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On 6th May, Delhi Technological University (DTU) announced that it will conduct the final semester examination of all programmes online and the dates will be announced later. 

The notice also said that the university will conduct examinations through three modes – combined examination of subjective questions and multiple-choice questions; multiple-choice questions-based examination and case-study based examination. DTU has also introduced negative marking this semester, where each wrong answer will lead to deduction of marks. 

It also issued a notice yesterday detailing the guidelines for grading students on their major research projects, also requiring final year students to publish their work in a reputed Scopus indexed journal. Most of the core branches of engineering involve hardware-based projects. The lockdown has made laboratories where those resources and readings are set-up inaccessible. This has resulted in students not being able to complete their projects. For those students who do not have the resources to appear for such an examination, the only alternative is to wait out till the university re-opens and then appear in the offline exams thereby leading them in gambling with their future prospects of jobs or higher education.

Projects that could be completed during the lockdown were wrapped up only recently. But, due to the coronavirus outbreak, most conferences have been deferred and foreign and Indian journals have suspended or postponed their review processes, making it difficult for students to get an acceptance. Moreover, it is mandatory as per university guidelines to make a hefty payment of thousands of rupees after receiving the acceptance. 

A student further added: “Further, the stringent criteria is to only publish in a good quality Scopus or SCI or SCIE indexed journal, whereas even a good quality conference publication can only be awarded a maximum of nine out of 10 marks. The stringent condition of awarding of grade based solely on this parameter is extremely unjust to students.”

This has led to severe backlash from the student community, on the grounds of lack of access to the internet, academic resources and online infrastructure. Furthermore, the institution’s decision to introduce negative marking is abhorrent –in a time where students are going through mental, emotional and financial crises. The students wrote to the Vice-Chancellor, “The University had issued guidelines for conducting online exams. However, until now there has been no communication whatsoever on the dates of the examination nor the portal on which the exams will take place. Considering how this is a new platform for students and they need sufficient time to prepare for the exams as well as get accustomed to the platform, the time remaining for addressing these issues is extremely small. The decision of introducing negative marking in online exams is causing panic and distress to students considering how they are all final semester students and their entire careers depend upon these exams. The uncertainty in such a system is unprecedented and the students are completely in the dark regarding how various technical issues and glitches are going to be addressed by the university.” The students also wrote about their grievances to the Chief Minister and have started an online petition for the students to appeal against online exams.

A final year student from Jammu told Careers360, “I came to my home town much before lockdown on account of Holi break after my mid-semester examinations. I didn’t bring my books and laptop with me. Here in Jammu, I have connectivity issues and inadequate resources to complete my major project and appear for proposed online examinations.”

A final year student at DTU told DU Beat that the alternative given by the university is that if you do not want to give the exams, you must write to the administration to stop the online evaluation till an offline evaluation can be done. “But if the students go through this process, they won’t be able to sit for placements on zero days”, he added. 

He further appealed to the DTU Student Association to get in touch with the administration who is drafting the curriculum advisory and guidelines to brainstorm on another alternative which solves the students’ grievances. 

 

Feature Image Credits: Paridhi Puri for DU Beat

Feature Image Caption: DTU Student appeals against Online Exams on Facebook

 

Paridhi Puri

 

[email protected]

 

A commentary on religion and its impact on the present-day society- this play by Pratibimb deserves a watch. Read the review, and catch a screening soon.

Religion is a part of every individual’s identity and, in the Indian context, the framework for the society as well. For centuries, the Indian subcontinent has seen the influx of new religions owing to foreign invasions, trade, and migrations. With the caste system in place, religion has also been used to dictate one’s position in the social atmosphere and to determine one’s social status.

Caste and religion have been used to deny access to spaces (social and religious) to members of communities which are considered ‘lower’, and they thus remain marginalised. India is no stranger to religious violence and stereotypes which have found themselves ingrained in religious identity. Having received praise for their previous production on drug addiction called ‘TripT’, the Dramatics Society of Delhi Technological University (DTU)- Pratibimb- is back again with their annual street production titled ‘God Promise’ which explores the concept of religion in the present-day scenario, its relation to identity, its various interpretations, and religion as a ‘tool’ devised by humans, for humans.

The play explores multiple scenarios revolving around religion and its societal impact. The most memorable scene from the play, in my perspective, was the build-up in the forest. The actors are seen mimicking voices of animals and birds, and if you’d close your eyes, you might as well confuse it for a real forest. The drum-beats start slow, the birds chirp softly, and an animal is seen lurking in between. He is scared with his eyes frantically search for comfort and familiarity. The drum-beats and the animals’ screeches get louder, and his limbs shake; is he in danger? The drum-beats get faster, the animals launch themselves on him; he is a new prey to their system. Storytelling through street theatre involves the usage of the human body as an instrument, and the play delivers that perfectly.
A parallel storyline runs in the play as the audience moves from scene-to-scene with the creation of a zanjeer– a metal chain. Two workers focus on building the zanjeer, and their boss tells them it isn’t heavy enough every single time, until the zanjeer becomes too heavy to lift and needs to be molten down. With brilliant performance by Naman Roy, the zanjeer serves as a metaphor for the concept of religion and the principles of religion. With time, it becomes too heavy for the society and the society crumbles as a result.

The story moves fluidly and the role of sound plays in a significantly remarkable fashion throughout the performance. The play ends with narratives of different religions, exploring death, love, and loss, with unity in times of grief and distress, leaving the audience with food for thought.

Click here to follow Pratibimb’s Facebook page.

Image Credits: Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat

Jaishree Kumar

[email protected]

A commentary on religion and its impact on the present-day society- this play by Pratibimb deserves a watch. Read the review, and catch a screening soon. Religion is a part of every individual’s identity and, in the Indian context, the framework for the society as well. For centuries, the Indian subcontinent has seen the influx of new religions owing to foreign invasions, trade, and migrations. With the caste system in place, religion has also been used to dictate one’s position in the social atmosphere and to determine one’s social status. Caste and religion have been used to deny access to spaces (social and religious) to members of communities which are considered ‘lower’, and they thus remain marginalised. India is no stranger to religious violence and stereotypes which have found themselves ingrained in religious identity. Having received praise for their previous production on drug addiction called ‘TripT’, the Dramatics Society of Delhi Technological University (DTU)- Pratibimb- is back again with their annual street production titled ‘God Promise’ which explores the concept of religion in the present-day scenario, its relation to identity, its various interpretations, and religion as a ‘tool’ devised by humans, for humans. The play explores multiple scenarios revolving around religion and its societal impact. The most memorable scene from the play, in my perspective, was the build-up in the forest. The actors are seen mimicking voices of animals and birds, and if you’d close your eyes, you might as well confuse it for a real forest. The drum-beats start slow, the birds chirp softly, and an animal is seen lurking in between. He is scared with his eyes frantically search for comfort and familiarity. The drum-beats and the animals’ screeches get louder, and his limbs shake; is he in danger? The drum-beats get faster, the animals launch themselves on him; he is a new prey to their system. Storytelling through street theatre involves the usage of the human body as an instrument, and the play delivers that perfectly. A parallel storyline runs in the play as the audience moves from scene-to-scene with the creation of a zanjeer– a metal chain. Two workers focus on building the zanjeer, and their boss tells them it isn’t heavy enough every single time, until the zanjeer becomes too heavy to lift and needs to be molten down. With brilliant performance by Naman Roy, the zanjeer serves as a metaphor for the concept of religion and the principles of religion. With time, it becomes too heavy for the society and the society crumbles as a result. The story moves fluidly and the role of sound plays in a significantly remarkable fashion throughout the performance. The play ends with narratives of different religions, exploring death, love, and loss, with unity in times of grief and distress, leaving the audience with food for thought. Click here to follow Pratibimb’s Facebook page. Image Credits: Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat Jaishree Kumar [email protected]]]>

TEDxDTU, one of the capital’s most awaited TED events, is back with an intriguing array of speakers on 20 April 2018 at Delhi Technological University from 11 AM – 7 PM. TEDx events are locally organized conferences licensed under TED, a non-profit organization devoted to ideas worth spreading.

Theme (1)

The talks in the event will be centered about the theme ‘DEUX EX MACHINA’.

ABOUT THE THEME ‘DEUX EX MACHINA’ – The solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem. The  entrance of a ‘god’ to bring an end to an unresolvable climax. The trump card. Referring to the introduction  of these ideas, our theme, ‘Deus Ex Machina’ aims to coalesce with the very principle of TEDx– Ideas Worth  Spreading. With issues arising in every field, our goal is to bring forth a series of revolutionary ideas which break  the generic glass ceilings, and bring forth interesting outcomes. Rather than being unexpected twists in the  scenarios, we aim to foster the generation of solutions which have been staring us in the face all along, and  invoke conversations of its implications in the modern scenario.

The event will display a spectacular set of talks and performances, wherean august panel of speakers will encourage the audience to express themselves articulately by discussing innovative ideas and sharing impactful messages.

“This time we’re innovating at the highest levels to produce an event of global standards which will resonate amongst us all. We will see the reflection of our similarity in our uniqueness.”- quotes Nilasis Bhattacharya, Curator of TEDxDTU 2018.

 

Catering to the enthusiasm preceding the event, TEDxDTU invites registrations on its website www.tedxdtu.in/accounts/login.

 

Final10Speakers

 

 

Speakers for TEDxDTU 2018 include distinguished representatives from their respective fields, such as:

 

  • KARAN WAHI –TV actor, host and model. He started his television career in the 2004 show Remix, through which he garnered fame. He made his Bollywood movie debut in Habib Faisal’s Daawat-e-Ishq, and had a lead role in Hate Story 4.

 

  • ANKUR WARIKOO – He is the Co-Founder and CEO of com– which is his third startup. Passionate about organization building – Warikoo cares enough to share his experiences as an entrepreneur on social media – making him a powerful influencer.

 

  • AKASA SINGH – With a blockbuster hit, ”Tu Kheech Meri Photo”, she is one of the most talented live singers in this country. She began performing at an early age of 17yrs and has been a favourite amongst TV shows, featuring in Angels of Rock (MTV) , India’s Raw Star (Star Plus) and the most recent being Amazon Originals- The Remix.

 

  • KAUSTUBH RADKAR – He is a former national swimming champion and has finished the coveted IRONMAN triathlon on all six continents, being the first Indian to do so, in October 2015. He bas finished 20 Ironmans till date most for anyone living in India.

 

  • VIKI VAURORA – Founder of great legalization movement. He proved that cannabis can be regulated to cure cancer, and the PMO has now demanded a relook into cannabis prohibition all because of his efforts.

 

  • ANINDA BAGCHI– He is the Associate Director of Project Management at CBRE, one of the largest commercial real estate services and investment firm in the world.

 

  • RJ SUKRITI – She is an electronic engineer turned RJ turned Video blogger turned Video Host/VJ. She has previously worked with radio channels such as Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM Delhi and is currently hosting a show with a hugely popular online gaming/quiz app, Brain Baazi.

 

  • ISHAN BOSE – He is a man with many hats, currently being the head of Marketing, Sales and PR at KrazyBee as well as the head of India Operations at DingTalk (DingDing), the Mobility ERP solution from the Alibaba Group, focusing on the higher education institutions.

 

  • SHUBHA VILAS – After 11 years of monkshood, he set out to spread joy and knowledge of living a life based on the purity of scriptures, making them not just understandable but also practical. He has also authored many books, including a six-volume rendition of the

 

  • SANDRA COLHANDO She is the Co-Founder of TransforME Learning and Leadership Solutions, an award-winning results-based learning firm focused on enabling personal transformation. Prior to this, she has also held senior positions in organisations such as GE, Convergys, Indiabulls and Mahindra & Mahindra.

 

Follow TEDxDTU on:

Website:  www.tedxdtu.in

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tedxdtu

Instagram: tedxdtu

Snapchat: tedxdtu

 

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

 

The Enactus chapter of Delhi Technological University, with it project Chhaap, aims at helping college societies get customised clothes easily. The project has empowered a group of slum women who have been successfully printing and delivering custom-designed bulk orders of T-shirts and sweatshirts to various institutions like IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, Miranda House, Pearl Academy, Jesus and Mary College and more since the past 4 years.

Project Chhaap has made and continues to make a large impact in these women’s lives as they have become self-sufficient and largely independent. All the profit earned from their orders belongs to the slum women.

Enactus DTU Project Chhaap (1)

Under this project, some slum women of the Pitampura community have been trained in the process of screen-printing on T-shirts, sweatshirts, paper bags or cloth bags by providing them the apparatus and the chemicals required. The printing is done in the slum itself. While the women are working, the women’s families take care of their kids.

Enactus DTU team believes in empowerment of weaker sections of the society through business acumen. The team plans to continue on the positivity and momentum and achieve even greater milestones in the future through dedication and creativity.

We suggest you make Project Chhaap your go-to team when you require good quality and quickly delivered bulk orders of custom-designed T-shirts and sweatshirts along with the satisfaction of contributing to the women’s lives!

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

While reckoning the grandeur displayed by lustrous posters donning the NSIT campus, I seldom pondered upon the impact that a debating fest might have on me. Colloquium, the first ever debating festival organized by NSIT College, kick started its first day with a stimulating panel discussion with eminent guests who had the faith to write the scripts of their own lives. The luminaries included renowned authors, Ashwin Sanghi and Ira Trivedi, the versatile dancer and activist Mallika Sarabhai and the erudite social scientist and political ecologist, Dunu Roy. The event was host to immense motivation that stirred through the air, as each panelist unraveled the story of their dreams and destiny. As rightly worded by the host college, the life stories of these luminaries fit the saying, “square pegs in round holes” as copiously as it could. Each one of the panelists inspired the audience to carve out the best in themselves and have the fortitude and courage to pursue their passion. The panel discussion addressed many questions in the students’ best interest, like whether the Indian education system cripples or enables the youth to follow their dreams, what the role of a mentor is in every individual’s life, why reasoning is essentially important, and how one needs to balance the weights of societal pressure and one’s true passion. It evoked statements like, “Even the greatest equations have unknown variables”, by Ashwin Sanghi, which inspired each in his audience. The next event was a conventional debate on the motion ‘This house is a frozen fire’, exposed to interpretation by the participants. There were in all twelve participating teams which included colleges like Hansraj, LSR, SSTB Khalsa and more. Worthy arguments sprung up during the course of this debate, battling to justify their interpretation of the topic. Some of them drew analogy of this motion to patriarchy and critiqued polarisation of sorts, others drew parallel to human emotions. The best team was awarded to LSR represented by Vanshika and Mayanka. The Best speakers were Parash from Hansraj and Isha from DTU. The best interjector was awarded to Divya from Venkateshwar International School. Poornima Kharbanda [email protected]]]>