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Reliance Jio proposes free Wi-Fi across University campuses

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After the announcement of bookings of the most awaited Jio Phones, Reliance Jio has now proposed another ambitious plan to roll out free Wi-Fi service across colleges of the country. According to a latest Hindustan Times report, the company has sent the proposal to the Ministry of Human Resource Development and talks are underway to realise the feasibility of the plan.

Under this plan, more than 38,000 colleges (technical as well as non-technical) will be provided with free Wi-Fi connectivity via hotspot devices. The statistics reveal that more than 3 crore college students will be benefitted across the country. The universities under pipeline for the proposal are – University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Central Universities of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Bihar. This is the first proposal of its magnitude which the Ministry has received and in order to provide transparency and fair chance to other telecom giants, the Ministry will hold a tender bidding and the best proposal will be selected.

Meanwhile, teachers and students seem to be welcoming of the idea. Manvi Singh, a student of Daulat Ram College said,” The initiative will be quite helpful to students and allow them to access e-learning resources.” A faculty member from Shri Ram College of Commerce took a dig at the current wifi facilities provided by the University and said,” The Wi-Fi connectivity provided by the college and the internet services provided by the University of Delhi hardly works and if a private telecom giant can enter the competition and provide us with better services, it will be beneficial for us as well as the students.”

Image Credits: makeuseof.com

 

Prachi Mehra

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Admissions 2017

Student who studied five languages in 12th not allowed admissions in Delhi University

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In a recent case of admissions denial, a student was not allowed to take admissions because she had taken up five language courses and two elective courses, as compared to the required three. According to a recent Times of India report, a student who studied seven subjects for her 12th-grade examinations as compared to the standard 5 subjects that most students study, was not allowed admissions in the University. Delhi University’s norms dictate that a student is required to have studied three electives and a language paper. However, the student who passed her senior secondary examination from Central Institute of Buddhist Studies had opted for five language courses out of the seven subjects that she studied.

Speaking to Times of India, Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, the deputy dean of student welfare said, “The admissions would have been possible had she taken up one more elective course.”

Students and teachers at large agree with the fact that the stringent admission measured followed by the University sometimes leads to disqualification of the most deserving. Dr Madhuri Samana, a faculty member at Daulat Ram College said, “In a multilingual setting like ours, this case is a great strength that should be nurtured and not discouraged.” “Delhi University rules are very strict and often deserving candidates are not able to secure admission because of these problems”, said Zeba Shamsi, another student who is applying for PhD this year.

While following the rules is to ensure that no one who is undeserving doesn’t get into the university, but they shouldn’t become walls which prevent the deserving from getting admissions.

Image Credits: www.thehindubusinessline.com

 

Kinjal Pandey

[email protected]

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Admissions 2017

Discrepancies in ECA list at Ramjas puts applicant’s future at stake

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The University of Delhi grabs eyeballs every year between May to July when its admissions process commences and culminates, and every year along with these takeaways, the flaws in the administration system are brought to the fore. This year’s cycle has been highly prone to technical glitches, chaos over the calculation of marks, and an overall ambivalence over the whole process.

Pulling on this thread, a candidate, Paras Nagpal, aspiring to pursue B.Com (Hons.) from the varsity was a victim of this confusion. An ECA applicant, Paras had applied through the Theatre category for admissions. Having scored a 94.25% in his Class 12th Boards, he had temporarily secured admission in Dyal Singh College, after his name came in the merit list released and he ranked 10th out of a total of 100 candidates.

The ECA procedure started with a faint idea about the process a few days back when Paras registered with individual colleges according to the guidelines. As per a list which was announced by Ramjas College on July 14th, his name was among the two candidates selected for Theatre ECA, and with surmounting joy, he proceeded to cancel his admission at Dyal Singh College to withdraw his documents. However, much to his dismay, he was denied admission by the authorities on the grounds that an updated ECA list had been released at 11:30 pm. The new list had replaced him with an applicant in the Dance category, and his name was nowhere to be seen on the tabular sheet. Distraught, he wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor and the college’s page to look into the unfairly handled matter.

When speaking to DU Beat, he expressed disdainfully how after checking the list once in the evening, he couldn’t have fathomed that a list released around midnight signed and updated on the website would not include his name. The authorities claimed that there was confusion regarding the best of four calculation of the other candidate whose name made it to the list, and after re-evaluation, she ranked higher. The obvious question that despite four cut-off lists, the fact that the best of four calculations were still erroneously done is deeply problematic. He added that on approaching the authorities with this grave mishandling, they held a meeting for about half hour before intimating that the seats have been fully occupied in the B.Com (Hons.) course.

Paras is a resident of Haryana and like many other outstation candidates flocked to the campus when the official admission cycle commenced. After crossing the hurdles of the online application, two rounds of ECA auditions, and an incessant waiting period, all his hopes were pinned on making it through. Now with two days left for the new academic session to commence, he is left with no colleges in his kitty and wishes that the unjust treatment of his case be looked into sincerely.

When probed, we reached out to the officials at Ramjas College. Repeated calls to the College’s authorities went unanswered.

More than two lakh school graduates every year have a desire suppressed in their hearts. A desire to study at a varsity known for grooming people, for rocketing cut-offs, for rewarding cultural fests, and for three years of an all-encompassing college life. Mismanagement and the chaos blemish the beginning lines of this journey.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

 

Saumya Kalia

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Srivedant Kar

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Fandom

Doctor Who’s Thirteenth Time Lord revealed!

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Jodi Whittaker will now replace Peter Capaldi as the 13th doctor in the Doctor Who series. Speculation regarding the new Doctor being a woman had been going on from around a decade ever since The Doctor’s nemesis “The Master” was recast by Michelle Gomez. And while Whovians across the world celebrated when the news broke, there was a fair amount of outrage and resentment as well. Many regarded this as an encroachment upon the sanctity of what their idea of Dr. Who was. Here is why this is problematic – because unlike Sherlock Holmes or James Bond who are very much human – shape shifting by the time lord is the accepted norm across the storyline. And therefore the Doctor becoming a woman really is neither impractical nor impossible. The outrage around Jodi Whittaker’s announcement is similar to, if not as extreme as, the outrage around the Ghostbusters being remade with an all female cast.

Here is why this outrage, regarding women playing traditionally male characters is problematic – it highlights a deeper problem that runs within the psyche of the viewer. The idea of women playing these action packed shows makes many uncomfortable because many worry that women won’t be able to do justice to their favourite characters.

And this is exactly why making the thirteenth doctor a woman was a brilliant idea – because representation of women in powerful roles is still extremely less. Life imitates art and popular culture affects our opinion to a vast extent,  more than we know. ‘Women in power’ as a concept is still alien to many people and there is no better way to familiarize them with it than by making a character that is as beloved as The Doctor, a woman.

Jodi Whittaker has proved she is an amazing actor worth her salt throughout her career and it is only fair that finally after fifty-three years since the show aired, a woman gets to play the Doctor. The outrage around Whittaker is ridiculous – because if people cannot accept a shape-shifting time lord becoming a woman then we have got a problem that runs deep.

Characters change and develop  across time – Steven Moffat’s Sherlock was floppy haired, younger and emotionally more vulnerable than his predecessors; James Bond in Skyfall chose a Heineken over his “shaken-not-stirred” martini and Spiderman keeps getting younger with every new film. Some of these changes win the hearts of their fans, as was the case with Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock, while others don’t go down so well, as occurred with the whole Bond-sipping-beer controversy. But here is why change is important – because change is the only constant and if shows that are more than half a century old don’t keep up with the times, they would find it hard to stay relevant. These storylines were written decades ago and since then, a lot has changed. The survival of a show depends on how it is able to adapt with the changing times and how it can engage with a newer generation of audience with every passing year. And there is no other way to reflect on what 2017 was all about than to announce that a woman, might I add one as talented and acclaimed as Jodi Whittaker, would be playing the thirteenth time lord.

Whovians rejoice!

 

Image Credits: BuddyTV

 

Kinjal Pandey

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Features

Game of Thrones: Season 7, Episode 1 Review

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This post contains spoilers. Please read at your own discretion.

After a long, long, long time, the penultimate season of Game of Thrones is finally here. I’m sure a few of my hair strands have turned white. This season brings a lot of loose ends to a definite end – at least, that’s what everyone’s hoping. With only seven episodes this season, it’s shorter than the typical 10-episode seasons in the past. Season 7 will primarily focus on the battle between the living and the dead: the Great War is here.

The King in the North is busy gathering men, women (proto feminist Jon Snow), and children to fight against the ghastly Night King. This is one of the few times where Jon Snow knows something. The tension between Jon and Sansa is very palpable, predictive of massive disagreements between the siblings. Littlefinger continues to irk Brienne. He’s like a woodpecker that will keep pecking onto Sansa’s head unless he achieves what he wants. However, Sansa, who is seen subtly admiring the Mad Queen, Cersei, has learnt her tricks from the best manipulator in Westeros. It’s the least to say that she’s no longer a 14-year-old naïve dove. Amidst this brewing tension, Tormund is occupied with attempts to land a date with Brienne of Tarth.

From across the sea, Daenerys with her enormous armada, three fire-breathing dragons, and a witty Hand, Tryion, has crossed the narrow sea. Anchored at Dragonstone, Daenerys Stomborn has finally reached home. Khaleesi is now back in the game, and hopefully she’s to stick around for more than a minute. Back in King’s Landing, Cersei resumes to necking wine at an admirable rate and military plotting. Standing in the middle of the freshly painted map of all the kingdoms, she’s shown emphasising to Jaime the allegiance of Daenerys with Tryion, her younger brother whom she despises with all her heart. This conversation obviously leaves Jaime in an awkward situation and you can already see the possibility in which he would have to make a choice between his sister and his brother. Later in the episode, Cersei shocks Jaime with a prospective allegiance with Euron Greyjoy, who proposes marriage to Cersei in exchange of his fleet. This makes Jaime uncomfortable, leading to an overall not-so-great day for Jaime, to be honest.

Arya Stark after removing Walder Frey’s name from her list poisons the remaining Freys in their own castle. There’s one thing for sure – let the host gulp his wine before you sip it. Ed Sheeran makes an unsubtle cameo and Arya shares a roasted rabbit with him, and that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Oh wait! There was also blackberry wine and a couple of other soldiers. The Hound finally witnesses the Lord of the Light and cracks up jokes.

At the Citadel, Sam is bored with his monotonous routine and is curious to find substantial information about the white walkers. And Little Sam has learnt to say ‘Mom’, how cute! In one of the cells is an anxious Jorah who is desperately waiting for Khaleesi. The grayscale has gotten drastically worse.

The episode, Dragonstone, isn’t a very fast-paced episode with nerve-wracking tension. It serves the purpose of sketching out what’s to come later this season. It definitely prepares the viewer to witness colossal and interesting battles. As Game of Thrones lurks closer to the end, it’s becoming more and more difficult to wait for every episode. With all the hype that has been created around this season, and a huge filming budget, the viewers are definitely expecting a fantastic two months. Pretty much all the characters are at the peak of their journey and the show is inching closer towards the climax. The lingering question of who – or, as Ser Davos said, whose skeleton – will sit on the Iron Throne is yet to be answered.
Feature Image Credits: YouTube

Rashim Bagga
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DUB Speak

AIB: Comedy turns serious

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“Knock, knock”

“Who is there?”

“OFFENCE”

“I will take the entire batch.”

This is not a joke, and none of the Indian comedians are courageous enough to take the blame of such offensive and obscene content. The above joke shall therefore be buried as an act of public indecency, never to be talked about again.

In a country where comedians are taken too seriously and the politicians, every five years, tell jokes for a living, the favorite pastime of the people is marinating themselves in ignorance and narrow mindedness while they fill up their bellies with moral policing and irrational conventions.

Soure: humanrightshouse.org
Soure: humanrightshouse.org

One such incident happened recently when the famous comedy group All India Bakchod, or more commonly known as AIB, posted an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lookalike at a railway station along with a photo of the PM with a Snapchat dog filter, captioned #wanderlust. This might be funny to some, but it gathered a lot of unnecessary heat. AIB was bombarded with criticism and this began a Twitter war of words (which, by the way, is a phenomenon more consistent than the Indian monsoon.) AIB was accused of insulting the Prime Minister and hurting “national sentiments” which might make a certain lot of the population wonder as to when did the country put all its nation’s respect, culture and emotions in the hands of a minister and what exactly is the “insulting” part in the above accusations.

 

Source: MediaNama
Source: MediaNama

An unexpected overreaction came on the part of the Mumbai Cyber Police when an FIR was filed against AIB’s co-founder Tanmay Bhat on Friday, 14th July. The FIR?was registered under section 500 of IPC and 67 IT act (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) at the cyber police station at Bandra-Kurla Complex.

Although this cannot be regarded as an obstruction of freedom of speech but in a very clear and bold manner, confirms the ill state of the narrow minds of the citizens. This entire drama testifies the intolerance instilled in our blood. Not only that, it brings out the fact that we as a nation are not only global leaders of the service sector but are also pretty good at picking up a not so significant issue, labeling it as one and then blowing it out of proportion. This is not the first time we have observed such an outrage questioning the basic institution of liberty. In many prior cases, comedians have received death threats, legal actions have been issued and have even been victims of public outrage both online and offline.

This  has become such a hobby that we have started taking offence in our liquor instead of ice and if “taking offence” was an Olympic sport, India will surely come second, because, well, we would still have corruption in sports.

 

Image Credits: india.com

 

Vardaan Suri
[email protected]

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Admissions 2017

Book Launch: A Feminist in the Making by Dipanvita Sehgal

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Dipanvita Sehgal’s Debut Novel, A Feminist in the Making was launched on 8th July 2017 at Oxford Bookstore, CP. The event was as glammed up as glammed up can be. For a first Book Launch, triple the amount of estimated guests turned up out of which more than 60% were random visitors and members of Oxford Bookstore and were simply awestruck by Dipanvita’s story’s Synopsis.

Everybody just grabbed seats and sat down to hear her speak and then a roaring applause followed after each and every question that Dipanvita answered in the Q and A round. She linked the idea to current affairs and topics. She explained the unfairness of GST on basic necessities like Sanitary napkins and explained to some readers why Feminism and Tolerance are of utmost importance in today’s sad era and state of affairs. Oxford Bookstore, CP worked as an amazing host, the staff was cordial, snacks were delicious and wonderful pictures were taken for four hours straight. Some of the most famous Bloggers of the city turned up for the show and while they usually listen to the event and go sometimes, Dipanvita’s repartee, well-articulated ideas and superb extempore answers were so impressive that they all took Dipanvita’s Publicist and Manager Nikhita Anil’s (CEO and Co-Founder, MadPro Media) number so that they could contact her to fix interviews with Dipanvita and to invite her for talks, discussions and Career Counseling Sessions.

Many people from the Literati visited and encouraged her and put some amazing and thought-provoking questions on the table to which Dipanvita had the most crisp, concise and witty replies. Many important people visited from Schools and want Dipanvita to drop in to share her inspirational story and to discuss Feminism and Gender awareness with the students. So many strangers walked up to her and said she is very inspiring, took pictures and autographs and hugged her before they left. Dipanvita got late and stayed on at the Store for everybody till 10 in the night because she did not want anybody who wanted to have their copy signed, to go back home disappointed. She patiently answered all the Interview questions and gave due time to everybody around including people who wanted to have a personal chat about life, love and depression with her. Idea Pulp Entertainment made a long cover Video of Dipanvita, of some close associates who had read the book and of new buyers and their inclination to buy a copy. The response was overwhelming from all the quarters. We have a strong feeling that this novel is on its way to becoming a Bestseller!

 Go grab your copy of A Feminist in the Making now by clicking on the following links:

 

Indian Readers can purchase their copy at Amazon by clicking here. 

Or at Flipkart by clicking here.

For readers across the globe, you can get the novel here. 

You can visit the Author’s website to know more about the author or check out her FB page to stay in touch and get the latest news about her novel.

 

By

A Feminist in the Making Team 

 

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Admissions 2017

The Great College Debate: College Vs Course & North Campus Vs South Campus

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The long and tiring admission process in Delhi University which dominates the imagination of aspirants since the beginning of March means taking multiple important decisions. With the onset of this season comes the dreadful pressure of making life-changing choices. While we certainly can’t dictate what you ought to do, we can list some pros and cons to help you make a worthy decision.

 COLLEGE VS COURSE

The juncture where most students get stuck is the great debate of college vs course. On one hand, you have your dream college and on the other, you have your favourite course. It is a tough call to make but there isn’t any one answer that is right for everyone.

The faculty members of Delhi University are good at their jobs all over and great professors aren’t just restricted to a few colleges. So the difference in the ranking of colleges is usually a result of other factors and not solely because of a lack of the quality of the faculty. However, it is a fact that a high-ranking college does make a positive difference to your CV. Therefore, for those who feel this factor to be essential in their chosen field can choose course over college. On the other hand, if one aims to pursue research and higher studies in one particular subject then choosing course over college might just be the right decision. As a Department of English professor says, “Before choosing a stream, the student should understand that a college tags for three years while the discipline tags throughout the career.”

The choice of college or course also depends on the career path one has chosen. If your career is leaning towards co-curriculars, it makes sense to choose a college that has the best society or team for your chosen field. At the end of the day, what matters is if you are getting the most out of your choice.

(Anagha Rakta)

[email protected]

 NORTH CAMPUS VS SOUTH CAMPUS

The north campus of the University is the natural first choice of all Delhi University aspirants thanks to its sprawling Lutyens-esque buildings and its rich alumni. But with the perennial growing standards of and around the colleges outside the University enclave, are north campus colleges really worth blind-shots?
A majority of students and professors around the University deny the supremacy of the north campus colleges and believe that the chosen course is what really matters. A University professor from the Department of English opines, “The faculty across the University are evenly qualified. Hence, there is no scope of relatively mediocre teaching standards in any college of the University. The professors across the University would unanimously agree that the preferred course should not be compromised at the cost of campus, or college, for that matter.” In this light, the varsity also allows the student to switch colleges in the second and third years on the basis of the marks scored throughout the year.

For non-educational aspects, both the campuses have a culture entirely unique to themselves, without either being inferior. Satya Niketan in the south and Hudson Lane in the north, along with other marvelous hangout zones around almost every DU college, ensure a brilliant time for every student of the University.

Both campuses have their own special charms and unique factors and it is impossible to say which one is superior. Whatever side of the city you choose, your campus will give you immense opportunities to make the most of your college life.

(Nikhil Kumar Thakur)

[email protected]

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Admissions 2017

LIVE: DU Colleges begin releasing the second cut-off list

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After the first phase of admissions done and dusted with, the University of Delhi will be releasing the second cut-off list tonight. Before that, individual colleges have started releasing lists on their respective websites. The varsity has received over 2 lakh applications for admission into 60 undergraduate programmes.

The University has uploaded a consolidated second cut-off list for all colleges on its website. You can access it here.

Here are the live updates on the cut-off lists as well as colleges. (You can check the cut off list by clicking on the names of individual colleges) 

College wise list:

6:55 PM : Maharaja Agrasen College  has also declared its second cut off with 94.5% for B.Com Hons. The college also offers B.A Hons. Journalism for 93.5% for the general category.

6: 40 PM: Maitreyi College has also declared opened its portal which would declare the second cut off.

6:35 PM: Shivaji College has declared its second cut off with B.Com Hons having the highest cut-off at 96.5%. The college offers 1% relaxation to girl candidates for all its courses.

5:55 PM: Zakir Hussain College has also declared its second cut off with cut-offs for several courses going down.  The college would be admitting students from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM starting from 1st July to 4th of July.

5:45 PM: Daulat Ram College has released its second cut-off with B.A Hons Psychology grossing the highest at 96.50%. Meanwhile, the admissions have been closed for several courses like B.A Hons. Political Science and B.A Hons. History.

5:20 PM: Kirori Mal College releases its second cut off with B.A Hons Economics  at 96.75%. Admissions for course like B.Sc Hons Physical Sciences, B.A Hons. English, B.A hons.Urdu and  B.A Hons. Sanskrit have closed admissions in general category.

5:00 PM :  Shri Ram College of Commerce

The admission process for phase 2 will commence from tomorrow and will register applicants till July 4th. Candidates who meet the requirements can visit the college between 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on July 1st, 3rd, and 4th. The subsequent steps to complete the admission process can be found here.

Admission process under the first cut-off list culminated on June 28th, 2017. The first bout witnessed a low uptake, with the students experiencing technical glitches, confusion about the requirements, and the high cut-offs dampening the admission day reach.

If you want to withdraw your admissions from any college you can follow the procedure mentioned here. 

We will keep updating the list as and when the colleges announce their cut-offs. Stay tuned!

 

Feature Image Credits: University of Delhi

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

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Love Matters India launches India’s 1st Virtual Reality film to generate awareness on ‘Intimate Partner Violence’

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Keeping in tune with its agenda on creating awareness on key issues among the youth in the country, Love Matters India launched the first 360/VR film on the issue of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Delhi and Mumbai on the 17th June 2017. The film ‘Kya Yahi Pyar Hai’ uses virtual reality to narrate a powerful story and connect with young people through immersive storytelling experience.

The film ‘Kya Yahi Pyar hai’ was conceptualized by Love Matters India to generate awareness against controlling relationships that are seen and understood by the young people as caring ones, reiterated by the popular culture. Intimate Partner is defined as “any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in the relationship, including acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviors.” Social norms are identified as the dominant drivers for IPV in India. However, there is a high level of reluctance from both men and women victims to talk about violence in their relationship.

Bollywood celebrities like Swara Bhaskar, Gul Panag and Konkana Sensharma took to twitter to support the campaign and talk about this issue.

Speaking on the above initiative Vithika Yadav, Head of Love Matters India said”-“We managed the film launch in both Delhi and Mumbai simultaneously and it feels great. The response to the film has been very good. People are interested in knowing about more screenings that we’ll organize across the country. Next we”ll be organizing free screening of the film across Delhi Metro stations using VR booths, from 21st to 30th June (2017) . The panel discussion on popular culture was really engaging and though provoking views shared on how it can inspire, guide, motivate, rule the mind and even sometimes mislead people.”  

Sharing her experience while making the film, Co-Director of the film, Gayatri Parameswaran said, “Directing this 360/VR experience was challenging on many levels. Firstly, we had to leave the scene every time we hit record because we couldn’t be in the film. In 360, everything is captured. So it helped that we trusted the actor, Arjun, quite a lot. And for him it was difficult too – acting with a camera as your opposing character, isn’t easy! But I’m glad about how it has all shaped up.” 

As part of this campaign Love Matters India  partnered with Social Offline in Delhi and Mumbai, a chain of pubs/ restaurants, to install 360 film viewing booth with VR headsets. The Delhi Metro will also have film viewing booths set up across 10 metro stations in Delhi for 10 days. The launch was kickstarted by a Panel discussion on the topic “Control and Care in popular Culture in India” followed by the screening of the film.

About Love Matters:

Love Matters is a global multimedia project engaging young people to talk about love, sex and relationships, with a presence in 5 countries around the world: India, Kenya, China, Latin America (Mexico and Venezuela) and Egypt. Love Matters believes love, sex and relationships should be a right, a choice, and a pleasure. The first step towards making this possible and having an impact on young people’s lives is offering access to information. LM India is the first bilingual sexual reproductive health (SRH) site to offer comprehensive youth-friendly information in English and Hindi. Since the launch of the bilingual site on January 14, 2014, it has had over 20 million yearly visitors, and has the current website monthly reach of 2 million visitors. Their Facebook community has a following of more than one million making it the most popular sexual health Facebook page in India.

 

By Love Matters India Team

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