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Vineeta Rana

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With 3 May 2017 being declared as World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the American Center, New Delhi celebrated the month of May to raise awareness about freedom of speech. On the last day of the month, an event was conducted jointly by DU Beat and the American Center – Debate on Free Speech and Social Media – How much is too much? The event brought together debaters from the University of Delhi and the National Law University to speak in support of and against absolute freedom of speech on social media. The debate took place at the American Center, with an interactive audience and listeners who even stood at the back, surpassing seating capacity.

The debate was moderated and judged by Karnika Kohli, Social Media Editor of The Wire, Craig L. Dicker, Cultural Affairs Officer at the Embassy of the United States of America, and Richard E. Pinkham, Director of Programs, North India Office at the Embassy of the United States of America.

The speakers covered a wide range of ideas and topics to support their stance, from allusions to Reliance JIO to details of legal cases. They were asked challenging questions by Ms. Kohli in response to their statements. Additionally, the engaged audience members also gave their inputs and asked the debaters to flesh out their arguments. The passionate speeches left the audience, as well as the judges, in a dilemma with regard to which side to support. As Mr. Dicker stated, he felt “like a ping pong ball” which bounced from side to side with each speech.

At the end of all the speeches, the judges deliberated to announce Abhinav Hansa Raman and Bhishm Khanna of the National Law University as the winners, who argued for and against the motion respectively. The conclusion of the event was followed by a high tea. The entire debate was live-streamed on Facebook and garnered thousands of views.

“It was immensely gratifying to welcome such intelligent students to the American Center so they might contest the appropriate limits of free expression in the realm of social media. I will not be surprised if sometime before long our participants are ?debating the same issue as part of a policy-making exercise. For now, our audience was very fortunate to be able to hear such bright minds argue both sides of this most topical issue. Our thanks to partner DU Beat for organising this excellent session.”
– Richard E. Pinkham

As DU Beat is a platform that has fiercely supported freedom of expression for a decade, it was a privilege to be able to conduct this debate, especially in the current political environment. With mainstream Indian thought becoming increasingly homogenised and peripheral voices being silenced, the debate offered a broader look into the idea of freedom of speech and expression as a whole. A similar scenario is visible in the US, where occurrences of hate speech have become more numerous since the Trump administration came into power. Therefore, this debate could not have been held at a more apt time about such a pertinent subject. We are certain that the event offered food for thought to everyone present and forced them to re-evaluate their presence on social media.

 

Feature Image Credits: Alex Arthur for DU Beat

Vineeta Rana
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Your-Space is an eco-system that serves as a safe residence for students in Delhi. They foster holistic living and create a jovial atmosphere to provide not only a form of accommodation, but a true home for students. They offer safety, convenience, and comfort for the youth by building a brand of uniform, standardised, secure private accommodation that is trusted by students, parents, and institutions across India.

Your-Space provides a number of luxurious facilities that are otherwise unavailable at regular hostels and paid guest accommodations. They range from beauty parlour services to vending machines to yoga zones.

facilities-horizontal

After the successful launch of the first girls only hostel in Greater Noida, Your-Space has now expanded to Delhi University and brought the luxury student living experience to two South Campus girls’ hostels. Admissions are now open for the following locations:
Kailash Colony, New Delhi – 110048
Greater Kailash I, New Delhi – 110048

 

They will also soon be expanding to North Campus, thereby offering over 170 new rooms this academic year.
Here is a preview of the locations they currently offer.

GREATER NOIDA

 

SOUTH CAMPUS

 

Your-Space has also launched an app which allows you to pay bills, book meals, view other available properties, relocate between different campuses, and sign up for ancillary services such as seminars and laundry.

 

This organisation is not merely an experimental project. In fact, it has attained recognition and coverage by several national media outlets, highlighting its uniqueness and innovation.

 

Not only are parents such as Mr Uppal and Mrs Sharma extremely pleased with how their daughters were treated at the Greater Noida hostel, but an independent investor survey revealed that the average student score for this establishment was a whopping 8/10.

So what are you waiting for? Visit Your-Space and apply now! You can also contact 8383027664 for further queries.

With the DU fest season finally concluded, we bring to you a timeline of all the celebrity appearances that took place throughout the academic year of 2016-17. From movie promotions and musical performances to mesmerising star nights, this fest season has been an absolute feast for any DU student.

Relive it here!

 

Radhika Boruah
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Vineeta Rana
[email protected]

The much celebrated fest season of Delhi University has almost come to an end. Most of the colleges have had their annual cultural fests with spectacular performances in the competitive events, and to the amazing EDM and Star Nights. With the tribal theme on point, Daulat Ram College successfully organised its two-day fest Manjari’17 on the 22nd and 23rd of March. The pots painted with warli paintings and tribal masks: everything was splendidly placed, decorating the entire college premises beautifully.

The audience relished the amazing performances of different colleges in the western dance competition Laasya, folk dance competition Ulhaas, classical dance competiton Yogya, and semi classical face-off Darpan organised by Zenith, the western dance society of DRC and Annhad, the Indian dance society of DRC respectively. Alahyaa, the Indian Music Society of DRC held its annual music fest Aaroh’17 where the leading music societies competed in the different events like Sur Sangam, Jugalbandi and Annhad. Memesis, the theatre society of DRC organised Adakari’17- the theatre festival of DRC which saw a vast multitude of spectators pulled towards the amazing annual productions of the different theatre societies. Annual exhibition Taabeer’17 was organised by Sepia, the film and photography society of DRC. ‘Shades’ was organised by Spectra– the fine arts society of DRC. Tajagna, the quizzing society of DRC hosted Big Fact Hunt- a general quiz. All India Mushairah was also organised. A talent hunt competition was held for the visually challenged students. Events like Promenade by Debonair, the fashion society of DRC and Zaahir-e-Hunar, the open talent hunt, had immense spectation.

Superstar singer Guru Randhawa of Suit, Patola, Yaar Mod Do fame ignited the evening with his peppy numbers, making the crowd dance on their toes. The two-day celebration was drawn to a close with Bollywood hits like Pee Loon, Tere Sang which are credited to the name of the soulful singer Tulsi Kumar.

 

Feature Image Credits: Pinterest

Radhika Boruah
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As the exam season engulfs us and we find a myriad of ways to escape from studying, we often gravitate towards the ever-inviting TV screen or website. This allows us to deviate from our study schedules and escape reality for a more comforting cocoon of pillows and blankets in which we can sip our hot tea and watch our favourite shows.

The only problem with this fantasy is that it is leads us into a spiral of watching entire seasons in a week, when we should be focusing on our semester exams. It is therefore imperative to hold off watching the latest TV series whilst caught up in the eye of the tornado, or as we know it, DU exams. This is, of course, easier said than done. We give you these handy tips to refer back to whenever you have a moment of weakness this exam season:

  1. Work on an incentive-reward basis

Schedule your episodes in a way that you only watch them after having completed a significant portion of your work. Set yourself a goal – finishing a chapter, or making notes for a reading, etc. Study for a couple of hours, then take a lunch break and watch a couple of YouTube videos or a 20-minute sitcom episode to reward yourself. If you feel you’ve been extraordinarily productive, go ahead and watch a 40-minute drama series, or two back-to-back episodes. This not only positively reinforces your work ethic, but also incentivises you to work towards completing your goal.

  1. Don’t download or make a list of pending TV shows

If you’re planning your summer binge list and note down all the TV shows you’re desperate to watch, it’ll be a constant reminder of everything you can easily access. You’ll fall down a rabbit hole which is almost impossible to get out of. So refrain from downloading all the shows you’re planning to watch and don’t have torrent links ready for these. Instead, work on a moderation basis (see Tip 1) and then go berserk on the final day of exams.

  1. Scare yourself

If all else fails, keep reminding yourself how terrifying it is to fail. Put up post-its around your room, block certain entertainment websites, and hold on to the comforting fact that your TV shows will always be there for you (unlike these exams). This works even better if you tell your friends to remind you constantly of this reality. Make it an exercise to positively reinforce (and scare) each other on a regular basis.

Good luck following these tips. Happy studying!

 

Feature Image Credits: BuzzFeed

Vineeta Rana
[email protected]

Hello Meal started off as a humble initiative by a few students of Delhi University who had the aim of delivering quality food at reasonable prices. Nor have they only fulfilled their goal, but they have gone above and beyond to excel in their field.

Hello Meal is the perfect solution to anyone who wants instant scrumptious food at a moment’s notice. To add to this, the prices are student-friendly and the quantities are extraordinary. Hello Meal has lived up to the standards it set for itself and has gone on to build a reputation so impressive that the founders have now been invited to an international conference that recognises out-of-the-box start-ups.

Rise 2017 is a 3-day event hosted in Hong Kong in July of this year.  A multi-faceted conference, it has different sections for speakers, attendees, etc. Among these, a special category for start-ups, called Alpha, is set up for innovative projects in their nascent stages. Hello Meal is a participant of the same, which only goes to show how far this start-up has come.

With a wide range of choices from North Indian to Chinese and vegetables to mutton, Hello Meal has provided an indispensable avenue to those who wish to indulge in take-out without feeling guilty about the expense. The Zomato reviews are a testament to the brilliance of Hello Meal. Joyee Bhattacharya and Sukhman Gambhir sum it up perfectly when they exclaim “great outlet and great food” and mention how it is “extremely affordable for a college student”.

Based in Vijay Nagar, Hello Meal provides home delivery in record time from 11am to midnight. They offer toll-free telephonic services at 1800-200-5565 and are available on Facebook and Instagram. Download the free app here for a truly satisfying experience.

 

Image Credits: Hello Meal Facebook

Vineeta Rana
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This is the time of year when the first and second year students bid farewell to their seniors, signalling the end of the latter’s undergraduate life. It’s naturally a nostalgic time for the third year students, but what we often tend to forget is how overwhelming it is for the juniors as well. It’s a flash-forward to what we’ll be experiencing in one or two years’ time and how far we can come in such a short journey.

Farewells are crushing reminders of the fact that not only are we saying goodbye to our friends, but that we’re saying goodbye to our leaders and our mentors. We’re saying goodbye to those who have helped us form our identity and help us grow in ways beyond our imagination. They are reminders of how much we’ve evolved and how far we’ve yet to go.

The lead-up to the farewell is the usual: frantic running around and last-minute panicking by the juniors, and enthusiasm and denial by the seniors. The day itself is a package of fun with an abundance of food and beverages. There are speeches, continuous photo sessions, and energetic dancing, but the common theme between all these is the bond between the people.

All farewells include laughter and tears, excitement and nostalgia. It’s never easy to think about how you won’t interact with these people on a regular basis anymore, or how you have no one to guide you anymore. But we take solace in the knowledge that they’re always only a phone call away. We take comfort in the memories we’ve formed together and which will be cherished for a lifetime.

You know something impacts you a great deal when you’re unable to write about it without being cheesy and clichéd. It’s a faux-pas I’m willing to indulge in for the sake of honesty.

So for those of you who’ve yet to experience this year’s farewell, be prepared. The heavy hearts are only an indication of your attachment to the seniors, and the sorrow will pass. Embrace the emotions and take it all in – you’ll be on the other side of the equation soon, after all.

 

Image Credits: Pinterest

Vineeta Rana
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On 10 April 2017, a 21-year-old student of the School of Open Learning (SOL) committed suicide by hanging herself in her Roop Nagar home. She left behind a suicide note in which she held her lover, Ved Prakash, responsible for her death. The note revealed that Prakash had been constantly threatening the girl that he would post their private images and videos online if she did not come with him to Patna.

The girl, whose family hails from Madhya Pradesh, had come to Delhi to pursue higher education. She had met and fallen for Prakash and the two had planned to get married after three years of being in a romantic relationship. Neither student’s family approved of this relationship. Initially, when the girl asked Prakash to marry her he started avoiding her by not answering her calls or meeting her. Eventually, he demanded that she abandon her education and family to join him in Patna. “Prakash was forcing the girl to leave her family and come with him to Bihar, but she was unwilling”, said a police officer. In an effort to pressure her, Prakash then threatened to leak videos of a sensitive nature on social media.

The girl’s family revealed that she had filed a rape complaint against Prakash on 8 April at the Model Town police station. When the authorities failed to redress her grievance, she hanged herself at her residence two days later. Consequently, the police have filed a case of abetment to suicide against Prakash. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Jatin Narwal, stated, “A team has been sent to arrest him.”

 

Image Credits: Fanpop

Vineeta Rana
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With growing demands against the grant of ‘autonomous’ status for colleges, Delhi University Teacher’s Association(DUTA) called had called for a joint protest of students, teachers and karamcharis on 29th March.

What drew along the course of the  March?
On 29 March 2017, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) organised a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in protest against the recent actions of the government in light of the demands for autonomy by certain colleges in the University. The government has supported these demands for autonomy without any exhaustive deliberation in the Parliament or even in any public domain. The march was a rally against the privatisation of education through the fragmentation of Delhi University. Teachers were quoted as saying that “education was not for sale” and that the government’s move would lead to quality education becoming unaffordable.

The teachers, students, and non-teaching staff, numbering more than three thousand, rallied against the proposal of the government to grant autonomous status to colleges on the basis of commercial ideas of accreditation and ranking. They stated that this would lead to self-financing and ergo the commercialisation of education. DUTA was also supported in their demand by the Delhi University and College Karamchari Union (DUCKU) as well as several student organisations such as the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the Students Federation of India (SFI), and the All India Students Association (AISA).

Protesters held banners asking the government to “Say No to the Fragmentation and Privatisation of DU through Autonomous Colleges
Protesters held banners asking the government to “Say No to the Fragmentation and Privatisation of DU through Autonomous Colleges

 

Why is ‘Autonomy’ not so good for DU Colleges?
The march was conducted specifically against the granting of the autonomous status to certain colleges by the government. To understand why this move matters, it is imperative to look at the actions of the government with scrutiny.

A leaflet given out during the march stated that the Autonomous Colleges Scheme aims to privatise and commercialise higher education by reducing the gap between public and private institutions in terms of fee structure.

DUTA claims that the granting of autonomy will in actuality only give autonomy to the management instead of providing academic autonomy. It shifts the focus from the betterment of education to the generation of resources by granting autonomy, and thus power, to the governing bodies and trustees of these colleges. The aim then essentially becomes to improve infrastructure and indulge in greater physical maintenance as opposed to providing a platform for academic growth.

As these colleges, which currently receive 95% of their funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC), will no longer be able to rely on government subsidies, they will turn to other measures including raising students’ fees and cutting costs to raise revenue. This affects the students as well as the teachers and the non-teaching staff. Firstly, students from economically and socially vulnerable backgrounds will have fewer avenues for availing quality education. Moreover, when education becomes expensive, the historically deprived sections of society such as women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are further adversely impacted. Secondly, the autonomy of the management may lead to a decline in the job security or career advancement of the working staff. Working conditions may deteriorate and the pay structure may be compromised in the face of a profit-minded management.

DUTA claims that these harms outweigh the benefits that the government claims will occur. The autonomous status may allow colleges to start new academic courses and change their style of teaching, but they will not be free from the semester system or the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). Additionally, colleges will still need to affiliate with DU in order to give degrees. This results in a mere “ceremonial connection with DU”, as stated by Abha Dev Habib, an active member of DUTA. Thus, as a direct consequence of the cutting down of funding for higher education, the granting of autonomy will only privatise and commercialise education.

Members speak out at the rally against autonomy
Members speak out at the rally against autonomy

 

What were the consequences of the march?
Students and teachers who took part in the march are confident that the government will be forced to take notice of the citizens’ demands.

Ms. Abha Dev Habib, a member of DUTA acknowledged that the response from teachers was “tremendous” and that “the mobilisation for the programme was very successful”. She talked about Arun Jaitley’s inclusion of autonomous colleges in his budget speech with the establishment of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). Speaking of the current situation in autonomous institutions in our country she said, “IITs are a clear example of the rising fee structure in public institutions and the government’s plan of closing the gap between private and public educational institutions.”

Ms. Nandita Narain, the president of DUTA called upon all stakeholders of the institutions to join them in coming days. Giving a wake up call to the govt. she said, “Privatisation is not going to be accepted by the community and the people at large. We are going to fight all out.”

In the recent pasts universities have seen a lot of disturbances. Happenings around the campus like forcing the autonomous status on St. Stephens College, the fiasco at Ramjas College, attack on free speech and the massive seat cut in JNU admissions makes it eminent that the incumbent government is not so happy about the environments in campuses, and is determined to change it by hook or …!

 

 

Image Credits: The Hindu

Vineeta Rana

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Over the weekend of 25-26 March 2017, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), through its intellectual body Prajna Pravah conducted a seminar at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology and Management. This “Gyan Sangam”, an invitation-only event, was attended by over 700 scholars and over 50 of the top executives of government universities across the country. Yogesh Tyagi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Delhi, was also present at the seminar. The two-day event was a closed-door workshop and was apparently triggered by a contemporary need to “Indianise” the educational system by providing a nationalist narrative.

J Nanda Kumar, the National Convenor of the Prajna Pravah, talked about the dilution of the Indian culture as a result of the “culture of protests” and the practice of “cultural evenings” on campus. He said, “This is a time of revival of nationalism throughout the world. All intellectuals here should also come together to nationalise our education system.” This cry for change is apparently an attempt to free the students’ minds from colonial values and replace them with national values. He stated, “We have to develop a social an intellectual point of view that will be able to solve the problems of our current generation. We have to free our youth from the colonial values.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said during the proceedings, “This seminar is not organised to raise an alternative narrative but to raise the true nationalist narrative in our education system.”

The seminar had three sections – session-wise discussion with regard to academic subjects such as history and political science, expert sessions on topics such as cultural onslaught, and an interactive session with Mohan Bhagwat. None of these sessions provided any specific policy details as to how the education system will, in reality, be “Indianised” or how university syllabi will include a “Bhartiya” perspective. The only answers received were the crafting of a non-governmental and autonomous academic system. How this will automatically lead to the removal of the “culture of protests” and the Indianising of education is yet to be clarified. When J Nanda Kumar claims that the current atmosphere in Indian universities “badly affects young minds and poisons the environment of our educational institutes”, the least these young minds deserve is a reasonable alternative that will lead to holistic growth and awareness among students – not merely the furthering of a self-serving agenda by an increasingly authoritarian ruling party.

 

Image credits: Press Trust of India

Vineeta Rana

[email protected]