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Radhika Boruah

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Ramjas College

College Round Up Series: Ramjas College

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With yet another academic session coming to an end at the University of Delhi, it is time to let nostalgia get you over and look back at the year that has gone by before all of us get busy with semester examination preparation and some of us eventually leave to charter their career paths. Going by the thought, DU Beat brings to you its exclusive series ‘Colleges’ Round-Up (2017-18)’ where we present the highlighting incidents of numerous DU colleges that took place over 2017 and 2018.

From a 25% fee hike to rebelling against the Principal, let’s take a journey through the major events that took place at Ramjas College from May 2017-April 2018.

Feature Image Credits: Ramjas College

Radhika Boruah
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Karan Singhania
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Campus Central

South Campus Colleges’ Round-Up 2017-18

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With yet another academic session coming to an end at the University of Delhi, it is time to let nostalgia get you over and look back at the year that has gone by before all of us get busy with semester examination preparation and some of us eventually leave to charter their career paths. Going by the thought, DU Beat brings to you its exclusive series ‘Colleges’ Round-Up (2017-18)’, where we present the highlighting incidents of numerous DU colleges that took place over 2017 and 2018.  

Let’s take a look at the different events at the south campus colleges of DU, namely, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Gargi College, Maitreyi College, Jesus and Mary College, and Sri Venkateshwara College.

Feature Image Credits: News18

Radhika Boruah
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Miranda House

College Round Up Series: Miranda House

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With yet another academic session coming to an end at the University of Delhi, it is time to let nostalgia get you over and look back at the year that has gone by, before all of us get busy with semester examination preparation and some of us eventually leave to charter their career paths. Going by the thought, DU Beat brings to you its exclusive series ‘Colleges’ Round Up (2017-18)’ where we present the highlighting incidents of numerous DU colleges that took place over 2017 and 2018.

From launching apps for the ease of the students and teachers together to getting ranked #1 by NIRF, here are the highlights of 2017-18 session of Miranda House in our exclusive College Round-Up Series.

 

 

 

Feature Image Credits: Miranda House

Radhika Boruah
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Anukriti Mishra 
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DUB Speak

Pros and Cons of DU: From Liberalism to Infrastructure

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The University of Delhi is a hub of intellects from various corners of India and abroad. The name and fame of DU are spread far and wide. However, how well is this fame justified?

Delhi University is a dream of many. From Assam to Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh to Kerala, students flock in to study in the centuries-old, prestigious university of India. Be it privately funded or government aided, the colleges under DU are known for the excellent courses provided in Arts, Commerce, and Sciences. Illustrious reputation doesn’t necessarily ensure everything proficient. And I say that because of the pros and cons that must be highlighted in lieu of the hype that people relate to a national university like ours.

As I begin in favour of the university, I must say that the liberal staff and students are the pillars in making DU differently awesome. From Pinjra Tod to Nazariya, students of DU are collectives of various mindsets that have helped shape the future of the university.

  1. Less stringent curfew timings for the girls’ hostels: After upheavals from students communities about the huge differences in the in timings of boys’ hostels and girls’ hostels, the curfew timings of many hostels became less stringent, allowing the girls to stay past 10 p.m. at night.
  2. LGBTQ representation: People of all genders must be paid equal respect and attention – that’s what has been the main agenda of the queer collectives that stand to empower the students of DU and Delhi-NCR region. This is indeed a great step towards creating awareness about equality in every aspect of social life.
  3. Social work for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): The National Service Scheme (NSS) and Equal Opportunity Cell of DU provide ample services for the students who have entered the university through the PwD quota. Ranging from scholarships to placements, no student is denied help when needed.
  4. Dynamic societies: DU is known for its vibrant societies, be it dance, music, drama, or photography. The fame of these societies is spread far and wide as they have won in national platforms.
  5. Flexible class hours: More than anything a student can ask for! The teachers are cooperative, in many cases and allow for rescheduling the classes. In fact, for internal examinations, the dates are chosen by the students. How grateful are we?
  6. DU is cool enough to have created the excellent course design of Cluster Innovation centre (CIC). Students who enter CIC through entrance tests can later choose their own set of subjects and that too in the college of their choice, provided they have good grades. Which other university in India has given the student this choice?
  7. Politically active students try to make conditions better here in DU. The student unions work for better fests, better amenities, and a better environment for all.

Cracks and crevices are a part of every institution. As much as we are grateful for everything mentioned above, we should also highlight the ills of the institution.

  1. When we talk about the infrastructure of DU, we do have a frown on our face. Be in the classrooms in the government aided, and semi-government colleges, something or the other is always missing. Fewer classrooms and ever-increasing number of students has led to the downfall of the infrastructural amenities. The students’ unions are trying their level best to pave way for the coming batches to take over the improved base in the college.
  2. Student exchange programmes: DU hasn’t been much active in the student exchange programmes from different colleges in India and abroad. This is a lag that DU needs to work on to provide better opportunities to students.
  3. Specialised courses: DU doesn’t provide extensive specialised courses in the various disciplines of the university. This makes the students opt for other universities for higher education when they want to go for specialised courses.
  4. More colleges like IHE, CVS: Vocational studies are important courses that need to be more diversified and integrated. Better opportunities can be provided to students who want to go for more branched out disciplines like performing arts, photography, mass communication, etc.

 

Feature Image Credits: News18

Radhika Boruah
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DUB Speak

Third gender: A Pseudo-liberal Identity

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In 2014, Supreme Court birthed a legal identity for the kinnar population in our country — third gender. But, who are these ‘other’ people and how are they different from the rest?

Gender theory tells us that gender is a social construct and it is not binary. Gender can be understood as a continuum with ‘man’ and ‘woman’ on its extreme ends, so when the Supreme Court equates transgender people to ‘third gender’, it becomes problematic.

In calling all transgender people ‘third gender’ the Supreme Court has completely forgotten the right to self determination. While the subsequent NALSA judgement 2014 allowed said right but, the upcoming transgender rights bill is taking it away. Transgender people who prescribe to the binary of being either ‘man’ or ‘woman’ fight their entire lives to be seen as one. To place binary trans people as ‘third gender’ is discriminative and builds a wall of otherness, when they are men and women just as much. Defining gender by bodily functions does the exact opposite of looking forward, it entrenches us back into the patriarchy.

Excluding trans people from the binary resonates with exclusion of their problems from the narrative. While the population rejoices in the ‘apparent’ liberal decision of the supreme court, it is far away from it. Having an identity legally is not enough. Several questions remain unanswered. In what washrooms, security frisking points, hostels, and do the third gender people go – male or female? What if a particular place does not have issued guidelines for the ‘other’ gender people? These are just basic technicalities that remain ignored, not to say that the socio-welfare schemes seem to be luxury for transgender people.

What was the purpose of creating a new political identity? Was it fulfilled?
When the Supreme Court decided that “trans rights are human rights”, it was important to figure out what part of the demography was transgender. Moreover, in case the government decides to help the trans population, they must know how to locate them. In any case, subjugating a separate identity for trans people was not fruitful. Since the government doesn’t believe in self-determination, transgender people are issued certificates by psychiatrists that could have been used to count, locate, and target the concerned population. Moreover, ‘transgender’ could have been created as an OBC category. Apart from creating headlines, this political identity is the best (worst) example of patriarchal understanding of transgender people.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Hindu

Raabiya Tuteja
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DU Annual Fest Season

Highlights: Mecca 2018, the Annual Cultural Fest of Hindu College

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Mecca 2018, is one of the most anticipated annual cultural fests in the University of Delhi. The three-day fest that kicked off on the 14th of March, enthralled the fest going students in the University. With a line-up that included the indie band The Local Train, DJ Zaeden, and Bollywood sensation Amit Trivedi, Mecca 2018 was bigger and better than ever. The fest, which attracted a significant crowd during all the days, was a thrilling event including good music, food, and games.

The decorations of the fest were based on the theme “Around The World in 72 hours”. The college was decked in trinkets, maps, and more which divided the college on the basis of countries and cities. The theme could be seen on the graffitis that were made by students as well. Overall, the decor made the college infrastructure come alive, all the while providing fest going students aesthetic backgrounds to take photographs.

The Inauguration ceremony of Mecca 2018 took place in the auditorium of the college. Alankar, the Indian music society of Hindu College has opened the ceremony with a musical gala which was followed by various cultural performances including Kathak and classical music. The performances enthralled the audience and were a collective display of skills of some of the most talented students of Hindu College. Panache, the Fashion Society event subsequently followed the inauguration in the venue itself.

Various events ranging from Gully Cricket to Street Soccer, Fashion Competition to Musical and Dance Competitions. Slam poetry event, photography exhibition also took place. I Vogue, the fashion society of SGGSCC bagged the first position at the fashion competition. Alaap, the Indian music society won the first prize at Harmony, the Indian choir competition. The Western music society of DTU bagged the first prize at Arpeggio, the western choir competition. Ayaam of Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology came first in the street play competition. Verve of Sri Venkateswara College came first in the western dance competition, and Sparx of Gargi College came first in the choreography competition. SGTB Khalsa College and SGND Khalsa College jointly bagged the first prize at the folk dance competition. The Mecca Idol competition was held in the Hindu College auditorium and was one of the most anticipated events at Mecca 2018. A total of 108 people registered for the competition, out of which 30 were selected for the offline preliminary round which was held on day 1 of the fest. Sukriti Poddar of Gargi College won Mecca Idol 2018.

Sumit Anand, a stand-up comedian spirited the Mecca audience in a fit of laughter with his witty and relatable punchlines. With a happy-go-lucky attitude, his jokes were effortlessly funny, leading to momentous hooting from the audience.

The Local Train, a Hindi rock band was invited to close the first day at Mecca. Their set featured popular songs like Manzil, Aaftaab, Khudi, and Mere Yaar.

The closing act and the most anticipated performance, DJ Zaeden called curtains to Day 2 of Mecca. He entertained the crowd with Bollywood as well as western songs like Shape of You and Attention.

It was time for the much-awaited star night. Indeed, Mecca had saved the best for the last. Following a small delay, Amit Trivedi arrived on the stage with four additional singers. The concert kicked off with the song “Dilli”. The four other singers accompanying Amit Trivedi were Arun Kamath, Meghna Mishra, Divya Kumar and Rashita. Meghna Mishra was a 16-year old artist who had won awards for “Secret Superstar”. The team said that they divide their performance into two halves where the first half was for the ears while the other half was for the legs. The songs they performed included hits like “Maanjha”, “ Gulaabo”, “Shandaar” and “ Ud-daa Punjab”.

 

Feature Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan for DU Beat.

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Bazinga

Bazinga: Meritorious Students of the University to be Taken Abroad

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The University of Delhi is a hub of opportunities for the ones who are willing to take the chances. 

In a recent release of a circular, the Dean of Academic Activities and Projects mentioned that from the upcoming session, students will be taken abroad on an educational international trip, fully funded by the University, and accompanied by professors.

The selection of students will be on the basis of an exam. Since it will be pan DU, undergraduate students from any course can apply. The exam will have elective subjects, English, and Logic. According to sources, if the students who have applied have previously worked on any research papers or projects, their selection chances are heightened. “We want our university scholars to get the best of the opportunities to explore places, find their passion, and work efficiently. This plan was proposed earlier but never managed to come into existence. We are now ready to cater to the students who have the will and the potential to become global leaders”, quoted the Dean of Planning, DU. The plan is to take the students out for international conferences, global summits, and organisational meets. Many colleges and universities abroad run student exchange programmes which are also to be accepted by DU. The students selected through the exams will be sent in the exchange programmes to universities like Yeshiva University, Columbia University, etc.

“Being a centralised government institution, Delhi University has achieved milestones and the students have never failed to bring glories to their beloved colleges in the name of DU. This will be another platform for the deserving candidates to showcase what they have learnt and discovered. We are hoping to hear about more such steps taken by the university” said the Principal of Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Shahjadi Rahman, a student of Zakir Husain Delhi College commented “This chance given to the students of DU will increase the prospects of acquiring practical knowledge, exposure, and experience – rewards of days of attending classes, taking notes, and studying. The skilled students will definitely get through it, and also have the most adept training for the future.” Few other students collectively said that this was not a good idea because there are students who may have potential but won’t be able to crack the selection exam. Mass participation is expected, but the students are wishing that the selection process be unbiased.

*Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is a humorous, light-hearted column that should only be appreciated and not accepted.

 

Feature Image Credits: Mecanica

Radhika Boruah
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Fandom

A List of Quirky Movies You Should Watch Right Away

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There are a few underrated feel-good movies that everyone must watch because Bollywood doesn’t always produce masala, brainless, big-budget blockbusters, and sometimes ends up making movis that have sense in them.

Almost every year, Bollywood churns out innumerable films and honestly, everybody waits for the big-banner Salman Khan-starrer or SRK-starrer movies. Most of us who prefer intelligent cinema consider Bollywood to be the commode of mediocrity, but there are some gems that slip between the blockbuster money minting hits, and the flop movies which do not get their due share of praise from the audiences. Some films like Andaz Apna Apna and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar grab our attention and become a part of cult movies but many have slipped into oblivion.

Here’s a look at those few quirky movies which are brilliant in content but couldn’t gain footfalls in the theatre-
1. Lakshya
Many of us have probably watched this gem of Farhan Akhtar’s direction, starring Hrithik Roshan and Preeti Zinta. In the movie, Hrithik Roshan is an aimless young man who joins the Indian Army on a whim and soon realises that life is not a game. His transformation affects all viewers in the most inspirational and sweet way possible. Definitely, this movie is a must-watch for all cinemagoers.

2. Aligarh
This movie is based on the real life story of a professor at Aligarh University, who was sacked for being homosexual. Manoj Bajpayee’s performance was central to this story of stigma, society, and sexuality. It did not receive much box office recognition but was applauded for touching upon the uncomfortable subject in a striking manner.

3. Nil Battey Sannata
An ode to mother’s love, this movie starred Swara Bhaskar, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Pankaj Tripathi in pertinent roles. It won the audience’s hearts through word-of-mouth. It follows the story of a single mother who is a maid and wants to provide for her daughter’s education. This movie will leave you teary-eyed and motivated enough to strive harder for your dreams

4. Drishyam
This thriller had all the ingredients in it to make it a blockbuster hit, but that didn’t happen. Starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, the story revolves around Vijay (Devgn) and his family who are hounded by police officers like Meera Deshmukh (Tabu).The tension and suspense built in the movie throughout make this brilliant film totally worthy of your time.

5. Talvar
Based on Arushi Talwar murder case, this movie has got all the acting legends packed in one- starring Irrfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi, and others. This movie is definitely recommended for every cinema-lover out there.

6. Masaan
It narrates two separate stories that are tied down together in the end. Masaan bagged the FIPRESCI Award in the Cannes Film Festival and stars Richa Chaddha and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles.

 

So grab your popcorn and get ready for a fun-filled day/night of watching excellent cinema!

 

Feature Image Credits: International Business Times

Oorja Tapan
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Events

Zion 2018 at Jesus and Mary College

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Mercatus, the Marketing Society of Jesus and Mary College, hosted its annual marketing convention Zion 2018 on 22nd February, 2018. The event was attended by around 1500 students from across the varsity. The event began with different competitions based on marketing. The Ad Mad Competition brought an opportunity for budding marketeers to innovatively sell products with a plethora of twists. The competition was judged by Mr. Naveen Thomas, faculty member of JMC. Pradeep Rajpurohit and Ketan Mehta from Team KIPSTA (Satyawati College) won the first prize while Saaransh Gupta, Ankit Makkar, and Rohin Sharma from Team VIVRAN (Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies) won the second prize.

The Amazing Race, a marketing based treasure hunt was won by Nikita Bhalla, Swastika Goel, and Chadambara Agarwal of JMC. The second position was bagged by a cross college team of Tanvi Khanna from JMC and Roshan from SGND Khalsa. M-Plan, a business plan with a marketing twist, was won by Arushee Sharma and Sarthak Goyal from NSIT. Urvi Kocchar and Yeesheshvi Bhadana from LSR grabbed the second prize. Battle of Brands, an event based on marketing weird products to real audience, was won by the team of Himani Kapoor (Gargi College), Ankita Goomer, Shivani Jaiswal (Hansraj College), and Lagan Munjal (Dyal Singh College). Marcade, a mock stock market with a twist to test the investor in the participants, was won by Krish Gangwar from NSIT. Sharon from Ansal University was declared as the first runner up.

The theme of the event was “The World is Our Canvas”. The decor of the event depicted the theme through world maps, welcome to Africa props, globes etc. The main attraction in the fest was the Redbooth. Many students saved their memories in polaroid pictures by getting clicked in the Redbooth. A popular food stall was set up by Farmacy, who served tasty strawberries along with liquid chocolate and whipped cream.
Finally, the most awaited time of the day came. Everyone waited for the standup comedy show by the Laughterprenur Jeeveshu Ahluwalia. Before that, there was a short session by Sejal Mehra, a young, budding comedian, who stole the hearts of many through her witty jokes. Soon, Mr. Jeeveshu Ahluwalia set the stage on fire. The audience roared with laughter at every line he uttered. His inspiring life story with a tang of humor hardly kept the students from falling off their seats. He also won many young fans who clicked pictures with him to cherish a beautiful and happy memory.

To sum up everything, Zion 2018 set up the laughter mood in this fest season when Jeeveshu Ahluwalia concluded the convention with his impeccable comedy.

 

Feature Image Credits: Surabhi Khare.

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QWERTY

WhatsApp to Roll Out Online Payment and Banking Soon After the NPCI Nod

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NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) today allowed WhatsApp to beta test its latest project of payment service within a limited customer base and transaction ceiling. This is the first step in a series of Payment Services WhatsApp is planning to launch in India over the year. With India already being a booming market for the online payment services, this latest development of this online messaging platform, which sold itself in 16 billion dollars to Facebook in 2014, will establish it in rivalry with the likes of Paytm, FreeCharge, and MobiKwik.

“Currently, NPCI has given its consent to roll out WhatsApp BHIM UPI beta launch with a limited user base of one million and low per transaction limit. Four banks will join the multi-bank BHIM UPI model in phases (in the coming weeks) and full feature product shall be released after the beta test is successful,” GadgetsNow recorded NPCI saying in a statement. The revelation was quickly followed up by a backlash from Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm Founder. He pitched his allegations through his Twitter handle, which accused Facebook of arm-twisting UPI to get the and “killing beautiful open UPI system with its custom close garden implementation.” He also hinted the fact that the different algorithms would mean that the WhatsApp payment would be “unsafe”.

“After failing to win the war against India’s open Internet with cheap tricks of free basics, Facebook is again in play. Killing beautiful open UPI system with its custom close garden implementation. I am surprised, champions of open @India_Stack, let it happen!” read his tweet which surfaced earlier this day.  However, Sharma ended up being the lone wolf as the founders of FreeCharge and MobiKwik, other players in the market, stood with WhatsApp and slammed Paytm’s double standards.

“All incumbents complaining about WhatsApp getting an unfair advantage in its UPI implementation to further its business interests — Those who live in glass houses … there is a clear record of private companies who got access first and exclusively when UPI was launched,” tweeted Bipin Preet Singh, CEO, and Founder of MobiKwik. WhatsApp certainly would take the lion’s share of the flourishing market once it fully establishes itself, which would only mean the demise of the small-scale startups. This would also mean that the Chinese investment in the various ventures would complete evaporate, marking the end of the days of maintaining online Wallets, as a bank to bank transaction would become the norm.

Feature Image Credits: The Independent

Nikhil Kumar
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