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Admissions 2013

Why the Four Year Undergraduate Programme might not be such a bad idea

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Amidst the hype around the newly introduced four year undergraduate programme, we have been discussing what could be right and what could seriously go wrong. With that wave of discussion as well as confusion, majority of us (except the VC of course) have criticized the FYUP. Here is a flip side of the coin. A few pointers on why the FYUP might not be that bad an idea:

  • Practical Knowledge: Foundation Courses covering an array of subjects from Arts, Science, Social Sciences and Commerce backgrounds, will equip students with appropriate communication skills, mathematical ability and other such skills that are required to face real life challenges. Students are also expected to study Application papers, to encourage application-based knowledge. In the final year, students shall be expected to pursue two Research based papers/ Innovation projects, something which does not exist under the current framework for majority of the courses. Hence, the FYUP might encourage the assimilation of knowledge, and not just learning for an upcoming examination.
  • The professional ‘tag’: Supporters of the FYUP are selling the idea stating that it is a more professional course and will create employable youngsters. If we stick to social myths, a B.Tech has been the way to go. If you want to earn money, you do not do a B.Sc./B.A but rather a professional course such as B.Tech. Even with general ‘academic’ courses being awarded with a professional tag, it might actually create more employable students.
  • Integration of Sports and ECA to the curriculum: Until now, sports and ECA have not been an active part of the curriculum. With the FYUP, students have the option to gain course credit from these activities. Hence, students who often contemplate about leaving passion in these fields due to academics can actually stay on and pursue them and gain credits from the same. Heads up for encouraging extra-curricular activities!
  • Better opportunities for higher education: For students wishing to go abroad for their masters, countries such as America have had limited options. The reason being majority of reputed colleges such as the Ivy League institutions require four years of undergraduate study. People who want pursue education at these places, opt to spend a year in other interim courses to bridge the requirement. With the FYUP in place, you would be eligible for applying fresh out of college.
  • Multiple degree options: While most people have been debating that the multiple degree option in the FYUP is meant to create disparity, the fact that the course gives a ‘choice’ is one to be appreciated. For example, if my economic condition does not allow me to finish my education and I leave after two years to get job, I have a diploma and have the option of turning it into an honours degree in the future. It’s about choices.
  • Digital awareness: Not everyone grows up amidst internet access and the FYUP acknowledges that. Creating foundational courses that work on to giving basic IT understanding to everyone is a positive step. Access to laptops might work in the right direction as well. With such approach the idea is to bring everyone on the same level before the real education in their major begins.
  • A step towards an International model: Adopting the credit system leaves room for studying a certain course at your pace. We can also assume that soon like the international system, community work and internships will also contribute to your credit score. If one rather wants to concentrate on training on field, you can work on that. If someone wants to get the fundamentals right, they can work on that bit. Again, it’s about giving the student a choice of how they wish to approach their under graduation.

These are a few things that strike right about Delhi University’s four year programme. By stating these we don’t wish to contemplate that everything about the FYUP is great, but rather stress on the fact that apart from the negative debates, there exists positivity on the subject as well.

(Also See: Apprehensions about the Four Year Undergraduate Programme)

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Admissions 2013

An Open Letter to VC Dinesh Singh

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dinesh singhRespected Mr. Dinesh Singh,

This letter is to congratulate you on your relentless pursuits to making Delhi University a world class university. I am fully aware that due to the “hurried” changes in the degree program, you have received more brickbats than bouquets, but this letter is an exception.

It has been around three years that you’ve been elected the VC of the best university in India. In your interviews you’ve maintained that the preparations for implementing the four year undergraduate programme (FYUP) started as soon as you held office. Even then you made the smart decision to implement the semester system, just to replace it with FYUP after two years. Your uncanny future planning is admirable, sir.

You’ve claimed rather vehemently that FYUP is going to increase the employability of students. I fully trust you when you imply that by studying non-core subjects more than core subjects in the span of 4 years, a pass out will be the preferred choice. I also believe you that by giving multiple exit points and still “benefiting” from the studies, a drop out with a B.A degree will get a job without really specializing in his 2/3 years of study.

Sir, I appreciate your concern for the students who wish to study in U.S.A after completing their graduation in India. Your decision to make structural changes (increasing the span from 3 years to 4 years to suit the USA model) rather than focusing on the quality of the structure (the quality of core disciplines, lessening the burden of non-core subjects) is admirable. Because you see, spending a year extra without learning extra is the goal, USA and all.

I understand you value quality education, that’s what FYUP is all about after all, isn’t it? Therefore I applaud your decision of making students study the disciplines that are in no way related to the field they want to major in. The fact that you’re making an English major aspirant from humanities background study biochemistry perfectly makes sense. Because the value of science foundation courses is so important in literature after all, that it would have been better to delete a Shakespeare text and replace it with physics.  Also, since not everyone has studied biochemistry at the high school level, college level bio-chemistry is going to be pretty much same to high school bio chemistry, so that everyone is able to study, thereby not taking college level studies a notch up. I perfectly see where you’re taking quality education with this.

You, respected sir have created an ideal university, where professors keep shouting and administrators turn a blind eye. Where students aren’t able to learn and nobody listens. Where cut offs keep rising and quality education keeps going downwards.

Congratulations sir. My heartiest wishes to you in your endeavour to achieve life, liberty and happiness, and perpetual deafness.

Yours sincerely
A student who being in second year is facing the misfortune of not studying in FYUP.

Image Credit: South Campus website

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Admissions 2013

Open Letter from the Faculty Members of the History Department Criticizing FYUP

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DU_Logo1The Faculty members of the History Department at Delhi University recently wrote an open letter criticizing the FYUP and highlighting significant loopholes in the way in which this new undergraduate system was implemented by the University officials. Here it is:

“We are in the midst of strong protests by teachers and students against the imposition of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) in Delhi University by the University administration. Since forums for academic discussion and debate in the University are no longer functioning, this letter from Faculty members in the History Department at Delhi University seeks to set the record straight on many details related to this issue.

1) The public needs to know that discussions regarding the new FYUP were managed by the University authorities, not in a democratic academic environment framed by University regulations, but in committees carefully screened by the University administration. The Department of History, indeed no department in the university, was involved in its formulation. We were eventually given a framework within which we were compelled to produce a syllabus for undergraduate instruction (about 35 courses to be taught in the third and fourth years of the programme) in the ridiculously short time of a fortnight, eventually changed to a month. University authorities clearly have no conception that a task of this kind requires time for serious deliberation and discussion about academic content of the courses and the pedagogic principles underlining them.

2) If the History Department was distanced from the framing of the course structure of the FYUP, it was kept entirely in the dark in the making of the compulsory ‘Foundation Courses’ to be taught to every single student in the first two years. Until recently we were actually not privy to their contents – such is the level to which the University has distanced its Faculties from itself today. All new courses in the University are supposed to be first debated in the respective Department Councils, and then passed by their Committee of Courses and finally the respective Faculties. These basic University regulations that ensure the quality and academic integrity of its courses were systematically flouted to enable the passing of the Foundation Courses. The Faculty of the History Department was not informed, nor did we participate in the recently conducted orientation programme for the History Foundation Course which was held for the first batch of specially selected college teachers.

3) Serious questions can be asked about the intellectual and pedagogical quality of the Foundation Courses prepared by the University. The Indian History and Culture Course, for instance, lacks academic rigour, refers to subjects from history while providing no context, and does not introduce students to historical methodology or serious scholarship. Some of the signatories to this letter have drawn attention elsewhere – that the course suffers from a naive and flat presentism, and fails even so much as to mention caste, class or community formation. The casualness in the preparation of this course is underlined by the fact that some of its parts are plagiarized from a Class XI CBSE textbook. Leaving the ethics of the case aside for the moment, the education of first year students in Delhi University is pegged at the same standard as the CBSE! The course has a sophisticated bibliography, but it is clear that these readings were not the inspiration for its contents or the philosophy that guided its pedagogy. A more likely hint of its sources of inspiration lie in the online materials – links to Wikipedia – to which students are also guided. This is shocking considering that teachers all over the world strongly dissuade their students from using their variable and unverifiable quality of information.

4) It is essential to keep in mind that University Education is a moment for both intellectual exploration and training in the complexities of different disciplines. Instead we have courses like the compulsory Integrating Mind, Body and Heart, which consist entirely of a foray into selective episodes in the life of Mahatma Gandhi plucked out of context and require that students model themselves on him (and him alone) in their life. Surely the goal of a modern University is to promote independent and wide-ranging thinking rather than this kind of uncritical and most un-Gandhian worship / adulation of a single individual, no matter how great s/he may be.

The protest and anxiety voiced by the signatories to this letter cuts through the differing intellectual persuasions of the members of the History Department. While the University administrators blame the University Faculties for stymieing progress and course revision, this is far from the truth. We are protesting draconian changes that are conceptually weak, irregularly framed and arbitrarily enforced.”

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Campus Central

Sri Venkateswara College Student wins the Golden Key International Honour

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Delhi University student Jasraj Bhinder from Sri Venkateswara College has been awarded the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society’s INDIA HIGH ACHEIVER AWARD of Rs 2.5 Lakhs. The India High Achiever award is instituted by Golden Key to assist Golden Key members to further their education in India. “Jasraj Bhinder has demonstrated excellence in Academics and related academic activities during his undergraduate study. Jasraj also demonstrated how Golden Key’s Commitment to Academics Leadership and Service will be furthered by his Postgraduate study, Golden Key will award more such scholarships to deserving individuals in India” said Dr Abhiram Prabhu Golden Key’s University Relations Office For India.

“It is indeed a great honour to have received this prize and I would like to thank Golden Key for that. It is always nice to have your efforts in life to be recognised and appreciated and this award does exactly that. More importantly, it urges me to put in even more hard work in my endeavours in the future. The scholarship award will be very useful in covering the costs of my current postgraduate education and in funding my studies further in the future”.
Said Jasraj Bhinder after receiving the award from Golden Key.
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Events

Project Akshar by Enactus SSCBS

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Project Akshar, an initiative by Enactus S.S.C.B.S., was started in the year 2011 with an aim to provide employment opportunities to those in need, help the environment and provide affordable education to the under privileged. It envisions creating extremely affordable, environment –friendly notebooks, by recycling and reusing paper that is discarded as waste by corporate houses, RWA’s and other organisations to create spiral bound eco-friendly notebooks which are produced by a group of:

  • hearing impaired individuals
  • victims of drug abuse,trafficking and abandonment

All sale proceeds from these notebooks go entirely to them.

For every 3 notebooks sold,1 notebook is sent to a child in need.

To commemorate 2 years of Project Akshar’s completion, ENACTUS S.S.C.B.S. is organizing ‘Akshar Day’ on 24th March, 2013 by organizing paper collection drives throughout Delhi and NCR, reaching out to thousands of people in the National Capital Region and collecting a momentous amount of paper.

Enactus is an international not-for-profit organisation that works with business leaders and university students across the globe to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life of people in need.

At Enactus Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (S.S.C.B.S.) (University of Delhi), we have been engaged in using business models to empower those in need, since our inception in January 2009.

 

Applications are open for students from all colleges to volunteer and participate in these collection drives.

Come, be a part of this celebration!

For any information, please contact: 

 

Sakshi Gupta
Vice President,Partnerships
Enactus SSCBS
+91-9999603193 


Krishni Miglani

Associate,Partnerships
Enactus SSCBS
+91-8826403870

To apply for the same visit the following link : bit.ly/aksharvolunteer
Hurry application deadline closes soon.

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Campus Central

Entropy’13

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The Science Forum, Hindu College, in association with star college project organised their first ever fest, Entropy, on 8th March 2013. Under the presidency of Anagha Madhu, this one-day fest was a huge success. The guest lecturer was Professor Sanjay Jain of the Department of Physics and Astrophysics, Delhi University. He spoke on the origin of life problems, the emergence of complexity. The one-hour talk was very knowledgeable and provoked the listeners to think beyond their capacity. A highly intellectual individual, Professor Sanjay’s aura was unfathomable. There were other events that saw a huge turnout. The winners of the science quiz were Ayan Madhan of Hindu and Debobrata Sensharma of St. Stephens. Experimental Design, a new and innovative event also attracted people with scientific calibre. Along with these, other side-events like Sudoku kept the people from the non-science departments enthralled. After a lot of hard work and patience, Entropy’13 did take place and was indeed a huge hit.   Surbhi Grover With inputs from Prerna Srigyan]]>

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Campus Central

TERI-POSOCO Initiative at Miranda House

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The Enegry and Resources Institute (TERI) and Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) initiated ‘Rhythms from the Riverbanks’-an educational programme for college students on understanding the culture and ecology of two of the greatest river cities of India-Delhi and Kolkata. Launched in December 2012, the programme, which is currently in its pilot phase, aims to make young people understand the history, culture, economy and sustainability of these river cities with the intention of inspiring them to work towards and the appreciation, recognition and conservation of the rich cultural heritage of these cities. In order to deliberate more on the core issues and themes of the project, TERI and POSOCO are proud to present ‘Call of the River-Rhythms Village’ – a 2 day conference in association with one of the oldest and most prestigious academic institutions of India, Miranda House, from 18-19 March 2013. Some of the themes of the conference are as follows:

  • Urbanization and city space
  • Culture and heritage and its relevance and today’s postmodern, globalized world
  • River-centric city planning
  • ‘Cultural leadership’ amongst the youth – what would it take?
  • Focused sessions on Yamuna and Hooghly
  • Social and ecological issues related to the river
Renowned historians, sociologists, artists, musicians have been invited for the conference. The conference would act as a platform to bring all the stakeholders related to the rivers, most importantly the youth, on one platform. For more information, visit the page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhythmsfromtheriverbanks?fref=ts Given underneath is a table of the events taking place at Miranda House, on 18th and 19th March.
 Day 1: 18 March 2013  
 
0930 hrs – 1030 hrs   Session I:  Inaugural Session    
0930 hrs – 0945 hrs    0945 hrs – 1000 hrs     1000 hrs- 1015 hrs         1015 hrs – 1025 hrs Welcome Address         Dr. Pratibha Jolly, Principal, Miranda House, Delhi University   Special Address V.V. Sharma, General Manager, POSOCO- NRLDC   Rhythms Supriya Singh, Associate Fellow, Educating Youth for Sustainable Development, TERI   Screening of the Students’ Film made as part of Rhythms Shweta Arora, MSc Environmental Studies & Resource Management, TERI University   Vote of Thanks Livleen Kahlon, Fellow, Educating Youth for Sustainable Development, TERI
1030 hrs – 1130 hrs  Session I: Miles on YamunaDU innovation Project Teams
 
1145 hrs – 1215 hrs Session II: A Life Called Yamuna: Understanding Delhi and its Relationship with the RiverGovind Singh, Research Scholar, Department of Environmental Studies, Delhi University & Co-founder Delhi Greens
1215 hrs – 1300 hrs  Film Screening & Discussion: Delhi-Work in Progress A documentary film by Krishnendu Bose
   
1400 hrs – 1515 hrs    Session IIIPanel Discussion: Rethinking Urbanization, Redefining Development and Rediscovering City Space   Moderator: Dr. Suneel Pandey, Senior Fellow, Centre for Environmental Studies, TERI   Speakers: Ms. Neelima Soni, Dy. Director, Landscape & Environmental Planning Unit, DDA Dr. Jayanta Basu, Correspondent –The Telegraph & Faculty, Department of Environmental Science, Kolkata University Dr. B.C.Sabata, Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Environment, Delhi Government Prof. Hariharan  Ramachandran, Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics
   
1530 hrs – 1700 hrs Competition – Rhythm Projects TERI 
1730-2000 hrs  ‘Nitya’ in ConcertShuheb Hasan (Vocalist), Anil Chawla (Keyboard), Aveleon Giles Vaz (Drums), Rajat Verma (Bass), Rajib Das (Percussion), Qazi Waseem Ahmed (Guitar)  
 Day 2: 19 March 2013Venue: Miranda House, Delhi University  
 
0930 hrs – 1100 hrs   Session IVTale of Two Rivers – Myths, Legends and Realities of Yamuna and Hooghly   Moderator: Dr Srimanjari, Specialist in Modern Indian History, Miranda House, Delhi University    Speakers: Smita Vats, ITIHAAS Dr. Minoti Chakravarty Kaul, Associate Professor Of Economics (Retired), LSR                                                                   Current Senior RA at Dept of History (University of Sussex)       
   
1130 hrs – 1300 hrs   Session V: ‘Call to Action: Educating, Engaging and Empowering Youth through different mediums and doorways   Moderator: Rishu Nigam, Area Manager-Visual Media, Film and Television Unit, TERI   Speakers: Ankit Pogula, Independent Film Maker, Tuning Fork Films Radhika Mathur, Coordinator, Right to Information Programme, The YP Foundation Arvind Gaur, Asmita Theatre Group
   
1400 hrs – 1530 hrs A Dastangoi presentation of the great Rajasthani folk story CHOUBOLIBased on the version created by Vijaydan Detha
   
1545 hrs – 1630 hrs Closing Remarks Dr. Pratibha Jolly, Principal, Miranda House, Delhi University  Prize Distribution
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Campus Central

Medina 2013: A three-day theatre Festival

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The Dramatics Society of Hindu College, Ibtida organised their annual fest – Medina 2013 this weekend. A three day event, it began with a street play competition; where teams were given different themes and told to prepare their acts within two hours. At the end of the eventful day, GTB IT secured first position, CBS secured second and SRCC came third. The second day of the event comprised of a bi-lingual play competition. Colleges across Delhi University showcased their annual productions – constrained by a time limit of 40 to 60 minutes. First to go on was Lady Sri Ram College with their play “Attempts on her Life!” – an energetic show put up by four girls. Following this was SRCC with their play “Noises Off” – filled with the right pinch of comedy, it kept the audience well entertained. “Saints and Sinners” was the most talked about play of the day – nearly everyone in the hall was excited to watch this Ramjas production. Though the fest started off with a low crowd turnout, more people could be seen entering the hall as the day progressed. By the time Hansraj and Hindu began their performances, the entire place was filled with an absorbed audience. The judges for the event were Keval Arora, a theatre enthusiast and professor of English at Kirori Mal College, and Ankit Chadha, who works for Dastan and is the founder of the Heptullah Society. The awards for Best Director went to Garima Jaju from LSR, Best Actor went to Praveen Shukla from Ramjas and the Best Stage Setup went to Hindu College. The award for Best Lights and Sounds was cancelled due to the poor coordination of each team in handling the equipment. It actually took SRCC twenty five minutes to get started with their performance once LSR finished! The third day of the fest saw an Alumni Meet – very thoughtful to bring back to college all those students who loved theatre during their time at college. The fest was well conceptualised, but could have been made better with more organisation among members of the society. However, there’s always room to learn for the next year. All in all, a thumbs up to the event!   Adita Bhatia ([email protected])]]>

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Campus Central

Uddan: The New heights of Kalindi

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The young and enthusiastic talents of the NCC were provided with an amazing platform to portray their tremendous skills. The first NCC Inter College Fest “Uddan” was organized by Kalindi College, University of Delhi on 27th February 2013.The Chief guests for the auspicious occasion, Brigadier Shivander Singh, Colonel S.S Chauhan and Lieutenant Parvinder Sehgal were warmly welcomed by the faculty and students of Kalindi College. Brigadier Shivander Singh felt privileged to talk to the kids and motivated them to face the worst challenges in their life. “India will be next to China by 2050, this generation will take India to that position with enthusiasm,” he said. The principal of Kalindi College, Mrs.Anula Maurya, expressed her happiness and addressed everyone with the inspirational words on the grand opening of the event. “I am obliged to be a part of this institution and wish a successful future to these upcoming cadets,” she said. The fest commenced with the cultural program in which Karela’s local dance performance, group song and yoga was performed by the students. The Squad Drill competition comprised of 9 students from each team headed by their leader. The various colleges in this category were Shahid Bhagat Singh College, P.G. DAV collge, Laxmi Bai College and B.R. Ambedkar College. P.G. DAV College was awarded with the first position and second position was given to Laxmi Bai College. Priyanka Mehta and Sweety Dass of Kalindi College won the colorful Rangoli competition. The participants were most excited about the ‘Best Cadet Competition’, which was awarded to Manoj Kumar of A.R.S.D College in boys and Shriya Bhalla of Kalindi College in girls. About 17 colleges participated in the NCC run, which consisted of 2 people per college. Brigadier Shivander Singh awarded ‘Guard of Honor’ to Manoj Kumar of A.R.S.D College. All the participants were given certificates for merit and participation. Thus the hard work of the candidates and their teachers paid off by the successful ending of the ceremony with a hope of an even better fest next year. Media Convener:  Mrs. Rajni Grover Contact- 9582244734]]>

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Campus Central

Antiquity’13:Celebrating Myths and Legends

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Antiquity, the annual Academic meet of the History Department of Lady Shri Ram College was held on 16th February, 2013. One of the most awaited History fests in Delhi University, Antiquity truly lived up to its hype this year, with some brilliant lectures and academically intriguing competitions. The History Department President, Vidushi Singh, inaugurated the fest, and her inspiring speech left students truly questioning the true meaning of myths and legends in their life and their reliability as intangible sources of heritage. According to Vidushi, “As students of History, the one thing that we have come to realize is that it is important to question our identities and the myths and legends that create it. Only then can we stop reigning in our curiosity and enquire about the blind acceptance of certain myths that govern our lives. This is one of the prime reasons that made us choose Myths and Legends this year as a theme for Antiquity.”

Dr. Shireen Moosvi, renowned Professor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) spoke about ‘The age of Akbar and the legend of Anarkali’. Her talk transported students to the reign of Akbar, and was immensely beneficial for the third year students who are currently studying Mughal India. Indeed, a ruler is truly defined by the supporters he keeps, and Dr. Moosvi clearly highlighted it during her lecture about Akbar. Her hypothesis about Anarkali also left the students spellbound. The second lecture was delivered by Dr. Narayani Gupta, renowned Professor of History at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Dr. Gupta spoke on the legends surrounding Delhi. With a dash of humour and a couple of eye opening facts, she received a thunderous applause at the end of her speech.

The Quiz, which was the highlight of the fest, was one of the most challenging events. Sudarshana Chanda, the quiz master, one of the best quizzing students of LSR conducted the quiz. She has been conducting the quiz for the past three years, each year making it even more challenging and interesting than the previous one.  The Paper Presentation competition was held in the afternoon, and saw participation from students of LSR as well as other colleges, and departments other than History. The competition was won by students of Miranda House, whose presentation on ‘Bengal folk paintings’ left the audience spellbound. Some really intense and thought provoking presentations were presented, one of them by Flavy Sen Sharma, on ‘Women  in the Jatakas’. Flavy came second.

According to Diksha Jhalani, the Secretary of the History Union, “I feel Antiquity is the best platform for undergraduate students belonging to any and every field to come and display their talents as well as learn more about the subject. It is definitely by far the biggest event I have worked for.” Diksha has been actively contributing throughout the year to the Union activities, and the hard work showed in the excellent organization of every event in Antiquity. Madhurima, the treasurer of the Union, also echoed the same view, and was seen throughout the fest actively working with all the volunteers to ensure all technical glitches and other problems were solved.

Antiquity ended on a bright note, with all participants going back to their respective colleges learning something new about the discipline of history, and re- instating their love for the subject. The all- inclusive atmosphere truly makes Antiquity a unique experience for every student and it is hoped that Antiquity returns next year bigger and better!

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