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International Mother Language Day’18 – A Celebration of Cultural Diversity in DU

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India is diverse in every aspect. The most pertinent facet of its diversity is the multitude of languages currently spoken in the country. With about 1652 languages spoken within its territory and 150 languages spoken by a sizeable population, it’s obvious that the same diversity can be observed within university spaces across India as well.

UNESCO observes International Mother Language Day on 21st February every year.  Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, are features of cultures, traditions, and various customs. In an attempt to protect the diversity of languages from globalisation, UNESCO observes this day worldwide.
As far as the University of Delhi is concerned, students flock from every corner of the country to Delhi to build a career. They carry their language and culture along with them into the University space which adds to the diversification in the academic ecosystem.
In past two decades, a lot of regional groups promoting their culture and language started mushrooming in the University campus. DU Beat reached some of such organisations to commemorate this day.
1. Delhi Odia Students’ Association: This group was formed back in the early 1970s with a motive of supporting Odia students coming to Delhi in pursuance of better education. They have been vehemently showcasing their language and culture by organising seminars and programs in regul intervals.
2. Bengali Literacy Club: This is a St. Stephen’s College based club which very actively takes up the discussion revolving around Bengali literature and movies. Other than the language, the club is involved in fostering intra-community bond by holding various social programs.
3. Maithry, Delhi University Keralite students association: The society has been doing an amazing working to ease the life of Keralites. They celebrate festivals together, especially Onam with great zeal. They create a portal for Malayali students for interaction with eminent Malayali personalities, and strive to stimulate a homely feeling for their students.
4. North East Student Union: This Union works tirelessly for students coming from the North- Eastern part of the county. They hold fests, seminars, and social events to promote their myriad languages and culture from the region.

Diversified languages and culture have been adding charm to the university space. These certain groups have ensured that outstation students get ample opportunities to speak in their mother tongue and extract warmth out of it.
This International Mother Language Day, let’s celebrate the diversity that India has been gifted with, which has subsequently got seeped into our University spaces as well.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Better India

Sandeep Samal
[email protected]

 

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DUB Speak

Insomnia In College: A Sleepless Nightmare

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College students tend to be awake until late at night doing one thing or the other. However, sleep deprivation crops up slowly leading to physical and emotional problems.

Staying up till 3:00 AM seems fun to a school student living with their parents. The idea of going to bed and waking up at one’s own leisure sounds like a luxury school students crave. When these students enter college, live away from home, and dictate their sleep-cycle; that is when the effect of this idea is fully understood. The idea of staying up late in the night when everything becomes quiet, feels soothing and reading a book or watching a movie seems like the perfect match to the setting. Or maybe a good long conversation over text is also preferable. Well, a few random nights times turn into a habit and a rather unwanted one too.

The effects of sleep deprivation on the human body are significantly harmful. It leads to a weaker immune system, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, and much more. Talking about statistics, a survey report published in The Hindu said that about 93% Indians suffer from sleep deprivation with almost 87% leaving it untreated. As per brandongaille.com, 7 out of 10 students in college said they get less than the recommended amount of sleep. The reasons for these students varied from academic pressure to emotional issues.

So, what exactly is it about college life that brings this culture of staying awake until long? “The attention in college life turns towards not only keeping up with academics but also towards indulging in activities that build up my CV,” said Manan Kalra, a first-year student of the University of Delhi. It cannot be denied that the focus shifts towards career building rather than scoring marks. Outstations may also tend to adopt the habit of staying awake until night because of ill-disciplined lifestyle and lack of guidance from parents or guardians.

However, waking up at night is not necessarily due to just the academic pressure of college work. College life is a phase where we shift our focus on developing ourselves as a person. We are in a transition phase at the individual, social and emotional level. Talking about the nature of this habit, Dr Nidhi Prakash, Assistant Professor from the Department of Psychology said “College life is a stage where an individual becomes more conscious and aware of himself/herself. One starts emphasizing more upon things like self-image, social acceptability, and validation.”

It seems as if the very source of insomnia is not necessarily random. More importantly, it seems as if sleep deprivation at the college level is inevitable. The problem with the habit is that the positive effects are still a probability while the negative effect is certain. One may or may not be able to inject the skills or contemplate about being socially acceptable, but they certainly tamper with their body. We need to keep in mind the long-term implications of the lack of sleep on our body. Maybe its high-time we prioritize our health and well-being and give our sleep cycle the importance it requires.

[email protected]

Karan Singhania

Feature Image Credits: Advil

 

 

 

 

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Campus Central

Cultural Fests and the Underlying Importance

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Cultural fests have carved a niche in the university ecosystem for all the right reasons. Delineating on all of them throws light on important roles fests have been playing in one student’s life.

The tradition of celebrating Cultural fests is widespread in colleges across the stretch of the country. Cultural fest plays a predominant role in a student’s life and in the recent years, have managed to etch a significant place for themselves in the academic calendar. There is a growing consensus that a college festival is not just about fun but that it also augments a student’s learning experience.

‘Antardhvani’ testifies that the University of Delhi recognized the underlined importance of such cultural fests. It helped students to stage their talent and get recognition on a greater scale. The flagship event was discontinued in the year 2015. However, the university encourages its constituent colleges to conduct such festivals every academic year.

What good do the cultural fests impart to students? For one, through participation in fests, a student picks up a variety of skills. The networking ability of students skyrockets during involvement in fests. Students end up finding contact that can support them and can help them during future career stages.  Cultural fests give a lot of social benefits the biggest being inter-college interaction. Students get a chance to medley with people from different walks of life.

Organizing and participating in fest activities is not a child’s play; it needs arduous efforts and stern dedication. Fests facilitate students to work for a fixed goal in unison and this eventually develops a sense of responsibility in them. It elevates confidence and also teaches them how to work in a team and in various challenging situations.

In outstation fests, students get chance to explore the campus and city more after the event, eventually getting exposed to different culture. This helps them understand different cultures and explore their sensitivities and finer nuances. Most of the employers hire students whose potential don’t just revolve around bookish knowledge. Continuous involvement in more than one activity reflects skills and abilities of the student. Students learn to prioritize and time management too. These academically and co-circularly talented students have an outstanding personality, which helps them to forge ahead in their career.

Lastly, the prime intention of pulling up a fest is to allow students a period of recreation. Though cultural fests rob students of their energy but replenish them with new vigor and enthusiasm. Memories and friendships created in fests are cherished forever. In the vicious life cycle of a student, revolving around studies, ‘College Fests’ shows a certain degree of inflation in the excitement levels of students.

Sandeep Samal

[email protected]

Feature Image Credits: Twenty19

 

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Jesus and Mary College

JMC’s Fest Montage 2018 Draw Curtains on a Musical Note

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The second day of Montage 2018 began on a musical note with Swaraangan, the Indian Musical Choir competition of Jesus and Mary College. Shri Onkar Nath of Indore Gharana judged the competition.  Alaap of Sri Venkateswara College bagged the first position followed by Sangeetika of Kamala Nehru College and Swaranjali of Hansraj College were declared the first and the second runners-up respectively. All the colleges in the competition captivated the audience with their melodies. In the Bollywood Solo Singing Competition “Afreen”, Purvi Chaturvedi of Kamala Nehru College won the first prize. Deepayan Mukherjee of Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology and Shayan Chatterjee of Shri Ram College of Commerce secured the second and the third positions respectively.

Beaux Arts held a 3D Jewellery Making competition and Nabyah Hafeez and Jasjot Kaur from Dyal Singh College (Morning) won a cash prize of INR 2000.

Annual General Quiz 2018 was organised by Curiosus, the Quiz Society of JMC. Adittya Nath Mubayi was the quiz master for the day. After several preliminary rounds and final rounds, Tushar Anand and Akash Verma were announced as the winners.  Vishesh Balani and Aditya Barthwal as second runners-up, and Sushain Ghosh and Duttnath Thakur came third.

Amidst all the competitiveness of dance and street plays, Sunny Mugs Poetry Club organised a creative Slam Poetry Competition to drown the moods of Montage into melancholy and imagination. Themes of loneliness, love, parental rejection, and lack of acceptance in the society underplayed all the poems. The judges Aditi Angiras and Vikramaditya Sahai announced Isha from Ambedkar University, Kanika Ahuja from Dyal Singh College, and Soumya Vats from Hansraj College as the winners of first, second, and third positions.

The highlight of the day was Chimera, the choreography competition hosted by Western Dance Society of JMC. Exquisite performances by Hindu College, Gargi College, Kirori Mal College, Sri Venkateswara College, and Lady Shri Ram College for Women among others on the themes of gender binaries, illiteracy, sins of life, etc. added charm to the event. Judges Benjamin Jacob and Himanshu Sharma announced Sparx of Gargi College as the winner. Terpsi Chorean of Hansraj College grabbed the second prize.

If the western dance competition wasn’t enough, the audience was treated to a one of a kind event called Delhi Dance Fever. The first round was the auction round. Teams bid for dancers from other colleges and performed with props given to them such as lathis, wipers, badminton rackets. The songs were each better than the other with classic Bollywood songs such as ‘Nimbooda’, ‘Kajra Re’ to pop songs like ‘Havana’,  ‘Strip that Down’, and ‘Young Dumb & Broke’. The next round will be held in March, along with a wildcard entry.

Playback singer and music composer Nakash Aziz of ‘Highway’ and ‘Rockstar’ fame ignited the stage with evergreen Bollywood hits such as ‘Humma’,  ‘Badtameez Dil’, and R. D. Burman’s ‘Bachna Ae Hasino’. It was a treat to witness him engaging with the crowd as he swooned to the spunky number ‘Om Shanti Om’. His versatility was on display as he effortlessly switched over to newer Bollywood hits such as ‘Pyaar ki Pungi’ and ‘Ilahi’. With this JMC’s Annual Cultural Fest Montage 2018 drew its curtains.

 

Feature Image Credits: Surabhi Khare for DU Beat.

Radhika Boruah ([email protected])

Oorja Tapan ([email protected])

Raabiya Tuteja ([email protected])

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak ([email protected])

Anukriti Mishra ([email protected])

Prachi Mehra ([email protected]) 

 

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Sex Amma

Sex Amma – A Revolution

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The subject of sex has been shushed in classrooms, homes, and streets, even though it is an important part of everyone’s lives. With the hush around sex comes a lack of awareness and education. DU Beat aimed to burn the taboo of sex and created its own column for sex education with Sex Amma – a fun, humourous, yet educational and helpful column that answered questions about sex and related things.

The ‘sex education’ classes back in school focused on how a child is born and what the names of all the genitals are. But what about indulging in sex out of choice? We were never taught what to do if having kids wasn’t the goal; ‘sex for pleasure’ as a concept only existed in pornography and was, quite expectedly, looked down upon. College was no different. Sure, everyone was doing it, but no one talked about it and no one asked questions; sex was still a taboo. It is difficult to learn about contraceptives if your parents change the radio station when the condom advertisement comes on, and it is impossible when the government does not play any condom advertisements during waking hours. This is what the students of the University of Delhi faced in a conservative country with an even more conservative government.

With the great free press comes great responsibility. The idea of a sex column is not novel. All leading newspapers and media use their freedom of expression to try and educate their audiences more and more about sex and related health problems through these columns. DU Beat led the charge from a student perspective. As India’s largest campus publication and as an entirely student-run platform, we felt it was our responsibility to try and answer questions that the students of the University of Delhi had about sex, relationships, and intimacy. And so, Sex Amma was introduced as a weekly column in 2008. The column was widely loved and became so popular that Hindustan Times did a special feature on it.

The queries Amma got ranged from “What is the use of flavoured condoms?” to “How do I protect myself from STDs?” and were not only limited to questions; Sex Amma got a lot of ‘fan mail’ as well in the form of inappropriate messages. During all this, the column did its part in helping its readers become more aware of sex and related topics, while also making use of the platform to wipe out the taboo around the subject by talking about things that still were not openly discussed. The queries and concerns that were received were also related to body positivity, a healthy sex life, and the LGBTQ community. Moreover, not only did the column provide educational information, it also gave advice on improving mental health.

Unfortunately, Amma’s cleavage and flash of her thong, as well as her quirky way of calling her readers idli and dosa were not appreciated by a select few, after which the conversation around Sex Amma turned into something it was never intended to be. Focus was shifted from the column that provided humour and education to DU students to the inappropriate nature of the column simply because of its subject. However, even as Amma took a break for a few months, the magnitude of her revolution was not forgotten. She sparked a change in the way people viewed sex education – there were finally answers for the many questions that were not discussed anywhere else. The column had successfully become a space for students to talk, and raise questions, about sex.

The column had one sole purpose – to provide a fun, humourous take on something that was everyone’s favourite thing to do, yet considered a taboo. Sexual health, STDs, LGBTQ rights, contraceptives, and body positivity, needed to be talked about and Sex Amma was the platform that made it possible for these queries to be answered. As firm believers in freedom of expression, we will continue to strive for a University space that does not allow taboos to hijack our education, regardless of its form. After all, it is nothing to be ashamed of, is it?

Anagha Rakta
[email protected]

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Events

DramaNomics from CVS and Ibtida from Hindu Shine at Montage’18; DJ Zaeden Closes Day 1

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Montage’18, the annual cultural fest of Jesus and Mary College (JMC) was inaugurated by Sister Rosily, Principal and Sister Lawrence, Superior General of the college. The lighting of the lamp ceremony was initiated by the sisters and the teachers followed while Tarannum, the Indian Music Society of JMC, performed on the stage and then the fest declared open by the Student Union.

Ashwamedh, the theatre society of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) kick-started Stagecraft, the stage play competition, in the presence of Gaurav Gautum and Udit Goel of Theatre Leela Acting Studio. Ashwamedh of NSIT, Ibtida of Hindu College, Pratibimb of Delhi Technological University, and Fourth Wall Productions of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS) showcased stories on themes ranging from identity, obsession, insanity, a cycle of life, and rivalry. Ibtida of Hindu College won the prize and cash money of INR 10000. The best male actor award was given to Akshay Raheja of SSCBS and female actor went to Devanshi Khanna of Hindu College respectively.

The most coveted, insightful, and fun-filled event of the day, Awaaz ’18 was hosted by Kahkasha, Hindi Dramatics Society of JMC. Various dramatics societies of the colleges from all over the University of Delhi participated in the Nukkad Natak competition. The underlying themes of all the street play ranged from issues of Islamism, third gender, body-shaming to rape, depression, and education among others. The first prize was bagged by DramaNomics, the Theatre Society of  College of Vocational Studies, whose heart-wrenching performance on ‘rape’ shook the audience. Lady Shri Ram College for Women finished second performing on the crucial issue of ‘Body-Shaming’.   Abhivyakti, the dramatics society of Indraprastha College for Women, was awarded consolation prize for their special performance on the theme of ‘Body-Shaming’.

Nrityanjali, the Indian dance society of JMC organised Adaa, the staging of solo and folk (group) dances. The judges invited to the competition were Nandita Kalaan Mehra, a professional Bharatnatyam dancer, and Hemant Guru Maharaaj, a professional wizard of heterogenous dance forms. Commencing the solo dance competition with her incredible depiction of Lord Ganesha, Nandita from Hansraj College lit up the stage with intriguing steps of the Bharatnatyam fold.  A little while later, Anjana from JDMC  impressed the audience as she swayed and whirled in her violet Bharatnatyam costume coupled with gold zari embroidery design. Setting the stage ablaze with a fiery spirit, Raghav from Sri Venkateswara College put forth a breathtaking rendition of the ancient dance form of Kathak. The first position in the solo dance competition was bagged by Nimisha Devi from Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC). Priya Das from Maitreyi College, who performed Kathak, took away the second position. There was a tie for the third position, bagged by Raghav from Hansraj College and Nandita from JDMC, who had charmed the audience with her Bharatnatyam dance performance.

Engaging the audience in their aesthetic rendition of the Bihu dance, the team from Kamla Nehru College was the curtain-raiser for the group dance competition of Montage. Following this, the team from Hindu College enthralled all those present in the auditorium with their exquisite Chauu Dance, a folk dance form originating in Odisha. Combining elements of tremendous kinetic fury and very fast foot-work with mellowed elegance, the dancers displayed beguiling movements with sword and shield in hands. Mesmerizing the audience with their arresting Khoriya Nritya, a folk dance from Haryana, the 10-member team from Maitreyi College depicted a scenario of the sangeet ritual that traditionally takes place before an Indian wedding.

The western music society of JMC, Echo, organised Madrigal. The first competition was western solo, Tap That Treble wherein participants from DU, NSIT, and DTU participated. The judge was Mr. Erwin. Aditya Paul of Hansraj College bagged the first prize. The second position was a tie between Alankrita Bari of Lady Shri Ram College for Women and Christina A. Dayal of Ramjas College. The third position was bagged by Aronjoy Das of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.

In the A capella competition Finding Do Re Mi, music societies performed their lyrical pieces, beatboxing and harmonising the melodies that are mellisonant. Medleys of different popular songs like “New Rules”, “Hips Don’t Lie” were sung by Zephyr, the western music society of Kamala Nehru College. The Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College of Women was awarded the first position as they sang “Show me how you Burlesque” by Christina Aguilera. Dhwani of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies won the second position in the same event.

The eventful and lively concluded on a musical note with DJ Zaeden’s groovy and upbeat tunes.

 

Feature Image Credits: Sahil Chauhan for DU Beat

Anagha Rakta ([email protected])

Prachi Mehra  ([email protected])

Oorja Tapan ([email protected])

Radhika Boruah ([email protected])

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak ([email protected])

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News

Gargi College Celebrates its Golden Jubilee Year

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Gargi College celebrated its Golden Jubilee on 15th February 2017. All the ex-teachers, as well as principals, were invited. The auditorium was full to its capacity, brimming with laughter, cheers, and excitement for the event to begin.

The Chief Guest of the event, Dr. Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India was escorted by the Principal of the college, other dignitaries, and NCC cadets to the main auditorium. Prof. Yogesh K. Tyagi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi, was the Guest of Honour along with Prof. Pradeep Burma, Chairman of Gargi’s Governing Body, Dr. Shashi Tyagi, Co-Convenor of the Golden Jubilee Committee, and Ms. Promila Kumar, Principal of Gargi College.

The guests were felicitated with the print edition of 50 years of Gargi College and a crassula plant as a token of appreciation. Ms. Promila Kumar welcomed the guests and audience and praised each dignitary in their efforts for bringing changes in their respective fields. She prayed to the departed souls for bringing Gargi College to its current stature and reflected on the college’s 50-year journey. She added that Gargi stands for service to humanity.

Prof. Tyagi congratulated the faculty on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee and for choosing Dr. Mukherjee as the Chief Guest. He encouraged the audience to set higher and extraordinary benchmarks to be achieved in the future. He was grateful to the ex-President to have given him his current position. He ended his speech on a funny anecdote by sharing that he had not seen a more vibrant audience in his life before.

The ex-President of the country applauded the faculty in its efforts of bringing the college to its current position. He repented that in his 43 years as a member of parliament, he could not serve in the Ministery of Human Resource Development  and discussed the current state of education in our country. He emphasised on the need for research, innovation, and development. He also expressed remorse on the fact that six lakh Indian students go to foreign universities for higher studies because the current education system cannot create the environment to fulfill their educational aspirations. He added that the government is working to provide quality education in the hope of being able to match with the best universities in the world.

Dr. Shashi Tyagi paid the vote of thanks on behalf of all the faculty members and the guests left the audience absolutely enthralled.

 

Feature Image Credits: Prachi Mehra for DU Beat

Prachi Mehra
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Arts & Culture

Growing Success of Social Media Influencers in India

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

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

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

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

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

Image Credits: Kinabika
Image Credits: Kinabika

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

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

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

Image Credits: AIB
Image Credits: AIB

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

Image Credits: Carry Minati
Image Credits: Carry Minati

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

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

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

Image Credits: Zimbio
Image Credits: Zimbio

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

Image Credits: Sejal Kumar
Image Credits: Sejal Kumar

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

Image Credits: Kritika Khurana
Image Credits: Kritika Khurana

Feature Image Credits: Daily Social

Bhavya Banerjee
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Campus Central

Sanitary Napkin Vending Machines in DU

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Menstruation is increasingly being normalised in our nation. In fact, Miss World Manushi Chhillar was awarded ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ for her campaigns and work towards ‘Project Shakti’ which is about safe and affordable menstrual hygiene for the women of India. However, despite its presence in pop culture, there is a long way to go before we destigmatise the purely biological concept of menstruation. A small sanitary napkin vending machine that was inspired by a young girl’s request at a 2007 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) workshop has changed life dramatically for girls in India. A sanitary napkin vending machine is a coin-operated compact machine that automatically dispenses sanitary napkins, along with a compact electric incinerator for disposal of used napkins.

Awareness about menstruation and menstrual hygiene are two major issues under public welfare and women’s health. It is also high time the taboos related to menstruation are forgone. This is the time when filmmakers are working to telecast the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who designed a low-cost sanitary napkin vending machine. Similar are the attempts of the Railway Women’s Welfare Association who successfully installed the first-ever sanitary napkin vending machine in the Bhopal Railway Station in January this year. Sanitary napkin vending machines, amongst others, were the focus of the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) budget for 2018-19.

It is upsetting to know that whereas schools in Delhi are planning to install sanitary napkin vending machines, some of the premier colleges and universities in the capital have not yet started this essential operation. There are sanitary napkin vending machines in many colleges of DU that were installed years ago to facilitate and ease women’s periods. Co-ed colleges like Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Hindu College, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, and St. Stephen’s College have well-functioning napkin vending machines. Girls’ colleges like Miranda House and Gargi College have these machines installed, but they are dysfunctional at times.

On asking if sanitary napkins are always available in the machine, a student of Miranda House revealed that there is a misuse of the machine, due to which it often remains empty. In Daulat Ram College, mismanagement has led to an all-time empty machine. “Our college students’ union made promises of installing sanitary napkin vending machines, but it was never fulfilled,” said a student of Daulat Ram College under the condition of anonymity. Similar is the scenario in Shivaji College. On the other hand, colleges like Zakir Husain Delhi College and Ramjas College do not have these facilities for women.

Speaking to DU Beat during the Women’s Marathon, Mahamedhaa Nagar, Secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), said, “By the next month, we are aiming to install sanitary pad vending machines in all Delhi University colleges, regardless of their affiliation with DUSU.” Let’s hope that, unlike the promises of other unions, this one actually sees the light of day.

 

Image Credits: Mark-It, the marketing society of SSCBS

Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

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Events

Vayam, the Performing Arts Society, Presents – The White Saree

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Vayam started off as the theatre society of Shivaji College, University of Delhi in 2006, when a handful of like-minded and creative students decided to form a dramatics society in their college. The society that was formed on the ideals of Unity, Togetherness, and Creativity, grew bigger and better by each passing year. Gradually, Vayam started making a mark on the DU Theatre Circuit by winning many laurels and praises. Today, the organization has ventured into the era of performing arts and boasts of a strong foothold in Mumbai and Delhi with several professional performances under its credit.

With a total of 26 Proscenium and street plays based on various social issues, that have won many accolades on competitive and non-competitive platforms across India including National School of Drama, National Centre for Performing Arts, Prithvi Theatre, Jana Natya Manch, Kamani, Sirifort, India Habitat Center, Shri Ram Centre, Sahitya Kala Parishad, FICCI Auditorium, Hindi Sahitya Academy (Indore), IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, IIM-Ahmedabad and the like; Vayam is constantly growing. Our society comprises a group of hardworking, talented and driven individuals consisting of actors, directors, scriptwriters, technicians and working professionals.

Their successfully running play ‘The White Saree’ has been made yet another admiration worthy achievement for our team here at Vayam. The play was performed at LTG Auditorium on a winter Sunday evening with a full house, an enthusiastic cast and energetic team. The drama unfolded the very many glitches of the society, including the society’s hunger to influence the decisions of a woman regarding her wishes, needs, and desires. The play chose to express its emotions in the form of a musical dance drama, an amalgamation that awed the audience with a gush of different emotions that could be felt as the play progressed. The central plot was about a woman’s dilemma about her own feelings and her deepest and darkest desires. It casted light upon how women are under obligations of maintaining the supposed ‘dignity’ of the society thus in the process killing their own progress along with the loss of self-love.

White Saree is a production that is bound to challenge viewers’ mindset and societal norms. It is a play which provokes a series of thoughts on issues love, stress and relationships and how the society inclines to perceive these relationships. The performance of this acclaimed production at LTG Auditorium on Sunday, January 14, 2018 saw a healthy turnout of the audience from different walks of life. The play rendered an extended portrayal of the vicious cycle of societal judgment, regret, depression and a feeling of self-consciousness guided by the convention of the mass. The drama laid emphasis on the many decisions that women have to make each day in the hope that none of them defy the standard of the society. It proceeded to raise relevant issues on sexual orientation, desires, and dreams of a woman that are butchered by the people as the story progressed. The audience could be seen experiencing different emotions of love, compassion, sorrow, and regret throughout the performance. The superlative direction and powerful script kept the audience glued to the scenes on stage. The experienced cast and crew of White Saree delivered a phenomenal performance which was praised by the viewers, senior team members and the management alike. In summary, the event turned out to be a success for the organization as a promotion of theatre and social service were well accomplished by the dedicated team of Vayam Performing Arts Society.

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