Alumni Archives - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Vice Chancellor of Delhi University urges Alumni to contribute to the battle against Coronavirus.

Delhi University has reached out to its alumni network and urged them to contribute in the fight against COVID-19. The Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi has written a letter to the alumni of the University and urged them to strengthen their efforts in serving the society in whatever way they can. He has also requested them to share about their endeavours in order to inspire the community by writing to the University on a dedicated email id, ‘[email protected]’.

Faculty and staff members of the department and constituent colleges have contributed their one-day’s salary, amounting to more than four crore rupees, to the PM-CARE Fund and intends to contribute more.

University VC has also informed the alumni network of the steps taken by Delhi University to contribute to the prevention of COVID-19 as well as the aid provided to the needy and vulnerable sections of the society. He has written about the efforts taken by University faculty to teach students through digital resources so as their education can continue uninterrupted. “Our faculty members have successfully explored virtual classrooms and other digital aids to ensure continuity in the teaching-learning process,” he writes.

“We are reviewing our preparations for admissions in the next session. We feel confident our students will have a fruitful session this year, too,” he says about the DU admission process which has been put on hold for the time being. The University is also taking care of the multitude of students who hail from different parts of the country and some from other countries as well.

The University has also launched ‘DU Care for Neighbour’ programme to help poor or homeless people in the neighbourhood of the University’s North and South campuses. Constituent colleges have also been asked to initiate similar program in their vicinity.

Delhi University has also constituted a Special Task Force with a diverse representation that meets regularly through virtual mode to discuss impending challenges, devise solutions and implement them.

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Paridhi Puri

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DUB Speak

How DU Offers the Best Exposure

By Bhavya Banerjee July 26, 2018

The University of Delhi (DU) offers students the best kind of exposure they can think of, not only academically but culturally as well.

Situated in the capital of one of the most populated nations, Delhi University has its own share of limelight. It goes without saying that anything that happens in the University, be it the admission process, cultural fests, the records of academic excellence, or even the food spots popular among its students, everything manages to grab the attention of public.

Delhi University started with only three colleges being affiliated to it and now has more than 60 colleges whose students are awarded degrees by the University. Students from all over the country apply to study in the colleges of DU. This year, over 3 lakh students applied for admission in the under graduated programmes. It is only natural in such circumstances to expect an environment that takes into consideration the interests of various groups and communities and gives them a place to thrive in.

The fact that so many students apply for admissions here is a major premise contributing to the high cut-offs. Academically speaking, the colleges are able to get students who are among the best in the whole nation. In this way, the whole process teaches a student ‘survival’, a by-product of studying in one of the best universities of the nation. You will find a lot of like-minded individuals to share healthy competition with, which will only help motivate you to do better. Apart from having a reputation of housing the “country’s toppers,” Delhi University also offers you the wisdom and experience of some of the most accomplished and oldest Professors in the country, all within the capacity of the walls of your college building.

Coming to the cultural aspects, the various societies that function in the colleges are perhaps one of the best ways to learn and experience what team work actually is. By joining a society, one does not only get to perform but also gets to practice in a simulation that is somewhat similar to the corporate world. The experience and pleasure derived from the society activities, and representing your college at different levels teaches you more than the confined walls of classes ever can. Some societies and cells like Enactus, Placement Cell, etc offer you real work experience that adds as an effective CV booster.

One very important factor contributing to the fact that DU indeed offers the best exposure is also the number of famous and eminent alumni that it has provided to the nation. For example: Ramachandra Guha and Amitav Ghosh from St. Stephens College, Satish Kaushik and Naveen Patnaik from Kirori Mal College, Arun Jaitley from Shri Ram College of Commerce, and the list continues. The paths that these people created long back are still alive in the legacy of greatness they have left behind in the corridors of their respective colleges.

Feature Image Credits: Sarthak Gautam for DU Beat.

Akshada Shrotryia

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Fandom

Tinsel University: Cultural Icons of DU

By DU Beat March 31, 2018

From theatre artists to filmmakers to photographers, the list of remarkable alumni associated with the University of Delhi runs into volumes. The article focuses on some such names for whom the university played a crucial role and who continues to inspire its students.

While researching for this article, I bumped into some surprising names I had no idea were part of the University, a humbling reminder of the generations of history that this place has kept hidden. While we have all heard of Shahrukh Khan’s Hansraj and KMC being called the “Bachchan College”, there are many others in the field of entertainment and arts who used to walk the same corridors as we do today. Here is our not-so-comprehensive list of notable alumni in such (and allied) fields:

Deepa Mehta: The critically acclaimed director who shot to fame because of her films like Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Water (2005) is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College for Women in philosophy. While some have called her a transnational filmmaker, Mehta’s films have often broken boundaries such as Fire, a fierce lesbian love story that hit a whirlpool of controversy with its release. The film stars Nandita Das, a Miranda House alumni and Khulbushan Kharbanda, a Kirori Mal graduate.
Rohit Bal: A leading fashion designer in India, Bal hails from Kashmir and is a graduate in history honours from St. Stephen’s College. The city also saw him starting his career with his brother Rajiv Bal in 1986. Today, Bal’s collections are sought after all over Bollywood and many celebrities like Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, and Shilpa Shetty have walked the ramp for him.
Anjolie Ela Menon: Veteran painter and Padma Shri awardee, Menon is a graduate in English honours from Miranda House. She is now considered one of the leading contemporary artists of India, her paintings beings showcased in major collections all over the world.
Anurag Kashyap: The gritty, “director of the masses”, is an alumnus of Hansraj College. Kashyap’s films such as Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and D (2009) have been both commercial and critical successes pushing him into the limelight.
Manoj Bajpayee: National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee studied in both in Satywati College and Ramjas College, immersing himself in the campus theatre scene during his college days. As he told Times of India, “Those three years of DU were life-changing for me. I went from someone who could not read the front page of the Times of India to reading George Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare.”

Feature Image Credits: 24 Update News

Sara Sohail

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Uncategorized

Percipience: The Eminent Alumni Lecture Series

By DU Beat April 24, 2017

The second instalment of Percipience, the eminent alumni lecture series under the aegis of University of Delhi, North Campus, was held on the 21st of this month at the Convention Hall, Vice-Regal Lodge. The topic for the seminar was “Fundamental Duties under the Indian Constitution: Forgotten Virtues?” The guest speaker for the event was Honourable Justice Arjan K. Sikri, Judge, Supreme Court of India. The moderator for the event was Professor M.P. Singh, Honourable Chancellor, Central University of Haryana, with the august podium presence of Yogesh K. Tyagi, Vice Chancellor, University Of Delhi and Professor Sydney R. Rebeiro, Dean, Alumni Affairs.

The event began with the inaugural speech by Justice Sikri. He spoke of the modern context of the Buddhist idea of enlightenment and the role of good citizenship towards the fulfilment of the purposes behind the constitutional fundamental duties. Talking of the role of the citizen in the rule of law, he referred to the trinity of ‘reminder, warning, and inspiration’ for the materialisation of an envisaged society. In the same breath, he also stressed upon the requisite sense of respect for the national flag and anthem.

Second on the podium was Professor M.P. Singh. In his moderation speech, he spoke on the idea of ‘dharma’ in relevance to the modern perception of fundamental duties. He stressed upon the fact that religion is a secular concept as it is nothing but a way of life. He also cited Mahatma Gandhi when he said that if the fundamental duties are performed well, fundamental rights would be of little concern.

This followed the question hour as the house was opened to the audience which comprised of the alumni, professors, and students of the University. The two guests clarified the various nuances of Part IVA and Article 51 of the Indian constitution.

The all-awaited presidential address was conducted by Dr. Yogesh Tyagi. He subjectively summarised in a nutshell the essence of the two lectures prior to him. Talking of Part IVA which caters to the clause of fundamental duties, he said that this was the shortest, youngest, and arguably the least legitimate of the laws referring to the need of subtle revisions in the wake of modern times.

The event ended with the national anthem led by the choir of the University of Delhi.

Image Credits: Nikhil Kumar for DU Beat

Nikhil Kumar

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Delhi School of Economics

Reminiscence 2016 – Annual Alumni Dinner at DSE

By DU Beat September 28, 2016

The students of Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, organized their Annual Alumni Dinner, Reminiscence 2016, on Saturday, 17th September, 2016, at Hotel Radisson Blu, Dwarka, New Delhi. The event was a huge success, and witnessed a total participation of more than 300 people, including the faculty, alumni and students of the College. The Chief Guest of the event was the Honorable Member of Parliament from West Delhi Lok Sabha Constituency, Mr Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma.

The event started at 7pm in the evening, with the lighting of the lamp by Prof. Kavita Sharma, Head of Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economic. Thereafter, an enlightening welcome speech was given by Prof. Kavita Sharma, followed by melodious singing by Soumya, a MBA (HRD) student. Then the course coordinator of MBA (IB), Dr Ashish Chandra addressed the audience and was followed by felicitation of distinguished senior alumni of MBA-HRD (MHROD) and MBA-IB (MIB), who are serving in some of the top corporates and have made the department proud.

This was followed by a power-packed singing performance by Poojan, a MBA (IB) student. The students also gave an invigorating dance performance to entertain the guests and the fellow students. Later, a troupe of Sufi performers enthralled the audience with their melody. An alumnus of MBA (HRD), Mr Kushal Dubey, charged the audience with his solo singing. The session culminated with a vote of thanks by Dr Urvashi Sharma, course coordinator of MBA (HRD) followed by speeches of student Conveners of Alumni Teams of MBA(HRD) and MBA(IB).

Dinner was served at 9:30 PM. All the alumni of the college and the students, as well as faculty, had a healthy interaction over dinner. Reminiscence is an annual affair, and every year, students, faculty and alumni of the college gather over dinner in order to interact and catch up with each other as well as the happenings in the college

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DUB News

Ramjas alumnus becomes the youngest Indian to feature at Cannes

By DU Beat April 24, 2016

As admissions session draws close and students ready their certificates, letters and documents related to their achievements in ECA to try their luck for getting into the colleges which they couldn’t due to their cut offs, we present a story of a student who was in the same shoes at one time.

Years before, Varun Chopra was also one of them who got into Ramjas College through ECA. He is currently pursuing his masters in Film and Television at the School of Film and Television, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He is the youngest Indian whose film was screened at the highly popular and prestigious Cannes International Film Festival. He talks about his experience of theatre in Delhi University and his film “God on a Leash” which is woven around the story of being held on a leash to the hands of faith, heritage and poverty that explores the concept of humanism and divinity.

Q. You were a student of Mathematics at Ramjas. When did you decide for going for a masters in Films?

I was studying Mathematics (Hons.) at Ramjas College. I got my admission by the ECA quota in theatre which was a great ordeal in itself. Consequently, theatre turned into an indomitable element of my college life. Being in Shunya, one of the premier theatre societies of the University was the most fruitful experience in itself. There was a massive spirit of creativity and collaboration, it just propels one forward in terms of innovation and exposure. It was here that I directed my first play Saints and Sinners and later got involved with some exceptionally talented people who refused to sit idle. Most of us are now theatre artists and filmmakers trying to make our way up.

Q. You have been a student of DU and an active member the Delhi Theatre circuit. What is the scene of film making in DU?

As I mentioned before, the theatre scene in DU is blooming. It is very demanding but the kind of creative satiation people achieve here is unparalleled. Filmmaking however is still practiced in closed quarters and I fail to understand why DU still does not have a filmmaking course. It shows that the University has lost touch with the demands of the youth today. Students are trying to get out and organize festivals for films there, but they remain amateur since one does not have the apparatus to create something which is at par with what the 18-21 year olds in universities outside India do.

Q. What can DU do to promote these fields within its campus??

DU can organize more and more festivals which would push the status quo of the University. You should not have to spend a fortune to learn something. Get your college to get a course. Even if it is a workshop as a starter, the initiative must start.

Q. Do you think the young film makers in India have any good platform? What advice would you like to give to the Aspiring film makers of India.

The fact that we have one of the biggest film industries in the world and only a handful of institutes for film making is appalling. Those that exist aren’t even comparable to the universities abroad. What you end up doing is going to Mumbai and leading the quintessential “struggler” life, at least that is my understanding of it. All in all, one must be forced to do that. It is obvious that we are going tangential to the needs.
There is some brilliant talent but a dearth of opportunities too.
I don’t think I am qualified enough to give anyone advice, but to a hopeful person who is reading this and thinking if they stand any chance. I would like to say take the leap of faith, you’ll be surprised to see how many people would support you. If you want to be a painter, just paint. Likewise, if you want to be a filmmaker, make films.

Q. How do you feel to be the youngest Indian in Cannes International Film Festival? What would you like to say about your film which got screened at Cannes?

I am very fortunate to be able to experience Cannes at a young age. It is more of an opportunity to engage with interesting people than anything. The film is special as it took me back to the University. Parts of the film were shot in North Campus itself. With all honesty, I feel a sense of gratitude towards Shunya and the people I met there. I would want to give a big shout out to the folks there today, they are churning out some amazing stuff every year.

Through this documentary, I was able to unravel the intricacies of this culture. We followed a Madari, who sat with his macaques and their offspring near a Hanuman temple at North Campus. It seemed the baby’s future in chains was indomitable, much like the off springs of the ancestral impressionists’ community. It created a cruel euphemism about our ignorance, the way we choose to live our lives, follow our traditions and practice our faith. The film is a window to a highly embellished niche world with a contrastingly unembellished human experience.

Here is the link of the film: https://m.facebook.com/godonaleash/

Interviewed by Srivedant Kar for DU Beat

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Jesus and Mary College

5 best known alumni of Jesus and Mary College

By DU Beat August 27, 2015

Jesus and Mary College is known for its exceptional academics and extra-curricular activities, this women only college is the alma mater of several powerful personalities. Some of them are:

Priyanka Gandhi

Daughter of former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka is a well known face in the field of politics. She pursued her graduation in Psychology from Jesus and Mary College. In the general elections of 2004, she became the campaign manager of Sonia Gandhi. Known for her quiet organizational and level headed skills, she has managed to prove herself by getting Congress seats in the Amethi Rae Bareilly region during 2007 assembly elections. She is still remembered by senior teachers in the college as having a security team following her everywhere, that she managed to slip past a few times!

Neha Dhupia

Neha Dhupia is a renowned model and Bollywood actress. A History graduate from Jesus and Mary College, she started her career as a TV actress. In 2002, she was crowned Miss India. Subsequently, she participated in the Miss Universe 2002 pageant in Puerto Rico where she made it to the top 10. She has played major roles in movies like Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Dasvidaniya (2008).

Ambika Anand

Ambika Anand is an Indian TV anchor and the Editor in Chief, Fashion at NDTV Good Times, the lifestyle channel of NDTV. She currently hosts Get the Look, Band Baajaa Bride Season 4 and has previously anchored shows like The Big Fat Indian Wedding, I’m Too Sexy For My Shoes etc. She was awarded the Cosmopolitan India Fun Fearless Female TV Personality title in 2011. She was also on the list of HT City Delhi’s Most Stylish 2013.

Sushmita Mukherjee

Sushmita Mukherjee is a senior Bollywood and television actress. She is known for her work in Bollywood movies like Dostana (2008), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006) and King Uncle (1993), etc. Born in Kolkata, She was famous for portraying the role of ‘Kitty’ the half wit assistant of Karam Chand.

Hasleen Kaur

Hasleen Kaur is an Indian Model. She was crowned Miss India Earth and eventually participated in the Miss Earth pageant in 2011. She appeared in several advertisements before making her Bollywood debut in the 2014 movie Karle Pyar Karle. After graduating in English from Jesus and Mary College, she went to Indian Institute of Mass Communication to pursue Advertisement and PR. She also worked as an Elite Model and appeared in Elite Fashion Calendar in 2011.

Lovleen Kaur

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