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DU Professor Rajeev Gupta receives CRSI Medal

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Professor Rajeev Gupta of Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi was honored with the Bronze Medal (2016) by the Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) for his contributions to research in Chemistry. The CRSI was founded by Bharat Ratna Prof. C. N. R. Rao in 1999 and is the largest chemical society of the country. The society includes members who participate in the study, practice, teaching and promotion of chemistry.

Professor Gupta works on several interdisciplinary fields such as coordination chemistry, bio-inorganic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, designed materials, catalysis, and inorganic medicinal chemistry. Professor Gupta has published research papers in the leading international journals of scientific repute and his work has been widely cited. “The research in our laboratory is targeted to understand the molecular and electronic structure as well as the application and function of coordination complexes via an iterative synthetic approach”, states Rajeev Gupta’s group.

His projects include work on “Development of indicators for anthropogenic, environmental and chemical stress on urban ecosystem: A study of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of Yamuna river catchment from National Capital Region (Delhi)”,  funded by the University of Delhi under the Department of Science and Technology- Promotion of University Research (DST-PURSE ). They also include “Scientific Excellence Program and Coordination Complexes as the Building Blocks: Supra-molecular Organization and Catalysis” funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Professor Gupta has also delivered several talks for various national and international journals and his research is supported by several national funding agencies such as Department of Science and Technology (DST), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and University Grant Commission (UGC).

Image credits: du.ac.in

Shefali Bharati
[email protected]

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Campus Central

Enactus Satyawati: Transforming lives, creating possibilities

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Every time we pass a dumpster, we cover our face. We cannot stand the smell of the stinking garbage. But, right in that dumpster are people; men, women with little infants in one hand and a bag in the other, and little children with bags full of filth.  They are our city’s ‘invisible environmentalists’. They are the ones who segregate our biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. The other invisible lot of our city is of the four thousand sex workers trapped in the seventy-seven brothels, situated within one kilometer radius of G.B. Road. Both these sections of our society not only lead an impossibly hard life but, a marginalized one too; a life completely devoid of social acceptance and economic stability. In an effort to bring a positive change in the lives of these two sections of our society, the young entrepreneurs of Enactus Satyawati are working on two projects – Project Navjeevan and Project Vasundara. Enactus Satyawati consists of 35 Enacters who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. It started 18 months back and has achieved a number of national level grants, including being sponsored by KPMG, Walmart, Bluedart, HUL and Mahindra Rise. Project Navjeevan Through this project, Enactus Satyawati aims to improve the lives of the women at G.B. Road by providing them with the training to make notebooks. This will not only provide them with a new way to gain economic stability but, pave a path which will help them enter the mainstream world from their present marginalized state.  Their prime objective is to uproot these women from prostitution by providing them vocational training and tailoring so, that they can live a dignified life. They intend to provide them with a place within the social structure without the stigma of prostitution.   Project Vasundhara Under this project, Enactus Satyawati is working with the rag pickers of Roshnara Bagh. Rag pickers’ work involves the sorting out of the biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. The biodegradable waste is vermi-composted to produce ‘manure’ which is the cheapest in the realm of fertilizers and is accredited by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The non-biodegradable waste is further sold off to middlemen who in return give them meager money for their labour. Children are the most exploited commodity in this trade of rag picking. They not only lose their childhood to hazardous workplaces but, are constantly prone to life-threatening diseases and toxic substances. Therefore, their project aspires to create a better and secure future for the rag pickers by opening new opportunities for them in various fields, while creating a model of ‘Green city, Zero Rubbish’, in the process. Image credits: Enactus Satyawati Facebook page. Nidhi Panchal [email protected]]]>

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Gargi College

Econovation – the Annual Economics fest of Gargi College

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Econovation, the Annual Economics fest of Gargi College which is being organized on 8th September, 2015 is the brainchild of Ecomantra, the Economics Department. The event which is every economics aficionado’s dream come true provides a platform for discourse, discussion, analysis and application. It is a one-of-a-kind economics fest which encourages students to not only question but find answers to questions.

This year the event is scheduled to take place under the theme – 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities. India in the recent months has garnered upbeat expectation regarding its economic prospects within the national as well as international circuits in light of initiatives like the Make in India policy. It therefore becomes essential to assess the opportunities that the economy can optimize on along with the challenges that may block its climb. Econovation aims to enlighten the leaders of tomorrow about the current scenario through its eminent guest speakers.

The Festival starts will witness the presence of Honorable Dr. Abhijit Sen Gupta, India Resident Mission at The Asian Development Bank and Respected Prof. Meeta Keswani Mehra, Chairperson of Centre for International Trade & Development as the speakers.

Ecomantra promises this year’s festival to be a bigger and better learning extravaganza with a plethora of competitions. For all you research enthusiasts, there is the “Econovation Paper Presentation Competition”. If you are a Pablo Picasso re-incarnate and if portraying real life situations on the canvas is your cup of tea, then “Poster Mash” is your sure-shot destination. Tap the explorer in you as your team navigates through the campus in “Beg Borrow Deal”.

If you think you are an economist par excellence, then show your expertise at “Quizbola”. If the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ made you consider investment banking as a career, then prove your mettle at “Stock Shock”. It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it. If that is your philosophy then come debate at “Ex-Ante”.

See you there at Econovation 2015, where Economics is the doorway to ecstasy. Don’t forget to register or grab your friends along to be a part of this wonderful journey.

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Top Picks

Chicken Soup for the Homesick Soul

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To the DU fuccha in hostel,

 

Warning 1: Pangs of hunger for Ma’s dal-chawal, which you otherwise cribbed about at home.

Warning 2: An overwhelming need to be in your room at home.

Warning 3: New found love for an annoying sibling you would fight with every day.

When you feel all of this, accompanied by an unexplainable yearning for the past, for the place you grew up in and for the friends you spent your school days with, you should know you’re homesick.

Homesickness-an ugly monster that inevitably invades every hosteller’s life once the heady high of being in Delhi University has begun to fade. If you find yourself longing for home or worse, crying yourself to sleep at night, you must remember that there are several perks of having moved away from home in the first place.

 

  • You could, at some point in the future, probably survive a concentration camp: From sharing toilets with ten people to learning to adjust with uncooperative room mates, hostel equips you with the hardiness and confidence to survive even the worst of situations.

 

  • Every time you need something, you cannot yell for Ma: And that, dear fucch, teaches you to be independent. When you need your favourite pair of jeans, you’re going to realise you haven’t washed them in weeks. Empty laundry bags become a rare, but rewarding sight, and if you’re out of toothpaste, you have nobody to blame but yourself.

 

  • It’s all about the money, honey: Your monthly allowance is almost always insufficient for all those necessities-right from thrice a week momo cravings, to weekend Hauz Khas runs and groceries. What do you do? You learn to budget and save every penny you can. If you still have money in your pockets at the end of the month, congratulations! You can treat yourself to dessert at Big Chill.

 

  • Explore! In stepping out of that comfort zone, you have given yourself an opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds and to explore a whole new city! Delhi is an interesting place with something for everybody. All you need to do is get out of your room once in a while.

 

  • Distance makes the heart grow fonder: You begin to realise just how much family means to you. What makes it all worthwhile, is being pampered when you go home every couple of months. Your favourite meals will be made, cousins will take you out to dinner and you will feel like you’re royalty.

 

 

Most importantly, you will learn to stick by the decisions you made and that, gives you room to grow.

 

Image credits: lucysmilesaway.com

 

Abhinaya Harigovind

 

[email protected]

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Bazinga

Bazinga: Delhi University makes haircuts compulsory for boys!

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bazinga flattopDelhi University has established a rule making haircuts compulsory for boys!Male students of Delhi University are now required to have their hair cut in one of four university approved ways in order to “change the image of the average DU student.” A special committee set up for this purpose passed a resolution on Monday approving four different hairstyles that male students are allowed to sport in college. The approved hairstyles mentioned in the ordinance include the flattop cut (commonly sported by Simon Cowell), the bowl cut (a popular American hairstyle during the 1980s) and variations of the crew cut, which most Indian boys have had at some point in their life. Students are, however, not allowed to shave their heads completely without prior permission from their college principals. “We believe that our students should exhibit the same sense of cleanliness and discipline as our armed forces, we hope to reach a similar consensus on clothing before the end of this year,” said a member of the DU administration.
bazinga bowl cut

Although college life has never been associated with any such regulations, institutions in different parts of the world have often made such attempts to curtail personal freedoms. For example, last year the North Korean government passed a guideline that required all its male university students to get the same hair cut as their beloved leader Kim Jong-un. Back home, the initial response from students has not been particularly positive but student unions across colleges have requested its students to approach this change in a unified manner. “We understand that this is a threat to the sovereignty and independence of the students but we must find an appropriate time and place to stage our protest, till then we request all students to kindly accept the new ordinance,” said a member of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU). Whether this hair cut scheme will erupt into another standoff between the DU administration and its students or indeed lead to a change in the image of the average DU student, only time will tell. Until then, we advice our male readers to visit a barber as soon as possible!

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news! A visit to the barber with the mentioned hairstyles may be injurious to your reputation.

Shraman Ghosh
[email protected]

Image credits: Google Images

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DUB News

Let’s take a ‘Selfie with Plant’- It’s time to go green!

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The nationwide ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inspired the members of Students For Development (SFD) to come up with the ‘Selfie with Plant’ campaign. SFD is a group of students who work towards the socio-economic and ecological development of the nation, through the constructive power of the youth.

Mr.Modi once said, “If seeds of good harvest and good culture are sown, the rewards of a rich harvest can be reaped by generations to come.” Therefore, the main aim of this campaign is to promote the necessity of planting trees in our country and foster love towards nature, with the help of social media.

The campaign was launched on 10th July, 2015. It started with volunteers of SFD planting 50 saplings near Shakti Nagar in New Delhi. The objective was to encourage the youth to plant as many trees as possible so as to increase greenery in the city. The participants received much appreciation and were featured in several national newspapers. The Delhi-based campaign also motivated the SFD branches of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and several other states to start similar initiatives in their respective turfs.

Vijay Tyagi, SFD, Delhi’s Social Media Coordinator said, “We have started this campaign to promote a plantation drive among the youth and spread awareness among all the students about the true importance of tree plantation and the environment.” SFD believes that pollution can only be controlled if every person plants a sapling. Thus, the outfit advocates that one should plant at least one sapling on birthdays and then upload a picture/selfie with the hashtag- #SelfieWithPlant or #GreenSelfie on any social media networking site and share it with others.

It is only through such efforts at the grassroots level that we get to see changes at the macro level. For instance, according to the latest India State of Forest report 2013 (published biennially), it was reported that there has been an increase of a total of 5,871 sq km worth of forest cover in India.

Shagun Marwah
[email protected]

Featured Image Credits: www.iamin.com

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Beyond the Obvious of Delhi University Colleges

Beyond The Obvious: Miranda House

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It takes you an identification card and a valid reason to be able to access this part of  north campus. When you do enter it, Lo and Behold!Every scene is a pleasure to the eyes. I was enraged by the FYUP fiasco at the time of my college admission. During that period, the frequency of my visits to north campus had increased. I used to visit the colleges and talk to the students. Although Miranda House was on my list of priorities, somehow I had never come across it.  However, soon it came across me.

Miranda House was established in 1948 by the University Vice-Chancellor, Sir Maurice Gwyer. Its foundation stone was laid by Lady Edwina Mountbatten on 7th March in the same year.As I had studied in a co-educational school, joining an all-girl’s college seemed to be a brave decision. Why shouldn’t I call it brave? All-girls colleges are made to seem like concentration camps of inactivity and monotony. Actually, too much estrogen makes everyone wonder about the kind of discussions girls have to deal with in college. So does “All girls and no boys, make Miranda a dull college?”

Well, girls hardly find time to brood over the absence of the other gender. In fact, they find a life outside of such myths. It is in this way that I came to assess the true value of the notions around girls colleges. For instance, the catalogue of dolled up feminists, is a hoax. While it is true that a lot of girls are feminists, but it is equally imperative to emphasise that most of them are aware of the dynamics of their choices and ideologies.

One feels at home at Miranda House, which undoubtedly offers the most accommodating environment. You don’t have to be anybody but yourself to enjoy life as a Mirandian. The surroundings are perfectly active and peacefully silent. This paradox works wonders for every student here. The hub of voices and thrill is the area around the Cafeteria which is famous for it’s Chilly Potatoes. If the Cafeteria doesn’t serve you your proper cappuccino, the Nescafe joint adjacent to it does. This area is often made more interesting when the Hindi dramatics society better their “Aao Aao natak dekho” pitches.

One of the most beautiful places inside the college is The Miranda House Hostel. It is one of the most prestigious hostels of north campus. Its spectacular beauty has made it a popular destination for shooting ad films and movies. Although day scholars do not have an access to this part of the college, we often find them braving a selfie or two whilst they stand near the heritage hall, which overlooks the hostel lawns.

It would be a breach of trust and treaty if a dear chunk of Miranda House goes undocumented. It is the cats of MH: poised and confident. They will join you like a Victorian lady while you sip a coffee and devour your lunch. They might as well be reading this account along with you right now.

I have come to realise and have heard the same from many ex-Mirandians: You take a girl out of Miranda after three years of your graduation, but you can never take Miranda out of the girl.

Tooba Towfiq
[email protected]

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DUB News

IIT Kanpur’s eSummit’15 to follow the Harvard ideology for case study competition

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Have you ever wondered how Harvard Business School creates leaders? The case study method takes center stage here. Edwin Gay, first Dean of HBS, called it the “problem method” and foresaw its value in creating leaders who are able to adjust as necessary to ever-changing business climates. Unlike the traditional methods of teaching, Harvard uses case studies as primary teaching vehicle. Though notes and lectures are a part of the courses, it is interesting to note that more than 80 percent of HBS classes are built on the case method.

 

Most people are more inductive than deductive learners. In simple words, they learn concepts better by examples than by the raw definitions. And here, case study method offers a rescue with enhancement. A case study puts one in confrontation with several possible consequences and thus leads to a concrete plan of action. At the same time, it also hones analytical skills and helps to cope up with ambiguities faced in life.

 

E-Cell, IIT Kanpur also believes in the Harvard ideology and ranks cases as one of the topmost methods of learning. The eSummit’15, scheduled from 28th to 30th of August, by the E-Cell in association with News Republic brings is organising grand case study competition – Decrypt, along with events like SoCha, Upstart and Pitch Your Product. Cash prizes worth 50,000 INR can be won from the comforts of your hostel room. All you need to participate in Decrypt is a laptop and an internet connection. So hurry up and get solving!

 

For more details visit http://ecelliitk.com/esummit/decrypt.html

 

DU Beat is the Publicity Partner for eSummit’15.

 

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QWERTY

Tech n Tomes! : How to get e-books for free (All devices!)

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Books are a man’s best friend. But wait! So are our gadgets! Why not club the two?

The popularity of e-books is undisputable, so much so that in recent times we have witnessed specific e-book reading devices or e-readers (Kindle anyone?). But with powerful processors, high-resolution displays, big bright screens and expensive price tags, it would be ludicrous not to use our ‘smart’ devices for our reading leisure. There are plenty of apps available across all platforms that will help you read e-books. But the real question is, where and how do you get these books for free?

So put your reading glasses on as we show you how to get your favorite e-books at the comfort of your palms!

epubbud

How to get them

Firstly, it may not be ethical to download the e-books for free though the method described is legal. Now there are numerous ways of downloading an e-book. But to simplify the process, here’s the best place to find most e-books and getting them in EPUB format –www.epubbud.com .

Simply head to the website (using the desired device) and search the book you want in the search bar or hit ‘Browse’, to view them in categories. Once you find the book you want, click on its tile and it would take you to its description page. Click ‘Download e-book’ and it’s done!

Also, though the site has a wide array of e-books, naturally you won’t find all e-books here. (You may have to Google it!)

How to read them

iOS:  This website is a boon for Apple users and has been specifically designed for iBooks.  Once you press ‘Download e-Book’ you will soon see the iBook logo, tapping on which will store the book in your library.

img19

Android and others: There are loads of ePub reader apps in the Play Store. Just to list a few, you may try Universal Book reader and FB reader.  Download your book and open using the app.

FB reader is also available for Blackberry OS 10, Windows (PC and Phone), Mac and Linux (www.fbreader.org)

Web: You can also read the book in the browser itself by clicking ‘Read in Browser’ button.

That’s all! Now wherever you go, you can take a book along – anytime, anywhere!

Happy Reading folks!

 

Sidhant Malhotra

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Moksha, ends with DJ Aceaxe and DJ Nucleya's performance

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Gotom Gandkak from SRCC performing for Dance-off, the solo and duet competition at Moksha, NSIT | Image Credits- Chirag Sharma[/caption] The dance competition was followed by Mr. and Ms. Moksha. Students from all the colleges could come and participate in this competition. The first round was Lip-syncing competition. The participants had to introduce themselves and lip-sync with a song of their choice. The second round consisted of two parts- The Questionnaire round and the Talent round. Bhavika was the first performer of the competition. It was judged by Kanika Katyal, HT City editor, Suparna Chakrobarty, Monica Meena and Joginder Kumar, a famous wrestler who participated in Commonwealth Games. Gaurav Tyagi from Shivaji College became Mr. Moksha and Palak Makkar from Amity School of Technology and Engineering became Miss Moksha. The runners-up of the competition were Kushal Jasoriya from BITS Pilani and Khushboo Tanwar from CVS. [caption id="attachment_31538" align="aligncenter" width="332"] Glimpse from Mr. and Miss Moksha at Moksha, NSIT | Image Credits- Chirag Sharma[/caption] After that, the beat-boxing competition took place. It was judged by R.P. Singh, a student of rock school London and Manish Thapliyal, lead vocalist of ROOTS. Aman was the winner of the competition. The finals of Dhwani, the singing competition had the same judges. 12 participants out of 260 were selected for the finals. Sanya, Bineet and Shashank were the winners in each category- English, Hindi, Instrumental. [caption id="attachment_31539" align="aligncenter" width="399"]11083685_792349094174812_4776682424983857986_n Glimpse from Avalanche-Battle of Bands at Moksha, NSIT | Image Credits- Chirag Sharma[/caption] This was followed by Battle of Bands which saw the participation of six bands. The competition was judged by the headlining band of the competition called The Cosmic Truth who gave a mind-blowing performance after the contestants. The first prize went to Eyes of the Martyr and Kazaryth bagged the second prize. [caption id="attachment_31541" align="aligncenter" width="543"]1908457_792350977507957_1953230996794447169_n DJ Aceaxe entertaining the crowd | Image Credits- Chirag Sharma for DUBeat[/caption] The night was concluded by the Evening ball and Star night. The performers were DJ Nucleya and DJ Aceaxe. They attracted a huge crowd and everyone danced and enjoyed at the south-Indian dubstep tracks and others played by them. Everyone also thoroughly enjoyed the laser show at the end of the entire event. With inputs from NSIT PR Team. Image Credits- Chirag Sharma for DUBeat Sudisha Misra [email protected]]]>

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