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

DU Beat

Browsing
Admissions

Myanmar Refugee Challenges DU Passport Requirement in Delhi High Court

By

A Myanmar refugee has approached the Delhi High Court challenging Delhi University’s passport requirement for foreign admissions, arguing that the rule excludes UNHCR-recognised refugees from accessing higher education.

Delhi University’s admission policy for foreign students is under judicial scrutiny after a Myanmar refugee approached the Delhi High Court, challenging the requirement that applicants possess a non-Indian passport to seek admission under the Foreign Students Registry (FSR). The petition argues that the rule unfairly excludes refugees who have fled their home countries and are therefore unable to obtain travel documents from the countries they were forced to flee.

Petitioner Henry Htoo Aung Lin and his family fled Myanmar due to the political instability, which created aggravated fear in the hearts of many in Myanmar. These refugees have been living in India under protection from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since 2022. Since then, he has completed his schooling in India, and now hopes to secure admission to an undergraduate programme at Delhi University under the foreign students category.

At the heart of the plea is Delhi University’s FSR admission bulletin, which mandates a valid non-Indian passport as a prerequisite for admission. The petitioner requests that his UNHCR documents be accepted in their place and asks the High Court to strike down this requirement.

There exists a contradiction in the FSR framework. While Tibetan nationals without passports are permitted to rely on alternative documents such as Registration Certificates, no similar provision exists for UNHCR-recognised refugees from Myanmar. This creates an inconsistency which amounts to unequal treatment. 

The petition argues that the passport requirement overlooks the petitioner’s academic eligibility, as he has produced certificates proving his completion of Class X from the Mizoram Board of School Education and Class XII from the Meghalaya Board of School Education, establishing that he has fulfilled the academic requirements for admission. It further states that any discrepancies in his name or date of birth are merely clerical errors and do not affect his identity.

Invoking Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the petition argues that the passport requirement is discriminatory and deprives recognised refugees of equal access to higher education and the dignity that comes with it. It also invokes the legal maxim lex non cogit ad impossibilia, which is understood as “the law does not compel a person to perform an impossible act,” contending that refugees cannot be required to produce documents they simply cannot obtain.

The matter is currently pending before the Court, which has sought responses from Delhi University and the concerned authorities before taking up the petition for further consideration.

Read Also: DU UG Admissions 2026: More than 82,900 students register for 73 courses in first phase of CSAS

Image Source: Foreign Students’ Registry

Ahana Dey

[email protected]

 

Keep Reading
By
DUB News

DU Admission Scam: Aspirants Receive Fake Admission Calls

By

Delhi University aspirants all across India have been receiving scam calls from individuals posing as DU representatives, offering seats in their desired colleges for a ransom.

 

Due to its impeccable literary heritage, surmounting cultural importance and a great network of alumni, Delhi University stands out as one of the most aspirational and promising institutions for UG (undergraduate) studies. With CSAS phase 2 underway, where the college allotment process is decided by the preference list, students are navigating a mix of excitement, anticipation and nervousness. 

Despite the step-by-step process clearly outlined by the official website for admission to DU, a lot of students have reported getting scam calls from individuals claiming to be ‘admission counsellors’. They promise to prepare a personalised preference sheet for the students, helping them secure a guaranteed seat in their favourite college, all for a hefty amount of money. What makes the fraud particularly convincing is the callers’ apparent familiarity with the admission processes, quotas and college placements, lending credibility to their false claims.

Several students spoke to Hindustan Times regarding such frauds and one such student Tanya Rathi, from Ghaziabad reported:

My father received a call from someone saying, “I’m from DU.”‘ They said they help students with counselling and assured us that they would fill my preference sheet in a way that would ensure I get the college I wanted. In return, they quoted him ₹50,000.’’

Another student Rehan Chandra, from Jaipur stated:

The desperation to get into one’s dream college is such that once you hear the person take the name of a top college saying they can help get you admission there, one easily falls for it in that instance… When I received the phone, the caller asked me which college I wanted. 

Then the person on the other end of the phone claimed management quota seats were available and demanded ₹1 lakh to guarantee that I could get one.”

Multiple such incidents have been reported, suggesting that these are not isolated cases but a  part of a larger scam racket, taking place across all the cities, targeting the innocence and aspirations of the hard-working students and exploiting their lives for some amount of money. Such cases have occurred in the past as well. Last year a major fraud racket was caught by Delhi Police and Rs 1.34 crore was recovered in cash in Ghaziabad from two such scamsters who had been targeting the same group and sentiments. 

Similar instances of such frauds have also been reported and raised by users on Reddit of the r/delhiuniversity community who claim that they have been repeatedly contacted by individuals claiming to be the representatives of DU Admission Counselling offering direct admission. 

Addressing the concerns of such unsolicited calls, the Dean of Admissions of DU, Haneet Gandhi, informed:  

The university has repeatedly maintained that admissions are conducted only and only through the official CSAS portal. Any student receiving any such calls should not even think twice and report it to the concerned authorities immediately.”

Such calls are not meant to be taken seriously, and for any guidelines or doubts related to admission and the counselling process, parents and students are advised to refer to the official DU Admissions. 

If you get such a suspecting call, you could report it at www.sancharsaathi.gov.in / www.cybercrime.gov.in

Or call: Cybercrime Helpline Numbers: 1930, 011-20892633, 9319301930

 

Rajarshi Ghosh 

[email protected] 

 

Read Also: NCWEB applications open for B.A. (Prog) and B.Com; last date to register: July 24

Image Source: Adda 247

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

NCWEB applications open for B.A. (Prog) and B.Com; last date to register: July 24

By

The NCWEB has commenced the admission process for B.A. (Prog.) and B.Com. programmes for the 2026–27 academic session. Eligible women candidates residing in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi can apply online until 24 July.

The Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) has opened admissions for its B.A. (Prog.) and B.Com. undergraduate programmes for the academic session 2026–27. Online registrations began on July 8 and will remain open until July 24.

NCWEB is inviting applications for two undergraduate programmes: B.A. (Programme), with various subject combinations on offer, and B.Com. Admissions will be granted purely on a merit basis, determined by the marks obtained by candidates in their Class XII board examinations. No entrance test has been announced for the process.

Applications are being accepted exclusively through the official NCWEB admission portal. The registration process is entirely online, with applicants required to register using a valid Email ID, create a password, and complete the CAPTCHA verification before proceeding.

The admission portal notes that candidates should not wait until the final day to pay the registration fee, as applications will only be considered complete after successful payment. Candidates registering on the portal are considered for merit-based courses at NCWEB alone, subject to eligibility criteria. Applicants have also been advised to read the detailed Bulletin of Information, available in both English and Hindi, before filling out the form.

Applicants are advised to keep their Class XII board examination mark sheets and other required documents ready before beginning the registration process. For admission-related queries, applicants may contact NCWEB’s Tutorial Building at the Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi, email [email protected], or call 011-27667866.

With the registration window now open, eligible candidates are advised to complete their applications well before the July 24 deadline to avoid potential technical issues caused by heavy traffic on the admission portal.

Following the closure of the registration window, NCWEB is expected to release merit lists and subsequent admission schedules on its official website. Applicants are advised to regularly check the portal for updates and further announcements regarding the admission process.



Kaustubh Dwivedi
[email protected]

 

Read Also: DU Colleges Launch Pre-Admission Outreach Programmes Ahead of UG Admissions
Image Source: X (NCWEB_Official)

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

Beyond Master’s Degrees: PG Diploma Programmes You Can Pursue at Delhi University

By
The University of Delhi campus, where CES applicants can enroll in individual papers alongside regular students for the 2026 odd semester.

Delhi University offers a range of postgraduate diploma programmes across its colleges and departments, spanning fields from peace-building to cybersecurity. Here is what is on offer for 2026-27.

For students looking beyond conventional master’s degrees, Delhi University has several postgraduate diploma programmes worth knowing about. Some have deadlines coming up this week, so if any of these interest you, do not wait.

PG Intensive Diploma in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean Language

The Department of East Asian Studies offers intensive postgraduate diploma courses in Chinese (CF-1), Japanese (JF-1), and Korean (KF-1). Admissions for 2026–27 are open, with the deadline extended to 5th July 2026. Eligibility criteria and the admission notice are available here.

PG Diploma in Conflict Transformation and Peace-building

Offered through the Aung San Suu Kyi Centre for Peace at Lady Shri Ram College, this programmme focuses on conflict resolution and peace-building. The application deadline for 2026-27 is 12th July 2026. Further details pertaining to eligibility criteria and syllabus are available on this page.

PG Diploma in Cyber Security and Law (PGDCSL)

Offered by the Institute of Cyber Security and Law and conducted in Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, this programme covers the legal and technical dimensions of cybersecurity. Details on admissions for 2025-26 are available on the institute’s website, which indicates the new session would tentatively start mid-August.

PG Diploma in International Marketing and Analytics

Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce offers a postgraduate diploma in International Marketing. Admission details for 2026-27 have not been announced at the time of publication, but an official LinkedIn post confirms that details are forthcoming, along with the restructuring of the course. The bulletin of information from the 2025-26 session is available here.

PG Diploma in Financial Technology 

Also offered by Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, the details for 2026-27 sessions are forthcoming. Interested candidates are advised to regularly check the website for further updates.

PG Diploma in Global Business Operations

Shri Ram College of Commerce offers a postgraduate diploma in Global Business Operations. Based on last year’s cycle, applications are expected to open in December 2026. Candidates are advised to monitor the admissions portal for updates.

PG Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition

Lady Irwin College offers a postgraduate diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition. Admission details for 2026-27 have not been announced at the time of publication. Eligibility criteria from the previous session are available here. Interested candidates may wish to contact the college directly for updates.

Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition

The Institute of Home Economics offers a diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition. Admission details for 2026-27 are not confirmed at the time of publication; the most recent admission notice available is from the 2024-25 session. Programme details are on the institute’s website.

PG Diploma in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Drug Discovery

The Dr B.R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research offers a postgraduate diploma at the intersection of biology and data science. The last available admission notice is from 2024-25. Prospective applicants should check the DU website for updates.

Candidates are advised to verify all deadlines and eligibility criteria directly with the respective institutions, as details are subject to change.

 

Read Also: Delhi University Releases Academic Calendar for 2026–27

Rishika Jain
[email protected] 

 

Keep Reading
By
Features

The Housewife Who Answered for the Government

By

India loves to talk about transparency. Each month, ministers announce e-governance portals. Budget speeches invoke “citizen-centric” reform. And yet, when I actually tried to use the one law built to make the state answer to its own people, the government’s own contact number connected me to a confused housewife who had never heard of the Delhi Transport Corporation. That, in one phone call, is the state of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in 2026.

An Application, and a Wrong Number

On 14 December 2025, I filed an RTI application against the DTC. I had a few questions to ask. How many electric buses does DTC run? How much does it cost to run them? How many people use them? And how much revenue do they bring in? Nothing classified. Nothing that should embarrass anyone.

When the file stalled, I called the numbers listed on the official portal for the officers meant to handle exactly this. A housewife picked up. She knew nothing about buses, nothing about RTI, nothing about why a stranger was calling her. It was something out of the blue for her. Nobody sabotaged my application because, well, nobody had to. The machinery had simply been left to rot at the exact point where a citizen is supposed to reach it — and rot, done at scale, works just as well as sabotage.

DTC’s official RTI status portal marked “Request Transferred to Other Public Authority” with the case forwarded across multiple CPIOs and re-registered under two further numbers.
The same request’s status log, listing the telephone numbers for the S.O. (Cluster) and S.O. (DTC), repeatedly marked “Request Transferred to Other Public Authority” as the file was passed on without resolution.

A Law Built to Make Power Answer

RTI was never a gift from Parliament. It was extracted, in the 1990s, by daily-wage labourers in Rajasthan who wanted to see muster rolls because their wages were being stolen on paper. That movement forced a law that flipped a century of colonial habit: under the Official Secrets Act, silence was the default. Under RTI, it became the exception that the state had to justify. For a while, it worked. RTI is what cracked open the Vyapam scam, Adarsh Housing, and years of hidden wilful-defaulter lists at the RBI. The file stopped being the government’s private property. 

After coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself promised transparency and accountability, coining a “3T” formula: timely, transparent, and trouble-free. It is worth holding that promise up against a housewife in Delhi picking up a stranger’s phone call meant for a transport officer.

The Backlog is the Punishment

More than four hundred thousand RTI appeals and complaints are currently stuck before information commissions across the country, and in fourteen commissions, it now takes over a year just to get a hearing. A citizen who has to wait a year to find out whether they’re even allowed to see a document has already been denied it in every way that matters. This isn’t an accident of scale. Seven of the country’s twenty-nine Information Commissions were completely defunct for stretches of 2023–24, and no Chief Information Commissioner was appointed at the Centre between August and October 2014, in addition to multiple shorter periods between 2023 and 2025 where the Central Information Commission (CIC) remained headless. There reached a point where citizens had to drag the matter into court. Jharkhand’s commission has been dead for over five years. In 2023, the Supreme Court warned that RTI risks becoming a dead letter. Nobody had to say the quiet part out loud. Starving a commission of members achieves the same result as repealing it, without the paperwork. 

The Institutions that Simply Opted Out

Then there are the fortresses. PM CARES has refused RTI applications for years, claiming it isn’t a “public authority”— even as the government has separately admitted, in another RTI reply, that the fund is owned, controlled, and established by the Government of India. The RTI Act defines a “public authority” by exactly that test. You cannot be outside that definition in one file and inside it in another. This year, the Delhi High Court went further, suggesting PM CARES might retain a “right to privacy” — a protection meant for people, now shielding an entity built to spend public money. The BCCI won the same exemption in May; political parties got theirs even earlier. None of these institutions had to win an argument. They just declared themselves outside the law’s reach, and the law abided.  

What’s Left When the Line Goes Dead?

None of this is abstract for everyone. At least eighteen RTI activists have allegedly been murdered in Maharashtra alone since 2010. Satish Shetty, shot dead in Pune for exposing a land-grab racket, still has no conviction after sixteen years. I asked about bus fares; he asked a harder question, and it cost him his life.

None of this happened by accident, either. The 2019 amendment placed information commissioners’ salaries in the government’s hands. The DPDP Act lets “personal information” swallow whatever the government doesn’t want to be asked—backlogs, vacancies, exemptions, killings — different tools, same direction.

RTI was built to make silence cost the state something. Today, silence is free, and asking is the only costly act left. A democracy doesn’t announce the death of its transparency law. It just lets the phone ring out.

Who’s still on the other end of it?

Mayank Scripts
[email protected]

Read Also: CJP Protest Jantar Mantar Enters Fifth Day with Educators’ Addresses

Keep Reading
By
DUB News

Goa Institute of Management Hosts Academic Leadership Programme, Invites 40+ DU Colleges

By

Goa Institute of Management (GIM) organised a five-day Academic Leadership Programme (ALP) to discuss the future of higher education from 29th June to 3rd July 2026.  Over forty principals from colleges across University of Delhi were invited to the same.

Over 40 educational institutions under the University of Delhi were hosted by the Goa Institute of Management from 29th June to 3rd July 2026 in a rigorous five-day Academic Leadership Programme (ALP). The programme was meant for deliberation upon how higher education institutions are adapting to growing expectations around quality, innovation, and global competitiveness. 

Some of the institutions invited included Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Hindu College, Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Hansraj College, Ramjas College, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Sri Venkateswara College, and Lady Irwin College amongst others. 

In an address to the participants, Prof. Ajit Parulekar, Director of the Goa Institute of Management, observed:

Our biggest responsibility is to ensure the quality of our students and faculty. Students today learn differently, and institutions must keep evolving to meet their needs.

The academic leaders attending the programme were exposed to useful insights regarding institutional planning, and building future-ready institutions. Moreover, the sessions from the programme were conducted by experts from GIM, the University of Delhi, and the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA). The programme focused on certain key areas including: 

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence in education
  •  Implementation of NEP 2020
  •  Institutional governance
  •  Digital transformation
  •  Change management
  •  Inclusive leadership
  •  Financial management
  •  Ethics, and learner-centred education

Open discussions among the college principals focused on the challenges they face, including declining admissions and classroom attendance, the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and administration, improving student employability, and securing funding for infrastructure. These discussions contributed to the programme’s success.

Further, the Academic Leadership Programme provided the academic leaders of today with a forum to discuss and share practical solutions to strengthen institutional leadership, and building future-ready institutions.

 

Chandrani 

[email protected] 

Read Also:  Dr B R Ambedkar Law Internship Programme: Over 650 Delhi University Students Selected

Image Credits: ALP, Goa Institute of Management

Keep Reading
By
DUB News

DU Releases 2026 – 27 Sports Seat Matrix; 2,153 Seats Across 28 Sports

By
A basketball match between Hansraj and Hindu College.

DU has published its Sports Supernumerary Quota seat matrix for the 2026-27 session, listing 2,153 seats across 28 sports and dozens of colleges – with Volleyball, Basketball, and Football offering the deepest pools, while Diving and Squash remain the most fiercely contested.

With CSAS-UG Phase II preference filling underway, the Faculty of Sports Sciences has released the 2026–27 Sports Seat Matrix in both sports-wise and college-wise formats. Published on July 6, the matrix details the supernumerary sports quota seats available across Delhi University colleges for the upcoming admission cycle.

A total of 2,153 seats have been earmarked under the sports quota, including 1,119 for men and 1,034 for women, across 28 recognised sports. As in previous years, team sports account for the largest share of seats, with Volleyball leading at 222 seats (117 men, 105 women), followed by Basketball (206), Football (195), and Cricket (192). While Cricket remains heavily male-dominated with 157 men’s seats and 35 women’s seats, Basketball has one of the most balanced gender distributions.

At the other end of the spectrum, Diving has just one seat, reserved for women at Shyam Lal College (Evening). Squash offers only 10 seats across the University, while Wrestling and Weightlifting have around 30 seats each. Sports such as Baseball, Hockey (35 seats, mostly for men), and Netball (22 women-only seats) are available at only a handful of colleges, making college preference a key factor for applicants.

Under DU’s sports quota admission framework, candidates are assessed on a 400-mark scale – 200 marks for verified sports certificates and 200 marks for trial performance – along with a 25% weightage from CUET-UG scores. To be considered, applicants must have registered their sport during CSAS-UG Phase I and uploaded eligible sports certificates issued within the last three years before the trials are conducted.

Aamna Rehman

[email protected]

Read Also: DU Releases UG Seat Matrix 2026-27 

Image Source: Hindustan Times 

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

DU’s Plan to Replace Six Vocational Programmes Sparks Opposition from CVS Faculty

By

CVS faculty has opposed DU’s proposal to discontinue six BA Vocational Studies programmes, calling it illegal and against NEP goals, despite the university citing low student demand under CUET-based admissions.

Faculty members at the College of Vocational Studies (CVS), Delhi University, have formally opposed the proposal to discontinue six undergraduate BA (Vocational Studies) programmes and replace them with generic interdisciplinary BA combinations for the 2026-27 academic session.

Currently, CVS offers seven BA (Vocational Studies) programmes across a total sanctioned intake of 1,255 students. Out of those, only Tourism Management is proposed to be retained under the restructuring plan, while the remaining six programmes: Modern Office Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing Management and Retail Business, Materials Management, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Insurance Management are proposed to be discontinued. Of these, Modern Office Management, carrying 111 sanctioned seats, was already actioned through a governing body resolution dated February 7, with its seats redistributed into an additional B.Com (Honours) section and expanded seats in BA (Honours) English, History, and Economics.

The remaining five programmes were placed before the Department of Commerce meeting on June 26, where faculty discussed their proposed replacement with interdisciplinary BA combinations including Commerce with Economics, Commerce with Computer Science, Hindi with Commerce, Economics with Mathematics, and History with Political Science. The department unanimously resolved to oppose the move and decided to submit representations to the Vice-Chancellor, the Dean of Academics, and the Dean of Admissions, requesting that existing BA (Vocational Studies) programmes be continued.

The broader restructuring stems from a university-wide committee exercise launched after persistent seat vacancies emerged following the centralisation of admissions through CUET in 2022. The committee recommended that colleges reassess low-demand discipline combinations and merge less popular subjects with more sought-after ones. At DU, Commerce-linked programmes and BA (Honours) streams in English, Economics, History, Political Science, and Psychology consistently record the highest preference entries during CSAS choice-filling.

In a representation submitted to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on June 29, the faculty described the proposed discontinuation as “completely illegal”, arguing the changes had not received approvals from the university’s statutory authorities. They recorded that existing vocational programmes are “in consonance with the spirit and objectives of NEP”, being interdisciplinary and skill-oriented, and warned the restructuring could eliminate approximately 8 to 10 faculty positions.

The faculty’s position is reinforced by the DU Executive Council’s own April resolution, which explicitly stated: “No new programme will be added and similarly, no existing programme will be discontinued.”

DU Director of Admissions Haneet Gandhi told The Indian Express that the changes were driven by student demand, and that replacement combinations carry existing curricula already taught across other DU colleges, with faculty qualifications matched accordingly.

 

Mayank Scripts
[email protected]

Read Also: DU Opens Registration Portal for One-Year Postgraduate Programmes 2026-27

Image credits: LinkedIn – CVS

Keep Reading
By
Auburn Umbrella

Pocket-Sized Problem, Billion-Dollar Solution 

By
2018, data journalism outlet The Pudding measured the pockets of 80 pairs of 32-inch men’s and women’s blue jeans across 20 major brands. Women’s front pockets were, on average, 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’s. Only 40% of women’s front pockets could fit a smartphone. And just 10% could fit a woman’s own hand.

For “The Business Model Hiding in Your Jeans”: Women’s jeans pockets are 48% shorter than men’s, and it’s not a fashion afterthought. Here’s the economic logic that turned a design flaw into a billion-dollar industry.

A question to all the women reading this: Can most or even any of your pairs of jeans, trousers, or lowers fit a phone, keys, and your wallet in them?
Probably not…Because more often than not, men can fit a phone, wallet, keys, and probably even a small novel into their pockets, while women are stuck with pockets that feel less like pockets and more like decoration. And if you’ve ever wondered why, well, this is less of a coincidence and more of a deliberate design choice. 

Back in 2018, data journalism outlet The Pudding measured the pockets of 80 pairs of 32-inch men’s and women’s blue jeans across 20 major brands. And here’s what they found: Women’s front pockets were, on average, 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’s. Only 40% of women’s front pockets could fit a smartphone. And just 10% could fit a woman’s own hand.

But why is this so, and since when?

In medieval times, both men and women had “pockets” tied around the waist and hidden beneath their clothing. But in the 17th century, men’s jackets and pants were adorned with pockets sewn directly into the garment. Women, meanwhile, were still stuck with tie-on pouches strapped under their petticoats.

Toward the end of the 18th century, women’s fashion changed: waistlines crept up, silhouettes slimmed, and pockets shrunk, sometimes becoming nonexistent.  Famed fashion designer Christian Dior further cemented the patriarchy of pockets in 1954, allegedly saying, “Men have pockets to keep things in; women, for decoration.” 

As a consequence, the purse was born. Reticules, as they were called, were minuscule bags that women carried in their hands rather than on their hips. As the century ticked on, they became more elaborately decorated, and hence became a status symbol. And this was “the beginning of the end”

The beginning of the handbag industry, the end of choice….I mean pockets.

This consequence soon became a thriving cause, strong enough to keep the design as it is and the pockets well non-functional and petite. Just think about it. If our jeans can’t hold our phone, wallet, or keys, we need somewhere else to put them. And that creates space for an entirely different market to thrive… handbags. 

Just to give you a sense of scale, the global handbag market was valued at roughly $86 billion in 2025. And this is not something that emerged in anonymity; a large chunk of it grew around the economics of manufactured need. There’s a well-known business strategy around this model called the razor-and-blades model: sell the base product cheap, then make your real money on a complementary product the customer has to keep buying. For example, Gillette sells cheap razors and expensive blades.

Pockets and handbags run on the same logic, with one twist. Nobody needs to lower the price of the jeans; they just need it to fail at a basic job. Which doesn’t lower the demand for jeans; people still need the jeans, right? What it does do, though, is generate demand for something else entirely, a bag to carry what the pocket won’t. 

The more useful economic explanation is that once a design constraint creates a dependent market, there is no market incentive for the original manufacturer to fix it. A denim brand has no financial reason to give you a pocket that fits your phone; doing so doesn’t sell more jeans. The cost of the small pocket is anyway externalised; it’s paid by you, in the form of a bag you now have to carry.

So in an illogically-logical manner, this creates a pink tax of sorts. The well-known pattern where women pay more than men for near identical products. A US government study of 800 gender-specific products found personal care items priced 13% higher for women, accessories 7% higher, and clothing 8% higher, according to the World Economic Forum.

Economists have a formal name for this: third-degree price discrimination, where a seller charges different prices to different groups for essentially the same good, sorted by an attribute like gender rather than by production cost.                                                                                                                        

In this case, though, it is a little different; nobody per se is charging more for a woman’s pair of jeans; they’re just subtly removing a utility that should come with it, forcing women to spend twice, just to solve a problem that fabric simply solves for men. Towards the end, leading to men paying less than women for the same utility.

Now, you could argue that women simply “prefer” handbags. And sure, maybe we do now. But it’s funny how preference and necessity have a way of blending into each other when necessity is manufactured first. 

Arshia Sharma
[email protected] 

Read also: Beyond the Binary of Pink and Blue

Image credits: The Pudding

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

DU to begin ECA admission trials from July 15: Here’s everything applicants need to know.

By

Delhi University has released detailed guidelines for admissions under the Extracurricular Activities (ECA) quota, outlining general instructions and category-specific ECA trial requirements.

On Friday, July 3, Delhi University released a notification regarding admissions under the Extracurricular Activities quota. The notification said that the trials for ECA admissions are most likely to begin on July 15, 2026.

All official schedules and category-wise trial centres will be posted on the UoD Admissions website. No individual communications will be sent to applicants; therefore, they must keep checking the website regularly.

Applicants must report to their allotted centres with the original copies of their uploaded ECA certificates and their CUET scorecard. Unless otherwise specified, accompanists are not permitted during ECA trials. They are required to bring all necessary instruments, costumes, props, and stationery, as borrowing or sharing will not be permitted. Assessment will be based solely on proficiency, with no prescribed syllabus, and the Assessment Committee’s decision will be final. Recording trials or using unauthorised electronic devices, including AI tools, may result in the cancellation of candidature. Rescheduling will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the ECA Committee.

The category-specific trial guidelines are as follows:

  1. Creative writing: Participants will write on a topic announced at the venue and will have up to two hours to complete the task. Writing sheets will be provided. 
  2. Dance: Candidates must prepare a 3-5 minute routine of their choice. Props, costumes, and makeup are permitted, while music must be carried on a pen drive. Performances will be assessed on technique, rhythm, expression, stage presentation, and overall artistic merit.
  3. Debate: Speakers will receive the motion on the spot and may argue either for or against it within four minutes. Reading from notes is not permitted.
  4. Digital media: Topic and expected output announced on the stage on the spot. Duration will be announced at the venue. Applicants must bring all their own equipment and one electronic copy of previous work. Memory cards must be fully formatted. 
  5. Fine arts: Topic announced on the spot. Duration announced by the committee. Only drawing sheets will be provided. Painting can be done in oil, water, poster, or pastel colours. 
  6. Music Vocal: Applicants must prepare a piece of 3-5 minutes. Indian vocal can be in any language, but Western vocal must be in English. A maximum of one accompanist is allowed, but they may not sing along. Purely instrumental electronic backing apps are allowed, but karaoke with vocals is prohibited.
  7. Musical instruments (Indian): Applicants must prepare a performance of 3-5 minutes, using notified instruments or approved regional equivalents. Applicants must bring their own instruments and tune them before the slot; no extra time will be provided. Criteria for this category are swar, taal, raag selection, composition, technique, and overall presentation. A maximum of one accompanist shall be permitted. 
  8. Musical instruments (Western): Candidates must perform for 3-5 minutes using a notified instrument. They must bring and tune their own instrument before the trial. One accompanist or instrumental backing track is permitted. Evaluation will be based on rhythm, technique, musicality, composition, and presentation.
  9. Theatre: Applicants are required to prepare a 4-minute mono-act on a chosen theme. The committee may assign an on-the-spot performance to the applicant.  Applicants must bring their own makeup, costumes, props, and background music. Only one accompanist is allowed, only for non-acting specialisations (like scriptwriting).
  10. Quiz: The quiz will assess current affairs and general factual knowledge. The assessment may include one or more written rounds, all of which will count towards the final score. Answers must be written in blue ink only in the provided booklet (pencil or other colours will not be evaluated).
  11. Divinity: Candidates must prepare a presentation of 3-5 minutes of Bhajan, kirtan, Shabad, Sikhi Guruvani Declamation, or instrumental, not exceeding 4 minutes. An additional on-the-spot piece may be requested. A maximum of one accompanist is allowed, vocalist if the applicant plays an instrument, or vice versa.
  12. Yoga: Applicants must present at least 4 asanas from a recognised school within a maximum of 4 minutes. The committee may request additional demonstrations. Applicants must bring their own Yoga mat and accessories (blocks, straps). No props or music is permitted.

The University has reiterated that rescheduling will only be allowed in exceptional cases, such as the unavailability of travel tickets for outstation students, and only with the approval of the ECA Committee. No trial will be rescheduled after the designated dates for a particular category have concluded, including on medical grounds.

 

Vanshika U Singh

[email protected] 

 

Read Also: DU Opens Registration Portal for One-Year Postgraduate Programmes 2026-27

Image credits: Delhi University Admissions Website

Keep Reading
By