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

Movements that start on social media have a way of fizzing out into oblivion on their own, so it is important to analyse their impact, by following up on regular intervals. What happened to some of the men named in the movement? Read on to know.

Women from all over the world grow up experiencing one or the other form of sexism, and even harassment by the time they leave their childhood years behind. Men are either on the causal end of this, or in a vicious cycle experience it in the form of toxic masculinity themselves. The individuals who do not identify with the conventional genders are, in fact, more prone to assault and sexual humiliation in their lives. The evidence of such harassment seldom exists because there are no security cameras recording inappropriate groping in a crowded place, or seemingly casual grazing of the thighs by well-meaning relatives behind closed doors.

The #MeToo movement has been criticized as a witch-hunt that aims to further the character assassinations of celebrities, especially famous men, without substantial evidence to support the allegations. But allegations have been made, nonetheless, because a small fraction of the society decided to stand by imperfect feminism, instead of perfect misogyny and patriarchy in a fortunate and well-deserved change of events.

It is not only significant to stay informed on the subject of predatory behaviour perpetrated by the widely admired personalities, but it also becomes integral for the moral fabric of the society to hold the accused accountable to their victims, and for their actions. As the public not directly involved in the occurrences, one part to play is in following through once an accusation has been made. Here is a list of the some Indian celebrities who were ousted for their sexually predatory behaviour, along with the details of what happened to them, and to justice, in the aftermath of the allegations against them:

Shamir Reuben (Writer/Poet)

According to a report published in The Quint on February 11, 2018, Kommune- a storytelling platform, for which the content and social media were headed by Reuben- suspended his association. Accused of predatory behaviour with minors since his ask.fm days, Reuben issued an apology through a post on Facebook.

Harnidh Kaur, a poet claiming to be a feminist, and a writer from Mumbai, had extended support to the women thinking of pursuing legal action against Reuben. Sources reveal no further legal action has been taken against Reuben, despite the accounts of over ten women accusing him of lewd and obscene behaviour.

Chintan Ruparel (Writer)

The co-founder of the popular storytelling platform, Terribly Tiny Tales, and a former advertising brain, was accused by Gauri Awasthi of inappropriate conduct in a professional setting. His former girlfriend, Shrutee Choudhary, then came out to share her own experience of abuse and toxicity with Ruparel. Accounts in double digits started a flurry over social media platforms as his former wife, and numerous women who attended his workshops, spoke up against him.

Terribly Tiny Tales removed him from his position as the Chief Content Officer on 8^th October, 2018. According to Anuj Gosalia, the Chief Executive Officer and founder, Ruparel’s name was dissociated from the company’s lease officially on 3^rd November, 2018.

Ruparel has not spoken on any social media platform regarding the allegations and his removal from the company, but the platform set up an Internal Complaints Committee, and reached out to its community of writers to encourage the reporting of any inappropriate behaviour on behalf of the employees’ part.

Alok Nath (Actor)

Originally ousted by writer-producer, Vinta Nanda, and then named a habitual predator by personalities like Sandhya Mridul, Amyra Dastur, Navneet Nishan, and some other former colleagues, Nath has termed the allegations baseless. As per a report published in the Times of India, he hit the foundation of the entire movement by stating, “In today’s world, whatever a woman says, only that will be considered.” Following up with his publicly claimed outrage, Nath demanded a public apology from Nanda, and went on to file a defamation suit against her in the realm of civil law. By November 21, Nanda had lodged an official complaint at the Oshiwara Police Station in Mumbai, regarding the 19 years’ old incident. Alok Nath also faced expulsion from the Cine and TV Artists’ Association (CINTAA), and the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) promised legal action against the actor after he failed to respond to their notice concerning his misconduct. The legal proceedings are underway against the man who gained fame as the symbol of ‘sanskaar’ (values) in the world of celluloid.

Gautam Adhikari (Journalist)

Despite his denial of the allegations made against him by multiple subordinates and colleagues, the founding editor of DNA resigned from his position as senior fellow at the Centre for American Progress (CAP) located in Washington DC. According to The Wire, the officials at CAP confirmed his resignation after an internal investigation was initiated in the issues concerning his conduct.

R. Sreenivas (Journalist)

After over seven accounts of sexual misconduct and molestation were shared with regard to the Hyderabad resident editor of the national daily, Times of India, he was sent on an administrative leave on 9^th October, 2018. According to The Print, Mr. Sreenivas resigned by 13^th October, and was to be investigated by an internal committee of The Times Group (BCCL). As of December 1, 2018, the committee is independently investigating the former editor based on the substantial evidence against his inappropriate actions.

Rajat Kapoor (Actor/Director)

Accused of sexual misconduct and forceful behaviour by women journalists and a few anonymous accounts on Twitter, the actor issued an apology for his wrongful actions towards ‘other human beings’. He did not accept outright responsibility for his actions. The actor’s work, titled ‘Kadakh’, was dropped from the lineup of the 20^th edition of the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) festival in lieu with the allegations against the actor.

There are numerous other names which have been brought to question by the power of the movement. Women like Kangana Ranaut, actress, and Aditi Mittal, comedian, were also accused of toxic actions in a relationship, and forceful physical contact, respectively. Acclaimed singer, Sonu Nigam, offered negative criticism of the accountability in the movement while speaking up in support of the accused musician, Anu Malik. Debates and differing opinions continue to make a whirlwind, but the bottom-line of the #MeToo movement is to bring perpetrators down from the pedestal, and question them as effectively as possible.

Image Courtesy: Medium

Anushree Joshi

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Delhi School of Journalism

DSJ Students Table Their Grievances Before the Former President and Kapil Sibal

By DU Beat December 23, 2018

Intending to bring the protracted tussle between the students and the DSJ administration to a close, Mohammad Ali, a DSJ student and NSUI youth politician, submitted a petition to Pranab Mukherjee and Kapil Sibal.
Reaffirming its solidarity with the students of Delhi School of Journalism, who have been involved in a bitter protracted wrangle with the collegiate administration over the non-fulfillment of the salient promises and facilities mentioned in the college’s prospectus, the NSUI, at the behest of Mohammad Ali, submitted a petition to the former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, as well the former HRD minister, Kapil Sibal.
Despite a slew of vociferous protests and agitations by the students, most of the promises touted by the administration were never fulfilled, which led to tremendous discontentment and upheaval amongst the students, who viewed such affront as a terrible betrayal and blatant fraud. For the past year and a half, DSJ students have been interminably beseeching the DSJ administration to fulfill its commitments to the institution, none of which ever materialized.
The institution, which was launched amidst much fanfare, has turned out to be a perennial bone of contention between the administration and the students, as DSJ lies in a derelict state on account of the former’s inept handling of the imbroglio and lethargic implementation of the promises facilities and infrastructural capabilities, much to the chagrin of the students. This prompted the students to spearhead the “Stand With DSJ” movement, which has been galvanizing support from major quarters to raise its petition with the relevant authorities and influential stalwarts.
Mohammad Ali also stated that the former President assured the DSJ students of his support, and declared that he would send a letter to the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi. Furthermore, Ali claimed that Kapil Sabil assured him that he would table the DSJ logjam in the Parliament in case the impending sessions don’t turn out to be a washout.

Mohammad Ali, in conversation with the DU Beat correspondent said, “I talked to Pranab Mukherjee apropos to the issues plaguing Delhi School of Journalism, on account of which students have been agitating for the past year and a half. The issues that find prominence are around the media lab, library, hostel, and the steep spikes in the fees. On account of DSJ and DU turning a deaf ear to our pleas, we were forced to approach the chambers of the former President of India.”

Feature Image Credits: Mohammad Ali
Adeel Shams
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Campus Central

Off with the Cutoffs? A Student’s Perspectives

By DU Beat December 23, 2018

There were talks in the academic circle that in the University of Delhi (DU), soon a method of selection based on entrance exams would replace the usually straightforward system of cutoffs. However as of now, hopes for this seem to have been tarnished as HRD minister Prakash Javadekar ruled against the DU administration’s transitionary move, at least for the 2018-19 batch for now. The complicated nature of the matter can be expressed through Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) President Rajib Ray’s statement ‘Neither Vice-Chancellor nor HRD can decide in isolation about the entrance criteria. Procedurally, an ordinance needs to be proposed to the academic council and the decision will be taken thereafter.’
While academicians, deans and professors have accepted this decision in mixed tones, many students who are aspiring to be members of the DU varsity have had more direct opinions. The consensus was in the favour of a change in the system and felt an entrance test would be more useful in picking out the ‘more deserving’ candidates. According to Bhavya Bhadauria, one of the many 12th graders who are aspiring for DU, ‘Entrance tests would be a nice mechanism to curb illegal processes (like teachers in Bihar reportedly helping kids cheat in finals) and to tackle the options the right way. We might not get our desired percentage in the boards but the probability of getting a desired score in an entrance test seems more likely.’

Aspirants also highlight the inequality in mark distributions for different state boards which might create a bias in measuring cutoffs.
On the other side of the scale are students who feel the cutoff process has been more open to diverse and unbiased admissions. Eric Chopra from Delhi wishes to study History Hons at DU after his boards and is fairly supportive of cutoffs. He cites a personal experience to explain his perspective. ‘Back in 11th, I had served as an exam writer for a special kid during his boards. I was just supposed to be a writer but he actually did not know much. Still even in the subjects where I thought he’ll flunk, he still got marks in 80s.’ Eric recalls, pointing out how boards might end up giving good grade points and percentages to even those who in conventional standards might not have ‘studied much’. However, this sparks off a whole another debate about who’s deserving and who’s not.
Interviewing further school students along similar lines, the consensus was of the view that already a lot of effort and time goes into boards for high schoolers. After completing this seemingly and overhyped Herculean task, preparing for another exam to enter their desired college would be additional burden. Hence, a few students are fine if they are chosen in colleges on the basis of their efforts in the last class of school.
Such discussions also bring out new ideas and ‘what if’ situations. Itanagar’s Oshin Gyati feels that it is saddening that some students despite having a good percentage can’t find admission in their desired DU college for not meeting the cutoff by one percent or even a point percent. ‘Admission should be on the basis of cutoffs but an entrance can be conducted for those who can’t match the cutoff by 1-5 percent.’ She gleefully remarks. While it seems like a helpful alternative but sadly, would seem very impractical to implement. Mrinalinee Sharma, a current first year student in Hindu College, feels that interview and application-based admissions should be introduced like other countries.
The possibilities are endless and all these view points are useful in deciding what’s relevant for students and their undergraduate future. However, the administration needs to take in account other factors too like the diverse social and economic backgrounds of the aspirants. Whatever be the case, cutoffs would seem to prevail at least for the next year, till a change kicks in.

Feature Image Credits: The Asian Age

Shaurya Singh Thapa

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Campus Central

Off with the Cutoffs? A Student's Perspectives

By DU Beat December 23, 2018

Amidst the recent decision by the HRD ministry on keeping the cutoff system like the way it is (instead of an entrance test exam), different viewpoints emerge amongst the ‘DU aspirant’ demographic. There were talks in the academic circle that in the University of Delhi (DU), soon a method of selection based on entrance exams would replace the usually straightforward system of cutoffs. However as of now, hopes for this seem to have been tarnished as HRD minister Prakash Javadekar ruled against the DU administration’s transitionary move, at least for the 2018-19 batch for now. The complicated nature of the matter can be expressed through Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) President Rajib Ray’s statement ‘Neither Vice-Chancellor nor HRD can decide in isolation about the entrance criteria. Procedurally, an ordinance needs to be proposed to the academic council and the decision will be taken thereafter.’ While academicians, deans and professors have accepted this decision in mixed tones, many students who are aspiring to be members of the DU varsity have had more direct opinions. The consensus was in the favour of a change in the system and felt an entrance test would be more useful in picking out the ‘more deserving’ candidates. According to Bhavya Bhadauria, one of the many 12th graders who are aspiring for DU, ‘Entrance tests would be a nice mechanism to curb illegal processes (like teachers in Bihar reportedly helping kids cheat in finals) and to tackle the options the right way. We might not get our desired percentage in the boards but the probability of getting a desired score in an entrance test seems more likely.’ Aspirants also highlight the inequality in mark distributions for different state boards which might create a bias in measuring cutoffs. On the other side of the scale are students who feel the cutoff process has been more open to diverse and unbiased admissions. Eric Chopra from Delhi wishes to study History Hons at DU after his boards and is fairly supportive of cutoffs. He cites a personal experience to explain his perspective. ‘Back in 11th, I had served as an exam writer for a special kid during his boards. I was just supposed to be a writer but he actually did not know much. Still even in the subjects where I thought he’ll flunk, he still got marks in 80s.’ Eric recalls, pointing out how boards might end up giving good grade points and percentages to even those who in conventional standards might not have ‘studied much’. However, this sparks off a whole another debate about who’s deserving and who’s not. Interviewing further school students along similar lines, the consensus was of the view that already a lot of effort and time goes into boards for high schoolers. After completing this seemingly and overhyped Herculean task, preparing for another exam to enter their desired college would be additional burden. Hence, a few students are fine if they are chosen in colleges on the basis of their efforts in the last class of school. Such discussions also bring out new ideas and ‘what if’ situations. Itanagar’s Oshin Gyati feels that it is saddening that some students despite having a good percentage can’t find admission in their desired DU college for not meeting the cutoff by one percent or even a point percent. ‘Admission should be on the basis of cutoffs but an entrance can be conducted for those who can’t match the cutoff by 1-5 percent.’ She gleefully remarks. While it seems like a helpful alternative but sadly, would seem very impractical to implement. Mrinalinee Sharma, a current first year student in Hindu College, feels that interview and application-based admissions should be introduced like other countries. The possibilities are endless and all these view points are useful in deciding what’s relevant for students and their undergraduate future. However, the administration needs to take in account other factors too like the diverse social and economic backgrounds of the aspirants. Whatever be the case, cutoffs would seem to prevail at least for the next year, till a change kicks in. Feature Image Credits: The Asian Age Shaurya Singh Thapa [email protected] ]]>

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DUB News

Resident Evil- Umang Bhardwaj vs DU

By DU Beat November 30, 2018

Gwyer Hall has again faced the scrutiny of the Delhi HC as a student files a petition, revealing the undemocratic nature of the hostel students’ union.

Whether for actual work or just for the mere sake of formality, democratic institutions are present at all levels in a country like ours. The union of a hostel is very much a democratic institution itself, at least for the dwellers of the hostel. However, this does not seem to be the case in the University of Delhi’s oldest men’s hostel, the renowned Gwyer Hall.
Just a few months ago, DU Beat had covered a story of a blind student who had challenged the authorities to court on the grounds of being wrongfully evicted from Gwyer Hall. Now the hostel has again found its presence on the legal grounds, as another differently abled student Umang Bhardwaj has pointed out that its students’ union is undemocratic and has held sway since their last term as no fresh elections took place this year. The petition also alleges the hostel union president of misadministration. Then we also have a report of two students being grounded on disciplinary terms by the administration; both were running for the post of mess secretary in the hostel union. Some students have also alleged that those who have possessed political sway are facing no fears of eviction and instead are enjoying the perks of a residential tenure. Such timing of all hell getting loose at the same time; is there some sort of pattern at work here?
The members of the union have completed one full tenure this November and naturally would have paved the way for others if elections were held (which did not happen for reasons yet to be disclosed). The Delhi High Court will be waiting for a response from DU for the petition by December 20th. The election issue in Gwyer Hall is violating the DU Hostel rules but also articles from the Lyngdoh Committee Report.
So, would this hostel which was once called ‘Law Hall’ respect the law and provide democratic righteousness to its residents? That only time will tell.

The hostel authorities were not available for a comment.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Shaurya Thapa

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DUB Speak

Writing Papers in English Honours: A Guide

By DU Beat November 19, 2018

With the semester exams coming closer each day, DU Beat brings to you a guide to writing papers in English Honours.

“… And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

John Keating, Dead Poets Society

Literature is a problematic yet beautiful vista of thought. It teaches you to love strongly, and the opposite. It teaches you something that transcends the very meaning of literature- the written word. A perfectly imbalanced translation of human emotions onto pages; the magic and mayhem, literature is food for the soul indeed. Studying English as your core subject at the university level makes a narrative of you. You see yourself becoming a story and a story teller. You are enraptured in the literary melody of words and powerful emotions. But all this must transliterate into good marks for you, because as a professor at my college once said, “Let us face it, with English Honours, your prospects are bleak. So at least get a good score.”

Literature is best understood through perceptions. It is highly subjective and invites your own ideas in the mix. But it will be wrong to claim that it is highly technical. The grammar rules and syntax, even the sound of two words together, the redundant alliterative usage of words, and the consequent inferences of two words written successively; the minutest technicality needs to be perfected to obtain a heightened grasp. Language is as complex as arithmetic probably, in this regard.

While writing academic papers in English Honours, it is a given fact that plagiarism leads to your self-inflicted doom. Literature always retains the artistic credit in the acknowledgement of every single word that is not your own. But it is as Professor Keval Arora’s guide to Assignment Submissions pointedly notes, “Quote sparingly, only in order to strengthen your own argument. Do not treat quotations as a substitute for the work that you are expected to do.” Professor Arora in the same document instructs warningly:

SPOILER ALERT:
PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY UNACKNOWLEDGED BORROWING WILL BE PENALISED AS AN ACT OF CHEATING.

The penalty for widespread copying can be as high as a non?negotiable* ZERO/10.

It is extremely significant then, to ascribe the quotations to authors and/or sources. As Professor Arora notes, “Acknowledge the source (book/essay; author’s name; website) from where the material is taken.”

It is a very obvious point to be mentioned at the onset, but nevertheless its pressing importance cannot be overstated.

“Your writing should always make sense to yourself first, and you should be reading it as a critic,” says Professor Laboni Bhattacharya of Hindu College. It is very important to have a structure for your writing. The introductory lines, the main body, and then the conclusive inferences. More often than not, we find the lacking of adhesion in our writing. The over-emphasis on certain ideas is played well, but then the cohesion seems to wither. It is suggested that every idea should be presented in a different paragraph; broken down into a series of ideas so as to enable a greater understanding of the written material. It always helps to play with the sentence structure and length in this regard. From short phrases to elongated sentences, the idea becomes to create a melody in your writing.

Every piece of writing in English Literature offers some arguments, and some justifications. The author describes certain ideas as per his own volition. Khyati Sanger, a second year English Literature student of Miranda House shares her passionate opinions on the subject, “Always seek for conflicting ideologies in your readings. Read about multiple schools of thought and then make up your own mind. The real aspect of Literature is that it cannot possibly mean the exact truth. As a student studying Literature, we are told to always argue; to question the idea of a thinker and that is one of the various intriguing activities peripheral to Literature.”

An essay might deeply interest you, and sometimes even appear to be the word of ultimate reason. But it is always a perspective that is impressed on you, for you to indulge in an exploration of your own. “When reading a text, I always make it a task to transcend myself into the historical background of the text. History, not just the political but the socio-economic background of the text is extremely important to dissect the layers of meaning the text aims to explore,” says Khyati. Quoting a thinker is not just for the sake of it, it is felt that the quote needs incorporating into the sentence that you form. Through such citings, building up your own justification of the answer is important.

Literature has been through trends and revolutions and so, it becomes a task to identify the writings with their period-specific thinking. It is after such understanding that you enable a brilliant writing of your answers and essays. Writing in English Literature needs to be as interpretative, as interpolative as you can possibly endeavour to manage.

As for writing the answer scripts in a moment of exam induced anxiety, Prachi Mehra, a second year English Literature student at Gargi College states, “Once you get the question paper, take a quick scan. It is always a better option to attempt the 15 markers first and maintain your speed with them. When writing the first paragraph, think of the structure of your answer. A well-structured answer always scores more. Also, while analysing literature, the present tense is preferably used.” To bring everything back to attention while writing an answer with a drowsy mind due to lack of sleep, that becomes a challenging task.

Before you begin with your answer, read the question carefully and give it to your analytical skills to recall the incidents to be quoted, the arguments to be made and the justifications to be rendered in the course of your answer. Making bullet points of the necessary points can prove useful here. Your originality, hard work and interpretative abilities will render good scores to you.

Once you have the quotes, the ideas and the opinions on paper, you have written your piece. And in that moment of completion, there is an immense joy. You cannot always aim at excellence, and the arbitrariness of Literature is one of its characteristic merits. Sanchi Mehta, President of the Department of English of Hindu College captures the joy of writing an exam of literature when she says, “Writing an English Honours exam is an anxious outpour of the revelations, questions and criticism of the texts, authors/poets/playwrights and age that arouse in us while reading. It is an endeavour to sieve and pick the right arguments and defending them copiously to produce an adumbration of the prodigious critical essays one reads in preparation and the marvellous knowledge imparted by teachers in classroom. What one does achieve at the end is a certain level of catharsis and well, comfort that at least the assessment of how good (or bad) it was can be procrastinated till the results are declared.”

The most important idea while writing a paper in English Honours is essentially the ability of the writer to maintain his or her originality with the copious interaction of a whirlpool of interpretations ascribed to a multitude of authors and writers. It is a parallelism that is required. Parallelism and the spirit to pursue it.

So read and write as a habit, as a passion and you are halfway there.

Feature Image Credits: Learning Skills

Kartik Chauhan

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DUB Speak

Hysterically Horrific Exam Tales

By DU Beat November 18, 2018

Exams, in the pluralistic usage can inspire the deepest fears in every student. Sometimes this fear is heightened to a hysteria.

There is no other way to inspire anxiety in college students than handing them their date sheet for semester exams. More often than not, we are given the internals and practical examinations during regular days at college; but the semester exams inspire an excitement that is too real. Internals and practicals, meant to prepare us for the ultimate semester exams, fail to help us in their direct motive. It is in such times that we become hysterical with horror.

A friend of mine had to go through the grind of completing a respectable part of her unending curriculum, bereft of the comforts of her mattress; staying up through the night for a good score in a test scheduled at 8:30 am on a wintry December morning. At 7:30am, having covered a sizeable part of her syllabus, she decided to freshen up with a quick nap. But then she slept through the exam. And well, to be fair, we all know she had the better bargain— you cannot put a price on an innocent dreamy slumber after a wakeful night.

“In the middle of protests and elections in full swing through the early months of this semester, classes and studies took a major hit,” said a third year Political Science student at Kirori Mal College, retaining the request of anonymity. Truly, the cancelled classes are now being conjured up out of thin air, early in the mornings for an 8:50 session or later into the day— when exhaustion is a mutual feeling between the professors and students— for a reckless 3:50 lecture.

Exams, you see, inspire some scares.

In the course of the exams, you can never laugh at the hysteria. It is a retrospective activity, to be fair. It is, as a third year English Honors student at Hindu said, when asked to share her hysterical exams stories, “Exams are hyperventilating! They become hysterical later.” Possibly no argument exists to refute this. Maybe the expectations that we have, or in some cases are imposed to have, go a long way in adding to this smothering nature of exams. “You have admitted yourself successfully in one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation. Did you think your work was over? You thought wrong,” said a professor of English Literature at Hindu College in a particularly scathing lecture in the first week of the new session.

Sometimes it so happens, that the standards we are expected to match and possibly, outmatch, are highly unreasonable. Like another friend studying Journalism from Delhi School of Journalism mentioned, “My teacher asked us to shoot a documentary in one day- 10am to 4:30pm was the time allotted for the same”. Maybe it is just this overburdened spirit that crumbles under unreasonable standards of intelligence enforced on us for being in the university.

But it is good to see some spirited victims of oppression retaining their merit through this grind. “I have two internals tomorrow, I’m just binge eating and crying…” said a third year Psychology student at Daulat Ram College. “Two assignment submissions, one core internal and one Generic Elective internal for tomorrow. Planning to doze off.” said another inspiring model of chill studying at Kirori Mal College.

Allowing the sharing of my own experience. I finished reading the wrong book a day before the exam. And then despite my quick reading habits— avoiding the retention or understanding of the content— I decided not to read the right book. I walked into my class the next day, sat for an internal unprepared totally, and ended up scoring a single digit on a 20-marker paper. I mean, that is better than a zero, at least.

An interesting subplot to the exams season is the trouble of attendance. Let us face it, the 67% mark is impossible to reach, let alone maintain. And then the problems with admit cards adding to our hysterical narrations later in the next semester. During exams, the most arbitrary engagement will appear most promising. Infinite no-thank-you’s to videos like “Cat reads chemistry” on YouTube for instance; killing time but teaching us to live the high life during exams.

I feel unpreparedness is an opportunity to explore our innovation, so we all know who is the winner.

Feature Image Credits: 1to1tutoringwithjoy

Kartik Chauhan

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DUB Speak

Study Hacks for Exams

By DU Beat November 17, 2018

Time flies! And in what seems like the blink of an eye, the semester exams have, yet again, come knocking at the reluctant doors of students. Here are seven hacks to help you save this semester!

Exams are an inevitable reality in students’ life, and although the effectiveness of the concept of examinations is debatable, there is but little we can do about them.

Having said that, here are a few hacks that will get you through this exam season.

Begin studying: This seems to be a no-brainer. However, it is the most difficult step because often we are so caught up in procrastination, that we spend the day being anxious and get little or nothing done. Physically force yourself to study for five minutes, and it should be a smoother process from there.

If you don’t feel like studying, ask your body why: When in a situation wherein you can’t seem to study, ask yourself the reason behind it. Often, it is elements like fatigue, an untidy study-space, information overload, or hunger that acts as a barrier. When your body tells you the reason, listen to it and take measures accordingly – be it a power-nap, tidying up, or a snack.

Stay hydrated: Water is always a better option over caffeinated drinks, because the latter tends to make you jittery and restless. Accompanied by a snack, this will give you the little doses of energy that you require.

Watch motivational videos: Studying for several hours may render you lifeless, and throw you into pits where you question your existence. But, there are motivational videos that could, possibly, bring back the enthusiasm.

Try to change your place of study: Studying in the same corner may get a bit dull after a certain point. Think of sitting outdoors or on your balcony while reading texts, on the floors of the rarely-used guest bedroom while writing an assignment, and then getting back to your good-old-study-table eventually.

Ask for help: If there are concepts that aren’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask your peers or teachers. Teachers should be able and willing to help, and on teaching you, your peers are revising their portions as well.

Solve previous years’ question papers: There is a set pattern for the type of questions that are asked in an examination.
Here’s the link to DU’s question papers: http://www.du.ac.in/du/index.php?page=academic-resources

We won’t say that exams aren’t important, because how society has it, they are. If you haven’t started studying yet, don’t panic and begin with it. If you put honest effort into it, a good score is waiting for you.

Best of luck!

Image credits: DU Beat

Maumil Mehraj

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Biblio

Akhil Katyal’s Poetry Session in Hindu College

By DU Beat November 11, 2018

Akhil Katyal came to Hindu College on 5 November and did a reading of his different poems among which were his famous pieces that have captured the youth through social media.

It wouldn’t be wise to make it sound generic and limit it to calling it solely an enriching experience, although it was, but it truly was mostly poetic. Katyal had an interactive session that followed it. Questions ranged from his most favourite poet Agha Shahid Ali to Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Shahid was quoted multiple times in the course of the beautiful session. From questions that were targeted on pieces within “Country Without a Post Office” to his newest works.

A lot of talks were also targeted on the young adult approach to poetry wherein a student asked if he could invent his own style. To which Katyal said, styles become recognised if everyone else starts doing it which of course also involves a process of keeping indefinite patience on the creator’s behalf.

Katyal was witty, sharp with his words and understood things that went on in our minds. Whether it be the comparisons of longingness in poetry in Faiz or the same in Shahid. Whether it was Katyal’s own pieces on 377 and queer support or just general perceptions of our messed up city and world, he did leave behind a mark of his own in that hour of curiosity, love and more.

It truly was lovely to hear, “the world is full of paper, write to me.”

Katyal went on to talk passionately about his professor from his time at Hindu College, Dr. Lalita Subbu. He heartily credited her as his model of inspiration to enter into this frenzy of poetic liberty and its explorations into the social backgrounds. In a candid session, Katyal discussed the politics of Section 377 and humored the audience with his sarcastic sadness upon the decriminalization of same-sex relations; claiming the Supreme Court’s decision to rendering his “two poems invalid”.

Interestingly Katyal also talked about the essence of language as a medium. Katyal has a background wherein he works with translations extensively. The idea of “lost in translation” is of little importance to him. Emphasis was laid on having the sentiment, the emotion to work on poetry, language being a medium to translate such powerful emotions into art. It was meant to show the young students the power of our aboriginal languages of Urdu and Punjabi. Katyal recited a beautiful piece translated to Punjabi by his student in Ramjas College to display the exuberance.

“Jivein haan ovein hi haan,

Apni marzi di kardi haan,

Jivein ivein hi pasand haan,

Toh ad ja meri aad vich.

Ni te zara suni,

Tu khunje maar bhaad vich.”

He said, “Go back to your poetry and you will observe patterns in your writing when you are write in a particular language.” His love of urdu and urdu poetry is inspiring, to say the least. The passion with which he talks of his favorite poets Faiz or Shahid Ali or Amrita Pritam inspired the room full of enthusiastic Hinduites willing to learn from Katyal the intricacies of effective and hard-hitting poetry.

It was in totality a mesmerising event where the spirit of poetry, the mutual love of language and expression was celebrated in such a way that it still reverberates in all our hearts and ignites a spark of inspiration to just, as Katyal put it, “keep reading to find great influence, write and most importantly experiment with your ideas because who knows when you might actually succeed in inventing a new form in which we all might be writing our next poems.”

Feature Image Credits: Brown Paper Bag

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SOL Students Protest Against the Absence of Classes

By DU Beat November 10, 2018

In lieu of the absence of classes and study material for the approaching exams, students of SOL are distressed.

The School of Open Learning (SOL) faces a crisis as students remain in angst due to the absence of notes and proper scheduled classes. The classes for the session of 2018-19 are set to commence soon enough. The Executive Director of SOL, H.C. Pokhriyal, said in a recent interview to The Indian Express, “We have been able to complete our admissions only by 20th October, which is why classes have not started yet, but they will start soon”.

The SOL website has already added the portal for acceptance of examination forms, without a proper commencement of the academic session. Colleges under Delhi University will commence their examinations from 28th November 2018. Mr. Pokhriyal further explains that the admission process usually begins by June and extends till August. However, this year, the process began in August itself, as a result of which there was a delay. Students should be able to pick up the material from 12th November and classes would begin soon. Usually, the classes commence in September. The admission process for SOL is similar to that of other colleges associated with the varsity. The examinations are also conducted by Delhi University. The course structure is also alike, for the school as well as other constituent colleges.

The annual examinations occur in April. However, the strange thing is the fact that students still do not have their study materials. The study material is given immediately after the admission, as explained by the Staff Council Secretary of SOL, J.Khuntia. At present, more than four and a half lakh students are enrolled at the UG and PG level. Almost all of the processes are handled by the online Students Information and Management System. Several students do not have proper access to the e-resources and do not have a sense of clarity about the study patterns. The official website is showcasing study materials for the second semester and beyond, thereby creating more confusion. Authorities should give directions to the students in lieu of the approaching exams.

Feature Image Credits: The School of Open Learning

Avnika Chhikara

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