are considered to be very elitist and that not everybody can afford the branded clothes and style. You are really judged on what you wear on a daily basis.”

It is usually assumed that fashion societies do not have much to do in terms of rehearsals and that it’s just about the ‘good looks and walking the ramp’. However preparing for this ramp walk involves costumes, dresses, props and lights that are designed and worked upon by the members themselves. The sequences are choreographed and repeatedly practiced. Moreover there’s a fine difference between a dance performance and a fashion walk. “Societies and judges continue to live on the tangent that drama and dancing makes a performance look good. But as a fashion society we work on our walk, props and expressions, not dancing around in carefully crafted costumes”, says Garima Satija, ex-president of Nakshatra, Hindu College.

“I went to a judge for the feedback of our performance at a competition. To my surprise the judge told me that we would have won if only we could add a bit of dance movements in the front. Most judges don’t even come from a fashion related background, they are sometimes dance choreographers or even faculty of the organizing college. While the judges’ decision is final and binding, we face problems in getting proper feedback for improvement. The true sense modelling and ramp walk seems to lack when people prefer dramatic content over pure fashion shows”, she added.

Many societies complain that the judges often end up giving vague explanations for feedback instead of valid points. With teams trying to uncover avenues of creativity in terms of themes and productions, there’s still no acknowledgement given to them for trying something out of the box because judges continue to consider the same old dramatic content to be capturing. Repetition of judges was a major concern pointed out by societies. A fashion society member from a North Campus college told DU Beat, “If a judge likes a performance at a particular college, they aren’t likely to change their views at another college and the same teams end up winning similar positions everywhere. The results get forged and the judges turn out to be explicitly biased towards certain societies. There isn’t any mechanism within the circuit as well to keep a check on this.”

Mismanagement at fest is another problem that societies put forth collectively. Events end up having logistical issues in terms of announcement of results, performing sequence, manipulation of results, untimely distribution of prize money and certificates and other malpractices. Such issues not only disheartening and difficult for the participants but also undermine the essence of performing art. With sensitive conditions in the city overlapping with the DU fest season earlier this year, many events were either cancelled or abruptly conducted. While societies did lose their chance to perform at maximum colleges, they also faced security issues while commuting and disappointment at many college doors.

A member of a South Campus society talks about a popular fest, “We faced a lot of security issues in the month of February and early-March. The gates were closed and the police were not permitting teams to enter the campus. The lack of coordination caused a lot of chaos and students were close to getting physically hurt. The organizers didn’t come to help the participants as they should have, and many had to return without performing.” He adds, “In fact after 9-11 teams clearing the prelims, they conducted their event with only 4-5 teams in the finals and eventually distributed the prizes as well. This was very unfair to teams who travel all the way to perform but cannot because of the inefficiency of the organizers.”

Addressing the show mismanagement issue, an ex-member of Poise, Institute of Home Economics, says, “Being an all-girls team we used to face security concerns due to varying show timings and late announcements of results. Shows hardly start on time and get delayed late for one another reason. With multiple shows in a day across colleges in the University, it becomes really difficult to manage it all and ends up affecting the performance of the team.”

Lack of green rooms and proper changing spaces is also an increasing concern within fashion societies. 15-20 members of a team are often clubbed into one small classroom and expected to change their costumes and assemble their props there. Sometimes the windows too are left uncovered. This leads to random people clogging outside these rooms, clicking absurd pictures and passing comments.

Talking about the rising bias and forged results in competitions, Aashna Rai, President of Galore, Maitreyi College tells DU Beat, “We’ve often witnessed judges repeatedly favoring teams which is highly demotivating for societies and the members. While every team deserves a fair judgement procedure, the scores and judgment sheets are not transparent at all events. They are often tampered by the organizers.”

She added, “At times societies copy the sequences, music track or garments of other teams causing internal feuds.”

Now building up an annual production does require extensive thinking and research. However in the process, societies often tend to forget the difference between inspiration and duplicity. Plagiarism thus leads to clashes and bad-mouthing within the circuit, thereby diluting its creative credibility.

While the internet is flooded over with body positivity content creators and inclusivity in modelling, the stereotype that a model has to have a good height and figure to enhance her looks still penetrates in the DU fashion circuit. Anushka Tyagi, the newest president of Nakshatra, Hindu College shares with DU Beat, “I have never won the ‘Best Female Model’ because I’m short and this is despite practicing my walk and expressions for hours with full dedication. In order to win an individual mention, you really need to look like a stereotypical model. It’s really hard to find judges who actually judge you on the basis of your confidence. Most of the time it comes down to looks, height and figure. With the circuit boasting flexibility in terms of body shape and height, you end up getting intimidated and insecure about yourself that you won’t ever be able to achieve something like that. I had to really push myself to come out of it and work on my sequence, energy and expressions with extra hard work.”

It’s time that the University circuits introspect its ways of functioning and develop mechanisms to deal with toxic environment, mismanagement and malpractices. Societies as a whole should come together to enable themselves to be friendly and respectful spaces that can promote collective growth and inclusivity. The true essence of any art form lies in upholding fairness with focus on performing instead of just winning.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Aishwaryaa Kunwar
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Coronavirus

DUTA Refuses to Comply as DU Seeks Information Regarding Online Classes

By

Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has refused to comply after the University of Delhi sent colleges and institutions letters seeking details regarding the online classes conducted by teachers.

On 20th April 2020, the University of Delhi (DU) administration had sent a letter to all of the varsity’s colleges and institutions to enquire about the online classes being taken by the teachers. However, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has refused to comply with these demands. DUTA said that the teachers would not be filling out this form as it feels that this form could be used to draw a conclusion that is in favour of online exams.

This seeking of information was done by the varsity after the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry sought details of the online classes being conducted during the pandemic by the teachers. Previously, the university had urged its teachers to remain in touch with students. They had been asked to distribute e-resources, and this was done by providing material through WhatsApp and e-mail. On Monday, 21st April, DU sent a letter to its colleges requesting information regarding the classes being conducted online.

However, DUTA wrote to the Vice Chancellor, urging him to withdraw the letter. “We express our utter dismay at the approach taken by the university in the face of the pandemic with respect to conduct of online classes and the forthcoming semester examinations,” the association wrote to the VC. “The letter does not indicate as to the purpose for which this information is being sought, that too at such short notice. We wish to point out that the format sent out to the colleges reveals extreme shortsightedness as there is no attempt whatsoever to find out how students and teachers are coping with the abrupt closure of the university due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown announced by the government.” They also added that “The format expects teachers to answer questions in a manner that would reveal very little about the preparedness for exams or issues which they are facing.”

Earlier, DUTA had written to the administration opposing the idea of online examinations. They had urged the administration to understand the lack of resources available to various students of the varsity, as well as the fact that online classes could not compensate for in-class lectures. They, therefore, insisted that online examinations weren’t a viable option. 

“Hence, to ask colleges to submit details of online classes on the format circulated is not only grossly misplaced but also indicates the complete lack of concern on the part of the authorities towards the well-being of students and teachers,” the DUTA said.

DUTA has therefore decided to reject the letter in fear that it may be used to draw conclusions in favour of online examinations.

Feature Image Credit: DU Beat Archive

Shreya Juyal

[email protected]

 

 

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Lockdown 2.0: Red, Orange and Green Zones

By

The entire country will be segregated into red, orange, and green zones based on number of reported cases from each region. 

The countrywide lockdown has been extended till 3rd May. The Prime Minister in his address to the nation stated that the entire country will be divided into three zones: red, orange, and green. These zones will be formed based on number of the cases in that area. Areas with sizeable cases will be in the red zone. There will be little to no activity allowed in this zone. The status of orange zones will be given to those areas that reported positive cases in the past but saw no increase in the number of cases. Those districts where no coronavirus cases were reported will be categorized as the green zones.

Chief Ministers of multiple states proposed the opening of liquor shops as the revenue generated through them adds a considerable amount to the state revenue. In green zones, citizens will be permitted for limited movement across the zone itself. The limited movement will most likely put the green zones at risk of turning into orange zones. Many districts in Maharashtra reported cases with no travel history or close contact with anyone having a travel history. Yashvi, a student of Miranda House College opined: “The decision of categorizing regions into three different zones is going to be complex, and faulty implementation might lead to serious repercussions such as spreading of wrong information and a spike in new cases.”

India’s containment strategy is still being accurately mapped out. Hotspots or red zones will have strict travel restrictions. Many bureaucrats are apprehensive about the impacts the pandemic will have on the economy. According to the World Bank’s prediction, India will witness a growth of not more than 1.5 to 2.8 percent.

Feature Image Credits: DNA India

Suhani Malhotra

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

The Stolen Sixth Semester: Woes of a Final-Year Student

By

Read the words of our Editor-in-Chief for one last time, before she graduates, as she complains about her stolen sixth semester.

I remember last year, around this time, I was preparing for the farewell ceremony for my seniors at DU Beat- my phone would blow up with some 250 random messages on WhatsApp, endless calls discussing the venue, theme, gifts, and what not. At that time, I didn’t actually understand what the final semester meant to my seniors because I was too engrossed thinking about how life and work would be without them being around. But I also had the settling feeling that I would know when time comes.

Cut to 2020, the last semester of my college life as an undergraduate student, sitting at home, writing this article, and thinking about where my last semester went. I think of the stuff I would have been doing with my college friends and my team at this wonderful organisation.

However, I have always believed ‘expect the unexpected’ and I think that this is the only thing that is keeping me sane in such uncertain times. As kids, most of us might have experienced an unsettling feeling when somebody would snatch out a lollipop from our mouth. This is exactly what happened to our final semester.

Having said this, I would not talk only about the sad situation we are in. As a graduating student, a host of memories flash in front of me right now- the day I got admitted to the University of Delhi(DU), the day I met my college best friend, and the day I joined this organisation.

The three years of my college life have been the most challenging, yet the best years of my life. From being a student coming out of the protected cocoon of school life to graduating college with confidence and an identity, this is what these three years have made me. As college students, we are stuck with assignments, internals, submissions, deadlines, placements, societies, and endless preoccupations.

The nationwide lockdown gave me enough time to introspect and surprisingly, all that mattered to me during this difficult time were the people. I realised that my college life was not only defined by a degree or my friends, but also the security guard of my college who would wish ‘Good morning bacchon’ every morning, the canteen staff who would talk about their families, and the housekeeping staff of the college who would smile and wish me luck before every exam.

I wish I could get to relive all this one last time because I didn’t know that the chai I had on 6th March in my college canteen was the last cup I would have with my college friends while Ravi bhaiya (college canteen staff) talked about his Holi plans. You know something impacts you a great deal when you are unable to write about it without being cheesy and clichéd. It’s a faux-pas I’m willing to indulge in for the sake of honesty.

As much as I have talked about the final year students, I would also like to talk about the juniors. They are also the ones who hope to give their seniors the most memorable days of their college life. The end semester is also a reminder that they have become older, and are now themselves seniors. It’s a nostalgic time for the third-year students but what we often forget is how overwhelming it is for the juniors as well.

Dear Delhi University, the batch of 2020 will miss their last fest season, internals, college parties, night stays, bunks, submissions, and the last lectures and yes, they will miss you too- a place which gave them friendships, lessons, and lots of memories.

Feature Image Source: Anoushka Sharma for DU Beat

Anoushka Sharma

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Coronavirus

Editorial: Productivity and Pandemic: Decoding Online Learning

By

In her last editorial of her tenure, our Print Editor talks about the socio-political and cultural connotations of expecting productivity in the midst of a Pandemic.

The University of Delhi (DU) is a revered dream for many, with its soaring cut- offs at the top ten colleges, promises of placements (mostly for commerce- based courses), and the affordability of its fee structure which allows undergraduate students to get a degree for as low as INR 50,000. Owing to the hullabaloo and cry over privatisation, one cannot say whether the last factor will sustain much further or not, but for now it is safe to estimate that this University is not home to selectively privileged youngsters.

Therefore, in unprecedented times like these with the Covid-19 Pandemic, DU’s 12th March Press Release, which insists upon maintaining the “continuity of the online teaching-learning process” is premised upon a sweeping generalization of social, economic, cultural, and political privilege.

With over 75 colleges, having an approximate total strength of nearly 1.5 lakh regular students, it is the infrastructure and physical access to the resources (libraries, notes, Internet, classes) available in respective DU colleges that is integral to the teaching-learning process for many students. The national lockdown due to the Pandemic has confined students, like all others, and many students have had to return to their respective homes.

The foundation of the belief that it is possible to continue an education process in the illusion of normalcy is the myth that the accessibility to resources is fair-play for all. Take for instance, the Kashmiri students in the University who have difficulty downloading byte-sized PDFs due to the restricted Internet access, and one would understand that video lectures on Zoom, Hangouts, and reading on JSTOR are synonymous with a utopian fancy in many students’ homes.

This is not to say that professors and peers in colleges are entirely ignorant of the aforementioned limitations, but there is significant pressure upon students nonetheless to go about internal assessments and coursework, as if it is an extended vacation.

To be fretting over grades and submission deadlines is not a privilege available to many whose mental health gets threatened in abusive or patriarchal households. Especially for women in India, many of whom choose DU because of its affordability and residential facilities that are liberating as compared to conservative, controlling families, being forced to stay in an inevitable lockdown can be a severe trigger for anxiety and, in some cases, trauma as well. There are urban and rural households alike which put a gendered burden of housework and chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. upon the women in the family – a factor that is not only troubling in terms of its sexist and patriarchal strain, but also because it practically limits how much time women can devote to an education they fought to attain in DU.

In times like these when Instagram influencers and many others have taken the approach of selling the ideals of ‘productivity, evolution of self, finding yourself’ among other things, it is integral for teachers and administrators of an educational institution like DU to realise the exploitative and harmful burden an undeveloped, inaccessible system of ‘online teaching-learning’ puts on young minds. This needs to be considered before generalising and declaring that students can afford to be studying more, finishing course work properly, and working hard, from the apparent comfort of their homes.

In this last editorial for this paper, I thus urge the students, teachers, and administrators of this vividly diverse University to acknowledge unequal privileges, and be kinder.

Anushree Joshi

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Coronavirus to Chinese Virus: A Racism Propaganda

By

Medical officers, scientists, even the World Health Organisation (WHO) refers to the current pandemic as Coronavirus, but not some powerful world leaders, who have used this opportunity to stigmatize a particular disease. We still have not learnt anything from history, Have we?

 Amidst the world combatting the Coronavirus pandemic, the infamous part-time President, full-time “Twitterati” Donald Trump took to Twitter to address COVID-19 as “The Chinese Virus”. While in the same tweet he also said, that the United States of America would continue supporting the worst hit industries, like Airline and Travel Industry, where he completely ignored the dearth of funds the US healthcare system has been facing, the worst part still remains him nationalizing Coronavirus. 

 

Image Credits: Talk Radio Image Caption: The tweet where Trump addressed Coronavirus as Chinese Virus
Image Credits: Talk Radio
Image Caption: The tweet where Trump addressed Coronavirus as Chinese Virus

 

The US has been struggling to deal with the pandemic since Day 1, and Trump’s blame game has only jeopardized the situation more. Earlier, Trump blamed ex-President Barack Obama for the rise in number of cases in the States (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?). Followed by Trump then blaming WHO, his own medical officers and ministers, and well now China. It is confirmed that the first case of Coronavirus was found in China, but does that make the virus Chinese? Trump’s own Secretary went on record to condemn Trump’s racist views as the virus is not propagated by any ethnicity or nationality, but Trump’s views do propagate Xenophobia.

While being asked to comment on his racist remarks of calling the virus Chinese, Trump refuted all accusations by saying, “The only reason I call the virus Chinese is because it originated from China. Whatever I said is not racist. Not racist at all.” Now, the question that persists is why the Coronavirus being called Chinese is extremely wrong?

There are two answers to that question, and both of which lie in power dynamics. Firstly, history has been the witness that whenever a disease or a pandemic has been stigmatized to particular ethnicity or nationality, it has led to catastrophic consequences. In the 14th Century, Jewish people were blamed for the outbreak of Black Death in Europe, and they were killed in great numbers. Again in 19th century Irish Catholic immigrants were blamed for spreading Cholera to the US, and thus were thrown in detention camps and faced mass killings. If you still don’t understand the relation of stigmatization of disease and its effect on people and national policy. In 1876, a group of Chinese people living in San Francisco became the scapegoat for smallpox outbreak which prompted the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act. 

While Trump may just be following the past narrative of naming diseases on the place of their origin, like Ebola, The Zika Virus, and more, what he doesn’t realize is that the world already has realized their mistake of stigmatizing diseases. Therefore, in 2015, WHO laid down the guidelines for naming a disease to avoid exactly what Trump is doing right now. Owing to the ideology that Trump preaches, the Asian-American, specially the Chinese-American community are facing tremendous violence, hate and daily racism. This phenomenon is also evident in India, where several harassment and racism cases have been reported against the North-Eastern citizens.

Secondly, calling the virus Chinese helps Trump to put the entire accountability of failure of the US health infrastructure on China. It also defers people from asking questions to Trump and his health policy, to hating China. Unfortunately, this has been proven true, with now the conspiracy debate around China using Coronavirus as a weapon being more surfaced than questions regarding the poor healthcare system, and how our politicians do not deem to invest in it but would spend all its budget on statues.

The Coronavirus sees no nationality, no ethnicity, no race, it just sees immediate health action plan. Whenever a disease has spread, shameful incidents of xenophobia and stigmatization have been written in history. Trump’s desperate efforts of playing the blame game, and nationalizing the suffrage of people, just shows the ideology of a capital-driven right-wing President.

 

Feature Image Credits: Bangalore Mirror

 

Chhavi Bahmba

[email protected]

 

Keep Reading
By