Students of the University of Delhi (DU) may no longer enjoy 50% reservation in the varsity’s post-graduate seats from the coming academic year. Notably, till now, 50% of the post-graduate seats in DU were set aside for DU’s undergraduate students who were admitted on merit. Entrance tests were held for the rest of the seats for which DU students could also appear.
As per a Times of India report that was published on Friday, the academic committee of DU had on Thursday decided to hold entrance exams for all the 45 courses in the post-graduate level, in an effort to create a centralised platform for admission to the coveted university. The same report went on to say that the decision would now be sent to the Vice-Chancellor for approval.
However, on being approached by the DU Beat correspondent, Dr. Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, the Deputy Deen of Students’ Welfare of DU, remarked assertively, “It’s a fake news.” He further stated, “Jo jaisa hai, waisa hi rahega” (The framework of admission will remain the same). When probed by the correspondent whether such a decision is anticipated from the academic committee, he said nonchalantly, “How can we predict what will happen in the future?”
When the correspondent approached Vice-President of DUSU, Kunal Sehrawat, for his views on the probability of this situation arising in the future, he hesitated to comment on the same and said, “We need further clarification from the academic committee regarding this update.”
While this news has aroused heavy speculation from different quarters of DU, the scrapping of the 50% reservation policy is expected to have implications for students beyond DU. This policy which has traditionally privileged the students who have graduated from DU to obtain a seat at the varsity’s PG level, the dismissal of the same would bring the graduates of private as well as other government universities to level playing field with the DU graduates.
Often perceived as the leader of reforms, be it academic or technological, the University of Delhi (DU) has been the birthplace of and a home to several reformative ideas. These ideas have changed the lives of students and have had an impact on the culture of the University in the past decade.
Change is the only constant. In this case, it is an apt description of the state of affairs in one of the most prestigious universities of the country. In the past decade, as India’s development story has gone through a sea of change, so has that of one of its premier universities. Some of the reformative initiatives taken up by the University have positively impacted the lives of students and improved the quality of education. In a nutshell, for a university established in 1922, innovation was not a luxury but a necessity in order to ensure that the varsity continued to thrive.
Antardhvani
A cultural festival started in 2013, Antardhvani served as a pan-university platform for talent to showcase itself. The event was the brain-child of then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dinesh Singh who wanted students to “march to the drumbeat of his or her inner calling”. It helped students unleash their inner creativity by performing at an event of a greater magnitude than any college fest. Rock band competitions, National Cadet Corps parades, stalls, and flower shows were all part of Antardhvani. Lucrative prizes worth more than INR 18 lakhs were given to colleges based on criteria like architecture and technology, as well as on various artistic parameters. The flagship event was discontinued after 2015.
Image Credits: The Univesity of Delhi
Cluster Innovation Centre
The Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) was established in 2011. It was built to create an educational ecosystem that would teach its students innovation and allow them to think outside the box. CIC offers students bachelor’s degrees in Humanities and Social Sciences as well as in Mathematical Technology and Innovation. It has resources like an engineering kitchen, a robotics and embedded systems lab, a digital fabrication and prototyping lab, along with a computer science lab, an information technology innovation lab, and a library. With an alumni list extending from Oxford University to Google India, the institute has proven to be an excellent experiment of learning innovatively in the last seven years.
Image Credits: Cluster Innovation Centre
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games left behind an important asset for the University. Apart from the posh stadiums and sports arenas of the University which saw great upliftment in their infrastructure during this time, other basic provisions in the campus also got upgraded. Today, these amenities are used by the University for its academic and extracurricular purposes apart from housing some of the University’s top research centres. They are also used as the venue for the annual convocation ceremony.
Image Credits: Government of India
Delhi Metro
With the introduction of Delhi’s very own metro service, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation gave the national capital a priceless gift in 2002. With subsequent phases of development, each part of Delhi-NCR became well-connected. It no longer matters if you live in the far ends of Shahdara, Gurgaon, or Faridabad; reaching college has never been this easy. Remarkably, the two main campuses of the university have their very own stations. Metro rides have become a regular part of student lives, so much so that we cannot imagine what we would do without them. The Delhi Metro undoubtedly changed students’ lives, one token at a time.
Image Credits: The Journal of Banking and Finance
Delhi University E-Journals
In the last few years, one of the major steps undertaken by the University in the direction of literary development of the students was coming up with various e-journals. These include the Delhi University Journal of the Humanities and the Social Sciences and the Delhi University Journal of the Natural Sciences. In addition to these, DU-Vidha is a bilingual journal for creative writing while the Delhi University Journal of Undergraduate Research and Innovation publishes original research work from student projects with the aim of disseminating academic articles. The University has put arduous efforts in its endeavor of bringing forth latent talent in the students into the limelight.
Image Credits: The Univesity of Delhi
Delhi University Website
The emergence of technology in the University completely transfigured its charm. The University of Delhi got its own website in the year of 1998, making it one of three south Asian universities to have websites of their own. However, the current website in use was designed during the tenure of Professor Dinesh Singh. The latest development in this direction is the examination department getting a website of its own in 2017.
Image Credits: The Indian Express
Electronic Voting Machines
In 2007, the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was incorporated into the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. EVMs were used for one of the first times in an academic institution in the country. It was a historic move following which the contesting parties started using technology while vying for attention and campaigning. In subsequent elections, EVMs began to be used in college union elections as well.
Image Credits: DD News
Entrance and Practical Exams
Examinations like the DU Joint Admission Test, the entrance examination for CIC, and practical examinations for courses like B.A. (Honours) Music have led to students being evaluated on the specific skill set that they wish to pursue rather than being dependent on vague and often unreliable board results. The Common Aptitude Test for English (CATE) conducted for students wishing to pursue B.A. (Honours) English, although discontinued later, is another example of a major change that aimed to make the University more student-friendly.
The University of Delhi’s legacy of rebellion that has been going on since the British rule and emerged again during the 1975 Emergency is still alive and kicking. One can learn lots by simply observing and living around the varsity’s various demonstrations. Over the past decade, DU Beat had the privilege of documenting Delhi University’s most passionate and powerful protests and movements. Let us recall some of the most iconic moments spanning over the last 10 years.
Ban on A. K. Ramanujan’s Article, 2008
In February 2008, a number of socio-religious organisations including the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), and Bajrang Dal organised protests and raised objections against the inclusion of an essay by Late A. K. Ramanujan, titled “Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation” in the course on Ancient Indian Culture in the B.A. (Honours) History course.
The essay allegedly had references to the characters in the Ramayana, which the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) said hurts Hindu sentiments. While some students and professors had rebuffed this, it drove Mayawati, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to demand a ban on the text.
Image Credits: Beaming Notes
Coalition of Teachers’ Unions, 2009
An informal coalition of teachers of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA), Jamia Millia Islamia, and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha held a dharna on 25th February 2009, at the Faculty of Arts. The demonstration was against the perilous proposals of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) draft proposal regarding teachers’ working conditions and the DUTA and Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA) leadership’s insensitivity towards them.
Image Credits: Delhi University Teachers’ Association
Anti-Semester Movement, 2011
Despite the High Court order giving the system of ‘semesters’ the green light in November 2010, most teachers insisted that the semester system did no good and in fact lowered academic standards. While the Faculty of Arts approved the semester system in its 11 departments in June 2011, lecturers of Hansraj College, Ramjas College, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, and St. Stephen’s College held classes in the garden next to the Vice-Regal Lodge to oppose the new system. They also launched a signature campaign against the semester system.
Image Credits: Hindustan Times
Anti-Rape Protests, 2012-2013
In light of the Delhi gang rape case of December 2012, students of several colleges, notably Indraprastha College for Women, held protest marches to demand a safer city for its women. On 2nd January 2013, approximately 300 girls marched to the Lieutenant Governor’s house and submitted to him a charter requesting a safer campus and police deployment at the Civil Lines Metro station. The protest, which was also attended by the Principal of IP College for Women, Mrs. Babli Saraf, was a peaceful one. Students of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College also held two protests and a tribute for the victim of the brutal gang rape in the same month.
Image Credits: Livemint
Parvita Bharadwaj Case, 2013
On 7th October 2013, Pavitra Bhardwaj, a former lab assistant of Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, immolated herself in front of the Chief Minister’s residence and subsequently succumbed to her injuries. Four years prior, she had filed a case of sexual harassment against the Principal of the aforementioned college, A. K. Arora, who had terminated her services in 2012 after the College Complaints Committee had given him a clean chit. After a series of protests by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, the governing body of the college finally decided to suspend Arora.
Image Credits: Getty Images
FYUP Roll Back, 2014
The dissatisfaction with the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) which was implemented in 2013 fully expressed itself in 2014 with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) joining the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), and All India Students’ Association (AISA) in opposing the same. A ‘Delhi University bandh’, organised under the leadership of DUSU and ABVP on 17th January 2014 was staged in North Campus, as a result of which attendance was low in most colleges, with a 15% drop in Kirori Mal College. The DUTA also proposed to organise ‘cluster dharnas’ at various colleges while the NSUI went on a hunger strike to demand the rollback of the FYUP.
Image Credits: Hindustan Times
Occupy UGC Movement, 2015
On 7th October 2015, the University Grants Commission (UGC) stated that its expert committee had decided to discontinue the non-National Eligibility Test (non-NET) Fellowship. With the decision of slashing the non-NET Fellowship, the stipend was given to the top 15% of the people who appear for NET. This left about 35,000 students without a fellowship. Students affected by the decision began protesting in New Delhi’s ITO area since October 2015, with the protests continuing for months. Other students from the University of Delhi and members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) also participated in the movement.
Image Credits: NDTV
Pinjra Tod, 2015-present
An autonomous feminist collective, which comprises primarily of DU students has been working for the freedom of women within university spaces. Their protests and campaigns have most notably revolved around the abolishment of curfew timings which are discriminatorily implemented in women’s hostels and paying guest accommodations. Their bold and radical ways have been gaining momentum since 2015, with the collective today recognised as a fierce advocate of women’s rights.
Image Credits: The Quint
DU Photocopy Case Victory, 2016
In 2012, international publishers from the Oxford and Cambridge University presses sought to clamp a case of copyright infringement on the Rameshwari photocopy shop and the University of Delhi under the Indian Copyright Act 1957. The photocopy shop was actively defended by the students and teachers against the international publishers. On 9th March 2017, three of the publishers withdrew their lawsuit, thus marking a win for the University. This case came to be known as the DU Photocopy Case.
Image Credits: Mint
Ramjas College Controversy, 2017
In February 2017, a seminar organised by Wordcraft, the literary society and the English department of Ramjas College, was disrupted by the members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who protested against Umar Khalid speaking at the conference. The disruption led to vandalism and violence and raised questions about the freedom of expression which dominated the national news. Gurmehar Kaur, a student of Lady Shri Ram College, became the target of right-wing trolls after she began the ‘Students Against ABVP’ campaign. The episodes of protests and counter-protests culminated with the ‘Save DU’ march that took place on the 28th of February.
Image Credits: Prateek Singh for DU Beat
Metro Fare Hike Protests, 2018
Ever since the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced a fare hike in October 2017, the University of Delhi has been raging with a number of sit-ins and demonstrations. Several independent student groups as well those affiliated with political parties have come out against the steep rise in metro fare. Some of these protests have been disruptive, with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) blocking the metro track, while most of them were peaceful like the human chain demonstration of All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) outside the Vishwavidyalaya Metro station. Students have also been successful in seeking support from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for their ongoing movement.
Menstruation is increasingly being normalised in our nation. In fact, Miss World Manushi Chhillar was awarded ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ for her campaigns and work towards ‘Project Shakti’ which is about safe and affordable menstrual hygiene for the women of India. However, despite its presence in pop culture, there is a long way to go before we destigmatise the purely biological concept of menstruation. A small sanitary napkin vending machine that was inspired by a young girl’s request at a 2007 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) workshop has changed life dramatically for girls in India. A sanitary napkin vending machine is a coin-operated compact machine that automatically dispenses sanitary napkins, along with a compact electric incinerator for disposal of used napkins.
Awareness about menstruation and menstrual hygiene are two major issues under public welfare and women’s health. It is also high time the taboos related to menstruation are forgone. This is the time when filmmakers are working to telecast the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who designed a low-cost sanitary napkin vending machine. Similar are the attempts of the Railway Women’s Welfare Association who successfully installed the first-ever sanitary napkin vending machine in the Bhopal Railway Station in January this year. Sanitary napkin vending machines, amongst others, were the focus of the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) budget for 2018-19.
It is upsetting to know that whereas schools in Delhi are planning to install sanitary napkin vending machines, some of the premier colleges and universities in the capital have not yet started this essential operation. There are sanitary napkin vending machines in many colleges of DU that were installed years ago to facilitate and ease women’s periods. Co-ed colleges like Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Hindu College, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, and St. Stephen’s College have well-functioning napkin vending machines. Girls’ colleges like Miranda House and Gargi College have these machines installed, but they are dysfunctional at times.
On asking if sanitary napkins are always available in the machine, a student of Miranda House revealed that there is a misuse of the machine, due to which it often remains empty. In Daulat Ram College, mismanagement has led to an all-time empty machine. “Our college students’ union made promises of installing sanitary napkin vending machines, but it was never fulfilled,” said a student of Daulat Ram College under the condition of anonymity. Similar is the scenario in Shivaji College. On the other hand, colleges like Zakir Husain Delhi College and Ramjas College do not have these facilities for women.
Speaking to DU Beat during the Women’s Marathon, Mahamedhaa Nagar, Secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), said, “By the next month, we are aiming to install sanitary pad vending machines in all Delhi University colleges, regardless of their affiliation with DUSU.” Let’s hope that, unlike the promises of other unions, this one actually sees the light of day.
Image Credits: Mark-It, the marketing society of SSCBS
Vayam started off as the theatre society of Shivaji College, University of Delhi in 2006, when a handful of like-minded and creative students decided to form a dramatics society in their college. The society that was formed on the ideals of Unity, Togetherness, and Creativity, grew bigger and better by each passing year. Gradually, Vayam started making a mark on the DU Theatre Circuit by winning many laurels and praises. Today, the organization has ventured into the era of performing arts and boasts of a strong foothold in Mumbai and Delhi with several professional performances under its credit.
With a total of 26 Proscenium and street plays based on various social issues, that have won many accolades on competitive and non-competitive platforms across India including National School of Drama, National Centre for Performing Arts, Prithvi Theatre, Jana Natya Manch, Kamani, Sirifort, India Habitat Center, Shri Ram Centre, Sahitya Kala Parishad, FICCI Auditorium, Hindi Sahitya Academy (Indore), IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, IIM-Ahmedabad and the like; Vayam is constantly growing. Our society comprises a group of hardworking, talented and driven individuals consisting of actors, directors, scriptwriters, technicians and working professionals.
Their successfully running play ‘The White Saree’ has been made yet another admiration worthy achievement for our team here at Vayam. The play was performed at LTG Auditorium on a winter Sunday evening with a full house, an enthusiastic cast and energetic team. The drama unfolded the very many glitches of the society, including the society’s hunger to influence the decisions of a woman regarding her wishes, needs, and desires. The play chose to express its emotions in the form of a musical dance drama, an amalgamation that awed the audience with a gush of different emotions that could be felt as the play progressed. The central plot was about a woman’s dilemma about her own feelings and her deepest and darkest desires. It casted light upon how women are under obligations of maintaining the supposed ‘dignity’ of the society thus in the process killing their own progress along with the loss of self-love.
White Saree is a production that is bound to challenge viewers’ mindset and societal norms. It is a play which provokes a series of thoughts on issues love, stress and relationships and how the society inclines to perceive these relationships. The performance of this acclaimed production at LTG Auditorium on Sunday, January 14, 2018 saw a healthy turnout of the audience from different walks of life. The play rendered an extended portrayal of the vicious cycle of societal judgment, regret, depression and a feeling of self-consciousness guided by the convention of the mass. The drama laid emphasis on the many decisions that women have to make each day in the hope that none of them defy the standard of the society. It proceeded to raise relevant issues on sexual orientation, desires, and dreams of a woman that are butchered by the people as the story progressed. The audience could be seen experiencing different emotions of love, compassion, sorrow, and regret throughout the performance. The superlative direction and powerful script kept the audience glued to the scenes on stage. The experienced cast and crew of White Saree delivered a phenomenal performance which was praised by the viewers, senior team members and the management alike. In summary, the event turned out to be a success for the organization as a promotion of theatre and social service were well accomplished by the dedicated team of Vayam Performing Arts Society.
Two months have passed since the year started and the University of Delhi began a new semester. Between the on-goings of college life, meetings, and encounters with the administration, three student unions of Delhi University’s best colleges and the Delhi Student’s Union Association (DUSU) shared with us their new-year resolutions and past achievements.
Delhi Students’ Union Association (DUSU)
The 2017-18 DUSU panel is mixed. The President and the Vice President belong to NSUI and the Secretary and the Joint Secretary come from ABVP. In the course of our talk with the DUSU office bearers, we figured out that the office stands dived in terms of campaigns and initiatives. The work done was being attributed either to NSUI-led DUSU or ABVP-led DUSU, but not the union as a whole which is independent of the party lines.Rocky Tuseed, President, DUSU, briefed us about the work done by NSUI-led DUSU in the past year.
In the past few months, they have met the transport minister and demanded more University special buses, and helped in the inception of a boys hostel at Khalsa college, which, accordingly to Rocky Tuseed, will be inaugurated by March. They held ‘Chatra Panchayats’ in several colleges, and conducted lectures and seminars as a part of their Democracy Dialogue initiative. When asked about the goals for the New Year, Tuseed said, “We have many things in store for the new year. A Youth Conference will be organised in February, we will announce the details very soon.”
Uma Shankar, Joint Secretary, DUSU who is affiliated to Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad, mentioned that they wrote a letter to Proctor Neeta Sehgal about the illegalities of hostel admission, planned a women’s marathon, and pushed for more bathrooms on the Chatra Marg.
When asked about the issue that will be their focus in 2018, Umar Sharkar said, “We will regulate the entry of miscreants in the Campus area. You see, often times unruly boys engage in eve teasing and rash driving around the campus. We want to stop that from happening.”
Both office bearers seemed at a loss for words when asked questions about the manifesto promises. They mumbled about having written letters, registering complains, and ‘working on the issue.’ Let’s hope if not the sense of responsibility, then at least that of competitiveness will force the Union members into action.
DUSU Office
Lady Shri Ram College for Women
The Students Union of Lady Shri Ram had an illustrious year. They celebrated Hindi Divas for the first time in the history of LSR as a joint initiative of the Students’ Union and the Hindi Department. To aid the students of Hindi medium background, a Translation Committee and English Remedial Classes were started. The Union ensured the release of society and department forms in English, Hindi, and Braille.
Keeping in mind the issues of accessibility, they constructed ramps at the Mother Dairy outlet as well as in one of the college gazebos. The water coolers in the New Building, which were inactive for the past two years, were fixed, and open gym facilities were started. The Union succeeded in the successful establishment of a new cafe caterer that provides better quality food at lower prices. They also introduced two short-term language courses, one in Spanish and the other in Russian.
2017 also saw glaring cases of sexual harassment near LSR premises. In the aftermath of one such incident, the Student’s Union along with the college authorities got in touch with the Amar Colony Police Station and demanded police patrolling at the two gates. They also circulated the important phone numbers of police officials and other concerned authorities through WhatsApp class groups and their official Facebook page. The internal security at the gates was also strengthened.
Talking to DU Beat about the upcoming plans for 2018, a member of the Students’ Union said, “With just 2 months left to our tenure, we put our heart and soul into organising Tarang, our annual fest.”
Students Union of LSR Chathriya Kavin (General Secretary), Amita Yadav (President), Srijan Bhan (Treasurer), Unnati Singhal (Cultural Secretary)
Ramjas College
The University of Delhi’s Ramjas College’s that dominated the headlines last February owing to the violence caused in opposition to a seminar saw a relatively peaceful 2017.
“We are taking continuous preventive steps to ensure that no such incident happens again on the campus. Our principal also increased the security of college as a follow-up. As a preventive measure, the entry gate is to be secured by CCTV camera system and we have also demanded biometric entry system from the administration”, Ashish Sahai, President of Ramjas College Students’ Union, told DU Beat.
Speaking about the work done by the Union since the begging of their tenure, he added, “We have ensured that we can make various facilities like water, electricity, sanitation, etc. available to students. We have set up new rooms for Enabling Unit and Placement Cell.”
Ashish Saini, President, Ramjas College
Hindu College
The Hindu Colleges Students’ Parliament that works under the Prime-Ministership of Brijesh Tiwari, saw attempts being made towards community and administrative engagements.
According to the claims of a Parliament member, “For the first time, the society presidents were sent letters asking them to make the Parliament aware of the yearly expenses so that the Union could form a budget that is need oriented and fair. We also took upon the issue of the elections for a representative girl’s hostel union with the college administration. Hopefully, we will have a union in place soon.”
The Union has also made formal requests regarding setting up of new water coolers, cheaper food at the canteen, sports complex facilities, etc. Along with this, the administration has also been asked to explain to us the breakup and utilization of students’ fees.
“We have made it clear that we are not a government which is here only to conduct the three big events, but we are here to listen to and resolve issues that face students every day”, a member of Students’ Parliament said.
Old Wives’ Tale by Memesis, the dramatics society of Daulat Ram College, speaks of women empowerment, the making of myths, and ecofeminism.
The University of Delhi’s street theatre and stage plays have prided themselves for the portrayal of thought-provoking and bold theatricals on an array of social and political issues. The all-girls colleges of Delhi University have always championed the cause of female emancipation. Old Wives’ Tale, the latest production of Memesis, the dramatics society of Daulat Ram College, is the newest addition to the ongoing legacy of feminist theatre.
The 45-minute-long production is an adaptation of The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, the first story from the book of the same name authored by film actress and interior designer, Twinkle Khanna. It tells the story of Lakshmi, a common village girl, who in an attempt to increase the independence of women introduces the idea of planting 10 saplings of mango trees every time a girl child is born. The play encompasses many themes such as domestic abuse, dowry, and female foeticide. It also highlights how myths and rituals are created out of old incidents, and end up becoming a part of the same system of oppression against which they had originally rebelled.
The screenplay is written by the students themselves, and showcases proficient stagecraft. The narration of the story floats effortlessly between the past, present, and future. There are several powerful dialogues dotted across the play. The direction and casting choices are well thought out.
Exchanges between Lakshmi, played by Chavi Sagar, and Sukku, played by Manshi Joshi, are delightful, funny, and convincing. While for the most part the performances are believable, at some points, the acting seems forced as well as amateurish, especially during the second half.
The set and the props are beautifully constructed. There are four to five different backdrops, and the transition from one background to another is smooth, but a few seconds too long. The delay in the setup change interrupted the attention of the audience, who were otherwise immersed in the play.
The makeup and costumes hit the bull’s eye and match the aesthetics immaculately. The lighting, managed by Swaranjali Chaudhary, is perfectly timed. In one particular scene, there are three different arrangements on the stage, all complementing each other due to the lightning, which adds beauty to the scene. Palak Soni skillfully handled the music which complements the plot and tone of the play.
Though I’m glad that I got to watch the play for free, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend my money to buy a ticket for a visual treat like this. Go and watch Old Wives’ Tale in the upcoming fest season, as it will definitely be worth your time.
Since September, the Times of India began devoting a regular column to the Agent Rana comic. Written by television journalists and author, Juggi Bhasin, and illustrated by Subodh Poddar, the comic is “an action-packed, exciting, serialized graphic novel” whose protagonist is Agent Rana, a hyper-masculine-all-talented-spy who saves the country against the dangers of terrorists, nefarious sleeper cells, and conspiracies. The aesthetics and character development (or lack of it) screams sloppy pulp-fiction-noir stereotypes. Ever since the graphic series came out, it was marred by controversies.
Even though the comic has ever since started with content that was laced with islamophobia, the recent story line that introduces a new character, who many believe is based on the Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Shehla Rashid, has caused major outbursts on social media. The character, Sameera, is described as a ‘firebrand’ leader who is leading protests against the vice-chancellor at the National University of Delhi. This imagery is reminiscent of 2016 Jawaharlal Nehru College protests. Later an ISI agent (disguising as a terminally ill ex-student and well-wisher) offers 50 lakhs to the agitating students to aid their movement. Sammera naively accepts the money and even offers to show him her hostel room only to be raped and killed in an horrifying manner. The question isn’t just about the graphic representation of sexual violence in a leading daily, and the distasteful or casual manner in which sexual harassment is depicted in it – without adding anything substantial in the story – but how it resembles a living person without her consent.
Fascinating. Agent Rana, TOI’s serialised graphic novel tinged with soft-porn now features an (anti-) National University with a firebrand female student leader about to be funded by an Enemy Agent and fake currency. pic.twitter.com/ZXMx7DRr4F — Prasanto K Roy (@prasanto) January 22, 2018
Feminist groups have also pointed towards the resemblance of the comic character and Shehla.
American journalist, writer, and musician Benjamin Norton was among those who noticed the similarity.
This is vomit-inducing and beyond despicable. Major newspaper @TimesofIndia is publishing a graphic novel that depicts the brutal murder of a female student activist who is obviously based on @Shehla_Rashid. This is a fascist-style incitement to violence.https://t.co/mqfyUZbSwI — Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) January 24, 2018
Speaking about the comic, Shehla wrote in a Tweet, “That’s Indian media preparing for genocide. Genocide almost always follows villainous caricatures/depictions in popular culture and mass media.”
That’s Indian media preparing for genocide. Genocide almost always follows villainous caricatures/depictions in popular culture and mass media.
This recent incident isn’t the first time the comic is facing backlash.
Earlier in September, Antara Sen Dave, a reader and a concerned parent has initiated a petition on change.org, asking the newspaper to stop the publication of the novel for its sexually inappropriate content. When asked whether there will be any changes in the comic or will it be discontinued, author Juggi Bhasin told Scoop Whoop that, “The art team has taken note of the views of some of the readers who have found some parts of the content unpalatable. The feedback from readers is always taken seriously and keeping this in mind, we will, as far as it is practicable in terms of keeping the story line in mind, present the content in a manner that it does not affect the sensibilities of the valued readers.” (Read it here.)
By looks of the newly produced content, it seems that the makers of Agent Rana have no intention of mending their ways. Or perhaps, they are market savvy and know that their readership demographic, which is right-wing, misogynistic, and sadistic, and those who will continue to consume this content. This is sad, but the truth. Unless we all collectively realize that Agent Rana is the not the spy we need.
The highly anticipated event which saw the participation of hundreds of women was marred by controversies.
On 22nd January, the University of Delhi’s North Campus was filled with scores of women who participated in the DUSU Skytouch Women Marathon. The marathon was organised by Mahamedha Nagar, the Secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), and Uma Shankar, the Joint-Secretary of DUSU in association with Sky Touch Foundation. The aim of the marathon was to question the tax imposed on the sanitary napkins and to remove the stigma surrounding the concept of menstruation.
Popular Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar attended the event in the capacity of a Chief Guest. He flagged off the event after addressing the participants as well the audience. Speaking about the importance of menstrual hygiene and women empowerment, he said, “Even though this is an all-girls marathon, I’m happy to see that many guys are here too. Today, we are here not to just run but to have an open and honest conversation about menstrual health.” He also promoted his upcoming film Pad Man, which is inspired from the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist who invented the low-cost sanitary pad-making machine.
Akshay Kumar and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) DUSU members launched 10 sanitary pad vending machines. “By the next month we are aiming to install sanitary pad vending machines in all Delhi University colleges, regardless of their affiliation with DUSU,” Mahamedha Nagar told DU Beat.
The marathon started after a delay of two hours, which caused inconvenience for the participants. “While I have drained all my energy, it looks like the organisers are only concerned about Akshay Kumar,” a participant complained.
Citing security reasons, the Delhi Police changed the original four-kilometre route, only a few hours prior to the run. The marathon, which started on a high note, fell into troubled waters by the end of the day. Confusion arose when multiple participants claimed to have come first. When no one could be credited with a position, it was decided that the top 100 runners will be called for another one-kilometre mini-marathon, which is tentatively scheduled for the upcoming weekend.
When asked about the unexpected turn of events, Mahamedha Nagar explained, “Due to the mismanagement of the Delhi Police, the participants ran the distance from two different directions. They all covered the same distance on the same route, but from opposite sides. This caused major indecisiveness. We didn’t want to be unfair to anyone; hence, we will now have another marathon. I’m happy to go an extra mile to ensure fairness rather than award anyone for the sake of convenience.”
In spite of logistical and managerial issues, the marathon succeeded in inserting the tabooed subject of menstruation into popular conversation, which is an achievement in itself.
In a press conference that took place on 17th January, Rocky Tuseed, President of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), announced that DUSU is in the process of developing the Delhi University Students’ Charter.
The Students’ Charter, as conceived by NSUI-led Delhi University Students’ Union will be formed after rounds of consultation with the students, faculty, and administration of Delhi University. The consultation process is set to begin from 23rd of January, and the Charter is expected to be finalised by March.
The objective of the Charter is ‘to lay down the minimum expectations of students and administration vis-à-vis each other. It illustrates the entitlements and responsibilities of both, as well as provides a framework for the University to develop and improve its services.’
The proposed Charter is to be structured in two parts: Directive Principles for colleges and Fundamental rights of students.
There are a total of 30 Fundamental rights of students, which include the availability of transparent and online college budget, access to an active placement cell, and discrimination-free environment.
The Charter also has stated 18 Directive Principles for colleges. Some of these Directive Principles are: offer professional counseling services to students, provide mark sheet within a stipulated time period, hold orientation programmes to help students acquaint themselves with the University system, etc.
Rocky Tuseed said, ‘We hope to craft this Charter in such a way that it becomes an example for Universities across India to form similar legislation. We also hope that this initiative will form the basis of a state and national Students Rights Act and Students Rights Commission.’ When asked about the absence of the Secretary and Joint Secretary of DUSU, who belong to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), from this initiative, he added, “We invited them, but they did not involve themselves.’
