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DU students protest outside the VC’s office

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Post graduate students of MA/MSc Mathematics and BSc Physical and Life Sciences held a demonstration outside the VC’s office earlier this Friday to protest the irregular conduct of classes and push for an inquiry into the semester results. They alleged that a faculty member teaching ‘Measure Theory and Integration’, had been absent since the start of the current semester and that the students had already lost three weeks. The students also conveyed that their seniors had also suffered because of the same teacher in the last semester.

“The department is yet to take any steps”, Prof. Bal Kishan Das, the HOD of Mathematics of Delhi University was quoted saying. “The issue is on record of the university and they are looking into the matter. The department heads can only report things to the university, they can’t take any further steps.

“The department is conscious of the students’ requirements and demands. I had personally assured the students that they will not have to suffer. But they seem to have lost their cool.”

On asking the reason why the teacher hasn’t turned up 3 weeks into the semester, he said, “The teacher seems to be having some issues with the department. But I had mentioned this earlier as well that these things should be sought out as a different issue altogether”

Everybody is supposed to perform their specific duties, which they are, except for this particular teacher. Every time the issue was brought to notice, the department took cognizance of the situation and came out with a solution. There was a little gap, yes. But ultimately something was done to fix the problem.”

Another protest outside the VC’s office saw a strength of around 200 students of the third semester of BSc Physical and Life Sciences. The students demanded an inquiry into the semester results where 73% of the students had not cleared the exam. The students were accompanied by the DUSU President, Ajay Chhikara.

“The result has been extremely poor. Only 22-23% of the students have passed. And what is surprising is, that the students whose results showed that they had passed till morning, the website suddenly showed them as ‘failed’ by the night. This clearly goes to show that the results have been regulated. Therefore, we are protesting against this”, said Ajay Chhikara.

He further said, “The same problem had occurred last few times as well, with this very course. The syllabus is quite heavy and has not been moderated according to the semester system. I also feel that more importance and priority was given to the first semester results as the university wanted to show the success of the new ‘semester system’. And because of this the second years have been neglected, which can have a heavy impact on their futures.”

 

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Events

AIESEC DU recruitment begins

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For all those who missed out in August, AIESEC in Delhi University’s February recruitment has kicked off and if you’re someone whose unsure of what the organisation is all about, how you can apply and the kind of work that one is required to do, we provide you a rather candid insight into the functioning of the organisation.

Present in over 110 countries and territories and with over 60,000 members, AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organisation. AIESEC India currently has 24 local chapters namely Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Bhubeneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Deccan, Delhi IIT, Goa, Hyderabad, IIT KGP, Indore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kolkatta, Lucknow, Manipal University, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Vidyanagar and Delhi University.

An AIESEC aspirant will have to go through a three round process which will include; a group discussion, team activity and personal interview. Group discussions have officially started today, the team activity will be a simulation of the work that AIESEC does, and the personal interviews will commence at a later stage. AIESEC Delhi University stands out in the national circuit for its innovative thought process and creativity, and so, thinking out of the box and having excellent communication skills will be essential to crack the personal interview.

“We at AIESEC engage people from all over the world to achieve meaningful ends. Its all about the experience. If you say you’re with AIESEC, you can be: a) doing an internship in any country of any continent, except Antartica, b) providing international human resource to companies like TCS c) running your own social development project d) doing a lot of cool value adding stuff like sales, marketing, design, communication, public relations e) having fun in life“, says Adhiraj Singh, Local Committee President(E), AIESEC in Delhi University.

He further puts an AIESEC stereotype to rest and states, “The popular belief among DU students is that AIESEC is a party organisation. And I must say that they’re right. We do party. But they miss the complete story, we work and party and thats the cool part about us. We don’t get paid for what we do (don’t frown please, we do get reimbursed) but for us AIESEC moments are worth a life time. So if you’re someone who wants to connect, learn and contribute, or simply want an awesome C.V. Then are three words for you, AIESEC Delhi University”

Still not convinced? Megha Dasgupta (Vice President, Talent Management, AIESEC DU) tells us why one should not miss out on this opportunity, “At 20, I managed the human resource of a 200 member Local Chapter, with knowledge of and experience with HR operations ranging from talent planning, induction, training and performance management. I have always been passionate about societal development and got an opportunity to lead a 10 member organizing committee that planned and delivered the social impact event “Udaan”, an initiative of AIESEC in Delhi University to bring out the artist in every child by providing underprivileged children in our city, the opportunity to exhibit their dormant talents by expressing them through cultural workshops and competitions and direct them towards quality educational opportunities, giving me holistic event management experience, with focus areas ranging from logistics, event funding, partnerships, working with NGOs and under privileged schools in Delhi and NCR”

She further adds, “AIESEC life is surreal. The whole journey and experience is inexplicable. Its a revelation every single day; be it the people, the work or the environment”

If you’re the lucky one who gets to call him/herself an AIESECer, you will get to work in one of the following departments of AIESEC in Delhi University.

Corporate Relations
The corporate relations department of AIESEC DU is the best in AIESEC India. It provides international interns to corporate fulfilling their short term HR requirements. Some of the clients are TAJ, TCS, FORTIS.

Development Sector
This department works for the welfare of the society by undertaking various social projects and also by providing interns to the NGO’s. It runs various projects on wide spread issues like Casteism, Environment, Child and Women Empowerment. The local chapter through one of its projects is also sponsoring the education of 30 children in Seemapuri

Educational Sector
It runs various projects in premier institutes and schools across Delhi and NCR, focusing on soft skill development, cultural education and language training.

Outgoing Exchange Sector
This department works in sending Indian students on international exchange programmes. It offers management, technical and social internships to students.

External Relations
This department handles sponsorships and various external partnerships for AIESEC DU.

Communications and Information Management
This departments handles the external branding of AIESEC DU, working with various media houses. Some of the organizations they’ve worked with are MTV, Red FM, NDTV.

Talent Management
This department manages the HR of the organisation handling 200 odd people.

Finance
This department manages the administration and finances of the organization. Also works on preparing and maintaining the budgets hosted by the organization.

So if you’re from North Campus or a student of LSR, Gargi or DCAC, or if you study in Amity University or any other private institution and want to be a part of the world’s largest youth run organization, then register here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVvU25WTFY4SFJKQW45ckp0dmZBRWc6MQ#gid=0AIESEC in Delhi University- Recruitment Registrations , 2012″

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Events

SRCC Histrionica: Day 1 & 2

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DAY 1 (16th January, 2011)

The Dramatics Society of Shri Ram College of Commerce with their sweatshirts reading ‘100 percent cut off, 200 percent dramebazi’, began the first day of their annual fest ‘Histronica’ by singing their official ‘Oha!’ song. Though the event got delayed as a consequence of campus placements going on in the college, as well as the Indo-US meet, the fervour and energy was soon on display as they filled the air with calls of ‘aao aao..natak dekho…srcc ka..natak dekho’ in tandem with their dafli beats.

The main event of the day , ‘The Street Play Festival’ began soon after. With a stupendous footfall of hundreds of people, the street play festival was filled with scintillating performances by CBS,Hindu,IP (for women), Hansraj, SRCC, DRC, Khalsa and GGS. The street plays through their songs, squeals, screams, calls and subtle satire, spoke of a wide array of themes such as whistle blowing, child abuse, right to education to name a few. The event was judged by Ms.Tejaswini (LSR passout currently practising street theatre in Law Faculty) ,Soumyajeet (Indian representative for Lok Theatre Group) and Mr.Shirish (works with National School of Drama).

Plays titled ‘Tu maar de seeti’ (cbs), ‘zaruarurat kyat hi ‘(hindu),’albert pinto ko gussa kyun aata hai’ (ip for women), ‘dharm’(khalsa), ‘laalsa’(hansraj), ’prathmik’(srcc), ’ugte suraj ka sapna’(ggs), ’mehfooz’(drc) kept the crowd gripped and staring on in awe at the sheer brilliance of it all.

Students devoured on food at the various stalls which included Kolkata Biryani House, Dominos, Brown Sugar and Kwality Walls. After the street play exhibition, the side events commenced. The main filler events were –Shutter (photography event), Twister (game) and Poem Writing. With a staggering participation of 100 students in shutters, 150 students in twister and 35 students in poem writing, the competition was palpable at the fest.

Later as the evening progressed, it started to rain. The judges sat with the teams for comments and suggestions till 9 pm and in their 3 hours dialogue they expressed how they loved the creativity exhibited in the performances. In a well decorated college with ‘angeethis’ to warm the students in the evening, an intellectually stimulating talk with the judges was the perfect way to call it a day.
Navika Chaudhary, member of the SRCC dramsoc, went on to say, “drama is more than just a passion, it’s a way of life, and the dedication and commitment with which the teams performed today proved exactly that.”

With the sounds of “o baake chunar…munariya hoye…o baake ammi boli hoye…o beta…jeet ke aana..’ still in their hearts, everyone went home a winner.

DAY 2 (17th January, 2011)

The second day of the SRCC dramsoc fest ‘Histronica’ was as thrilling and eventful as the first. With more people coming in, despite the chilly winds and extremely cold weather; it was the day for stage plays. The entrance to the college was elaborately decorated with painted matkas and masquerade masks.

The list of people judging these plays is worth a separate mention. The first being Geeta Sudan who herself happens to be an SRCC alumnus and is presently a director at Paradine. She has also acted in accomplished films such as ‘No One Killed Jessica’ and ‘Udaan’. The second being Deepak Dhamija who is currently an entrepreneur, as well as the founder of Shoelace Production. He has also directed 10 plays. The third being Amrita Laalji, who teaches theatre at Shri Ram School and National Open School. She also happens to teach a practical course in ‘drama in exploration’ in Delhi University.

After a warm welcome to the judges, the four plays commenced in the auditorium. The acting was par brilliance and so were the themes and scripts. The sets only added to the sheer brilliance of it all. SRCC performed ‘The Untitled,kyunki kuch cheezon ka zikr nahi kiya jaa sakta’ centred around the electra complex. The second was a brilliant adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel ‘A Mousetrap’ and was titled ‘The Three Blind Mice’. The third play titled ‘Mr.Kolpert’ was a dark comedy and was presented by Ramjas. The last play was based on schizophrenia, was titled ‘Uss Paar’ and was acted out by the team of Hindu College.

Once the plays ended, the judges as well as the audience lauded the efforts of the teams and the judges went on thave a discussion with them. In the dialogue that followed they said that the script of ‘The Untitled’ was commendable because the concept of electra complex is difficult to portray, therefore writing a script on it was a brave move. Also Hindu and Ramjas were appreciated for their remarkable acting. And the adaptation of script of the ‘Three Blind Mice’ was exalted as well.

This was followed by a musical rendition by Harpreet Singh as well as a magictricks performance by Karan Singh. The filler event which happened later was ‘Ad Mad’ and it was won by Akshay and Mariam from Hindu College. They won Rs.1000 and special mugs sponsored by Worlds of Wonder.

It was yet another brilliant day hosted by SRCC’s dramsoc. And in Ayusha Kaul’s (who is a part of SRCC dramsoc) words ,”drama is life,you must live it well,enough said.” This was definitely another ‘well lived’ day.

Mannat Sandhu
[email protected] 

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Delhi College of Arts and Commerce

DMUNC 2011 and How It All Began

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“I’m going back to basics
To where it all began
I’m ready now to face it
I wanna understand”

So go the lyrics of a popular song by Christina Aguilera, and the same line of thought was followed by the students of the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, lovingly called DCAC, who in their maiden attempt at hosting a Model United Nations (MUN) conference, titled DMUNC (hosted between August 26-28), made sure they stood out from the rest.

For all those who are clueless about what MUNs are, we give you the official definition by the United Nations Association of the USA: “The Model United Nations is a simulation of the United Nations system. Students assume the roles of ambassadors to the United Nations and debate the current issues on the UN’s agenda. Through diplomacy and negotiation, Model UN students seek ways that the world community can deal with complex global concerns such as the environment, economic development, refugees, AIDS, conflict resolution, disarmament and human rights. Young people of all backgrounds and walks of life participate in these educational exercises to experience first-hand decision-making processes and diplomatic work at the United Nations.”

MUNing has become a verb in its own right and over the last few decades, it has seen a rapid increase in popularity amongst school and college students alike. For those who are frequent MUNers, it is nothing less than an addiction. For proof, search Facebook for a page titled ‘MUN Addicts Anonymous’. From actor Samuel L. Jackson to Chelsea Clinton (Don’t ask us who she is), many popular faces in law, arts and business have MUNed in their early years. Many claim that they have benefitted from this experience and it is regarded as a very engaging means to the development of important skills such as research, public speaking, problem-solving, cooperation, formal interaction and reporting. In India, the earliest MUNs were given an impetus by law schools, which deem it necessary for their students to have this experience. However, it wasn’t long before other colleges caught on, and schools followed suit too. College MUNs saw a relatively freer atmosphere than MUNs at the school level, because of the evident difference between the conduct of a school student and a college student, and it is a widely held opinion that school MUNs are relatively “stricter” in their rules and manner of running.

MUNs at the university level often witness a lot of frolicking and merriment, where flirtatious or cheeky exchanges between delegates abound in the formal course of the conference. Punning, mocking, innuendos and double-meaning statements are even more commonplace. While MUN Purists regard this playfulness as “degeneration” of MUN values, more liberal MUNers look forward to it as a good way of making new friends and added social interaction. Whether this takes away from the core spirit of an MUN, which involves stimulating debates and intense research, is a contentious question. Purists also believe that over the years, the quality of research and training, which a delegate ought to undertake before every MUN conference, has also seen a plunge. Participants are thought to be more concerned about the lunch timings than what they are presenting.

Sidharth Das, regarded as one of the best MUNers in the country (with a profile that boasts of 35+ MUNs), Secretary General of DMUNC ’11 and President of DCAC’s MUN society ‘MUNitions’, says about this degeneration: “A major difference between now and then is that almost every delegate was trained properly prior to an MUN and the difference between a trained delegate and the others was clearly visible when they stepped into council. Hours were spent in front of the computer reading through all possible documents that might help us in the council, that might give us an understanding of our countries’ foreign policy, or a flaw in another’s which we might point out and question them on.” He goes on to talk about the current scenario where most just browse through Wikipedia for information, how many are unaware of the rules of procedure, take greater pleasure in passing chits than raising a noteworthy point, and adds “While there isn’t anything wrong with having fun, but perhaps fun at the expense of the purpose of the Conference is a flaw that needs correction.”

When Das announced DMUNC, everyone knew it would be something to look forward to. And he proved them right by conducting a conference that followed the philosophy of “Back to Basics”, ensuring that everything in the conference would be just like a school MUN, minus any frivolity and solely for the purpose of competitive and stimulating debating. It was an effort that was much commended, and nobody could deny that delegates were enjoying the intellectual challenges posed to them.

It was an effort that was much commended, and nobody could deny that delegates were enjoying the intellectual challenges posed to them. Prakriti Kargeti, Undersecretary General, accrues the success of the conference to Das’ dedication and commitment, and adds that all their hard work and almost unfairly “rigorous sessions” of training paid off, enabling them to host an event that broke away from the tradition of contemporary Indian MUNs, from the initial application process to the closing ceremony.

No wonder so many tagged it as the ‘Das Model United Nations Conference’!

Aayushi Sinha
[email protected]

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A Rap on the Wrist for DUTA

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A Rap on the Wrist for DUTA
The Delhi High Court on 15th November reprimanded the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA)
for striking work and not holding classes in protest against the implementation of the semester system.
The court directive comes after a large portion of the academic year being interrupted by recurring
strikes and demonstrations.
The Division bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, “Education cannot be thrown into the
ocean by these teachers, who are taking the law into their hands by going on strike. The rule of law
has to prevail and teachers are bound to follow the instructions of the University administration”,
while directing teachers to return to their classes and conduct classes in accordance with the semester
system. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Professor M R Gupta against the
teachers who had been on an indefinite strike since October 25th. DUTA was a respondent in this
particular PIL.
Even though this is an interim order, members of DUTA expressed their dismay at the court’s orders.
Said Ms Ujjaini, “We are definitely disappointed since the court has failed to recognize our motive. We
have been against the Semester System for two reasons. The first was the fact that it would lead to the
dilution of the academic standards and its implementation is seen as a ruling out of skilled technicians
from India’s premier league universities.”
The High court also put on hold the semester exams which were scheduled to begin on the 6th of
December, in light of long strikes and the controversial issues concerning the new system. This
prolonged the uncertainty shrouding the exams and prompted confusion among the students of several
colleges. As late as Saturday, reports of some colleges holding exams in January, while others continuing
with the December schedule kept trickling in. A clearer picture will emerge after the University sends
all colleges a communiqué in the matter. Internal exams are likely to be postponed by at least a week, if
not more.
As far as the allegations of procedural and legal violations in the implementation of the system are
concerned, the High Court adjourned the matter till the next hearing which is to be held on the 13th of
December. A member of DUTA, who did not wish to be named said, “DUTA will file their complaints
regarding the violations of law and procedure by the administration in the semester system before the
next hearing. As far as future course of action goes, there are two things that need to be done. Outside
the court, we will continue to spread awareness and sensitize all the stakeholders about our stand
against the semester system. Inside the court, the legal recourse that DUTA now plans to take has not
been decided. We are consulting our lawyers in the matter and can take any action necessary, whether
it is approaching the Supreme Court or filing a separate plea in the High Court itself.”
In the meanwhile, some teachers also expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent events. Said
Mukul Manglik of the History Department of Ramjas College, “In the last 6 months, the University has
gone to court over an academic issue. This is a most disturbing trend. For the University to support a
PIL lodged by an outsider is equally unsettling. An issue that affects the intellectual and academic life
of the University should be resolved within the University itself. A University is a place for debate and
discussion and the semester issue should be resolved in a similar manner. The lack of discussion sets a
dangerous precedent for the University, and for the society at large.”
-Surabhi Mall
[email protected]
Devika Dutt
[email protected]

The Delhi High Court on 15th November reprimanded the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA)

for striking work and not holding classes in protest against the implementation of the semester system.

The court directive comes after a large portion of the academic year being interrupted by recurring

strikes and demonstrations.

The Division bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, “Education cannot be thrown into the

ocean by these teachers, who are taking the law into their hands by going on strike. The rule of law

has to prevail and teachers are bound to follow the instructions of the University administration”,

while directing teachers to return to their classes and conduct classes in accordance with the semester

system. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Professor M R Gupta against the

teachers who had been on an indefinite strike since October 25th. DUTA was a respondent in this

particular PIL.

Even though this is an interim order, members of DUTA expressed their dismay at the court’s orders.

Said Ms Ujjaini, “We are definitely disappointed since the court has failed to recognize our motive. We

have been against the Semester System for two reasons. The first was the fact that it would lead to the

dilution of the academic standards and its implementation is seen as a ruling out of skilled technicians

from India’s premier league universities.”

The High court also put on hold the semester exams which were scheduled to begin on the 6th of

December, in light of long strikes and the controversial issues concerning the new system. This

prolonged the uncertainty shrouding the exams and prompted confusion among the students of several

colleges. As late as Saturday, reports of some colleges holding exams in January, while others continuing

with the December schedule kept trickling in. A clearer picture will emerge after the University sends

all colleges a communiqué in the matter. Internal exams are likely to be postponed by at least a week, if

not more.

As far as the allegations of procedural and legal violations in the implementation of the system are

concerned, the High Court adjourned the matter till the next hearing which is to be held on the 13th of

December. A member of DUTA, who did not wish to be named said, “DUTA will file their complaints

regarding the violations of law and procedure by the administration in the semester system before the

next hearing. As far as future course of action goes, there are two things that need to be done. Outside

the court, we will continue to spread awareness and sensitize all the stakeholders about our stand

against the semester system. Inside the court, the legal recourse that DUTA now plans to take has not

been decided. We are consulting our lawyers in the matter and can take any action necessary, whether

it is approaching the Supreme Court or filing a separate plea in the High Court itself.”

In the meanwhile, some teachers also expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent events. Said

Mukul Manglik of the History Department of Ramjas College, “In the last 6 months, the University has

gone to court over an academic issue. This is a most disturbing trend. For the University to support a

PIL lodged by an outsider is equally unsettling. An issue that affects the intellectual and academic life

of the University should be resolved within the University itself. A University is a place for debate and

discussion and the semester issue should be resolved in a similar manner. The lack of discussion sets a

dangerous precedent for the University, and for the society at large.”

-Surabhi Mall

[email protected]

Devika Dutt

[email protected]

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Features

Independence Day Special

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Books

On Independence Day, la grande dame decided that this Independence Day issue would treat the day not only as some sort of day of reverence in honour of the country, but also talk about the liberated spirit. Two books that talk about absolute opposites in that sense are Train to Pakistan and 1984.

Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan, is one of the most famous works based on Partition, and was also the basis for a movie starring Mohan Agashe and the late Nirmal Pandey, who passed away in February this year. Written in extremely simple language, “Train to Pakistan” portrays the lives of an ordinary cast of characters turned extra-ordinary by their changing world. What does independence of thought, of action, of country, mean when whole train-loads of dead people arrive at the railway station everyday? The answer, perhaps, is thought and action that goes against the grain of thoughtless violence, even if it has serious, perhaps fatal consequences.

While Khushwant Singh’s novel is based very much in the reality of history, George Orwell’s 1984 is as dystopian a novel as dystopian novels can be. The novel envisages a world completely under the control of one party. The world has been divided up into three and the book’s setting is remembered perhaps most for the ubiquitous “Big Brother”, the larger-than-life leader whose presence is prevalent through every sphere of life, but who is never seen in person. Independence is stultified to the extent of the absolute control of history, total control over every aspect of a person’s life; ‘thoughtcrime’ (the thinking of rebellious thoughts) is among the most serious crimes.

These two books differ widely in their settings and their stories, but are extremely crucial to understand the importance of independence of an individual.

Eeshaan Tiwary

Movies

V for Vendetta
Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V’s plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption. The Wachowskis’ adaptation of Alan Moore graphic novel is remarkably faithful. The direction is bold and some dialogues powerful. It depicts violence as a means to free the state. It’s not a call to rise up against authority, but a warning about the way fear can be used to give a person or organization too much power.

Haqueeqat
Haqueeqat is National Award winning film about the Sino- Indian war of 1962. Directed by Chetan Anand, the film is memorable for its songs sung by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. The plot centers around Capt. Bahadur Singh (Dharmendra) who dies fighting along with his girlfriend in order to protect other platoon members from the Chinese. A gut- wrenching movie with excellent songs like, Kar Chale Hum Fida, Jaano Tan Saathiyon, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon, Haqueeqat makes for ideal I- Day viewing.
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
Hazaaron is a story of three people consumed by angst and desire during a turbulent period of modern Indian history, the Emergency of 1975. Siddharth (Kay Kay Menon), Geeta (Chitrangda Singh) and Vikram (Shiny Ahuja) are Delhi University students in the 1970s. Siddharth, born to judge and raised in luxury lives in abject contempt of the noncommittal attitude of the power bearers of the country, wants to be the harbringer of a revolution. Vikram, on the other hand, born to a Gandhian father and having been around revolution all his life, wants nothing to do with it. Both are in love with Geeta, a shy and reserved South Indian girl. All of them seek true happiness, but all they really find is that they’re cogs in a machine which they really can’t control.

Songs

This Independence Day, DU Beat brings to you; a list of absolute must listens. If you haven’t heard them, you must and if you have, revisit them this I- Day. They are songs, not just about India’s freedom struggle but about independence, freedom in the very base sense of the word. Freedom to be; for an individual, a nation, a world.

Kar Chale Hum Fida, Jaano Tan Saathiyon, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon, sung by Mohammed Rafi

The Wall- Pink Floyd

Redemption Song- Bob Marley.

Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hai- AR Rahman, Roja

Gimme hope, Jo’anna- Eddy Grant

Wavin’ Flag- K’naan

Winds of Change- The Scorpions

Vande Mataram- AR Rahman

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Chariots of North Campus

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In collaboration with Delhi Transport Corporation, Delhi University has launched a low floor bus service to and from the Vishwavidyalaya metro station in North Campus.
The bus service began with the new session on 21st July. It charges a flat rate of Rs 5 and plies from Monday to Saturday on three routes. These three routes cover all the colleges in North Campus and have provided the students and teachers an alternate means of travelling to and from the metro station, which until now was the monopoly of the rickshaw puller.
This bus service started just in time as, in keeping with the rising prices, rickshaw pullers have also upped their rates. As opposed to charging Rs 10 for one person till the red light on Chattra Marg, rickshaw pullers now agree to provide their services for Rs 15; that too after some haggling. This might be an opportunistic temporary rise in prices to try to make a better living for a few days at the expense of freshers who are still learning the ropes of campus life and are not very aware of the prevalent rates. Even though some students sympathise with the rickshaw puller, they are glad for the availability of an alternate means of transportation. Says a student of Hindu College, “These rickshaw pullers work very hard in the heat and deserve whatever they are charging. In these inflationary times, it is difficult for them to make ends meet. So a rise in rates seems justified. However, it is difficult for us as well as we have to make do in a fixed amount that we get as pocket money. So the bus service is definitely a blessing”.

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DUSU Disunited On Semester System

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The official voice of the students, the DUSU (Delhi University Students’ Union), appears to be a house divided on the issue of the semester system. This emerged after the Delhi High Court had decided that the students’ union needed to be asked for its opinion on the contentious issue.
The Delhi High Court had on July 27 2010 asked both DU and DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association) to consult DUSU and had also asked the two to not “play with the life of the students”.
In response, DUSU president Manoj Choudhary stated that he supported the implementation of the semester system and that he was also concerned about teachers who had refused to take classes over the issue.
The other three office bearers, Kirti Wadhera, Arshdeep Kaur and Anupriya Tyagi, expressed sentiments just the opposite, in a letter asking for a debate on the issue, to the Vice Chancellor. The letter states that they find it “unfortunate that students have not been called for any serious academic discussion” and that the proposed changes do not provide the time and space for extra-curricular activities. The letter also states their objection to the absence of students in the academic council.
With the office-bearers of DUSU airing such glaring contradictions, the question arises if their views will be taken seriously or will the differences result in the students’ opinion being sidelined.

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Features

And it Begins

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DU Beat gets you the first impressions of some fachchas from Delhi University.

Step one – Look Straight, Step two – Walk straight, Strep Three – Be confident. Step four – Forget it all and simply enjoy the experience.
Despite my apprehensions, we were not ragged. As boring as it may sound, it was a better way to have ourselves introduced to an entirely new world.
Within few days the misinterpretations and hesitations of an all girls’ college have been dumped out of my mind. Where I thought I’ll witness a world taking care of what they need to wear, all that I’ve seen in the genesis is a world which believes in being themselves. I dare deny that I don’t have inhibitions since I have come across exceptional talent in the very beginning, yet I have also come across highly encouraging teachers who appreciate learning and suggestions.
As for the butterflies in the tummy are concerned, I am already craving the infamous Kathi Rolls served in our Café’.

Vanshika Singh
BA (Hons) English
LSR

‘College is a new beginning, a fresh start, back to zero’.
Agreed.
Though I expected my first day of college to be vastly different from school, I’m glad that I can say that in its essence- it wasn’t. Coming from DPS Mathura Road, I have spent years being fiercely independent and gaining appreciation for the same. I still maintain that it is the hardest school to survive in, one which prepares its students for everything. At LSR, I saw that what the institution expects out of its girls is that they have the courage to change into women. That courage lies within me because of my school but I trust my college life to probe it out and teach me how it is to be used. A short day, but power packed- the twenty first of July 2010 was one day that I know I will remember for years to come. But what the spirit of LSR has really inspired me to do is look back after three years and see how far I’ve come. Because right now, life has just begun.

Shirin Rai Gupta
BA (Hons) English
LSR

Assembly (yes, Assembly, just like school, except without the uniforms) was at 9.05AM precisely and I skidded into the hall four minutes to it. The lights went out just as it started, so I don’t remember much besides gasping for breath and fanning myself with my phone cover. The professor for our first class didn’t show up, so after 20 minutes of waiting for him, a few of us dared to venture out of the building and into the cafe (with an accent, but my keyboard doesn’t allow that. Sorry SSC), where the seniors were. As it turns out, having family in the same college means nothing- she turned me over to the third years as soon as she saw me.
After the last class, a bunch of us History and Philosophy students hung around Kamla Nagar for a while- because as we’ve been told, ‘first years always think they own the place when they get into North Campus’. We were just living up to our reputation. Also, we were hungry. My first day, that.

Esther Anne Victoria Moraes
B.A. (Hons) History
St. Stephens

DU, especially CBS, was always a dream but the clack hole in this big dream of mine was the fear of ragging. My first day at college was all but what I had dreaded it to be. Amicable seniors, concerned teachers and festivity welcomed me. New, unknown faces dressed in their best, stared right into my eyes saying, “Hi, I am XYZ.” Life seemed brand new after 14 years of school. And I thought, “This should be good.”
I am glad where I am today. Because it is showing signs of being absolutely brilliant.

Shubhda Hirawat
BBS
SS College of Business Studies

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1. DU revamps website
For those who’ve been DU students for a while would know the drastic change brought about in the revamped and improvised website of DU. The students joining university for this year are warmly welcomed by a new and fresh look of the Delhi University website- www.du.ac.in. Till the last academic year, students had to visit separate websites for North and South campus to check their results and for university details, however from now all details are available on the same website.
2. DU introduces course on Research Competency
Institute of Lifelong Learning & Delhi University Library System introduces short term course on “Information Literacy for Research Competency” (ILRC). The students of the University of Delhi fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned in the official website of DU may apply for the short term course on ILRC. The application details are also available. The course aims to impart information literacy skills among the participants making them information literate. A certificate will be awarded to the participants on successful completion of the course.

3. Campus Bus Service
A feeder bus service has been started in the North Campus, charging Rs. 5 only. The buses will ply from Monday to Saturday betweek 08:00 am to 06:00 pm with a frequency of 10 minutes every bus. There are 3 main routes: Ramjas- Khalsa College, St. Stephens’- DSW, FMS- Hansraj College.

4. Perfect Gift to DU
A new swanky Delhi University Stadium, a Commonwealth Games venue for rugby, was inaugurated on Thursday by Sports Minister MS Gill, who described it as a ‘gift’ to Delhi University. It took almost 2 years to build.

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