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Ishaan Sengupta

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Journey of an outstation student

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University was about to be a huge step for me. Since, childhood I had been fortunate enough to have cruised through my kindergarten, middle school, high school from one school. The environment and dynamics had never changed. The world felt minuscule yet at that time, there was no other image of the world that a 16 year old could envision other than the same lawns, the same buildings and the same auditorium every single day.

A week after my board exams, it was conveyed to me that I had to take the next train to the national capital. My dad been working there for close to 3 years and it was time for me to take my admission in the University of Delhi. After scoring an 85% in my ISC exams, I had lost hope. However, I took admission at Sri Aurobindo College (evening) in my favourite course Economics Honours.

The environment in the college was entirely opposite. I had to meet people from different sections of the society with completely heterogeneous qualities within each and every student. There were some people who had extreme faith in social taboos, while there were others who had extremely progressive views. I stood in the middle. I soon found out that this was not specific. Delhi was the city which accommodated people from all sections of the society and from different parts of the country. The vibrancy in the discussions intrigued me and made me appreciate this new city.

Classes were frequent and knowledgeable. Yet, my college lacked initiative in forming societies which could have enabled kids like us to focus on more research based activities. Coming from a traditionally leftist hegemonic society, which was both progressive yet adaptive to some extent – Kolkata, I was determined to contrive and implode against the administration. It paid off. A society was formed however, the organizational backing was lacking (which later changed after my departure).

To seek better opportunities I migrated to Motilal Nehru College in second year. Here I was successful in opening the Enactus chapter with fellow like minded students. And then went on to assist in opening the leadership cell as well. Although, the administration was a bit more accommodative, the environment in the college was the same. A potpourri of students with poles apart views yet, studying together – peacefully.

University life has been a great boon in my personality. As I leave my college and say my goodbyes to the University, it gives me great pleasure to reminisce about the changes in my personality. As an outstation student it gives me great happiness to see the maturity in my thoughts and the adaptivity of new ideas which were earlier never realized when I was in school.

Perhaps the best thing about my stay in Delhi is the opportunity that I had of meeting new people and understanding the essence of the real society.

Image credits: www.hiteshkumar.com

Ishaan Sengupta 

[email protected]

 

 

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DUB Speak

The Left and the Right: Two extreme binaries, one common goal

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Tripura, under a CPI(M) chief minister, Shri Manik Sarkar worked in cooperation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2015, to completely repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This Article focuses on how two extreme binaries came together to resolve such a huge issue in the state, especially when this intellectual war between the Left and the Right is in continuum.

The North East has often been under reported in the news, throughout the mainland. The racism exerted by the media to reluctantly cover states with a majoritarian ethnic minority population, has enabled the mainland to disassociate itself from the issues of the North East. To integrate the North East into national policies, the NDA Government has specifically focused on implementing a development agenda at all levels of government. From integration drives by student unions much like DUSU to university level programmes like Gyanodaya have facilitated a discussion between the students.

Tripura, one of the gems of the North East has a State Government under the leadership of a left front chief minister, namely, Manik Sarkar. However through cooperation with the Home Minister at the centre, under the leadership of the Prime Minister backed by a BJP led NDA Government, AFSPA was repealed in May 2015. AFSPA, by law, can only be repealed if the Governor agrees to it. And in the case of Tripura, Manik Sarkar closely worked with the intelligence agencies to ensure that militancy was less, and provided a consolidated report to the Governor, who after consulting with the Prime Minister, repealed the controversial act from the state (from one police station to another, gradually).

After repealing the act, Prime Minister Modi, reportedly asked for a report on how Tripura repealed AFSPA from the Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar, who obliged. It is important to state that even political adversaries, who have extremely contrary views came together to relieve the people of Tripura from such a harsh law. 

Let us now take a closer look at AFSPA –

AFSPA has been one of the most controversial policies adopted by the central governments (across party lines) throughout the history of Independent India. With insurgencies fostered by remorse amongst the ethnic minorities, backward classes and people demanding a monopoly for a particular religion, the archaic act of parliament has often led to the protection of the Indian mainland at the cost of rampant human rights violations carried out by a number of army and paramilitary personnel. Although the number of jawans responsible for such acts is minuscule as compared to the full force deployed, the fact remains that the data for the number of prosecutions against the armed forces have also been shocking.

Jammu and Kashmir has been a hotbed, much like Manipur where women have come out in the open to oppose the law, claiming they had been raped and their husbands had been shot dead despite being innocent.
An RTI query made to the Ministry of Defence, Government of India had revealed that only one army man has been prosecuted in Jammu and Kashmir during a tenure of 22 years, against the 44 cases that were received for sanction of prosecution from 1990 to 2011. This meant sanction was not granted in almost 98 per cent of recommended cases (97.73 per cent). In all the cases of rights abuses the controversial AFSPA was invoked to shield the accused. 

This is a major tradeoff that needs to be dealt with. The security agencies need to work in a coalition with the government to ensure that the militancy reduces in these sectors, and only then can such a law be repealed.

If the centre and the states could come together, and gradually repeal the act from one district to another, in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Assam, then we could soon see tremendous reduction in ‘seditious’ activities in these states. It is clearly important for the media to cover these issues extensively. It is also the responsibility of the Left and the Right to come together and work for the betterment of the society through constructive policies and not destructive ones.

Image Credits: www.nelive.in

[email protected]
Ishaan Sengupta

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Campus Central

Shunya, Ramjas College wins Mukaam 2016 organised by Aadhar of MLNC

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Aadhar, the street theatre society of Motilal Nehru College recently organised their annual street theatre fest Mukaam 2016.  The nukkad natak festival took the centre stage, as huge number of students stepped inside the front lawns of the college to catch a glimpse of the participants. The ten teams which were screened through a preliminary round conducted on 6th, March 2016, participated in the final event on 15th of March 2016, and the venue was themed on the village “Safdarpur”, the imaginary land of Safdar Hashmi.   mukaam1 The judges of the event were Tanay Yadav, who is both, an ex student and an avid street play performer, the other judge was Ms. Shilpi, who is a faculty of the college. Shunya, the theatre society of Ramjas College bagged the first position for their production “Kaachu”, followed by Verve, The theatre society of SSCBS for their production “The Black Box “.  Kaachu is based on the moral that there should always be a society which leaves space for dissent and new ways of thinking. Navdeep Maggu from Ramjas College also won the title of the best actor (male) along with Tanya Maniktala from Shivaji College who bagged the best actor (female). “Much like last year, the participation was impressive and I’m very happy with the execution of the fest,” Ankit Kumar, the president of Aadhar told us. He also thanked all the participating teams for performing at the festival. Ishaan Sengupta [email protected]]]>

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Campus Central

Phoenix 2016 at Motilal Nehru College: Highlights

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Day 1 The first day of Phoenix’ 16 started with an inauguration ceremony which was conducted in the presence of the principal of the college – J.P. Mishra who flagged off the fest. The first event of the day was Raag – the solo singing competition –which saw immense participation from many colleges including LSR, Miranda House and Hansraj. The next event was Vogue – the Fashion event, coordinated by Bellissimo – the Fashion Society of Motilal Nehru College.

The Final event of the day was the western dance event coordinated by Electra the dance society of Motilal Nehru College. A handful of teams performed on the mainstage, and grooved it out for the prizes. The first prize was won jointly by Misba – GGS and Tanz – Miranda House. The second prize went to V-Defyn  – IIT Delhi and the third prize was bagged by FIM – MAIT.  

Day 2

The second day of phoenix started with Sur Sangam – the Indian Choir competition, which saw heavy participation from all the major colleges of Delhi University. The winners however turned out to be Maitreyi College, followed by Sri Venkateswara College who came second while Miranda House bagged the third position. The Battle of the bands was also being conducted by Malhaar, the Music society, on the main stage, at the same time. A total of 8 bands performed. The winner was Knight Shades followed by Mufills who bagged the second position. 9b3d7bb4-a000-4d18-bf1c-41864a0aeab8   The front lawns were being occupied by the participants of the street play competition – Mukaam , organized by Aadhaar, the street play society of the college. The winner of this event was Ramjas College, with their play – Kaachu, while CBS grabbed the second position with their play – The Black Box. Kaachu was about the need to create a society which gave space for dissent and free flowing ideas. Electra – the dance society had also organized a dance workshop, which pumped up the crowd. Popular numbers were played to get the crowd’s attention, and there on, the whole mob danced along with the societies. Chayankan, the Photography Society also organised its event- Picturesque, which saw a lot of participation too. The final performance was given by Millind Gaba, also known as Music MG, who has released popular songs like – Daaru Party, Thodi Jeeni Piti hain, Yaar Mod Do, etc. The college’s own bhangra group performed while he performed. He got the crowd to dance on popular Hindi songs too, while his personal band – Jaal, accompanied him through all the songs. The delicate beats of the Dhol, got everyone to dance.
Filler events were also present, which were conducted by the college’s Enactus team while other stalls were also present to keep the crowd constantly engaged. The fest ended on a high note. The participation was good. On being asked about the fest’s scale, Vishal Upadhayay, the Central Councillor of the college, stated that, despite the fact that the budget was low, the participation of the crowd and zeal of all the participants had made the fest a huge success.   Image Credits: Rajat and Prateek Jain for Motilal Nehru College Ishaan Sengupta [email protected]]]>

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Campus Central

The Economics Society of Motilal Nehru College hosted its Annual Fest, Ecoverve ‘16

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th and 25th of February on a massive scale. The fest was officially kicked off by the chief guest, DR Gautam Naresh, an honorary professor with Foundation for Public Economics and Policy Research, who gave a speech on urban issue and the financial management reforms in India. He was skeptical of the ‘smart city’ scheme introduced by the NDA Government. When asked about the policy of providing water for free till a certain limit, as exercised by the AAP Government, he said that it was okay, but only at a cost, that would have to be borne by people up the ladder. He also stated that Public Private Partnerships are the way forward for better public services. After the lecture and a ‘diya’ lighting ceremony, the events were started. The two day fest consisted of intense challenges and concepts that touch the subject of economics intricately. Each event tested abilities either in management, business acumen or current affairs.   IMG_20160224_122509_HDR Events like Young Managers, tested knowledge, teamwork and sales ability of the team whereas, events like Negocio tested the teams, ability to make create a brand, promote and advertise a new product on the spot. The winning team of Young Managers consisted of Kanika, Pratibha and Puneet from ARSD, while close in second position came Rishabh and Nishant from ARSD again. The winning team in Negocio consisted of a cross college team – Sanyam Aggarwal, Meghna Gandhi and Ankur Maharishi, while the second position was grabbed by Shubham Kalra and Divyanshu from Sri Aurobindo College (Eve.). Perhaps, the most creative event of fest, was Vertigo, where teams had to face multiple rounds, only to end in the sale of hard synthetic drugs like Cocaine, Heroin, Chrystal Methamphetamine etc. The winners in this event were Vishali Rawat and Himanshu Goyal from VIPS who came first, while Sonali Asri and Ashutosh from Motilal Nehru College bagged the second position.   Moot Point and Photonomics catered to a crowd, which enjoyed debates/group discussion and photography respectively. While Moot Point demanded the participants to discuss on issues like the Syrian War and Nationalism, participants of Photonomics were given the opportunity to click photographs pertaining to a topic. The winner of Moot point was Abhinav from IIMC while Ankur Maharishi from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College grabbed the second place. The winner of Photnomics was Sparsh Soni from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Ritika Sakhuja from MLNC came second and Arif from Shivaji College came third. IMG_20160224_132048_HDR Much like other departmental fests, Ecoverve also conducted Lights! Camera! Auction – an auctioning event. The winners were Vipul Dayma and Himanshu Modgil from MLNC, while close in second position was a cross college team consisting of Aayush, Ayushi and Nikunj. A Treasure Hunt event was also kept, which had three gruesome rounds. The winners were Satyam Gupta, Utkarsh Singh and Priti Kumar form MLNC, Prashant Thakur and Amit Yadav from ARSD grabbed the second place while Somveer Rawal and Nitish Yadav from MLNC bagged the third spot.   Sparkle Drive, a clothes donation campaign was also conducted in association with fulfilling dreams foundation in the college. Certain filler activites, like 7up-7 down and throwing the darts, was also conducted. The event was a crowded with participants, and turned out to be a huge success. When asked about what he gained from organizing such a fest, the president of the society, Harshit Bansal, a third year student said, “The sponsorships we generated were remarkable, the participation was good and the team worked extremely hard. I just want to leave a legacy for the future position holders of the society and educate them to be diligent and determined whenever they organize an event of this stature, especially because it has the reputation of being the best in the college.” Ishaan Sengupta [email protected]]]>

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Enactus

Enactus Project Updates and Upgrades: 2016

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Enactus Project IBTIDA

Enactus Projects are some things which, as a magazine, we enjoy covering religiously. The thrill of discovering new ideas and the competitiveness between colleges is a really positive message that every enactus team sends out while they carry out their activities throughout the year. Given the latest surge in the demand for start-ups, social entrepreneurship (especially, enactus projects) are poised to contribute a huge amount in creating jobs. Here are 2 teams from across the university who have upgraded their projects by introducing a new community or a new idea –

1.) Enactus Motilal Nehru College – Enactus Motilal Nehru College has been recognized as the only college in India working for animal welfare. It promotes the adoption of stray dogs and the reduction of rabies in the country via Project Parivartan, their maiden project. Recently it has employed women from an urban village (Sanjay Gandhi Centre, Chanakyapuri) near Jesus and Mary College for producing handmade dog collars and dog food.  Disha Garg (President) stated “While the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated, the development of the nation would be judged by the way its women are treated”, when asked about why they chose the mentioned communities.

Enactus Project Parivartan
Enactus Project Parivartan

2.) Enactus Cluster Innovation Centre – Enactus Cluster Innovation Centre plan to start an e-commerce website  that sells handicrafts and other products made exclusively by the differently-abled community. They are currently in contact with more than 10 NGO’s in Delhi who cater to the needs of differently-abled community, who can make products taught by the respective NGO but are unable to market them. Only seasonal markets come to the aid of these products. However, with Project IBTIDA, Enactus Cluster Innovation Centre aims to enlist all products provided by the NGO’s throughout the year. They also aim to provide a warehouse where these products can be stored for retail sales. Kirti Krishan (Core Team Member) said,” We have started a Bitgiving campaign and are very close to attaining the sufficient funding to go ahead with our project. We have also been fortunate to receive a notion of positivity from a few investors and a big NGO” when asked about how far they were from achieving their goal.

Enactus Project IBTIDA
Enactus Project IBTIDA

Enactus teams are coming up with really innovative ideas, and with a new start up zeal in the country, employment will surely rise up, especially for the disadvantaged community by the grace of these teams.

Image Credits: amazonaws.com and Enactus Motilal Nehru College

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Top Picks

5 winter recipes that can make you salivate!

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Winter recipes

A lot of people detest the cold because we have to make all that extra effort to keep warm and of course, the getting out of bed part.  While we comfort ourselves around a fireplace or warm ourselves  with room heaters, we can also feast ourselves on few of the easiest and tastiest recipes.  Here are a few items you should definitely try out this winter season!

 

 

 

 

Banana Plum Cake

 

 

  • Banana Plum Cake – What is Christmas without some Plum Cake, right? And making a banana plum cake is extremely easy. All you need is sugar, butter, flour, baking soda and powder, mashed bananas , plums and some cashews (if you want to add them). Add some lemon zest on top and it will give your taste buds something to remember. The punch of plums and cashews provide just the right flavor and texture. To remove the dryness you can try adding red or white rum.

You can get the recipe Here

            Picture credits: http://3.bp.blogspot.com.

 

 

 

Tandoori chciken

 

 

  • Tandoori Chicken and Saag chutney – Go to the nearest dhaba! Although a barbeque could do equally well, but nothing beats a desi feast. If cooked well, the meat will turn out to be hot, juicy (lemon garnish and chicken stew sauce) and should melt in your mouth. The spinach chutney completes the nutrient requirement and also does wonders for the completion of the recipe.

            Picture credits: www.mayakitchenette.com

 

 

 

Hot chocolate

 

 

  • Hot Chocolate with Oreos – Hot chocolate is a punch of chocolate and milk, not as thick as cake batter but not as thin as regular milk either. All you require are milk, oreos, cocoa powder, condensed millk and cornstarch (optional). The consistency is enough to substitute cold banana custard. Oreos add a grainier texture to the drink.

             You can get the recipe Here

            Picture credits: www.foodnetwork.sndimg.com

 

 

 

Rum Balls

 

  • Rum Balls – Nothing comes close to the white rum filled balls of cake and cream, garnished with coconut sprinkles. To make this you need any tasteless biscuit like Marie Biscuits, Condensed milk, Cocoa, coconut, cream, cake and of course rum. The texture is virtually amazing and the creams leave the sweet consistent and not dry. The rum keeps your body warm too.

You can get the recipe Here

           Picture credits: www.pikeletandpie.com

 

 

 

Winter recipes

 

  • Pancakes – Honey, Maple syrup and egg filled flat breads can make your day brighter. The perfect breakfast delicacy which is both hot and keeps your body warm. Added to that, a whisk of whipped cream on top can do wonders to your appetite.

You can get the recipe Here

           Picture credits: www.media.jolynneshane.com

 

 

All in all there is so much that can be enjoyed about the winter. Along with that a savory list of delicacies can do wonders to that festive mood too.

 

 

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

5 songs that remind you that Christmas is here

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Christmas

The human mind tends to associate certain sounds with certain emotions. While visiting a shopping mall or dining at a restaurant, I would often listen to a few selection of songs that would play in the locales, especially during the time of Christmas. I still cherish these songs and associate them with this festive celebration. I am sure some of you would relate to these songs too-

1.) Wham/ George Michael – Last Christmas

George Michael and Wham are still probably on playlists of people who like 80s music. Apart from being a chartbuster track, you won’t find a single mall not playing this in Christmas week. It is a romantic song but you will learn to associate it with Christmas.

2.) Mariah Carey – All I Want For You Is Christmas

A classic by one of the most soulful singers of all time, Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas is you is very upbeat and melodic and can get you going. It’s another chartbuster.

3.) Andy Williams – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

A classic song that has seen many renditions throughout the decades.  The song features in an array of movies and can be heard in shopping malls and restaurants.

4.) Michael Buble – Christmas

A modern rendition of the traditional gospel carol by Michael Buble, this song has been the most played version all across the world. It is another groove-y track that can make you dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aw2yuYAKoE&list=PL8A61BA4F6335958C

 

5.) Kenny G – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Probably the most respectable instrumental version of this song. It follows a contemporary jazz feel which can make you flutter on the waltz. Kenny G is a saxophone player who has received many distinguished awards for his music.

 

These songs remind me of Christmas, and I hear them being played all around during the Christmas time. I hope some of these strike an accord with you guys too.

Image Credits: http://www.gatherandfeast.com/

 

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Features

Spoilers: Things that may happen in the sixth season of Game of Thrones

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Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones has been ranked as one of the most successful HBO shows of all time. It also has the record for the largest number of illegal downloads on the internet. The show that is based on a book series called the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.R. Martin, has recently caught up with the books. We are hence left at a cliffhanger as the show producers need to fabricate their own story for the upcoming sixth season. Apart from having strong characters living in a feudalistic age in an imaginary world called Westeros, the show also incorporates the use of magic, treachery, murder, nudity that keeps everyone hooked on to it. Here are some predictions and spoilers for the sixth season of Game of Thrones:

  • Jon’s Resurrection – In the books, when Jon Snow is betrayed and murdered by Olly (who isn’t in the books), Ser Alister Thorne and his fellow men of the Night’s Watch, the last words that Jon speaks before dying is ‘Ghost’ (that is the name of Jon Snow’s Direwolf).  Some believe that Jon wargs into Ghost (as wargs often enter their pets bodies when they die, and live a second life) and when the time comes Melissandre will resurrect him like Thoros of Myr often brought Berric Dondarion back  from the dead with the assistance of R’llor (The red God).  However the show does not show Jon saying Ghost’s name. This can mean the show will take a different approach and that approach is based on the next theory.
  • The Tower of Joy Flashback – It has been confirmed that there will be a scene that will cast young Ned Stark, Howland Reed, Ser Arthur Dayne and a few other characters in an epic battle. This scene is believed to be the Tower of Joy Scene where Ned and his companions confront Aeris Targaryen’s King’s Guards . The King’s Gaurds are defeated and Ned is finally reunited with Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister, who was presumably kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar Targaryen. Ned finds her in a pool of blood. However it is believed that in this scene, Lyanna will say that she loved Rhaegar and that she escaped with him willingly. The blood would be from child birth, and the child would be none other than Jon. If this theory is complete then Jon is a Targaryen and with the use of magic a Targaryen cannot be burnt, much like Daenerys.  This also means that the show might project Jon still alive when they burn his body. Melissandre sees Jon in the fire and uses magic to keep him alive.
  • The Battle of the North – There have been confirmations of a scene where all of Stark’s bannermen are fighting a battle against the Boltons. It is believed that Rickon and Osha are at The Last Hearth under the protection of Lord Umber. They are reunited with Sansa somehow. On this reunion there is a plan to win back the North.  So Stark loyalists gather their armies and march on Winterfell to defeat the Boltons. In the middle of the battle they are surprised by the entry of Jon Snow who with an army of Wildlings joins the Stark’s in the battle. There have also been rumours of the Knights of the Vale joining this battle under the command of Lord Petyr Baelish.
  • Arya returns to Westeros – Arya will face a couple of tests given by the Faceless Men. She is blind but she manages to pass all the tests.She regains her eye sight and she is given a misson in Westeros to rid a village off bandits. She does so successfully and she is reunited with Nymeria , whom she had been dreaming about when she was blind.
  • The Kingsmoot in the Iron Islands – Euron Greyjoy, Theon’s uncle, has been cast this season. IN the books he is chosen the ruler of the Iron Islands after Balon Greyjoy mysteriously dies by falling off a bridge.

 

Ishaan Sengupta

[email protected]

Image credits: https://i.ytimg.com/

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Uncategorized

Jobs vs Master’s: The Third Year Dilemma

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For every third year student, the next few months are bound to be hard. Most of them are stuck in a dilemma about whether to pursue their Master’s degree or take up a job. This decision is critical as well as highly difficult. Adding to that, this decision is extremely subjective as well. Here are a few points that’ll help you decide:

 

  • Corporate Firms and MBA

It is common for commerce students to look for a job right after their graduation. There are certain reasons behind it. Some do it for work experience before doing an MBA, some enjoy working and they never do an MBA and some start their own businesses. For people working so that they can get some significant experience on their resume, their choice is stable (provided their resume is strong) and it will help their employability after their studies. Some IIMs demand work experience during interviews. For people who end up never doing a Master’s degree, things can be dodgy, unless they have the ability to reach to the top positions in a firm. But there is quick money if this is the choice.

 

  • Academics

In case someone is interested in an academic profile, a Master’s is a must. It is better to complete a Master’s course as early as possible. This is primarily because qualifying tests for academics such as NET and JRF are only open up to a certain age. Adding to that, one will not be eligible to teach unless they have a Masters degree.

 

  • Civil Services

This is a pretty subjective area. For people looking for State level exams and General Services, a graduation is sufficient for applying for a civil services exam. However in case someone is inclined to apply for an IES or ISS profile they require a Master’s degree in Economics or Statistics. Hence a Master’s is a better option in this case.

 

  • Civil Society

This is also a pretty subjective field. The profiles here are very vast. Every profile requires a certain qualification. For high level research openings a Master’s is definitely required. However for a data entry or survey position a graduation degree is generally sufficient but it depends on the organization.

 

  • For Scientific Research

This is quite obvious. A Master’s degree is necessary to pursue a career in scientific research, preferably followed by a PHD.

 

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]

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