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‘Post-exam Plan’ is currently the most fascinating thought swirling in the minds of almost everyone studying for the next exam that they are completely unprepared for. Why wouldn’t it be, when all that has been done for the past couple of weeks is nothing but distancing ourselves from our favorite telly shows, books and impromptu hangout plans?

Adding to the impatience, here are some ‘Post-exam Plan’ ideas; so that your Winter Break isn’t just spent sleeping for ten hours a day (that wouldn’t hurt,though!):

1. Go on a Solo Trip
The best part about going on a solo trip is that it is far more fun than it sounds. Or even if it doesn’t sound all that fun to some, try and ditch your friends or family for once and head out of home with absolutely no shopping/eating/partying plans. Carry some cash, an internet enabled phone, a power bank and the drive to explore. Hit the road that goes to a part of the city you’ve heard a lot about, but haven’t ever visited; or the famous lake/monument you’ve been wanting to visit for the longest time, and spend some amazing moments of solitutde with yourself and your city!

2. Be a Part of a Marathon or Cyclothon
Now that you don’t need to pull off an all-nighter every other day, try waking up a little early and put on your sports shoes for a healthy jogging/cycling outing! Call up your friends, ask them to call theirs and make a big squad so that you can have fun and give a healthy start to the day while running/ cycling for a social cause!

3. Arrange a Bonfire Party!
Lazying around all day is pretty much what we’re going to do this Winter Break, so why not leave the covers behind and arrange some good music and food for a bonfire party with friends or family,and what better an occasion than the eve after the last exam to spend some time playing music and games around a bonfire!
(And trust me, it’d be better than the usual ‘Post=exam party’!)

4. Connect with the real world!
Our generation can’t thank its phones and laptops enough for helping it pass time so well, especially during holidays. But it’s time that we explore fun in the real world beyond those screens that are capable of keeping us glued to them for hours.

These were some possible ideas for the never materialized ‘Post-exam Plan’. But hey! Do not forget to study well for the next exam while fantasizing about the post exam fun!
Good Luck!

Priyal Mahtta
[email protected]

Image Credits: i.dailymail.co.uk

The English Literary Society of IP College organised a talk with Graphic Novelist Amruta Patil on November 4th, 2016. The event titled, “Blood and Flowers” was themed after her latest Graphic Novel, Sauptik: Blood and Flowers. The conversation was chaired by Dr. Neetu Das, a poet, caricaturist and an associate professor at the college. The event was attended by students and faculty members from across the University.

Released on the 3rd, Sauptik: Blood and Flowers is Patil’s third Graphic Novel. This book is second in line based on the Mahabharta  after Adi Parva: Churning the Ocean (2012). Her work also includes Kari, her first Graphic Novel, released in 2008. Patil is also a freelance painter and writer.

While in conversation, Amruta told the audience about the themes and inspirations for her graphic novels. Majorly based on ecology and mythological iconography, the greatest inspirations of her work, her last two novels explore and question the existing iconography and attempt to present a completely different view of the epic characters. Kari, which in her word is the novel closest to her, is based on an urban queer tale, exploring feminine friendships and lost love. One of the most significant features, is the representation of characters. They do not conform to stereotyped gender perceptions. Patil also talked about her experiences of working on a Graphic Novel in India, her journey of learning to paint and the distinctive features of the font used by her in the Graphic Novels.

 

Post discussion, the speaker engaged with the Chair and the audience during the Q & A session. The audience further discussed with her the background of the novels, symbolism used, her journey as a graphic novelist and much more. Drawing towards the end, the members of the Literary Society of IP College expressed their gratitude and congratulated her on the recent release of her third graphic novel.

 

Priyal Mahtta

[email protected]

Udyamita – The Entrepreneurship Cell, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College recently launched its incubation centre on the 9th of November, 2016. The incubation centre aims to provide a conducive environment to Delhi University start-ups by providing mentorship, networking opportunities and co working space.

The centre has been supported by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry & Lead Angels. The event marked the presence of over 100 students, faculty members of the commerce department and guest speakers: Dr. Jitender Singh, Senior Secretary, CSR, Education and Skill Development, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Kanishk Kumar, Senior Associate Director-Enterprise Sales, Flock, Ms. Sera Arora, Manager, North India Operations, Lead Angels and Mr. Gitanjali Khanna, founder and COO,Fastudent.

The event commenced with the felicitation ceremony of the guests by Dr. Manmohan Kaur, Principal, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa. She shared her words of wisdom and welcomed the guests, faculty members and the students. It was followed presentation by Team HATAOO which is an app based platform created by the students of the college to contact vehicle owner to deal with parking issues.

The speaker sessions included Dr. Jitender Singh’s talk on ‘Viability of a Startup’ which highlighted the issues faced by start-ups. Mr. Kanishk Kumar shared his views on ‘Technology, Opportunity and Entrepreneurship’ through which he discussed the prospects of adding value using technology and innovation. Ms. Sera Arora had an interactive session with the students and the faculty members through which she imparted valuable information regarding pitching investors and stages of investment. Ms. Gitanjali Khanna talked about the opportunities for an education sector start-ups. At last the convenor of the society, Dr. G.S. Sood concluded the event with a vote of thanks which was followed by a ceremony to inaugurate the incubation centre.

By the members of Udyamita

14th November, 2016: Life Vest Inside, in association with Those In Need and Karma Foundation, organized Dance for Kindness, a Worldwide Freeze Mob/Flash Mob event, at Connaught Place. The purpose of the event was to connect everyone – group or individual – across  the globe unite under the banner of kindness and join together to perform to the same song, same dance, all happening on the same day.

This year Dance of Kindness happened in two locations – in Delhi, Raahgiri, Connaught Place and at Queen Mary’s, Rohini. Around 200 dancers at Connaught Place and more than 350 students along with parents and teacher took participation in #DFK2016. The volunteers created the longest KINDNESS CHAIN and afterwards distributed 700 ‘Act of Kindness’ tokens to general audience requesting them to perform one act of kindness specified on card & pass the card on.

 

 

People came from far and beyond from, some from Haridwar, and also students from Kilkari Rainbow NGO to dance along with other people.

This year, thousands of dancers and volunteers danced to spread the message of world peace, love, and hope and world unity as a ray of hope with their dance.“We are planning to add more people to our kindness chain next year and create a nuclear effect of kindness’’ said Abhishek Saini, Group Leader New, India.

Life Vest Inside is an internationally present grass-root non-profit-organisation based out of New York City whose mission is to inspire, empower and educate people of all backgrounds to lead a life of kindness. Dance for Kindness serves as Life Vest Inside’s Annual Fundraiser as well as a means of building awareness of World Kindness Day.

Year 2016 marks LVI’s 5th Worldwide Freeze Mob/Flash Mob event that will happen in over 50 countries and 250 cities. The purpose of World Kindness Day is to look beyond ourselves, beyond the boundaries of our country, beyond our culture, our race, our religion; and realize we are citizens of the world.

As an added bonus, here is TED talk on kindness by Orly Wahba: TED talk on kindness

While the issue of climate change was treated as real and dangerous by President Obama, the same cannot be said for the new President – elect Donald Trump who believes that climate change is a hoax perpetuated by the Chinese. Studies show that poor countries like India, Pakistan, Vietnam and others would bear the brunt of climate change mostly because of their tropical location but also due to their greater reliance on agriculture, lower income of people, and less resilient infrastructure.

The current situation in India is smoggy, with four out of the ten most polluted cities being Indian, and the capital city’s poisonous air. In the past, US and India have shown commitment towards energy security and fighting climate change. USA joined the Paris Agreement and India followed.

Donald Trump has been adamant about scrapping off the Clean Power Plan and removing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While the EPA doesn’t handle all of the environment related issues (some of which are covered by other federal, tribal, state or local agencies), it does have a major role in the protection of environment. The EPA has been hit again and again by budget cuts and any further cuts would make it impossible to enforce laws like the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Shutting down the agency isn’t the answer either.

Image credits: Business Insider
Image credits: Business Insider

The transition team of Donald Trump, according to Politico, has recruited GOP energy lobbyist Mike McKenna , who has ties to the industry backed American Energy Alliance, and vocal climate skeptic  Myron Ebell, the director of Energy and Environment at the Competitive Energy Institution (which is funded by Koach brothers, and oil & gas companies). According to Ebell ‘any small increase in the global temperature is nothing to worry about’.

Mr Trump has offered his support to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, protested against wind turbines (because the wind farms were visible from his golf course in Scotland), has close financial ties to the Energy Transfer Partner – the operators of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline (according to his financial disclosure) that will lead to potential harm to the environment, effects on climate change, and the destruction of sacred Native American sites.

The 45th president of the United States of America has signalled his opposition to any restrictions on the development of oil, coal, or gas, making it clear that he doesn’t have plans to go green anytime soon and instead believes in reviving the coal industry, which according to experts won’t work due to tough competition from declining priced alternatives like natural gas and renewable energy sources. This, in fact, moves the attention away from the real proposal that is the transition of coal workers into new jobs in a new industry. While Trump’s call to ‘back out’ of the Paris deal won’t be possible, Lux Research modelled the impact that Trump’s policies would have, and it leads to an extra 3.4 billion tons of CO2 emission when compared to Hillary Clinton’s proposal.

Clearly, Donald Trump’s presidency would be a setback on the environment front unless he decides to change his proposal, which is unlikely to happen.

Feature Image: Chicago Tribunal 

Adarsh Yadav

[email protected]

Being one of the most sought after courses in Delhi University, English Honours crests up the expectations of every literati who seeks admission in this course. The idea of meeting Shakespeare, Jane Austen or George Eliot everyday makes it nothing short of exciting. But how is the journey actually like, well, let’s find out here!

After braving the cut off crisis, entering college on the first day as an English Honours student is bound to elate any literature enthusiast who is looking forward to an expedition of the literary world! The initial days of study in this course certainly blurs the boundaries of literature exploration. Meeting great authors, playwrights and critics through their work takes some time to be familiarized with, yet, makes one feel like delving deeper into the sea of literature. How can we forget the joy of purchasing those new books that never fail to bring a wave of happiness with the smell of their new pages!

Seeing all that happiness, our dear friend – the syllabus, starts pouring us some more love with endless discussions, chapters which seem to never finish and, motley range of timeless drama and poetry. This is when we feel like telling this friend of ours to calm down! With the ever increasing number of texts and background readings, at times it starts getting difficult to manage academic reading and leisure reading at the same time. Adding on to it, friends from different courses keep envying us for reading mere “stories” in the syllabus and having an easy course structure. This is the moment when we feel like enlightening those friends about the difference between reading Blake and Swift for leisure and reading them as part of one’s syllabi. Thus, we join the brigade that breaks baseless myths about the course being a mere cake walk!

Just after the crest phase comes the road to the trough. The teachers expecting students to read their respective texts completely and “critically analyze” everything that comes our way starts getting a little too tricky! This is when we start shifting from mere readers to critical readers of literature. But the road doesn’t seem all that easy in the first semester of the course. With loads of narratives and analysis to remember, one definitely gets overwhelmed with the amount of reading to be done, while being unaware of the questions that can be asked for such study. After putting in much effort, we’re forced to rely on help books to help us sail through the semester. However, the ultimate test of literature love for a first semester student is the semester examination. A study loaded with truckloads of texts, the first semester exams of the course resurface the general emotion for studies in no time.

Nonetheless, English Honours sure makes every seeker a thinker beyond the average one. Despite the initial hiccups, this course is not a mere study, but a leap ahead in the understanding of the world.

 

Feature Image Credits: www.flavorwire.com

Priyal Mahtta

[email protected]

 

From exploring multitude of reactions to wondering about the future of Arnab Goswami and Times Now, here are answers for every what, when and how about the Arnexit!

The end of October generally witnesses the pomp and celebrations of Diwali festivities, a flagship festival for almost every Indian household. The day after Diwali is a strong rendition of one of those feelings one encounters on the day after their birthdays; dejection, loss of hope and a suddenly visible void. This Diwali was also followed by the desire to go back and revel in the festive spirit, but then a cracker burst. On the internet.

November 1st 2016 was one of those days when everyone collectively chimed in for hours about one issue: Arnab Goswami’s resignation. Or how I like to call it as the Arnexit. WhatsApp group conversations were flooded with opinions, Twitter once again won the internet with some priceless memes and tweets doing the round, and the nation was in a frenzy over Mr. Goswami’s unexpected departure from our televisions at 9 pm. The protagonist of the NewsHour, whose specialisation in high-pitched monologues and accosting guests because ‘the nation wanted to know why’ would probably put teachers who say ‘Is this a class or a fish market?’ to shame. Imagine a talk show host who doesn’t let his panellists talk, wouldn’t his exit hit you hard?

The ‘Whaaaat/LOL/NO!!/Finallyy!’ Phase

It all started with a few online rumours of this unanticipated resignation, which were followed by his The-game-has-just-begun speech, thus confirming a permanent loss of Twitter’s favourite journalist.

Twitter was, once again, on fire with its berserk tweets and memes. Some were flying with different versions of celebrating a ‘noise free Diwali’ and others were adding humorous punches to ‘My name is Arnab and I…’ The first and the unanimous reaction of the masses was the utter belief that would engulf someone watching Star Wars for the first time and finding out Darth Vader is Luke’s father. Later, some were highly amused, some let out a sigh of relief, some contributed to the intelligent jokes being made, and some were genuinely sad about his departure. We strongly suggest you open your Twitter accounts (something you haven’t done since ages) and type in Arnab Goswami if laughter is what you seek!

TIMES Now: No more Arnab on for tomorrow night?

For very long, Arnab Goswami’s name was synonymous to Times Now’s NewsHour, and probably still is. He swooped in as the knight in shining armour for the channel when back in 2006 Reuters departed from the collaboration and since then has carved and embellished the news channel’s working and the image according to his style. What can be called as a fresh wave, and a loud one at that, his aggressive questioning style (to a degree) and the debater in him often subjected him to appreciation and criticism both. He went on to be the blaring voice of the nation; with his quirks of imposing his opinions, questioning the factuality of others’ statements and denying the privilege to his panellists to talk. Arnab had given way to a new brand of journalism, as they call it the ‘popcorn’ kind, where the audience comfortably sits back while watching Arnab Vs Arnab.

 

Now that the star of the news industry has resigned, what shall become of the news channel which had been sculpted by his hands? Regardless of his likability, Times Now’s viewership had undoubtedly spiked during his reign because everyone loved seeing the journalistic version of Bollywood dramas. With their identities linked to one another, Arnab’s exit has left a big whole in Times Now’s existence. One of the reasons for his resignation is also rumoured to be irreconcilable differences with the news heads, for an overly active visionary mind and a news channel’s views might not always run parallel. Either way, Times Now shall witness repercussions and has a long way to crafting itself back.

 

End of a bittersweet era

Monica/Chandler and Rachel/Joey living together signified an era. And so does this. Times Now’s News Hour has been riding on Arnab Goswami’s fiery and hot-tempered back for a really long time now. But, as he said, the game is just getting started. He resigned to start off with his own venture, so it might not be goodbye from screens just yet. Some say Fox News might be his new home, while others believe he’ll be starting his own media house. Whichever platform he chooses to yell on, he aims to propel the idea of independent journalism. He will be back with a bang, but till then, his erratic journalism shall be missed; because he is the star we all love to hate!

 

Image Credits: Pinterest

 

Saumya Kalia

[email protected]

 

On 3rd November, 2016, the government’s announcement that NDTV would be banned for a day hit the airwaves. And along with this news came a barrage of everything from mild criticism to vitriolic comments, pointed and shot straight at the I&B ministry. It was decided by the authorities, in turn, that not even a Twitter hashtag must be spared. #BringBackNDTV came under attack for garnering Pakistani support, with one media outlet going so far as to call the ban a ‘blow to Pakistan’ by Modi. Amidst this litany of comments came another stroke of genius. Minister Venkaiah Naidu himself came out to publicly condemn all “belated criticisms” against the ban (that is, the ones not made on the exact date of 3rd November, 2016) as being “politically inspired”.

Political farces always make a moot point. But let us have the sense and courage to acknowledge that while this may be a farce, Pathankot was not. That would be a crucial starting point. If it had to come to a ban anyhow, then why the ministry would delay its decision would be another beginning. And it is a beginning which only leads further into the maze. Leaving aside the question of whether NDTV is being ‘singled out’ amongst all the other channels to be made into an example, the ban also brings up a lot of questions left unanswered.

What you and me are relying upon in this debate are clearly a set of perspectives. They are the Achilles heel of this debate, the flip side of asserting that we are living under a surveillance state. By sheer assumption, then, NDTV may or may not be an anti-nationalistic channel just as the prime minister may or may not be a Hindu fundamentalist. Each perspective is guided by a set of assumptions. But what if the debate were above all these questions?

Even before the ban came up, NDTV had had its own set of supporters and non-supporters. The great debate will serve to increase its TRP manifolds this week. Also, the news of the ban has been showcased, firstly, by other media outlets. It was they who projected it as an impediment to freedom of speech. It was later that the decision to call it a violation of free speech became ‘ours’. It is only now that something akin to a threat is being perceived by the masses. And this is exactly the problem with authority identifying our problems for us.

So really, some would say that the most valid starting point lies in the most highly ignored questions. These are being ignored not only by the opposition, but also by the media. Why did no one raise a hue and cry when the actual reporting of the Pathankot incident was aired, and did NDTV, in fact, hurt the nation any worse than other news channels reporting the incident? There are channels which could be accused of being communal and therefore anti-nationalistic. Why are they not being accused at this very moment? There, too, political parties have divided the masses. In other words, they have decided upon a definition of “nationalism” for us and made this decision without consulting us.

The larger politics of what unknown agenda propels which news channel to do a “specific” type of reporting is the larger issue here, one in which NDTV finds itself today. And the last word in this regard does not come from the us, the real masses. The questions posed by the media against the authorities are made by the media too. We think that the restrictions of an “authoritarian” regime are truly the worst, not realizing that we have allowed our questions to go unanswered while someone else makes up “questions” for us. And in all reality, what could be worse than that.

Feature Image: Your Story

Deepannita Misra

[email protected]

The Mumbai Film Festival, which was hosted from 20th to 27th October, 2016 in Mumbai screened some of the finest movies to be made in the past year, all across the globe.

The Mumbai Film Festival was a week-long celebration of the art of film making and acting. The event was star studded with actors, directors and producers from Hollywood and Bollywood in attendance. With an array of movies being screened at the festival, here is a compilation of 5 must watch films from the Mumbai Film Festival, 2016.

  1. BANDINI (India):

Bandini, is a 1963 Hindi drama film directed by Bimal Roy, the master of realism, who directed classics like Do Bigha Zameen and Devdas. The movie tells the story of a woman prisoner serving life imprisonment for murder- Kalyani, the all suffering, selfless, sacrificing, and strong yet weak Indian woman. She must make a choice between two very different men, Devendra, the loving prison doctor and Bikash, a man from her past. The movie is based on a Bengali novel Tamasi by Jarasandha (Charu Chandra Chakrabarti).

  1. A DEATH IN THE GUNJ (India):

A Death in the Gunj is the directorial debut of critically acclaimed actress Konkona Sen Sharma. The story is set in the colonial town of McCluskieganj in the winters of 1979. What starts as an uneventful family holiday takes a twist when the guests start playing with the spirits. The movie features an ensemble cast of Vikram Massey, Tillotama Shome, Kalki Koechlin, Om Puri, Tanuja, Vikram Shorey and Jim Sarbh.

  1. MOSTLY SUNNY (Canada):

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Directed by Dilip Mehta, the film Mostly Sunny is a documentarian venture into the life of one of the most popular adult actresses, Sunny Leone. This movie charts the actress’ metamorphosis from Karenjit Kaur Vohra of Sarnia, Ontario, into Sunny Leone, the most Googled porn star in the world, who also turns into a bonafide Bollywood actress.

  1. THE LITTLE PRINCE/LE PETIT PRINCE (France and USA):

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Directed by Marc Osborne, the story is an adaptation of Antoine de Saint-de Saint-Exupéry’s, The Little Prince. It revolves around a little girl who lives in a very grown up world with her mother, who maps out every minute of her daughter’s life in order to get her into the finest school. The Little Girl is soon distracted by her strange and ancient neighbour, the Aviator, who introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible.

  1. RAILWAY CHILDREN (India):

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Directed by Prithvi Konanur in Kannada, the movie revolves around Raju, a 12-year-old runaway, who steps into an unknown world on the railway platform. Timid, insecure and unsure, he falls into the hands of a gang involved in illegal businesses. Jollu, a gang-member of Raju’s age and a substance addict, teaches Raju the tricks and trades of surviving on the platform. They realize thise while platforms are divided among gangs for selling spurious drinking water. Both Raju and Jollu then, reconcile with an another platform-boy and start selling water on their own, undercutting their boss and inviting danger to their lives.

Feature Image Credits: http://s3.india.com/

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

Electric rickshaws have garnered huge popularity ever since their inception as cheap, accessible and affordable modes of transport. Though a lot of discussion and debate has been taking place regarding the legality and benefits of this recent innovation, research in this segment is still scant.

University of Delhi facilitates innovation projects where the students from different colleges take up potential topics and conduct extensive research upon them under the guidance of a mentor and teachers. One of the projects undertaken this time is by the students of Daulat Ram College on the topic ‘A Comprehensive Analysis of Electric Rickshaws in Comparison to Conventional Fuel Vehicles’.This Project is brought together by Ms. Ritu Khanna, Ms. Shikha Singh and Ms. Raman Arora and 10 students under the mentorship of Mr. V. Packirisamy. The team of students comprises of Harshiel Chahal, Aleena Khan, Arushi Gupta, Aishna Sharma, Gajal Jain, Aswitha Visvesvaran, Astha Goyal, Garima Goel, Talat Khanam and Muskan Gupta.

DRC innovation project
Primary surveys of e-rickshaw drivers were undertaken

The main objectives of the project were to study the socio-economic impact and environmental effects of e-rickshaws and to make policy recommendations for future action. A primary survey of 220 passenger electric rickshaws was conducted across Delhi with the comprehensive questionnaire designed to include social and economic profile of drivers and the vehicular profile of e-rickshaws. It has also questioned the regulatory and legal ambiguities in the e-rickshaw industry and suggested key improvements in the urban public transit governance for the same. Based on the findings of the survey and methods of calculating carbon emissions accepted globally, electric rickshaws have been found more environmentally sound than other conventional fuel vehicles.

 

The most significant contribution of the project has been the quantification of socio-economic impact to e-rickshaws, which had been an ignored area of study till now. The project could make several conclusions encompassing many socio economic indicators like income, working schedule, education, and living standards among others. These results play a pivotal role in putting together an inclusive report to the grass-root realities and make it possible for policy makers to look beyond a veil of fabricated understanding.

 

DRC innovation project
A comprehensive understanding of the on-ground situation along with the socio-economic conditions of drivers was attempted at.

The project also facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the on-ground situation of e-rickshaw drivers, which pointed towards several loopholes and administrative failures. Along with a pragmatic study of evolution of the regulatory framework, this helped us make necessary policy recommendations, which account for problems faced by the drivers that is often overlooked in the face of need  for rapid development. Thus, it will prove to be an indispensable piece of literature and act as guiding study for future researchers and policy makers                                                                                     .

 

This project has provided the students a first-hand experience of working with the target group along with the academic curriculum.The team has presented papers at prominent conferences including the International Conference on Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability, the National Conference on Social Science and Economics (NCSSE) and the National Conference on Emerging Issues of Climate Change: Sustainability and Economic implications, receiving immense appreciation for the research and innovation undertaken. It will also be presenting a paper at the International Conference titled ‘Socio-Economic Justice after Seventy Years of India’s Independence: Domestic and Global Challenges’ organized by Faculty on Law in November, 2016 and International Conference on “Green Chemistry in Environmental Sustainability & Chemical Education” (ICGC-2016).