Ishaan Sengupta, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Raahgiri Day itself is so vibrant that you find many forms of activities happening in each and every block of Cannaught Place. Sunday morning, 6AM to 10 AM, Cannaught Place – Inner Circle is the most happening place in Delhi. This Sunday, the 1^st of November, Enactus SRCC had organised a marathon demanding the participants to run 5 rounds of the inner circle. The aim of the marathon was to bring together all the Enactus teams in North India together.

At 6:45 the stage was set; around 22 teams from a majority of the Delhi University colleges, Delhi IIT and a team from Patiala had also come to participate in the Enactus marathon. The day started off with a warm up schedule by a certified Reebok trainer. She surely got the crowd going and for people who don’t know how to dance (like me) and we learnt a few moves ourselves.

Around 7:30 the chief guest had arrived, Honourable Member of Parliament from the New Delhi Constituency, Mrs. Meenakshi Lekhi. She addressed the crowd with a 10 minute speech in which she mentioned how Enactus is a great initiative taken up by colleges around the country. Citing, a project that Enactus SRCC is currently working on, Project Azmat, she said – “The Idea of helping manual scavengers, is surely a great cause and is somewhat related to the Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan Campaign”.

After her speech, all the teams were asked to get ready for the marathon. The chief guest kicked off the marathon and one could find students in Enactus Tees running their hearts out. There were people who were offering free hugs and high 5s to motivate the contestants and some volunteers from Enactus SRCC carried placards stating motivational quotes as well.

After the marathon ended, everyone was asked to assemble in the amphitheatre inside Central Park. There was a twist in the plot when people were handed chits which mentioned the name of a country. Ultimately it was found out that people having the chits of the same country would form a team. For example – I received team Malaysia. And my team consisted of students from IPCW, NSIT, Miranda House, Hans Raj, Maitreyi and Motilal Nehru College. It was a fun experience as we had to rename our team and complete a task as a team. The task consisted of four activities which had to be conducted with a group of five people per task. After the task had been completed we would have to hand them an Enactus badge and then click a group selfie. The tasks were – singing a Bollywood song, teaching a dance step, doing the opposite and identifying a dialogue from a film.

After the tasks were completed we had to assemble near the amphitheatre and get our group photos clicked. The event was a huge success and definitely helped people find new friends.

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Interviews

Interview with Motilal Nehru College’s President Divya Munjal

By Ishaan Sengupta November 5, 2014

Divya Munjal is a 3rd Year Bsc Physics Honours student from Motilal Nehru College. She has been elected as the College Student’s Union President for the session – 2014-2015. She feels that the college union has an extremely important role to play when it comes to addressing the issues of the students.

Here are some bits of our conversation with her:

1. How do you think you can improve your college?

Being the president of the college, I will work for the interest of students putting their problems and suggestions in front of the authorities. It will be my first priority and I will give my 100% to improve our college in every aspect.

2. In?which fields do you think your college needs improvement in?

Basic maintenance facilities, girls security, funding process, weak placements are some major problems. Also another issue is of unhygienic food served in the canteen which is in dire need of renovation
3. What was your reaction when you came to know that you were to be the President of the college?

It was quiet overwhelming and the first thought that came to my mind was that this is a great opportunity where I can do something very good for my college and my fellow mates.

4. Why do you think you were chosen?
Electing me as a president was just the faith of the students in me that I would be standing by their side whenever they have any problem. Moreover they might have thought that I was capable of representing them outside as well.

5. Why were you interested in student politics?
I have been in this prestigious institution for 2 years. There were things that I thought can be improved in college and there would have been no better opportunity than being the president and working upon it.

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Events

India’s first pet convention organised at Dilli Haat

By Ishaan Sengupta November 3, 2014

India witnessed its first Pet Convention on 1^st of November 2014, at Delhi Haat, INA Market. Being a huge pet lover myself, I found myself enjoying one of the best days of my life. After entering the main market, I could only see dogs of varying breeds everywhere.

Here is what was in store for pet lovers at Pet Fed:

Pet Walk – This event started around 5 o clock, and was analogous to what humans would call a Mr. /Mrs. India event. The event was judged by Mrs Ambika Shukla, Founder of People for Animals and a former Miss India winner. The majority of contestants were Labradors, Pugs and Bull dogs. There was a Labrador who wore a pink fairy outfit, a pug who wore a lungi and another pug who wore a bee outfit!

Pupcakes – This event demanded cooks to make homemade cupcakes which were edible by both humans and dogs. Although they were not for free, they were tasty and delicious. The sheer artistry on the cupcakes had the capability to make you and your dog salivate.

Puppy Therapy – Analogous to a petting zoo concept, Puppy Therapy invited dog lovers into a big room, full of desi breed puppies. Here you could caress these gentle puppies and even adopt them. All the puppies were provided by Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Noida.

Puppy Adoption – Many stalls in the event location were putting up puppies for adoption. People for Animals and few other stalls put up both breed and street dogs for adoption. Some of the puppies outside in the stalls were from Indian Canine Upliftment Centre.

Free Grooming services – Free grooming services were being provided on pre – registration. The dogs were being groomed by expert groomers.

Engaging activities – There were other engaging activities organised by graffiti artists and painters who drew dog related paintings and illustrations. Enactus Motilal Nehru College enacted their street play – “Kutta desi ya videsi” with the message of adopting Indian (desi breeds) rather than buying expensive foreign breeds. They also organised sponge games to engage the crowd.

Union Minister Shrimati Maneka Gandhi also visited the event and gave suggestions to each and every stall about how they could improve their functioning. Overall the event was paradise for pet lovers.

Ishaan Sengupta

[email protected]

With inputs from Ishani Rajkhowa

[email protected]

Image courtesy: Pet Fed

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Arts & Culture

Three gigs to look forward to in the NCR

By Ishaan Sengupta October 26, 2014

Winter is fast approaching, and so is the season of music festivals, gigs and concerts. It is the perfect time to sweat it out by dancing, jumping and head-banging in the cold weather. Let us look at the three main gigs you can look forward to in the coming months:

Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2014
If you are not enthusiastic about this gig, then you are surely missing out on life. Probably the most happening multi – genre music festival in the country, NH7 Weekender never seizes to amaze me, nor will it seize to amaze you.
Scheduled days – November 29th and 30th
Venue – Buddha International Circuit, Greater Noida
Under 21 Passes: Rs.1750
Major artists by genre
– Metal – Skyharbor, Fear Factory, Bhayanak Maut, Collosal Figures
– Indie Rock – The Vaccines, Dinosaur Pile- Up, Motopony, The F16s, The Supersonics, The Ganesh talkies
– Hindi Rock – Amit Trivedi, Indian Ocean’s Tandanu, The Raghu Dixit project, Hoirong
– Electronic – Dualist Inquiry, Sandunes Ensemble, Killwish, Curtain Blue, KAOS
– Assorted –Nicholson, Barmer Boys, Monica Dogra

David Guetta India Tour 2014
It is a dream for a lot of people to see this dance-music giant perform in the national capital. Garnering hits after hits on every song that he puts out into the music community, David Guetta is arguably one of the most popular DJs in the world. Missing him play live would be wasting a once in a decade opportunity.
Scheduled Day – 19th December
Venue –To be announced
Passes : Rs.3000-7000

VH1 Supersonic Arcade 1
You would definitely want to be a part of the audience for this gig. Steve Aoki, one of the trending internet musicians who are dishing our hit after hit in the electronic music scene is going to perform in the national capital. He is the founder of the famous indie rock label Dim Mak Records and is a popular electronic music figure himself.
Scheduled Days – 16th January 2014
Venue: To be announced
Passes: Starts from Rs.1000

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]

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Top Picks

Five delicacies we lavished on this Durga Puja

By Ishaan Sengupta October 3, 2014

Kolkata is my hometown. Till last year I had celebrated my ‘Durga Puja Week’ in the ‘City of Joy’, however this year I didn’t get the opportunity to do so. So I had to be content with the ‘Pujas’ that Delhi had put on offer. Frankly, I was not expecting much, but it would not be wrong to say that I had made a huge mistake by underestimating Chittaranjan Park’s potential to surprise me.
The same fervour, the same atmosphere and the same excitement. Billions of people walking, forming queues for entering into the pandals in different blocks. When it turns out to be tiresome as a result of travelling so much, a person turns to satisfying his belly’s needs. They are immediately rewarded in the form of various stalls put up by chef’s and dhaba cooks trained in authentic Bengali cuisine and street food. Here is a list of things you should definitely try while you are out their slogging to get a glimpse of the Goddess’ idol:

Phuchka – Delhi-ites call this dish the ‘Pani – Puri’ or ‘Paani- batasha’. What makes it different from the Delhi adaptation is that the water used in it does not contain excessive Pudina. The taste is quite different to the ones provided in Delhi. You’ll generally get 4 – 5 phuchkas for 10 bucks.

Fish Fry, Cutlets and Fingers – These batter dipped, bread coated fish pieces available in varying sizes can make your day, if you are a sea food lover. The sauce, be it mustard or ketchup (whatever they offer) has the ability to complement the fish and straightaway seduces your palate. You find these for 25 – 50 bucks in the stalls outside the pandals.

Egg – Chicken Rolls – This avatar of a Kathi Roll, rolled with a parantha rather than a Roti might be heavy but has the capability to bombard your palate with the ooziness of the egg and the Juiciness of the grated and minced chicken. This generally costs about 60 rupees.

Sweets (Mishti,Sandesh) – ‘Mishtir Dokan’(Bengali sweet shops) are abundant in Chittaranjan Park. The variety in sweets can make it a hard choice for you but eventually whatever sweet you choose is sure to intimidate and surprise you in a positive way. You will surely have a happy face while you are pandal hopping. This costs around 15 – 20 bucks a piece. Do not forget to try the Rosogulla and the Mishti Doi ( you get this at 20 rupees per hundred grams).

Biryani – Completely independent from the famous ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’, this rice based dish is to be eaten during the dinner time. What makes it so special is that that the chicken or the mutton is prepared in an authentic Bengali way to provide the diner with a traditional Bengali appetite. The spiciness of the meat with the rose water rice can make your day and ensure that you get a good night sleep.

This just about sums up the five things you should savour on while you are out there on a quest of ‘Pratima Darshan’. There are a lot of other things that are available which you should try as well.

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DUB Speak

Ways to Deal With the Stress of Getting Bullied

By Ishaan Sengupta September 29, 2014

‘They say I am too fat, they say I am too dark, they say I am the culprit. They say I am not worthy of living in this world. If I have sinned then I should be punished. But this is not punishment, its torture.’

These words were embedded in a diary which I used to maintain when I was in the 7th Standard. While there are so many people who feel that their school life has had a positive effect on their life, I felt quite the opposite.
I did learn how to speak, how to behave, how to respect elders within the school hours but the School bus ride had always been no less than a horror to me. Getting ‘beaten’ by seniors was just an understatement. While I got beaten, I was often laughed at by my peers and juniors. What made me deserve such a ‘prize’? (That’s what they used to call it), was something that I never could understand, though I had decided to deal with the stress in my own way:

Accepting yourself for who you are:

“Someday I’ll fly, Someday I’ll soar. Someday I’ll be so damn much more, Cause I’m bigger than my body gives me credit for” – Bigger than my body, John Mayer

This is probably the most important advice that you will hear and should take into account, for without this embedded into your mind, you will never get over the mental frustration and stress. You might be socially awkward, you might be gay or you might be impatient, but do not change your self for the sake of others because doing so always results in catastrophe as a result of imitating ‘something’ you are not.

Finding a creative outlet for the stress and the anger:

“Dedicate yourself and you are going to find yourself, standing in the hall of fame
and the world’s gonna know your name” – Hall Of Fame – The Script

This is the most constructive step that you can take to mitigate your mental frustration. I always had a knack for writing. If there was anything to let out my frustration with, it was writing. I started writing songs when I was in 9th grade which slowly motivated me to sing and play music. There are so many ways by which you can divert your anger. While painting and Photography are other common options, learning martial arts or boxing are the unorthodox ones.

Being strong enough to tell your parents:

“Have no fear for giving in, have no fear for giving over. You know that in the end it’s better to say to say too much than never to say what you need to say” – Say, John Mayer

While you have ‘friends’ to help you out in some cases, it is your parent/ guardian who is most likely to come to your need. In the beginning it was always a challenge for me to tell my parents. I was scared to tell them that their son was ‘weak’, ‘awkward’ and ‘unorthodox’. But when it became absolutely necessary, they were the ones led the charge. They gave me confidence and the power to look past all the barriers and understand that it feels awesome to be who you are.

Sharing your life with those having similar problems:

“They are here to listen, they are your counterparts. They are who you are but they are not you. That’s the catch. It’s time to share with your match.”

The first time my school got the whiff of what I had been going through mentally, I was sent to my school counsellor. There I was made to sit next to people who were either insolent or were ill – fated ‘outcasts’ like me. We would often discuss about how we were bullied and what the people who bullied us, told us while they would give us the ‘prize’. The insolent ones would often turn out to have anger management issues. They would however feel more than happy to join us as they could see that there were people other than them who knew how to channelize their anger into things that produced constructive results. In spite of all the negativity shared, we came out of the room smiling.

Finding someone who accepts you for who you are:

“These labels that they give you just cause they don’t understand, if you look past this moment, you’ll see you’ve got a friend, waving a flag for who you are ” – Invisible, Hunter Hayes

Be it your best friend, your boyfriend/girlfriend or your sibling, these are the people who are always there to motivate you. They are the ones who chose you, over others and are the ones who are bound to bring a smile to your face. Your part of this trade is to keep this relationship intact. For once this jewel is lost or ‘stolen’, it is hard to get it back.

Image Credits: Mehr Gill

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DUB News

Gyanodaya Returns: Allegations from DUTA not enough to stop the “Educational train”

By Ishaan Sengupta September 27, 2014

DU’s educational train, Gyanodaya Express is all set to take students of Delhi University to the North – East this year. Despite fierce allegations of financial irregularities from DUTA, the project which was started as the ‘College on Wheels’ project on 2012, will engage student – teacher cooperation in a friendly environment yet again for the fifth time.

According to the Registrar, Mr. Tarun Kumar Das, A special certificate course would be organised by the university so that the students could be given a basic theoretical and practical knowledge of 8 different local languages prevalent in the North East. From 20th to 30th December, around 900 students will be given the opportunity to travel on the Dharohar – Gyanodaya express.

The selection procedure will be similar to last year – The innovativeness of the project proposals would enable the selection of the students. There would be groups of 11 – 15 students including one student from the north – east who would be accompanied by a mentor each. The main focus of the project is to be based on providing a thorough understanding of the richness of the terrain and how it contributes to our nation’s beauty. The students would also be given the opportunity to meet senior functionaries of the states as well as representatives of local universities. Issues regarding citizenship and national integrity would be addressed during the course of the trip.

The concept of Gyanodaya has often appealed to students but in a recent whitepaper by DUTA, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dinesh Singh has been blamed for being a part of malpractices leading to financial irregularities in DU. The white paper suggests that the VC had started the Gyanodaya express back in 2012 without any prior discussion by the statutory bodies. There had been no evaluation prior to its inception yet crores of money had been spent yearly on this project. The white paper mentions, “According to information provided in response to RTIs on the subject, the costs for two trips were Rs 198,30,408 (2012) and Rs 148,82,182 (2013) respectively,”

DUTA president, Nandita Narain has urged the Ministry of Human Resource Development to intervene this year’s Gyanodaya Express trip and make the university more answerable about the source of such funds mentioned above.

DU Beat’s coverage of the past voyages of Gyanodaya can be found here.

Image Credit: University of Delhi official website

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Campus Central

Golden jubilee celebrations at Motilal Nehru College

By Ishaan Sengupta September 22, 2014

th April, 1983 due to the mammoth efforts of Dr. Ratnakar Pandey, the then Principal of the college, who involved Mrs. Indira Gandhi and held consecutive meetings with the UGC chairperson to achieve it. By 1986 – 87 the college had 1689 students and 10 departments – 7 honours courses and 3 post- graduate courses. Finally on 9^th January, 1989 the college shifted to its new building. Since then the strength of the college has risen to more than 3000 students. Getting back to the celebrations, the ambient flute music which was playing in the background nicely complemented the atmosphere in the college. One could also see the NCC cadets rehearsing continuously to ensure that the Chief Guest would get the perfect ‘Guard of Honour’. The Chief Guest was Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports. Some of the other important guests who were invited were, Padmasree Biman Das (renowned artist and sculptor), Shri Rameshwar Teli (Member of Parliament – Lok Sabha), Sat Prakash Rana (Member of Legislative Assembly – Delhi, Ex – student of the college), V.B.N. Ram (President – Alumni Association) and Professor J. P. Khurrana (Chairman, Governing Body of the College). Around 10 am, the chief guest arrived and he was welcomed by the college’s administrative staff and a set of retired professors. He was escorted by the Students’ Union President Divya Munjal and the Secretary of the Staff Council, Mr Munish Tamang to the Principal’s room, where he was introduced to the Principal, Professor B.K. Jain. Ten minutes later, the Chief Guest was escorted by the Principal to unveil the bust of freedom fighter, Pandit Motilal Nehru, after whom the college has been named. The bust was sculpted by Padmasree Biman Das on a very short notice. It reflected the sheer artistry of the living legend. The function started around half past ten with a group song which was performed by the college’s cultural society ‘Vaayu’ – ‘Swagatam Shubh Swagatam’. The Chief Guest also released the ribbon containing the Commemorative issue of 2014 which was later distributed amongst everyone in the college. There were speeches which were delivered by Professor Munish Tamang, Professor B.K. Jain and Shri J.P. Khurrana and finally a speech by the Chief Guest. “We cannot be isolated, We need to believe in global bliss and ours is a global economy”, he said. He also brought up Narendra Modi quite a few times by saying, “Modi has taught us one thing – Parivartan ke liye kathor parishram ki zarurat hai” ( For a change, we need to struggle for the better” and “Now we have a Prime Minister of specific determination, commitment and hard work – that is Narendra Modi ji”. Here is an audio of his whole speech: http://goo.gl/6xMg71 After his speech, the function officially ended. We had the opportunity to speak to Professor Jawaharlal Jogi (retired professor) whom on being asked about the function stated, “I joined this college on day one, with Dr. N. Bhattacharya. While I was the Associate Professor of Mathematics, he was the Associate Professor for Commerce. I felt that there should have been a speech on the history of the college. Other than that the function was organised pretty well.” We also spoke to Shri Sat Prakash Rana who is a Member of the legislative Assembly and an MLNC alumnus. On being asked about the function he replied, “The function was very good. I was a former student of this college and I am very proud. It has been 25 years since I have left the college.” Image credits: Kuntal Tamang and ambaphotostudio.com]]>

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Sounds

3 Albums to look forward to in the months to come

By Ishaan Sengupta August 21, 2014

Whenever I am in the metro and have no company, I tend to plug my earphones into my ears and jam to my playlist. While my playlist consists of a blend of various genres, sometimes listening to the same songs repeatedly can be irritating and wish that my playlist could update itself with new releases. Here are some new albums to look forward to in the months to come:

1) Maroon 5’s“V (FIVE)” – A month ago, Maroon 5 released their latest single ‘Maps’ which is scheduled to feature in their fifth album, namely “V (FIVE)”. Barely a few weeks ago, they released their second single namely, ‘It was always you’. Both the songs are catchy, prospective hits and have been getting radio airplay in many nations. The album is to be released on 29^th August by Interscope Records.

2) The Script’s“No Sound Without Silence” – A week ago, The Script released their latest single ‘Superheroes’ which is scheduled to feature in their fourth studio album “No Sound Without Silence”. The latest single incorporates The Script’s consistent style of musical compositions although the content is about ‘empowering people’. While recording the latest album, Danny O’ Donogue mentioned how everything felt larger than life on stage and they wanted to portray the same impact while recording their latest album. The single has been getting significant airplays on the radio in many countries. The album is to be released on 12^th September by Columbia Records.

3) Alt J’s“This is all Yours” – Four weeks ago, Progressive Electronic and Experimental Rock band, Alt J released their latest single named ‘Hunger of the Pine’ which is scheduled to feature in their latest album “This is all yours”. The latest single incorporates Alt J’s tremendous experimental tone works on the guitar and the vocals. In an interview, the members had mentioned that the vocals were utilised as an extra instrument and was integral to their music. If you follow experimental music, then this is the album for you. The album is to be released on 22^nd September by Infectious Records.

Image credits: Wikipedia.org

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Top Picks

Four Bollywood movies that should definitely have a sequel

By Ishaan Sengupta August 13, 2014

While there are a lot of films which could have a sequel, these are the 4 films which I would definitely like to watch sequels of:

1. Sarkar Raj: The prequel “Sarkar” was not well received by the critics, as it was termed as just an ‘unjust copy’ of the Hollywood favorite “The Godfather”. However Ram Gopal Verma made an effort to reincarnate his thoughts in Sarkar Raj. He changes the whole plot of the Hollywood movie and adds his touch to it.

The movie ends with one of the protagonists, Shankar ( Abhishek Bachchan) dying while Anita ( Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) takes over the family business. However, what is more interesting is that Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan), in the last dialogue of the film, calls out for ‘Chikoo’ , Vishnu Nagre’s son leaving a sense of curiosity in the mind of the person watching the movie. This makes the movie – watcher craving for more. The movie could portray the growing up of Chikoo and how he ultimately handles the family business like Vincent Mancini in The Godfather 3.

2. Taare Zameen Par

Taare Zameen Par was well received by critics and was one of those ‘socially acceptable’ movies which spearheaded Indian Cinema into the world. The film takes us through the life of a dyslexic student who finds it hard to keep up with the normal school curriculum.

However, the protagonist ends up overcoming his inabilities and shuns the doubts everybody has of him. The movie ends with the protagonist, Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) leaving the remedial school that he joined after his abysmal performance in his previous school. This leaves a splendid scope for showing us how he tackles his upcoming obstacles in life and how he can achieve his fears in those situations. It would also be a wonderful sight if Ishaan becomes a teacher similar to Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) and help others in the same way.

3. Awarapan – The plot of this story revolves around a flesh trading ring, where Emraan Hashmi plays the protagonist, who is one of the capo régimes in such a business. Driven by unjust practices and religious flash backs, he ultimately kills his own boss and few of his associates and saves his boss’s sex slave and frees her.

The last scene portrays how the survivor, addressing the media in her country and narrating the whole story. Flesh Trade; being a very sensitive topic, such movies can be introduced after being inspired by the Hollywood movie, ‘Taken’ which revolves around the same topic yet portrays how an Intelligence agency official’s daughter is dragged into the human trafficking ring and how he ultimately rescues her daughter. The sequel to Awarapan could deal with such a topic.

4. Rock On!! – A movie which takes the viewer through the life of a band formed by five talented musicians and friends and the various hardships it faces. The band ‘Magic’ is well received for its musicality, however, record label disputes terminates it. A few years later, the members get rid of their personal differences and ultimately win a big competition. The movie also features a splendid collection of songs which were well received in the music market as well.

The epilogue of the movie relays that the keyboardist ‘Rob’ dies of cancer and that the guitarist and the drummer start a record label themselves and that the band meets every weekend. This provides a scope for a sequel. This movie can provide insight about the music industry a bit more. Probably taking us through the life of a record label company and how the back end market of the music industry works. The sequel is highly expected this year.