Shivani Dadhwal, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

DUB Speak

The Intern’s Dilemma: Fledgling Start-up Vs Established MNC

Adding fuel to the start-up versus Multi-national Corporation (MNC) debate, we discuss the pros and cons that both the entities have on offer for college interns.

“IIM Lucknow has a median salary of X INR!”

“Great, but IIM Calcutta recorded (X+Y) INR last year.”

“That’s nothing, FMS (Faculty of Management Studies) Delhi went all the way to (X+Y+Z) INR this placement season.”

More often than not, most of us have had similar conversations, which perfectly encapsulate the current rat-race involving institutions, companies and jobs in the country.

With the increasing number of access points of good quality higher education in the country, coupled with innovative methods of teaching going far beyond the pages of the academic curriculum, the past two decades have witnessed an enormous rise in competition among graduates and post graduates for jobs, both in the private and the public sector.

This cut-throat competition necessitates the need for job applicants to stand out from the crowd if they wish to get a decent working position in a – preferably creamy layer – company, which means they need to stack up their curriculum vitae, or resume, the most prominent catalyst instrumental in landing them their dream job in their dream company, the importance for which was aptly described by writer Mokokoma Mokhonoana as, “Give a typical employee a million and he is most likely to use the money to print his CV on fancier paper”.

An ideal Curriculum Vitae (CV) of a fresh graduate or post-graduate contains, apart from academic and extra-curricular achievements, a list of organisations or companies where he/she spent time attempting to learn the particular trade, or in other words, worked as an intern. This list of internships gives the prospective employer examining the CV a fair idea of the applicant’s capability and area of expertise, and also a stamp of validation. “Sometimes your marks might not be able to land you a seat in a prestigious university abroad, or a prestigious company, but the right amount of internships at the right places surely can,” said a University of Delhi, Professor, on the condition of anonymity.

One’s CV undoubtedly holds a huge stake and influence in one’s future, and thus, an undergraduate student needs to take calculated decisions while choosing one’s preferred places of internship. With the country riding on a remarkable rise of economic and industrial growth, numerous successful start-ups have popped up, while already existing corporate firms have registered gains. A huge dilemma which students, mostly freshers, face, is making the choice between interning at a growing start-up or interning at an established multinational corporate. Both entities have certain distinct characteristics which might be a stimulant for some, and a deterrent for others.

Writing for Business World, Pulkit Jain describes start-ups as comprising of “casual wear, no-formalities-involved-group-discussions , no fixed working hours, fresh and flexible” while for MNCs he writes “formal wear, sophisticated meetings, nine to five on the dot working hours, prim and proper,” thus driving home the significant gulf between the work atmosphere and living spaces of both entities.

To the inquisitive and innovative intern with an entrepreneurial bent of mind, the flexible and out-of-the-box attitude of the start-up would be more appealing – though opining that MNCs do not receive such types of interns at all, would be a wrong assumption to make. Working at a start-up also allows for more widespread exposure to the corporate space and atmosphere for a new entrant, due to the relative absence of an in-built hierarchy. The intern will get to juggle a wider variety of roles, sometimes even highly critical ones, as opposed to the MNCs which mostly have a distinct horizontal separation of numerous departments and a distinct vertical hierarchy, and thus will offer a distinct and smaller role.

But a valuable point to be noted is that working in a smaller role will allow for far more specialisation in that particular area of expertise and shall allow the entrant to perform well in similar roles in the future. A significant number of people would prefer to learn specific skills in depth, with a security net, one at a time, instead of trying to juggle and gain experience in multiple areas of expertise at once, though conversely the latter would have a considerable amount of takers too.

One area in which the MNC has sole bragging rights over the start-up is brand name and recognition – not taking into consideration extremely successful unicorn start-ups like Flipkart, Swiggy, Byju’s etc. While the start-up might provide an intern with an unorthodox set of ideas and new working styles, something which the MNC will not, it cannot be denied that work or internship experience at a well-established conglomerate, say Goldman Sachs, or Deloitte, weighs far heavier than one at a start-up, on a CV, and might turn out to be a clinical deal clincher when the candidate applies for a full-time job in the future. In fact, interning at such a place also increases the chance of the candidate being offered a job at the same company after his/her graduation.

A start-up allows more freedom in terms of expression of ideas, as opposed to the largely orthodox and time-tested work methods applied in the conglomerate structure. Thus, the risk factor in MNCs is low while its significantly high in start-ups. Outcomes are extreme in the start-up world, and a large proportion of them fail in the initial stages itself. Out of the small proportion which do manage to stay afloat, an ever smaller proportion is ultimately able to rise to sub-unicorn and unicorn levels, albeit in a short time. This can be beneficial for interns and new entrants who were a part of the start-up in the initial stages, who might get top designations in a very short while. On the other hand, in MNCs, the rise to the top of the company takes several years.

Every college student has different ambitions and attitudes, some are ready to take risks, some want a secure future, some wish to build their own company, some wish to work in their dream company. Interning at a conglomerate and at a start-up nurture these different paths for them. Japneet Singh, a Computer Science undergraduate at IIT Delhi, opines, “It’s not right or wrong to choose a particular option between the two, both offer valuable learning experiences and I think one should make the choice based on one’s needs and ambitions”.

Featured Image Credits: Analytics India Magazine

Araba Kongbam

News

Two DU Students Found Dead in Jamia Nagar Flat

Trigger Warning: Suicide

Two students, studying in the prestigious University of Delhi (DU), belonging to Ladakh were found dead in a flat in Jamia Nagar. Delhi Police suspect suicide and recover two suicide notes.

On 1^st March 2020, the Delhi Police reported that the bodies of two 23-year-old students were found dead in a flat in South East Delhi’s Jamia Nagar. The Police report that both these students were from Ladakh and it was a man and a woman. The Delhi Police suspect suicide and two suicide notes have also been recovered. While the Police has not shared any details of the suicide notes, they have disclosed that a one-page suicide note was left behind by the man and a two-page suicide note was left behind by the woman.

Both the students had injuries to their necks and two knives were recovered from the flat, however the door had been bolted from the inside. R.P Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East District on speaking to the press discloses some information from initial enquiries. He says that the man stayed alone in a flat in Jamia Nagar’s Batla House area while the woman used to stay in North Campus and had come to meet the man at his flat on Saturday.

He said that the door of the flat had been bolted from the inside and was broken by a security guard, and his son Vinod, and they had found the bodies. He added that the place had been photographed and inspected. He further informs that the bodies had been moved to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Forensic Science Laboratory will conduct further examination. The families of both the victims have reached Delhi.

Feature Image Credits: Economic Times

Prabhanu Kumar Das

News

DU Student Breaks Locks of Girls’ Hostel; University Issues Notice

Pallavi Raj, a postgraduate student of Political Science from Kirori Mal College (KMC) broke the locks of the undergraduate hostel gates on 29^th February.

The students along with Pallavi, a resident of the North East Students’ House for Women (NESHW) was one of the protesters held on 29th February, went for a march to the Vice Chancellor’s (VC’s) residence on the same day. However, it soon started raining because of which they put the mattresses and bedding they were using for the sit-in inside so that it does not get wet. “The administration must have thought that we had given up and they took that time when we were at the march to lock the doors. When we came back we asked them to open it and they did not let us in. They had chained down the gates and locked it. Then we had no other way but to break the locks,” said Pallavi to Indian Express.

She was issued a letter on 2nd March by Delhi University (DU) which claims her of indulging in activities that bring embarrassment to the Hostel. The letter asks her to focus on her studies and stay in the hostel with peace and order. She replied to the letter saying that the Provost has no right to send a letter that accuses her without even issuing a show-cause letter or a proper hearing.

Dr. Rita Singh, the NESHW in a statement to Indian Express said, “Before we delve into details of what happened we need to understand that the letter sent on 2nd March was legally sound. If a student has done something wrong, they need to send a show-cause notice for that behaviour and let the student explain the situation. But this letter is just like an advisory that has already accused me of an act and is warning me against consequences.”

The curfew timings for the Delhi University Girls’ Hostel for undergraduates is 7:30 PM while for postgraduates its 10 PM. There have been several protests for extending the same, the most recent being on 27th February at DU Girls Hostel Main Gate, Indira Vihar. But, the aspect which differentiates this recent one from the earlier is that for the first time the students of all the five hostels housing the students of Delhi University are protesting and attempting to seek their demands in unity.

Feature Image Credits: Edexlive

Kriti Gupta
[email protected]

DUB Speak

The Talk: Neglecting Mental Health Issues

The stigma surrounding mental health is problematic for children that are brought up in an Indian household. Often due to parents’ refusal to accept the fact that there may be something wrong with their child.

Studies suggest that one in every four individuals experience mental health problems once in their lifetime. The stigma associated with mental health arises from the fear of being judged by society. There is a dire need for normalization of mental health issues that arise due to imbalances of chemicals in the brain. According to a survey, more than 50 percent of parents stated that they had never given ‘the talk’ to their children. The others claimed that they were clueless about how to address this issue. There were also some parents who claimed that they never felt the need to discuss the matter of mental health, as it was not important.

The narrative that mental health is not real because one cannot physically see it is utterly baseless. The brain is as much an organ as the heart, and moreover, it controls every part of the brain. MRI scans show the faulty production of chemicals, such as dopamine or serotonin, which are responsible for causing mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Rebecca, a student of St. Stephen’s College, opines, “Some parents are supportive if we consider mental health and the others aren’t, but they can’t be blamed because this is how they were brought up and that reflects in their parenting.”

In addition to this, men are more likely to attempt suicide than women solely because they are conditioned to unhealthy insinuations such as “boys do not cry” and “man up”. These unhealthy behaviours are learned at an age when boys are extremely young. Seeking professional help does not come easy to children because their parents never created a safe atmosphere for them to talk about what they may be going through. Moreover, professional help cannot be sought without informing parents due to high expenses.

Many children and young adults continue to suffer in silence because they are afraid of what their parents might have to say about their situation. However, they fail to realize that communication is essential and talking to their parents may actually bring out their empathetic side.

Feature Image Credits: Kids Helpline

Suhani Malhotra

DUB Speak

Love and Late Capitalism: Sally Rooney’s Normal People

Evaluating affection in Sally Rooney’s Normal People, the story of our current post-recession movement, and a keenly observed movement in time.

Normal People is your (and not your typical) young-adult novel, set up in Ireland, as opposed to the favoured land of white coming-of-age stories, America. When I first started reading Normal People online, I thought I downloaded the wrong PDF. The prose did not make a lot of sense at first – it was unlike anything I had ever read, much less in a book written about teens.

In a post-John Green world, where disregarding young adult novels have become the mark of intellectual superiority, the Booker Longlist and the many awards Normal People fetched has reignited an opportunity for us to ponder over stories, like that of Marianne and Connell.

A lifelong Marxist, Rooney is particularly outspoken about issues that stir her social conscience. It is set during the 2000s downturn period in Ireland. The pair weave in and out of each other’s lives across their university years, developing an intense bond that brings to light the traumas and insecurities that make them both who they are. There is no big quest in Normal People. The plot feels incidental, a not-so-elaborate set up to let the Rooney interpersonal-insight machine shine.

Casually sharp interpersonal insights seem to roll offhand through their conversations as well as their consciousnesses, dazzling the readers. Even if we cannot picture them, the characters are creatively attuned to every impulse they experience, the words a loud echo of their emotional and physical reactions that analyse the gestures and comments of everyone they encounter. The adventurous writing of Sally Rooney evaluates the notions of shame, social class, vulnerability, popularity and the intersection of art majors and the dichotomy of a generation too lost in the heat stemming from a past full of deceit.

Meaghan O’Connell writes, “Connell and Marianne’s fates may be partially determined by their social class (“A lot of critics have noticed that my books are basically nineteenth-century novels dressed up in contemporary clothing.” Rooney told Lauren Collins of The New Yorker) and the poor economy, but they are also shaped (if not saved) by each other and their shared dynamic. People can change, for better or worse, Rooney argues in this book, especially young people.

In the end, it’s the very influence that Connell and Marianne have over each other that gives each of their lives too much momentum for the traditional marriage plot. Or maybe this is the marriage plot made current: two star-crossed lovers, trading emails over oceans while one of them gets their MFA.

Normal People may not be about being young right now, but better than that, it shows what it is to be young and in love at any time. It may not be absolutely contemporary, but it is a future classic.

Feature Image Credits: New Yorker

Paridhi Puri

News

Protest Surrounding Annual Fest at Motilal Nehru College

Motilal Nehru College(MLNC) witnessed a two-hour-long protest organised by the Student Union; many students blocked the college gate, making it difficult for vehicles to enter or exit. The protest was called off and many students went down to the Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) office to protest again.

It all began from MNLC’s Student Union’s desire to have a high budget fest this season. Before this year; the cultural society of MLNC(M), the student union of MLNC(M), and the student union of MLNC(E) used to have separate fests with separate names. This year, all of them collectively decided to have a single, high budget fest. There were many issues within the organising committee itself regarding the name of the fest, given all 3 used to have different names, but more problems awaited them owing to lack of cooperation from the administration.

As it goes at any other college’s fest, the organising committee worked day and night to gather sponsorship and finalise an artist to make their event bigger and better. The union had finally locked down Punjabi Singer “Karan Aujla” and even a pseudo-MoU had been signed. Whatsapp Groups of the students of MLNC saw this graphic being circulated.

But shortly after, the administration office introduced several restrictions for this new fest, they demanded no other student apart from MLNC to be able to enter or attend the Star Night event. This caused a lot of backlash from the student community and only half an hour later, these two graphics were circulated amongst similar groups.

Next Morning, many students participated in the protest organised by the Student’s Union. The Student’s Union highlighted many incidents of Corruption from the Administration office, giving examples of Letterheads and lack of Nescafe booths in the college premises, and demanded for the star night to be brought back with their demands and for the administration to cooperate regarding the signatures on the MoUs.

An English Professor from MLNC said, “There is always a gap between the understanding of the advisory committee of the Student’s Union and the people from the Student’s Union. If they claim for the Administration (office) to be corrupt, you cannot ignore the fact that they are somewhat corrupt too and this might be the reason that they joined student politics in the first place.”

According to the Union and the organising committee, the administration office has not been really helpful or supportive regarding the annual fest ever, and this year has been way worse compared to previous years and the efforts being put in the Student Union.
The sit-in protest at the college gate lasted for almost 2 hours, during which only selected vehicles could enter or exit the gates. This led to disruption in the day-to-day activities of the college and after a while, the protest had to be called off because of pressure by the Police officials and the administration.

Featured Image Credits: Anonymous

News

Gargi’s Fact-Finding Committee Releases Statement on Day 7

Gargi College’s Fact-Finding Committee had a GBM with the college’s students on Day 7 of the demonstration against the incidents of Reverie and addressed concerns regarding the issue.

A statement released for Day 7 of the demonstration in Gargi College against the sexual harassment incident that occurred at this year’s Reverie stated that the college’s Fact-Finding Committee which was formed to gather official evidence regarding the incident had a GBM with the students.

In the meeting, various concerns were raised. The fact-finding committee found out that there was a “gross lapse in the overall security of the fest”, and that it was the fault of the administration who had underestimated the expected peep count at the event. The committee also recommended that the college’s staff be sensitised to gender issues after many students complained about the lax attitudes of the administration when the misdemeanours had first been reported.

The Committee also said that a second, more conclusive report would be constructed to address the event in its entirety, and laid emphasis on the fact that the college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is grossly biased and compromised. As a result, a decision has been taken to form a new ICC as per the requirements of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The committee is to be formed by the end of February.

The Committee has also stated that due to available discrepancies in the report existing on various different levels, and with the Delhi Police not having answered any of the questions posed by the committee as of now, it would take time to form and finalise a conclusive report.

Another concern made by the students was regarding the budget of Reverie, and where it was spent, with the administration having spent little to none on security. As a result, the budget was presented but not in its entirety, and students are therefore looking for alternatives to an RTI to gauge the budget.

The students also requested the resignation of the teachers and administrators who were directly responsible for the lapse of security from their posts as OC of Reverie, and this will be decided upon by the Governing Body of the College.

After the FCC came out with its findings, the student union of Gargi released a notice stating that they would now aim at redress all for student welfare.

Feature Image Credits: Sanyukta Singh

Shreya Juyal

[email protected]

DUB Speak

A Parasitical Circle of Class Conflict

Assuming you have already watched this Academy award-winning masterpiece, read further to unravel not-so-subtle imagery of class hierarchy in modern society.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

It is not easy to describe or critique a movie like Parasite. It is a satirical, drama-thriller. Like its father, Bong Joon-ho, the movie is highly dynamic as it changes tones like a girl changes clothes (Hot N Cold reference). Bong creates a tapestry depicting class hierarchy via his craft of interweaving various subtle as well as not-so-subtle threads.

The movie opens with the Kim family son, Ki-woo, walking around their tiny house in search of Wi-Fi connection. The toilet happens to be the highest point in the house apparently giving him the connection to a network that probably isn’t password-protected, basically leeching off some neighbour. Evidently, the parasitical attributes of the family are established very early in the film. We also see how the family lives in a semi-basement. Semi-basement means that the house is also semi-over ground essentially giving the family a sense of hope as well.

A little further into the movie we see the Park family house located on some sort of a hilltop. Later we also learn how Moon-gwang and Geun-sae live in an even lower basement in the Park house. Bong uses this element of “upstairs and downstairs” to establish the positions of these families in the class hierarchies. The same concept is used in multiple ways further in the film.

Watching the movie, you realise that this isn’t just a fight between two families from different social backgrounds, but also between two families from the same background. Instead of coexistence, the idea of “survival of the fittest” is somewhat adopted. Eventually, after all the ruckus and drama, the Kim family manages to put Geun-sae and Moon-gwang back to where they really “belong”- the lowest basement.

Right after this we also see the Kim family hiding under the living room table as soon as they hear the owners of the house return; just like how cockroaches hide under small spaces in fear of getting caught and killed. As soon as the family seems to be asleep, they run and escape at their first chance, back to their original “hole”.

Water happens to play a rather significant role throughout the film. Initially, we see a man urinating outside the Kims’ window. They try to fight him away by throwing water at him, which only turns everything messier. Later in the movie, we see how the Kim basement is flooded with sewage water after heavy rainfall. Clearly, water hasn’t been their best friend after all. The flooded basement also gives a push to a domino effect which is to follow.

When the family is called back to work the next day, which is a weekend, a blatant tension can be sensed, best expressed by Ki-taek (Kang-Ho Song). While Ki-taek is driving Yeon-kyo back home from the market, we see her talk to a friend on a call about how the rain had been a blessing clearing up the sky of pollution. We learn how the rain has different effects on people from different classes. While it dragged one family out of their house, it pulled back another from a camping trip, only to appreciate the house more.

The movie reaches its climax when Gyun-sae manages to set himself free and runs up to attack, first Ki-woo, and next his sister Ki-jung. When Ki-taek kills Gyun-sae and tries to save his daughter, Park Dong-ik just asks him to abandon his own family and drive them away. This simply shows how little he cared about the “lower” class family, yet again creating a class division.

Out of frustration, killing Dong-ik, Ki-taek hides in the very place he wished to escape- the lowest basement. He became what he was trying to get rid of. The Park family left the house giving way to yet another rich German family to take their place. No matter what, a richer family will always be above Ki-taek, leaving him to remain a mere parasite.

With Ki-jung dead, Ki-woo and Chung-sook return to their original places in the semi-basement. When Ki-woo decodes a message from his father, he pledges to work hard his entire life until he is able to buy the house, and then all Ki-taek needs to do is “walk upstairs”. We even see the family reuniting, but Bong shoots his final bullet as a sure-fire, bringing Ki-woo back in his home to let his audience know that life isn’t so convenient, and his aspirations can never really turn to reality. This again reflects a very realistic image.

Why Parasite is adored throughout the world is because this same plot which is set in South Korea could have been set in New York or London or even New Delhi. Class division is a universal concept and affects each one of us in one way or the other.

Feature Image Credit: CJ Entertainment

Aditi Gutgutia

DUB Speak

The (Un) Productive Cycle

Being productive is too much work and we, as students, are too much lazy. Read further to relieve yourself of this pressure of working too hard.

On the morning of National Productivity Day, I overslept and missed my first lecture. I reached the next lecture 20 minutes late and instead of writing my article, I went to Taco Bell with my friends. I also had the first day of my internship where I spent about 2 hours doing pretty much nothing. I finally came home, watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before part two and cringed over it for an hour. I ate dinner, finally decided to write my article the next day and swiped left on Tinder for another half hour. Welcome to a day into the unproductive life of a college student.

As students, we can spend days, weeks, months or even years doing absolutely nothing and yet feel immensely tired and exhausted all. the. time. I personally like to think of it as some kind of a talent we all possess. T’is ain’t an easy life, my friends. However, what bothers me is this intuitive need one has to be productive. An unproductive day is considered a lazy day. But again, is there something really wrong with it?

We’re all too hard on ourselves. We push our own limits, setting goals far beyond our standards. The inability to meet these unrealistic expectations brings down our morale, further degrading our work quality and eventually placing us in the inevitable, vicious cycle of unproductivity. Seriously, chill out, these unnecessary pressures, the romanticisation of being exhausted or busy, the capitalistic notions of achievements need to be challenged. Pushing yourself is great, but being cruel to yourself is not the best way to achieve your goals.

In this ends versus means debate, choose the right path for yourself. Take a day off and sleep for 16 hours. Watch the worst guilty pleasures on Netflix. Make plans and cancel them all. You deserve a break from stressing out about being productive by being absolutely unproductive. You can also be kind to yourself and be a part of the ‘race’, or maybe even sit out of the race.

I would ask you to chill this National Productivity Day but I missed the deadline because I was busy being unproductive. Anyway, it’s all getting too productive for me, so I guess I’ll end here.

Feature Image Credits: Darius Foroux

Aditi Gutgutia