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Maumil Mehraj

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) is striking against the 28th August order of the Vice Chancellor (VC) which had rendered ad-hoc teachers jobless and demanding a one-time absorption of ad-hoc teachers.

The DUTA General Body Meeting (GBM) held today decided on the continuance of the indefinite strike of the teachers, with boycott of invigilation of the ongoing semester exams, evaluation, and all other official tasks to press for their demand of one-time regulation for the absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers on the basis of 200 point Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) roster.

According to the resolution of the GBM, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has conceded to the teachers’ demands, including the withdrawal of the 28th August University of Delhi Circular, release of additional posts for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation, and counting of past service as per University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2018. The ad-hoc teachers will continue on their positions till the permanent faculty is appointed.

But, the DUTA has also stated that it is unfortunate that the Government has not agreed to the absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers to end their exploitation and humiliation. The GBM has therefore decided to continue the movement to pursue this demand as well as others.

“While we welcome the fact that the HRD Ministry took cognizance of our issue and the agitating teachers got some relief, we will continue our protests in a peaceful manner,” Abha Dev Habib, Treasurer of the Union, said on Friday.

The DUTA GBM has agreed on a series of action programmes including the following to realise their motive:

1. Day-night dharna outside the VC’s Office.

2. Sunday, 8th December: “We and our Families” Public Meeting at the venue of the Dharna from 12 noon onwards where teachers and their families will narrate their stories.

3. Monday, 9th December: Sansad Chalo March to Parliament from Mandi House at 12 noon.

4. Tuesday, 10th December: Massive Rally at North Campus at 2 p.m.

In its resolution, the DUTA extended its congratulations to the teachers for their successful and unprecedented participation to express their agitation at the continuous hardships being faced by their ad-hoc colleagues.

The DUTA has said that apart from the agenda of absorption, they will continue their protests until the Kale Committee report be adopted and implemented in the University. The Union also demands that the UGC sanctions posts for self-financing courses and absorbs teachers working on these positions.

The DUTA also acknowledged and expressed gratitude to the various Student Unions’ of DU colleges for their support and stated that it ‘resolves to reach out to other students’ unions, the Delhi University and College Karamchari Association (DUCKU) and the general public in support of our demands.’

The DUTA also expressed its concern over the struggle against the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2019 and its ‘disastrous consequences for higher education’.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

 

Bhavya Pandey

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Students from different universities came together in support of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to protest against the fee hike. Read on to find out more.

On Thursday, 21st November 2019 students from Delhi University (DU), JNU, and Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) participated in a protest led by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) against the hostel fee hike in JNU.

The protest consisted of a march commencing from Mandi House which continued till the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The demands of the protestors included a complete rollback of the increased hostel fee hike amount, resumption of classes. Apart from this, they also demanded an end to the prevaricating attitude of MHRD with powerful slogans.

Sidharth Yadav, Secretary, ABVP Delhi, said, “We demand a complete rollback of the hiked hostel fee. Today’s protest has only served to fortify our fight for reversion to the earlier fee-structure. In principle, ABVP is against the ongoing series of fee hikes across several educational institutions and would request their respective administrations to refrain from such inexcusable conduct. We chose to organise a separate protest vis-a-vis JNU Students’ Union because of the latter’s unseemly actions wherein they desecrated the University space and damaged public property, in addition to undercutting the momentum and sullying the spirit of the ongoing movement. While they employ profitable victimhood to further their self-serving ends, we choose the openhanded and inclusive approach in our fight for justice.”

According to sources, around 160 people were arrested during the protest taking place at the Parliament street which included 3 handicapped student protestors. Students came in support of JNU in a huge number and didn’t care about the consequences. The protestors chanted slogans like “HRD Minister istifa do (HRD Minister, resign), Fee hike nahi sahenge” (we won’t tolerate fee hike) against the JNU administration and HRD ministry, who according to students is responsible behind this fee hike.

Durgesh Kumar, President, ABVP, JNU, said, “Left-oriented organisations, in an infelicitous act of misrepresentation, misappropriation and crass political expediency, have blunderingly acquiesced to the intervention of HRD Ministry’s High Powered Committee into the ongoing issue. We reject such interposition and push for the uncritical acceptance of all our demands.”

Apart from students, members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and ABVP were also detained after a quarrel between the protestors and the security personnel. The area had protection through triple layers of barricades and Delhi Police was on high alert. Students still managed to climb through the barricades out of rage and ignite a conflict with the security personnel which also involved Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

Manish Jangid, Secretary, ABVP, JNU, said, “While JNUSU has thrown in the towel, we continue to hold out. The manner in which the police authorities stymied our protest was undemocratic. We call for the HRD Minister to either unconditionally comply with our demands or resign forthwith.”

Akshit Dahiya, President, DUSU, said, “DUSU stands in opposition to this undue increase in JNU hostel fee. We stand in unison with all sincere protestors and request the government to put in place a discrete regulatory body to independently judge the necessity as well as delineate the quantum of any fee hikes in future. Our successes against similar fee-hikes in Delhi University is a testament to our commitment and our capability to take this fight to its logical end.”

 

Feature Image Credits: Ashutosh Singh for ABVP

Avni Dhawan

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After protests by School of Open Learning (SOL) students against cancelled classes and lack of study material, The Delhi High Court (HC) orders a stay on semester exams scheduled in December for SOL students.

SOL had decided to implement the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) from the academic session 2019-20. This change meant that SOL would move into the system which other Delhi University (DU) colleges follow, with exams at the end of every semester instead of annual exams. The hasty and ill-implemented nature of this decision led to several problems such as lack of study material, incomplete syllabus in most honours courses, and cancelled classes.

The initiative which may have been well-intended, was poorly implemented. On 17th November 2019, SOL students came out to protest against the Vice Chancellor (VC) for the same. The protest was in the form of a funeral march for the VC. They had also held a protest outside the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) where they had tonsured their hair and sent it to the Union HRD minister, Delhi Education Minister, UGC, DU, and SOL authorities as a symbolic representation of how they had been orphaned by the authorities.

On 5th November, four student activists had moved the court regarding this matter and their plea was accepted by the Delhi HC. The HC has ordered a stay on the December examinations in SOL by the University. The University will now hold both semester examinations at the end of the second semester, much like the method that was followed in SOL before the implementation of CBCS this academic session.

The students in a statement reported by the Times of India said, “Delhi High Court took DU on all the irregularities and violations evident in the manner in which CBCS has been implemented. Apart from pushing back of November-December exams, the University has to report to an annual nodal officer on the preparations made for the smooth running of the CBCS program in SOL.”

However, SOL director CS Dubey said that the University gave suggestions to the courts. A senior official goes on to say, “If IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) conducts exams of two semesters together, so can we. We have tried our best to make sure that SOL students should be at par with regular students. But some organisations wanted to disrupt that. There are many students who still want to give the exam in December this year.” They point out that exams in December would mean that will have to burden their resources, as different papers will have to be prepared and the number of days extended.

 

(With excerpts from the Times Of India)

 

 Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

 

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Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has moved the Delhi High Court (HC) against the protesting students for “gross violation” of the court’s previous order of August 2017 banning protests within 100 metres of the administrative block. 

The contempt plea has been filed by JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar, along with the University’s standing counsel Monika Arora against the protesting students for violation of the Court’s order of 2017 banning protests within 100 metres of the administrative block. As reported by news agency Indo-Asian News Service, the plea is filed against the Delhi Police, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghose, General Secretary Satish Chandra Yadav, Vice President Saket Moon and former JNU student leaders N. Sai Balaji, Geeta Kumari, Sarika Choudhary, Apeksha Priyadarshani, Krishna Rao, among others.

The plea read, “The instant petition is being preferred by the university against the contemnors for gross and continuing violation of the order dated 09.08.2017…by protesting within 100 meters of the administrative block and the day-to-day administration of the petitioner University due to which the working of the university has come to a standstill.”

Two FIR’s have been registered against JNU students on Tuesday who clashed with the Delhi Police. The FIR’s have been registered at two different police stations against unidentified individuals. Over the past few weeks, severe protests have led to clashes with the police after they were barred from marching towards the Parliament as it reconvened for the winter session. Delhi Police set up barricades and closed down four metro stations around the Parliament. Students were allegedly lathi-charged which led to severe injuries to both police personnel and the students.

JNUSU on Tuesday said they are ready to undertake a march to the Parliament 10 times if their demands are not met. The resignation of JNU Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar has also been demanded. JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh quoted to The Hindustan Times, “Police had detained at least a hundred students including me, and Satish (General Secretary of JNUSU), just to make sure the high powered meeting with the secretary (MHRD) does not take place.” Followed by a press conference in the JNU Administrative block, she addressed, “We have made it clear in the meeting, that the agitation will stop only after all our demands are accepted, and if the VC has a problem with that then we demand his resignation…”

 

Students at JNU have been protesting against the fee hike and have conveyed their demands to the Ministry of Human Resource Development. One of which stated, the protesting students should not face any enquiry.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Anandi Sen
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Amidst outpouring sympathies after the failure of the Chandrayaan 2 mission, questions arise on “losing communication”. Read why mainland India has forgotten Kashmir from its memory.

Chandrayaan 2, India’s second lunar mission was meant to explore an area never explored before, the south pole of the moon. On 7th September, as the Vikram lander began its descent to the lunar surface, the country watched carefully. Just 2.1 kilometres over the surface of the moon, ISRO abruptly lost contact with the lander. The rover was found on 8th September, with a possibility of a harsh landing. At the time of writing this article, NASA promised to send pictures of the landing region and the rover for ISRO’s analysis.

A wave of social media sympathy took over. People immediately took the responsibility – for being proud of ISRO and for the failure of their efforts – into their own hands. A video of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the ISRO Chairman, K. Sivan, emerged where Sivan can be seen wiping away his tears. Trolls took to mansplaining a female engineer who worked on the mission. Hate politics on social media also emerged between India and Pakistan, leading nowhere.

On social media and otherwise, the issue was widely compared to the communication blockade in Kashmir. Importantly, analogies were drawn between ISRO’s loss of communication with the Chandrayaan and the Kashmiris’ loss of connection with the rest of the world. “I want to know how India feels, knowing that there is no connection even in modern times like these. It also raises questions about if India is progressing at all,” a student from Kashmir said, under the condition of anonymity. “On one hand you claim the knowledge of the moon, but Kashmir has gone back several decades with a complete gag on communications for (now) more than 40 days.”

The Kashmir Valley has been under clampdown since 5th August, the day Article 370 was abrogated. Curfews have been imposed almost regularly. The clampdown has also been criticised for its authoritarian and colonial nature. Freedom of the Press no longer exists in the Valley and reports of violence, curfews, and killings have emerged as the Indian state urges that “the situation is normal”.

It is interesting that people chose to mourn the lander, a non-living object, instead of an entire state of over six million under clampdown. The poignant question to ask is this: if the people of this state are your own citizens, why are you not worried about their repression yet?

The insensitivity of the masses adds to the absurdity of the situation; as if it is normal for a population to exist without phone networks and the internet for more than a month! The common argument that the Bharatiya Janata Party propagates is that people lived before there was the internet. Yes, but the times have changed and because of an ambiguous “threat from militants”, it is not justifiable to keep human beings deprived of their civil rights.

The Kashmir clampdown is no longer seen in the mainstream media channels or the front pages of newspapers. Kashmir has been an object of selective outrage, or rather, an intermittent outrage.

Dr. Dharan Sharma, a senior aerospace engineer at NASA, said, “The timing of this mission was wrong, the mission seemed to have bleak chances of success. The economic crisis means every penny is priceless. The failure of this mission could mean the loss of what India has gained on the international space platform. It will weaken the flow of investment in science and technology.”

Many scientists on Twitter refused to call Chandrayaan 2 India’s greatest scientific feat since it takes away the light from other fields of science which lack funding.

India has been seeing disasters from multiple sides – be it the floods, the Kashmir issue, the economic crisis, or now the failure of Chandrayaan. What remains to be seen is how the Government deals with them to ensure that no more damage, than has already been made, is endured.

 

Feature Image Credits: BBC

 

Maumil Mehraj

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Jaishree Kumar

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On 5th September 2019, DU Beat conducted an interview with All India Students’ Association’s (AISA) Vice Presidential candidate, Aftab Alam to know him and his perspective regarding the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections.

To the common student, DUSU feels like an unapproachable political entity, what will you and your party do to ensure accountability to the students of Delhi University?

Sabse pehle toh aap ye baat janiega ki DUSU ka matlab hai Delhi University Students Union, yani hamm 3 lakh baccho ke liye 4 bacche chunke jaate hai unke representative hokei aur hamm usi hi chunav ka taiyaari kar rahe hai. Yaani hamm log unn baccho ka vote leke aage pohonchte hai. Aur itna hamm ye bata na chah rahe hai aapko ki aapne kaha ‘connection kis tareeke se hoga, connection ke liye aap agar union mai apne bagal ke bench ke ucche hue bacche ko union mai pohonchaeyenge, agar aap union ko itna suljha hua rakhenge, itna suljha hua rakhenge ki woh BMW, Mercedes aur bade bade audi se bees bees lakh rupay, eke k crore rupay deke agar jeet ke waha pohonch aaye toh bilkul sadharan baat hai ki woh keval aur keval apne rutbay ke liye , apni shauharat ke liye uss post pe gaya hai ki woh 3 lakh baccho ka representative hai bas uss vekti ko use zyada aur kuch nahi chahiye. Hamm aapko yahi batana chahte hai ki grounded bacche, aapne bagal ke seat se uthe hue bacche ko agar aap bhejte hai, jiske paas shayad utna paisa na ho lekin agar aap uss bacche ko bhejenge toh itna connection hoga ki jo baccha bohot door ke college mai hai aur usse office tak bhi jaana hai toh ek baar call siraf karde toh shayad woh union member khud uske paas chala jay eek din waqt nikalke, ho sakta hai ki bohot busy ho, lekin aisa bhi nahi hai ki iss tareeke se jo ground se utha hua vekti hoga woh ground pe kaam karna hi pasand karega. Toh aap agar grounded aur aap agar AC ke car mai baithne wale Mercedes walo ko agar aap chunenge toh kabhi nah woh ground mai rehna seekha hai na kabhi woh ground mai rahega. Toh iss tareeke se ek connectivity jo hammne bataya aur jisse agar hamm in future vice president bannte hai toh bohot se cheezo ko hamm layenge aapne taraaf se saal bhar ke bheetar jiss wajeh se jo student aur union ke beechmai jitna connection paida ho ki number ka intazaam kiya jayega jisse continued student aapna koi bhi takleefo seedha union tak seedha connect karpaeyaga aur union ko complaint likhwayega aur usspe jald se jald karwahi ki jayegi, iss tareeke se bohot se kadam jo in future hamm khud personally AISA ke taraf se aur hamm milke ispe vichaar karenge, vichaar karne ke baad kuch aise kadaam uthayenge jisse bohot zyada connection tayaar ho baccho ki dooriyaan kamm ho aur ek phone karei, toh hamm log ground se uthei hue ki itne door tak college jaye aur unki takleefo ko suljhaye.

 

The incidents on Old Gupta Road and Hindu Rao Hospital highlight security concerns for those living in the  north campus, what steps will you take to ensure safety and security on campus?

Ek baat hamm aapko batatei hai ki aisa hai ki Delhi University goondo ki university bana di hai. Yaha chattraye keval padhne ke liye aate hai aur isse pehle hamm aapko thora aur samjhaate hai thora sa ki jo chunao hai, woh chunav keval chattra sangh ka chunav hai . Yaani haamm jis politics mai hai woh keval student politics hai, lekin hamm jis politics mai hai usse kya bana diya hai aaj ke samhei mai, ki student politics ko bana diya hai vidhan sabha, tantagri aur aneek chetriye ke rajneeti se bana diya gaya hai. Lekin agar chettriye rajneeti mai agar aap dekhiye toh jo baccha university ka na hai woh bouncer, badei badei bouncer, vishaal vishaal bouncers toh itne saarei jeev agar aa rahe hai toh ye toh sadharan baat hai ki ek ke baad durghatnaye karenge, jaise law faculty mai abhi teacher ko kuch din pehle maar diya, bohot maara gaya, unhe toh parambaati nahi hai ki kis tareeke se kis tareeke se aap bina dekhe ki woh ek teacher hai, ek adhyapak hai aur unka haat todd dena. Unhe toh maalum nahi kyunki unhe shayad kabhi padhayi nah ki ho jaise farzi degree walei, jaise baadmei pta chalta hai ki farzi degree wale bhi bohot hai. Toh iss tareeke se une ye bhi nahi maalum ki respect ek professor ki kitni badi cheez hoti hai ki student ke liye kitni badi cheez hoti hai toh usse mukhyode se ek study hi hai, padhai hi hai, uska mukhyode se rajneeti nahi hai mukhyode se padhai hai , padhai ke baad rajneeti hai toh aap agar pehle padhai karne aaye hai toh aap janenge ki respect kya hai. Mai aapke sawaal mai aata hu, sawaal yahi hai ki kiss tareeke se hamm log karenge toh baat ye hai ki agar humari union , hamara pehla nazr union mai pohonchta hai aur agar mai khud pohonchta hut oh sir iss tareeke se ki ye kamzori kaha se shuru hui, ye kamzori shuru hui prashasan se, prashasan ko agar jheel diya jaeyga , prashasan dheeli rahegi toh toh bohot ekdum sadhaaran cheez hai ki ye gunde issi tareeke se kabu payenge. Kyunki aap dekhiyega aap jante bhi hoyenge ki prashasn itni kamzor hai inki ki agar bohot bheer jama hoti hai toh prashasan darr jaati hai. Kamre mai khudko lock kardeti hai, agar prashasan ko bohot had ke level mai tight karenge,agar ek aisa veyakti aayega joh prashasan ko na daraake prashaasan ko uss tareeke se daraye jo aapka joh kaam hai woh aap dhangse karenge, jo gunda gardi, iss gunda gardi pe control karenge toh agar hamm inn sab cheezo pe kadam uthayenge toh sadhaaran si baat hai ki ye cheez khud bah khud khatam hojayegi.

 

How inclusive do you think AISA is in terms of minority and LGBTQIA+ representation?

Hamari party peechle varg theekai, aur jinnko dabaya jaa raha hai jitni bhi cheese hai, inn sabhi cheezon ko hamari party saath leke chalne waali hai sabko ek samaan maanti hai.Party kehti hai ki aap party mai bade ho, chote ho sab kehte hai ki aap hamme comrade kehke bolei, hamei saathi bolei, aur agar ham saamne wale ko saathi bolenge toh saamna khud ko aapne aap ko safe feel karega aur apna feel karega. Iskeliye hamari party sabko ek saath chalne wali party hai sabko ek samaan bananei wali party, sabko ek nazariye aur ek ucchai se dekhne wali party hai

 

Campaigning every year uses up a tremendous amount of paper for pamphlets, posters etc which then leads to litter on campus, what is your say on the matter?

Do baatei hai, ek toh ye hai ki jis tareeke se paper, paper ek cheez hai ki bina paper ke aap 52 colleges nahi cover kar sakte, ek toh yeh hai. Magar uss cheez ko toh control mai toh rakh hi sakte hai. Prachaar karna hai toh aap control kijiye jis tareeke se hamm har ek college mai jaa rahe hai, jab hamm ek ek paper haath mai pakda rahe hai bina udaaye toh hamm unse yeh keh rahe hai ki isse phenkiyega nahi zameen pe, isse dustbin mai mat daliega, iska joh sahi use hai uss use mai hi chalayega, isse barbaad mat kariega aur logon pe matt faekiega, toh hamm ye bataana chah rahe hai aapko ki hammne woh paper ko udaaya nahi, keval har bacche ke haath mai eke k paper pakraya. Jitna istemaal karna hai utna paper ka istemaal kiya, jisse ek paper faaltu use nahi kiya. Magar Delhi University ke chunav mai hota kya hai, annaya party uss paper ke saath, chahe woh law facully mai ghusse ya kisi college mai ghusse ya road pe chale toh usse iss tareeke se bade bade gadiyon mai 500 paper ki gaddiyon ko itni door udaati hai ki woh paper ka twice ya thrice, teen se chaar gunna lagbhag barbaadi hai uska. Jitna aapko paani peena hai, utna hi glass mai bhariye, usse extra agar aap paani bhadenge toh woh paani barbaad hojayega, toh woh hi cheez hai jitna aapko use karna hai , ussi hisaab se aap baccho tak pohonchaye. Anaya party ke muqable hamm usse 4 guna bacha lete hai uss paper ko aur hamm apna kaam bhi kar rahe hai aur apne aap ko waha tak pohoncha bhi rahe hai.

 

Delhi University was recently declared an Institute of Eminence by the Union Government which entitles DU to a payment of a 1000 crores over 5 years, however,  the trend in 2019 in DU has been of increasing fees and hostel rates, why do you think this is so? And what will your party do to reduce fee hikes and hostel rates?

Itna budget honei ke baad bhi, Delhi University Vice Chancellor sahab kehte hai ki unka governing body alag hai, jitney bhi colleges hai unki governing body alag hai unke ye words hai ki unke governing body alag hai toh uss hisaab se chale. Accha hamm aapko batatei hai ki governing body alag hona aur uska university of delhi mai affiliated hona, joora rehna dono alag alag cheez toh nahi hai, theekai. Aap ki jadhei kaha hai? University mai hai na , fundings aapko kaha se mil aa rahi hai, university se mil aa rahi hai na, har ek college ko kaha se funding pohonchaye ja raha hai? University se pohonchaye jaa raha hai na, jis taal se hostel mai kamiya hai, lekin uske bawajut jo bacche hai unki fees bara di  hostel mai. Hammne jab graduation 2016 mai shuru ki thi, toh mainei khud B.A programme ke liye 6000-7000 diye thei, aur iss saal jab final year hammne complete kiya toh jab naye bacchii aaye, toh unke muh se jab suna kuch baccho ke muh se unnei kaha ki 14000-15000 ussi deshbandhu college se kiya. Yaani mainei keval usko 6000-7000 mai complete kiya aur saamne jo aaya 3 saal baad woh baccha uska dugna pay kiya toh hamm ye keh rahe hai ki bacche ye jhael rahe hai, 98 percent lane ke baad bhi . magar uske peeche kaaran kya hai, hamm chup hai, union chup hai . Aap jab tak bolenge nahi, aap jab tak ladenge nahi aap apne haqq ke liye nahi ladenge, aap jab tak bhagat singh nahi banenge toh shayaad aapke saath sarkare aise hi karegi. Sarkaare toh manmaani hi karte hai , sarkaaro ka kaam hai manmaani karna. Magar yahi hai, iske peeche sacch yahi hai ki hamme bolna hoga, union mai aane ke baad agar hamm ladenge nahi. Union ka kaam kya hai? Laddna , apne haqq ke liye laddna , kisi aur cheez ke liye laddti nahi union . Agar union nahi ladegi aur nahi khadi hogi toh kis tareeke se kaam chalega? Toh yahi hai ki hamm jab tak ladenge nahi , jab tak ladenge nahi sarkaaro se, tab tak sarkaaro se manmaani chalte rahegi. Hammei uss manmaani rokna, aur union mai aane ke baad , ham jis union mai aajayenge vice president post pe, toh ham isse judei rahenge, kaam karte rahenge.

 

The overriding perception of University politics is that It involves dirty politics, strong-arming, and violence. What has your party done to prove this perception wrong during this campaigning period, and what does it plan to do to reduce these perceptions in the future?

Ye bohot accha sawaal hai, ham miss sawaal pe ye batana chahte hai aapko ki aisa hai ki ye jo bees se pandra saal, ya bees saal, ya shayad panchees saal hi utha lijiye jabse ye badi badi partiya aaye ye DUSU ke chunav mai aaye. Toh inke joh vichaar dharaaye hai woh sabinhi ki ho sakti hai, aur shuru se jab bacche aaye, inke mann mai student politics aapne kabhi nahi utaara, aappne chattra rajneeti kabhi nahi utaari, Baccho ke mann mai keval aapne itna utaara ki gunddalog hai. Kyunki, dekhiye , ek baccha jo shuru se dekhta hai, ham ek chote se bacche ka example lete hai, ek ghar mai ek baccha hai, chota baccha hai woh jis mohol mai paida hoga , jis mohol mai palega badega woh waisa hi dekhega aur waisa bhi aage hi bolega sochega aur karerga. Ussmei woh saare gunn aajayenge uss tareeke ke. Toh ek baccha school se iss university mai aaya sunnte bohot pehle se, 20 saal 25 saal pehele se , ki ussne bees pachees saal lagatar dekhe aur jo halaat dekhe hai yaha pe tohh unnke dimaag mai woh darr paida kiya gaya. Shuru se darte raha. EK example le lijiye, JNU ka example lelijiye, JNU mai woh darr nahi hai, woh darr ka mohol nahi hai, gunda log nahi hai waha. Gunda log agar hota waha pe toh iss tareeke se toh waha pe khulke aam chattra ki jeet na hoti, shayad Mercedes BMW wali kisi ki jeet hoti, shayad 25-30 lakh ek crore kharch karne walei, pool party karane wale ki hi jeet hoti. Toh yaane ki yaha pe shuru se aam chattra toh kabhi jeeta nahi, iss tareeke se ground level ka, hamm jaise chattra kabhi jeeta nahi , hamara party jaisa aa nahi paaya , gundelog shuru se hi control karta raha. Iss tareeke se, bilkul issi tareeke se shuru se aapne mohol create kiya, mohol create kiya toh baccha logon ke mann mai darr bana aur woh aman taal tak chale. Jab tak hamm jaise sanghkarti aur hamari party jaise sanghkarti yaha khadi hai, tab tak hamm log unn baccha logon ko iss darr se azaad karne mai aur darr ko samjhaane mai, ki inse darr ne ka zarurat nahi hai, iss darr se nikalne ke liye bas yahi aap logon ke saath ek tareeka hai ki aap gundalogon ko mat suniye, gundalogon ko vote deni ki zarurat nahi hai. Ek baar bas ek aam chattra, ek aam panel ko , ek aam party ko jeetakei dikhaye aur inhe bata dijiye ki ye university kisi paise wale ki jyagir nahi hai, ye university gundo ki jyagir nahi hai, ye bouncers ki jyagir nahi hai, BMW Mercedes waalo ki jyagir nahi hai. Ye university jo hai, aam chattro ki jyagir hai, aam chattro yaha pe khulke saas le sakte hai, aap logon se darega nahi , 100 gunde aap leke aajayenge firr bhi. agar ek baar bhi aisa hota hai toh mai batata hu aapko aur mai vada karta hu aapko ki Delhi University Students Union aur DU ka mohol badal jayega , ye darr khatam hojayega aur jo bacche darr rahe hai ab uss din ye sochenge ki failaane jo thei, failaani party jo  thi , woh jeet gayi inn gunda logon ke beech mai toh shayad hamm bhi jeet jayenge, hamm  bhi aam chattra hai, hamm bhi jeet jayenge inn gundalogon ke beech mai , toh hare k aam chattra khara hoga laddne ke liye, hare k aam party khade hogi laddne ke liye to hiss tareeke se hamm logon ke dimaag mai jo bithaya gaya hai, jo baccha logon ke dimmag mai darr, woh darr khatam kiya ja sakta hai.

 

The Lyngdoh Committee lays down 5000 rupees as the maximum expenditure amount,  how does your party maintain it?

Mai chunav khud ladd raha hu, mai aapko bata sakta hu ki lyngdoh committee ki joh rule hai, woh 5000 ka hai, aur apan baat hai ki 5000 koi student ke liye bohot bari rakam hoti hai chunav laddne ke liye. Aur jo rule banaya gaya woh soch samajhke banaya gaya ki aapno itni ki hi bheetar laddna hai, yaani ki aap student politics mai hai, na ki aap prashasan ka chunav ladd rahe hai, ye log crore rupay kharch kar rahe hai, pool partiya kara rahe hai theekei iss tareeke se logon se vote le rahe hai, toh ye koi tareeka nahi hai. First year mai jab hamm log bhi aaye thei, toh hamm logon nedekha tha pool partiya karai gayi thi, uss saamei mannu bhai aagaya tha aur bacche logon se vote liya gaya tha. Toh hum batatei hai ki hamari party ne kaise maintain kiya hai. Humlog iss tareeke se maintain karte hai iss cheezo ki ek toh hamare jeetne bhi candidates hai, ham 4 candidates jo kharei hai sab ek normal family se aate hai aur ghar se support milta hai toh wohi hamm log ka mahinei ka, hamm apna batatei hai mahinei ka , hamei 7000-8000 ruppees mahina milta hai, ham waise hi door hai lucknow se . yah ape rehte hai room leke. Ussi 7000-8000 per mahinei mai, utne se, hamei ghar waalo ne koi support nahi kiya , utne se apna hamm log ki party jo hai hamm saath aake thora khaana khaa liya milke , thora sa das das rupay distribute karke rickshaw leliya, gaadi lena itna woh hai nahi ham logon ke paas ki hamm lg gaadi khareed paaye, das das gaadiyaan ghuma paaye, E rickhaw leliya, zyada door hua toh chalo distribute karke 50 rupppes ya 40 ruppeees hamm logon ne e kola book karliya, door jaana hai, doosre college. Toh iss tareeke se kar karke hamm logon ne ye samajhliye zyada se zyada kheeech ke bhi jayega toh toh per candidate 5000 hi jayega ya usse bohot hi kam hi rahega agar shayad aap ek hisaab lagaye toh , 3 din ke campaing, 4 din ke campaign mai toh. Iss tareeke se hamm log maintain karte hai

 

Which element differentiates you from the other contenders for the post of VP?

Vice President post pe hammei nahi maalum ki hamare saamne jo ladka khada hai woh kaisa hai ya kya hai ya kyu hai.log tarah tarah ke baatein karte hai aur mai personally candidates se nahi mila hu . magar, mai apna batata hu ki unse alag mera kya ho sakta hai haan ye ho sakta hai ki agar mai vice president post per aha hut oh mainei jitney apni 3 saal ki journey dekhi hai , jitney kamiyan jo jo mujhe sahi nahi laga graduation ke time pe woh shayaad har  ek vyekti ko nahi chahiye hoga, jitno ne time bitaya, har ek bacche ko , aane wale har ek bacche ko chahiye hogi ki jo jo mainei bitaya jo jo apne se mainei chaha, woh mai, mai ye hi chahta hu ki jo mainei chaha woh joh mera aane wala baccha log hai jo abhi chal raha hai wph pedh na pai paye, toh mainei woh cheese aankhon se dekhi hai na shayad doosre ne bhi dekhe ho , ya usne iss cheez pe vichaar na kiya ho mujhe nahi maalum hai. Lekin firr bhi mai usse inn logon se alag iss liye ho sakta hu kyunki mere pe jo beeta hai mai jaise ek example deta hu, bohot chota sa example hai ki jab mai graduation jab mainei complete kiya toh usmei kya hua ki hammse kaha gaya ki jaaye aur print nikal aaye apne poore spreadsheet aur semester ka result ka, aur laiye aur aake jama kar dijyiye aur kal le jaiye. Toh hamm ye soch rahei thei ki hammne pehli class jab school mai diya, fees liya tha usne , doosri se dasvi tak bhi, dasvi ka jab board aaya toh board walon ne bhi hamei diya marksheet aur ek toh twelveth walo ne bhi hamei marksheet dia firr lekin graduation jo hamne kiya aur woh bhi hammne itne bade university se kiya , delhi university, yaane ki desh ki sabse badi university toh hammei uss university ne hamei marksheet nahi diya, 20 ruppee ka marksheet minimum to minimum, ye chote chote cheese jo hai, choti choti cheese, ye sochne ki baat hai , 20 ruppee ka khaata itna bada nahi hai lekin sochne ki baat hai ki woh marksheet nah dene ka kya karaan hai , aisa kya tha ki nahi diya, fees mai include kar sakti thi woh 20 ruppee ko, sab de saktei thei. Ye jo fees itna badaya gaya hai uss hisaab se toh aane wale baccho ko de, hamme na de, hamm log toh isi se padhe hai. Toh inn sab cheese ko, ye cheezei aage bhi chalte rahengi, mai inn choti choti cheezon mai badlaav lana chaata hu, hamari party inn choti cheezo mai badlaav lana chahti hai, hamare party se koi bohot barei agendas nahi hai , hamari party aam chattra ke liye lagi hai, aam chattra ke liye ladd rahi hai, badlaav ke liye laddi hai jaise metro pass ke liye laddi thi, ladi hai aur ladti rahegi aur jeetege bhi. Issi tareekei se hamm log chattro ke support mai jitni bhi choti choti cheezei hai unnn sab cheez ke liye ladenge , mai inn saari cheezo pe kaam karunga aur mai inn cheezo ke liye jo jo mere pe beeta hai , ye mujhe unn logon se alag  banata hai ki mainei ye sab cheez jhela hai, teen saal aur chauthe saal mai shayad mujhe masters mai jhelna padega. Mujhe milei ya nah milei, mujhe nahi maalum, lekin agar mujhe milei toh mai inn sarre cheezo mai kaam karunga.

 

Last year, there were allegations of EVM tampering against ABVP, also to be noted, the EVMs were privately supplied and not by the Election Commission,  how will you ensure that incidents like this don’t occur this year and how do you plan to make sure elections are held fairly?

Jawaab dete hai, jawaab do tareeke se diya hai, ye aisa bhi hai ki sarkaar unnke, huq maaaran unnke, jeetne bhi neta hai unnke, hamei nahi maalum par shayad EVM bhi shayaad unki, agar aisa hai toh ye baat nischit hai ki aap loktantra ko khatam kar rahe hai aur loktantra ko bachaane ki zimidari hare k rajneek ko hai shayad unki himmat nahi rehta ki karei . apne aap ko sahta mai rakhne ke liye ki delhi university ka chunaav apna ladka log ne jeeta hai toh hamm log satta mai hai toh jeet gaya iss tareeke se apna naam bananei ke liye . Toh hamari party, agar aisa kuch bhi hamm logon ko lagta hai to hiss cheez pe hamm log din bhari khade rahenge, jadei rehenge aur ladte rahenge , uss din ladenge aur uss din aap log dekhenge hamm log kya situation paida karte hai huqumat kea age jis din hamm logon ko chunaav kea as paas aisa pta chala ya aisa kuch honei wala hai toh ham aisa situation paida karenge hamm ladenge aur prashasan ko batayenge , prashasan se poochenge aur prashasan ko majboor kardenge iss cheez ke liye agar aisa kuch hai toh hamei turant jawaab de

 

In 2017, DU colleges were given autonomy, which could lead to privatization of DU’s constituent colleges, are you for or against this and why?

Privatisation ki against hi hona ya na hona ye shayaad ek baat hai ki hamm nahi hai  ya hai. Hamari khayal se shayad woh log bhi nahi hoenge privatisation ke support mai kyunki agar university ko agar private kardiya toh chunaav band hojayega magar unki sarkaar toh private karne mai tuli hui hai . Agar ye reliance ko dediya jaaye toh kya reliance yah ape chunaav karne dega sochne ki baat hai ki reliance ke haath mai dediya jaye toh. Magar unhe shayad ye baat nahi maalum hogi, unke aas paas log jo keh rahe hoenge, unke aas pas log ke baat mai haan mai haan mila rahe hai. Accha ab mai jawaab dene chahta hu aapko ki hamm log support mai hai ki nahi, hamm log support pe nahi hai, hamari party kabhi bhi aisi cheezo ke support mai kabhi khadi nahi hui . hamm log hamesha, hamare party ne hamesha , hamesha hammne aise cheeze ka virod karte rehenge. Jab private honei wala tha tab bhi hamare party ne virod kiya tha, bohot bhaari tareeke se virod kiya tha. Aane wale future mai agar ye karte hai toh hamm log bohot bhaari tareeke se virod karenge kyunki private hoojaane ke baad jo aam baccha , BPL category ka baccha, PWD category ka baccha, jitney bhi category aate hai jismei gareeb bacche hotei hai, unn baccho ko shayaad kabhi na padhne ka naseeb nahi hoga delhi university jaise university mai woh shayaad apne aap se bohot chote se college mai padhaayi karke aur bhale 99 percent lele,100 percent lele woh kabhi sapna nahi dekh paayega aur hamm log ne 85-90 leke hamne jo sapna dekha tha ki hamm log padenge aur hamm logon ne itne kam paisa mai graduation karliya. Toh iss cheez pe ham log aane wale sameh pe virod karenge ki hamara aane wala baccha log hamesha apna sapna dekhe Delhi University mai padhne ka, bhale paisa uske paas kamm ho.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: AISA

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

[email protected] 

On 5th September 2019, DU Beat conducted an interview with All India Students’ Association’s (AISA) Presidential candidate, Damni Kain to know her and her perspective regarding the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections.

To the common student, DUSU feels like an unapproachable political entity, what will you and your party do to ensure accountability to the students of Delhi University?

The question that you have raised is an extremely important one, and its one of the main agendas that we really want to put forward, We have always said that Delhi University’s student union should only represent students because it is not a space where violence and hooliganism of certain political outfits would dominate. So, we really want common students to become a part of the election process. For this, we have always raised the point that students should come and vote on the day of elections, on 12th September. They should come and vote on 12th September. AISA has met a lot many struggles, So initially AISA had this campaign through which we got bus passes in AC buses, and what we are planning to do is ; after they vote us and if we come into power, we will make all the students a part of a number of struggles, because now, AISA has been like running the struggles. We had this environment campaign, we had a campaign against privatisation and a lot many things, so what we can do, we will change the banner, instead of AISA, we will just make it student union, and all the students will come and become a part of the campaign, so that all the students of DU will come together and lead the struggle that students really want to raise up. That’s one thing, and as I said, for greater student participation, we will organise a lot of seminars and talks so that we can explain to them the issues regarding the current political scenario that will help in understanding the current phenomena’s. So, these are two things which we are planning to do.

 

The incidents on Old Gupta Road and Hindu Rao Hospital highlight security concerns for those living in the north campus, what steps will you take to ensure safety and security on campus?

The safety issue arises only because ABVP is in power at the current time. Because certain hooligans have got a kind of dominance because they know they have a kind of certain impunity. They know that the leaders are from ABVP and they are never going to stop them from violence. So, when AISA comes into power, it will make sure that every legal step comes into implementation, it will make sure that all of us register cases, and all the students get to know about the cases and then we lead protests and struggles regarding this and automatically when the leadership changes, when the leadership changes to something like AISA, so when we have AISA, a panel of common students coming into power then automatically these hooligans will know that the campus is not accepting them anymore, and the campus is rejecting the model of hooliganism. So, if people vote AISA that will automatically lead to a shift in power, and with this power, the hooligans will understand that no one is accepting their dominance.

 

How inclusive do you think AISA is in terms of minority and LGBTQIA+ representation?

To begin with, we have a Dalit representative this time in our panel, we have a representative from a Muslim community as well, so we have a religious minority, we also have the minority in terms of caste. We also have women representatives, I, myself Damini am standing for the position of president and Chetna is standing for the position of joint secretary, so we have two women representatives, a Dalit representative and a representative from the Muslim community. So our panel itself shows how inclusively we think about politics. Secondly, regarding LGBTQ, as I mentioned earlier, we have a lot many of discussions and seminars because that’s the only way we can spread awareness and that’s what we are thinking to add on to the kind of politics, because when you are going to elect AISA, automatically that would mean that student struggle and important issues that affect students will come into highlight and will be discussed. Because that is our main agenda, that we need to restore academic democracy in people, we need to restore a space which provides freedom of speech and expression, we need to provide a space which gives ways to debate, dissent, and discuss.

Campaigning every year uses up a tremendous amount of paper for pamphlets; posters etc., which then leads to litter on campus, what is your say on the matter?

We totally reject this kind of politics that ABVP and NSUI promote, they have made the campus space a littered space. You can see their pamphlets which have just the name of the candidate and the party name and its spread all over the road, we cannot even see the road, its spread that much. We can see the huge banners and boards, but you won’t see a single banner or board of AISA throughout the campus, throughout the DU street, you won’t see a single pamphlet spread on the road of AISA, because we have a very small printed sheet and we used to give that to every student in the classroom, with the responsibility that they are going to read it. This had our manifesto, it had our agendas and issues mentioned on it, it had a history of our struggles on it whilst being in the opposition. So when these agendas and issues are mentioned over there, they also make people aware and when they make people aware, then we can make more space to debate, dissent, discussion, and we can like change the entire practice of student politics. So we totally reject the kind of paper wastage that NSUI and ABVP uses, and that’s why there is a difference between how they use paper and how AISA uses, AISA uses just one sheet and it had our manifesto, struggle, and  agendas and issues and everything that we gave to students with the complete responsibility that they are going to read it and they were reading it but paper wastage happens when ABVP and NSUI, they come only with their names of the candidates and only with the political party’s name and they actually, they can see it on the roads, how much paper that they use, so we are strictly against that kind of politics and we believe in giving just one sheet of paper which mentions agendas and issues

 

Delhi University was recently declared an Institute of Eminence by the Union Government which entitles DU to payment of a 1000 crores over 5 years, however,  the trend in 2019 in DU has been of increasing fees and hostel rates, why do you think this is so? And what will your party do to reduce fee hikes and hostel rates?

AISA being a leftist student union has always opposed privatisation so we believe that public education is a right for all. So we have led huge protests when there was a huge protest against privatisation and against the implementation of three-party power. Higher education funding agency, to this thing they actually told that colleges will get a loan instead of funds, what happens when a college gets a loan from Higher Education Funding Agency is that they need to pay back them with interest and how are they going to do this? By increasing the fees and by increasing the hostel charges. So we had a huge protest against this. We believe that public education is extremely important for all the students and public education should not be limited only to the fees that they pay in colleges but public education should include how they travel, how they come to colleges because that’s a part of public education. So students should get concession in the metro, and AISA has led a huge campaign under the banner of ‘environment matters- Delhi against pollution’ and for that AISA has a huge protest over time, and we have secured AC bus passes in AC buses and we continued our demands. We went to Hardeep Puri last year and he assured that students will be getting concessions for travelling. So this entire idea of public education needs to be fulfilled and that’s our stand; that it’s a basic right for all, and we are strictly against privatisation of education and against this corporatisation of education where they are getting equity charges for education, they are actually selling education, so we are completely against that.

 

The overriding perception of University politics is that It involves dirty politics, strong-arming, and violence. What has your party done to prove this perception wrong during this campaigning period, and what does it plan to do to reduce these perceptions in the future?

So our entire campaign has always been to the point of how ABVP and NSUI use money and muscle power as a factor to win in elections. When we used to go for campaigning we used to mention how dominantly they come, they appropriate public spaces, they appropriate colleges. So their physical presence as well as the policies they carry out. So, basically this hooliganism, I can cite an N number of examples of this hooliganism. Yesterday itself SFI and AISF candidates were beaten up, they couldn’t even come for nominations for this years DUSU elections. We can see the same trend across the university. So, all that we do is to make students aware, we go into colleges, we say, we criticise it, and we boldly oppose this kind of hooligan politics and we tell students that this time we need to elect a panel of common students, not hooligans. The moment they elect common students, there will be a change in power as I mentioned in my earlier answer and hence hooligan politics will be goaded out.

 

The Lyngdoh Committee lays down 5000 rupees as the maximum expenditure amount, how does your party maintain it?

This is an extremely good question, and we have tried our level best that we will not be overspending, that we will not cross the amount of 5000. All our workers, all our comrades which help us in the elections use their own money and they come over there. We travel through metros and E-rickshaws and whatnot, but ABVP and NSUI candidates, they travel through SUVs and all sorts of cars and bikes and whatnot. So, there’s a huge difference, there is a visible difference in the kind of banner that they put up, you know for getting a single banner on DU streets they need to pay 1000s for every day and when we do not have a single banner over there then it actually shows visually how we are not spending that much. We are spending only on printing a small piece of paper that mentions our issue. So we manage that but certain other political outfits actually never respect the Lyngdoh Committees rule of not crossing rupees 5000 for the resources to be used during elections, so there is a visible difference.

 

Which element differentiates you from the other contenders for the post of President/  VP?

So, I am a person who always believes that the beauty of a university lies in its space for which provided space for freedom of speech and expression, which provides a space for debate, dissent and discussion. So, I really want to restore that. I really aim to restore academic democracy. Attacks on our professors, attacks on our syllabus as well, certain chapters, certain books have been deleted from the curriculum. We really protest against that and that’s what we need in campus, a student who comes from any other state or even Delhi, who comes here while aiming that he’s going to do well in our university should feel safe enough to pursue his study. He shouldn’t feel unsafe. So, I am going to take the struggle over and I myself will represent a model of politics which every student would like to appreciate. So, personally I have been the college topper at JMC in my graduation days, and for the DU MA entrance which happens once in a year, so basically that’s a masters entrance in Delhi University for political science, I scored all India rank 3rd. So, despite all of this, despite the conventional understanding that I am a studious person; I do want to come into politics. That’s what I want everyone to do. Everybody should be a part of politics because politics is not disconnected from them. None of us lives in isolation, so a person who is an academic should be able to come into politics and this can happen only when the space for politics becomes safe. So I will ensure that this will happen in the campus and I will ensure that I myself would never ever represent the kind of hooligan politics that I have always criticized. I will ensure that as a person who is so much interested in studies, I will always motivate others to study and to participate in student politics because of that what is important for any student that is part of University.

 

Last year, there were allegations of EVM tampering against ABVP, also to be noted, the EVM’S were privately supplied and not by the Election Commission,  how will you ensure that incidents like this don’t occur this year and how do you plan to make sure elections are held fairly?

See, as a common student, We always want that no kind of rigging should happen in elections, we really want free and fair elections to take place. So our head, the Delhi State president Kawalpreet Kaur has written an application and she has given it to the Chief Election Commissioner which ensures that there should be a ballot this time for voting and which ensures a large number of rules and regulations that we really want this time to happen. So, a letter has been given and we have always spread the word around across the campus in a number of classrooms that this type of tampering should be criticised. That’s what a common student can do, we cannot really become a part of the bureaucracy, we can only protest while being away from bureaucracy. We cannot get violent like ABVP or NSUI, we can only request them, we can only protest, we can only dissent, so a letter was given to the Chief Election Commissioner by Kawalpreet Kaur regarding the same.

 

In 2017, DU colleges were given autonomy, which could lead to privatization of DU’s constituent colleges, are you for or against this and why?

We are totally against the privatisation of education because we feel that Delhi University being a public Univesity should ensure public education. Public education is a right and is a must, and the most important things for all the students across the country, every student should be able to afford it, and privatisation of education would simply mean that a number of students from the marginalized community, from the SC, ST, OBC communities, and a number of women students won’t be able to get education because they don’t have the kind of resources to afford a fees which is in lakhs. So, we are totally against it, we want education to become inclusive that can happen only when every person from every community and every person from every sphere will be able to afford it.

 

Feature Image Credits: AISA

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

[email protected] 

Finally, after a long delay, an intense and fairly elongated wave of humid monsoons has hit the National Capital. It has brought several skin-related problems that need to be addressed.

Despite the declaration of a dry monsoon for North India, Delhi has witnessed several spells of monsoon rains. The students, who are exposed to the humidity for about 10 hours each day, have been complaining of skin and hair problems. These are triggers that need to be checked, before they shoot into major allergies or infections.

Aditya from Hindu College said, “My skin has become relatively more oily and my hair more sticky. With a busy schedule and packed timetable for college every day, it is increasingly difficult to take care of my skin properly. Plus my pocket money doesn’t allow me to buy expensive products, so I usually use milk and honey, and some besan to prepare a pack, that keeps the skin hydrated and also reduces the stickiness.”

Products like face masks, scrubs, face wash, face packs, shampoos and conditioners, and toners are helpful, but it becomes difficult for students to buy them from expensive, and upmarket brands. But as Kashvi, from Kirori Mal College suggested, brands like Khadi Bharat, MiniSo, and Patanjali provide quality products at much cheaper rates, and have a better and long-lasting impact (not to forget that they’re organic!). They help in controlling the sebaceous activity and reducing oiling on the skin.

The other option is home remedies. Popular belief associates home remedies for skincare to be a part of the knowledge of mothers and grandmothers. However, these home remedies have time and again proven to be effective. For the arsenal of the University students who want to take care of their skin, two essentials are haldi (turmeric), and rosewater. Rosewater is an amazing anti-oxidant and works as an amazing toner. Bottled rosewater can be used as a super cheap substitute. For those students who are inclined towards do-it-yourself options, recipes to make rosewater are available online, which are quite simple to follow.

Turmeric is known mostly as a spice for food, but people fail to realise that it is great to combat acne and pimples. To make a turmeric face mask, turmeric needs to be mixed with a liquid, like lemon juice, which acts as an astringent; raw honey, which is known for its antimicrobial properties; or milk, which can be used to brighten the skin. Use these face packs once or twice a week, and you will soon start seeing results. This is top-notch and, on a budget too, as the ingredients are already available in your kitchen, or in the local grocery store.

Turmeric is known mostly as a spice for food, but people fail to realise that it is great to combat acne and pimples. To make a turmeric face mask, turmeric needs to be mixed with a liquid, like lemon juice, which acts as an astringent; raw honey, which is known for its antimicrobial properties; or milk, which can be used to brighten the skin. Use these face packs once or twice a week, and you will soon start seeing results. This is top-notch and, on a budget too, as the ingredients are already available in your kitchen, or in the local grocery store.

 

Feature Image Credits: Stylecraze

 

Yaksh Handa

[email protected]

 

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

[email protected]

Four candidates, out of the selected 10 will be contesting for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) election next month. 

One of the two major political parties of the DUSU, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Thursday, released the names of 10 of its members who are to contest for the upcoming elections which will be held on 12th September. Four out of the lot will be contesting for the positions of office bearers

The 10 probable candidates are Tushar Dedha, Yogit Rathi, Sahil Malik, Akshit Dahiya, Sachin, Varun Rekswal, Pradeep Tanwar, Shivangi Kharaab, Jaideep Maan, and Mansi Chauhan. “From Friday onwards, the 10 candidates will visit colleges and talk about the achievements of ABVP-led DUSU,” Siddharth Yadav, Delhi State Secretary, ABVP, said, as reported by Devdiscourse. 

As of now, most of the details have not been disclosed to the public, and the campaigning will perhaps set the course for the party and its members. The candidates have already begun campaigning and were seen visiting various colleges of the North Campus, like Shri Ram College of Commerce, Kirori Mal College, etc., today.

Speaking to DU Beat, Monika, National Media Convener, ABVP, said, “…[A]ctually, majority of the questions will be answered with time – like who is contesting for what position, our strategy, our manifesto, etc., it is only the pre-election campaign which has been started.”

The party had been in headlines last year, because the elected President, Ankiv Baisoya, was found to possess a fake undergraduate degree. The scene had lead to a lot of confusion, and questioning of the credentials of DUSU, with National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) even pressing for re-elections. When asked about the same, Monika reassured that a similar situation would not reoccur. “We have checked the backgrounds of all interested candidates, and this time all are students from the University of Delhi (DU) only.”

More details are expected to come out soon.

Feature Image Credits: Ashutosh Singh for ABVP

 

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

Be it the accommodation of a traditional tribal necklace in the outfit of a North-Eastern student, fasting before Eid, or bringing with us the post-holiday ghar-ka-khaana, we all have managed to keep a bit of home alive in us.

The University of Delhi (DU) invites students from all over the subcontinent, and therefore, becomes a microcosm of what the spirit of diversity is all about. In any given college, there would be students from not just every single state of India, but from various neighbouring countries, enrolled. As such, you are able to differentiate one from the other, but certainly not in a divisive way. These different students all come together, bring with them their specific points-of-view, and works towards a common, shared goal.

Be it the classroom, or a society – the amalgamation of various ethnicities is what sets DU apart from the rest of its counterparts.

While it is essential to become one with our peers, we must also not forget that we all have our unique stories, and that is what keeps us interesting, and in some cases, even relevant. In the bid to fit in, we must not let go of where we come from, and maintain our culture – be it art, food, music – people want to hear about it.

In DU, the inquiring of the other cultures is an enormous part of the everyday conversation. On asking Bengalis about Durga Pujo, South Indians about their food, Marathis about Ganesh Chaturthi, we unknowingly, yet enjoyably, become more aware of other cultures, and become truly cultured.

It often does away with the stigma that we might have harboured about a given community, and they always seem less intimidating that they must have appeared.

Besides the educational aspect of it, maintaining the identity of your home(town) lends an aesthetic, almost artistic look to the ambience because the campus has that much more multiplicity.

All said and done, if there is a certain piece of jewellery, a certain harmony, a certain way of greeting people that is characteristic of the place you come from, make it a part of you. Embrace it and embody it, because trust me, identity is more than what it is given credit for.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]