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Controversy Over Proposed Syllabus Changes of Undergraduate Courses

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Recent proposals for changes in the syllabi of various undergraduate courses have sparked opposition from the teaching staff, and the ABVP.

Controversy over academic matters arose in the  University of Delhi (DU), with some members of the Standing Committee and the Academic Council (AC), along with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) taking objections to some of the proposed changes in the syllabi of various undergraduate courses.

The controversy has taken the form of opposition from Academic Council members and protests by the ABVP, which some had alleged to have turned hostile.

The Background

A report in The Hindu stated that changes in the syllabus proposed by the English department of the University were opposed in a meeting of the Standing Committee to review the Undergraduate syllabus on 11th July. Among the proposals was the inclusion of study materials related to the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and use of Hindu deities in the reading of Queer Literature.  

Similar was the case with the English Journalism syllabus. As reported by The New Indian Express on 15th July, objection was raised by some members of the Academic Council over the inclusion of chapters about Muzaffarnagar riots, and instances of lynchings.

On 17th July, The Indian Express reported about the syllabus changes of other courses and the objections that came along with them. These included syllabi of History, Political Science and Sociology, along with English. The report stated that the Academic Council “referred the syllabus of English and History back to the respective departments for reconsideration, thereby refusing to pass it as it is.” The report further read, “On the syllabi for Political Science and Sociology, some AC members said they too had been sent back for modification, while others claimed they were passed with ‘minor modifications’.”

Who objected and why?

Professor Rasal Singh, a member of the Academic Council, had raised objections regarding the syllabus changes. He alleged that in the story Maniben Alias Bibijaan – a background to the 2002 Gujarat riots – RSS and its affiliate organisations like Bajrang Dal were shown in a “very bad manner”, and were portrayed as “looters” and “murderers”.

He further said that in the syllabus proposed by the English department, “Gods Vishnu, Shiv, Kartikeya and Ganesh were depicted as part of the LGBT community. The sources and evidence for these were secondary sources like ‘Same Sex Love in India’ written by Leftists on the basis of foundational texts of Indian culture such as the Bhagavata Purana, Skanda Purana, and Shiva Purana.” He also alleged that “too much Literature was being incorporated in a paper like ‘Communication Skills’. Instead of core courses like ‘Indian Writing in English’, new papers such as ‘Literature and Caste’ and ‘Interrogating Queerness’ were started.”

Regarding the History department, he said that “[topics about] Rajput history, Amir Khusrau, Sher Shah Suri and Babasaheb Ambedkar were removed from the syllabus. In the ‘Democracy on Work’ course, only the history of Naxalism and the Left have been included.”

He also said that the topics related to the Vedic society, the joint family, village swaraj, and “basics of Indian cultural thought such as environmental discussions and nature worship” were removed from the Sociology syllabus. On the Political Science front, according to Mr Singh, Maoism had been included in the course on ‘Indian Social Movements’, while other social movements like the Ramakrishna Mission, Arya Samaj, Brahma Samaj, and Khudai Khidmatgar were removed.

Mr Singh also alleged that the English department had not complied with the format and instructions of the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) and instead of a 30 percent change in the syllabus, close to a 100 percent change had been done.

The syllabus showed “tremendous predominance of leftist ideology and a ceaseless opposition towards nationalist ideology, Indian culture and the RSS,” Mr Singh said.

The ABVP, the student-wing of the RSS, organised a protest on 15th July, against the “inclusion of false facts relating to Hinduism and nationalist organisations.” The ABVP also demanded for the “inclusion of elected office bearers of Delhi University Students’ Union in the Academic Council,” as per a press release made by the student organisation on 16th July.

While some alleged that the ABVP tried to “barge into” the Vice Chancellor’s office and demanded that the Heads of Department of English and History, and Academic Council member Saikat Ghosh be “handed over to them,” the student organisation maintained that the protest was “peaceful.”

“Following the protest of ABVP yesterday, Delhi University administration has withdrawn the proposed syllabus of Political Science, English, History and Sociology courses for revision and decided to retain 5 students as members in the Academic Council,” said Ashutosh Singh from the ABVP.

Note – Mr Ghosh could not respond to requests for comments by the time of publishing of this report. This report would be updated as and when he does.

Similar instances in the past

In October last year, the ABVP had objected to the appointment of historian Ramachandra Guha as the Shrenik Lalbhai Chair Professor of Humanities and the Director of the Gandhi Winter School at the Ahmedabad University’s School of Arts and Sciences. Pravin Desai, the ABVP Secretary for Ahmedabad city was quoted in The Indian Express as saying, “We said that we want intellectuals in our educational institutes and not anti-nationals, who can also be termed as ‘urban Naxals’. We had quoted anti-national content from his [Guha’s] books to the Registrar. We told him, the person you are calling is a ‘Communist’. If he is invited to Gujarat, there would be a JNU-kind ‘anti-national’ sentiment.”

Following this, Mr Guha announced that he would not be taking up this position due to “circumstances beyond my control.”

Counter-protests

Some student organisations have condemned the ABVP’s protests. Organisations such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Collective, and others had called for a ‘joint protest’ on 17th July at the Arts Faculty, to “save our critical thinking universities and textbooks from communal forces.”

Amarjeet Kumar Singh from AISA said, “We demand that the syllabus should be decided by the Academic Council and not by the ABVP.”

Feature Image Credits: Various.

Prateek Pankaj

[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

10 Indian Women writers you need to read this Women’s History Month.

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We’re half-way through the Women’s History Month. From poems of longing to essays of resistance, here are 10 Indian authors you need to read this Women’s History Month.

1. Mridula Koshy

Author of two novels and a collection of short stories her work has received many accolades including the 2009 Vodafone Crossbook Award. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals like The Dalhousie Review, as well as in anthologies like 21 Under Forty from Zubaan. She also works as a librarian and organiser for The Community Library Project.

2. Arundhati Roy

India’s favourite anti-national and the winner of the Man Booker Prize for her novel The God of Small Things, Roy’s work is perfect to trigger your local sanghis. Her book My seditious heart, a collection essays and speeches is expected to be released this June.

3. Temsula Ao

Author of 5 poetry collections and 2 short stories collections, Ao is the retired professor of English literature at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU). Her short story collection These Hills Called Home: Stories from the War Zone focuses on the insurgency in Nagaland.


4. Kamala Das

Kamala Das (later, Kamala Surayya) was a leading Malyalam and English poet. Her work revolves around the female body, sexuality and desire.


5. Anuradha Roy

Journalist, novelist, editor, designer and author of four books, Anuradha Roy is probably known for her latest novel All The Lives We Never Lived. Her novels have been translated in over fifteen languages. She is also the co-founder of the publishing house Permanent Black.

6. Tishani Doshi

Doshi is a Welsh-Indian poet, journalist and dancer. She has published six books of poetry and fiction. Her poetry surpasses the metaphorical dimensions of space and time and revolves around love, body, emotions, death and rain. She was also a dancer with the Chandralekha troupe for sixteen years. Her latest book Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods was published by HarperCollins in 2017.

7. Urvashi Bahuguna

Author of Terrarium published by The (Great) Indian Poetry Collective, Urvashi Bahuguna grew up in Goa and now lives in New Delhi. Her debut Terrarium (originally called Mudscope) was selected by 2017 Emerging Poets Prize.

8. Sharanya Manivannan

Author of the short story collection The High Priestess Never Marries, two books of poetry Witchcraft and The Altar of The Only World, Manivannan’s work draws from mythology, personal experiences and explores the themes of love, separation and exile. Her first novel was published in 2018 by HarperCollins India.

9. Shubhangi Swarup

Mumbai based journalist, filmmaker, educationist and novelist. Her debut novel Latitudes of Longing won the JCB Prize for Literature. Latitudes of Longing traces geographies of desire and languages of love.

10. Anita Desai

Desai is probably most known for her work In Custody which was adapted into a film of the same name. She has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times and received a Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978 for her book Fire on the Mountain. She was awarded the third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Image Credits: womenshistorymonth.gov

Jaishree Kumar
[email protected]

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Campus Central

M.Sc. Mathematics Department Fiasco: Students Failed, Protests Turn Violent

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M.Sc. Mathematics students in DU received their results on 8th February 2019, and have been protesting the large-scale failing since 14th February 2019.

Since 14th February 2019, the students of M.Sc. Mathematics Department of University of Delhi (DU) are protesting against the administration for allegedly failing 35 out of 45 students in the Fluid Dynamics Exam. They further claim that 150 out of 300 students failed the first semester Field Theory paper and 130 out of 300 failed the Measure and Integration paper. The students believe that the reason for this is that the faculty feels that the answers of the questions coming in the exams must be according to the notes by the teachers; the students who referred several books to answer the questions were detained. Apart from this, there are students who have been marked absent though they were present for the exams.

The demands of the students are as follows: Firstly, an independent investigation committee, not comprising of any faculty member of the department to re-evaluate the abovementioned three papers, free of cost. Secondly, each student must be shown the answer-sheet of the exams, be it an internal in-house exam or semester exams. Thirdly, the protesting students want the faculty members to lay more emphasis on research-oriented projects where they are allowed to show creativity instead of the ongoing ‘ruttafication’ culture prevailing in the University. Lastly, they are also demanding that students should be allowed to clear their backlogs through re-examinations within two months after every semester. Currently, students have to wait for a year to sit for the re-examination.

On 20th February 2019, the form of the strike was changed into a relay hunger strike. On the same day, C S Lalitha, HoD of the Mathematics department gave a written assurance to the students to fulfill their demands. She also accepted the demand for a feedback mechanism wherein the students are assigned the power to review the teachers’ performance by grading them. The students also demanded action against the anti-women nature of the department. However, these demands were not met by the administration despite passing of the deadline.

Image Credits: Students of M.Sc. Mathematics department

Image Credits: Students of M.Sc. Mathematics department

The students have also complained of backlogs in the department, from about 370 students taking admission, and only 30% of the students being able to complete the degree exam. They claim that this is because the exams are designed in a way of testing their memory rather than analytical skills. A student informs DU Beat, “Just because I used the variable ‘X’ instead of ‘Y’, my marks were deducted.”

Srijani Kar, a second-year student informs DU Beat, “There are few students in the mathematics department who complete their masters in two years because of evaluation of this kind and wait to clear backlogs and give improvement tests. Students are unable to be eligible for the NET and JRF, they can’t study further, and can’t get scholarships. The final-year students will be stranded.”

On 27th February 2019, the students have also alleged that Professor Prakash Chandra Jha, Dean of Mathematics Department said that an investigation committee checked their papers, and there hasn’t been any increase in marks except that of two to three students. He also asked the students to take INR 10,000 from him and get their papers re-evaluated. A student further adds, “He asked some of us take money from him personally and get our answer scripts re-checked. However, we denied because this fight is for each one of us. He further stated that the answer sheets are ‘confidential’ and cannot be shown to us.”

DU Beat spoke to Professor Jha. He said, “The issue doesn’t fall under my preview. I don’t look after the examination.”

On 1st March, the students staged a protest outside the department for their long standing demands. The protest was organised by Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch ,Law Students’ Initiative , Democratic Students Union DSU, and was supported by Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Union (AISA), Pinjra Tod, and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan. However, the protest turned violent hurting the students and the security guards. Gajesh Singh, the Chief Security Officer, hurt his leg and fractured his hand in the violence that broke out. According to the students, the department gate was locked by the guard, and when they asked for entry, the guard abused the students. They also allege that the security officers turned violent on the protestors.

Mr. Singh. Chief Security Officer

Mr. Singh, Chief Security Officer

Attack on one of the students. Image Credits: Srijani Kar

However, Gajesh Singh,Chief Security Officer, informs DU Beat that there were around forty to fifty students who wanted to lock CS Lalitha in the department. They had brought locks with them. Singh says, “The students did not inform the administration regarding the protest. They wanted to lock her (the HoD of the department) inside the campus. Humne bacchon ko bola baat karlo madam se, unhone mana kardiya (I asked the students to talk to ma’am, but they refused)” “When I did not allow them to go inside, they started pelting stones on me and the other guards. They brought stones with them. In midst of all this, I fractured my hand. The students also beat up the other guards.” The guards are in the process of filing a FIR against the students.

Bijinder Singh, another guard on duty substantiates the whole incident. He said, “The students’ wanted to lock the HoD inside the department. In the midst of all this, violence broke out.”

DU Beat spoke to Kawalpreet Kaur, Delhi University AISA President. She said, “Delhi Police was seen assaulting the students. The administration had denied meeting the students. If the management doesn’t listen to the student grievances, what will they do? The students are fighting for their rights, and we support them.” On asking her why the protest turned violent when AISA always condemns the use of violence and hooliganism in the University, she added, “The HoD called the security and they beat up the students. We condemn the violence that broke out during the protest. However, the student political wings in the University are there to help the students fight for their rights.”

“SFI also condemns the attack on the democratic space of the University and administrative highhandedness. Again, SFI would like to extend its solidarity with the Maths Faculty of DU”, expressed the SFI press release.

Siddharth Yadav, Delhi State Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad condemned the same. He said, “We stand by the demands of the students but the way opted for raising the demands must be non- violent. For raising genuine issues, beating security guards, throwing stones, trying to kidnap the teachers must not be the way. Left organisations have started practicing the same which they do in Jawaharlal Nehru University which indeed would not only bring down the weight of the demands but spoil the campus environment as well.”

DU Beat tried contacting C.S. Lalitha, however, she was unavailable to comment.

Image Credits: Anoushka Sharma for DU Beat

Anoushka Sharma

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Note Taking for Dummies

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Here’s a guide to making notes that you can easily learn and remember, with methodology that comes with the stamp of an Ivy League university.
I recently had the opportunity of seeing an Ivy-League student study, which basically is a translation of; my overachieving cousin spent a week at my place. He types out his notes, converts them into audio books, then listens to and reads them
at the same time. He promises maximum retention using this technique, a technique passed on to him by his university seniors.
Sounds like a stretch for DU Semester exams, and you’re lucky, you probably do not need to use this technique to score well in your exams. However,  his note-making technique successfully caught my eye; it’s quick, easy and effective. Many times it happens that the incoherent jumble of words that you call notes resemble tangled spaghetti. You struggle to remember exactly what the professor meant or how these ideas connect. It’s hard to study effectively when your own notes don’t make sense to you.
The Cornell Notes system (also Cornell note-taking system, Cornell method, or Cornell way) is a note-taking system devised in the 1940s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. Pauk advocated its use in his best-selling book How to Study in College.
The process is pretty basic, and it’s always better to do this simultaneously with classes, but it’s never too
late to start.
Step 1: Record: Write legibly, and use shorthand. If you learn better by doodling/drawing or if you make
connections through tactile learning (such as something you saw, smelled, or felt during an experiment),
feel free to write these down
Step 2: Reduce: Eliminate the redundant material: this is where your seniors and past question papers help
Step 3: Recite: Oral cues always work
Step 4: Reflect/Summarize: Glancing over your notes does not really work. Make sure you’re concentrating.
Step 5: Review: this is a way to aid comprehension

So, here it is, the best and most meticulous way to take notes as a college student. It is organised and effective and will ensure that you are not left with a mess of illegible scribbles. Another simple tip on making notes more comprehensible is using coloured pens/ and or sticky notes. Different coloured pens help demarcate different subjects, and sticky notes help in avoiding clutter in your primary texts. Taking these simple techniques into account can take your notes to the next level, and help make preparation easy. Not all, but even incorporating bits and pieces of the above-mentioned tips, will save you a lot of time, that otherwise would have been wasted in figuring out whether that is an ‘i’ or an ‘e’.

Here’s wishing everyone successful note making, may the study gods have mercy on you and aid your note-making skills, and do not forget, the more organised your notes, the more likely you are to even attempt to study them.
For a more comprehensive guide for Cornell Notes, visit (http://lsc.cornell.edu/notes.html)

 

Feature Image Credits: Melbourne High School Library
Nikita bhatia
[email protected]

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Lady Shri Ram College for Women

DU Alumna Appointed Chief Economist at IMF

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India born Gita Gopinath, who is a graduate of Lady Shri Ram College, has been appointed as the Chief Economist at International Monetary Fund.

Gita Gopinath, who is the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University, has been appointed as the Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She will succeed Maurice Obstfeld. “Gita is one of the world’s outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, extensive international experience,” said Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of IMF in a press statement. The IMF which is headquartered in Washington D.C., is responsible for enforcing the international monetary system and promoting free global trade.

Dr. Gopinath was a B.A. (Hons.) Economics graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, who later when on to pursue a Masters in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. She later completed her PhD. in Economics in Princeton University. She is the second Indian after Raguram Rajan to hold the post.

 

 

Dr. Gopinath has had an illustrious career as a professor in University of Chicago for four years (2001-2005) and then at Harvard from 2005 onwards. Additionally, she has also been the Co-Director at National Bureau of Economic Research, an Economic Adviser to the CM of Kerala, and a Member of Eminent Persons Advisory Group on G-20 Matters in the Ministry of Finance, India. She is also the co-editor of the American Economic Review and the current Handbook of International Economics. Her areas of work have involved trade invoicing, bank funding, macroeconomics of border taxes, the international price system and fiscal devaluations, among others.

Dr. Gopinath’s achievement — as the first female IMF Chief Economist — is also indicative of a number of women occupying important positions in global policy forums. She will join the likes of Christine Lagarde, Kristalina Georgieva (CEO of World Bank), Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg (Chief Economist of World Bank) and Laurence Boon (Chief Economist of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development).

 

Feature Image Credits: Livemint

Sara Sohail

[email protected]

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Campus Central

ECA Profile: Quiz

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Our Indian education system’s school boards can be as temperamental as Simon Cowell’s manner of judging contestants at the X Factor: Whimsical and capricious. Acknowledging this anomaly, the University of Delhi (DU) allows scope for admission through the Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.

In which year did the Battle of Lepanto take place? Who was the first black footballer to play for England at any level? What is autarky? Who discovered the element polonium? Which actor was dubbed the Man of a Thousand Faces? Which tempo in music is slower – andante or adagio? If you wish to fight your way to the top of the ECA merit list for Quiz, you would need to know the answers to the aforementioned questions and much more.

In a phone call conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Varun S., an ECA candidate who was admitted to DU through the ECA quota in 2015 said, “The ECA trials can be described as nerve-racking and competitive, to say the least.”

PERSONALISED EXPERIENCE

Rishabh Bora, who had appeared for the Quiz trials in 2017, claimed that he “completely unprepared” for the prelims of the ECA trials. In spite of that, when he found his name in the merit list of candidates shortlisted for the finals, he was ecstatic. Almost a year later, he recalls, “One of the questions asked in the prelims was: “Which US spy ship was captured by North Korea in 1968?” In an instant, I remembered flicking through an article in Reader’s Digest when I was a kid. It was about the USS Pueblo. That journey back to my childhood took place in a quarter of a second. And after that quarter had ended, I found myself back in the room with a dozen other quizzes. I remember the expression of wonder on the face of the quiz-master when I gave the answer. At that moment, I knew I had made it.”

COMMON ECA GUIDELINES

1. Trials will be held at two levels: (i) Preliminary trials (ii) Final trials
2. The trials of both these levels shall be the conducted by an ECA Committee appointed by the University Admission Committee.
3. “Candidates will get a relaxation of only up to 15% in cut-offs if they apply for the ECA quota,” says Suchitra Gupta, Deputy Dean of Culture and Youth Affairs in DU.
This implies that not more than 15% relaxation in academic merit vis-à-vis unreserved category applicants (for the last relevant cut-off) may be given for admission to specific programmes. In simpler terms, if the cut-off for a particular course is 90%, then the ECA candidate will get a relaxation of upto 15%. This means, to be eligible for admission to a course whose last relevant cut-off was 90%, the candidate must have scored at least 75% in his qualifying examination.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR QUIZ

1. In both preliminary and final rounds, questions are usually asked on topics such as history, sports, current affairs, arts, popular culture, business, science, literature, and politics.
2. The preliminary round may either consist of a written round or a verbal question and answer round. In case of the former, three kinds of questions are generally asked- (a) Multiple-choice questions (b) Generic questions (c) True/False statements
3. Late entry would lead to penalisation of the candidate.
4. The University ECA Admissions Committee is usually very strict with mobile phones not being allowed into the premises, and bags are also thoroughly checked.
5. Candidates are supposed to carry a writing board and a blue or a black pen.

SOME TIPS TO ACE THE ECA TRIALS FOR CATEGORY ‘QUIZ’

As told to the DU Beat correspondent by Anukul Mishra, an ECA candidate of 2016, a fair number of questions come from the magazine ‘Competition Success Review’, especially the objective-type questions given on the last pages.
Many of the questions are also derived from the archives of the Bournvita Quiz and Samvidhan Quiz of the preceding years.
Read. Record. Recollect: These are the famous 3Rs of quizzing as laid down by Neil O’Brien. One has to read, whether on the iPad, smartphone, or the good old newspapers, magazines, books, and journals.
Take reference from the online resources available on the ‘Quiz Zone’ and Trivia.fyi. Many of the questions found in these sites overlap with the questions asked in the ECA trials.

THE TRIALS

1. The preliminary round for Quiz will be held on the 20th and 21st of June 2018, from 9 a.m., at Ram Lal Anand College. The preliminary rounds usually get over by 11:30 a.m. on the same day.
2. Following the prelims, the list of short-listed candidates for the final round will be notified on the university website. Final round will be held on 30th June.
3. In the final round, the applicants must carry all the relevant certificates in original (and a self-attested photocopy) for evaluation. The certificates will account for 25% of the total weight while the trials in the final round will account for 75% of the weightage.

OBLIGATIONS AND COLLEGE SOCIETIES

1. The selected candidates will have to submit an Undertaking at the time of admission stating that the candidate will perform for the College for the entire period of the candidate‘s undergraduate programme of study. The college has a right to cancel their admissions if they violate the undertaking during their stay in college.
2. The candidates who are admitted through the Instrumental Category mostly get incorporated into the Quiz Societies of the colleges.
3. Candidates who secure admission through Category ‘Quiz’ in DU are almost always under immense pressure of performing well as their competitors come from a wide range of people, not confined to a particular age group. In other words, most quizzes held in the Delhi-NCR region receive participants from the age group of 17 to 71.
Feature Image Credits: The Spectator
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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DUB Speak

Beyond Classrooms: My lessons from DU’s learning spirit

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The learning spaces beyond classroom teach us how to deal with lives, one book each time. We must strive to save them as well.

Stones were flying from one side to other. Students, slogans, and their attempts for the salvation of university spaces from turning into hostile hubs were quite visible and somewhat violent. In such a circumstance, the law and order situation was fragile in the campus. With time I had learned how to cover violent protests, and the students who had protested learned lessons about how to fight violence in a non-violent manner. Despite various drawbacks and flaws, the University of Delhi has remained to be an incredible place of learning for everyone.

The vividness of extracurricular activities constitutes a major part of the University’s unique identity. College societies which provide a platform for honing talent in diverse fields ranging from dance to culinary skills deserve major credit for creating and maintaining this culture. Since these societies are student-run, peer review becomes a major way of learning and evaluation.

As a part of this newspaper, I had to cover and sometimes write features about societies that did exceptionally well. This experience provided me with a bird’s eye view of how students strived for excellence, with a competitive spirit. Although sometimes, this spirit turned out to be sour and the competitiveness was escalated into fights. However, the larger vision of learning has stood the test of time.

The organisation of events and fests, ranging from a small guest lecture to a large scale spectacle of a star night, has also constituted as a major learning incentive for students. Everything from hunting sponsorships to printing certificates is executed by the students. Managing these affairs teaches the nitty-gritty of certain roles and helps them manage bigger responsibilities with ease in their careers ahead.

In these past three years, I have learned much more about India than what I had learned from the course books till class 12th. The student diversity of Delhi University, which takes pride in being the alma mater to scholars from all states of India, has its own advantages. As students, we learn remarkably about issues, ground realities, and politics from the experiences of those around us. Be it the ground reality of Kashmir, the experiences of queer community, the discrimination against Dalits, or the perspectives of residents of Ayodhya, Delhi University students learn about these things from those they share classrooms with.

In a nutshell, despite grave problems like lack of faculty members, improper infrastructure, lax administration, and mismanagement, Delhi University continues to flourish. Intake of bright students might be the reason behind the same. But the question appears: for how long?

With the clamour of autonomy, fee hikes, and reduced funding, how long can the University sustain its diversified student culture? This is the question that one needs to ask today.

 

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Srivedant Kar

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Arts & Culture

Gabriel García Márquez- The Enchanter of Emotions

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Today, we celebrate the 91st birthday of the Gabo- the famous colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, and quite certainly, the most accomplished  author of the 20th century.

If one happens to randomly scroll through Gabriel García Márquez’s official website, the attention fortuitously falls on his quote about his magnum opus.  “The tone that I used,” says the author, “was based on the way my grandmother used to say stories. She told things that sounded supernatural and fantastic, but she told them with complete naturalness.” This allusion to the simplicity and matter-of-fact way of storytelling, with no ambitions of extraordinary, or any care for sensationalised fanfare, and an absolute unconsciousness of greatness and hence an indomitable hold to the self-directed, unpolished originality remained the crème de la crème of the author, starting with the first and the foremost One Hundred Years of Solitude which came in 1967 and continuing to the Love in the Time of Cholera and his later writings.

His writings have a significance, not just because of their “magical realism”, a term used by the academic critics to describe the writings of the likes of Salman Rushdie and Gabriel García Márquez, which basically is an umbrella term for the bombardment of the staggering metaphors and pathos which astound, but do not leave the hem of realism and kiss the frontiers of fantasy, but rather for the heart, the stubbornness to tell the tale in an own unique way, and the audacity and robustness of the grand epoch. For not all the authors dare to begin the novel at the point blank of the firing squad, and very few would then dare to follow the story of generations in the scope of a single average sized novel, and almost like the obsession of one of its characters to the chemical science and metallurgy, conjure alchemy to fuse the humanism on the cathode of  imagination. And only few in milleniums can then transpose this eccentric and mystical imagination, with the magic of their writings, on the very idea of survival through loss and One Hundred Years of Solitude. Such has been the greatness of Gabriel García Márquez.

Born in Aracataca, Colombia and raised by the maternal grandparents, as a little boy who wrote humorous poems and drew comic strips, he went on to pursue the law degree from the University of Colombia. Here, almost ironically, he was inspired by the the spanish translation of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. He later turned to journalism but eventually pinballed to his destiny of writing. Leaf Storm was his first novella which was published in 1955, and eventually came the masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude, written every day over eighteen months. It was a major commercial success, with critics calling it the “Bible of Latin America” after it sold over 30 million copies. Rushdie called the novel “the greatest book of the century”, and William Kennedy attributed it as “the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.”

The novel later led him to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1972 among numerous others.

On the cusp of all the popularity and fame, García Márquez continued being the author that he was, a raconteur of simple tales of society, with a serene agreement with time and space, in spite of the longings, pains and sufferings. Though One Hundred Years of Solitude was the apogee, the following The Autumn of the Patriarch, Love in the Time of Cholera and Chronicle of a Death Foretold preserved and resembled the basic elements of his writings, the writings of our very own “Gabito”.

After all this time, his readership continues to be seduced by  “the charm of his fantasy, with the promise of a prodigious world where all one had to do was sprinkle some magic liquid on the ground and the plants would bear fruit whenever a man wished, and where all manner of instruments against pain were sold at bargain prices.”

 

Feature Image Credits: Paris Review

Nikhil Kumar

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Arts & Culture

Growing Success of Social Media Influencers in India

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We live in a society where communication is continuously driven by social media websites. Here is a look at how social media has helped many influencers break the barriers of pursuing traditional and conventional paths to follow their passion.

The advent of globalisation in the world paved the way for a manifold of inventions that contributed both positively and negatively to our society. One of the most popular things to materialise out of it was the inception of social media. Social media began as a form of virtual communication created on a computer-mediated technology that would allow it’s users to share ideas, interests, etc. However, over the years the ambit of social media has increased exponentially and it has taken the world by storm.

Social media has evolved to such an extent that it has allowed a few individuals to gain a certain amount of credibility on the various platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Influencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular topic like comedy, beauty, lifestyle, gaming, etc. They make regular posts about that subject matter on their preferred social media channels and generate a large following of enthusiastic and engaged people who pay close attention to their content. Due to the websites being open to advertisements, the influence that was accumulated by these influencers started to result in monetary benefits. People soon started to recognise the power of social media as a great contributor to the economy and a lot of individuals made their work on these websites their full-time jobs. Many influencers from western countries like Troye Sivan, Liza Koshy, and Lily Singh transitioned into working for big brands like Beats, Pantene, Vogue and landed roles in the mainstream Hollywood industry.

Although India was late to catch on to the trend, social media influencers in India have now gained prominence and etched their mark in this industry. Despite the perception of the society when it comes to social media, the following influencers have become highly successful:

Biswa Kalyan Rath
Biswa is an Indian stand-up comedian and Youtuber who gained eminence through a YouTube-based comedy series called Pretentious Movie Reviews which received millions of views and went extremely viral. The witty remarks and his awkward personality charmed the audience. Biswa now goes on national sold-out tours as a stand-up comedian and has also written his own Amazon Prime Original Series named Laakhon Mein Ek.

Image Credits: Kinabika
Image Credits: Kinabika

Kanan Gill
Kanan’s road to fame can also be credited to the YouTube comedy series Pretentious Movie Reviews, in which he collaborated with Biswa. After gaining a significant following Kanan Gill has landed roles in mainstream Bollywood movies and national commercials.

Image Credits: Kanan Gill on Facebook
Image Credits: Kanan Gill on Facebook

All India Bakchod (AIB)
AIB is an Indian comedy sketch group which was founded by Gursimram Khamba, Tanmay Bhatt, Rohan Joshi, and Ashish Shakya. Their high production comedy sketches go viral on YouTube. Due to their popularity, big actors like Alia Bhatt, Kangana Ranaut, Irrfan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ranbir Kapoor have starred in their videos. They have also written scripts for many award shows.

Image Credits: AIB
Image Credits: AIB

Carry Minati
Ajay Nagar is one of the most famous gaming YouTubers in India. His funny parodies of recent pop culture trends have helped him amass over 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube at the young age of 18 years.

Image Credits: Carry Minati
Image Credits: Carry Minati

BB Ki Vines
Bhuvan Bam is one of the most trending Indian YouTubers. His display of numerous hilarious characters in a series of short videos has helped him gain over 5 million subscribers. Bhuvan has also gone on to release multiple songs.

Image Credits: BB Ki Vines
Image Credits: BB Ki Vines

Shreya Jain
Shreya Jain is one of the very few females who can be known as an Indian Beauty Guru. She is currently pursuing a language course in Urdu from St. Stephens College, University of Delhi. She has worked with many domestic and international cosmetic brands like Nykaa, Maybelline, P.A.C Cosmetics, and several Korean beauty companies. Her channel includes a variety of makeup tutorials and DIY videos.

Image Credits: Zimbio
Image Credits: Zimbio

Sejal Kumar
Sejal Kumar, a Shri Ram College of Commerce alumni, is a lifestyle YouTuber and fashion blogger who is famous for her vlog-style fashion videos and beautifully put together travel video montages. She has recently started uploading song covers on her channel.

Image Credits: Sejal Kumar
Image Credits: Sejal Kumar

That Boho Girl- Kritika Khurana
Kritika Khurana, or more popularly known as That Boho Girl, is a household name when it comes to fashion blogging. Her online blog, which is called Thatbohogirl, gained immense popularity as she essentially transitioned to Instagram and Youtube where she posts extremely aesthetically pleasing pictures and videos on fashion and styling.

Image Credits: Kritika Khurana
Image Credits: Kritika Khurana

Feature Image Credits: Daily Social

Bhavya Banerjee
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DUB Speak

Top 17 Pop Culture Moments of 2017

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2017 has been a roller-coaster year in all spheres — sports, entertainment, politics, culture, and just about every industry that currently exists. We bring you the 17 most memorable moments and highlights of the year 2017 for you to officially call it a year and rewind through the news-makers in the pop culture world.
1. The year when Pahlaj Nihalani was ousted: Lipstick Under My Burkha is one of the many movies that faced unnecessary wrath from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) this year. Jab Harry Met Sejal is another movie that frustratingly faced issues with respect to only one scene. Soon after, Pahlaj Nihalani was sacked from his position as the Chief by the Central Board.
2. The year when Ed Sheeran and Luis Fonzi dominated all music charts: Despacito and Shape of You are two of the most popular songs of 2017 that grabbed the top spots in Billboard’s top 100 songs, after breaking records by staying for the maximum number of weeks in many music charts. Not surprisingly, Despacito is currently the most watched video on YouTube with 4.5 billion views.
3. The year of Memes: From cringe-pop videos grabbing national headlines in India to memes gaining traction worldwide, 2017 was definitely a year for memes to go mainstream. Omprakash Mishra’s Aunty ki Ghanti took the internet by a storm and Facebook pages like “Wholesome Memes” dominated everyone’s timelines.
4. The year with Thirteen Reasons Why and the buzz surrounding it: Produced by Selena Gomez, this Netflix thriller gained widespread popularity overnight and became a sleeper hit. It sparked a conversation about mental health issues and despite facing flak for romanticising suicide, it helped people acknowledge that depression is as real as any other illness.
5. The year of fidget spinners: Initially marketed to help individuals with anxiety and ADHD, this tiny toy became the most talked-about item in the entirety of the year. Interestingly, it became so popular that there is an entire section of instructional videos devoted to fidget spinners on YouTube.
6. The year that saw zero white male nominations in Grammys: The Grammy awards are known for being embroiled in controversies around racism, because of which it is incredible that for the first time in nearly two decades, the Grammy Awards did not include any white men in its Album of the Year category.
7. The year that saw the continuation of feuds: During many points over the course of the year, the discussion in the film industry was sadly about Kangna Ranaut and Hrithik Roshan’s long-time feud. Continuing since 2016, this feud still drags with no conclusion to be found.
8. The year of the Oscars goof-up: In a chaotic climax moment, La La Land was mistakenly declared as the winner of the Best Picture category award at the Oscars. Moonlight was the deserving winner, and the mistake regarding this was corrected immediately.
9. The year when Wonder Women became the ultimate heroine: Released on 15th May,  Wonder Women become the highest-grossing film ever made by a female director by racking up $821 million at the global box office. This Gal Gadot starrer is accredited with sparking discussions about the representation of female power in popular cinema.
10. The year when love won over hate: One Love Manchester benefit concert organised by Ariana Grande in the aftermath of a suicide bombing carried out during the concert on 22nd May was a beautiful show of love and solidarity. The concert was attended by more than 50,000 people and saw the lineup artists like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, and Usher. The proceedings from the concert went to those affected by the bombing that killed 22 people and wounded more than 100.
11. The year when power was held accountable: In 2017 many men and women spoke up about sexual harassment against the powerful figures in Hollywood. In October 2017, The New York Times published the testimonies of more than a dozen women who accused Weinstein of sexually harassing, assaulting, or raping them. Soon many other women in the film industry reported similar experiences with Weinstein. Actor Kevin Spacey was also accused of sexual misconduct by many boys, including actor Anthony Rapp. Both Weinstein and Spacey suffered the loss of deals and associations after these accusations surfaced.
12. The year when survivors spoke up: #MeToo became a viral hashtag used by victims of sexual misconduct of voicing their experiences. Actress Alyssa Milano popularized the hashtag to as part of an awareness campaign in order to reveal the magnitude of sexual harassment. The hashtag has trended in at least 85 countries including India. Originally the phrase “Me Too” was started by activist Tarana Burke in 2006 on MySpace social network.
13. The year of #BlackRoyal: Suits star Meghan Markle and Prince Harry of Wales got engaged on 27th November and soon announced the Royal wedding that is scheduled for 19th May. While the world was gushing over the ideal couple (Megan is a beauty with brains and Harry is the most loved royal), a section showed displeasure over the choice of new Duchess of Sussex. Markel was targeted for her age, race, and her past marriage. However, the negative slurs were countered online with the hashtag #BlackRoyal.  On 8th November the British royal family’s communications secretary released an official statement defending Market form the “wave of abuse and harassment”.
14. The year when women marched: The beginning of 2017 saw the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. The Women’s March was held on January 21, 2017, to advocate women’s rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, queer rights, and workers’ rights. Held immediately after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the protests were aimed against the Trump administration’s regressive stand on multiple issues.

15. The year when a fictitious queen caused real havoc: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious period drama, Padmavati has been marred in controversy even before its trailer was launched. The film’s set has been torched, the director got beaten up, and cast and the crew threatened. The film was scheduled to be released on 1st December but hasn’t received the clearance from Censor Board yet.

16. The year when “Virushka” got married: The much love power couple of Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli finally got married Italy on 11th December. The wedding was a dreamlike sequence and a close-knit affair. The pictures and minute details of the wedding dominated the news and social media ever since the first pictures were made public.

17. The year when the world found out “Kattappa ne bahubali ko kyu mara”: Baahubali 2: The Conclusion,  became the first ever Indian film to gross over 10 billion, that too in just ten days. It stands as the second highest grossing film in India. Facebook in its “2017 Year in Review” listing ranked Baahubali 2: The Conclusion as the most-discussed topic by Indian Facebook users.

Feature Image Credits: Spoiler TV
Niharika Dabral
Vijeata Balani
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