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COVID-19 Causes Callous Consumer Behaviour

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Have the food shelves gone empty? Have the aisles started to witness fights? Why are the consumers in frenzy? Read on to find out the manner in which the massive COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in perpetuating the panic pattern in consumer’s habits.

Tension escalated all over the globe like wildfire as the Coronavirus scare spread and spared no one. People can be seen fighting over toilet papers and canned goods, much similar to the claims of vanishing the virus, the sanitisers itself seem to have vanished from the markets, masks are either not found or if so luckily are sold at high prices. The US, UK, Ireland, and Australia have launched ‘elderly hours’ which are exclusive shopping hours for oldies above 60 years of age to ease the purchase of supplies amidst the upper bracket age factor vulnerability which makes it harder for them to shop.If economics kids wanted real life examples for their demand and supply chapter all they have to do is see around the action- reaction chain over the global pandemic.

It’s understandable in one way if there is an uprise in demand of sanitisers and masks which are related to hygiene to help prevent from the virus, but hoarding of non-durables like milk and vegetables or toilet paper rolls or extra amount of pastas purely directs towards panic buying which is referred to as coping mechanism in times of crisis where people start stocking up supplies in fear of expected shortage in future.

How much of the fear is rational?While consumers have increased demand there has been a rein on global exports. India has limited its exports of drug ingredients of medication like acetaminophen which is a common pain killer used for flu related symptoms, Germany banned the export of protective equipment like masks, gloves and sanitisers used by healthcare professionals. India, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Turkey and Russia have exercised trade restrictions. This has an effect on supply chains of domestic countries as no country is self sufficient in producing all goods and services, thereby appropriating some fear.

One deadly consumption at such times is that of fake news. It helps in escalating unnecessary panic buying and tension which leads to failure of administration to give undivided attention to the pandemic. Some messages which were circulated said- ibuprofen if consumed can prove to be dangerous, In India use of turmeric, Tusli and other herbs alongside cow piss was recommended in WhatsApp universities. False hype or danger accredited to certain goods hamper the health of individuals and the demand of those goods.

It’s advised to exercise extreme caution while coming across any guidelines. Trust only reliable resources, fact check and if unsure and don’t share unverified messages.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Janta Curfew speech mentioned to not worry over supplies. People should not succumb to erratic behaviors of shopping. Crisis of shortage which arose in some countries were the ones where the impact of the virus was at its peak. Countries which are experiencing initial stages are at lower risks of shortages. In his very recent address for a 21 day nationwide lock down, PM Modi has also assured that e-commerce services for delivery of essential goods like food, ration, and medical supplies is functional.Please don’t indulge in panic and spread no panic. Wash your hands, avoid touching your face, sneeze using tissue, if not found at the moment then use your sleeve while forming a V with your arm.

Stay Alert, Don’t Panic!

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Umaima Khanam

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COVID-19 Epicenter Shifts from China to Europe

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China emerged as the epicenter of the novel COVID-19 in December 2019, and the past fortnight seems to have shifted the contagion from China to Europe.

In just 15 days, the epicenter of the coronavirus shifted from China to Europe, or Italy to be precise, as the nation reported more than 47,000 cases, which is the second-highest number of cases reported by a single country since the outbreak began. Almost two weeks back, China was struggling to contain the virus while being the epicenter of COVID-19, and it quickly shifted to Europe which has now become the epicenter of the virus.

China reported a drastic decline in its new cases as the outbreak peak is now over as claimed by the country. China reported that the number of positive cases for the past week has been over 80,000 and less than 85,000. European countries like Italy and Spain have reported a dramatic increase in their new cases. Mansi, a student of Lady Shri College, opined, “China had resorted to adopting strict lockdowns and other necessary measures to stop the virus from spreading further, and the country has done a fair job considering the fact that nobody was ready for this strange pandemic.”

China had reported 90 percent of the total cases of the outbreak as of March 1. By March 15, the rest of the nations accounted for nearly 50 percent of the confirmed COVID-19 cases. Chinese hospitals were overflowing with patients earlier due to the spread of the virus. However, with a sharp decline in the cases, hospitals designated solely for COVID-19 patients are now lying vacant. World Health Organization claimed earlier today that no new cases were reported in Wuhan in 24 hours which was presumed to be the origin of the novel COVID-19. Spain has ordered its 47 million citizens to remain indoors except necessary venturing such as buying groceries or medications.

Feature image credits-The Week

Suhani Malhotra

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Features

The Not-So-Dirty Picture

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The new focus of cinema on women’s sexuality is much needed in today’s time. Read further to segregate out the misogynistic films from your to-watch list.

Most of us have grown up watching movies like Dhamaal, Munna Bhai MBBS, or Rock On!. They’re all fantastic movies, no doubt about that, comprising a huge part of our childhood. But when you look closely, most of these blockbuster films portrayed women either of submissive characters or merely as a dancer; an object of men’s satisfaction. If not that, in movies like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, or even Lagaan for that matter, women are resorted to their typical familial roles in society- as a mother, a daughter or a wife.

The biggest example can be seen in the ageless movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The stereotypical roles played by Kajol and Farida Jalal are evidence to Indian audience only being appealed by submissive characters among women. Kabir Singh would be yet another present-day example of a “successful” movie with a plot glorifying one of the most misogynistic lead characters in Bollywood.

Regardless of these commercial films, Bollywood has also presented a platform for cinema to attack gender stereotypes and give a louder voice to the women in India. Movies like Lipstick Under My Burkha, Lust Stories, and Parched follow the lives of different women across the country, depicting their sexual lives or lack thereof. They reflect on the kink residing within women and portray their sexual desires as normal and not-so-dirty.

Caption: Few movies that represent female sexuality without a perverse glance. Credits: The Wire
Image Caption: Few movies that represent female sexuality without a perverse glance.
Image Credits: The Wire

 

Women’s sexuality is often overlooked in Indian cinema, or simply portrayed as “dirty”. Any woman expressing the slightest hint of lust is viewed as a woman of “loose morals”. However, a man’s sexual urges are seen as his “biological needs”. The aforementioned movies give a more decent expression of these desires within women, intending to normalise the same.

Angry Indian Goddesses is another such movie portraying a diverse set of strong, independent women coming together for a bachelorette party in Goa, while talking about sex, their lives and their sexual lives. It depicts women in solidarity and strength rather than as rivals. They allow their courage to lead them through the path of freedom in search of true happiness.

However, these movies do not tend to do so well commercially because this isn’t the plot that “sells”. Movies like Unfreedom, Margarita With a Straw, Ek Ladki ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, and Super Deluxe are not so popular among the general audience, observing low box-office returns. Clearly, the audience of India doesn’t wish to see women in control of their desires and want them to submit to patriarchy- in society and in their sexualities.

Feature Image Credits: Book My Show

Aditi Gutgutia
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Fest Season

An Unpopular Opinion: Fests Are Not ‘It’ Chief!

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Every year, a lot of time and effort goes into college fests. Do they achieve what they aim to, and are they really worth it, though?

Ever since I joined University of Delhi (DU), as a fresher, I was really excited to experience my first ‘fest season’ this even semester, except a month and a few fests into the season, I’m questioning if fests are as great as they’re made to sound like. Sorry to kill your hype, I do get why most people might look forward to fests, but this article is just an analysis of whether they’re achieving what they aim to do and if they’re really as ‘fun’, in the truest sense of the word. Firstly, let’s understand why these fests are organised in the first place. They were originally intended to be spaces where people can showcase their talents and participate in activities, except that now, they’ve become a way for colleges to compete with each other in terms of who can attract bigger stars and a way to improve the ‘image’ of the college. This transformation is problematic because of two reasons; firstly, in order to attract bigger stars, you need more money, which leads to a higher degree of commercialisation.

That commercialisation of fun is a problem because when you start viewing attendees as merely footfall for sponsorship deliverables, you forget why you hosted the fest in the first place. Also, the ‘image’ argument is ridiculous because any institution builds its image by improving on its main objective. While fests may be a great way to break the monotony, colleges’ main objective is to impart education, which is what their image hinges. Secondly, let’s talk about the resources spent on fests. Annual cultural fest of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Crossroads’ estimated budget for this year is INR 1.5 crore. That’s probably the highest among DU colleges, but most colleges still spend around INR 40-60 lakhs per college on their fest except there’s no tangible benefit arising out of this spending as most of it is spent on hosting the stars that come for these fests.

This amount of spending is huge and throws a bad light on our priorities, especially when we see the deteriorating infrastructure in several colleges and the fact that the University is suffering from a severe fund shortage due to the increased intake of students under the Economy Weaker Section (EWS) category this year (the grant released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is barely enough to cover salaries, let alone improve and develop the necessary infrastructure) and was barely able to cover teachers’ salaries for a period of three months last year. Thirdly, and most importantly, let’s talk about safety and inclusivity. Recent events have made us aware of howfests can be unsafe, especially for women. In the past too, there have been too many instances where people have been harassed in such spaces and this repetition not only proves that authorities are apathetic towards such situations but is also another way how fests are antithetical to one of their major objectives, creating a safe environment where people can have ‘fun’. People argue that organising and attending fests is a great way to develop a host of skills and network, while also creating value for businesses that fund them. However, the benefits of organising fests are mostly restricted to the organising team, and thus, large scale skill development. Fests, are great, but the way they’ve been organised in DU for the past few years isn’t sustainable. There’s a serious need to re-evaluate how we perceive fests in order to ensure that they retain their essence while ensuring that more people benefit from them.

 

Feature Image Credits: Manav Ahuja for DU Beat

Khush Vardan Dembla

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Features

A Glance Back in Time: Science in Ancient India

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It is a common misconception held by many that India has been the land of only sages and peers who composed and studied mythological texts and stories. But, on the contrary, the historic Indian civilization has had a very vibrant and comprehensive tradition of science and technology since ancient times.

As historian James Grant Duff once wrote- “Many of the advances in the sciences that we consider today to have been made in Europe were in fact made in India centuries ago.” It is true India was a land of sages and priests, but what is also important to acknowledge is that they doubled up as great thinkers and scientists too. Almost all the prime aspects of human knowledge like Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, and the practical procedures in which this knowledge was put in practice like surgery, architecture, shipbuilding, etc were covered in great detail by science and technology prevalent in ancient India. Intrinsic fundamental principles of modern sciences have been provided a foundation by the numerous postulates and scientific methods discovered by the Avant garde ancient Indians. While some of these important contributions have been acknowledged, there are many that remain unknown. Here are some ancient Indian contributions in the field of science and technology:

1. The Binary Numerical System

Binary numbers that are used as a language to write computer programmes are basically a set of two numbers- 1 and 0 called Bits and Bytes respectively. They were mentioned by Pingala in his work “Chandah??stra”, a treatise on prosody. Pingala is credited with using binary numbers in the form of short and long syllables, a notation similar to Morse code.

2. The Concept Of Zero

The Indian contribution in introducing the concept of Zero is relatively well known. It was formulated by the mathematician Aryabhatta. This invention is of great importance as it enables one to write numbers no matter how large, by adding zeroes at the end. A. L. Basham, an Australian Indologist writes- “…The world owes most to India in the realm of mathematics..”

3. Theory Of Atom

Famous English chemist, John Dalton is now credited with the development of the atomic theory. However, a theory of the atom was formulated centuries ago by Indian sage Acharya Kanad who speculated the existence of small, indestructible particles called “Anu” strikingly similar to an Atom.

4. Plastic Surgery and Cataract Surgery

Ancient Indian physician, Sushruta had composed in the 6th century BCE, the Sushruta Samhita – one of the mostdetailed books on surgery which mentioned complex techniques of plastic surgery like Rhinoplasty as well as surgery to cure cataract amongst thousands of other procedures and medicines to cure illnesses.

5. Heliocentric Theory

Aryabhatta, the man credited with discovering 0 (zero) had also made other contributions to the field of science like propounding the curvature of the Earth as well as the fact that it rotates on its own axis around the sun. The mathematical genius also made predictions of solar and lunar eclipses, the duration of a day as well as the distance between the celestial bodies of the Earth and Moon.

6. Theory of Gravity

When we think about the concept of gravity, most of us may be aware of the story of how Issac Newton was inspired to formulate the “Universal Law Of Gravitation” when an apple fell from the tree he was sitting under. The world believes that gravity was discovered by Newton, however ancient Indians knew of gravity way before him. India’s familiarity with gravity began with Varahamihira (505-587 CE), an Astronomer who thought of the concept of gravity. He claimed that there must be a force which might be keeping bodies stuck to the Earth, keeping heavenly bodies at specific places.

Feature Image Credits: i Am Healthcare

Abhinandan Kaul

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Decoding India’s Obsession with Science

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Many students have seen their peers or themselves face parental pressure about studying Science, we look at why the older generation has a bias for the Sciences and whether it is valid.

Many of us have come across phrases such as “Acche marks aaye 10th mai, Science lelo” (you got good marks in 10th, take Science), “Humanities wala hai, pakka padhayi nahi karta hoga” (they are from Humanities, they must not study), and so on. In Indian middle-class society, the classification of those who pursue humanities as intellectually inferior to those who are in Science is constant.

While Science is an essential part of human life, there are many fallacies one can point out in the Indian education system even in the Science stream, the hyper-competitive nature of it being the very obvious call out, with children being enrolled in coaching and preparing for entrance exams from a very early age. The other being how the learning administered in many colleges does not make graduates employable. A report by India Today in 2019 stated that out of 1.5 million engineering graduates every year, around 80% of them are unemployable. The basic reasoning which one can gather behind this preference for sciences is that people look at it as the safe option, one through which they can find a steady career and future. We have heard older generations say, “Hamare time pe options siraf doctor, engineer, aur lawyer thhey” (the only options we had were doctors, engineers, and lawyers). This mindset still plays a vital role when parents and their children decide which stream to pursue, with many parents still asking and/or forcing their children to take science.

Miley, a second-year student from Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), whose parents told her to take science said, “My parents felt the only reason to not take Science as if you were not smart enough and it’s supposed to be a trophy for them. They cared little if I pursued a career in Science, I just wanted everyone to know that I was “smart enough” if I wanted to. I ended up doing Honors in English from one of the best colleges and yet all they think I do is a B.A.” Shivam, a student preparing for his JEE Mains said, “My parents always wanted me to take Science, and it’s something which I have always wanted too, so I would not say it was forced. Yes, preparing for competitive exams takes a lot of time and dedication but it’s time I am willing to put in to secure my future.” Now while Shivam and many like him strive to break into the topmost colleges in their streams, the stereotype of humanities kids being their opposites falls flat. To get into Delhi University (DU) and many other universities, students have to compete against extremely high cut-offs and unpredictable board examinations. The This obsession of Indians with science leaves one with the following conclusion, just because something is followed by the majority, does not mean it’s in everyone’s best interest. There’s no Mantra that can guarantee you success, but doing something out of pressure for the sake of approval definitely won’t help. And this kind of obsession is certainly unhealthy and will become problematic in the long run, given the current economic conditions of our country. It’s high time that we introspect our basis of decision-making, because even if this obsession with science helps someone achieve success, it doesn’t guarantee happiness that was lost along the way. idea of Humanities being for those who slack off or are not willing to work as much as other streams immediately takes a hit. In the end, one can see that the stream does not decide a person’s employability or worth, and the larger problem itself lies with the education system in India. A system which places rote learning and education without questioning as its foremost agenda, a system in which arguably the very idea of knowledge is lost in the quest to gain that extra percentage points or a higher rank than others, a system which prefers pitting students against each other and propagating ideas of intellectual superiority on the basis of streams rather than allowing students to learn from each other.

Feature Image Credits : Arre

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Campus Central

Citizens of Delhi Demand Peace

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The first reaction to North-East Delhi riots, protesters gather at Jantar Mantar for a sit-in protest to demand peace.

Following the riots in the North-Eastern part of Delhi for the past three days, hundreds of protesters gathered on a short notice for a sit-in at Jantar Mantar on 26th February. A quiet crowd was observed comprising not just students but also professors, journalists and many others from different walks of life. People raised slogans such as “I am Ashamed” or “Kab tak mareinge ek dusre ko? Tham jao, bas karo! Iss nafrat ko khatam karo (How long are we going to fight among ourselves? Calm down! Let’s end this hatred)” under the banner of ‘Delhi Wants Peace’.

Multiple speakers addressed the crowd that had gathered there. Vrinda Grover, a lawyer and human rights activist, talked about the role of Delhi police in insuring impunity for the rioters. Navsharan, Karwan e Mohabbat member, addressed the efforts made to ensure availability of medical teams for the injured during the riots. Dipankar Bhattacharya, member of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), discussed how riots are an attempt to undo the Delhi election mandate. Many other speakers were also heard.

Kavita Krishnan, member of All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIWPA), told DU Beat, “College and university students can play a very big role in mobilising for peace around your colleges and wherever you live. The first thing that you can easily do is go with some flowers or sweets and meet your neighbours. Especially where Muslim students and Kashmiri students are staying. Meet them, understand that they are vulnerable, offer them your friendship and solidarity. Even where there aren’t students, if you know of any locality close by, better to go door to door, whether Hindu or Muslim, distribute sweets and flowers and ask them to be a part of an initiative for peace. Tell them to stop their neighbours from being violent, and protect those in danger.”

Deepika Shergill, another protester, talked about hope in such trying times. “If you’re talking about hope, I actually feel very hopeless and helpless. I’m here as a very concerned Delhi person, a very concerned Indian. I’m trying to find a way how I can make myself relevant to bring this to a stop. When I see that your generation has taken to the street, I do feel that you guys are taking charge. But it’s going to be a long battle. But at least there is a battle; one is not sitting back. Everyone is out here because we all are concerned and I think I take my hope out of it.”

Shahbaz Ansar, a reporter at The Press, also shared his views from a journalist’s perspective. “Mere kayi aise friends hain jinke baare mei abhi tak report nahi hui hai; jinke personal accounts maine sune hain. Jaise meri ek friend hai Sushmita Sinha. Voh kal gayi Jafrabad aur fir tear gas ka usko samna karna pada aur even harassment ka usko samna karna pada. Bohot log yeh saari baatein likhte nahi hain kyunki unke parents pareshan ho jaayeinge. Toh mujhe lagta hai ki jo journalist bohot zyada mehnat kar rahe hain aur in sabh cheezon ko face kar rahe hain aur voh ground pe jakar dekh rahe hain, unse jab aap baat karoge toh voi sare aapko khul kar bataayeinge ki jo police hai voh mili hui hai rioters ke saath. Toh yeh bohot hi alag situation hai kyunki jab rioters ke sath police mil jaati hai toh samajh lo that you are being ruled by criminals. (I have many friends whose encounters haven’t been reported; who’s personal accounts I’ve heard. For instance, I have a friend Sushmita Sinha. Yesterday when she went to Jafrabad, she had to face tear gas and harassment. Many don’t write about these experiences as it might disturb their parents. So I think that the journalists who work hard, face everything and observe everything from the ground would openly claim that the police have joined the rioters. This is a very different situation because when police joins the rioters, then we may conclude that we are being ruled by criminals).”

Feature Image Credits: Aditi Gutgutia for DU Beat

Aditi Gutgutia

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Arts Faculty

DU Gathers to Protest against Communal Violence in North East Delhi

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After days of sustained violence in Jaffrabad, Seelampur, and other parts of North East Delhi, students of Delhi University (DU) hold a protest gathering at Arts Faculty to protest against the communal violence perpetrated by in these areas.

On 23rd February 2020, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad had called a Bharat Bandh in favour of reservations and against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizen (NRC), and National Population Register (NPR) exercise, in response to which women of Seelampur and Jaffrabad organized a Chakka Jam on the same day. The violence perpetrated by rioters allegedly associated with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the same day, and with the violence sustaining till now, many are calling the riots a state sponsored pogrom of the muslim community and the protestors against CAA, with the police acting as silent bystanders while Delhi burns at the hands of the rioters.

On the morning of 25th February, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) organised a protest gathering against the state sponsored violence in Northeast Delhi. Beginning at 1:30 p.m, the protest had various speakers from the affected areas, students, and performances from DU Theatre societies.

Shaurya, a student pursuing Masters in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, who had been volunteering at the protest sight for the last month, shared, “ the incidents that took place yesterday are commonly being blamed by the media on one identified gunman who has been arrested, who does belong to the Muslim community. Hence the media is blaming the community as a whole for inciting violence. This is not a riot between two communities, but a orchestrated plan by the RSS and the government acting in collusion with the police force aiding the rioters. The violence began two days ago when Kapil Mishra went to Maujpur- Babarpur with a team of RSS supporters and invited violence and started stone pelting.”

Talking about yesterday, when the levels of violence reached a new level with arson and shootings, he said, “Yesterday, RSS leaders in these areas clearly incited violence, with no police action being taken even after multiple calls being made to them, along with perpetrators being identified on video footage, the police did not act.  A group of concerned citizens from various groups met the Joint Commissioner of police who said that the investigation had not yet led to any conclusive results and refused to send any police to the area. Therefore, it is important to identify that this is  a state orchestrated attack against muslims who are protesting against the NRC-CAA-NPR.”

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Events

The Final Day of SRCC Business Conclave Concludes with Inspiring Sessions

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The third and final day of Business Conclave at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) concluded with inspiring sessions by Mr Gautam Gambhir, Ms Prajakta Koli, Mr Kapil Sibal, and a fun session with entertainer Mr Kapil Sharma.

The first session of the final day of Business Conclave 2020, commenced with Mr Bhargav Sri Prakash, Former National Tennis player, Inventor of Digital Vaccine, and CEO of FriendsLearn. Sri Prakash talked about his journey of how he started as a student of Mechanical Engineering in Chennai. He went on and talked about his obsession with race cars. Sri Prakash emphasized on the importance of Ayurveda and told the audience about how Indian Ayurveda has treatment for illness but no prevention, so he discovered Digital Vaccine. Later on, he enlightened the crowd at SRCC about his project in India which is the 1st in the World that serves underprivileged children in Chennai. Mr Bhargav is also a health enthusiast, he said “India should do justice to its potential.” As according to him, the evolution of India has been limited to Outsourcing.  Sri Prakash ended the session by making a plea to the students to come together and take on the big problems around us.

Padma Shree Awardee, Gautam Gambhir, covered various topics, ranging from politics to self-motivation, while talking candidly at the Business Conclave, organised by the Students’ Union, Shri Ram College of Commerce. The ex-cricketer, talked with great responsibility while covering BJP’s defeat in the latest Delhi Assembly Elections. He said, “It is not my job to only cater to my constituency, but to the 70 constituencies, that we contested for.” In the conversation on politics, he said, “Never thank a politician”, stating how development is each politician’s job and they shouldn’t be thanked for it. He even mentioned the Ghazipur Landfille issue to be solved, irrespective of his fate at the Elections. The audience was inspired by his cricket analogy implementation in the field of politics and the ups and downs of life.

Kapil Sharma, one of the leading names in Television Comedy, had the auditorium packed for his panel with Youtuber and SRCC Student, Karan Chawla at the last day of the Business Conclave, organised by the students’ union of SRCC. Kapil Sharma, shed light on the writing process of the show and stated, how the narrative of the show is observational comedy. Being in SRCC, he reminisced his own college days in Amritsar and the college theatre he did, that led to him being comfortable with stage and the overall idea of the show. The panel had a seemingly interesting end, with him inviting beatboxing, cajon playing students at the stage and jamming with them on a rap song.

Following Kapil Sharma’s hilarious yet heartwarming presence, the audience was greeted by the well-renowned YouTuber and content creator, Prajakta Koli. Due to the absence of certain speakers, Prajakta’s arrival seemed like a bit of a delay to the ardent audience. She started by talking about modeling her career from being a radio intern to trying her hands on content creation and becoming one of India’s most popular YouTuber. She further discussed the many landmarks in her career like collaborating with Canadian YouTuber, Lily Singh, and having tea with former First Lady, Michelle Obama. After addressing issues like nepotism and YouTube censorship, she interacted with the audience, guiding the aspiring YouTubers and enacting her character, Montu for her fans. Sabrawal sisters, the youngest designer and writer, also presented their beloved artist with their books.

Entrepreneur and social activist Ajay Gupta motivated the students with his inspiring words. Narrating his life story, Mr.Gupta told the audience about how polio effected his lifestyle and career. He emphasised on the fact that positive thinking and an optimistic approach towards life can help a person alot. He highlighted the shortcomings of India as a disabled-friendly country and how he has worked towards making India more accessible via his disabled-friendly Ridhihood University. “I feel privileged because of my Bachpan and Academy Heights network of schools. The network is of 120 schools and provides education to more than 35,000 children”, said the founder of the ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ foundation. The speaker told the students about the importance of being flexible in life and concluded with the famous military war cry, “Josh is high, very high.”

The day and the conclave culminated with senior INC politician and MP, Kapil Sibal. He spoke unreservedly about his past and how did his family settle in India after the partition. Speaking about the diversity and heterogeneity of India, Mr. Sibal said, “Unification of India comes not through diktat but will come through emotion.” He then moved onto the economical and social demographics of India. Mentioning the importance of youth, he emphasised on the shortcomings of the education system and significance of the freedom of students. Taking a jibe at the central government he added, “You don’t have to say ‘Jai Shree Ram’ to be a good student.” While highlighting the importance of dissent in a democracy, he accused the NDA government  of trying to ‘hijack’ university campuses. Ending his speech, the Rajya Sabha member, said, “The country deserves better leaders, better (university) vice chancellors and better citizens.”

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Chhavi Bahmba

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Avni Dhawan

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Aditi Gutgutia

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Arts & Culture

Mastering the Art of Third-Wheeling

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Third-wheeling is considered an art whereby one learns to be comfortable with oneself in some cases. They call it third-wheeling because you stabilise their terrible relationship.

Third-wheeling is a skill that only a few can expertise in. It comes from the analogy of a tricycle, wherein two wheels are happy at the back; meanwhile, the third wheel is a lone rider just casually hanging out with the couple as an awkward plus one. Moreover, Valentine’s Day is a considerably harder time for all the third wheelers out there. The duo seems to be more involved in each other all of a sudden, and the third-wheels have no choice but to put on a happy face and click pictures for the couple. Being the third wheel teaches you a lot about life as a whole, and you have your couple friends to thank for that.

First, they give you instructions as to how to be in a relationship like a normal, sane human being. They give you real-life demonstrations about the dos and don’ts of a relationship. Second, if you end up doing something insane, you have your two idiots to console you with their own stories. In addition to this, you get to use your diplomatic skills to solve their fights and act as a tie-breaker. Third wheelers offer stability to their pals’ relationships. Also, you get to be a part of their inside jokes, that are hilariously comforting. Essentially, third-wheeling involves walking behind the couple on a sidewalk, and not having to share your food with anyone. People often think that you can’t find a date or you awkwardly cling to the couple because you do not have a choice, but that is not always the case. Worst case scenario, if your friends in relationships make you feel unwanted, confront them and make them feel horrible about it. Make the best out of this situation and make them pay for your food. This is the least they could do for you.

Being the third-wheel, also gives you many golden opportunities to brush up your photography skills. Clicking pictures for the duo is fun and you could always jokingly tell them to pay you for their photos. Being the occasional photobomber does not sound too bad either. Many people claim that third-wheeling is like being the couple’s child, and, they love every minute of it because for them, their so-called mom and dad are their best pals and spending time with them is a privilege. Take advantage of the couple and ask them to set you up with one of their friends. The least they could do for you is be a supportive wing-person. To be honest, the stigma surrounding singularity and the constant need to find a significant other, is a result of society’s excessive focus on marriage as an institution. Being in a relationship sounds wonderful, but it has its downsides too, which seem to go unnoticed. If your friend and their partner invite you to hang out with them, try not to get your awkwardness in the way while getting to know them.

Third-wheeling is an art because you get to offer advice, clean up their mess, learn from them, provide stability to them, and lastly, third-wheels get to become the children and, hijack the romance of couples. Third-wheeling is extremely fun because of the invasion of privacy you get to indulge in. However, if you ever get the feeling that you are not welcomed in a setting that your friend and their partner invited you to, and they are not paying any attention to you, the best option is to escape and grab a cup of coffee. Third-wheeling is a bizarre experience altogether, and especially when you have to be the third-wheel on Valentine’s Day, or otherwise known as the most romantic day of the year. Your friend and their significant other may be considerate about inviting you on their date, but nobody would be happy to be in that position honestly. Tejasvi Mohan, a student of Lady Shri Ram College stated,“Valentine’s Day is overrated and third-wheeling with a couple makes it much more worse, and I hope nobody ends up in that position ever.”

Feature Image Credits: Reddit

Suhani Malhotra

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