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The Literary society of Hindu College organised a discussion on the pop icon’s win of the Nobel Prize and how it’ll affect the contours of literature and popular culture.

The ground of discussion was the contribution of Dylan in the Counter Culture movement in the US and how his music has had a universal appeal in prompting masses to sing the same lyrics in unison. Dylan’s non affiliation to any political organisation or party gave him the license to address the excesses of the American government, be it the arms race during the cold war or the civil rights movement.

The discussion also investigated the roots of poetry and the oral tradition and the connection between the two. Dylan’s penchant to create a mix of politically critical commentary with folk music was associated with traditional forms of poetry, which employ similar instruments.

In the wake of Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexievich winning the prize in 2015 and Dylan following suit, the global community’s realisation to go beyond traditional definitions of literature was also discussed. Some participants also raised the fact that close to none of the popular authors have won the prize yet, making the Swedish Academy elitist in its definition of what constitutes literature. The prize given to Dylan ‘for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition’ was acknowledged by the singer – songwriter five days after the announcement, on his official website. But no sooner than the academy heaved a sigh of relief that Dylan removed the mention from his website. The mention read ‘winner of the Nobel prize in literature’. The participants also discussed the delay on the part of Dylan and his perceived unpleasant attitude.

That the prize was symbolic in the sense of giving boost to alternate forms of literature was acknowledged by the participants, who at the end of the discussion contemplated the future of the award and literature.

Featured Image Credits: The Literary Society, Hindu College

Sidharth Yadav

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A public meeting organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) on the ‘Idea of University’ at the Arts Faculty, North Campus on Thursday was disrupted by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The event was attended by over 300 students and featured eminent scholars from different fields.

Sources claim that the event’s organisation was allowed on the condition that microphones wouldn’t be used. The police were quick enough to provide adequate security apparatus for the event. An AISA activist, on the condition of anonymity claims that the entire process of getting permission spanned over weeks and was onerous. “In the wake of UDAAN, the theatre festival organised at the Arts Faculty to instill ‘the feeling of nationalism among students’, we approached the authorities for organising an event to sustain the liberal atmosphere of the varsity. They out rightly denied permission”, claims the activist. AISA alleges that the authorities asked them to ‘furnish money’ for booking the venue.

On the day of the event, as preparations were in full swing, university officials, accompanied by security guards began tearing down posters and banners inside the compound, where the left leaning student organisation was about to hold the event. For the first time, AISA was holding an event inside the walls of the faculty, a shift from their usual location of organising protests and holding meetings – the Arts Faculty gate.

An understanding was successfully reached between the organisers and the authorities through the mediation of the Maurice Nagar SHO Arti Sharma, who promised adequate security and assured of keeping ‘incendiary elements at bay’. The authorities were wary of ‘elements that might stir conflict’ and disturb the academic space. Reportedly, an AISA member was cautioned by a police official into hosting Mohit Pandey, president of the JNU Students’ Union, who was one of the speakers. Consequently,the JNUSU President didn’t attend the event.

Amid chances of backlash against the event, the police deployed security personals in considerable numbers. CRP units were also seen outside the faculty gate.

The event finally started just past noon with the AISA presidential candidate 2016 Kawalpreet Kaur addressing the 250 plus strong gathering of students and scholars. As the event progressed, talks by Anup Dhar from Ambedkar University, Soumyabrata Choudhury from Arts and Aesthetics, JNU and Satish Deshpande from the Delhi School of Economics discussed various aspects of university as a concept and its relevance in the modern world. Dhar talked about his recent article for a daily where he’d compared the situation of the student community in the higher education in India to the parrots in Rabindranath Tagore’s The Parrot’s Training. The story revolves around certain parrots kept in a ‘golden cage’ where they are ‘educated’. Their education is deemed successful once they learn to keep mum and be submissive. Soumyabrata Choudhury invoked the principals propounded by Ambedkar – Educate, Agitate and Organise and went on to say that “the idea of university is that you can have ideas. Those who are resistant to ideas make the loudest noise.”

ABVP members were seen standing on the pavement bordering the lawns where the meeting was taking place. Slogans condemning the attempt at ‘radicalising the conducive environment of the university’ through the event were hurled at the gathering. Soon enough, the ABVP mobilised outside the main gate only to return in more numbers and run a parallel protest. Members were seen carrying posters calling on AISA to leave the varsity – Rapist AISA Go Back. What ensued next surprised many. Some ABVP members, much to the amazement of the gathering and the ABVP leadership that was present at the protest, started ‘pelting’ Lux soaps at the gathering. Kawalpreet, in a statement claims that the soaps were thrown at them to ‘cleanse them of all the vice, as if Bharat Mata needs to be kept clean and tidy’. When some AISA members registered protest with the police, the SHO was seen hurling one of the soaps back at the ABVP members.

The AISA gathering saw address by Usman from ASEAK which spearheaded the right to reproduction of academic material in The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford v. Rameshwari Photocopy Services case. Situation became tense as Kavita Krishnan, president of All India Progressive Women’s Association came forward to speak. Two ABVP female members were seen percolating the human chain maintained by the 50 plus strong police officials; they advanced towards Krishnan, who at the right time managed to dodge them. Subsequently, DUSU president Amit Tanwar was seen advancing towards the gathering and a scuffle broke between the two sides leaving Kawalpreet injured. Many members, including this writer were ‘roughed up’ in the clashes and the police, attempted at bringing tempers down by insinuating  at using legal action against members of both the sides. Flyers and posters carrying pictures of Rohith Vemula and Najeeb Ahmed, the missing JNU student were brought down by the ABVP members. Unable to control the situation, the SHO appeared helpless, as another officer took charge, fearing altercation between the two sides. Amid din that saw sloganeering from both the sides, a final warning sounded through a microphone asking both the sides to exercise restraint and disperse, failing which coercive measures were to be exercised by the police and paramilitary units.

AISA members dispersed and called off the meeting. Cries of victory could be heard from the other side. While ABVP members also consequently left the scene, AISA regrouped at the gate on the other side to discuss the heckling of Krishnan and the disruption of the event. Kawalpreet, who had sustained injuries during the clashes, addressed the gathering.

The ABVP has claimed that DUSU president Tanwar and many others were injured and taken to hospitals and that the scuffle broke on provocation by some AISA members. Both the sides have been circulating their side of the story on social media. The authorities denied commenting on the issue.

Image Credits: DU Beat database

Sidharth Yadav

[email protected]

If you’re looking for a programme to catapult your ambitions of entering the area of public policy and decision making at the highest level, then the Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) could be the need of the hour. Founded by Harvard and Oxford alumni Rohit Kumar and Aparajita Bharti, YLAC goes beyond conventional modes of learning in giving participants hands on experience of working with different Members of Parliament (MPs) and being active agents of change.

YLAC members in Policy In Action
YLAC members in Policy in Action

YLAC believes in drawing confluence over different aspects of citizenship and equips participants with the means to better understand the working of the society and its institutions.‘YLAC’s prime motivation is to draw active citizens towards policy research and advocacy, this can be successfully achieved through the blend of theory and practice.’ claims Aparajita who is also a PRS Legislative alumnus. The organisation started in June 2016 with its school level programme – High School Achievers Programme. The programme entailed a 21 day skill development workshop in the form of a boot camp at the end of which students were attached to different participating NGOs

An ongoing programme of YLAC named Policy in Action is meant for university students and young professionals. The programme, spread over a month starting from 24th September, will equip participants with the know-how of legislation and policy making. At the end of the programme, participants will be deputed with various MPs to work on live projects during the programme. This year’s participating MPs include – Anurag Singh Thakur ( Lok Sabha), Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda (Lok Sabha), Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo (Lok Sabha), M V Rajeev Gowda (Rajya Sabha), Supriya Sule (Lok Sabha) and Tathagata Satpathy (Lok Sabha). YLAC’s next Policy in Action programme is set to launch in the early part of next year.

Policy in Action will equip students with the know-how of policy making.
Policy in Action will equip students with the know-how of policy making.

Having received multiple requests from Bangalore and Mumbai, YLAC also plans on expanding its operations to the metropolitan cities. The organisation also has a diverse Board of Advisors which includes Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda (MP – Lok Sabha), Shashi Tharoor (MP – LokSabha) and Michael Walton (Harvard Kennedy School).

Image credits: Rohit Kumar for YLAC

Sidharth Yadav

[email protected]

 

If you’re looking for a programme to catapult your ambitions of entering the area of public policy and decision making at the highest level, then the Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) could be the need of the hour. Founded by Harvard and Oxford alumni Rohit Kumar and Aparajita Bharti, YLAC goes beyond conventional modes of learning in giving participants hands on experience of working with different Members of Parliament (MPs) and being active agents of change.

pap-1

YLAC believes in drawing confluence over different aspects of citizenship and equips participants with the means to better understand the working of the society and its institutions.‘YLAC’s prime motivation is to draw active citizens towards policy research and advocacy, this can be successfully achieved through the blend of theory and practice.’ claims Aparajita who is also a PRS Legislative alumnus. The organisation started in June 2016 with its school level programme – High School Achievers Programme. The programme entailed a 21 day skill development workshop in the form of a boot camp at the end of which students were attached to different participating NGOs.

pap-5

An ongoing programme of YLAC named Policy in Action is meant for university students and young professionals. The programme, spread over a month starting from 24th September, will equip participants with the know-how of legislation and policy making. At the end of the programme, participants will be deputed with various MPs to act as their assistants for a brief period. This year’s participating MPs include – Anurag Singh Thakur ( Lok Sabha), Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda (Lok Sabha), Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo (Lok Sabha), M V Rajeev Gowda (Rajya Sabha), Supriya Sule (Lok Sabha) and Tathagata Satpathy (Lok Sabha).YLAC’s next Policy in Action programme is set to launch in the early part of next year.

Having received multiple requests from Bangalore and Mumbai, YLAC also plans on expanding its operations to the metropolitan cities. The organisation also has a diverse Board of Advisors which includes Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda (MP – Lok Sabha), Shashi Tharoor (MP – Lok Sabha) and Michael Walton (Harvard Kennedy School).

Image Credits: Rohit Kumar

Sidarth Yadav

[email protected]

 

In an event marked with engaging conversations and exchange of ideas over the recent Harry Potter book, the Hindu College literary society organised one of its kind discussions over the text that saw participation from across the varsity. The event, which was conducted in a room decorated with fancy lights and posters, went on for over two hours.

With over 30 participants, the discussion was moderated by Nidhi Srivastava of the Bring Your Own Book (BYOB) club and Swati Daftuar, Special Correspondent with The Hindu and a core member of the Lit for Life team. The discussion began with the moderators revealing the ways in which they laid hands over their copies of the text with Daftuar claiming that “In bookstores in general, it is rare for one to not find a Harry Potter book.” The discussion progressed with the participants discussing the plot and characters of the text and why the book doesn’t fall in the same literary canon as the other Harry Potter books, “I wouldn’t keep my copy of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the same shelf as the other Harry Potter Books. This one belongs to a different convention”, exclaimed Daftuar.

Many participants, who were addressing themselves as members of different houses of the Harry Potter series, complained over the genre of the text which is the form of a play and the restrictions it places over delving into the psyche of the characters, “The text lacks elements of Naturalism. It doesn’t offer readers any chance to create mental space and see the characters as organic beings” claimed one participant. Various plot holes were also investigated alongside the back and forth movement in time, a trope extensively used in the text. Nidhi brought out an analogy from the TV series Dr. Who which employs similar techniques.

The discussion ended with the moderators remarking about the very adult centric instinct of finding plot holes in a text, comparing it with the mind of a child which cares only for thrills in a story.

Sidharth Yadav

[email protected]

The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford v. Rameshwari Photocopy Service), The Delhi High Court recently ruled that photocopying of course material and essays from various published text material doesn’t amount to infringement of the Copyright Act. This is in response to a petition filed by three publishers – Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor and Francis, against Rameshwari photocopy booth at the Delhi School of Economics in 2012. The publishers claimed that compilation of course material and photocopying from published material amounts to the violation of the right, a claim rebutted by the defendants. In the judgement, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw reminded the petitioners that copyright is a statutory and not a natural right, thus upholding the reasonable restrictions on the practice of the right. Invoking Section 52(1) of the act which: i) allows for the reproduction of any work by a teacher or a pupil in the course of instruction; or ii) as part of the questions to be answered in an examination; or iii) in answers to such questions’, he went on to say that copying material for promulgation of knowledge and scholarship doesn’t amount to any infringement. Advancement in technology, which has facilitated efficient means of acquiring information, he claimed, furthers the premise of the Copyright Act, which is to spread accessibility to accurate knowledge. The case was closely watched by the students and teachers alike. Various organisations like Association of Students for Equitable Access to Knowledge and Society for Promoting Educational Access and Knowledge came forward to support the defendant. With this, the years old stay on the Rameswari photocopy booth has been lifted. The publishers are not satisfied with the verdict and may file an appeal in the apex court.   Sidharth Yadav [email protected]]]>

At a meeting organised as part of his three day visit to Goa ahead of the assembly elections in 2017, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, on Monday blamed the dismal condition of infrastructural facilities and lack of opportunities for India’s poor performance at an international event like the Olympics.
AAP volunteers at the event, Kejriwal also hinted at preparations to set up a university entirely dedicated to sports in the national capital. The university, said Kejriwal, would help students commit to various academic courses alongside pursuing their sports careers.
He claimed that after coming to power, his government opened major stadiums and government school playgrounds for the general public. He also spoke about the AAP government’s speedy action in the DDCA scam.
The event was also marked by volunteers lamenting the condition of sports in Goa despite the state having played host to Lusofonia Games in 2014. Kejriwal promised to remove all administrative barriers and obstacles if brought to power in the assembly elections.
In the budget presented this year, the AAP government set aside Rs 10,690 crores for the education sector, the highest among all allocations. Manish Sisodia, the deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, who also holds the education portfolio, said in March that the government was initiating multiple schemes for the promotion of sports in the capital city from opening world class football grounds to having tennis courts in over 55 schools. He also pointed at the government’s plan to start a sports school and a sports university in the city.
Featured Image credits: The Hindu
Sidharth Yadav
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The largely red building of the college glares at you on traversing the Delhi School of Economics and St Stephen’s college corridor. The premises are flanked by the Ridge forest on one side and the D School on the other. This part of Delhi has been the epicentre of the Indian freedom movement with Hindu College spearheading the student’s campaign majorly in the Quit India movement. The college was established in 1899 to counter the hegemonic control of the British over higher education in Delhi after the establishment of St Stephen’s college. Late Shri Krishan Dassji Gurwale, the founder of the college boasted of the secular and inclusive being of the institution when it functioned in a small establishment in Kinari Bazar before finally shifting to the current spot in 1953.

That the inclusive and liberal being of the college, although having undergone many reconfigurations has stayed intact is unmissable when one comes to the college during a festival or regular college days. The annual college festival Mecca, which succeeds in having major personalities every year has been the zenith of the institution’s liberal being when an entrant is allowed inside the premises without any hassle to witness motley range of events in the state of the art infrastructure of the college. The Virgin tree Pooja that happens every 14th of February also sustains the diverse aesthetics of the institution. A student of the college can visit any part of the college, attend classes of other departments, make public engagements with students and organise academic events in a relatively easy fashion. You’d find a unique activity once a week around the student centric area of Pizzas and More (PAM) ranging from sponsored events and society promotions.

The Parliament of Hindu College, which is the student body here, has inculcated political acumen in the students as  a result of which major political organisations at the varsity like ABVP, NSUI, AISA and SFI strategically position themselves in the ecosystem of the college to start political conversations. Being a student of the college, I constantly feel the repercussions and calls for student movements that happen in any part of the varsity. At the college level, the political environment calls for polarisation between majorly two sides that consolidate themselves and then contest for the parliamentary elections.

Interesting is the fact that departments like History and English have their own libraries which aim at furthering the academic interests of students. The Bharat Ram Centre, the cultural square of the college boasts a gothic style art gallery and is right at the centre of a magnificent garden. Art and photography exhibitions are a common sight in this area. The Bharat Ram Centre garden offers a composed atmosphere to have conversations and read books. The college canteen on the other hand symbolises a euphoric being of the college life at Hindu.

The institution boasts one of the largest sports grounds in the varsity with a sports centre, gymnasium and facilities for indoor sports being inheritances from the Common Wealth Games 2010, whose centre for the rugby sevens was the varsity. You’ll find many students playing volleyball and basketball in their breaks in the field. The college functions on the philosophy of letting the students decide the path to their own academic and co-curricular brilliance on the sidelines of having a system of administrative checks and balances.

Sidharth Yadav
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500 students who demanded the right to hostel facilities for everyone on campus. The major demands laid by AISA include the demand for a rent regulation act to monitor exorbitant rent rates at various paying guest accommodation facilities, House Rent Allowance (HRA) for the students and more hostels across the campus. The march formed a symbolic part of the movement that the organisation started to address the issue through multiple means. A post card campaign was also started in the later part of July. The campaign allowed students to convey their grievances regarding inadequate or no accommodation facilities on campus to the Vice Chancellor. AISA succeeded in getting over 10,000 post cards from students across 25 colleges of the varsity but failed to meet the Vice Chancellor who was reluctant to meet the students at the end of the march. Apart from students, professors from various colleges formed a major chunk of the march. Individual experiences in relation to the unregulated brokerage system were also narrated by some students at the event. AISA, in the previous week organised marches of similar nature in Vijay Nagar and Satya Niketan to address the issue. One such protest was where students were seen carrying their luggage as a mark of protest to demand hostel facilities. Image credits: Sidharth Yadav for DU Beat Sidharth Yadav [email protected]  ]]>

With the newly introduced centralised trials system in place, the varsity will begin sports category trials from 24 June 2016. The decision was taken at a meeting of the varsity administration on Monday. Amidst foul cry by authorities, St Stephen’s college rejected the call to join the process and went on to begin its trials on Monday under the observation of a DU official.

This year, on the directions of the High Court, a centralised system has been put in place to do away with multiple rounds of trials and avoid malpractices. Trials of different sports will happen at designated colleges and certificates thus issued will be accepted by all the colleges.

In order to be eligible for the main trials, candidates need to have cleared fitness tests prescribed by the Delhi University Sports Council (DUSC). The main trials carry a weightage of 50 percent in the overall assessment process which has others criterions like accolades at district, state, national and international events and performance in the last three years.

This year, the university has received 9,780 applications for admissions under the sports category. With less than three days to go, the time crunch is sure to put many outstation aspirants in a fix.

Sports Trial schedule that has been released by the varsity is as following:

  1. Basketball (Venue: IPCW), Cricket (Women; Lakshmibai College), Aquatics (LSR), Tennis (Women; LSR), Squash (Sri Venkateswara College), Cricket (Men,University Ground) will happen on 24th June;
  2. Boxing (Dyal Singh College), Shooting (Hansraj College), Archery (Hansraj College), Hockey (Men; Shyam Lal College), Football (Men; Moti Lal Nehru College), Volleyball (M; PGDAV College) on 25th June;
  3. Tennis (Men; University Pologround), Football (Women; Kamla Nehru College), Hockey (Women; Shyama Prasad Mukherji College) and Basketball (Men, University Pologround) on 27th June;
  4. Athletics (University Pologround) on 28th June;
  5. Wrestling (Chhatrasal Stadium) on 29th June;
  6. Kho-Kho (Women; Satyawati College) on 30th June;
  7. Kho-Kho (Men, Satyawati College) on 1st July;
  8. Softball (Men, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College) on 2nd July

For the complete schedule, visit the notification on DU’s website.

Candidates are to report 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time of fitness tests and sports trials.

Feature Image: The Indian Express

Sidharth Yadav

[email protected]