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UGC urges Universities and Colleges to Set Up Selfie Points in Campus

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To raise awareness among youngsters about India’s achievements in various fields, the University Grants Commission has asked universities and colleges across the country to set up ‘Selfie Points’ at various strategic locations on their campuses.

The initiative by UGC to set up ‘Selfie Points’ across all campuses is aimed at raising awareness among young individuals about India’s accomplishments across various domains, particularly the new and latest major thrust initiatives under New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, like ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat’. 

These selfie points are to be created “in accordance with approved designs in 3D layouts shared by the ministry of education.” The directive carried various themes for their creation; these included the  internationalization of education, unity in diversity, the Smart India Hackathon, the Indian knowledge system, multilingualism, and India’s rise in higher education, research, and innovation.

These selfie points will not only serve as a source of pride but also enlighten every citizen about the transformative initiatives that have propelled India’s growth on the global stage. Students and visitors should be encouraged to capture and share these special moments on social media platforms, fostering a sense of collective pride.

–Manish Ratnakar Joshi, UGC secretary

The UGC urged all institutes across the length and breadth of the nation to adhere to these designs to maintain uniformity across campuses.

There is a unique opportunity to harness the energy and enthusiasm of youngsters, molding their minds with inspiration drawn from India’s progress in diverse fields. The selfie points will emerge as a dynamic and engaging place to instill a sense of national pride.

UGC is expecting the selfie points to become dynamic and engaging spaces, instilling a sense of national pride and awareness among students with the goal of inspiring generations.

These designs were shared on a Google Drive link attached to the UGC’s letter. Each design carried a large image of the Prime Minister along with snapshots of the government’s achievements in the fields of education, research, and innovation, in addition to certain representative pictures on the theme. 

The notice received a considerable amount of criticism from faculty members and academicians. In an article by The Telegraph, a faculty member called this directive ‘full-blown propaganda to build a cult figure’, while another faculty member saw it as ‘promotion of a single opinion by dominant forces’.

However, days after the notice was issued, UGC withdrew the suggested designs linked to the directive. The regulatory body did not specify the reasons behind this withdrawal, though the directive to set up the selfie points remains intact. 

Read Also: DU’s Plagiarised Strategic Plan Withdrawn

Featured Image Credits: Himanshu Kumar for DU Beat

Kavya Vashisht

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12 DU Colleges Salary-Less for Over Two Months

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12 colleges of the University of Delhi haven’t paid their teaching and non-teaching staff salary for two months now.

12 colleges in the University of Delhi have withheld salary from their teaching and non-teaching staff for two months now. The colleges whose funds have been withheld are Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Science, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Shaheed Raj GuruCollege, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Bhagini Nivedita College, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Maharaja Agrasen College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Maharishi Balmiki College of Education, and Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Science. The funds have been withheld by Delhi Government because the colleges haven’t notified their governing bodies, approval for which, they claim, is awaited from the university.

The salaries of not just the faculty but also of sanitation workers, contractual labourers, and other non-teaching staff have also been held up. “It seems we will not be able to pay salaries even from 1st April.” Principal Hem Chand Jain of DDU college, told The Times of India. Another principal has said that theyare yet to get a concrete response from Delhi government on when and how the issue would be resolved but revealed that they had been told thatrepresentatives would be meeting Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi on 17th March regarding the matter. This information has been confirmed by a DU official. In response to the issue, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said that the government-aided colleges had been doing a lot of “illegal work” because “without governing bodies in place the colleges can’t function”.

It has also been revealed that the University’s Executive Council approving the names at its sitting on 13th March. A DU official told Times of India that the AAP government flouted norms in selecting some of governing board nominees. The official alsoargued that in the pattern of assistance, there isnothing that states that the government is allowed to without funds from an institution that doesn’t have a governing body.

The staff of these 12 institutions steadfastly believe that the shortcomings of the DU administration in regards to solving this matter are highly political, and a fight between “two political parties”.

For now, it seems highly unlikely that the issue would be solved anytime soon.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Shreya Juyal

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What International Students Say About DU

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The University of Delhi (DU) gives admission to students from not just India, but abroad as well. This article brings to you what international students feel about the University.

A lot of people talk about their perceptions of DU, but there is little mention of an international student’s perspective of the University. These are the students who have crossed miles just to be in a college of their choice. The motivation of coming to India for some is to experience cultural diversity, while for others is the ranking of the University.

After contacting a lot of students studying in various colleges of DU, belonging to countries all around the world, DU Beat found out about their mixed experiences. While some students praise the University for everything, others did not have their expectations met. What a student experiences might also depend on the college that they are studying in and the facilities they are provided with.

The problems that international students face are very different from the ones that the Indian students face. The issue of homesickness remains the most important issue. The fact that they do not find too many people belonging to the same place as them also becomes depressing at times. The language barrier also creates trouble. Culture differences constitute both advantage and disadvantage. While some people get to meet and be friends with people from different places and diverse cultural backgrounds, others feel excluded.

Naomie, a student at Miranda House shared her experience of being an international student. She said, “DU is a really good university and being a student at Miranda House has been very advantageous for me. I have seen a lot of professionalism here. The classes are well-arranged, and there are good teachers. Although, I was very scared in the beginning as I did not see many international students here. But, I have made many Indian friends here and have started feeling like home.”

She further added, “The administration staff is also very welcoming. However, I feel like not much is done for international students by the college. I haven’t seen any societies which involve international students. On events like freshers’ party, I have seen students dancing to the tune of Bollywood songs.”

Another student said, “In my college, a lot of professors deliver lectures mostly in Hindi which makes it very difficult for me. However, the University is good on an overall basis, but the language barrier is the biggest issue for me.”

Mohammad from the Gambia said, “My first experience in DU was that of cultural diversity. I met people and made friends from different cultures, different backgrounds, and different countries. when I joined the University, it was highly intriguing and fascinating for me to find people from such varied places and backgrounds.”

Another student from Kenya, Edwin Kipchirchir Kiptoo said, “After taking admission in DU, I have experienced meeting different types of friendly people and different type of Indian food. My best experience is being exposed to the vast cultural diversity among the students of the University.”

Thus, it can be said that the experiences of international students differ from person to person and college to college. The journey has its pros and cons. The inclusion of more and more international students is also important for making DU recognised globally. It is true that if the University wants to get more students from other countries, then it needs to start providing them with more and better facilities to make them feel included.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

 

Priya Chauhan.

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Bazinga: Issue of New ID Cards for All Students of the University

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The University of Delhi (DU) has decided to introduce common ID cards for students in order to lessen the biasing which exists within the colleges and promote the university as a whole on a new front. 


The layout of the new id cards have been finalized and approved by the an Academic committee comprising of seven current Principals and three retired Principals of DU.

Several politicians have approved of this move as an attempt to bring the University under one common umbrella as this will allow students to access various resources of the University easily, without being restricted by the ‘college’ barrier in order to avail the facilities the University provides. The common ID cards will also terminate the existence of the ‘Library Cards’ thereby effectively bringing forth the idea of having one common pass for accessing all what DU has to offer.

Although the decision comes at an odd time, with the new session already in swing, Prof. Kamlesh from the committee quotes, “Having a common ID card is a decision with the ultimate objective of benefitting the students. It will remove the barriers and segregations and allow the University to be seen as one whole sphere.”

The Vice Chancellor has also given a green flag to the decision. 

The decision has roped in both positive and negative feedbacks from the student.

Shreeja Sharma, second-year student from Kalindi College quotes, “Having common ID cards would allow us to freely access the large libraries of various colleges, like IPCW. This will allow us to expand our knowledge base and expose ourselves to more avenues.”

The students from sports quota said this will allow them to train in the best facilities offered by the colleges. Shekhar Vats, a third-year Economics Honours student from sports quota says, “This is a great decision on the part of the University. Now we can have access to great sports complexes like the one of Shri Ram College of Commerce for our practices. With great places to practice, our efforts will get enhanced and we’ll bring more laurels to the University.”

Despite the positive changes it hopes to bring in, there has been discontent voiced against the move of having common ID cards.

Annanya Sharma from St. Stephen’s College has said, “Allowing ID Cards without the name of college would allow student politicians from ABVP and NSUI to disrupt the academic atmosphere of non-affiliated (to DUSU) colleges. We strongly condemn this move and will ask other non-DUSU colleges to join us.” (sic.)

The issue has been seriously taken up by the non-affiliated colleges and they have decided to protest against this sudden move in front of the Law Faculty the next Monday, on 23rd September. The fact that no student representation has been there in the committee before bringing in this change will also be voiced during the protest.

A sample template has been created by the committee and is out for comments on improvements and suggestions till 30th September, 2019. This is also present on the University web portal for public scrutiny.

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

Feature Image Design Credits: Amrashree Mishra

Amrashree Mishra

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The Three Language Formula and Unity in Diversity Do Not Go Hand in Hand

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The progressive National Education Policy (NEP) was in headlines recently when an old controversy reappeared in its document.

‘Balkanisation’ is a geo-political term used to explain the fragmentation of a large sovereign territory into smaller units due to social, political or cultural differences. The optimal examples of countries that surrendered themselves to this phenomenon are Yugoslavia and USSR. There are other failed attempts of segregation where states could not attain sovereignty because of compromise or suppression. Among others, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is an astute example. The unflattering and relentless opposition of Tamilians towards the Hindi language has an 80-year-old history. It has led to violent protests, polarization and demand for a separate nation at different epochs of 20th century.

The current draft of the NEP is progressive in many ways. Orchestrated by noted scientist K. Kasturirangan, it promises to revitalize the ailing education system of India. Among other reforms, it changes the focus group for imparting education from 6-14 to 3-18 years. It also brings accreditation system in schools and envisions that by 2035, the gross enrolment ratio in schools will increase to 50% compared to the current 25%. But these amendments did not grab the eyeballs as much as a paragraph in the policy to implement the Three Language Formula did.

The Formula first appeared in the NEP in 1968. The clause suggests that along with Hindi and English, any Modern Indian Language be taught to students in Hindi-speaking states and the regional language be taught in non-Hindi speaking state. The formula resurrected the long running resistance against Hindi imposition in South Indian states, especially Tamil Nadu. Tamilians, in order to conserve their identity and culture, have been protesting against compulsory Hindi education since 1937. Leaders like Periyar, who formed the Dravidar Kazhagam, initiated this anti-Hindi agitation when the then Indian National Congress government made teaching of Hindi compulsory in schools of Madras Presidency. The anti-Hindi sentiment has given genesis to the idea of Dravida Nadu, a hypothetical sovereign country comprising the non-Hindi speaking states of Southern India. E.V Ramasamy (Periyar) and C.N Annadurai, who were the initial proponents of Dravida Nadu, made an attempt to Balkanise India as they feared the hegemony of Hindi would repress their native languages.

But the fear is not inappropriate either. One of the most controversial subjects in the Constitutional Assembly debate was selection of India’s official language. Noted historian Ramachandra Guha writes that when R.Dhulekar, a member of the house from United Provinces stood up to move an amendment, he started speaking in Hindustani. When the chairman reminded him that many people do not know the language, he replied, “People who do not know Hindustani have no right to stay in India.” The amount of chauvinism reflected in his majoritarian perspective makes it evident why our dear ones in the South are sceptical about compulsory Hindi education.

Following backlash from political parties in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the government officially amended a portion of the NEP. In the new draft, students will have the choice of changing any language they want to. The war of language has been very sensitive and controversial in India. It has fabricated the politics of Tamil Nadu in such a drastic way that the implicit advocate of Hindi imposition, the Congress party has never come back to power after 1967 following the anti-Hindi agitation of that year.

The ship of Unity in diversity sails only when there’s unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation. Imposing uniformity by enclosing a country like India will bring consequences that we don’t need or deserve.

Feature Image Source: NCERT

Priyanshu

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Arts & Culture

The ‘Not So Thin’ Line between Reel and Real

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Bollywood movies are something that most of us love and Fridays are the days which we look up to. Being excited for every new release to being disappointed by a bad movie has become a part of our lives. Today’s youth follows Bollywood like holy books. This article talks about some of the movies which influenced the youth.

Today, cinema is the one of the most powerful media for mass communication. We go to a movie for three hours of entertainment but there are some movies that cause something more than entertainment. They leave a lasting impact on our minds which may be good or bad. On one hand, some movies are responsible for bringing a revolution whereas on the other hand there are some movies which provoke people in their life. Teenagers and college students are the most easily influenced group in our society.

There are various movies which show unreal and impossible scenes that most people are crazy behind. It makes many people believe that lives can be as perfect as shown in movies and leads to disappointment when it doesn’t turn out to be the actual case.

The perfect college scenes of Karan Johar’s movies increased our expectations and made us all believe that college life is as happening as shown in movies like Student of the Year. The movie that revolves around lavish lives of three privileged kids shows everything apart from studying, and it surely made us believe that college is all about having fun and chilling around. But the reality is something very different from that. College, in real life, is more about studies, assessments, internals and externals, and much less about the glorified chilling around.

Romance is another aspect shown in Bollywood movies in unrealistic ways. Such movies make us believe that our love lives can be as perfect as the love lives of the lead actors. But love in real life is full of ups and downs. Movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge make us believe that our Raj will come from continents apart and propose in the mustard fields. But this doesn’t happen in real life (SPOILER ALERT: Love is not everything that you have in real life.). Life has much more to it. Not all girls will give up all they have just for love and no prince charming will come riding a white horse to take you with him.

Movies like Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara left most of the audience dreaming of a perfect trip with friends. But planning trips is not as easy as shown in the movies. It takes a lot of things to plan such trips. Firstly, you need money. Nobody can go to Spain and live the best of their lives if they do not have finances. A Goa trip is something that we all want to go to at least once in the three years of college. At times, students are denied permission by parents which leads to a negative impact on their minds.

Many movies make the youth believe that smoking, drinking, and attending parties makes them look cool and those who focus more on studying are not so cool. This has also become a cause behind youth indulging into drinks and drugs. Movies portray that having a social life is must and those who don’t have a social life are not living their lives in the correct way. All these things tend to create a negative impact on the audience and make people spend lots of money on parties and forces them to show the world what they are doing, where they are, and who they are with. Social media becomes a platform for this. People do everything for that perfect shot to be uploaded on Instagram. Lives start to revolve around the perfect and colourful world of Instagram.

Some movies also show that girls who wear pretty clothes and dress up in a conventionally girly way are more desirable and liked by boys more often. For instance, Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is not liked by Rahul in her tomboyish look and he goes after Tina who looks wears pretty dresses and looks more ‘girly’. But the same Rahul falls for Anjali and finds her to be desirable when she wears saree and looks more like a conventionally typified girl of his conditioned beliefs.

However, not all movies leave a negative impact on the audience. There are a few movies which impact our minds positively and teaches us some very important life lessons.

Gully Boy is a movie praised vastly by the audience. The movie has done wonders and has left a message that we should not always run after the mainstream professions and we should follow our dreams. It shows that poverty is not something that can stop you from achieving your goals. It is not the end of the world but an obstacle that we all can cross. The movie teaches us that no dream is impossible and we can become what we dream of.

Dear Zindagi teaches us a number of beautiful life lessons. The most important of which is that you should always move on and once we take charge of our lives and start understanding ourselves then other’s opinions don’t matter. Another important lesson is to not let your past ruin your present or a beautiful future and never let the memories of your past haunt you.

Another movie that left people with something that they carried with them outside the theatre is Tamasha. It is a movie with a heart that beats in every frame. The biggest lesson that it teaches us is that we need to stop trying to fit in the world the way it wants us to; rather we should become what we want to be. It also teaches us that it is impossible to run away from who we are as it will keep returning to us in ways we can’t imagine. Tamasha is not just a movie but an emotion and words can never be enough to explain it.

It can be concluded that all the movies have both positive as well as a negative factors, and it depends on our minds on how to interpret it. We should try to take the good lessons and ignore the bad lessons. We need to understand the difference between the reel and real life and we need to know that what’s shown on the reel cannot always be implemented in real life. However, the good thing about Bollywood movies these days is that a lot of movies are now based on social causes which tend to influence the audience in a positive way and are responsible for bringing a change in the mind-set of the audience.

Feature Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

Priya Chauhan

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Dos and Don’ts of College Admissions

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College admissions are marked by numerous decision making and countless bits of advice. While all of this sounds perplexing and stress-inducing, one must navigate through a number of factors to make that one careful and calculated choice of college selection. Here are some dos and don’ts for the same. 

Dos

  1. Learn about the college Faculty

It is important to learn about and interact with the faculty of a college before you take admission in it. Every renowned college may not have an amazing faculty for every course. Therefore, you must find out whether the course you want to opt for has a reputed faculty in the college. When you interact with them, you’ll also understand their demeanor. A friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive teacher is always better.

  1. Talk to students

It would positively add to your decision if you are able to talk to the students of the college doing the course you aspire to do. You will get to hear about first-hand experiences of what you are stepping into. You are allowed to talk about your priorities and apprehensions with them. There are some questions which they can answer more honestly than the faculty example, ‘Are the teachers understanding towards ECA students?’

  1. Visit and research about the college prior to taking admission 

Believe it or not, there is something about getting the ‘vibe’ of a college before you become a part of it. It is important to visit the college before getting admission there so that you can get a first-hand experience. However, prior to that, you must research the college. Some of your focuses must be its fests, library, Student Union, grounds, and auditorium. A good infrastructure and governing body will always make the college life easier.

  1. Get an unbiased opinion on comparing a college with other colleges available to you

It is important to compare a college with all the other options available to you. You must never look at a college as an isolated one. Comparing and prioritizing the different factors of two colleges is important. In the end, you must have a list of your preference of colleges. This should be done before the cut-offs are out as you may not have enough time to think it through in the middle of the cut-offs. To keep the list as accurate as possible, it is important to get unbiased opinions on different colleges.

  1. Take extra care for readying your documents and stationary

Once you are sure about a college, a day prior to the admission day, you must check every document that needs to be presented, twice. Furthermore, it is important to keep with yourself, a box of handy stationary like pens, pencils, staplers, glue, erasers, etc. While you are in the process of taking the admission, there will be a lot of confusion and little time on your hands. It is important to reach the college early and have everything ready in order to avoid the chaos.

Don’ts

  1. Become a victim of peer pressure

It is never wise to come under the societal pressures to decide which college to take admission in. You must, furthermore, never give in to the temptation of taking admission in a college because all your friends are there. Understand that your decision must be backed with reason and vision for the future rather than temporary comforts or social reputation as a priority.

  1. Ignore extracurricular activities

Your CV will not only be defined by the course and college you choose. It will also be majorly defined by the extracurricular activities that you get involved in. Your work experience and the positions you hold during your college life reflect on your abilities. These may overlap with your classes and can affect your grade point if the college isn’t supportive. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the college you get into gives you the opportunities and supports your presence in extracurricular activities.

3. Fear the long distance

Students travel up to two hours every day to the best college they can get. That is just how the culture is at Delhi University. It is wrong to leave a better college because it is so ‘far away’. Students are able to manage traveling and even find their ‘me’ time in the metro. At last, what counts is the name of the college on your CV and not excuses of proximity.

4. Let go of a college because of its stereotypes

Every college in Delhi University has a stereotype attached to it. Some are too ‘political’, others are full of ‘unsophisticated’ women. However, the truth is you will find all kinds of people, everywhere. The type of bonds you want to create with the type of people you aspire to be will shape you as a person. You will find all types, everywhere. Therefore, if you are getting a course and a college of your choice, you must not let it go because of the stereotypes attached to it. The truth is often, very different.

 

Feature Image Credits: Veritas Prep

Khyati Sanger

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Pros and Cons of DU: From Liberalism to Infrastructure

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The University of Delhi is a hub of intellects from various corners of India and abroad. The name and fame of DU are spread far and wide. However, how well is this fame justified?

Delhi University is a dream of many. From Assam to Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh to Kerala, students flock in to study in the centuries-old, prestigious university of India. Be it privately funded or government aided, the colleges under DU are known for the excellent courses provided in Arts, Commerce, and Sciences. Illustrious reputation doesn’t necessarily ensure everything proficient. And I say that because of the pros and cons that must be highlighted in lieu of the hype that people relate to a national university like ours.

As I begin in favour of the university, I must say that the liberal staff and students are the pillars in making DU differently awesome. From Pinjra Tod to Nazariya, students of DU are collectives of various mindsets that have helped shape the future of the university.

  1. Less stringent curfew timings for the girls’ hostels: After upheavals from students communities about the huge differences in the in timings of boys’ hostels and girls’ hostels, the curfew timings of many hostels became less stringent, allowing the girls to stay past 10 p.m. at night.
  2. LGBTQ representation: People of all genders must be paid equal respect and attention – that’s what has been the main agenda of the queer collectives that stand to empower the students of DU and Delhi-NCR region. This is indeed a great step towards creating awareness about equality in every aspect of social life.
  3. Social work for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): The National Service Scheme (NSS) and Equal Opportunity Cell of DU provide ample services for the students who have entered the university through the PwD quota. Ranging from scholarships to placements, no student is denied help when needed.
  4. Dynamic societies: DU is known for its vibrant societies, be it dance, music, drama, or photography. The fame of these societies is spread far and wide as they have won in national platforms.
  5. Flexible class hours: More than anything a student can ask for! The teachers are cooperative, in many cases and allow for rescheduling the classes. In fact, for internal examinations, the dates are chosen by the students. How grateful are we?
  6. DU is cool enough to have created the excellent course design of Cluster Innovation centre (CIC). Students who enter CIC through entrance tests can later choose their own set of subjects and that too in the college of their choice, provided they have good grades. Which other university in India has given the student this choice?
  7. Politically active students try to make conditions better here in DU. The student unions work for better fests, better amenities, and a better environment for all.

Cracks and crevices are a part of every institution. As much as we are grateful for everything mentioned above, we should also highlight the ills of the institution.

  1. When we talk about the infrastructure of DU, we do have a frown on our face. Be in the classrooms in the government aided, and semi-government colleges, something or the other is always missing. Fewer classrooms and ever-increasing number of students has led to the downfall of the infrastructural amenities. The students’ unions are trying their level best to pave way for the coming batches to take over the improved base in the college.
  2. Student exchange programmes: DU hasn’t been much active in the student exchange programmes from different colleges in India and abroad. This is a lag that DU needs to work on to provide better opportunities to students.
  3. Specialised courses: DU doesn’t provide extensive specialised courses in the various disciplines of the university. This makes the students opt for other universities for higher education when they want to go for specialised courses.
  4. More colleges like IHE, CVS: Vocational studies are important courses that need to be more diversified and integrated. Better opportunities can be provided to students who want to go for more branched out disciplines like performing arts, photography, mass communication, etc.

 

Feature Image Credits: News18

Radhika Boruah
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The Need for Queer Collectives in Colleges

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Queer collectives are still a new idea within the colleges of University of Delhi. While there is an overall need for collectives of other kinds of minorities as well, let’s explore the case for queer collectives in colleges.

Queer collectives are basically groups that lie somewhere in between the spectrum of support groups/forums and representative organisations. Their purpose is to provide a space for the LGBTQ+ community, which is still very much marginalised in a country like India.

Even around the world, the focus on recognising queer identities has increased in the past few years with increased visibility in the media, increased protections through legislation, and greater focus in general. Of course, a lot of focus was never put on the community to begin with, hence the levels we are currently operating at our abysmally low. In India, along with the legal hurdles faced by the community, there is the added issue of how the society views the community. It’s not just the fact that queer folks are mostly treated with an utter lack of basic respect, bullied or mocked for who they are, and treated as punch lines for jokes in movies that show a stereotypical representation; there is also a bigger issue of people simply not understanding them. The idea that sexual orientations are naturally, biologically determined and that ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ are two different concepts, where ‘gender’ is a social construct that involves personal choice, is alien to most of the population. This is not surprising, considering the absolute lack of proper sex/gender related education imparted at school levels.

In such a scenario, it is imperative to have an organisation that can bridge this information gap, and provide a space for queer people to tell their stories, voice out their fears and confusions, and find others like them for support. They can also organise events in the college, helping to normalise the attitudes of the administration regarding them. For people who have struggled to find those like them or non-queer folk who would support them (called ‘allies’ by the movement), such collectives can be great agents of change and bring much needed comfort. It is high time we take this initiative.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Rishika Singh
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Cabinet Clears Pay Panel Recommendations For 8 Lakh Colleges And University Teachers

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Ahead of Diwali, there is some good news for the nearly 8,00,000 teachers and staff working in colleges, universities, and institutions run by the central and state governments.This decision will benefit 7.58 lakh teachers and equivalent academic staff in 106 universities and colleges funded by the UGC and central government, and 329 universities funded by state governments, besides 12,912 government and private-aided colleges affiliated to state universities.

“In addition, the revised pay package will cover teachers of 119 central-funded technical institutions such as IITs, IISc, IIMs, IISERs, IIITs, NITIE”- as stated by the Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar after the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For the higher education institutions funded by state governments, the revised pay scales will have to be adopted by their respective state governments. The additional financial burden incurred by the state governments in implementing the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission for teachers will be borne by the central government. The approved pay scales will be applicable with effect from January 1, 2016. The annual Central financial liability on account of this measure would be about Rs 9,800 crore, the government said in a statement. The implementation of this revision will enhance teachers’ pay in the range of Rs.10,400 and Rs. 49,800. “This revision will register an entry pay growth in the range of 22 percent to 28 percent,” Javadekar said.

For state government-funded institutions, the revised pay scales will require adoption by respective states. The government had last year constituted a pay review committee, headed by UGC member VS Chauhan, which had submitted its recommendations earlier this year. Following this, the HRD ministry formed a committee to review the recommendations.

Feature Image Credits: India

 

Sandeep Samal

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