India’s economic sphere was at the epicenter of administrative functions and the ripples of reaction which went through the Indian populace on November 8th, 2016. The honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in an unanticipated move, declared the scrapping off of INR 500 and INR 1,000 currency notes from circulation. The leader heralded this decision to be a hail mary cure for black money while introducing the new INR 500 and INR 2,000 denomination notes. This landmark decision has been engraved in the history of India as the celebration of the Anti-Black Money Day.
Ahead of the first-anniversary celebration and the subsequent notation, the University of Delhi has decided to acknowledge the economic revolution by pitching in the celebrations. In a press conference held on 3rd November, the Vice Chancellor announced that all students will be required to wear only white clothes on the Anti-Black Money Day, that is 8th November. He went on to cite the reason for this sartorial decision. “As our country gears up to celebrate honourable PM’s milestone decision, DU encourages its students to show reverence and appreciation for his efforts and the consequent positive changes it has led to. As a show of solidarity and unification, all students are requested to wear clothes in white colour on a momentous day.”
While DU’s association with this noble endeavour is laudable, the reaction from the student community has again been tepid and enthused in varying proportions. Vineeta Rana, a third-year student at Daulat Ram College, remarks on this forced decision, “Demonetisation as an economic process has invited mixed reactions and its success still remains questionable. To celebrate a decision which has harmed people in equal numbers, by making it mandatory to wear a certain colour on 8th November is nothing short of autocracy. By joining the white-wagon, our voices will be forced to join the clamour of unfair politics.” However, Kartik Kher from College of Vocational Studies believes that this step will link education with politics. He says, “The idea of standing by our country and appreciating the positive changes is extremely necessary for progress. DU’s decision to be a part of the celebrations is beyond clothes and colour, it’s symbolic of how education will continue to be affected by the nature of socio-political climate in the country. We, as dutiful citizens and students, ought to respect the same.”
Demonetisation was set out to be a scheme aimed at uprooting the clutches of corruption and black money. One year since its implementation, the challenges and milestones still remain to be tackled with and achieved.
Feature Image Credits: Scroll.in
Saumya Kalia
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