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DU to Set up a Centre for Research on Public Policy and Governance

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The University of Delhi (DU) has taken a step further to enhance the range of discussion and opportunities available for students, proving that it has the ability to respond to changing needs.

In a welcome decision taken by the University’s Academic Council, DU is now preparing to set up a center for research on Public Policy and Governance. The proposal for the establishment of such a center had been longstanding and was finally passed during the meeting held on 21st June 2019.

The minutes of the meeting revealed that the centre would be named ‘Delhi School of Public Policy & Governance’ or ‘DSP&G’. The minute added,” The School is the University’s endeavour to contribute to the quality of policymaking and governance in an increasingly complex and challenging world. It will provide a platform wherein a wider community of academics and practitioners will come together to initiate, develop and share ideas to address various emerging domestic and international public policy challenges.”

The subjects that the school intends to focus on are so vast that it presents an opportunity for researches and teachers from various departments and colleges to pursue projects at the centre. A member of the Academic Council, while speaking to Hindustan Times mentioned, “They (researchers) may continue working in their respective departments and colleges, and at the same time, carry out their research project in the School and participate in its programmes.”

The centre will, however, not limit itself to research scholars and plans on providing short term courses to practitioners such as lawmakers and policymakers working with the Government.

As per the proposal, the school will be governed by a Governing Body, an Advisory Council, and Area Coordinators. The Governing Body will have the Vice Chancellor or his nominee as the Chairperson. It will also have representatives from leading institutions in the field of Public Policy and Governance.

Further details about the functioning of the centre and the kind of courses and specialisations it would provide would be publicly available as its establishment takes shape.

 

Feature Image Credits: University of Delhi

 

Pragati Thapa

[email protected], 

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Arts & Culture

Exploring Music as the Highest Expression of Self and Soul

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Music is for the soul; it is the oldest language of feeling and passion that transcends barriers like language, religion, region, etc. It unites people from all walks of life. It beguiles the senses, sets your mind free from the innate practicalities of life and creates a little space of escape where you can let the music empower, inspire and relax your mind.

For generations, people have used this medium to not only express themselves, but also to reach out to millions of other people. From the elusive folk music passed down from generations, to the emerging underground hip-hop music—it is dynamic and constantly evolving.

The recent trend of remixing old classic songs has garnered a lot of criticism for being lazy, showcasing lack of imagination, and being an easy alternative to earning quick money rather than by producing original music. However, India is not short of music or ideas. This diverse country has countless genres, instruments, and musicians with their unique music style still holding the power to enthrall the senses.

In a candid conversation, Sayani Rakshit, a member of Sangeetika, the Indian music society of Kamala Nehru College elaborates on classical music. She considers classical music to be permutations and combinations of ragas. These ragas are based on fixed set of seven notes which are combined in various ways to create countless melodies and compositions.

She further says, “Classical music is the deepest form of music that exists. There is no end to it, it has countless ragas. You have the most amount of scope here for creativity. For example, if am singing a composition, a bandish, I cannot tamper with the boundaries—but within the boundaries set by the raga, there is a lot of scope for creativity.”

Sayani mentions,“Beauty of classical music is in its routine. Ragas are sung at a particular time of the day. This is done because the notes have certain moods associated with them, which when sung at the right time are more impactful.”

She also adds, “I used to hate classical music when I first started out, but with a lot of practice and understanding, I am now an admirer of classical music. You need to understand the music in its various nuances and subtleties to appreciate it fully. This is why it is not very popular, because a person needs to understand various intricacies involved with this music to truly appreciate it.”

The underground hip-hop scene is rife with music that is politically and socially impactful. It is inspired and imaginative, hitting their audience with clean precision. Mcfreezak, a Delhi-based artist who is part of the Khirkee collective considers commercial hip-hop to be scripted. It feels artificial, highly constructed and fake, which loses the appeal of everything that real hip-hop aspires to be. Since it is not real, it is not able to connect with the real masses. Whereas their rap is grounded with the people and connects with their issues.

Mahima Dayal, famously known as Bawari Basanti, is a Hindustani classical and folk singer with a debut album “Underwater”. In a conversation with her, she shares her thoughts on folk music and considers it to be all about story telling and sharing wisdom. It’s one of the few art forms that cannot be taught, but is gained through osmosis.

She elaborates, “When I listen to manganihars, I can feel the sand falling through my fingers. Similarly, listening to bhangra and gidda music instantly puts an ecstatic smile on my face. This happens because folk music is a rustic reflection of our society and listening to it makes us feel more real. There is no pretence in the sound.”

Murshidabadi Project collaborates with musicians from all across the globe and specialises in simple yet peaceful Sufi music. He says, “Sufism talks about love and knowing the self to meet the divine. Its music is ideally raw and doesn’t require much accompaniment.”

According to him, Sufism is relevant in the present socio-political situation as it talks about love, peace and harmony. However, the mainstream audience is not in touch with it, as they do not have any choice as to the content that they choose to consume. The internet and television is so overpowered by the filmy music, that other genres do not get a platform.

As various classical genres of music struggle to gain ground in the contemporary demand trends of the music industry, a certain shift in the tastes and preferences of the audiences also can be easily observed in the subcontinent. Independent pop-rock band The Local Train or Indie artist Prateek Kuhad’s rise to fame is a testament to the previously mentioned shift in consumption. As new genres are on the rise, the idea of striking a balance between the contemporary and classical demands acknowledgement in the music industry.

Feature Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat

Antriksha Pathania
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Best in the Fest: On Popular Musicians in the Indian College Circuit

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Fests seem to be a significant part of the whole college experience. And these fests are incomplete without a thrilling concert on stage. From sports fields to tour buses, several independent, signed, and Bollywood artists have toured the various colleges of India for their fests.

Here we count down five significant artists who are a popular sight at many a college concert. The following musicians and singers are featured in here in no particular order, just on the basis of genres and the space they have among the college-going youth. Many college fests take place over the course of two or three nights. The usual pattern is a rock band or a DJ making people jump for the early days, while playback singers from the film industry take over the final days.

  1. Electronic Dance Music (EDM)

Gurgaon-born DJ Zaeden is a popular pick of the new age electronic music producers. Zaeden has struck a chord with the youth, having performed at many colleges of University of Delhi (DU) and other technological institutes. Zaeden’s set usually features his originals like ‘Never Let You Go’, along with dance covers of Coldplay and Maroon 5 songs.

But if you want to hear remixes of mainstream film music, then DJ Chetas and NYK to a lesser extent could be your choice. Chetas’ rise is remarkable as his work might seem pretty mediocre in the face of new-age DJs like Ritviz and Mojo Jojo. Still, Chetas knows how to market himself. His career took off with making themed mashups of Bollywood songs that were featured on the 9X TV network; soon his mashups and remixes found their way in the fest circuit increasing his brand name.

Still, the most original music producer in this scene is Nucleya. With hardly any remixes, he cuts straight to the chase whipping out his classic trance tracks like ‘Bass Rani’ and ‘Laung Gavacha’. Sometimes, if colleges have enough funds, they can even call up foreign DJs to add to the star value. For instance, Quintino in his Indian tour leg even managed to perform his sets at IIT Kanpur and BITS Goa last year. In Delhi’s Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) it was rumoured that this year, the mask-wearing DJ Marshmello or Alan Walker (another DJ who likes covering his face) would headline their fest. But these were just rumours, as in the end, it was DJ Chetas who performed.

  1. Acoustic/ Rock

When it comes to light acoustic vibes, Prateek Kuhad is the top pick. Featuring a three-piece band, he smoothly sings and plays his guitar while the audiences just swoon. A critically acclaimed songwriter, his track list has both English and Hindi tunes, usually with slow instruments and themes of love and life. With most of his followers being millennials, it’s only apt for the ‘Cold Mess’ singer to be a sensation at college fests.

But when it comes to rock, there’s an even bigger force to be reckoned with—a band called The Local Train. The rock band is a recent phenomenon that started out with their first record ‘Aalas ka Ped’, an instant hit amongst a modest fanbase. Two albums old, they are touring all over the country performing in nearly every Hard Rock Café, and nearly every college fest. Churning out songs in a mix of Hindi and Urdu, their tracks like ‘Khudi’ and ‘Aaoge Tum Kabhi’ deal with various themes like following your dreams and waiting for a lover; stuff which appeals to the dreamy college kid. It’s safe to say that The Local Train is not so ‘local’ anymore!

  1. Film music

This is where the fest gets fully mainstream. Bollywood artists usually have many singles from film’s soundtracks, which make for popular music content for the fest audiences. Duos like Vishal-Shekhar and Saleem-Sulaiman are big hits in this regard.

Then there are popular Punjabi artists too in fest line-ups, like Diljit Dosanjh and Guru Randhawa. They sing originals as well as songs featured in films. While the background musicians manage the performance, and the singers’ bravado gets the crowds jumping, some do not consider them as true performers. A case in point is Diljit’s concert at Rendezvous (the annual fest of IIT Delhi), where many fans noted how the singer was lip-syncing for most of his songs.

Then there are a few other artists who manage to perform a varied set of both film and independent content. Farhan Akhtar assisted by his band Farhan Live! starts off his fest shows with songs from his popular films, Rock On and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; adding in ballads from albums of his own. Assamese Bollywood singer Papon (who recently performed at Hindu College on top of a Red Bull tour bus) also manages to play a few non-film tunes. Amit Trivedi has also sung his MTV Coke Studio songs for many a college fest. On a side note, Amit Trivedi’s concerts are truly a team effort. He not only introduces all his background singers and musicians to the audience but sometimes gives them the stage to perform their exclusive pieces.

Featured Image Credits: Aakarsh Gupta for DU Beat

Shaurya Singh Thapa

[email protected]

 

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Admissions 2019

Protest Against ‘Faulty Admission Process’ Continues

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Student organisations have organised multiple protests till now, raising various demands related to the admission process and alleged fee hikes. In the series of protests, a one-day hunger strike was called on 20th June.

Following the protests of 11th June, 14th June, and a press conference and dharna on 19th June, the protesting student organisations sat on a hunger strike on 20th June against what they have called a “faulty admission process” and fee hike. The hunger strike went on from 10 am to 10 pm in front of Gate No. Four of the Arts Faculty building, and saw the participation of seven student organisations – All India Students’ Association (AISA), Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM), Collective, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), Parivartankami Chhatra Sangathan (Pachhas), Pinjra Tod and Students’ Federation of India (SFI).

A total of seven students, one from each organisation, sat on a hunger strike. These included Amarjeet from AISA, Nishant from BSCEM, Udita from Collective, Rohit from KYS, Aman from Pachhas, Diya from Pinjra Tod, and Varkey from SFI.

A press release issued by AISA stated, “The registration fees for OBC category has seen a drastic increase and is placed at INR 750, whereas the EWS category pays INR 300; the criteria for both being an income of below INR 8 lakh per annum.” The press release further mentioned about the previous protests and read, “Seeing disappointment again on the 19th, students decided to take up the method of hunger strike. From today (20th June), Amarjeet from AISA with six other students began the hunger strike and shall continue until the Vice Chancellor comes out and talks to the students.”

A press release had been issued by SFI also on 19th June, which read, “Activists of SFI and other organisations held a press conference and dharna (on 19th June) at gate number four of Arts Faculty, University of Delhi, protesting the fee hike of the OBC registration and faulty admission process. A delegation from the protestors met the Deputy Dean of Students’ Welfare, and submitted a memorandum. He made several verb promises, but nothing concrete came of it. By 4:30 pm the students were attacked by the security guard(s) and removed from gate number four. Later the police also intervened in the matter and attempted to intimidate the students. The protesters have decided to move for a hunger strike from tomorrow.”

Diya Davis from Pinjra Tod, one of the protesters who sat on the hunger strike, told DU Beat, “This (the hunger strike) was after the protest outside the Office gate (of the Dean of Students’ Welfare) was forcefully disrupted by the security personnel the previous day. Protesters were forcefully removed from the protest site on 19th June. There was no response from the admin.” She also said that the students were removed from the protest site “using force by the security guards”, on 19th June.

Another protester, Aman Bhartiya from Pachhas, remarked regarding the strike, “It was hoped that someone will come from (the) administration to discuss the issues, but unfortunately it did not happen. So we are now going to file a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) within 1-2 days. Also a mass protest has been called for, by all student organizations, on 24th June.”

DU Beat had reported about the previous protests and the demands raised. These have majorly centred around the differential fee requirements of students from Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) categories. Other demands include: setting the entrance exam question paper in Hindi as well; providing “proper facilities” at the exam centres; revoking the fee hike in Ramjas College & Bharati College, and other related issues.

Read the previously published reports here for a comprehensive and chronological understanding of the protest:

https://dubeat.com/2019/06/student-organisations-protest-against-faulty-admission-process/

https://dubeat.com/2019/06/protesters-burn-effigy-of-du-vc/

The protesting organisations are now planning to take the matter to the courts by filing a PIL. A larger protest has also been scheduled for 24th June.

 

Feature Image Credits: Amarjeet Kumar Singh from AISA

 

Prateek Pankaj

[email protected]

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Admissions

DU Colleges to Verify Original Documents When Intake Gets Over

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The University of Delhi (DU) has tied up with the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) to inspect all the document of newly-admitted students to ensure nobody gets admission fraudulently.

As per a recent Delhi High Court order, colleges of DU will have to return the original documents to students immediately after the admission process gets over; however, this won’t stop the Varsity from verifying the documents after the intake is done. The order will facilitate students to withdraw from the college with ease, in case they wish to switch colleges, or quit the course.

The verification will either be forensic or with the respective boards. “During the verification, if any college finds any certificate to be fake, the admission will be cancelled immediately. It is a criminal offence to submit fake documents,” a DU official said. Some colleges like Ramjas and Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa had previously conducted forensic tests of all documents during the admission period. For the CBSE students, the marks details are uploaded during the registration process itself from this year, reports Times of India.

Depending on their schedule, the colleges will ask for the documents after the admission. “Then these documents will be verified. For the authentication of documents, DU administration has tied up with CBSE. The document of students from Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and state boards will be examined by the Varsity itself,” they added.

A member of the standing committee of Academic Council explained to The Morning Standard that 80% of the application that the University receives come from CBSE pass-outs. The other 20% come from ISCE or state boards. “CBSE has undertaken the task to verify the documents of its students, while the University will verify the documents of students from other boards,” the official added.

This decision comes an academic year after the infamous controversy of Ankiv Basoya, who, after being alleged of submitting a fake degree, and the allegations proving right, lost his position as the President of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU). His admission was cancelled by the Department of Buddhist Studies on 14th November last year.

“Returning the documents is a great step. Not only will it help students switch to other colleges easily, but the documents will also be safer with us,” said Tuba Afreen, a second-year student pursuing a five-year integrated course at DU. “In the month of March when there was a fire in our college, all the documents were kept in the room on the same floor. Fortunately, there was no incident but it could have ruined our lives even if a single document would have caught fire.”

 

Feature Image Credits – Quora

Priyanshu

[email protected]

 

 

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Campus Central

Faculty of Law’s Dean and Head Professor Ved Kumari Resigns

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Citing non-cooperation by the authorities as the reason, Dean and Head of Faculty of Law, Professor Ved Kumari resigns.

In a shocking turn of events, Dean and Head of Faculty of Law, Professor Ved Kumari has resigned from her position on Tuesday, 18th June. 

Professor Kumari, who assumed the post on September 2nd, 2016, resigned three months prior to her term-end, citing “non- cooperation of the University authorities and illegal/ arbitrary actions of Professor-in-charge, Campus Law Center.”

In her letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the University, she writes, “I regret to say that despite doing my best, I have not been able to succeed and secure the best interest of the Faculty of Law in the last two years and nine months.”

In her letter, she made some shocking revelations which lead to her resignation.IMG_20190618_213555

She accused the institute and the authorities for allowing students with even 31 per cent attendance to take exams, and in this allowance, serving injustice to the hardworking students who attend the class regularly.

She also revealed that fake records of tutorial classes were maintained in the institute.

According to Professor Kumari, she has “repeatedly felt embarrassed and humiliated at no action and no response,” to her calls, letters, personal meetings as the Dean and Head by the University authorities, when asked for necessary action to be taken.IMG_20190618_213604

She believes that nothing will change in the coming three months and thus, she has decided to resign before her tenure ends.

Speaking to the dismal state of affairs at the Faculty of Law, she says that the institute deserves immediate support from the authorities to deal with the numerous issues hovering over it.

This is not the first time that one of the most prestigious law institutes of the country, Faculty of Law, has been embroiled in a controversy.

Last year, the institute came into the media’s scanner after LLB entrance exam and LLM semester exam papers were leaked.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat archives

Shreya Agrawal

[email protected] 

 

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Admissions

DU Publishes New Admission Criteria For All Courses

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With the High Court ordering University of Delhi (DU) to scrap the new admission criteria for B. Com. (Hons.) and BA Economics (Hons.), other courses may also be given the same relaxation.

The University of Delhi (DU) has now repealed the new eligibility requirements for admission to the B. Com. (Honours) and BA Economics (Honours) courses. This move comes following the Delhi High Court orders, after a considerate amount of criticism and a plea against the controversial move to include Mathematics in Best Four Subjects aggregate for the two courses.

DU has released a new Bulletin of Information for admission to undergraduate courses on Monday, based on the 2018-19 eligibility criteria. It has been observed that the new eligibility criteria for other courses has similarly been replaced with that of the last year.

The Court had previously called this move arbitrary, and beyond requesting the varsity to repeal it. It also had asked to extend the process till June 22nd, which was previously June 14th. This order has also been implemented.

A bench of Justice Anu Malhotra and Justice Talwant Singh stated, “There is no dispute that you (DU) to be in tune with the times. Nothing prevents you from improving the education standards. No one is saying your decision is not right, but your timing may not be right.” They further added that these criteria can be applied only with six months’ prior notice.

These changes were put forth by recommendations from different departments in the varsity and then needed approval from the Standing Committee, Academic  Council. But the members of the Executive Council, prior to the conundrum, requested the Vice Chancellor in a letter to not give his approval.

While the inclusion of Mathematics in best of four for B.A. Economics (Hons.), and 50% marks in Mathematics for B. Com. (Hons.) are now not compulsorily required. There is currently a requirement of 55% marks in English for B.A. English (Honours) and in Hindi for B.A. Hindi (Honours). B.A. Programme, B.A. Urdu (Hons.), Arabic (Hons.), and Persian (Hons.) also have a new eligibility criterion for 40% in class 10th or 12th in the respective subjects.

Stuti Tanotra, a Delhi University aspirant expressed her joy stating, “Under the new criteria, my Best of Four (BoF) was getting reduced and I was apprehensive about getting a good college for Economics. Now that this has been scrapped, I am very happy my BoF has increased, and now I look forward to studying Economics at DU.”

This change has led to a lot of changes in not just the extending of admissions, but also a delay in releasing cut-offs as well as the dates for the trials of extracurricular activities, and consequently admissions. St. Stephen’s College has also extended its dates and the cut-off for interviews will now be released on June 24th.

Applicants can check the new corrigendum on the University’s official website: http://www.du.ac.in/adm2019/

 

Feature Image Credits: The Times of India

Shivani Dadhwal

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Campus Central

Adityanath Agrees to Fund New DU Hostel

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University of Delhi is set to get a new hostel, as a proposal by the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) President Shakti Singh is approved by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to allocate funds of INR 48 crore.

According to a press release by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister (CM) of Uttar Pradesh is set to provide INR 48 crore for a new University of Delhi’s (DU) Hostel.

A proposal by Shakti Singh dated the 10th of June was approved by CM Yogi Adityanath the same day. The proposal addresses the difficulties faced by DU students while looking for student accommodation. The proposal also highlights that only 1-2% of students from Uttar Pradesh get hostel accommodation.

The new hostel requires approximately 3 acres of land to be built. The hostel is said to have 500 seats, and sports facilities over INR 3 crore. The total cost, including overhead charges amounts to INR 48 crore. The hostel is set to be constructed on the Uttar Pradesh government’s land in Delhi.

DUSU President Shakti Singh said on Twitter, “A big thank you to CM Yogi Adityanath Ji. I am highly thankful to you for the assurance of sanction of (INR) 48 Crore for the budget to build hostels for students of Uttar Pradesh in Delhi-NCR. It would be one major step towards accommodation.”

The promise of a new hostel brings relief to students even though the dates of construction and its unveiling remain unclear.  Finding cheap accommodation on campus, or in Delhi is not easy for the regular DU student. With rising costs of commercial accomodations (Paying Guests), and limited number of seats in the hostel, students are left with no choice but to opt for private accommodation which usually burns a hole in their pocket. In some cases, students are also subjected to harassment by brokers and landlords.

The move sounds promising, as currently, the University hostels lack various facilities, and the number of seats remains low. The University also has a history of protests related to the hostels, with the recent ones being the Hindu College hostel and the Daulat Ram College hostel rows. This move also leaves one wondering if the implementation of the new hostel would mean a revision in the current hostel rules and guidelines.

Feature Image Credits: Shakti Singh on Twitter

Jaishree Kumar

[email protected]

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Admissions

Course Profile: Cluster Innovation Centre

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The Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) is an institution of University of Delhi, established in 2011. Based on interdisciplinary learning, it has been designed to seek and derive answers to the real world problems in all spheres, and look for innovative solutions for problems of the society.

It is a Meta College as well as a Meta University concept with an innovative curriculum, which is more project-oriented and tailored to the need of the society and industry.

Located in the quaint premises of Rugby Sevens Building, University Stadium in North Campus, it is a promising course for students who wish to seek the connect of research with its practical application.

COURSES OFFERED AT CLUSTER INNOVATION CENTRE:

Currently there are three courses offered at CIC-

  1. B.A. (Honours) Humanities and Social Sciences
  2. B. Tech (IT and Mathematical Innovations)
  3. M.Sc. (Mathematics Education)

SEAT MATRIX FOR B.A. AND B. TECH COURSE:

In 2019 – 20 there will be 44 seats each in both the courses. They are distributed as:

General Category – 20 seats

EWS – 2 seats

OBC Category – 12 seats

SC Category – 7 seats

ST Category – 3 seats

Apart from these there are 6 supernumerary seats distributed as:

PwD Category – 2 seats

CW Category – 2 seats

Foreign Nationals – 2 seats

 

  • B.A.(Honours) Humanities and Social Sciences

This is an off-beat course compared to other regular honours programmes offered by University of Delhi.  It is based on interdisciplinary learning, which presents an opportunity to the student to design his/her own degree.

This course is divided into four streams:

  1. Journalism
  2. Counselling
  3. Historical Tourism
  4. Art & Design

Based on these four streams a student can study a variety of subjects offered in different colleges of University of Delhi in semesters two to five, and study some basic courses at the centre itself in semester one and six. Apart from the core papers, the distinctive aspect of the curriculum is the hands-on research project, which gives the students a grass-root level experience of the functionality of the society.

One can schematically study Political Science at Hindu College in one semester and Economics at SRCC in another! The interdisciplinary nature of the course gives a holistic view in the field of humanities and social sciences.

Commenting on the course, Rishabh Gogoi, a third year student of CIC says, “It’s unlike any other course in the country, and a much needed alternative in an otherwise restrictive education system. We all know the efforts of the University of Delhi to enhance the flexibility of its course structure through the Credit Based Credit System (CBCS). The course at CIC takes the same concept several steps ahead to present its scholars an absolute freedom to design their own degree. Although there are a number of nuances associated with the aforementioned “freedom”, but regardless, the B.A. course at CIC is undoubtedly the best decision any indecisive student can make who wants to study humanities and/or social sciences.”

Niharika Dabral, an outgoing student of CIC reminisces her experience at CIC as, “I would never change my experience at CIC for anything. It’s a college experience like none other. Since I’ve survived the project presentations I think I can survive anything. It has been intense.

There are so many things that have to improve, but that University stadium is comfort. Four colleges in six semesters is bound to make one like a nomad, but today I’m more independent than ever.”

However, a person may feel detached and have a certain sense of instability due to changing colleges in each semester, from semester two to five. It may not be the best fit option for students not willing to feel so.  But this rigorous course would surely develop leadership qualities and improve one’s perspective towards humanities and social sciences.

  • B. Tech (IT & Mathematical Innovations)

Cluster Innovation Centre offers a four-year B.Tech. programme in Information Technology & Mathematical Innovation.

According to the official website of CIC, “The B. Tech course offered is a unique programme, is designed to inculcate an innovation mind-set as part of the curriculum and pedagogy. Building strong analytical skills through Mathematics and application skills of Information Technology (IT), this course encourages students to recognize the connectedness of various disciplines.”

The streams offered in the B. Tech programme are-

  1. Robotics and Embedded Systems
  2. Economics and Management
  3. System Biology

The innovation lab known as the “Engineering Kitchen” is the place where students carry out hands-on projects, experiments and model implementations which are linked to the curriculum.

Yatharth Rai, a third year student from B. Tech. says, “The curriculum, although hectic, is quite flexible. The three minor streams grant a clarity. There is a focus on practical applications, rather than theoretical expertise. Each paper in the semester has an accompanying project. I personally find these projects extremely beneficial as they provide an outlet to the theoretical concepts learnt during the semester paper.”

The B.Tech course offered is comprehensive with a special emphasis given on practical learning. In last semester of the course i.e. 8th semester, the programme is based on industrial internship to give students the necessary work experience.

Unlike other B. Tech courses, a student of Arts or Commerce having Mathematics and English can apply in the B.Tech (IT and Mathematical Innovations) course on the condition that he/she fulfils the eligibility criteria as laid down by the Cluster Innovation Centre.

  • M.Sc. (Mathematics Education)

It is a meta-university concept, which offers a two year post graduate programme jointly offered by University of Delhi and Jamia Milia Islamia. The course is developed to give students theoretical as well as hands-on experience of mathematics education.

There are total 20 seats in the programme distributed as:

University of Delhi: 10

Jamia Millia Islamia: 10

Seat Matrix:

 

IMG-20190612-WA0046

  

Source: www.ducic.ac.in

All the three courses offered at Cluster Innovation Centre are uniquely designed and promote hands-on learning in addition to building theoretical concepts. Therefore, these courses offer a different experience of academics altogether.

Selection to these courses is based on an entrance test which is to be conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) this year.

The entrances for the Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes are to be conducted between 30th June, 2019 – 6th July, 2019.

Feature Image Credits: www.ducic.ac.in

Sriya Rane

[email protected]

 

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Admissions

An Extensive Guide to Admissions: St. Stephen’s College

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Presenting a detailed guide to applying to one of the most premier institutes in the country, St. Stephen’s College. 

University of Delhi (DU) admissions have begun and it is important for all DU aspirants to be able to understand the admission procedures. The admissions to all colleges in the university follow a similar pattern. However, this pattern differs in the case of semi-autonomous colleges . One of these colleges includes St. Stephen’s College. This Christian minority college has a slightly different form of admission for taking in students.

Applying to St. Stephen’s College is a double-layered process. The applicant must start by applying to the university, that is, going through the standard procedure of filling the university application. Once that has been completed, the applicant must then apply on St. Stephen’s admission’s portal. This portal can only be accessed with the applicant’s DU form number. After accessing the admission portal, the applicant must register at the portal using their DU form number. This is followed by a verification email sent by the college. Once verified, the applicant can proceed to the next stage. The application procedure is very simple and comprehensive. The admission form has various sections that need to be filled or completed in order to move to the next aspect of the form.

Given below are the various steps for the same:

  1. After the verification is done, the first page begins with the form requesting various kinds of personal informations like the name of the applicant, the father’s name, the mother’s name, their occupations etc. After filling all such details correctly we move on to the next page.
  2. The second page deals with various documents that are to be submitted by the applicant with respect to various kinds of reservations that the college has allotted for non-Christian applicants. These are divided into various categories that include SCs, STs, and OBCs. In case of Christian students, documents that declare their churches and denominations are to be submitted. All Christian students are to submit scanned copies of their baptism certificates along with a declaration from their parish Priest stating the authenticity of the Christian upbringing of the applicant. The applicant can also select multiple categories, if it applies to him or her.
  3. The third page deals with course selection. This page provides details for the various courses that the institution provides, and the subjects that need to be added for the same. After the applicant selects the subject or subjects he or she wishes to apply to, the applicant can proceed to the next page.
  4. The fourth page deals with various aspects of the applicant’s education qualifications. This space is meant for the applicants to put in details like the address of their school, the form of syllabus or the board that they followed, their school etc. The scanned copies of tenth and twelfth class mark sheets are to be uploaded here. Followed by whether their result has been declared or not. If the applicant chooses “Yes”, then four columns appear for the subjects. The applicant can also add more subjects. Based on the subject chosen, the site automatically calculates the best of four. For example: If the student chooses chemistry, then chemistry would be automatically added in the best of four.
  5. The fifth page deals with three questions. This page is a very important step in filling the form. It can also be said to be the most important because it deals with the applicant answering questions posed by the college. The answers play an important role in further selections. The first question deals with the goals, aspirations, and various interests of the applicant.
  6. This question is followed by the statement of purpose (SOP). This basically asks the applicant to state the reasons for choosing the subject they have applied for. The applicant must answer this question carefully. The last question is “Why St. Stephen’s College?”

These three questions are to be written within a word limit of 100 to 300 words.

Applications are filtered from here, based on the answers written by the applicants. Thus, it is important to write carefully with valid reasons for your arguments.

Once the SOPs have been filled, the payment has to be made for the form. The applicant has to pay 200 INR per course. If the applicant wants to apply for the residence facility, then another 350 rupees is to be paid. The residence facility is the hostel facility that the college provides for its students, who do not belong to Delhi or the NCR regions.

This is the basic format that is followed by the college for its admission process. Do not be worried about the SOPs ( Please take a copy of your SOPs as they might be needed for the interview that would follow).

A thorough background of your course and the college would be good pointers for a great SOP. DU Beat wishes good luck to all applicants applying to St. Stephen’s. May the odds be in your favour!

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Stephen Mathew

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