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The Girl with a PhD: Dr. Kamala Sohonie

By DU Beat November 26, 2018

In a country where women are still told which professions are suitable for their gender, Sohonie is an inspiration who literally helped open the doors of research in science to women. If somebody ever says “women are not cut out for science”, use excerpts from Sohonie’s story to inspire you forward.

“Kamala Sohonie was a quiet, unassuming person. A woman of few words.”- Vasumati Dhuru, an Indian author.

This woman of few words, born in 1911, had decided as a young child that she would become a renowned chemist just like her uncle because she resembled him in appearance. The hurdles, struggles, and misogyny did not exist for the young kid’s resolution. That did not deter her from going on to earn the title of the “first female PhD-holder of India”. Her contemporaries were budding to satiate their love for curiosity, but Dr. Sohonie had to pay the penalty of rebuke and ostracisation for her curiosity, despite the unwavering support of her highly-educated family.

Graduating first in her BSc course class from Bombay University, she challenged the first Asian Nobel Laureate in Physics- Dr. C.V. Raman- when he refused her admission for Master’s at the Indian Institute of Science based on her gender. She publicly stated later on, “I can never forget the way he treated me just because I was a woman. This was a great insult to me.” Yet when it came to enduring his unnecessary conditions for allowing her an education at the Indian Institute of Science, she did it all for the love of science. Professor Raman began to admit female students after Kamala’s work captivated his scientific mind. She surpassed the stereotype and opened the door, quite literally, for female curiosity.

She won a scholarship for Cambridge, then a fellowship at the laboratory of Fredrick G. Hopkins. Less than 16 months after working under the Nobel Laureate, she submitted a thesis on the role of cytochrome-C in the respiration of plant tissue. Her doctorate was one of the landmarks for the entire science community because it was merely forty pages in length, when theses of over ten thousand words were a common convention.

Returning to India in 1939, she became a professor and the HOD of biochemistry at Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. She joined the Royal Institute of Science in Bombay as a professor in 1947, but it took her four years to head the department because of gender biases and politics. This Rashtrapati Award winner who worked on ‘Neera’ collapsed and died, 86, at the Indian Council of Medical Research shortly after her honouring ceremony, in a setting she strived in her life to be a part of.

Image Credits: Feminism in India

Anushree Joshi

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Do Marks Really Matter?

By Meher Gill November 18, 2018

Contrary to the popular opinion among the youth that marks don’t really matter, the truth of the situation is that, marks do matter, and even if they do not define your entire life and career, they do certainly help in getting an individual one step closer to their desired goals.

Class 12th boards are a stressful period for parents and students alike. Months of mock exams, tuitions, and hefty amounts of money are spent on preparing students for the most important school level exam in India. A whole new industry is booming as a consequence of the average Indian parent and student stress. The competitiveness of exams has increased as a consequence of shortage of seats owing to the increasing population. The coaching industry is bearing its ugly head at every level of education. Lakhs of students burn the midnight oil to get that extra edge over their counterparts, in a bid to outbid the best for a seat in prestigious institutes like the University of Delhi.

Saying that marks don’t matter is a stretch, especially considering the amount of preparation that goes into making students ready for any exam at any level. If marks truly did not matter, the coaching industry would perish, and the country’s stress levels would plummet. With a population as large as a country like India, a basic criteria which comes even slightly close to fair selection are marks, where performance decides results. Not to say that the marking system and whole education system is not flawed in various ways, but so far it is the closest thing to fair that is considered for entry into college and work.

Point in case marks do help get you into your desired school, college, or even work place, they are the sole criteria in terms of segregating the deserving from the undeserving, those who work hard, versus those who don’t, according to Indian societal standards.

Another argument supporting the concept of marks is that, saying marks don’t matter, disregards the months or even years of hard work put in by lakhs of students in colleges and schools across the country and even the world. The sugar coated world that exclaims that “marks don’t define you” is letting you down easy, with an attempt not to hurt any feelings. In practical life, a student with good marks is unlikely to say that marks don’t matter, whereas those with sub par or ‘bad’ marks is more likely to say the controversial phrase.

The college coaching industry is second to the school, and competitive exam industry, but equally big, and expensive. The end goal of these institutions is not to impart knowledge, but rather to help students attain a certain number of marks. The main question we grapple with, as a society is the question of knowledge versus marks, are we teaching students something new, or merely how to attain marks ?

In a system where marks serve as the deciding criteria for most important life decisions, completely denying their value is unreasonable. Until we move forward as a nation to create fairer ways to determine individual talent, aptitude, and ability, marks do matter.

Feature Image Credits: The Times of India

Meher Gill

DUB Speak

Hysterically Horrific Exam Tales

By DU Beat November 18, 2018

Exams, in the pluralistic usage can inspire the deepest fears in every student. Sometimes this fear is heightened to a hysteria.

There is no other way to inspire anxiety in college students than handing them their date sheet for semester exams. More often than not, we are given the internals and practical examinations during regular days at college; but the semester exams inspire an excitement that is too real. Internals and practicals, meant to prepare us for the ultimate semester exams, fail to help us in their direct motive. It is in such times that we become hysterical with horror.

A friend of mine had to go through the grind of completing a respectable part of her unending curriculum, bereft of the comforts of her mattress; staying up through the night for a good score in a test scheduled at 8:30 am on a wintry December morning. At 7:30am, having covered a sizeable part of her syllabus, she decided to freshen up with a quick nap. But then she slept through the exam. And well, to be fair, we all know she had the better bargain— you cannot put a price on an innocent dreamy slumber after a wakeful night.

“In the middle of protests and elections in full swing through the early months of this semester, classes and studies took a major hit,” said a third year Political Science student at Kirori Mal College, retaining the request of anonymity. Truly, the cancelled classes are now being conjured up out of thin air, early in the mornings for an 8:50 session or later into the day— when exhaustion is a mutual feeling between the professors and students— for a reckless 3:50 lecture.

Exams, you see, inspire some scares.

In the course of the exams, you can never laugh at the hysteria. It is a retrospective activity, to be fair. It is, as a third year English Honors student at Hindu said, when asked to share her hysterical exams stories, “Exams are hyperventilating! They become hysterical later.” Possibly no argument exists to refute this. Maybe the expectations that we have, or in some cases are imposed to have, go a long way in adding to this smothering nature of exams. “You have admitted yourself successfully in one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation. Did you think your work was over? You thought wrong,” said a professor of English Literature at Hindu College in a particularly scathing lecture in the first week of the new session.

Sometimes it so happens, that the standards we are expected to match and possibly, outmatch, are highly unreasonable. Like another friend studying Journalism from Delhi School of Journalism mentioned, “My teacher asked us to shoot a documentary in one day- 10am to 4:30pm was the time allotted for the same”. Maybe it is just this overburdened spirit that crumbles under unreasonable standards of intelligence enforced on us for being in the university.

But it is good to see some spirited victims of oppression retaining their merit through this grind. “I have two internals tomorrow, I’m just binge eating and crying…” said a third year Psychology student at Daulat Ram College. “Two assignment submissions, one core internal and one Generic Elective internal for tomorrow. Planning to doze off.” said another inspiring model of chill studying at Kirori Mal College.

Allowing the sharing of my own experience. I finished reading the wrong book a day before the exam. And then despite my quick reading habits— avoiding the retention or understanding of the content— I decided not to read the right book. I walked into my class the next day, sat for an internal unprepared totally, and ended up scoring a single digit on a 20-marker paper. I mean, that is better than a zero, at least.

An interesting subplot to the exams season is the trouble of attendance. Let us face it, the 67% mark is impossible to reach, let alone maintain. And then the problems with admit cards adding to our hysterical narrations later in the next semester. During exams, the most arbitrary engagement will appear most promising. Infinite no-thank-you’s to videos like “Cat reads chemistry” on YouTube for instance; killing time but teaching us to live the high life during exams.

I feel unpreparedness is an opportunity to explore our innovation, so we all know who is the winner.

Feature Image Credits: 1to1tutoringwithjoy

Kartik Chauhan

Uncategorized

BAZINGA: DU Makes Clearing Dope Test Mandatory to get Admit Card

By Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak November 7, 2018

Kunal has been sober for two days now. He has begun to identify things and people around him. The hazy pictures that used to form on his nearly-damaged retina, have assumed, all of a sudden, a 4K definition. He now remembers things, breathes in fresher air (although that is a rare finding in Delhi), uses ice only to cool his soft drinks and paper only to wrap his chicken rolls in. All of this has happened because of one ruling. One sheet of paper has apparently changed his life.

Getting admit cards embodies a joy in itself. The sudden realisation of the fact that it is that time of the year when you begin to regret each and every jubilation you were a part of, that time you regret each and every puff of smoke and sip of that luxurious cocktail that you had in that fancy pub. Earlier, this used to be a metaphoric manifestation. However, this semester onwards, the University of Delhi has been gracious enough to make things even more tough for survival.

Short attendance may be handled through some politically active ‘bhaiyyas’ arranging for an affidavit. But the varsity has recently made the passing of dope tests a mandatory requirement for all students in order to lay their hands on their crisp black and white admission ticket. It is now compulsory to not only appear for dope tests but also to pass them with flying colours.

The decision comes after Ms. Anoushka S., an activist filed a PIL with the Honorable Court of University Justice, citing the bad effects that alcohol and drugs have on their health as well as lifestyle. Justice Gaitonde, the judge adjudicating over the case, says “As a student, I never got the time or the opportunity to experience what all of this feels like. When Ms Anoushka put in the PIL, it hit my wildest insecurities. Therefore, I decided to deliver an unbiased verdict in the matter, and hence, the ban.”

The verdict has received mix response from the students. It is estimated that around 39 percent of the student body shall be bereft of their admit cards due to this ban.

Note: DU Beat or the author does not, in any way, encourage or support the consumption of narcotics, and shall not be liable in any way for the same.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only meant to be appreciated, not accepted.

Feature Image Credits: The Evening Standard

Aashish Jain

Events

Oasis’18 Day 1: A Tango to Remember

By DU Beat October 30, 2018

DU Beat brings to you the highlights from a day full of music and art at Oasis’18, BITS Pilani.

Immense creativity was seen oozing at Oasis’18 as hand painted structures, instead of store-bought festoons, adorned the campus. A band of handmade life-size minions, displayed playing outside the BITS Pilani auditorium became the most popular photo booth. Other Instagram-friendly hot-spots were- an ‘Oasis’ display, letters of which were adorned with paintings of malicious women from pop culture, and a gory arrangement of Satan crying a continuous stream of blood. Overall, The artworks complimented this Oasis’ ‘evil’ theme for the year.

The Stage Play competition, primarily organised by the Department of Theatre, BITS Pilani, had eight participants including the team from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi. The competition was adjudged by actor and theatre artist Shilpi Marwah, a well-known name in the Delhi Theatre Circuit. Teams performed bilingual plays in Hindi and English, with limited props and a time allotment of 16 minutes.

After two teams backed out from the theme-based contemporary dance competition, choreography finals were performed by the remaining six teams. Sensation from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, gave a sensational performance of their production, ‘The Wonder’. The participants were allotted a time limit of 10 minutes, excluding the 7 minutes allowed for the pre-performance set up. Among the other Delhi University Colleges were, College of Art, Gargi College and Lady Shri Ram College.

The classical dance competition, Tandav was open for participants trained in art forms Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Sattriya. Dancers had the entire SAC hall to present their piece.

“Prepare to use all your resources and brain power to fetch the most ridiculous, unfathomable and extraordinary things possible from a list of items given to you. Each object on this list earns you specified points and the team with the highest points wins,” says the description of an event, Beg Borrow Steal, on the Oasis’18 mobile app. Organised by the Department of Informalz, the event took place in FD2 QT of the BITS premises.

Ten teams participated in an event called Cocktail, organised by the Oasis Hindi Press in which participants gave their opinions on questions, such as whether hostels should be co-ed. Organised by the Public Policy Club, the Turncoat was adjudged by BITSian’s and club members, Mohit and Anshul, and saw more than 40 individual participations.

The Tango Night saw performances by the Argentine Embassy in the open stage area of the BITS premises. Dancer Alejandra Caceres, a delegate from the Argentina Embassy, informed that their well-rehearsed piece comprised mostly impromptu steps, since they danced the way they felt at that moment.

English Prof Show, the most awaited event for day one of Oasis’18 saw a large audience turn up, for renowned English virtuoso guitarist Guthrie Govan’s performance. The crowd expressed their appreciation by hooting and barricades banging. Jazzy genres and heavy metal rock instrumentals were played through tracks such as ‘Bad Asteroid’, ‘Sevens’ and ‘Furtive Jack’. Guthrie’s bandmate, 22 year old bass guitarist Mohini Dey impressed the crowd with her short solo. Drummer Gino Banks also played a drum solo that reverberated through everybody’s chests. Young music enthusiasts at the BITS Pilani auditorium were thrilled to get clicked in a group selfie with the stars, at the end of the concert.

Feature Image Credits: Simran Sawhney for DU Beat

Ananya Acharya

Parshv Jain

Interviews

In Conversation with P. Sainath, Editor of People’s Archive of Rural India

By Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak October 24, 2018

On 26th September 2018, DU Beat interacted with P. Sainath, Editor of People’s Archives of Rural India and the former Rural Editor of the Hindu who has won over 40 global and national awards for his reporting.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

Kinjal: You are the grandson of V.V. Giri, the fourth President of India. Your life could have been simpler owing to your privilege. What compelled you to undertake the kind of profession you have?

Sainath: I believe journalism is about reporting everyday lives of people. I don’t see what I do as some major sacrifice, I enjoy what I do, and I don’t suffer for it. The only thing that has been utterly miserable was breaking the stories on farmer suicide. Those have been heartbreaking. Journalists should be questioned as to why they cover urban India so much. None of the newspapers or news channels have a full time national level correspondent covering the rural aspects of the country. I think I am doing what should be the norm rather than what is the exception.

Kinjal: In the era of fake news how does one preserve the sanctity of journalism?

Sainath: I think there seems to be an illusion that fake news begins with social media. There has been fake news since there has been news. Technologically, the scope for it has become vast. The scope of fake news has enlarged considerably through social media, this comes from the people who have monopolies over sources of news media. The digital monopolies are the largest monopolies in history and they are greater and more dangerous than any other monopoly in the world. Literally, five to six people control all of this. What makes them more dangerous is that they own your personal data. No monopoly in history ever did that. While Hindustan Times had a monopoly in Delhi, they did not have your personal data and they did not own it. Digital monopolies not only have your data, they sell it and traffic in it. That’s what Facebook is facing. When I used to say this two-three years ago, people laughed. Now look at the current situation, Facebook is exactly doing that:leaking your data.

Kinjal: On 29th September 2018, the Central Government of India celebrated Surgical Strike Day across universities in the country including Jawaharlal Nehru University, your alma mater. What are your thoughts on military achievements being celebrated in academic spaces?

Sainath: I guess the government has to announce something because what else do they have to celebrate? So I guess they have to do something to keep attention away from their failures. Last month, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report said demonetisation was a complete disaster. It’s also a way of promoting a chauvinist sensibility. There is nothing to celebrate, the government might create another three or four reasons to celebrate the military. What have they done in industry and agriculture? 78 of the largest companies are filling for bankruptcy; dozens of the largest companies are in the middle of Rafael Deal. When you are in middle of all this, you have to find something to take away the attention from your failures. The celebration is not happening for the army, I am pretty sure that the armed forces didn’t ask for any such thing. It’s happening to push the sagging morale of its private prudence.

Kinjal: Within the Indian farming sector or the unorganised labour sector, who do you think is the worst sufferer?

Sainath: I don’t like ranking victims. The fact that someone is more miserable than you doesn’t mean that you are in great joy. A Dalit woman who is an agricultural labourer carries the triple burden of caste, class, and gender. She belongs to the bottom rank in the class society. In India more than 60 percent of agriculture is done by women, but we don’t recognise them as farmers. They were doing livestock and dairying and now they are forced to do crop agriculture. Let’s suppose the male farmer has committed suicide or migrated because there is no possibility of work in farming for him, or the woman has lost her husband due to suicide or migration, that woman is now suddenly looking after the kids and livestock with full burden of crop agriculture which was initially not her work. She is also negotiating with the money lenders and the bank managers, dropping the kids at school, and what not. But, even after all this we do not recognise them as farmers, rather we recognise them as a farmer’s wife. The suicides of women farmers are not even counted. Women farmer suicides are counted as general suicides. The largest group in the Indian society committing suicides comprises of women in the age group of 14 to 29. Most of the women in the countryside are agricultural labourers. Our prejudices towards women don’t allow us to see them as property owners. Secondly, they do unrecognised and unpaid work in agriculture, as a result of which the work participation data shows that women’s participation in work is falling. It’s funny because women labourers have doubled but the work participation rate is decreasing because the only accepted work is paid work. This is also because anything women do, you call it unskilled labour.

Kinjal: Can you talk about Nation For Farmers, and what you intend to achieve from it?

Sainath: We don’t intend to achieve anything for ourselves. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Co-ordination Committee (AIKSCC) has called for a big march in Delhi from 28th to 30th November. When that happens, farmers all over the country will partake, and that will grab everyone’s attention. Our concern was, how do we, in the middle class, make ourselves relevant to the farmers’ cause in a sincerely, acutely, democratic, and serious struggle. We want students for farmers, corporate professionals for farmers, and the like but with nonpartisan banners. Theatre artists and musicians will be performing in Delhi on the days leading up to the March. There’s a paucity of time, but there’s huge interest in the public. We’ve set up a website called Dilli Chalo, where you can write in any language and about anything pertaining to this issue.

Kinjal: You talked about the middle class, that they are aware of their dependence on farmers but nevertheless reluctant to support their cause. Where do you think this insensitivity is stemming from?

Sainath: You are socialised by media that doesn’t show you the faces of farmers or poor people. Pick up a newspaper and show me how many faces of ordinary Indians appear on it. There are hardly any. It’s the same as how we develop an insensitivity walking home every night over people sleeping on the street. It’s how we deal with beggars, by shielding ourselves. That kind of withdrawal comes to the middle class very easily, especially the upper middle class. I’m not saying that they’re unethical people, I cater to them by writing in English. If I thought they were completely incapable of empathy, I would go do something else. But then there’s what I called the Nero’s Guest Syndrome – our party continues while the devastation continues. We have managed to create a world into which the reality is obfuscated.

Kinjal: Do you think loan waivers are used as a political gimmick to offer a simple solution to a complicated problem?

Sainath: The loan waiver is not the main issue of the agrarian crisis. It is a temporary relief, not permanent solution. By diverting the attention and making it look like the farmers just want waivers, they are dismissing the waivers given to Vijay Mallya, NPAs (Non-Performing Assets) worth INR 7,50,000 that come from big business and corporate houses.

Kinjal: When you reach out to people in rural areas, how do they perceive you? How do you make yourself one of them?

Sainath: They need to believe that you’re there out of concern and are not a parachute journalist. Every story that I write, I take photos and send them to the people featured in that story.

Kinjal: As a student of JNU, exactly what was it that compelled you to join your line of work?

Sainath: I come from a freedom struggle family. I grew up meeting and being amongst people who spent 15-20 years in British prisons. My grandfather spent 14 years in a British prison. The values of that generation are what inspired and drove me.

Feature Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

Interview taken by

Kinjal Pandey

Interview transcribed by:

Anoushka Sharma

Nikita Bhatia

DUB Speak

Editorial: “Un-learning” in a Women’s College

By Kinjal Pandey October 9, 2018

Being in a women’s college was once a decision made on the basis of cut-offs and convenience, however, it ended up being a transforming life experience.

One of the greatest gifts I stumbled upon in life, was the opportunity to study in a women’s only institution. At the risk of being stereotyped as an angry misandrist, I would say that merely experiencing a space that is free from men is important. Women’s colleges, especially in the University of Delhi (DU), are starkly different from their coeducational counterparts. Women’s only colleges are fundamentally non-political and more academically driven spaces, with fewer opportunities to channel youthful angst. However, the mere existence of women’s colleges gives us the opportunity to step away from what can almost always be the inescapable presence of men. This is not to say that we are running from them, it is to emphasise that the heteronormative spaces that accommodate both the genders can often be stifling because of the overpowering presence of men.

Without the active presence of men, all roles including the roles of a goon, the angry ambitious student politician, the bully, the guide, the mentor are all taken up by women. Women in co-educational set-ups are usually allocated dainty little spaces with cookie cutter edges, all the while carrying the Sisyphean burden of being wise, compassionate, and forgiving. The luxury of failing, losing one’s calm, being selfish, is exclusively reserved for men. The emotional toll of merely existing as a woman is no secret. Being the bigger person in a conflict, staying out of conflict or controversy, or being the peacemaker, is draining to those of us who are not peacemakers at heart.

This does not imply that the patriarchy does not seep into women’s colleges. Indecent curfew timings, the kind that assumes women are delicate flowers in need of protection, are controlling and unquestioned. Women’s colleges and the problem of how to accommodate transgender students within their ambit is a question that remains unanswered. The varsity is now operating on two extremes, on one end are girls colleges: apolitical and academic, the ones that win it laurels. On the other end of the spectrum, are co-educational colleges: angsty and troublesome, inciting chaos. It is almost as though the varsity is a parental figure and girls colleges are demure daughters, while co-educational colleges are trouble-stirring sons.

I do not imply that men are toxic, and do not claim to be victimised by their mere presence either. But the set-up of a women’s only college is not normal, it is not representative of the real structure of society. Therefore, the gender roles that are well-established in society, to the point that we do not even question them, do not accompany us inside the walls of these institutions. Instead, realisation about the extent and impact of the patriarchy,

can sometimes be felt by moving into segregated spaces, since the alternative offers us no respite from the status quo.

Being in a space exclusively reserved for women has been revolutionary because it has helped me grasp the extent to which the patriarchy influences us, it has helped me understand and un-learn problematic behaviour that Is internalised. Gloria Steinem said, “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” A women’s college has helped me un-learn that only men lift heavy desks across corridors. From physically scaling walls to tie up election banners to manually guarding barricades on the celebrity performance during the college fest, I’ve seen women do it all. It isn’t merely limited to the physically challenging aspect of it. Emotionally, it has been a liberating experience that has allowed me to enjoy female friendship and finally understand, that it is irreplaceable and most relevant in order to understand and experience the beauty of

being a woman.

To know and bask in the presence of women who are smarter, kinder, more resilient, and compassionate than me has been an opportunity of a

lifetime. “Unlearning” what the patriarchy has conditioned me to believe would be a lifelong journey, but I am glad I got a head-start in my

alma mater, surrounded by women who inspired me for a lifetime.

Feature Image Credits: Kartik Kakar for DU Beat

Kinjal Pandey

[email protected]

DUB Speak

India Dominates the Enactus World Water Race, Six out of 12 Projects Belong to DU

By Muskan Sethi October 6, 2018

Six out of the top 12 and three out of the top four projects shortlisted for the World Water Race belong to India, more specifically the University of Delhi. With a very strong Indian representation in California, the Enactus World Cup will be held from 9th to 11th October. DU Beat brings to you the highlights and details.

This year, the Enactus World Cup is being held from 9th to 11th October in Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, USA. 36 National Champion Teams from across the world have been invited to compete, collaborate, and celebrate their victory at the World Cup. The Enactus National Champion from India this year is Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, who will be presenting their Project Virasat at the World Cup. According to their website, Project Virasat revolves around, “ reviving the dying art form of handcrafting copper and brass utensils using hammering techniques, by mobilising artisans and providing them access to organised credit, contemporary designs, and better demand avenues.”

The Enactus World Cup also features the prestigious World Water Race, a competition that recognises and mobilises Enactus teams and their projects tackling the water and sanitation crisis. The top 12 teams are given an invitation to collaborate at the World Cup. This year, six out of the top 12 projects are from India including Project Tabeer by Sri Guru Gobind College of Commerce (SGGSCC), Project- Swachhalaya by Ramjas College, and Project Iffat by Jesus and Mary College (JMC).

A representative of Enactus JMC at the World Water Race and Project Iffat’s Co-Head, Kritika Malik, says, “This is the first time JMC will be attending the World Cup and we’re looking forward to it. We’re all really excited and at the end of the day, we all win since it’s all about lending our best hand to help. Best of luck to everyone, the world water race is on!”

The top teams advance to the impact stage, are given executive mentorship, provided with Enactus World Cup travel stipend, and expert presentation coaching. This year, the top four projects include Project Dhara by Jesus and Mary College, Project Asbah by Shri Ram College of Commerce, and Project Raahat by Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS).

The Impact Stage will be held between October and December 2018 and the winner would be granted up to $20,000 in scaling funding and continued executive mentorship. This year, two out of the top 12 projects are by Enactus JMC. “I feel really proud of the entire team for working so hard that both of our projects were selected as part of the top twelve teams in the World Water Race and that we get to present Project Dhara at such a large platform. I hope we can make the best of this opportunity and learn and grow from this experience,” says Charvee Gupta, Co-Head, Project Iffat, Enactus JMC.

A contingent of 16 members will be representing Project Dhara and Project Iffat from JMC in California. Sakshi Gupta, former head of Project Dhara, Enactus JMC, says, “While doing our bit for the betterment of the community we never had winning in WWR as the main goal, it was definitely always there in the back of our heads to win so that the awareness is increased and we can impact more people but we never worked to win. To reach this level without an absolute aim is an even bigger achievement than the winning trophy. It really feels surreal at times during practices and expansion meetings. And now we’re all just gearing up to give our very best and get the best experience back home so that we can do better for our project in the future.”

Five members of Enactus SRCC will be representing Project Asbah at the Water Race. Raghav Jhawar, President of Enactus SRCC, says, “We started with this project two years ago, with terfil filters. That technology, we soon realised, failed. So we came back full circle and started researching on the technologies. We then diversified our project into community RO and sodium hypochlorite solution. One thing we have all learnt at Enactus is to never give up. Carrying the same spirit with us, we are proud to say that we provide 6,000+ people with access to clean drinking water. Therein lies our true victory.It’s a big opportunity for the team and we look forward to it.”

“This is the first time Enactus SRCC is getting the opportunity to participate in World Water Race and the success is due to the scalability, sustainability, and comprehensive nature of our project Asbah which brings impact in the life of more than 8,500 people through clean drinking water and reduced health expenditure. The major credit goes to the entire team led by Rakshith Chhajed and Insha Pandit who made sure that these dreams are realised,” says Arjun Goel, former President, Enactus SRCC.

Last year’s World Cup Champions, Enactus SSCBS will be sending a team of 18 members to represent Project Raahat at the Water Race. Yash Dhawan, President, Enactus SSCBS, says, “Representing the country at the Enactus World Cup and the Enactus World Water Race is a great experience for every Enactus member. One not only learns about the cultures of different countries but also networks with delegates from across the globe, gaining insight into projects running all over the world. We wish every participating team luck, and hope for a great competition.”

Feature Image Credits: Enactus

Muskan Sethi

Arts & Culture

Mittika organises ‘Festival of Voices’ in Miranda House

By Sara Sohail October 6, 2018

The feminist organisation Mittika, in collaboration with Oxfam India, organised an interactive session called ‘Festival of Voices’ in Miranda House.

The Women’s Development Cell of Miranda House organised an interactive session with students who identified themselves as feminists with Mittika (in collaboration with Oxfam India), a Delhi-based organisation on 5th October 2018. Mittika, which claims to work for “enriching life spaces” is primarily a research and advocacy organisation that works through on-ground direct intervention, disseminating knowledge and information, and by building stakeholder capacities. The session witnessed two representatives from the organisation, Radhika and Saransh, coming forward to encourage conversations between the audience members about various narratives surrounding experiences of women living in Delhi.

In her own words, Radhika said, “I am here not just as a representative of Mittika, but to share my experience of what it means to be in the city and what it means to be a Delhite.” The conversation that flowed from there was informal, spontaneous, and largely audience-driven.

The audience talked about the various ways in which the city was liberating in terms of providing spaces to wear clothes that they wanted to, have conversations on topics that would be otherwise uncomfortable such as gay rights, and also escaping the often stifling atmosphere of their families and hometowns. “I have been in a boarding school since fifth grade so I have been independent, but living alone brings its own challenges. The metro stations were initially very confusing, however with help of fellow commuters I learned to navigate across the city. Living in a flat also gave me the freedom to wear shorts and over the months I have gained confidence to call out people who just can’t stop staring,” said Khushali Jaiswal, a student from Miranda House.

“Even in our families, little things like the Satyanarayan puja which was only to be performed by boys, can be very patriarchal, now, after coming here, I understand this,” said Manishi Divya, another student from Miranda House.

The conversation then flowed into related topics like politics, protest culture in the university, and the recent instances of sexual harassment such as the Brett Kavanaugh case, the Tanushree Dutta allegations, as well as those made against Utsav Chakravarty.

DU Beat talked to Tanvi and Shambhavi, both Economics students from Ramjas College who had attended the event. “It was good to know that a lot of people think the way I think. The atmosphere in Miranda is very open and engaging and we usually don’t have such conversations in Ramjas,” Tanvi said.

“This session is a testament to the fact that when women are in a safe space, they slowly reveal how they feel harassed or discriminated against, even at the hands of their family or a cab driver. We need these spaces to encourage dialogue and build a sense of solidarity,” said Simran Pachar, a third-year Political Science student from Miranda House, as the event concluded with a group photo.

Feature Image Credits: Mahi Panchal for DU Beat

Sara Sohail