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

DU Beat

Browsing
DUB Speak

The Dawn of the Robot Apocalypse: Is Robot Tax the Solution?

By

With automation and technological advancement threatening the employment sector, will Bill Gates’s idea of ‘Robot Tax’ prove to be helpful?

What is Robot Tax?

In the near future, automation is definitely going take over our world and change the face of the employment sector as we know it.  Recently, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft in an interview proposed that robots should be taxed in the form of Robot tax. He anticipates that automation will replace large numbers of the work force over the next 2 decades. This is indeed a serious threat that will change humanity, and steps must be taken to smoothen the transition.

What is Gates’s central argument?

The most vital part of his argument is that in order to be “net ahead” as a society once a robot has taken the job of a human, the displaced labor must be able to perform various kinds of work so that there would be an increase in production which leads to economic growth. He argued since the displaced labor needs retraining, the robot must be taxed, and that the funds thus raised could be used to retrain and financially support displaced workers, who could then move into new jobs in other sectors like health care, education where the human touch is needed. He further added that, by taxing the robots, we would slow down the pace of automation which will mitigate public resistance to automation.

Is this idea feasible?

No, this idea is not very feasible because firstly, for the purpose of levying, paying and collecting ‘Robot tax’ levying, paying and collection, how does one define robots? If at all the puzzle of ‘ defining robots’ is solved, we would come to the question of who pays the taxes. Since robots can’t pay taxes by themselves, presumably either the owner or the manufacturer of robots will pay the tax.

If the manufacturer is to pay tax for producing robots it will give rise to a new type of tax — production tax and if it is levied will lead to double taxation. This will lead to an increase in consumer burden, where manufacturers increase the price of commodities to make up for their losses.

Moreover, this idea is not feasible because of the simple reason that manufacturers of robots can simply move to countries that don’t tax them, which would also mean a loss of job opportunities for the country that loses the manufacturer.

What then?

Gates’s idea can only be successful if this robot tax is accompanied by safety measures that ensure the displaced workers find employment in the case of a robot apocalypse.

 

Image Credits: www.robotscompanion.edu.com

Anahita Sahu

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

Oiling the Machine: A different side to DU’s Fest Season

By

DU’s fest season is the envy of most universities across the country, and yet, it has a harsh economic aspect to it which gets obscured in all the ‘fun’ and excitement.

Can you think of college fests in the University of Delhi (DU) as mega PR strategies in themselves?

Each one of them determines the college’s reputation. And if this economic perspective is applied, every decision taken to make a fest ‘grand’— students running from pillar to post to acquire sponsors within restricted deadlines, coming up with unique stalls, competing to invite the most high-profile celebrities — all cater to marketing a college’s name. Students must become entrepreneurs and ‘sell’ their fest to add to their college’s repute. It’s akin to saying that Nexus, Tarang, Mecca and others are brand names in themselves, as much as Venky (Sri Venkateswara College), LSR (Lady Shri Ram College) and Hindu (Hindu College).

Being a part of departmental associations and societies are all excellent means of keeping the co-curricular ‘alive’, alongside the academic. Some students do feel, in fact, that college-life should be a free playground in terms of experiences. “We all come to learn different things from college. Learning to speak to the sponsors or organising a fest is a part and parcel of it,” says Shivangi Bhasin, a second year student. On the other side of the spectrum, however, are students and teachers who feel that the increasing pressure to ‘perform’ in fests is taking away from the aura of the University. As ‘temples of education’, to borrow the often used metaphor, colleges should focus on improving the standards of teaching and learning and their infrastructures as well. Instead, thousands are spent every year on trivial decorations, merely to outdo other colleges.

DU’s fest season is notorious for making students miss classes due to practice or their various societies’ or associations’ meetings. Under the rigorous semester system and the  fragmented syllabi scheme of CBCS, even the teachers struggle to keep pace. And yet, the fests must be grander and better than before. Their mandate never changes. As a result, friction arises. The students can neither fully concentrate on their course nor on the fests within the limited time frame of semesters. Also, those who don’t wish to engage into the entrepreneurial aspect of gathering sponsors or promoting the fest are systematically left out in this space. Even within their association, they become involuntarily ‘inactive’ — sometimes it isn’t even their choice. Following a capitalist philosophy then, the University is fast becoming a space of ‘brand names’ and quantity over quality for many. And it is, indeed, a worrying trend.

Image Credits: Shiksha.com

Deepannita Misra

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Around the Campus

If Views Dissent, So Will Actions

By

The old-school theories on saffronisation, nationalism and Tiranga have to be given up as future calls for newer and revised visions for the nation.

Be it before or after independence, India has always had perpetual conflicts on the integration of the people who differ socially, politically and also economically. People brood over the fact that untouchability should be abolished from the society without realising that one economically backward person automatically becomes vulnerable to acts equivalent to untouchability. The conception that political security over economic security is more important in a country, has what been a degrading agent among the masses of India. ‘Masses of India’ has been particularly used because they are the ones who choose their representatives in this democratic nation who comprise of people wishing for economic development after political constancy.

All year round, the conflicts and battles are enshrouded, but as the time for elections approach, upheaval of protests, marches and rallies take place creating mass hysteria, calling for supporters. And now, colleges have become proxy battlefields for the political parties where students are used as pawns to wage wars for their leaders. So basically, it is a battle between these elephants and expectedly, the students are the ones to always get trampled upon. Student politics should mainly focus on their rights but instead, they are manipulated by politicians of all parties to fight the fights of their political masters. While becoming a part of a student body one is immediately confined to the messy system where they are forced to adopt an identity that may not be comfortable to live with. After that, the identity or rather, the label will guide their actions and ideology. Most students want to stay away from politics but they are sucked into politics whether they like it or not when they are disturbed by all the agitations around them but they are absolutely powerless. The politically active students have ‘Power’. The silent majority of students who just want to focus on their education and career are hijacked by the political minority who call the shots. Unlike the education institutions in the world where hooliganism in the institutional premises can lead to rustication, in India if you indulge in violence on the goading of your political masters, you know they will save you when you are in trouble. This, in effect, gives a free licence to indulge in violence. Thus, we have far more cases of vandalism, deaths and general indiscipline. People are thankful for the years they spent as students but when political parties come into the picture, it just generates a kind of uncomfortable discourse in the life of an Indian student. Like an offline version of the news hour debates, the student political leaders try to justify their vandalism, and their parties leading to one confrontation after another, non-stop, accusing each other of the issues going around. College heads are scared to act owing to political interference. Professors are wary of doing anything radically different and will take the beaten path. Agitations overshadow studies. Man hours are lost as a result of umpteen strikes, debates and confrontations.

Our educational institutions have become extremely inefficient owing to the type of student politics that is practised. This is a dark side of the appreciated Indian education system, which is indeed shameful. The call of the hour is to bar the interference of politics into the education system. The educated youth can make its own decisions that can be the perfect blend of social, political and economic benefits for the future. Instead of making the students their pawns to wins elections, new set of nationalist ideas could be injected among the Indian youth that totally vary from Saffronisation, Ban on Beef, Tiranga and of course the never ending wars and strikes. Let not unstable politics overshadow our economic backwardness. Let the nation move forth to economic stability and intellectual prosperity.

Image credits: indianyouth.net

politics

Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

Logan: The Saving Grace of X-Men Universe?

By

They say third time’s a charm, and a charm wrapped up in Western ways and the brilliance of the titular character. After mapping a journey of ten movies and receiving abundant criticism and some appreciation, the X-Men film series presents the third and final Wolverine-centric movie with a rich script, emotional reservoir, and marks the departure of two actors pivotal to the X-Men universe.

Before we delve into the reviews received by the movie, here is a synopsis of what is waiting for us:

In the near future, a weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) cares for an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) at a remote outpost on the Mexican border. His plan to hide from the outside world gets upended when he meets a young mutant (Dafne Keen) who is very much like him. Logan must now protect the girl and battle the dark forces that want to capture her.

Expand your minds and fancy a superhero movie, any movie. Your mind shall retort with a grand production of a superhero saving the city, the country, or the world after a good thirty-minutes VFX edited fight between the hero and an antagonist who is touted to be an indestructible mastermind in those two hours some minute-movie. No, Logan is far from it, as one can anticipate from the trailers. In a dusty world or desert landscapes and mutant extinction, it’s 2029, and we see glimpses of Logan more than his heroic counterpart. An image of pain, mortality, and struggle weaves before our eyes with the trailer, and forms the foundation of appreciation. The trailers also present a young girl of mystery, who shall join path with the superhero and form the crux of the story.

As the early reviews are pouring on the last movie of the Wolverine franchise, the film is touted to be the best Wolverine and maybe, the best X-Men saga with a 9.5 IMDb and 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, while the previous movies in the franchise failed to cross the 7/10 mark and were the recipient of brute criticism. The evaluations seek to extol the movie for its scruffy Western land setting, the reality of emotions, and discovery of Logan’s personal journey as these aspects solidify the cinematic experience. Complementing the logistics are the dual elements of an endearing script and Hugh Jackman’s performance of a role which brought him into the mainstream limelight. Almost a decade after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse, the movie successfully falls in line with the events of the past, but its beating heart lies in its emotions and personal relationships.

Adding the emotional tinge in this tale is the anticipated departure of Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Patrick Stewart (Professor X) from the X-Men Universe. To successfully deliver a long-spanning franchise and to conclude the journey with a story which is resonating with hearts speaks volumes of the brilliance of the two actors. The movie has been confirmed to conform within the timeline and storyline of the Universe, and shall grace the screens near you on March 3rd, 2017.

 

Image Credits: The Independent

Saumya Kalia

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Spo(r)tlight

EFL Cup victory for the Red Devils: Manchester United beats Southampton 3-2 at Wembley

By

In what was a brilliant display of the individual charisma of the super-manager Jose Mourinho and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the red devils sealed their first major trophy this season.

The new chapter in the managerial stint of Jose Mourinho reached its maiden crescendo as Manchester United defeated Southampton 3 goals to 2 to win the EFL cup at Wembley Stadium this Sunday. The Red Devils, in spite of being dominated by the Saints for most part of the game, emerged victorious, thanks to the Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s brace and Lingard’s strike.

Ibrahimovic opened up the scoring chart as he netted a beautiful free-kick into the corner just after 19 minutes of the game, scoring his 25th goal this season. At 38 minutes, Lingard extended the ManU lead to two to nil as he slotted the Rojo pass elegantly in the bottom corner of the net from 16 yards. In no time the Saints got their well deserved goals as Gabbiadini found the net on the either halves at 45th and again at 48th minute to level the match. Finally, it was the talisman in Zlatan who broke the deadlock in the 87th minutes, standing tall above all and powering his header past Forster from six yards to seal United’s first silverware this season.

At the end of the night, it was loud and clear that the Southampton side were better of the two. They defended deep and attacked with all might. In spite of being denied a legitimate goal which clearly wasn’t an offside, Manolo Gabbiadini and company played a complete game, neutralising the United’s defence multiple times over the 90 mintues. Even Mourinho, addressing the press post-match, agreed that had the game gone into the extra time, the results could have been different. But what made Manchester United the champion was the resilience which the Mourinho-Ibrahimovic era has ushered into the team.

This wasn’t a game that Moyes or Van Gaal, or for that reason, Van Persie or Rooney could have won. This needed personal heroics, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, champion, winner and all-round hero, gave United just that as he lifted the 32nd trophy of his illustrious career and the maiden silverware at Old Trafford. Way to go!

 

Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]

 

Image credits: ibtimes.co.in

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

5 hacks to watch the movies on the cheap

By

As college students, we are all familiar with the phenomenon of being forever broke and with great movie releases ahead of us (Yes, it is The Lego Batman movie I talk of), we present to you – hacks that allow you to enjoy these films without burning a hole in your pocket.

 

  1. Make Use of Those Apps– Popular apps like Paytm and BookMyShow offer huge discounts, even on new releases. Sounds too good to be true, but check out deals like 50% cashback on ticket fare or 100% cashback on convenience fee and the best part, the greater the number of bookings, the bigger the discount!

 

  1. Do Your Research– Most of us tend to book tickets at the same halls that we’ve been going to for decades – it’s time to shake things up! Try independent theatres that have a smaller number of screens- 3CS in Lajpat Nagar, DT Cinemas in GK-2 , Golcha Cinemas next to Chawri Baazar or even Regal in CP that offer tickets at under 200. Multiplexes having movie halls with multiple screens always charge a greater fee and what’s more, you’ll even discover a new hangout spot while you’re at it.

 

  1. Choose Your Time Wisely– We often prefer evening shows but guess what, there’s a reason why they say that ‘the early bird catches the worm.’ Morning shows are available at half the price, even at pricier theatres like PVR and DT in Saket. For all those who love the luxurious experience, early shows are the answer to your prayers.

 

  1. Lay Off the Snacking– It’s a universal truth that no movie is complete without something to munch on-but I regret to inform you, you’ve got to pick between the popcorn and nachos – after all we can’t have it all. A tip: popcorn is a better option as it’s cheaper and the quantity is worth the money, nachos on the other hand are expensive and finish before you know it. However, for those who can’t keep their hands off, invest in combo deals that are more economical in nature, because we live to eat, right?

 

  1. Use Credit Card Perks– Your credit card could act as a discount pass when you want to see the latest blockbuster. Most cards offer member perks, some of which can be discounts at the movie theater. What’s more, some cards including More offer as much as 5% cash back on various purchases in rotating categories. Each company’s cash back calendar is different, so check your service agreement to see if you’ll get cash back at the movies during the year. That way, you’ll get a little extra padding in your bank account just for seeing the latest action flick.

 

Anahita Sahu
[email protected]

 

Image credits: GettyImages

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

The difference in college infrastructure: Arts vs. Science

By

Is college infrastructure being differentiated on the basis of courses?

We often experience the moment wherein our parents come to us at the end of 10th standard, and try to reason over why we should opt for the sciences in our last 2 years of schooling. For the lot of us who are confident enough to pursue our love for arts and social sciences assure our parents that after class 12, the gates of University of Delhi is open to us. But does the University of Delhi differentiate between the student’s needs on the basis of which course they choose to pursue?

After a short research conducted in a few colleges in Delhi University, it seems that a lot of colleges in terms of infrastructure have disappointed its students. For a few colleges, the students frown upon the overall infrastructure of their campuses. However, a few colleges are skeptical about the difference between the science and arts faculties in terms of facilities. A lot of colleges have been revamping their campuses due to the NAAC assessment, but there is a lingering doubt over whether these developments will remain intact after the NAAC team leaves the college premises. When in conversation with Riya Chhiber, a third-year student at Kamala Nehru College, it was reiterated that, “The entire campus has been changed and improved for the NAAC assessment, due to which washrooms are cleaner, seminar halls are constructed and general provisions in terms of electricity and cleanliness have been made better. However, whether these conditions will remain throughout has not been determined.” Similarly, colleges like Kirori Mal and Jesus and Mary College are constantly under renovation, due to which there is constant and disturbing air of construction during and after college hours.

Premiere colleges like Miranda House and St. Stephens have seen a difference in terms of infrastructure between the sciences and the arts. In conversation with students from Miranda House, who wish to remain anonymous, have placed immense emphasis on how the science block of the college has better facilities in terms of washrooms, classrooms and general atmosphere. They seemed to accept the fact that the science block does have a requirement of state of the art labs; however they do not understand the bias in terms of how the science block has better classrooms than the arts block. They also commented on the presence of air conditioning in many classrooms in the science block, whereas the arts block barely survives on over head fans in the sweltering heat. Similarly, in conversation with students from St. Stephen’s (who wish to remain anonymous), said that the science faculty has ‘lecture halls’ which are more spacious and ventilated, in comparison to the arts faculty, which have regular classrooms. However, we see a flipside to this case when in conversation with T. Chettri, a third-year student from Ramjas College, who says, “The new building which has been constructed in Ramjas, has top-notch classrooms for all students from all courses. Despite the subject and discourse, students of DU have equality in terms of the spaces they occupy in order to learn”. The new developments in Ramjas College shows how DU is changing and creating equal spaces in infrastructure for students across disciplines, a development we hope to see in all DU colleges despite the scrutiny of NAAC’s assessment.

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

Image credits: Daily Mail

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

From Masala to Content- a changing paradigm in audiences’ theatrical choices

By
Indian films audience choices

The Bollywood film industry has been the largest producer of drama, action,comedy and romance for over a century now. Owing to its growing popularity, there’s hardly someone who hasn’t watched a Bollywood flick in all its “masala” glory at least once in their life. Creating its own genre, our country’s film industry has served masala in all its possible mix that has been received “with love” by the audience.

 

The genre, which is like an overdone assortment of all the four major genres, whilst sewing the fabric of the main plot of the film, serves to the Indian audience a fool-proof entertainment formula. A “macho” do-it-all hero, a pretty sidekick whose role is to display her beauty and incompetence to the hero, a villain in a constant tussle with the invincible “Bhai”, these masala flicks never fail to take home bags full of earnings and applause from the audiences. With the increased love for this genre, Bollywood’s filmmakers and audience have found their comfort zone here and do not seem too inclined to be taking a turn from serving the cinemas with this overused yet lucrative recipe.

 

It would, however, be unfair to not acknowledge the emergence of a more meaningful and content based cinema in the recent times. It is in fact, heartening to know that a certain section of the audience regards and immensely appreciates the presence of such cinema. This paradigm shift has been visible only in the past few years, beginning with box office success of movies like Rang de basanti, Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Taare Zameen Par to name a few.

 

Although, the demand for “masala” still fares high due to the diversity of interests and expectations of the audiences. People from all backgrounds look up to cinema with their own expectations of it. Interestingly, a large chunk looks up to it as a respite from their daily struggles where Shahrukh Khan’s romance or Salman “Bhai”’s effortless action pulls them away from the stresses they’ve burdening themselves with, albeit temporarily, thus creating a constant demand for masala. Despite this, there has been a remarkable shift in the audience’s choice of cinema. This shift can be observed from their increased inclination to Hollywood in the recent times. Primarily observed among the youth, viewers may not always be as excited to watch the latest SRK or Salman Bhai release, but they might be inclined towards picking the latest Hollywood flick. Moreover, the very rise in the supply of content based movies like Udta Punjab, Masaan or Dangal proves the changing demand of the Indian audiences.

 

This shift, must make us Indians proud of our evolution from an escapist towards an enlightened audience.

 

Priyal Mahtta

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DU Annual Fest Season

Ratna Pathak Shah and Bismil star on Day 1 of Reverie, 2017

By

There are events which do not kick start but rather simmer and build up. The first day of Reverie 2017, the annual cultural festival of Gargi College reached its crescendo on similar lines as the event, starting serenely and gradually growing in terms of the crowd and activity.

The fest started with an address by the Principal, Promila Kumar. She talked about the college completing 50 years and wished for the success of the three days of the festival. The inaugural guest was Ratna Pathak Shah, actress and theatre veteran from National School of Drama, known most popularly for her role as Maya Sarabhai in Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai. She set the perfect precursor to the day ahead, sharing her experiences as a student and the role of competitions in shaping lives.

Ratna Pathak Shah at Reverie 2017 Picture credits: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat
Ratna Pathak Shah at Reverie 2017
Picture credits: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat

Competitive events for the day started with Saptak, the duet singing competition.  The event saw brilliant performances one after the other, much to the delight of pouring crowd. Swardhana and Pramansi from Daulut Ram College won the third position, Aishwarya and Megha from Gargi College tied with Gagan and Kavya from Hansraj College for the second position, and Vaibhav and Vidhi from Jesus and Mary College won the first position. The second major event of the day was Dhanak, the folk dance competition. After a string of colourful performances, Nrityangana, the Indian dance society of Sri  Venkateshwara College were adjudged first for their brilliant show of a dance form from rural Telangana. Nrityakriti, Maitreyi College were awarded the second position  and Nupur, Kamala Nehru College, the third position.  Khayal, the solo singing competition ended with Vaibhav from Miranda House, Swaradhana from  Daulat Ram College, and Taranjot from Venkateshwara College bagging the first, second and third positions respectively.

Possibly the most popular event of the day, Zenith, the western dance competition, was a spectacle of excellent performances. At the end of the event,  the Misbah group from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Zeal from Maitreyi College, and Verve, from  Sri Venkateshwara College, stood out above the rest, winning the first, second and the third positions in that order.

The reverberations of the first day of the three day extravaganza at Reverie 2017 ended with the epic bacchanalia at the main stage. The performance of Bismil had the audience mesmerised as they covered popular Bollywood numbers. The night concluded with hands waving cellphone flashlights to the music.

Here’s forward to two more phenomenal days at Reverie 2017, and its Fiesta for Renaissance.

Feature Image: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat

Joyee Bhattacharya ([email protected]) , Nikhil Kumar ([email protected]) and Niharika Dabral ([email protected])

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

You Got Chocolate

By

‘A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands’ quotes an ardent chocolate lover. Indeed! Who does not crave for chocolates? Only the ones hit by the desire to lose the extra calories gained from sweet chocolates refuse to have them. And, nine out ten people love chocolates and the tenth one actually lies!

There are different types of chocolates based on different proportions of ingredients:

Milk Chocolate– almost 85% of solid chocolate is used with milk compounds.

Dark Chocolate– no milk or very less percentage of milk is used with cocoa and sugar, hence also called black chocolate or plain chocolate.

White Chocolate– is based on sugar, milk and cocoa butter without the cocoa solids.

Organic Chocolate– they are certified organic chocolates.

Raw Chocolate– it is the form of chocolate which has not been processed.

Unsweetened Chocolate– which is pure chocolate liquor mixed with some form of fat to produce a solid substance.

Bittersweet Chocolate– is chocolate liquor to which some sugar, less than a third, more cocoa butter, vanilla flavouring and sometimes less then that is added.

Semi-sweet Chocolate- does not contain milk solids. ‘Converture’ is a term used for chocolates rich in cocoa butter.

Compound Chocolate– is a confection combined with cocoa and vegetable fat. It is often used for candy bar coating.

Modelling Chocolate– is a chocolate paste made by melting chocolate and combining it with corn syrup, glucose syrup or golden syrup which is mostly used for decoration of cakes and pastries.

Nowadays chocolate has dozens of flavours changing with the taste of the chocolate lovers. Mint, vanilla, coffee, orange, strawberry, mixed fruits, etc flavours are used along with ingredients such as peanuts, raisins, almonds, caramel, oreo, etc making a luxe composition of sweet savoury delighting everyone who consumes it.

Chocolates’ got goodness:

Chocolate has always been a delicacy but only in the recent past it has been recognized as a significant source of phytochemicals with healthful effects. Cocoa beans contain flavonoids which are found in fruits, vegetables, tea and wine. Flavonoids help in reducing the risk to heart diseases. Chocolates contain anti-oxidants which gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments like cancer. Chocolate has an aspirin like effect that reduces platelet activity. Dilation of arteries improves blood flow and heart functioning which makes it suitable for people with high blood pressure. Levels of cardiovascular risky pro-inflammatory substances are reduced by the flavonoids present in the cocoa beans.

chocolates

Chocolates can be evil:

An ounce of chocolate contains roughly 145 calories and 8-10 grams of fat. If this is what people add to their diet daily, a fire ticket to the fat farm will be inevitable then. Good quality chocolate should be substituted for other less healthy treats such as donuts, muffins and candy. Also, all the promising health benefits from chocolate have used dark chocolate and not the overly processed milk chocolates full of sugar that are mostly available in the market. People opt for sweetened chocolates with high levels of sugar because of the overpowering taste of dark chocolate which actually contains flavonoids. Choose dark chocolate to enjoy the benefits of chocolate!

Chocolates can be the cure for a bad day and also a secret to healthy immune system.

 

Image credits: www.rd.com

 

Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By