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Indian Economy is an unpredictable concept, with intricacies to understand and get an idealistic approach towards it’s nature. The students and teachers shall come together to get a good and deep knowledge of it. With this initiative, ECOSPIRE: The Economics society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College organized a seminar on ”Budgetary Reforms and the GST: Issues and Options” on 25th October, 2016.

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With the celebration of its Golden Jubilee year, the seminar witnessed eminent speakers like Dr. Sacchidananda Mukherjee and Dr. Laveesh Bhandari who gave their viewpoints on the topic and shared their experiences erstwhile.

The speakers arrived at the venue in the morning from where the guests were escorted along with the principal to the seminar room for the inauguration ceremony. The convener Mr Jayesh Adeshra in the presence of the entire faculty welcomed the speakers. The seminar kickstarted with a speech by Dr. Laveesh Bhandari who currently serves as a Director of Indicus Analytics Pvt Ltd., on the topic “Budgetary Reforms” where he discussed about the basics of a government budget and how it affects the political atmosphere and the public, in general. He talked in detail about the budget deficit and the over and under expenditure done by the government in various sectors of the economy. He talked about the plight of the public sector undertakings (PSUs) in the economy and the effect on the budget deficit due to immense expenditure done by the government to recover the losses of this sector.

His speech was followed by a question hour in which he entertained all the questions asked by students and even teachers in the seminar.

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The next speech was given by our second speaker Dr. Sacchidananda Mukherjee who is currently an Associate Professor at National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), on the topic:”GST: issues and options”. In his speech, he explained in detail about GST and its effect on the household, and the markets. He explained how GST will widen the tax base by expanding the coverage of economic activities and cutting down exemption, achieving better tax compliance through mitigation of tax cascading, double taxation, and lowering the tax burden on the middle class section of the economy by giving numerical examples to prove the same.

After the speech, he responded to the questions asked by students in the question hour which noticed active participation. The seminar concluded with the conveyor presenting the mementos to the speakers. The students left the venue carrying a deep insight on the topic.

“A public outcry usually masks a private obsession.” – Eric Schlosser

The Finance and Investment society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi, organized a traditional stock market event, ‘The Wolf of Dalal Street’ on 24th October 2016. The event consisted of two rounds- first, a business awareness quiz followed by an open outcry mock stock where participants were able to seize the buzz and thrill of real time trading.

Guided by the hard-work and efforts of the Event Head Shubham Surana of Second year and co-head Devanshu Choudhary of First year, B.com. (Hons) students of the college, the magnificent event had one of the largest turnouts of the year.

A zealous passion for the stock markets drove the registrations to 200+ students out of which 16 teams made it to the second round. Participants were required to apply their dexterity and comprehension to decipher the complex trading game to win the challenge.

Students from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College were the first runner ups who won a cash prize of Rs. 5, 000 and the team that had the best hand at market conditions was from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce and won a cash prize of Rs. 10, 000.

Other prizes which amounted up to Rs. 30, 000 included Smash Vouchers, T.I.M.E. vouchers, and best-selling novels. The event was sponsored by our Education partner – T.I.M.E., our media partners- DU Beat and University Express and our Gaming Partner- Smash.

A well crafted and modernised crime drama TV series based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock is the modern marvel of direction and writing in the world of TV shows. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss created an extraordinary piece, thrilling its viewers by showcasing insipidness of the private consulting detective by not only giving a modern twist to the age old stories, but also casting Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Andrew Scott to ace the roles of Holmes, Watson and Moriarty respectively, to do justice to the modernised version of the most loved British Detective ever.

Read along to get hold of some of the wittiest signature dialogues in the serial by the characters :

1-1

Kill you?

No, don’t be obvious. I mean I’m going to kill you anyway, some day

I don’t wanna rush it, though. I am saving it up for something special.

No, no, no. If you don’t stop prying, I’ll burn you. I’ll burn the heart out of you.

~Professor Jim Moriarty

 

Every fairy-tale needs a good old fashion villain

~Professor Jim Moriarty

4

In the world of locked rooms, the man with the key is king and Honey you should see me in a crown.

~Professor Jim Moriarty

3

Sherlock : what if I shoot you now? Right now?

Moriarty : Then you could cherish the look of surprise on my face.

 

Sherlock: No point of sitting home when there’s something fun going on!

Mrs. Hudson: Look at you, all happy. Its not decent.

Sherlock : Who cares about decent? The game, Mrs Hudson, is on!

 

2-1

Do you know what sherlock, I look at you now and I can read you.. And You.Repel.Me.

~Kitty Riely

The Fall.. But don’t be scared, falling is just like flying except there is one permanent destination.

~Professor Jim Moriarty

 

Gerush Bahal

[email protected]

The political tension between the Student Union parties has reached a new high at a meeting today organized by the All India Students’ Association (AISA). An open meeting was organized at The Arts Faculty, University of Delhi on Thursday, October 27th 2016 to facilitate a productive discussion concerning the idea of ‘Freedom of Expression.’ With a slogan of Don’t Cage our Ideas, Don’t cage our Universities, the Idea of University saw speakers with ideologies of promoting an egalitarian environment, supporting free expression and thought. However, the event took a stark turn with reports chiming in about the chaotic clash between the right and the left wing, turning into a pure he said-she said controversy.

AISA’s take

AISA’s account of what transpired at the Arts Faculty today is diametrically different to what ABVP has conveyed. The event was scheduled for today, 12 pm onwards and the organising entities had already been subjected to the hostile attitude of the administration who created a fuss regarding the payment factor, and moved on to allow the placement of the event with the terms that there will be no usage of mics. It saw a gathering of about 250-300 people and about 2:30 the sloganeering began with slogans like ‘Rapist AISA’, ‘Laal Gulaani Chod ke, bolo Vande Mataram’, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. As ABVP was within the premises and holding a parallel event, they reportedly began hurling ‘lux soaps’ at the AISA activists, which AISA presidential candidate, Kawalpreet Kaur, interprets as, “The ‘soap’ meant that I need to clean myself, my mind and my body and passed sexist comments on me. As if a ‘BHARAT MATA’ should be well groomed and tidy.” The first act of violence was then followed by a full-fledged disruption led by the DUSU President, Amit Tanwar who resorted to physical violence against the activists along with members of his community. The left wing members were also assaulted with rape threats and physical aggression, as the Delhi Police consisting of almost 50 people, reportedly failed to control the mob. An AISA activist who was present at the event said, “The ABVP has once again proven its intolerance for a free and uncaged student community. We have been subjected to various hindrances, starting right from the administration with their discriminatory policy to the stark insecurity of the ABVP with the voice of dissent. Showers of stones and anti-national slogans were tossed at us, however, we are yet to be dissuaded from waging a just fight.”

ABVP’s take

In the hours between 1pm to 3pm, ABVP claims to have conducted a human chain protest in the Arts Faculty, North Campus to protest against the increasing communal atmosphere across the university. It is reported that a female activist of ABVP was hurled a stone at by a member of AISA, who then purposely began the scuffle and the consequent attack. AISA members then proceeded to toss casteist smears and abuses on the ABVP members, which was termed as an act of publicity. Three members of the ABVP community, DUSU President Amit Tanwar, Jyoti and Harshita were reportedly attacked and taken to the hospital. There were also reports of a journalist who provoked the ABVP members with slogans and later falsely claimed that he had sustained injuries. The ABVP activists are also said to have borne the brunt of the police who beat them up. ABVP claims that the event organized by AISA, The Idea of University, was illegally executed as it lacked the pre-requisite of a prior permission.

The versions of both the parties share no common ground, and are being circulated across the social media with pictures and videos as evidences for both the sides. The clash has come after rising strains between the two wings; one, condemning the spreading of communist ideas, and the other, lobbying for the freedom of expression and ideas in this vast area of education.

Update: Videos later emerged on AISA’s page, showing ABVP members charging towards the AISA gathering for the Idea of a University event.

Turning inspiration into reality, the art exhibition by Strokes seized imagination and hopes over two days! 

“The world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

-Henry David Thoreau

Art is all-pervasive, and the students of SGTB Khalsa College portrayed their imagination beautifully across the broad horizons of their college. Strokes, the Fine Arts Society of SGTB Khalsa College, organised their annual art exhibition, Duende, on 17th and 18th October 2016, to display the work of their zealous artists. The event was set up at the heart of the college, the famous Jannat, and attracted eyes and interests throughout the two days. The area was adorned with a variety of shapes and forms of paper craft hanging above the people, giving a shade of ethereal beauty to the contiguous area.

With more than thirty paintings displayed, decorated and placed in the structure of a circle, each painting spoke a unique story, and wove a beautiful aura amidst the sublime atmosphere. Themes such as life style, new beginnings, fire and ice, sacred love and many others were captured. The inspiring paintings were a fascinating visual to behold. The live painting session gave bystanders a chance to get their portraits drawn. The artistry displayed was exquisite and gave birth to some brilliant pieces. The creative streak did not end there. The visitors were also invigorated to see a quirky craft station set up. With bookmarks, paper corners, envelopes, cards, dream catchers and many other handmade products, Duende did justice to transcending the essence of art across a multitude of platforms, which piqued interest and praise.

A member of the society, summarises the experience on the first day, “The turnout was huge even on the first day of college after the mid semester break. People who visited the exhibition were astonished by the work done by the artists which further increased the enthusiasm among the members.” With a combination of a unique theme, stirring paintings, and personalised stationery and activities, the members of Strokes set high aesthetic standards that moved the audience.

 

Saumya Kalia

Image Credits: Saumya Kalia for DU Beat

Pinjra Tod is an autonomous student-run collective effort aiming to ensure a secure and non-gender discriminatory University for all women students. They claim to be battling the university which they believe reproduces patriarchal and casteist structures by constantly seeking to regulate and control women students’ lives, mobility and sexuality through a wide range of mechanisms. On 23rd September 2016, Pinjra Tod organized a ‘Night March’ in Vijay Nagar, North Campus which aimed on reclaiming their right on the streets which they are forbidden to visit beyond their oppressive hostel and PG curfews. Pinjra Tod’s mission stated, “this time we are out on the streets to sit on a vigil against sexual harassment and rent extortion in PG’s, to ask for hostels that should be built for us, for that room that is ours no matter what time we return, for the collective spirit that threatens this patriarchal university so much”.

The march took place through the many lanes of Delhi University’s North Campus on that night in a peaceful and organized manner, after which the group collectively gathered at the Vijay Nagar tea point to begin their night vigil. As they sat on the vigil, the Pinjra Tod members put up a play which represented their daily struggles as woman in the university which was lauded by all the viewers at the tea point. All was said to be going well, when Satender Awana (ex-DUSU President from ABVP) arrived at Vijay Nagar along with his companions and placed themselves amongst the peaceful night vigil by Pinjra Tod. Their arrival followed a range of smirking, laughing and derogatory remarks by ABVP towards the protestors, it was also noted that these men took videos of protestors on their mobile phones with lewd hand gestures in display of their male entitlement over the female protestors. At the end of the play, the men from ABVP started chanting slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai!’ along with other provocative gestures towards the women which included flashing a ‘hundred rupee note’ at a protestor. On being challenged, the man caught hold of the Pinjra Tod activist’s wrists and kept tightening his grip, while attempting to corner her with his friends. This episode created a commotion at the protest area, which eventually cleared out as the men from ABVP left the spot to the activists of Pinjra Tod. This incident created an uproar amongst the female students of Delhi University towards the discriminatory nature of ABVP’s treatment towards Pinjra Tod’s vigil. In retaliation, Pinjra Tod is organizing another protest demonstration against ABVP on 20th October in the Faculty of Arts.

We were in conversation with a Pinjra Tod member who was present that night, she shared with us how the chanting of ‘Hum Bharat ki Mata nahi banenge’ by Pinjra Tod in response to ABVP was in order to instigate a feeling within these men about how women want ‘azaadi’ from these patriarchal structures of conformity which prescribes an ‘ideal woman’. She elaborated upon how the usage of lewd words by the men was an attempt towards character assassination of female students of Delhi University, and questioned their claim to be ‘student parties’ if they cannot treat the students within this university with due respect. The character assassination of women staying out ‘at night’ was an indication towards how these women are of low moral code and therefore do not have a place in their ‘savarna’ politics which is a bend towards casteism in student politics within DU. She also spoke of how the night vigil brought together all the activists of Pinjra Tod into a sense of solidarity towards reclaiming the spaces within the university which they are entitled to be in, as students.

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

 

By being barraged by Trump’s chauvinistic political rhetoric we don’t realise how it desensitises us towards the problems that today’s gendered society faces. Here’s why its not okay to grab women by their anything.

Sexism and Donald Trump go hand in glove. Throughout his electioneering his blatantly crude remarks about women makes you wonder what on earth is his PR and campaign team doing. You’d think he would have learnt his lesson after the backlash he received as a result of the lewd remarks he made about women, be it a former Miss Universe or various media house journalists and reporters. In the same breath, he says he cherishes women and “has great respect for women”. And supposedly, “nobody has more”.

He has managed to dig himself yet another grave when Washington Post published a hot mic conversation where he says that if you’re a “star” you could do anything, even grab women by the p***y. Granted this may have been the only time throughout the campaign he has actually apologised for his statement, which he refuted to be “locker room banter”, it still doesn’t compensate for how him making this remark in turn trivialises sexual assault.

Given how all of Trump’s fiascos create such a social media sensation, it’s not surprising that business minded people have caught on. Recently a Mexican restaurant in Toronto shared a picture of their tacos on instagram and captioned it “What if Donald said, grab her by the taco…”. They received a significant amount of backlash from people for it highlights a different kind of problem. Which is that it normalises a culture of violence and brings us back to square one when it comes to fighting for co-equal gender rights. It belittles and naturalises us into thinking that for a woman to be part of a high-profile workforce she shall have to “endure”.

There is an online women empowerment campaign that sells $21 baseball caps that say “Grab Her by the Brain”, of which a mere 10% of the proceeds go to charity. This pseudo counter vocalisation merely taps into a certain political trend in the name of gender equality and doesn’t actually address the gravity of the issue, it converts it into something thats in vogue.

This overbearingly masculine approach that Trump adopts is sure to backfire on him. With each move he makes he further dichotomises himself and Hillary. This campaign has seen such a heightened gender war that one can only hope that its outcome will not be regressive. We are at the precipice of a major unraveling of all the positive changes that have come about in the 21st century at the hands of a misogynistic megalomaniac. What is even more disturbing is that a significant section of the US population applaud him for his actions and sentiments regarding women. Goes to show that we still have a long way to go as a global society. But that being said, we are witness to a turning point in political history where gender/culture wars are at its peak and these contentious issues are at the forefront of people’s social consciousness. A bull like Trump and flawed political rhetoric cannot go unnoticed.

Image Credits: lennyletter/Jess Rotter

Debashree Unni

With climate change and their impact being a much debatable topic nowadays, one of the major culprits for our degrading environmental quality is considered to be air pollution. Thus, it is a matter of deep concern for all developing as well as developed nations to take concrete action towards it, and create a center stage of all challenges particularly by developing nations. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, a team of students and teachers from Daulat Ram College undertook Project Urban Air (DR-309) under the University of Delhi Innovation Project Scheme 2015-16. The aim of the study was to identify the monetary benefits that can be reaped by the citizens of Delhi along with health benefits as a result of reduction in air pollution.

The project was initiated under the guidance of Prof. M.N Murty, and headed by Mrs. Pooja Sharma, Mrs. Prarthna Aggarwal Goel and Mrs. Pooja Jain.

The team of students comprised of the following:  Rupeesha Galhotra, Srishti Gupta, Drishti Narula, Phalguni Sanghi, Juhi Dugar, Chitranshi Singh, Pragati, Mansi Goyal and Bhoomi Aggarwal.

The study has been based on primary data collected through extensive surveys across various localities of Delhi. The questionnaire covered various socio-economic and health aspects of the households. Data regarding pollution levels across seasons was also collected from various monitoring stations of CPCB and DPCC. Hence, the results have been formulated to evaluate people’s willingness to pay to reduce air pollution, household production of indoor pollution, health expenditure and the noxious substances like CO, NO2, SO2, PM2.5 and PM10 released in the air, thereby worsening the air quality.

Project surveys undertaken by the team
Project surveys undertaken by the team

Through the project, the students aim to impart awareness concerning various determinants of air pollution and highlight not only the health impact but also the monetary gain derived from a reduction in pollution. Through this study, the students hope to make a positive impact in the fight against the deteriorating air pollution by making the problem more understandable to the layperson; and also appeal to the relevant authorities to take effective, concrete and long term actions to combat the rising menace.

As a part of the project, on 19th March, 2016 the team organized a seminar on the topic – Air Pollution and Health: Issues, Challenges and Policy – which brought together eminent scholars in the field of health and economics to engage in an enlightening discussion with the students about the given topic. The panel included the project mentor, Prof. M.N Murty (visiting Prof. at Teri University), Dr. Dipankar Saha (Senior Director at CPCB), Chirashree Ghosh (Associate Professor at Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi) and Surender Kumar (Professor at Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics).

Team Urban Air with eminent scholars invited at the seminar
Team Urban Air with eminent scholars invited at the seminar

The team has also published its findings in the DU journal of Undergraduate Research and Innovation titled ‘Air Pollution Reduction and Health Impact Analysis’ (ISSN no: 2395-2334) and presented a paper in the First International conference organised by Academic Fora on the theme ‘Medical, Medicine and Health Sciences’. They will present once again in Jawaharlal Nehru University, in the near future.

Team presenting its paper at International Conference organized by Academic Fora.
Team presenting its paper at International Conference organized by Academic Fora.

 

Much like the Dark Knight who silently overlooks the city of Gotham in the dark recesses of the night, the volunteers of Friendicoes at Lady Shri Ram College care for the animal life on campus when nobody is looking. In talks with the volunteers, we discovered that this NGO not only feeds the “stray” animals but also looks after their immunisation and sanitation.

A first year volunteer, Khushi, explains that the dogs and cats on campus are fed twice a day- with a rotational duty list, the volunteers ensure that all dogs are given Pedigree, milk, bread and water according to their individual dietary requirements. In addition to the food, these animals are bathed at regular intervals and are made to wear collars- the best part, these collars come in a range of neon colours, the hues of pink and orange that complement their shiny coats perfectly.

A recent event showcases the concern and love the volunteers have for the dogs in LSR. A dog who gave birth has been given a small, shady area to make sure she is not disturbed by the footfall and the daily college chaos. Understanding that a new mother is overly protective of her pups, the volunteers have cut off the area ensuring the safety of both the students and the mother.

When asked why they chose to work with Friendicoes , when it had an additional requirement to be vaccinated for Rabies, a condition that scares off most students, the volunteers promptly answered- “for the love of animals”. To these brave students, the so called “stray” animals are not simply animals found on the street , but lives that deserve attention and protection. They firmly believe that it is every single individual’s responsibility to help and care for those who cannot fend for themselves- animals and humans alike.

These courageous humanitarians are bold and conscientious, fulfilling their responsibility in every way possible. After all, it is the silent crusader who works tirelessly behind the scenes and saves the city, when the citizens are fast asleep, dreaming of a better tomorrow.

Image credits: Friendicoes’ Facebook page

Anahita Sahu

If you’ve seen American shows or sitcoms, the craze and hype of Halloween won’t be a notion alien to you. If you haven’t, you shall still be apprised with the basic gist of the huge occasion October 31st is. And if you still don’t have a clue about what we’re talking about, chances are you’re living under a rock.

With the advent of the notion of globalization and the world becoming a ‘global village,’ traditions and values of the diversified hues are being adopted regardless of the geographical borders. Commendable, won’t you say? The fluidity of festivals is a worthy example and an idea with bright potential. While pondering over these noble and mighty ideas, one would wonder about the insertion of American celebrations, say Halloween, in the Indian culture; the more, the merrier, right? It’s not so simple.

Spooky pumpkins, ridiculous costumes and over-the-top makeup, trick or treating for children and themed parties for the adults, the story of Halloween runs deeply in the Western culture. But this story shall be subjected to a few technical and intellectual difficulties in the Indian counterpart for some painfully valid reasons.

  1. The trick or treating: Lol. India Mein?

There is only one rule which dominates the rule book of Halloween: children are supposed to ask for either treats or tricks from the houses they choose to knock on. Once you’ve absorbed the concept, try to picture this imagery in the Indian context. Firstly, as kids, the idea of not talking to strangers/taking things from strangers is hammered into our brains for blatant reasons. Secondly, the traditional rule takes place in the hours of an evening, and well, we all know how safe the streets of India are once the sun sets. The whole placement of children asking for trick or treat, hopping between homes can’t be executed for essential safety reasons. The parental philosophy paradox could not be more relevant here! Thus, one brick of the Jenga falls.

  1. The ‘Dress to Success’ Concept: Future ki Kahani, Halloween ke zubaani?

Myriad people, myriad mind-sets. Generalization is an abominable sin, but that doesn’t stop us from highlighting the sectional plight. We all know the formidable tales of Sharma ji ka beta and our dearest Pappu. To some extent, the minds of Indian parents still hover around the ‘successful’ careers of medicine and engineering. Halloween will just be another fancy dress competition where the kids will be reflections of the future their parents visualized for them. A Halloween with a motley of costumes: some with lab coats and lawyer robes, and some in superhero costumes. And here stands the purpose of Halloween defeated!

  1. The Intolerant India: Nahi, aapne pehen kaise liya?

The Intolerance debate became the favourite newspaper headline for the media for a loooong time. And a little momentum of the debate holds relevance in the Halloween modalities too. Fancy this: someone wearing the costume of a respectable figure, indulging in smoking/drinking. Such a scenario would seem minuscule to the young blood, but it sure has the potential to freeze a conventional street and make the dresser the victim of harassment. To talk about the restrictions surrounding the female dress code and the ogling that would invite, well, let’s not pull that string. Loyalty to figure and orthodox ideas run deep in the country, giving everyone a shade of intolerance and further hampering the creative streak of the Halloween celebration.

  1. The Notion Fallacy: Kaunsa amusement?

Diwali is the festival of lights. Holi is the festival of colours. Thanksgiving is the festival of gratitude. And Halloween is the festival which celebrates horror and everything spooky (hint: the pumpkins). Lights, colours, gratitude, are diametrically related to the spreading of horror in the community. Think of the gory and abhorrent ‘tricks’ people would commit in the name of Halloween; the Indian community is that unpredictable.

  1. The Market of Festivals: Bhaiya, aur kitne?

CBSE Political Science books taught us the importance of diversity in our country. This diversity lends us a colourful flavour to the cultural hemisphere, with a plethora of festivities lining up to be celebrated. With an average of two-three festivals per month booking up our calendar schedules, do we need one more to crowd our holidays? Specially the month of October which brings the celebration of Durga Pujo, Dussehra, Diwali back to back, the idea of another festival succeeding Diwali times indeed sounds less favourable and extremely tiring.

Colourful candies, orange pumpkins, shades of costumes flooding the streets under the black night; can the horror and fun of Halloween float through the Indian minds? Candy for thought!

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

Image Credits: history.com