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Delhi University’s School of Open Learning (SOL) launches 30 short-term courses catering to various fields under the Open Learning Development Centre. 

The School of Open Learning has launched the registration process for its Centre for Innovative Skill-Based Courses (CISBC). This initiative offers thirty short-term skill-based certificate courses ranging from 25 to 30 hours with a maximum duration of 6 months. These courses are designed to accommodate learners’ diverse schedules and preferences, with options available in offline, online, and hybrid formats.

Registration for the courses officially began on February 15th and will remain open until March 15th, 2024. The courses are set to commence on April 2nd, 2024, providing ample time for interested individuals to enroll. These courses welcome registrations from all, including University of Delhi students, with admission being granted on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on seat availability. As per the official website, for courses with fees exceeding Rs. 1000/-, upon reaching a batch size of 40–50 students, 10% of the supernumerary seats will be reserved for Economically Weaker Section candidates at subsidised rates, subject to screening.

Among the thirty courses available under the CISBC are English Proficiency, GST Executive, Cyber Security, Tax Assessment, Motor Driving, Medical Transcription, Wealth Management Programme, Medical Transcription, Radio Jockeying, Bakery and Confectionery, A/C and Refrigerator Repair, and Beauty and Hair Makeup, among others. 

As per the reports from India Today, Professor Payal Mago, the Director of SOL, highlighted that these valuable skill-based certificate courses would offer students a chance to improve their opportunities for employment.

She emphasised that these courses are highly effective in preparing students for job opportunities by imparting practical skills aligned with current industry demands. The accessible programmes will provide a joint certification from Delhi University and esteemed national and international organisations, enhancing students’ credentials.

The portal was launched on January 31 under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, Professor Yogesh Singh. He saw this centre as a ‘life changer’, opening doors for students to access skill-based courses. A brochure detailing all the courses was also distributed on the same day. 

For any queries, applicants can email [email protected] or call 9318354363, 9318354636.

Read Also: Inquiry to be Launched Against 12 DU Colleges Funded by the Delhi Government

Featured Image Source- India Today

Dhairya Chhabra

[email protected]

A dissection of Animal, a movie that is Reddy’s toxic alpha ideology wrapped in daddy issues with an honorary bow of feminism.

If your highly stereotypical ‘Men will be Men’ ads were made into a movie, this would be it. Big gun toys (with a pinch of Aatmanirbhar Bharat), one man killing 500 other men while his friends (aka bhai) sing in the background, socially-approved infidelity that gets justified in the end, and crass humour that crosses all lines of decency in the name of being funny are just the tip of the iceberg with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal.

After the commentary and critique faced by Kabir Singh—for having too much unnecessary violence, for having a female lead that isn’t so much of a lead, and for that one slap—it seems like Vanga tried really hard to be accepted with his latest release. With its narrative of “a strong, independent woman” who is bold and actually questions the male lead, the movie tried to fulfil the “feminism quota” by adapting itself to the taste of its feminist critics but still (somehow) failed horribly. Maybe having the woman slap her husband rather than vice versa isn’t what feminism is about (aw, what a shock).

While the movie with its storyline had the potential to be impeccably emotional (cue a dysfunctional Sooraj Barjatya film), the mirch-masala of misogyny, subtle Nazi imagery (?), and alpha male toxicity only took away from the father-son dynamic the movie was trying to portray.

While Ranbir Kapoor’s character clearly had certain mental issues and a deep-seated desire for validation from his father (in common parlance, daddy issues), in a country plagued by a highly illiterate and influential population (read: padhe-likhe gawar), a movie like Animal became a spokesperson and an enabler, allowing not for an understanding of the character but rather a glorification of him, walking a precariously thin line as the audience fell in love with a son who just happens to be highly problematic. While the portrayal of such characters onscreen shouldn’t necessarily inspire its audience (watching Dahmer—the Monster didn’t make you want to be a serial killer, did it?), Ranbir Kapoor in Animal was advocated as the perfect green flag who does everything right (gaslighting 101), leaving little to be questioned about the “alpha” he was.

In the Vanga universe, the checklist for being the perfect male comes down to being pretty straightforward—raging anger issues? Check. Can it “turn on” with a snap of a finger? Check. Preaches about the superiority of being a man? Check. For a movie that wildly oscillated between a bloody rape scene and the (not so) boyish charm of snapping bra straps and pulling on one’s wife’s hair, it is as if Vanga had only one (albeit veiled) objective: wanting to present a picture-perfect image of all the problematic parts of the alpha male ideology.

As a woman, the movie felt like taking a walk in a shady area with no streetlights while a group of men catcalls you for three hours at regular intervals (as if the streets of Delhi weren’t enough). Under the guise of obsessive and possessive love, the movie tactically parceled and sold off misogyny and toxicity in bulk amounts. Every joke made, every blatant ignorance of the concept of consent, every misogynistic sprinkle of “love” and “strength” received ample validation from the snickers and the smirks of Ranvijay’s (Ranbir Kapoor’s character) friends, not so much different from the reaction of a majority of this animal-loving audience.

A dissection of the movie makes it clear that Animal are nothing if not driven by pure (poisoned) testosterone. The smartest feat of foreshadowing and direction in the movie? Opening with the definition of animal.

Read Also: Taali Review – An Exceptional Biopic Based on India’s Third Gender

Featured Image Credits: Onmanorama, filmfare

Manasvi Kadian

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As the fest season unfolds, students offer a sharp assessment of Delhi University’s fest advisory, highlighting the associated concerns.

In light of recurring security and management lapses at Delhi University’s fests, the university has issued advisory/guidelines to be followed by all colleges and departments regarding the organisation of various programmes and events. The 18-point advisory, which has been updated three times between April 2023 and January 2024, focuses on the necessary rules of pre-registration of attendees, submission of their details to the police, and also a requirement of a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the police, among the various other guidelines. A guideline among the 18 others mentioned: ‘Entry for events should be through pre-registration, like on Google Forms, with details of the event, i.e., date, venue, and the expected number of participants (to) be maintained and submitted to the police with a copy to other departments. The registration forms should include scanned copies of the college IDs of participants.’

Speaking to DU Beat, Rajnish Sah, a member of the Organising Committee of ‘Mecca’, Hindu College’s annual fest said:

It is almost impractical to keep an adequate track of all the records and documents on all the potential entrants and hand them over to the police. It might be feasible for small departmental events, but for events like annual fests, where people attend in thousands, it just proves to be an additional strain on the already burdened organising committee.

When asked about the tight cap on the number of attendees allowed to attend the festival, he added:

DU is known for its exposure and its exchange among the students, especially during the fest season, when students from various colleges connect. Tight attendance limits may hinder the fest’s true purpose.

The university-issued festival advisory guidelines also mention that ‘the concerned college or department is solely responsible for any untoward incident during any event organised by the concerned college or department.’

Considering the following statement, Rajnish added:

Putting all the responsibility of any incident with the college and authority would just put a constraint on the level of a fest. It is impractical to hold the college accountable for every incident that happens.

Anubhav, sponsorship head at Nexus, the annual fest of Sri Venkateswara College, supports this and adds:

The college can be held accountable only up to an extent. It is also necessary to ensure that the legal responsibilities are taken up well for the smooth conduct of a fest.

He also added that currently, there are no significant sponsorship issues arising from the attendance cap.

As per reports from The Hindu, a student claimed that there has been a problem in extracting sponsorships for the events:

Sponsors are brought on board based on the number of attendees. With a cap on this number, agreements are becoming increasingly difficult to secure.

–  said Harsh Dalal, President of the Student Union of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), which will host ‘Crossroads’ in the first week of April.

The report also mentions how some students believe that the advisory would ensure security and make things better for the organisers.

Pre-registrations and controlled entry will make things easier and improve the quality of the fest.

–  said Aman Choudhary, president of the student union at Sri Venkateswara College.

 In March 2023, a group of men allegedly entered Delhi University’s Indraprastha College for Women by scaling the boundary walls and harassing students when the college celebrated its annual festival. A similar incident had also occurred in 2022 during Miranda House’s Diwali Fest, where men were allegedly seen climbing the college walls and indulging in ‘cat-calling and sexist sloganeering’. The rising and repeated cases demanded an advisory to regulate the incidents. As per the fest-advisory guidelines, ‘Prior to any big event in the institution, there should be an assessment of the boundary wall of the college. If found low, concertina wires should be installed to prevent outsiders from scaling the walls.’

A representative from Maitreyi College’s Student Union (identity withheld for anonymity) says:

Where are the notices outlining the repercussions for intruders if another incident occurs again? You can raise the walls, but when will you actually hold the intruders responsible for disregarding the boundaries? How can one ensure that the registered attendees do not create any nuisance on the college campus?

The representative acknowledges that the college has implemented strict measures like applications, registrations, and identity checks for issuing passes to outsiders. However, they highlight that there is no restriction on the number of passes a student from the college can acquire due to the ‘monetization’ of the passes. They then continue and add on to the ‘budgeting issues’ with regards to maintaining security at DU fests:

Since the beginning, many DU colleges have continuously encountered difficulties in securing adequate funding. Things like the security arrangements and illumination of the dimly lit places as per the advisory need funding and resources.

Continuing her statement, she asserts that colleges cannot and should not be solely accountable for all incidents occurring within the campus, stating that the fest-advisory guideline serves merely as a means to deflect legal responsibilities.

Read Also: The Invasion of IPCW: A Student’s Account

Featured Image Source: The Indian Express

Dhairya Chhabra

[email protected]

 

The recent inauguration, ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024, saw ‘tradition’ integrate with ‘technology’ as the latest advancements shielded security in the temple.

13,000 forces deployed, anti-terrorism squads, dog squads, and bulletproof vehicles; add to that the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It sounds straight out of a science fiction novel, right? But this is the dystopian reality we’re living in.

The grand inauguration of Ram Mandir saw Ayodhya buzz with religious fervour and anticipation, but the inauguration also shone a spotlight on the ‘modern security measures’ implemented in the process, notably the use of biometric surveillance technology.

Such an integrated, cutting-edge technology was utilised to monitor and track individuals in real-time to bolster security efforts that aided the security operations and guarded the temple.

This surveillance technology enables easy identification of individuals through advanced algorithms that analyse unique physical characteristics such as facial features, fingerprints, or iris patterns, offering authorities an additional layer of security against potential threats.

While many may argue that such measures are necessary to ensure public safety, one can’t help but ponder the potential for abuse and the erosion of individual privacy rights here. Staqu Technologies and their JARVIS platform may claim to offer cutting-edge security solutions, but does it come at a cost to our civil liberties?

What begins as a purported safeguard against terrorism could quickly devolve into a tool of control and consequent oppression. The all-seeing eye of AI knows no bounds, and its unchecked power poses a grave threat to our individual freedom.

The Modi regime has overseen significant advancements, positioning India as a global leader in the digital sphere. However, this is not the first time that the government has taken initiatives in digital governance and technological innovation. While ‘Aapka Aadhar’ has been the front-man of the ruling party’s ‘list of achievements’, reports of Aadhaar data being leaked or misused have raised alarm bells among privacy advocates in the past too, highlighting the need for robust safeguards to protect citizens’ sensitive information.

Very similar to this, the National Digital Health Mission also raised serious concerns about privacy and data security.

Moreover, the approach to data protection has also come under scrutiny for its perceived lack of transparency and accountability. The way data is captured and stored raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to upholding privacy rights.

Against this backdrop, the deployment of biometric surveillance at the Ram Mandir inauguration takes on added significance.

Influential figures ranging from the Ambani family to Alia Bhatt had come to witness history unfold, but a web of surveillance technologies, apparently labelled as necessary measures to ensure safety and security, surrounded the star-studded affair.

In an era marked by evolving security threats, the adoption of such efficient and advanced surveillance tools helped monitor the movements of attendees, identify suspicious individuals, and coordinate response efforts effectively. The ever vigilant and tireless ‘unseen eyes’ of AI scanning the crowd pose inherent risks to individual privacy rights, which can potentially escalate and lead to mass surveillance.

While the government may justify these measures as a necessary evil in the face of modern security challenges, this “slippery slope of mass surveillance” is imperative to be discussed thoughtfully since the measures to ‘ensuring safety’ themselves can also gradually turn into a ‘threat to safety’ because abuse of unlimited power is indeed very likely in the absence of some necessary checks.

Ram Mandir’s majestic inauguration highlights two major observations about “New India”: while on the one hand, it shows an intersection of religion, politics, and governance, on the other hand, it also underscores the complex interplay between security, privacy, and technological innovation in contemporary India.

While it may also symbolise a new dawn for a certain segment of the population in India, it also serves as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between security and privacy. As we march forward into an uncertain future, let us not sacrifice our freedoms at the altar of technological progress. Our rights are not negotiable, and our voices must be heard.

In the absence of clear guidelines and oversight mechanisms, there is a real risk that biometric data collected for security purposes could be misused, whether by government agencies or private entities. For instance, the controversial Personal Data Protection Bill, which falls short of international privacy standards, can be exploited for other purposes. The lack of transparency surrounding data storage and access only serves to exacerbate these concerns, leaving citizens vulnerable to potential misuse of power over personal information.

As we grapple with the implications of biometric surveillance in the context of the Ram Mandir inauguration, it is imperative that we demand greater transparency, accountability, and safeguards to protect our privacy rights. The government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to upholding the principles of privacy and data protection, lest we sacrifice our fundamental rights on the altar of security.

Read Also: When Saffron Sparks Debates: Exploring the Aftermath of Ram Mandir Inauguration in Educational Spaces 

Featured Image Credits: securityworldmarket.com 

Kavya Vashisht 

[email protected]

From Raghuram Rajan to Kiran Bedi, prominent names graced IIT Delhi’s flagship Entrepreneurship Summit, ‘BECon 2024’, providing insights into start-ups, the economy, and the business industry today!

The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, witnessed a gathering of industry veterans and successful entrepreneurs on February 3rd and 4th under the Annual Business and Entrepreneurship Conclave ‘BECon 2024: Genesis Wave of Innovation’. The promising line-up of both days of the conclave, of industry leaders and IIT Delhi alumni alike, was able to gather a bustling crowd of students across universities who flocked the halls of Dogra Hall to listen to the seasoned insights of the speakers. The ambitious line-up of speakers and guests included names like Nitin Gadkari, Raghuram Rajan, Kiran Bedi, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma, to name a few.

The first day of the event was packed with speaker sessions and competitions like Biz-E 3.0, Blueprint, Moonshot, and ‘Launchpad’, the Startup Expo. The day began with a keynote session with the renowned first-woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi, which was a house-full event in the Dogra Hall.

The next in line of the speaker session was a panel discussion ‘Money Moves’ which included a line-up of successful entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders like Sumit Sinha, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Filter Capital; Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder and CEO, Dineout; Priyank Garg, Managing Partner, IAN Alpha Fund; Anup Jain, Early Stage VC; and Apurva Chamaria, Head of Startups and Venture Capital, Google India. The session was moderated by Suraj Malik, Founder, Legacy Growth, who was able to engage with the panel on shared industry experiences. The panel engaged in a breakdown of the start-up and investment industries to address current industry trends and the central questions of upcoming entrepreneurs. The panel discussed the growth and rise of the start-up industry in present times with their own stories, along with the youth’s interest in this field. By a show of hands, the panel questioned the audience on who wishes to start their own venture, and almost the entire Dogra Hall raised hands in affirmation. When the female audience members were asked if they wished to start their own ventures, a handful raised their hands. This demographic was also pointed out by Apurva Chamaria and Priyank Garg, who expressed that there is a need for more female start-ups to come forward. Priyank Garg advocated staunchly for more women’s representation in the entrepreneurship industry and remarked that some of his best clients have been women.

Ankit Mehrotra, in a conversation with DU Beat, responded to the differences between his generation of students and students of today:

The key difference is that there is a greater desire for entrepreneurship that did not exist during my time. We were a nation of job seekers; now we are a nation of job creators.

The next speaker session, “She Means Business,” saw a panel of women entrepreneurs who are successful founders of leading start-ups, which included Ruchira Shukla, Head for South Asia, VC, IFC, World Bank Group, Shaili Chopra, Founder, SheThePeople, Swati Bhargava, Co-Founder of CashKaro.com, Tanya Singhal, Founder, Mynzo Carbon, and Swati Vasudevan, MD, Khan Academy. The session was moderated by Somya Matta, Senior Manager, Aditya Birla Ventures, who interacted with this dynamic panel of change-makers. The women spoke about their journey in the field and echoed the sentiments of the previous session with the rise of the start-up industry, while also commenting on women’s active participation in the same. The leading entrepreneurs gave insights on building a successful business and the factors to keep in mind for the same.

Swati Bhargava, in a conversation with DU Beat, gave a message to upcoming women entrepreneurs:

 Support each other; there is enough room for all of us at the top. It’s not me versus her, but all of us will make it together.

The second day of the Entrepreneurship Summit at IIT Delhi commenced with great anticipation in the Dogra Hall., as attendees eagerly awaited the keynote address by Raghuram Ranjan, the esteemed former governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Ranjan’s insightful discourse set the tone for the day, inspiring budding entrepreneurs with his wealth of experience and profound insights into the world of finance and entrepreneurship.

Following the keynote address, the summit delved into a riveting session on investing in innovation, featuring a distinguished panel comprising Satya Prakash Singh, Col. KiranDeep Singh, Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, Suraj Malik, and Piyush Bansal. The panellists captivated the audience with discussions on the transformative potential of deep tech in vital sectors such as healthcare, space technology, and sustainability.

CVCs (Corporate Venture Capital) are the future of entrepreneurship and are going to set the stage for the future of Indian startups.

– A panelist on the role CVCs would play in the start-up ecosystem in India.

Moreover, they shed light on the burgeoning phenomenon of corporate venture capitalists and its implications for the entrepreneurial landscape.

The day culminated with a compelling session titled “IIT Delhi Effect,” where illustrious alumni from various batches, ranging from 1995 to 2008, took centre stage. Vikram Gupta, TP Miglani, Nitin Jain, and Raghav Verma shared nostalgic anecdotes from their time at IIT Delhi, underscoring the pivotal role of their alma mater in shaping their entrepreneurial journeys. They fondly reminisced about the competitive ethos and invaluable connections forged during their college years, which laid the foundation for their subsequent successes as trailblazing entrepreneurs.

Overall, the Entrepreneurship Summit at IIT Delhi was an enriching and enlightening experience, showcasing the power of ideas, innovation, and collaboration in driving entrepreneurial excellence and fostering transformative change.

Read Also: Techkriti’23: IIT Kanpur’s Annual Fest

Featured Image Credits: Nabeera Jamal For DU Beat

Injeella Himani

[email protected]

Sarah Nautiyal

[email protected]

In the dynamic and competitive landscape of the professional world, internships stand as the gateway to a transformative and enlightening experience for aspiring professionals. The journey from academia to the workforce is often paved with uncertainties, and internships emerge as a crucial stepping stone that not only bridges the gap between theory and practice but also opens doors to unparalleled learning and growth.

We are about to embark on the mid-year crisis part of college life now. First-year students who have just gotten the jist of college life will now start wondering about hopping onto newer opportunities other than college societies; second-year students will go down a spiral of dread wondering how time flies and that they are so close to graduating; and third-year students will do anything in the world just to add more things to their CV. The answer to all these people’s quests will be internships. Here’s the perfect guide to deciding what might work best for you:

If we lived in a utopian world where we had endless amounts of time and people did things only for the experience and new adventures, I’d ask you to do internships for the sake of it. But let’s be real: nobody has the time to add extra things to their already busy schedule just for fun unless it benefits them in the long run. To put it simply, think about your life goals. If you are someone who will start looking for a job after graduation, an internship will surely help you. College internships don’t give you a lot of exposure, but they do make you familiar with a “work environment” and get you connections with some of the renowned names in the industry. If you wish to pursue a postgraduate degree, then, depending on what discipline you master, you can decide if you should spend time at the graduate level on internships or allocate that time to preparing for competitive exams. Most people who go for CAT consider it necessary for applicants to have internship experience. Many colleges, especially foreign ones, include a stipulated work experience requirement for applicants. It is often hard to pinpoint right now the job that you are sure to love in the future, but I have found it helpful to at least eliminate options that you are not at all inclined towards. It helps to narrow your horizons and helps to get a clear understanding of your interests.

When you are working as a full-time employee, the company needs you as much as you need it. But the paradigm shifts in the case of interns. Interns find themselves needing the company a lot more than it needs them. Interns can be easily replaced by anyone from the hundreds of others seeking that position, willing to work for free. Thus, the demand for a stipend, however meagre, is always silenced in exchange for the value the intern adds to the company. Most internships are unpaid, and while the prospect of them doesn’t seem very attractive, some of them might be worth it. Internships at startups usually offer excellent work environments, but the work may be a little overbearing at times. Since the people at startups are closer to your age, they tend to understand your situation better and offer a curated, personalised work environment for you. An internship at an NGO is one for a great cause, but it has the worst clauses. NGOs require your physical availability, and most of the work there is based on networking and social media content creation. The work undertaken by NGOs is fueled by an unwavering dedication to altruism, a selfless devotion that transcends personal ambition. The most popular unpaid internships are government internships, and the chance of anyone getting in is minute because they are open to students across all colleges for all years. However, they are known to shine the brightest on anyone’s CV. The idea here with both government internships as well as internships at big companies is that they’ll filter you out from a series of rigorous rounds and interviews, and at the end of the day, internships do not matter as much as where you intern does.

After you have figured out which type of internship suits you best based on time constraints, interest, and pay, it’s time to start looking for one! The first place for you to go is your own college’s placement cell page. Here, you are bound to find one that might work for you, plus if this is your first internship, it will be easier for you to navigate through the recruitment process with the help of the people from your college. If you have a particular company or organisation in mind, you’ll have to be on the lookout for their posts on LinkedIn as well as their other social media handles. There are some apps and websites like Internshala and LetsLearn that have a great set of opportunities for students and also assist with CV and resume building. All year long, volunteering opportunities are offered by organisations such as PETA, UNESCO, and others that provide internships in event management and outreach programs. Many YouTubers would also tell you a hack to email your resume and cover letter to any organisation and gaslight them into thinking that they did put out an internship opportunity and you’ve sent in your response. I’m not sure if that has ever worked for anyone, but what’s the harm in trying?

Internships play a pivotal role in shaping the professional journey of college students. Beyond providing a first-hand glimpse into the workings of industries and companies, internships offer invaluable opportunities for skill development, networking, and personal growth. They bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. What sets apart a “good” internship opportunity from another is how well-suited it is for the individual. The idea of an internship is to give you a chance to experiment with the real world, and if you don’t allow yourself to fail, no internship can ever be worth your time. So, breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, and breathe out!

You got this!

Read Also: Unpaid Internships: Are they Worth it?

Image Credits: People Matters

Saanvi Manchanda

[email protected]

Former Assistant Professor Dr. Ritu Singh has been at the forefront of the protest against the alleged display of casteism in her dismissal from the Psychology Department of Daulat Ram College (DRC) by Principal Dr. Savita Roy.

Protestors from organisations such as the Bhim Army Students Federation (BASF) and Mission Save Constitution have since the past 150 days joined Dr. Ritu Singh in claiming Gate No. 4 of the Arts Faculty of Delhi University (DU) to display their resistance against the structural casteism pervading the University.

The dismissal of the former professor had taken place midway through the COVID-19 pandemic without show-cause notice. Her allegations of casteist harassment against the DRC principal were initially dismissed by the Sessions Court, the High Court, and even the Delhi Police. Later, on 23 May, 2023, a complaint was registered by Delhi Police upon the intervention of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. A list of the signatures of 35 students provided by Dr. Savita Roy as evidence backing up the termination of Dr. Singh’s services was also, as The Quint reports, falsified.

The Mooknayak presents a recurrent account of alleged police supression against the scenery of blue flags fluttering in the midst of small businesses selling books on Dalit literature at Gate No. 4, which was then reportedly vandalised, protest tents removed, and protestors detained. The incident took place in the early morning of 9 January, 2024. Questions were raised about the subsequent imposition of Section 144, and a complaint was said to have been filed against the looting of Dr. Singh’s personal belongings and the alleged unruly behaviour of the police.

Protestors have further claimed that the site was washed with Gangajal and Gaumutra for its apparent purification, along with the locking of the university gates and the dismantling of a poster of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The protestors took to social media to question the motives behind such actions. Supreme Court Advocate Mehmood Pracha questioned in a post on Dr. Singh’s X (previously Twitter) handle,

How will a space become impure if Dr. Ritu sits down?

On 19 January, 2024 Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad joined the protest site to extend support and mark the death anniversary of Rohith Vemula. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that Azad, along with Dr. Singh, advocate Pracha, and around 80 other protestors, were detained and subsequently released.

In a conversation with DU Beat, BASF President Ashutosh Boddh confirmed the account of repression and claimed the structural complicity of the Vice Chancellor in the denial of justice and maltreatment of not just Dr. Singh but her fellow protestors. He cited the refusal to take action against the chargesheeted Dr. Savita Roy and DU registrar Vikas Gupta, the former of whom was in fact later appointed General Secretary of the Principals’ Association. He posed the question,

Why is it that we see locks on the University gates only when our demands are in question?

In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Dr. Singh sought an update on the five demands made before the Dean of Student Welfare. These demands include the immediate suspension of both Dr. Roy and Vikas Gupta, an investigation into the ‘NFS’ or Not Found Suitable option that the University allegedly resorts to when it comes to candidates of the reserved categories, as well as an inquiry into the other allegedly fraudulent appointments made to the University.

As of now, no requisite actions or response has been made on the aforementioned demands.

Read also : Protesters Demand Suspension of DRC Principal Dr. Savita Roy

Featured Image Credits: Bhumika Saraswati via Instagram

Deevya Deo
[email protected]

On 4 November 2023, Ramjas College students gathered to protest against the ad-hoc crisis in the college’s English department, expressing concern over the displacement of 8 out of 10 ad hoc professors. Their collective demand echoes a call for transparency, academic stability, and integrity within the educational framework.

In a resolute display of solidarity, students from Ramjas College’s English Department organised a gathering to protest against the displacement of 8/10 ad hoc professors of the department on Monday, 4 November, 2023. Gathering in the Eco Lawns of the college, the rally circled the campus, culminating in a demonstration at the Principal’s Office. The college administration responded by summoning police forces to contain the protest. The protest garnered support from students from various departments of Ramjas College and was endorsed by student organisations such as the Student Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students Association (AISA).

In a post shared by the Instagram handle Ramjas Reading Room, the protest called upon immediate action to address the following:

  1. Halt Unjust Displacements
  2. Preserve Academic Integrity
  3. Prioritize Faculty Well-Being

Vociferous slogans and heartfelt messages were raised during the protest as student were overcome with anger and anguish amid the state of things.  A student from Ramjas’ English Department, who wishes to stay anonymous, shared,

The English Department has been one of the most active departments in Ramjas. For most of these professors, teaching, while being a passion, is also a source of sustenance. They are still processing the grief of what has happened.

The protest is being held against the backdrop of the displacement of ad hoc professors from departments across colleges at Delhi University. In Ramjas College, the first department affected by this issue was the Zoology Department last year. Many have alleged that the process of interviewing, retention, and displacement of ad hoc professors is opaque, leading to highly qualified and experienced professors losing their jobs.

Utilising platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, students of Ramjas College effectively mobilised support by urging their peers and even past alumni who are working across the globe to join the cause. The protest featured images of these iconic figures, such as Tagore and Gandhi, and included books taught by the displaced teachers. The student political groups that had joined submitted a memorandum seeking transparency in the interview process and the retention of ad hoc professors.

According to our sources, the college has made no response to the students’ demands as of yet. Expressing their state of despair and hopelessness at the system, a final year student from the English Department, commented, 

We have lost that last sense of connection with the department. It has become a foreign space for us; the college is a necropolis. How will we ever go back to Room No. 12, the department room? The displaced professors have shared our paintings and poems on their Instagram posts and stories. But we only know what we have lost.

Read also: Faculty Displacement at IPCW: Impact on Students and Academic Integrity

Featured Image Credits:  Aaryan Marcha, student at Ramjas College

Injeella Himani
[email protected]

The proposal for the dual degree programme gained approval at the academic council meeting held recently. Opposition to this decision became evident as some council members voiced their reservations.

On November 30, 2023, the Academic Council of the University of Delhi held a meeting where the decision was taken to proceed with the implementation of a dual degree system starting from the next academic session. The program will involve a combination of traditional and remote classes, giving students a chance to accumulate additional academic experience within the standard time frame. Moreover, the possibility of providing twinning degrees was also taken into discussion. A program enabling Delhi University students to pursue a degree from select foreign institutions with which the university plans to establish partnerships However, the decision has currently been deferred.

In December 2022, the university put together a committee to discuss the potential idea of twinning, joint, and dual degrees, keeping in mind the guidelines issued by the National Education Policy 2020. 11 months later, while most council members gave the proposal a thumbs up, 15 of them raised some genuine concerns. It was argued that offering students dual degrees will dilute the value of their main subject, given the full-time nature of their academic programmes, and put more strain on students and teachers alike. Former Executive Council member Abha Dev Habib pointed out that the students will benefit more from “quality education and not a bag full of degrees.” Despite the apprehensions that came to light, the resolution was approved, and starting next session, both undergraduate and postgraduate students keen on pursuing a dual degree can communicate so to their respective colleges. The proper procedure will be laid down by the university, which will include both in-person and distance-learning models, as mentioned before.

The 1016th meeting of the Academic Council of the University of Delhi, under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh, also discussed the number of undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD admissions that were made this academic year, the few modalities made in the syllabus for the current academic session, the new orphan quota, and the awarding of a total of 6115 promotions to professors of the university.

Read also: Delhi University’s Proposed Dual Degree Program: Blend of Distance Learning and In-Person Classes

Featured image credits: www.du.ac.in

Lakshita Arora

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This week, let’s talk about transparency in journalism. Have you read our pieces and felt upset at us for reporting on certain events? This piece is for you!

Ah, DU, you’ve dealt with us for more than 15 years now. It’s only fair I let you in on an inside joke DU Beat has: “you know you’ve written a good report if everyone involved is mad at you.” You would be shocked to know that most of our dispute based reports generate criticism from all parties involved, usually because we didn’t blatantly favour them. To us that shows quality and unbiased reporting – the hallmark of a well written report!

When you read a good DU Beat investigative or report, you’ll notice there is an abundance of operating words like “alleged”, “reported” and “claimed”. “The students alleged that the administration allegedly turned them away and claimed that their requests were denied.” is a sentence you may very well see us write in an article one day. Now, this is not because we simply love using these words to mirror national newspapers. In fact – as most of Delhi University’s journalism students will tell you – the overuse of such words largely stems from basic journalistic ethics.

You see, when it comes to investigative pieces or reports on different events, we are not always present at the scene to have a firsthand account of what happened. Our knowledge of what may have transpired in the situation we’re reporting on largely comes from a variety of quotes from people that were present during these events – sometimes even at fests that we happen to be covering. But if we weren’t there, how could we possibly know if what we are told is the entire truth? Moreover, in cases of disputes and arguments, how could we possibly know which party’s version of events is the truth? Since we obviously can’t blindly trust the words of everyone we speak to, the use of these operating words becomes necessary.

It is important for us as an organisation to make it perfectly clear that the narrative of events we talk about is not ours but made up of claims from other people who do not represent DU Beat. To our readers, it is important that we clarify: the news does not always know the truth, it simply tells you what people involved say is the truth. Once we make this distinction between our opinion and narratives offered by third parties clear, we run into another obstacle. To explain this, let’s take the example of a dispute between a certain college society’s members and the college faculty that was covered by DU Beat in the past.

Our use of “alleged” and “claimed” upset the society members because we would not support them publicly and offer their cause credibility – something we would never do due to ethics. On the other hand, the college faculty was upset at our reporting since despite our attempts to make it clear that these views were not our own, they believed that we had publicly supported the students instead of supporting the faculty. We were essentially receiving podcast-length voice notes and calls from both sides for days! Annoying, yes, but it was a good sign that our piece was clearly not favouring any side over the other.

Amidst such calls and comments on our Instagram like “DU Beat is supporting/excusing the students (or administration, depending on whose side they’re on) blindly”, it feels like people underestimate the neutral reader. The reader is not so easily influenced. We do not want to tell you what to think of the situations we cover. We may make mistakes occasionally, but the goal remains to depict a fair and unbiased view of the situation. Processing the information we provide and creating your own opinions is something we do not hold any influence over.

That is not to say that we have never picked sides. Most recently, DU Beat as an organisation took a very vocal stance in favour of the students of IPCW after the infamous invasion of their campus during their annual fest. While our reporting and coverage remained neutral and used the same operating words, we were horrified at the events that unfolded and thus considered it important to put out a statement of support. We have our own opinions and sympathies as well, but as far as investigative articles and reports are concerned, after reading them the only opinions you should see clearly are your own. In other words, let’s not shoot the messenger.

Read also: Not Just for Entertainment: Social Media Journalism 

Image source: Santa Cruz Sentinel

Siddharth Kumar

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