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University of Delhi – The Cradle for Indian National Politics

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With a remarkable number of politicians on-field who have graduated from The University of Delhi (DU), one can aptly caption the Varsity as the cradle for Indian Politics. It then becomes very natural to ponder upon the question: ‘What makes DU the ideal place for politics?’

Shashi Tharoor, Arun Jaitley, Kapil Sibal, Maneka Gandhi… and the list continues.

A common thread which connects all of them is their Alma Mater= DU.DU stands as a place which serves as the first turf for experiencing and coming face-to-face with the many realities and images of India one hears through the thousands of students who come here from all walks of life, from all places, and from the lengths and breadths of our nation.

Calling it the cradle for Indian National Politics seems natural enough because of various factors, all of which fall just in the right place justifying the title so. These are:

 

  • LOCATION

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Vicinity and closeness to the lawmakers matter a lot. Being in the capital of the nation gives the student politicians and protestors of DU a handy advantage of being capable enough to have their voices heard in the power centre of the country, thereby not only presenting up the demands concerning university life, but also of the things they observe around themselves. The age-old proverb, Dilli door nahi, rings a familiar bell.

  • PLATFORM

 

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DU offers the ideal place to bring out your voice, your opinion, and your views on any and every matter that concerns you. Be it through performing arts or through student protests, your voice will not go unheard here. The ideal place for expression and to get into action, DU shapes your personality by bringing the importance of politics close to you.

  • DIVERSITY

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It is in DU that you get to actually experience India, through the eyes of students who come from all parts of the nation. Be it the North-East or down South, DU does not limit itself just to North India but accepts and stands as a melting pot of cultures, traditions and experiences students from all walks of life have to offer. Their experiences make you more receptive, aware and alert of things that are happening in the country and fail to reach up at levels of concerns. The DU experience sensitises you to the nation you are living in and what issues are pulsating through its veins.

Hence it wouldn’t be wrong to say that DU stands tall as the mighty cradle for grooming the leaders of our nation, leaders who are inspired, motivated, evoked and aware of the ground realities and ready to ace up the face of the Indian political scene.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

Amrashree Mishra

[email protected]

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Year End

The Best and Worst of the University of Delhi in 2018-19

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From celebrity promotions, marches and protests to crimes against students, winners at international competitions and struggles to maintain funding, University of Delhi has seen a rollercoaster year. We bring you some of the highlights from this year.

The Worst: 

August 2018

Body outside STGB Khalsa

Image Credits: India Today Social

  • Dead Body Found Outside Khalsa College

On 5th August 2018, a dead body with its head and hands chopped off was found outside Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur College at 8 a.m. The police predicted the corpse to be of a 30-year-old male.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/08/dead-body-found-outside-khalsa-college/

MPhil PhD Hunger Strike
Image Credits: DU Beat archives

 

  • Hunger Strike Organised By MPhil and PhD Students

A hunger strike took place on 1st August 2018 in the Arts Faculty of Delhi University. The protest was against the modifications in the M.Phil and PhD admission procedure, demands against the enforcement of the University Grants Commission’s Ordinance VI by DU were put forth.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/08/hunger-strike-organised-by-mphil-and-phd-aspirants-at-arts-faculty-against-admission-process/

 

Mahraja Agrasen website hacked
Image Credits: Maharaja Agrasen College

  • Maharaja Agrasen College Website Hacked and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ Displayed

On 3rd August 2018, the website of Maharaja Agrasen College was hacked for three hours. Everyone, including the students, faculty, and the college administration were left in a state of shock by this development. The photograph of the college on the website was replaced with a photograph of stone-pelters. The hackers not only uploaded a photograph of Pakistan’s national flag but also wrote ‘Pakistan Zindabad’.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/08/hackers-write-pakistan-zindabad-on-maharaja-agrasens-website/

 

September 2018

girl jumps from bus
Image Credits: DTC

  • Delhi University Student Jumped Out of Bus to Escape Molesters

On 30th September 2018, a 19-year-old Delhi University student jumped out of a DTC bus to escape her molesters after months of continued abuse. The victim’s sister had shared the ordeal in detail, in a series of tweets.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/09/delhi-university-student-jumps-out-of-moving-bus-to-escape-molesters/

November 2018

dsj mourn their president
Image Credits: DSJ Media Group

  • DSJ Students Moaned on the Untimely Demise of Their First President

In a road accident that occurred on 4th November 2018, Prashant Yadav, a student of Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ) lost his life. On 6th November 2018, which was his 20th birthday, a public condolence meeting was organised by the students DSJ at the Faculty of Arts at 4 p.m. The students paid tribute to Prashant Yadav, who was considered the backbone of the “Stand with DSJ” movement.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/11/dsj-students-remember-their-first-president/

 

December 2018

delhi-school-of-economics
Image Credits: Delhi School of Economics

  • Phone Snatching Escalated to Stabbing

A PhD student of Delhi School of Economics was attacked by unidentified phone snatchers on 2nd December 2018. The incident took place late night at the Naala Bridge at Patel Chest Institute, North Campus, which is in close vicinity of Maurice Nagar Police Station, New Delhi. A robbing attempt by bike ridden perpetrators escalated into violence, and the victim was stabbed in the back multiple times, with a knife.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/12/phone-snatching-escalates-to-stabbing/

 

January 2019

cvs
 Image Credits – DU Beat archives

  • Gun Pulled Out in Broad Daylight at CVS

A gun was allegedly pulled out during an altercation between some students at the College of Vocational Studies on 28th January 2019 around 1:30 p.m. The police had to be called to control the situation. Our source informed us that two third-year students are said to be involved. The gun was pointed to the Central Councillor of the college union.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/02/gun-pulled-out-at-cvs-campus-in-broad-daylight/

 

March 2019

delhi univ
Image Credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

  • DU’s Proposal for Funds Rejected by MHRD

A proposal put forward by the Delhi University Administration for Rs 5000 crore for the construction of a few buildings for the use by the University was struck down by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.  The issue of funds crunch was raised by the DU administration at various platforms, but the money that it had already was not spent by it and was returned to the University Grants Commission.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/03/dus-proposal-for-seeking-funds-rejected-by-mhrd/

 

M.Sc Dept Press Conference
Image Credits: M.Sc Mathematics Department, DU

  • Mass Failure in DU: M.Sc and Other Departments Organised Press Conference

The M.Sc. Mathematics Department, as well as other departments, organised a press conference as a result of the poor administrations and blunders made by several departments in the evaluation of papers. More than 90% of failing patterns were drawn up from various departments. The rechecking and revaluation processes accumulated 3.18 crores in the past three years.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/03/mass-failure-in-du-m-sc-mathematics-and-other-departments-organise-a-press-conference/

April 2019

delhi univ
Image Credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat 

  • Delhi Government Stopped Funding of 28 Colleges

Owing to failure in the constitution of their governing bodies by Delhi University (DU), Delhi Government stopped funds to 28 DU colleges. Manish Sisodia directed the Finance Department to stop the funds, which amount to INR 360 crore annually, over what he termed the “deliberate and mala fide attempt to delay formation of governing bodies”. He believed that with no governing bodies, there was no way to keep an eye on the colleges’ functioning.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/04/delhi-government-stops-funding-of-28-du-colleges/

 

 

The Best

September 2018

NSIT
Image Credits: NSIT

  • NSIT Granted University Status

After a long period of 2.5 years, the central government finally approved to grant University status to Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT) on 27th September 2018. Now running as a university, NSUT has the autonomy to revise curriculum, create its own Academic Council, and fast-track administrative decisions. The University will remain answerable to the University

Grants Commission.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/09/nsit-granted-university-status/

 

October 2018

Nishtha Dudeja
Image Credits: Zee News

  • Delhi University Graduate Nishtha Dudeja Won Miss Deaf Asia 2018

Nishtha Dudeja, a twenty-three-year-old commerce graduate from Delhi University, won the Miss Deaf Asia 2018 title, being the first ever Indian to have won any title at the Miss Deaf World Pageant. The pageant held its eighteenth edition recently at Prague, Czech Republic.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/10/delhi-university-graduate-nishtha-dudeja-wins-miss-deaf-asia-2018-title/

 

October 2018

lockup

 

 Image Credits: Mahi Panchal for DU Beat

  • The All-Night Protest Staged by Pinjra Tod

Starting at four in the evening, members of Pinjra Tod gathered at Faculty of Arts on 8th October 2018 with several self-made posters displaying messages like ‘LSD- Lockup, Safety, Dhoka’ and ‘Tod do taale’ (break the locks) to stage a protest against privatisation of education, accessibility, and equitable education.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/10/lsd-lockup-safety-and-dhoka-inside-pinjra-tods-all-night-protest/

 

du enactus
Image Credits: Enactus

  • DU Colleges Dominated the Enactus World Water Race

Six out of the top 12 and three out of the top four projects shortlisted for the World Water Race belonged to India, more specifically the University of Delhi. The Enactus World Cup was held from 9th to 11th October. World Water Race is a competition that recognises and mobilises Enactus teams and their projects tackling the water and sanitation crisis.

FurtherReading: https://dubeat.com/2018/10/india-dominates-the-enactus-world-water-race-six-out-of-12-projects-belong-to-du/

 

gita gopinath IMF
Image Credits: Livemint

  • DU Alumna Appointed Chief Economist of IMF

Dr Gopinath is a B.A. (Hons.) Economics graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, who later pursued a Masters in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. She was the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University, then appointed as the Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She succeeded Maurice Obstfeld.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/10/du-alumna-appointed-chief-economist-at-imf/

 

December 2018

DSJ meets presidentImage Credits: Mohammad Ali

  • DSJ Students Table Their Grievances Before Former President

Despite a slew of vociferous protests and agitations by the students of DSJ, most of the promises touted by the administration were never fulfilled. Intending to bring the protracted tussle between the students and the DSJ administration to a close, Mohammad Ali, a DSJ student and NSUI youth politician, submitted a petition to Pranab Mukherjee and Kapil Sibal.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2018/12/dsj-students-table-their-grievances-before-the-former-president-and-kapil-sibal/

 

January 2019

amrita rao
Image Credits- Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

  • In Conversation with Amrita Rao

On 23rd January 2019, Amrita Rao got candid with DU Beat about her life, career, and the industry, when she visited Conference Centre, North Campus along with her co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui to promote their film ‘Thackeray’.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/02/a-tete-a-tete-with-amrita-rao/

 

February 2019

Increased seats
Image Credits: Tribhuvan Tiwari for DU Beat

  • Increased Seats for Economically Weaker Sections

The DU administration decided to implement and increase the economically weaker section (EWS) quota by 25%, leading to 6550 more seats across all colleges. This plan shall see that the new academic year will have 6550 more seats for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

FurtherReading:https://dubeat.com/2019/02/increased-seats-for-economically-weaker-sections/

 

March 2019

Miranda House Appoints New Principal
Image Credits: Odisha News Tonight

  • Miranda House’s New Principal Takes the Seat

After successful completion of Dr Pratibha Jolly’s tenure as Miranda House’s Principal, Dr Bijayalaxmi Nanda takes the seat. A professor of Political Science and Gender Studies in the College, holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree, a Master of Philosophy degree from Delhi University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/03/miranda-house-appoints-new-principal/

 

April 2019

women's march (1)
Image Credits: Pragati Thapa for DU Beat

  • Student Groups, Women from DU and Across the Country Marched for Change

On  4th April 2019, women across all ages, religions and social classes came together to voice their collective dissent against the current government and their propagation of a politics of violence and hatred. Prominent student groups present in the march were members of  Pinjra Tod, Women Development Cells of Lady Shri Ram College, Indraprastha College and Miranda House. Students expressed concerns regarding women’s representation in politics, condition of minorities, etc.

Further Reading: https://dubeat.com/2019/04/women-march-for-change/

 

Feature Image Credits: Mahi Panchal for DU Beat

Prachi Mehra

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Editorial: Delhi University, It Is Time to Pull Up Your Socks

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To stay relevant in the 21st century – the University of Delhi (DU) needs to let go of its laissez-faire attitude. Read our Editor’s take on why DU is trapped in its own history.

Making it into DU was a dream for so many of us. We battled the unpredictable and exhausting board examinations, obsessed over  cut-off lists, and withstood the impossibly frustrating admission process to finally make it here. Once here, all the effort seemed worth it. To study with the brightest people in our generation, participate in DU’s competitive society culture, absorb its active protest culture, and learn under its brilliant faculty, made it a one of a kind experience. This, coupled with a relatively relaxed attendance policy and reasonable fee, was enough to make this place a dream come true.

However, three years in the University and my rose-coloured glasses have finally worn off. What I saw as the culture of protest is actually teachers and students demanding basic resources and rights. What was seen as thriving society culture is the students’ way to keep themselves occupied and challenged since the varsity offers few opportunities to do so. The affordability of DU is constantly at threat, with newly established schools like Delhi School of Journalism charging a hefty fee and offering sub par education in return. With the Higher Education Funding Agency and the current government’s obsession with privatisation, DU’s accessibility is historically most vulnerable right now.

However, this is not all. The bigger problems with DU are related to its academic rigour. The truth is, towards the end of our three years, there is very little that the institution has taught us.

This facade of DU’s reputation has limited influence; recruiters and major corporations are distinctly aware of how little a DU degree teaches you, which is perhaps why they avoid us like the plague. Navigating the process of landing your first job on your own is chaotic and most people seek the security of campus placements. However, in DU, the word ‘placement’ is reserved for commerce students from the five top – ranked colleges in the varsity. It’s not as if commerce students or those in top colleges are necessarily more skilled than the rest of us but selective elitism goes a long way. The rest, pursuing other “non-employable” degrees in the remaining colleges, cannot aspire to be recruited in any capacity.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to DU for the exposure and experiences but they were by and large the product of the hard work of the students who made societies their life and gave them their competitive edge. Apart from its reputation, there is very little that DU offers us. My resentment stems from the fact that I, like my peers, am horribly under-prepared for the real world. It is responsible to revive the curriculum to make it competitive with other universities, and it is their responsibility to realise that their job does not end by offering students mere theoretical knowledge.

Sports facilities in DU are underwhelming and most sports’ quota students find their own way of training themselves independently. Certainly, there is a funding crisis that the varsity is experiencing and the threat of a bigger impending crisis looms above the surface, but even existing funds aren’t appropriately utilised. For example, in 2017, the varsity returned 108 crores to the University Grants Commission (UGC) because it could not find an avenue to spend it. Three crore rupees allocated by the UGC remained under-utilised and had to be returned as well.

As I reflect upon my three years in DU, I am grateful for the creative minds I got the opportunity to interact with. However, nostalgia has not clouded my judgment and I know that there was so much more that DU could have offered and so much more that I deserved. The only people who graduate from DU and make it in life should not be B.Com. students, IAS officers, rich kids whose resources get them into an Ivy – league college for Master’s or those studying in Hindu, Lady Shri Ram, Stephen’s, and Hansraj. The rest of us also deserve access to an education that teaches us the required skills, has a curriculum abreast with top international universities, and offers us the opportunity that allows us to get employed if we wish to be. Like an egocentric, ageing actor who cannot get over their glory days, DU is iconic but stuck in the past. It needs to catch up with the times and enter the 21st century. After all, reputations alone can only last so long.  

Kinjal Pandey
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Assessment System in Delhi University: Does it let the Vacations go as Planned?

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We weren’t yet done with the fest season when we realized that it’s already time for the mid-semester break. All of us have our bags packed but are we really ready to go on a break yet?

Even semesters are shorter and comprise more extracurricular activities than academics. They are busier than the odd semesters because of college, society and department fests and somewhere because of the fest season, students lose track of everything else going on, which includes classes, internals, assignments, presentations, and everything else. But when the fests finally got over and students tried to get hold of their academic lives it was already time for the mid-semester break. Mid-semester break is the time when students plan to do everything that they kept on postponing till now and is the best time to catch up with friends. But the bigger question is, “does the assessment system of the University leave us with a mid-semester break?”

The assessment system of Delhi University is a continuous process that goes on throughout the semester as it includes assessments of all the core as well as elective papers which starts at the beginning of the semester and goes on till some days before the study break. While some people have most of their assessments lined up for the latter part of the semester; whereas some others had back to back assessments in the early part of the semester which makes them comparatively free towards the end of the semester. However, one common thing for almost everyone is the lineup of assessments after the mid-semester break as till this time most of the professors want to get done with their assessments and thus this leads to a very hectic schedule for the students and a need for them to balance between all their papers and the vacations that they might have planned.

Anamika Khanduri, an Economics Honors student of Kamala Nehru College says “we have a lineup of internals scheduled after the break as we did not have many assignments till now because of the fests. However, amidst the study schedule that we have planned for the break, we have a separate schedule for chilling and thus utilizing the much-needed mid-semester break.”

However, a student of Miranda House tells DU Beat, “we had most of our core assessments before the mid-semester break so we are comparatively free during the break.”

For the outstation students, the only time to go back home, visit family and catch up with old friends is this break. The main issue faced by them is that because of the assessments lined up they really need to pack more books in the luggage and spend more time with the books than with their friends and family.

“Home doesn’t really feel like home because all I do is study throughout the day for the four internals that follows the break”, said a History Honors student of Miranda House.

Akansha Priya, a second-year student of Sociology Honors, Miranda House said, “we had only one internal till now and have all our other assessments after the semester break.” About the assessment system, she says, “It would be better if we have assignments managed in a better way because it becomes very hectic to have so many assessments in a single week.”

Everyone has different views about the assessment system but almost everyone agrees that the assessment system of Delhi University is a very hectic process. But being a continuous process it also helps in the preparation for the semester end exams and it brings the students in a habit of studying continuously. Thus it can be said that the system is effective in some ways but it needs to be managed in a better way so that it leaves students with time to relax because college life is not all about studying and giving tests but is more about taking the unexpected adventures.

Image Credits : Image by Annie Spratt Pixabay

Priya Chauhan

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Offbeat

Are the Students of Delhi University Ready to Swipe Right?

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Find out the popular opinion of students on Tinder and if it can help you find love?

While school life is usually lived in a bubble, college opens our avenues and outlooks. One such outlook is on relationships. We realise dating in school was much different and most of us open up to the prospect of finding a special someone. Being in the University of Delhi, with the upcoming fest season and the dreaded Valentine’s week, puts the thought of wanting to be with our sweetheart even more to the forefront.
One way to achieve that goal, is through Tinder. Most of the students we spoke to suggested that ‘curiosity’ was one of the major reasons to join Tinder, with the slightest possibility of finding someone worthwhile, while others named ‘insistence by their friends’ or being ‘bored’ as reasons. The beginners are apprehensive to join it because of the fear of being ‘seen’ by someone they know or the perpetual haunt of their parents finding out.
Diya, a student from Kamala Nehru College says, “Most people do not expect anything and just try it out to see what is so great about it?” This resonates with most of the reasons for joining Tinder- its hype. Online dating, and not just Tinder, does raise the question of safety and trust. Before swiping, individuals have to try and judge the character of the person with just a bio and few images. Sanjula, another student of Kamala Nehru College responds, “There are certain risks, of course, to online dating as a whole, but if you use it judiciously, and cautiously use what is given, then why not?”
While there are a variety of experiences people have had, on talking about bad experiences, there is no denying that some people do make crass and awkward ‘moves’ which can often be very upsetting and unsettling. I feel that is the biggest red flag for your army of cupids to retreat. There are instances when conversations receive insensitivity and entitlement to a response.

Discussions on finding love and not being lonely run on parallels with Tinder. One cannot negate the possibility of the former because there are also people who have discovered partners with a mental and emotional connection. While relationships are not an answer to loneliness, the experience of putting yourself out there and meeting new people can make one feel less lonely. As the student of Delhi University, Yashika says, “It may not be a guarantee but in this millennial age, why not?”
Moving on to the idea of casual flings, something Tinder has frequently been associated with; it has led to a notion
where people are mutually free from commitments or ties, free to explore their sexuality, or simply add some
spice to their lives!

Lastly, casual or serious, strings or no strings, younger people are opening up to the complexities of human relationships and their likes and dislikes, just make sure one does not hurt someone else on this journey and respects boundaries. In today’s time, people have the liberty to mutually and consensually decide the rules of their own relationships. So go on and swipe!

Feature Image Credits: Dating Scout

Shivani Dadhwal
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Arts & Culture

8 Korean words, K-Drama fans use in real life

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The Hallyu storm has taken over Delhi University, with students going gaga over famous K-Dramas let us look at some of the common Korean words that have blended into our lives.

1. Sa-Rang-Hae (I love you)
Every fan would know this phrase by heart, these are the words that bring our protagonists together and seal their love forever. So next time you desperately want to reveal your feelings to your crush, go over and say it, she/he won’t understand a thing, and if they do, keep them for life.

2. Hyung/Oppa/Unni/Noona
The most complex set of words used in K-Dramas are words used to address someone older than you. Here is a guide to these words
Unni : what a female calls an older female.
Oppa : what a female calls an older male.
Noona : what a male calls an older female.
Hyung : what a male calls an older male.

3. Aeomoni or Amma / Abbujje or Appa (Mother/father)
While calling your parent’s formally, many a times we use Aemoni for ‘Mother’ and Abbujje for ‘Father’. In informal settings we lovingly call out Amma and Appa. Even our parents are now familiar with our obsession and used to our multilingual tongue.

4. Wae? (Why?)
Screaming at incredulous and unbelievably stupid ideas by our friends, we scream Wae to get across the ideas that this is dubious plan. This Korean word is used the most.

5. Mian-Ae (I am sorry.)
Rather than saying Sorry, we say Mian-Ae. Most emotional sequences in K-Dramas involve this phrase in one way or the other. Hence, this one is unforgettable.

6. Aarran-So (You got that?)
Asking politely or frustrated, this phrase comes in handy. Korean is such an emotive language that parts of it has become a close part of our everyday routine.

7. Soonbae/Hoonbae (Senior/Junior)
Often heard in Delhi University societies, use of these words has changed the dynamics of hierarchy. Now, Soonbaes and Hoonbaes together fangirl over Korean Dramas.

8. Kam-saham-nida (Thankyou)
One of the most commonly used words in our daily life is now, being replaced by a weird sounding Korean phrase. So, Kam-saham-nida for reading this article.

Image Credits: Cosmopolitan

Sakshi Arora
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Events

Day 1 at Rendezvous, IIT Delhi, Witnesses The Local Train; Day 2 Oversees Battles and Vigour

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Day 1 of Rendezvous, the Annual Cultural fest of IIT Delhi started with the Lifestyle Prelims, the college fashion competition, which saw models strutting in themed ensembles and high heels. Galore, the Fashion Society of Maitreyi College delivered a body positive walk. “We want the heart high and the chest bigger,” they quoted. The society, anxious about probable mishaps such as tripping and slipping during the performance, complained about the dusty stage and careless placement of wires. A slight delay was experienced, owing to the inadequacy of housekeeping staff. Among the 13 participating societies were Delhi University’s Motilal Nehru College, Dyal Singh College, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, College of Vocational Studies and Hindu College. Due to the unavailability of a proper backstage area, inconvenience and congestion was experienced by the heavily costumed participants. The Fashion Society of Manav Rachna University emerged as the winner at Lifestyle, with their fashionable take on Sikhism. 

At the Western Group Dance Prelims, the blaring music surely impaired some auditory senses but the exuberant dance performances were a treat to the eye. The audience burst into hoots as societies dropped groovy moves. Peppy playlists combined with flashy lighting set the mood at the Seminar Hall of IIT Delhi. Outside, the venue, a chaotic queue of youngsters were seen behaving rowdily towards the gatekeepers who were reluctant to allow entry into the already-packed room. Gargi College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Motilal Nehru College, Shivaji College, Hansraj College and IIT Delhi qualified the first round, with Sri Aurobindo College and Daulat Ram College in the waiting list. Gargi College’s Enliven bagged the first position at Kaleidoscope followed by Spardha of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and Dance Club of IIT Delhi.

The Acapella competition contestants from 14 previously-shortlisted societies were spotted at Allegro, in their monotone society T-shirts. The audience of LHC121 also comprised non-participating societies and acapella admirers, who came to survey the performances. Encore, the Western Music Society of Daulat Ram College performed a medley of five songs. Euphony from Gargi College sent the audience into a state of idyll through their thoroughly rehearsed harmonies. Judges Joshua Peter and Akash Gadamsetty awarded the first position to Jesus and Mary College’s ECHO. Madhurima from Delhi Technological University bagged the second prize, and the third position was shared by Sri Venkateswara College’s Crescendo and Gargi’s Euphony.

The second half of the day commenced with the  inauguration ceremony and the lightning of the lamp by Deputy Director of IIT Delhi, Prof M. Balakrishnan. The ceremony was anchored by Shubendu Sumbli, an IIT Delhi alumnus. It was followed by a short speech by Prof Mausam, VP of BRCA and Prof Rajesh Khanna, Dean of Students Affairs. The inauguration event ended on a musical note with Harmononium performing on stage. It performed a wide range of songs including Chaakar, Fakiri, Jhakar and Gubbare which took the audience’s breath away. It later on, added Marwaari songs to pep up their set.

The Quizzing Club, IIT Delhi organised A fan’s notes, an open sports quiz. Over 50 teams participated in teams of two or three. Eight teams made it to the final round. The quizmaster was Ashish Kumar Rai, an alumnus of IIT Delhi.

The Literary Club of IIT Delhi organised a Slam Poetry Competition, Slam Blues. Twenty six participants were short listed for the event which was adjudged by Aditi Angiras, Indrajit Ghoshal, Saumya Kulshreshtha, and Ravie Solanky. The winners of the event were Seep Agrawal (1st prize, English), Ayushi Dwivedi (2nd prize, English), and Mohit Sethi (1st prize, Hindi). My Jottings, a Creative Writing Competition was also organised by the Literary Club of IIT Delhi. The results for it will be declared on October 15th.

In the prelims for the beatboxing event, a total of 33 teams participated in the prelims consisting of the Showcase Round and the battles. 16 teams proceed to the final round to be conducted on 14th October. The event was adjudged by Mr. Ishaan Nangia, Vice Champion of the first ever Indian Beatbox Championship.  For Battle of the Bands, Acid Pit was declared the winner followed by Mirage and Over Root Third.

The day came to a magnificent close with The Local Train’s performance, which swept the crowd of it’s feet. With songs like Choo Lo, Dil Mere, Aaoge Tum Kabhi the band ensured that the crowd didn’t lose their enthusiasm even for a single minute.

 

 

Day 2 was packed with back-to-back competitions and the events went on till the wee hours.

At Tatva, the Fusion Band Competition, bands presented their creative compositions. The amalgamation of Hindustani Classical and Western tunes combined with an interactive stage presence enthralled the audience. Parameters performed a combination of Hindustani classical music, western rock and rapping through their compostion, ‘Alone’. The competition was adjudged by instrumentalist, engineer, and producer Yatin Srivastava. In his small feedback speech, he pointed out that no society exceeded the time limit and that the bands paid careful attention to music mixing. He also advised the bands to use a better stage presence for livlier performances. IIT Delhi’s MoonShine won the first prize. The second position was bagged by Parameters from the College of Vocational Studies, followed by Amity University’s Metronome who was the second runner-up. As announced by IIT Delhi’s Music Society, Ruhaaniyat, the top three best performances were Sri Venkateswara College’s Where’s My Bag, followed by Five One Nine from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, and then Black Beat from Ramjas.

Sprightly vocal percussions left the crowd spellbound at the second round Beat Boxing Competition of IIT Delhi’s Rendezvous’18. The shortlisted 16 participants were adjudged by Ishan Nangia, Sri Venkateswara College student and Vice Champion of the first ever Indian Beatbox Championship. At the LHC Informal Stage area, a large crowd of beatboxing enthusiasts turned up despite changes in the event’s schedule not being properly conveyed. Aranya Banerjee, received a congratulatory hoist for bagging the first position. The winner received a cash prize of Rs. 5000, followed by first runner-up Jatin Pant who received a prize of Rs. 3000.

An exciting array of performances focusing on a multitude of poignant themes ranging from menstrual and religious regression to Indian education policy, displayed all day from the morning to the evening in Mimansa, the street play competition. Out of the 12 finalists, the team of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Natuve won the event with the title of overall best performance as College of Vocational Studies and Maharaja Agarsen Institur of Technology followed. The best actress went to Shivaji College whereas the best Actor was a student of Maharaja Agarsen Institute of Technology. Best music was unsurprisingly won by Sri Venketeshwar College; best director was won by Hindu College; best entertaining play went to the hosts, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The event was sponsored by Theatreleela and adjudged by Varun Sharma, director and owner of Theatreleela.

The highly anticipated Campus Princess pageant was also organised. The event was judged by Viren Barman, Peter England Mr. India 2016. The judge acknowledged the extensive participation of 51 contestants this time when he said, “I was trying to take a picture but I couldn’t fit you all in the frame!”. Last year’s title winners were also conducive in enhancing the morale of the contestants as they shared their own experiences with everyone and narrated their transformation stories after winning the title.

Far from all this, the atmosphere was an absolute envelope of peace at Aagaz, the group Indian Classical Music competition was organised. In the baritone and the soft yet bold lilting of the participating 15 teams from across the state, the audiences were left swooning. Girls took the first two positions as Alahyaa, the Indian Classical Music society of Daulat Ram College and Sangeetika of Kamla Nehru College won the first and second positions respectively, with Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in the third place.

The Debating Club of IITD hosted the annual edition of its freshers’ parliamentary debate titled Debutant. Constituting five rounds, a plethora of debating themes were up on offer as twelve teams from a variety of colleges, including but not limited to CBS, JMC, Ashoka, and Hindu, finally made it through to the prequarters stage.

The KTM roadshow was another contrast to the peace. With breathtaking stunts defying the laws of gravity, the performers left the audiences’ jaws wide open. As their tires dusted gravel around, a crowd of a hundred students found a thrilling experience becoming real.

Another interesting event of the day, the Comedy Hunt was also organised. Judges Milind Kapoor and Anubhav Singh Bassi, renowned stand-up comedians themselves laughed heartily with a crowd of 500 students cheering for the participants sharing their ridiculous stories. Mohak Arora was named the winner of the event. Most stand-ups focused on deeper social causes, striking just the right balance between conedy and reality.

During the late hours of the evening, Barkha Dutt was in conversation with Prashant Kishor at the Dogra Hall. In the beginning, Prashant Kishor talked extensively about his personal equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He also spoke about his bond with Rahul Gandhi. He believes that BJP is going to lead in the 2019 elections. He further said that it’s good to have an ideology. However, he asks the youth to not get intoxicated by it. After the session, when asked by one of the audience members whether it’s possible for commoners to enter politics, he says, very frankly that it is very difficult to enter politics if you don’t happen to have a popular surname. Prakash Kishor also very cheekily mentioned that the country could have done without demonetization. At the end of the interview, he mentions that he would have loved to work with LK Advani for he believes that he’s a great campaigner.

Follwing this, the final rounds for Lifestyle and Kaleidoscope were organised, and the day culminated in fervour and renewed energy for the next day’s events.

 

Feature Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

 

Ananya Acharya
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Muskan Sethi
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Disha Saxena
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Kartik Chauhan
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Adeel Shams
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DUB Speak

How to Maintain Mental Well Being in the University of Delhi

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“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start”

-Nido Qubein

The constant pressure to succeed can cause turmoil in the heads and hearts of even the best. Stepping into the ‘real world’ after school is a stressful, scary experience, leaving most quaking in their boots. For the most part, individuals are certain of their capabilities till they remain sheltered by parents, teachers, friends, and the comfort of a hometown. The insecurity sets in once all this is taken away, and replaced with a completely foreign environment and alien people. Everybody has their own coping mechanisms to deal with various adversities. For many people social settings or situations, or a change in them, are triggers for anxiety, which in turn may lead to serious mental health concerns. Apart from anxiety, the foreign environment and University culture, may give rise to other stress-induced mental health concerns as well.

What follows are examples of stress-inducing scenarios that many encounters over the three years of college, and how to actively cope with them.

Year one is stressful mainly due to the new environment, foreign people, different methods of teaching, and (for outstation students) the alien city. You may feel overwhelmed by the fast moving busy life of a metropolitan if you’re from a small town. People may not be as kind, and the diversity in people may scare you. The pressure to get into college societies, at the same time, coming to terms with the fact that there are people smarter or more talented than you, can be hard. The best way to maintain some peace of mind in between all this chaos would be to have no expectations. Expectations most often if not always, lead to disappointment. Having a clear head and ‘going with the flow’ can really help in terms of relieving stress-inducing thoughts to ‘be the best’. Understanding that there will always be someone better, and that you have to learn to accept yourself for who you are, are key to staying sane.

Year two is known for one of the most important stressors, namely internships. For most people this is the first time they are interning, inducing anxiety about the work environment, bosses, and mainly, securing an internship. Understanding a work environment and how things are done can take years if not months. Not worrying about ‘fitting in’ or impressing your boss, are solid steps one can take to relieve anxiety. People may even experience disappointment upon not getting substantial work whilst interning. Instead of focusing one’s energy on what is not happening, looking at the job as a learning experience is a step in the right direction.

Year three could easily be deemed as the most stressful of all three years. Important decisions regarding working, studying, or taking a gap year, are inevitable. Watching your peers get their desired jobs/Universities may add to the already mounting pressure. Taking things at one’s own pace and understanding your own capabilities come first and foremost. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on what interests you and match that with your aptitude for best results.

College is a rollercoaster ride, with many ups and downs. Going with the twists and turns, and learning from every up and down, will make you more self-aware as a person and help you cope better with the pressures of life.

 

 Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Meher Gill

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Campus Central

Spinning Selfhood: The Story of Gandhi Bhawan, Delhi University

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The Gandhian ideals of self-reliance and the search for individuality in education are embodied in a lesser-known institution of DU, known as the Gandhi Bhawan located in North Campus. Read to know more about this unexplored marvel.
Clad in the stench of the colonial past, of this country the Indian education system has been relying on a westernised version of its national reality for as long as one hundred years now. We study Louis Fischer and rely on Rachel Bespaloff to garner high marks in examinations. In times of our own articulately accepted and violently detested identity crisis as a nation, the University of Delhi (DU) took the foundation of Gandhi Bhawan under its esteemed wing and embarked forth, on a long journey, of understanding and living by the principles of the man and the the ‘institution’ who contributed to find something we can call our own.
The Gandhi Bhawan, located at the Chhatra Marg in North Campus, is a centre that dedicates its efforts and resources to studying the words and
works of the Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Yoga and meditation training programmes that are organised at the Bhawan for
varying durations become poignant in the fast-paced lifestyles we are used to today. With participants from across the borders and experts like Dr. Surakshit Goswami, Shri Gopal Krishan, Dr. M.L.  Chawla, and many others have been present to provide their perspectives and skills on disciplines like Yoga.
Not only is the emphasis laid on grooming individuals through meditative means, but the Bhawan also highlights the importance of breaking from the private to march into the public. Swachhata Pakhwadas have been conducted in the year 2017, bringing the management committees, the Municipal Corporation, and the students to the streets in solidarity to clean the campus. During the cleanliness drives, they illuminate the general public on the integral nature of sanitation and hygiene.
The mention of Gandhi may have varied, troubling, and even triggering connotations on our critical mindsets, but there are dimensions to the character of the man who unified a nation through certain shared ideals. One such ideal was of self-reliance that our own ministers bank on for votes time and again, but it is the course in Charkha spinning at Gandhi Bhawan that brings selfhood home. Inaugurated on 11th October 2017, the course is taught by Ms. Sita Bimbrahw, a retired Hindi professor from Kamala Nehru College.
Gandhi Bhawan periodically organises summer camps, seminars, and competitions. Various branches of Gandhi Study Circle also prefer this
venue for hosting their events. Whenever the hustle and bustle of North Campus get too much, you can stop by the quaint library of Gandhi Bhavan. More often than not, you will find some reading sessions going on which are delightful to attend.
Spinning Selfhood
The foundation of Gandhi Bhawan was laid by the late Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956.
Feature Image Credit: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat
Anushree Joshi
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Delhi School of Economics Organised their Annual HR Conference-HR Symposia!

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“The one who adapts to the change will survive”
The Student Development Cell of department of commerce, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi
University Organised their Annual HR Conference with the Central theme – “Transition into future
with HR”.
Day 1
Eminent Speakers from the corporate world shared their experiences and insights with the students
revolving around the Central theme of the conference.
The first day of the two day extravaganza commenced with inaugural lamp lighting ceremony by the
Guest of Honor Mr. Piyush Pant (journalist), along with the Key Note Speakers – Varun Sachdeva
(Reqroute Inc – Director- Talent Acquisition/Consulting) and Shwetabh Jha (Glocal Thinkers- Practice
Director), Course Coordinator of MBA(HRD) – Dr.Urvashi Sharma and Prof. V.K. Shrotiya.
Mr. Pant started off with emphasizing the role of HR in the media sector. How the HR people have a
big scope in the media Industry.
Mr. Shwetabh Jha talked about how transformation helps a business survive. HR has a strong sense
of business acumen and it is a driver and catalyst.
Performance Management was also discussed in the session.
The Individual speaker Session was followed by a Panel discussion where they we had the who’s who
of the industry talk about Digital Transformation – Role of HR.
On the panel we had Amarendra K Sinha( Head HR & Director- Jindal ITF), Harini Sreenivisan( chief
people’s officer – Worley Parson India ltd.), Simin Askari(VP, CHR, DS group), Saswati Sinha( Head HR
– Cheil Worldwide), Debojyoti Bhattacharjee( Head- people excellence Glaxosmithkline India), Usha
Srivastava( Head HR- Vodafone Idea Ltd.).
They panel discussed about the imapct of HR on the productivity of the business. The important it
holds in the finance domain. How the role of HR has changed from a transactional function to a
partnership role in business.
The panel also answerd the questions put by the students and helped them understand the topics a
little better.
After the panel discussion we welcomed Mr. Sadan K Bhattacharya( Head- T&D, Johnson & Johnson
surgical Vision) for the speaker session on the topic ‘ Personal Branding’. He briefed the students on
the various elements of personal branding. He quoted- “You are unconsciously created behaviors or
patterns which are making your brand and ten why not proactively seem to make your brand”
Next, we had another panel discussion on: Building Leadership for the future. The panelists included
Ankush Arora(VP and head HR, Grofers), Piyush Singh(Director HR, KPMG), Arpita kuila(senior HR
leaders, Global MNC), Tarun Pal Singh Ahluwalia(Head HR- APAC HR, Transformation and Service
Delivery- Boston Scientific), Anita Pratap(Head- Global performance Management- Birlasoft), Rashi
Kaushik(Business head HR and employee Relations leader, Mercer consulting)
The discussion began with the moderator introducing the panelists and delving into what leadership

meant and how effective leadership can build an organization. Which was taken forward with
discussing different leadership styles. The panelists spoke along the same lines taking their life
experiences as examples.
It was a very learning and enlightening experience for the students and they’re eagerly looking
forward to Day 2
Day 2
After a very interesting first day of HR Symposia ’18 organized by MBA (HRD), Department of
Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, day two saw the excitement and enthusiasm of the
participants soaring high! It was a bright Sunday morning of the 16th of September, 2018  and it
marked the beginning of a day which turned out to be full of excellent discussions and interactions.
The first session of the day was a panel discussion. In keeping with the theme of the event-
“Transition into the future with HR”. The panel included Vishal Manchanda (Associate VP, HR-
Cvent), Vivek Tripathi (CHRO- BIBA Apparels Pvt. Ltd.), Aditya Chakravarty (Head HR- Travel Triangle),
Srabani Dubey (VP- Great Place to Work Institute), Sushma Sahai (Head HR- Baggit India Pvt. Ltd.).
The session started with the discussion on -“Recruitment is an Art and a Science. Everything in HR is
about instincts. We cannot automate human beings in any way”- Mr. Aditya Chakravarty. The
discussion with the panel continued on if cultural fit can become a bias in the recruitment process as
well.
The second session of the day was another highly intriguing Speaker session by Mr. Anand R (Senior
VP HR- HCL Technologies).
The topic of the session was- “HR in the digital age: Threats and Opportunities”. He began by talking
about gig economies. “The world is now in the age of Gig Economy”. In 2017, One-third of the US
economy is the Gigster and this is predicted to grow to one-half by 2020! He also explored
behavioral economics.
Next on the Dias was Mr. Anurag Chandra(Head HR, People Services, Admiral Group, PLC). He talked
about the future trends and directions in the organisational culture. “The workplace is more diverse
now” with the increasing number of milennials in the workforce. He explained how the
organisational culture is evolving and how the future of it looks like.
The final session of the day and the event saw an extremely interactive and exciting panel discussion
on the topic- “Strategic HR in business performance”. The panelists comprised; Pradyumna Pandey
(VP & Head HR- JK Tyre & Industries Ltd.), Dr. Shalini Lal (Founder- Infinity OD), Samrat Mandal
(Director HR C&B- Fiserv), Rajiv Naithani (VP Head HR- Infogain India Pvt Ltd.), Shruti Shrivastava
(Head, Total Rewards and HR Service Excellence- Kotak Life) and Debjani Roy (Chief people’s officer-
SRL Diagnostics, India). All process of HR must align with business strategy. Samrat Mandal talked
about how compensation has a key edge. A big question is how to bridge the gap between Gen X
and Millennials?
Day 2 of HR Symposia ’18 ended with the Convener of the organizing committee, Student
Development Cell, Rashmi Kumari declaring the event officially closed. Before the closing of
the event, Dr. Urvashi Sharma, course coordinator, MBA(HRD), addressed the batch and asked for

their feedback. She mentioned that each student would have an individual takeaway from the HR
conference and that each end is the beginning of something new.
The participating students were definitely left richer by the experience and knowledge shared by the
speakers at the event. HR Symposia ’18 concluded on a successful note, with the anticipation of
something bigger happening in the coming year!

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