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Reasons to Choose Delhi University Over Others

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Delhi University is not just a place of learning but it also provides a variety of opportunities for all-round development of students. This article shows just some reasons why this remains an ideal choice for students.

Delhi University is a vibrant place to study and probably one of the foremost universities in the country. There are various reasons why this is the ideal place for a diverse group of people to come and rack their brains together. At the risk of sounding like propaganda, here are our top reasons why you should opt for DU over other universities:

1. Holistic learning: Delhi University hosts numerous undergraduate programmes through its affiliated colleges in various streams of studies under different faculties namely Arts, Social Sciences, Applied Social Sciences & Humanities, Commerce & Business Studies, Mathematical Sciences, Sciences and Inter-Disciplinary and Applied Sciences, around 70 postgraduate courses in addition to diploma and advanced diploma courses, certificate courses, Ph.D and M.Phil programmes. Sports and ECA category students are also given freedom to develop their extra-curricular activities. Such a plethora of courses means that students get to experiment and explore various disciplines. Combined with a distinguished faculty and research opportunities, this provides for a holistic learning experience. Academic excellence: In the year 2018, The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) under the Ministry of Human Development saw 5 DU colleges make it to the top 10 colleges in the country. The University overall bagged the 7th rank. In the National Assessment and Accreditation Council’s yearly assessment, most DU colleges end up in the top ten slot. Regardless of the ranking parameters, there are other aspects like teacher-student relations, opportunities for research, and presence of well-stocked libraries that make this place a haven for students around the country. As one of the foremost undergraduate centres of learning, it also attracts the best of the brightest students in the country.

2. Diversity: In terms of cultural diversity too, Delhi University attracts students from all across the country as well as other nations. You will get an opportunity to interact, live, and dance with the best of the minds of the country.

3. Campus life: The campus life in Delhi University goes beyond the red-brick canteens. It is always bustling with research seminars, talks, film screenings, society fests, and not to mention the college fests that happen in every winter semester. The central location of the university means that students are in constant touch with not just students from other colleges but also from other heavyweight Institutions such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

4. Teaching faculty: Delhi University’s myriad teaching faculty adopts a student-friendly approach to learning. Their diverse research interests and numerous publications mean that they are also experts at their fields of interest. An exposure to them certainly helps the students here.

5. Fest season: Come winter, you will wait excitedly for the fests, which will mean that all the colleges in the University will open their doors to other students. You will meet new people, eat amazing food and dance to the beats of the likes of KK, Benny Dayal, and Nucleya, amongst the many artists that visit DU. It is the perfect time to meet new people, places and that occasional crush you will persistently stalk for the next two months on Facebook.

6. Protests Season: There are three seasons in DU: test, fest, and protest season. Whether or not you are politically inclined, it is the best place to see different kinds of student movements develop from scratch. From the anti-autonomy strikes to the protests held by Pinjra Tod, students here are politically very active, and they often organise creative ways to assert themselves. Students are not just restricted to the classrooms but they also have an acute sense of the happenings of the world around them.

7. Placements: Although the rate of placements varies from college to college, it is one of the most successful universities to get placements in the country. Students also branch out to different streams of higher learning once they graduate from the university.

7. Food: If you are like every other student at a university, you are most likely to be a foodie too. For foodies, DU is among the best possible food havens. Whether you fancy a plate of savoury momos (Dolma Aunty’s) or just that perfect cuppa, (Sudama’s Chai) the university and its food joints will cater to your taste buds. Explore areas like Majnu ka Tila, Old Delhi and Hauz Khas to get other kinds of food experiences. Moreover the canteens of the different colleges also present low-cost, hygienic food that will leave you wanting more. The city: History, myth, language, and centuries of culture merge together in Delhi and lend a unique touch to the University. With an active nightlife, markets, food joints and places to hang out with your friends, the city provides immense opportunities for a new cultural experience. For both the avid traveller and the casual wanderer, Delhi is a treasure trove of monuments, forts, rivers and ancient nooks and crannies. The short distance between the city and hill stations like Dharamshala, Shimla, Manali means that those road trips might just manifest during your college years.

Feature Image Credits – India Today

Sara Sohail 

[email protected] 

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Delhi University and Jamia soar in India Today and Outlook survey

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The 2018 Annual Best Colleges of India Survey by India Today and Outlook saw multiple colleges of Delhi University and Jamia Milia Islamia included in the top ten.

The annual survey of best colleges done by India Today and Outlook was done through extensive survey methods that included detailed questionnaires and field visits and revealed the rising academic excellence of Delhi University and Jamia Milia Islamia.

The India Today annual survey was conducted in collaboration with Marketing and Development Research Associates (MDRA), a Delhi-based marketing research and consulting organisation. It surveyed around 1000 colleges in various streams across the country on the basis of a revised tightly-structured methodology. Field visits to over 100 colleges helped to survey them objectively through five broad parameters:  ‘Intake Quality & Governance’, ‘Academic Excellence’, ‘Infrastructure & Living Experience’, ‘Personality & Leadership Development’ and ‘Career Progression & Placement’.

Among the Best Arts Colleges of the country, St. Stephen’s College attained the 1st rank, while Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) was deemed to be in 2nd rank. Hindu College (3rd rank), Miranda House (4th rank) and Kirori Mal College (5th rank) were also among the top ten.

Among the Best Science Colleges of the country, Miranda House bagged the 1st Rank while Hindu College came second. St. Stephen’s (3rd rank), Kirori Mal college (4th rank) and Loyola College, Chennai (5th rank) were among the top ten as well.

In the list of the Best Commerce Colleges of the country, Sri Ram College of Commerce bagged the first rank.  Hindu College came second followed by LSR, Hansraj College and Department of Commerce, Christ College (Bengaluru), in that order.

Among the best colleges for Mass Communication, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi bagged the first rank followed by AJ Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI). In a press release, JMI’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Talat Ahmad congratulated the centres and departments of the university and also said that the findings complemented JMI’s 12th rank in the ‘universities’ category in MHRD’s NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) for two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018.

In terms of other parameters as well, the colleges of Delhi University were again at the top position. A few categories where they shone were  Career Progression and Placement (Kirori Mal), Personality and Leadership Development (St. Stephen’s), Academic Excellence (LSR), Intake Quality and Governance (St. Stephen’s) and Cost of the Best (St. Stephen’s).

The survey done by Outlook in collaboration with the Mumbai-based research agency Drshti Strategic Research Services included detailed objective questionnaires that were sent to more than 2700 colleges in the country across 12 streams including Engineering, Medicine, Social Work and Mass Communication. Five key parameters of selection process & institute profile, academics, personality and development, placements, employment & graduating outcome, and infrastructure were used to judge the colleges while separate perceptual surveys were conducted among students, faculty members and other professionals.  

In the ranking of top Social Work Colleges in India, Delhi University’s Department of Social Work was granted the 2nd rank with an overall score of 929 with TISS, Mumbai bagging the 1st Rank and an overall score of 947. Among the Best Law colleges of the country Faculty of Law, JMI bagged the 5th position as did the Faculty of Architecture & Ekistics of JMI, in the Best Architecture Colleges category. In Mass Communication, AJK MCRC, Jamia Milia Islamia, was judged to be the best college.

DU Beat wishes the heartiest congratulations to the colleges for their achievements.

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Sara Sohail

[email protected]

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Deshbandhu College Central Councillor Leads Strike Against College Administration

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Deshbandhu College students took place in a hunger strike, demanding better facilities and more resources. 

A group of protesters, led by the Central Councillor of Deshbandhu College, staged a strike from the 19th of May 2018 within the college premises. The strike, which took place intermittently from the 19th, witnessed the Central Councillor of the college Students’ Union Saurabh Kumar holding a hunger strike for 2 days, only ending it at 1 pm on the 22nd.

The protesters put forth a chain of demands which included construction of a new computer science lab in the college, the appointment of a nurse, the release of funds for the cultural societies, and equipping the college chemistry lab with student safety gears including eyeglasses and gloves.

Explaining the reasons underlying his demands, Kumar told DU Beat, “Last October, in the college Chemistry Lab, a student had to be rushed to the hospital after a chemical reaction had gone wrong. Acid fumes had gone into the student’s eyes due to the lack of glasses in the lab.” Speaking on the demand for the release of funds for the societies, he commented, “It is common knowledge that the college has adequate resources to provide the required funds to our societies. But there has been withheld despite repeated requests from our side.”

Kumar, who was taken to the hospital after the strike had elaborated on their demand for a nurse by saying, “We have a medical room and yet we neither have a doctor nor a nurse. Toh Kya Faida Medical Room Ka? (What is the use of a medical room then?)”.

 

The President of Deshbandhu College Union Devesh Tiwary told a DU Beat correspondent, “First of all, our college doesn’t have a Principal at the moment. In the absence of an overarching authority, the financial transactions find difficulties in implementation. The interviews for the Principal’s post have been carried out. We are awaiting the results now.” He further assured, “Once the exams are over, we will conduct a meeting with the newly appointed Principal, and subsequently take stock of the demands.”

Tiwary alleged that the protesters had not given prior intimation of either their demands or the protest. Pehle Apni Maange Toh Rakho Humare Aage (at least apprise us about your demands first)”. He expressed concern and said, “I received calls from the police. But this wasn’t a matter to actuate a hunger strike upon.”

In contrast to Tiwary’s remarks, student councillor Saurabh Kumar asserted, “We had given prior notification to the college administration about the protest.” Notably, a copy of this aforementioned notification was sent to DU Beat in the evening of the 22nd. In the letter dated 18th May 2018, Kumar had put forth an ultimatum to the college administration by stating that he would sit on the hunger strike till his “last breath”. Kumar had further stated in the letter that if something happens to him during the hunger strike, the culpability of the same will lie with the college. Copies of the same were sent to the police station in Kalkaji, the Chairman of Deshbandhu College and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Delhi.

Saurabh Kumar imposed serious charges against the administration and said, “The protesters sat on strike day-and-night for two days. And yet, the administration had locked the washrooms at night. They not only prevented us from bringing in mattresses, they didn’t allow us to bring even mosquito repellents during the course of our strike.”

In a letter of assurance that was received by Kumar from the college administration, the latter had promised the commencement of construction for the computer science lab within 10 days and appointment of a nurse by the month of July. As for their other two demands,  a member of the college administration told the DU Beat correspondent on conditions of anonymity, “The issue of the provision of safety gears in the Chemistry Lab will be discussed in the department and the college will hold a meeting with the Convener of the Cultural Committee on 23rd of May.”

Feature Image Credits – Saurabh Kumar

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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AAP Accuses Vice Chancellor of Interfering with GB Decisions

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The deadlock of the appointment of Governing Body (GB) heads of the 28 Delhi government funded colleges between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Vice Chancellor broke in March, after a rough patch of one year. AAP alleged on 15th May that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Yogesh Tyagi has threatened the principals of the 28 colleges under Delhi government against appointing the candidates suggested by the Delhi government for the top posts of the Governing Bodies.

AAP Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha told DNA India, “Before the AAP government in Delhi, any member from the ruling party in Delhi used to be the chairman of the governing body of Delhi University (DU), but now because it is AAP who wants to work for the people, the University has planned to hold elections to have a new chairman. Not only this, they are also putting pressure through the vice chancellor’s office, so that nobody from AAP can be the chairperson of these bodies in any college.” Some colleges under Delhi goverment are Gargi College, Kamala Nehru College, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Maharaja Agrasen College, Rajdhani College, Maitreyi College, and Satyawati College (Morning) among others.

According to sources, the Vice Chancellor has suggested Mr. Rajiv Nayan’s name for the post in Satyawati College due to his close relations with him but the college authorities opposed this move. DU may also disqualify his membership for being a panel member of three colleges already.

In a conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Mr. Shashi Shekhar Singh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science of Satyawati College stated, “A letter was sent by the Joint Registrar of the University to the principal a night before the meeting stating that the meeting has to be postponed because Mr. Rajiv Nayan has withdrawn from the membership of Aryabhatta College and the college failed to inform the University about the tie in last year’s Governing Body elections. This was the third scheduled meeting to be cancelled, 11 or 12 faculty members had written to the Vice Chancellor on cancellation of the very first meeting but to no avail. The elections had been scheduled for today, the college has no obligation to inform the University about the tie since all the members were aware of it, and elections could have been held smoothly. The University is pressurising the college and interfering in the autonomy of the college. The college is being run without its Governing Body. Absence of a Chairperson and Treasurer has led to a delay in payment of pensions. The University has no right to interfere in this matter of the college.”

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Prachi Mehra

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DUB Speak

A Love Letter to Delhi University

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This letter would have ideally been written on a giant maple leaf from Mohabbatein, being ‘the last leaf’ from a third year student to the University of Delhi (DU).

Dear DU

These letters were an emotion I was feeling while I was burning the midnight oil during my Class XII board examinations. When I first visited Delhi after the first cut-off list was announced, I was fascinated by the tall standing of your (University of Delhi) colleges and the charm you exuberated on my parents. For me, Delhi was only about you and honestly, I did not care much about the city in the beginning. I immediately fell in love with you when I realised that there are more food joints in North Campus than the number of colleges. Your warmth was expressed to me right from when I realised that one Identity Card of my college will allow my entry in as many colleges as I want, sometimes with tiffs with the security guards. Your candour about politics, your emancipated campus lawns, your roads of liberation, were all a part of the magic. You resonate with the buzz of the city, and the Delhi Metro enjoys a significant portion of its commuters because of you. Your charisma shares the credit of giving an amazing source of employment to all the brokers and owners of flats and Paying Guest Accommodations’ (PG’s).

There were rough times with attendance issues, homesickness, mental breakdowns, internal examination pressures, 8.30 a.m. lectures and low SGPA. But you retained your aura whenever I freely debated in your classrooms, performed on the stage of the auditorium, used the ‘Delhi University’ Snapchat filter, and ate the best and cheapest ‘samosa’ with ‘chai’. The e-rickshaws that ever so proudly zoom on the roads of your campus and I share a special bond. They seem to be more familiar to the roads of the campus that any other vehicle. You showered your affection on me in the fest season but the election season’s traffic jam and litter took a toll on both of us. At all times, you were always beautiful, caring, and welcoming. You have witnessed my tears and heard my giggles; you have nodded to all the whispers wherein I have thanked God for allowing me to spend three of the most splendid years of my life with you.

While I have entered the last leg of my relationship with you, I do not wish to break away and frankly, Delhi is still about you, and ‘DU’ still equates to an emotion for me, even after the three years. The way I get to show you off in front of my relatives in my hometown has made me grow fonder of your existence.

I have to bid adieu to you now, but I want to tell you that whenever in future, I hear the term “Vishwavidyalaya”, my heart will beat and flutter a little more in your name. The spirit of ‘Vishwavidyalaya’ will always ignite my soul, and your name will never be forgotten.

From

A graduating student.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat.

Oorja Tapan

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Beyond Classrooms: My lessons from DU’s learning spirit

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The learning spaces beyond classroom teach us how to deal with lives, one book each time. We must strive to save them as well.

Stones were flying from one side to other. Students, slogans, and their attempts for the salvation of university spaces from turning into hostile hubs were quite visible and somewhat violent. In such a circumstance, the law and order situation was fragile in the campus. With time I had learned how to cover violent protests, and the students who had protested learned lessons about how to fight violence in a non-violent manner. Despite various drawbacks and flaws, the University of Delhi has remained to be an incredible place of learning for everyone.

The vividness of extracurricular activities constitutes a major part of the University’s unique identity. College societies which provide a platform for honing talent in diverse fields ranging from dance to culinary skills deserve major credit for creating and maintaining this culture. Since these societies are student-run, peer review becomes a major way of learning and evaluation.

As a part of this newspaper, I had to cover and sometimes write features about societies that did exceptionally well. This experience provided me with a bird’s eye view of how students strived for excellence, with a competitive spirit. Although sometimes, this spirit turned out to be sour and the competitiveness was escalated into fights. However, the larger vision of learning has stood the test of time.

The organisation of events and fests, ranging from a small guest lecture to a large scale spectacle of a star night, has also constituted as a major learning incentive for students. Everything from hunting sponsorships to printing certificates is executed by the students. Managing these affairs teaches the nitty-gritty of certain roles and helps them manage bigger responsibilities with ease in their careers ahead.

In these past three years, I have learned much more about India than what I had learned from the course books till class 12th. The student diversity of Delhi University, which takes pride in being the alma mater to scholars from all states of India, has its own advantages. As students, we learn remarkably about issues, ground realities, and politics from the experiences of those around us. Be it the ground reality of Kashmir, the experiences of queer community, the discrimination against Dalits, or the perspectives of residents of Ayodhya, Delhi University students learn about these things from those they share classrooms with.

In a nutshell, despite grave problems like lack of faculty members, improper infrastructure, lax administration, and mismanagement, Delhi University continues to flourish. Intake of bright students might be the reason behind the same. But the question appears: for how long?

With the clamour of autonomy, fee hikes, and reduced funding, how long can the University sustain its diversified student culture? This is the question that one needs to ask today.

 

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Srivedant Kar

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Why the Delhi Metro is Every Student’s Lifeline

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The Delhi metro has helped students through hard times and good times. Snaking through the vast corridors of the state, it has become more than just a means of transport.

For students, the presence of Delhi metro has been a boon. We have now started to spend more time underground than above the ground, happy in our moleskins. No, it is not a place for Pritam and his band to sing romantic songs, and it is not a place for Amitabh Bachchan to let out his inner child in front of his ‘father’. It is our commute, our lifeline. The Delhi metro has served many purposes for the average student of the University of Delhi (DU) since its beginning. Despite helping students beat the strenuous Delhi traffic, the Delhi metro has many other amenities to cater to students. The Vishwavidyalaya metro station’s cheap INR 50 earphones become necessities; copies, books, earrings, and food are readily available right at the metro stations. Not to mention the utility of the bicycles for use on a leisurely day around the campus.

College students spend a substantial amount of time commuting in the metro. The average, broke DU student can hardly afford the luxury of an Uber cab. For the lucky few off-campus students, the metro sometimes serves the purpose of not just connectivity, but also as a completely acceptable excuse to be late to class, on the days the usually punctual metro is confronted with a technical snag.

For a few of us, the metro is also about chance encounters. We meet new people every day, whether it is that jhola-carrying cute guy who asked you what you are reading, or the aunty who threw you dirty looks for rocking out to AC/DC. The metro is a host of characters, and mingling with them is our very own capsule.

Recent expansion in the metro will prove to be more helpful in bridging the north-south divide. The 21.56 km stretch of the Pink Line which is operational now connects the North and South campuses of Delhi University, which would reduce the travel time to 40 minutes. The line also connects 12 stations and the Blue, Yellow, Red, and Airport metro lines. In December 2017, the Prime Minister opened a section of the Magenta Line connecting the Kalkaji Mandir metro station to Botanical Garden in Noida. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is hence slowly expanding and is expected to cover 700 kilometres in a few years as per the Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

 

Feature Image Credits: India Today.

Sara Sohail

[email protected]

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Think beyond 12th Board Results and Delhi University

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12th Board Results are highly unpredictable and it would be foolishness to allow something like that to control your higher education choices. Explore other colleges that admit students on the basis of entrance examinations and more.
Looking at the title, you might think, “Why should we take it from someone who herself studies in DU? Why would she understand?”The relevance and accuracy of board examinations are largely over-estimated in our country. Our XII board marks don’t stay relevant forever; they are a small part of our life, meant to ensure the smooth transition from one phase to another. Even Vineet Joshi, chairman of CBSE, admitted that Class XII scores are not the correct marker for selection for higher education. I have a disregard for the Indian education system and would not hesitate to voice my opinion that the XII boards only test an individual’s capability of answering a paper according to a prescribed answer pattern. Ever since my encounter with the disaster called CBSE English results, my question has been, how can an answer key dictate expression or knowledge in a subjective paper like English?
I don’t wish to delve into a rant about how marks don’t matter and why scoring decent marks in not only CBSE but any other state/central board is a matter of luck and mugging rather than deep understanding of the text. Through this article, I’d share with you my research on why XII board results are not the be-all, end-all for a student.
One of the grave mistakes many students make is that they apply only to the University of Delhi (DU) and ignore other universities and educational institutes in Delhi as well as outside. Jamia Milia Islamia, one of the best alternatives to DU, conducts entrance tests for admission into its undergraduate courses. A well-reputed university, its degree has value and respect equivalent to DU’s degree. Further, the students have the option of applying to government colleges outside Delhi which conduct entrances such as the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, Loyola College in Chennai, Presidency University in Kolkata, Ramnarain Ruia College (affiliated to Mumbai University), some of which begin with the application process way before the central boards declare their results.
There is no doubt that Delhi University has a rich history and some notable names from the fields of Arts, Films, Journalism, Politics, and Literature in their list of alumni. However, for students who want to pursue specialised courses like design or multimedia, DU wouldn’t suffice even if you have the marks to qualify for the same. For instance, only a handful of colleges from over 64 provide Journalism as a course. And even for those which do, students complain of substandard education. For specialised courses, private universities like Amity University, Sharda University, O.P Jindal University, Ashoka University, and Symbiosis Institute provide meaningful alternatives.
IGNOU is clearly not the conventional choice, but the University is worth a shot for students who wish to complete their graduation while pursuing other interests. Correspondence course students can get access to the study material well in advance and can study at their own pace here.
As the XII boards approach, remember not to worry about the uncles and aunts who never wish you in March (before the exams start) but always uncannily materialise in May (when the results come out). Remember that outside DU, there’s a world of opportunities waiting for you to be explored.

Feature Image credits: NDTV
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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Cultural Festivals

Tempest 2018 at Miranda House Concludes with a Pumped-Up Audience

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Tempest 2018 organised by Miranda House comes to an end, here are some highlights from the last day of the festival:

The third day of Tempest 2018 was full of excitement and enthusiasm around the campus since it was full of extremely entertaining events like panel discussions, the most anticipated western dance competition, and the much awaited star night, with the headlining act being Siddharth Mahadevan.

In the midst of the hustle bustle of events in the three-day Tempest, Miranda House Vatavaran, the Environment Society of Miranda House organised a unique but considerably salient event. It was a competition wherein participants had to depict environmentally-conscious ways of having fun. They were allowed to use music, choreography and enactment to put forth their renditions. The judges of the event were Dr. Amrita Tripathi Sheikh and Dr. Bani Roy, professors at Miranda House. A total of 10 teams participated, some of which presented self-composed poems on varied topics like eco-tourism and eco-friendly college fests.

The Entrepreneurship Cell of Miranda House invited three proficient panelists to share their experiences of living the “start-up life”. The panel included personalities like Tanya Kathpal, founder of ‘Eat My News’, who engaged the audience in a gripping discourse on how she began her start-up and the kind of obstacles she had to overcome in order to further the same. Among the panelists was Nikhil Chainani, founder and CEO of ‘Perspectico’, who talked about taking risks and dealing with rejection while being an entrepreneur. The third panelist was an alumni of the University of Delhi, Neha Gupta, who shared her experiences of working on projects from diverse fields and handling stress while starting off your own business.

The main highlight of day 3 at Tempest 2018 was the Western Group Dance Competition, Burlesque’18, organised by Tanz, the Western Dance Society of Miranda House. Judges Sarthak Chauhan and Tarun Sharma chose Crunk, the Western Dance Society of Sri Aurobindo College as the winner. Crunk performed on numbers like Buleya, Deapacito and Malhari. The second position was shared by Misbah of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce and Zeal of Maitreyi College. Misbah and Zeal thoroughly entertained the audience by dancing on peppy numbers like Ishq Di Gali Vich No Entry, Finesse, Tan Tana Tan Tan Tara and Tum Tum. The teams were given cash prizes and accolades. Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology’s western dance society, Funk in Action, was much appreciated by the judges for their enthusiasm and innovative use of musical instruments like Dhol. Following this, another round called ‘Bipolar Round’ was held with the participating societies performing on songs on the spot. Electra of Motilal Nehru College emerged as the clear winner who danced on famous songs like Shape of You, Lahore and Shaguna. The Bipolar Round was conducted to evaluate and judge the spontaneity of the participants.

Tempest 2018 was concluded by the enchanting performance of Siddharth Mahadevan, a playback singer known for singing Bollywood numbers such as “Sarfira” and “Nachde Ne Sare”. The curtains of Tempest 2018 closed in an exquisite manner with songs which varied from aesthetic ones like “Mere Rashde Qamar” to new-age chart toppers like “Tukur-Tukur”. His versatility was on complete display as he could switch languages seamlessly since he crooned to Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You”. As he moved from “Channa Mereya” onto more light-hearted numbers, “Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe” this performance was an instant hit with the young crowd, and the perfect way to conclude the three-day festival.

Feature Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan

Kinjal Pandey

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Prachi Mehra

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Vaibhavi Pathak

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Bhavya Banerjee

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Montage 2018 at Jesus and Mary College: Highlights

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Montage 2018 was held at Jesus and Mary College on 16th-17th February 2018. Here are the highlights from the same:

Montage’18, the annual cultural fest of Jesus and Mary College (JMC) held on 16th and 17th February, was inaugurated by Sister Rosily, Principal and Sister Lawrence, Superior General of the college. The lighting of the lamp ceremony was initiated by the sisters and the teachers followed while Tarannum, the Indian Music Society of JMC, performed on the stage and then the fest declared open by the Student Union.

Ashwamedh, the theatre society of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) kick-started Stagecraft, the stage play competition, Ibtida of Hindu College won the prize and cash money of INR 10000. The best male actor award was given to Akshay Raheja of SSCBS and female actor went to Devanshi Khanna of Hindu College respectively.  

 

The most coveted, insightful, and fun-filled event of the day, Awaaz ’18 was hosted by Kahkasha, Hindi Dramatics Society of JMC. The first prize was bagged by DramaNomics, the Theatre Society of College of Vocational Studies, whose heart-wrenching performance on ‘rape’ shook the audience. Lady Shri Ram College for Women finished second performing on the crucial issue of ‘Body-Shaming’. Abhivyakti, the dramatics society of Indraprastha College for Women, was awarded consolation prize for their special performance on the theme of ‘Body-Shaming’.

 

  Engaging the audience in their aesthetic rendition of the Bihu dance, the team from Kamla Nehru College was the curtain-raiser for the group dance competition of Montage. Nrityangana of Sri Venkateswara College bagged the first place, while SGTB Khalsa College won the second position. Maitreyi College secured the third position.  

 

In the A capella competition Finding Do Re Mi, The Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College of Women was awarded the first position as they sang “Show me how you Burlesque” by Christina Aguilera. Dhwani of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies won the second position in the same event.

 

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

 

The second day of Montage 2018 began on a musical note with Swaraangan, the Indian Musical Choir competition of Jesus and Mary College. Alaap of Sri Venkateswara College bagged the first position followed by Sangeetika of Kamala Nehru College and Swaranjali of Hansraj College were declared the first and the second runners-up respectively.

The highlight of the day was Chimera, the choreography competition hosted by Western Dance Society of JMC. Judges Benjamin Jacob and Himanshu Sharma announced Sparx of Gargi College as the winner. Terpsi Chorean of Hansraj College grabbed the second prize.

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

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

Anagha Rakta ([email protected])

Prachi Mehra ([email protected])

Oorja Tapan ([email protected])

Radhika Boruah ([email protected])

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak ([email protected])

Anukriti Mishra ([email protected])

 

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