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This Auburn introduces you to a staple for dance, dramatics and many other societies, Leggings. Something so simple, yet so necessary.

Like the nation we live in, University of Delhi (DU) is an amalgamation of many fashion trends, the infamous Kurta trend, the ripped jeans trend, and T-shirt-skirt trend. Among all of these, Legging Fashion is the newest trend on the list.

When I joined the Dramatics Society of my college, I was oblivious to the many rigorous physicals we have to endure. Amidst, all the running and fainting from fatigue, the toughest was to select an attire. This constant confusion between-can’t come to college in pyjamas, can’t wear skirts or jeans because of the physical restriction, and forget the beautiful summer dresses. Leggings came to my rescue, a tool that provides one with a perfect attire looking fashionable. All my shopping trips with my mother just low-key turned into who would find the brown-edgy leggings, and who will find the classic black ones.

Aditi Kekre, a student from Sri Venkateswara college said, “Leggings are so comfortable. They allow you to be so fun and free. You can do a split in them, you can dance and yet you’ll look formal if you choose the right one.”

The other bigger development in this revolutionary attire is its forms. There are yoga pants, styled bottom jeggings, the Jean Jegging, the cotton ones that can be worn under kurtas, the embellished tights, and so much more.

Most people also choose them for their convenience. It supports their many looks of ethnic outfits and work wonders on even the western ones.

Mehak Bhatia, another student from DU, told DU Beat, “Leggings according to me to are comfortable. I would prefer wearing them over Jeans and tights any day. But it’s difficult to match them my tops. Leggings only go with Indian kurtas etc., that’s the only drawback.”

 

Just like the T-shirt that goes with every outfit. The jegging has become the perfect staple for all. You tuck in your T-shirt and you’re ready for class, you add a jacket or a kurta and it’s a new look altogether.

Other than this, Social media and Fashion influencers have created a platform to advertise, sell and buy jegging. With so much variety, it becomes an unaffected item.

So, for all the students with dreaded faces, contemplating what to do, what to wear and how to creep up, just tuck in your graphic tee in blue jegging and welcome themselves with a nice day.

Feature Image Credits: Scopio

Chhavi Bahmba

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In an attempt to solve the annuala admissions chaos, University of Delhi (DU) has decided to form a separate branch to overlook the tedious admission process for a more organised admission session. 

Like the examination committee, DU has decided to organise and streamline the entire admission process. The decision has been taken in lieu of this year’s admission process which witnessed late cut-offs and multiple complaints. 

University of Delhi has an intake of lakhs of students from all over India accompanied by sky-high cut-offs. It becomes more imperative that the entire process is closely supervised.

Rasal Singh, member of the standing committee on the admissions for the session 2019-20 said, “Delhi University is India’s biggest and premier central University. Lakhs of students from all over India and abroad come here for admissions. We don’t have a dedicated and full-fledged admission branch for a consistent admission policy and its hassle-free implementation. The lack of it, hence, leads to unnecessary delays and makes it complicated too.” 

This session marked delayed admissions and incomplete procedure. There were many changes in the admission policy at the last minute that even led to the University being dragged to the court. After that, the policies framed had to be withdrawn; like Mathematics being compulsory to be counted in Best of Four to pursue B.A. (Honours) Economics from the University. 

The procedure for admission in the University includes formation of an admission committee usually consisting of members of the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW) office, college principals and teacher representatives from the colleges, nominated by the Vice Chancellor. Along with it, there is also an advisory committee, which overlooks the admission process.

Each year, there is a new set of officials appointed for carrying out the process of admission, which is unstable, therefore a stable body is needed. 

The University conducts admissions for the undergraduate programmes in 63 colleges, postgraduate admissions in over 50 departments, and also M. Phil and PhD admissions. That means even if the undergraduate admissions wrap up before July, the post graduate and PhD admissions go all year round. Like right now, the admissions for postgraduate and PhD courses is still going on. 

Rasal Singh also added, “The M. Phil/ PhD admissions are still ongoing, so in the University, the admission is almost a year-long process. Hence, having a branch to exclusively deal with it is very much required.”

The admission process is likely to be headed by the Dean and other officials. However, the date for functionality and formation of the admission body hasn’t been announced.

Feature Image Credits:  Hindustan Times

Chhavi Bahmba

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The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a circular advocating the use of khadi or handloom textiles in over 50,000 universities and colleges for ceremonial dresses, like convocations. 

Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UGC has advocated the usage of khadi or handloom textiles in ceremonial dresses. The circular addressed to over 50,000 universities and colleges, states, “The honourable Prime Minister has advocated the use of khadi and also emphasized on the revival of handlooms. Mahatma Gandhi used khadi, a handspun and handloom cloth as a weapon during the struggle for Independence, and hence it is also known as ‘Liveries of Freedom’…the use of khadi and other handlooms will not only give a sense of pride of being Indian, but also be more comfortable in hot and humid weather.”

The erstwhile ‘Western’ attire of convocations has long been a discourse over the loss of Indian-ness, thus, a few institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT Bombay, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hamirpur, and Gujarat University have already adopted khadi or handloom textiles as their ceremonial dress. 

Signed by UGC secretary Rajnish Jain, the circular aims to preserve the Indian culture and heritage and sustain the livelihood for lakhs of rural people. “I request you to kindly take appropriate action to adopt khadi and/or handloom fabric for ceremonial dresses to encourage the use of khadi…,” reads the circular.

As quoted to Hindustan Times, a Delhi University professor, maintaining anonymity, said, “The language of the circular is very interesting. While it did not use the word mandatory, it expects universities to take action. We are not against khadi or handloom but I believe universities and colleges need to be left alone to make a decision on what they wish to adopt. It is an indirect directive to fall in line. It’s symbolism, not Indian pride, that the education regulator is trying to get us to believe.”

 

Feature Image Credits: The New Leam

 

Anandi Sen 

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Culture preservation and safety has motivated the University of Delhi (DU) to convert the North Campus into an enclosed area to form a proper campus, much like the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) campus. The initiative will be completed within a year and was informed by the Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi at the executive council (EC) meeting on Saturday 26th October 2019. 

Currently, the proposal is in the contact phase where government agencies and departments are told to start the process, an official announcement hasn’t been made yet. 

The two-day meeting held on Saturday, was a platform for many issues to be discussed, the IOE proposal, construction of 39-storey building and the closing of North Campus. 

However, while these issues may seem independent, they are interconnected. If the EC’s proposal is accepted to enclose North Campus, the construction of the building will be deferred. And, IOE (Institute of Eminence) proposal would pave way for the closing of North Campus. 

EC member Rajesh Jha, said, “We have always demanded that the campus should be closed as we want DU to have a character of its own just like JNU and other varsities in the country. The closed campus will also help authorities improve the security on the varsity premises.”

North Campus is a hub of academics at the University of Delhi, with many colleges and departments within meters of each other, and so, it has always witnessed the greatest college student footfall. This raises some serious questions regarding the safety of the students, with recent developments in many violent cases taking place at North Campus. This concept will increase the safety of students manifold. However, it may subject them to false seclusion and isolation. The culture of campus may be gone when only students of those colleges could take part in it, and not all could witness it.

Interviewing students from all over the campus, DU Beat received many mixed responses.  Here’s what DU students have to say about this. 

Aditi Raj, Daulat Ram College, North Campus said “The idea seems far-fetched, I don’t know how they will manage to do it. The campus is full of roads that connect two parts of the city. And other universities like JNU, have a huge campus with all departments to enclose, where we are just calling few colleges and departments the entire university campus.” 

Satviki Sanjay, Miranda House, North Campus said, “I don’t think DU North Campus should be closed. To ‘maintain its culture’ sounds like a terrible reason as DU ‘culture’ is not just limited in the North Campus but also the other colleges. Closing it would just strengthen the already prevalent elitism in the North Campus. Moreover, there are logistical issues that need to be resolved. DU North Campus is not just educational institutions but an entire ecosystem of students, teachers, market places, transportation and all which make DU North Campus what it is and closing it would rather hamper the ‘culture’.” 

Akshat Arora, Motilal Nehru College, South Campus said, “I feel like restricting an area to a limited number of students will work against your intentions if you intend to preserve “cultures”.”

Whereas, A counter-opinion also existed among the DU students. Priyanshu Sinha, Delhi School of Journalism, North Campus believes, “When we step out of the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station to head towards our respective colleges, it feels more like going to an isolated corporate office than going to a University. Like JNU, Delhi University needs to have a closed campus.”

Many times the argument comes that DU is a collegiate like Oxford which is based in the Oxfordshire. But then we forget that Oxfordshire is completely established for Oxford University whereas Delhi is a diverse city having government offices, corporate buildings along with the University. It doesn’t feel like a University campus when cars flock all the time, outsiders who have nothing to do with the college or the education roam around in the campus. It also dilutes unity of the campus as a single entity. This step by the administration is very pleasant and we welcome it wholeheartedly.”

Pranavi Prabhakaran, Daulat Ram College, North Campus, told DU Beat, “North Campus is a truly important academic area. It’s only surprising that this move hadn’t been taken earlier. I hope it will be cleaner now.”

While different opinions surface in the University, many questions like whether the infamous Hudson Lane and Patel Chest Photocopy Lane be part of mainstream campus? Will the stalls and Chai corners that exist, still cease to exist? Will colleges provide parking spots to those who earlier parked outside?

To answer all these questions and many more, a formal official notification is awaited. 

Feature Image Credits: Dailymail

Chhavi Bahmba 

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Due to the varsity’s lack of action despite the perpetrators having been found guilty, a sexual harassment survivor wrote to the VC, PMO and MHRD, complaining about the lack of initiative taken.

 

Despite the varsity’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) finding the head of the Chemistry department (HoD) guilty 18 months ago in case of sexual harassment report, no action has been taken. The case is claimed to have occurred on April 2018, and despite the ICC’s confirmation, the university has taken no action. A day before the DU Executive Council (EC) meeting, the alleged survivor has written to the DU Vice-Chancellor, the PMO (Prime Minister of India), the MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development) and others stating that the university has delayed in giving her justice.

 

In the letter, the alleged survivor has stated that while another EC meeting has been called on October 25, her sexual harassment cause has also been called for discussion. Alleging that she was not informed about her case in the previous EC meetings, she said that she got to know that to decide her case,  the VC has constituted a new three-member committee, consisting of 2 EC members and one member from outside the University, as reported by The Times of India. The survivor expressed distress at the knowledge that the varsity has let the guilty HoD and the six other members of the Chemistry department walk free.

 

The survivor- whose identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual harassment- alleged that the University failed to abide by its regulations regarding sexual harassment at workplace.

 

Under Section 9 of the code of regulations, the survivor was to be provided interim relief, which she claimed she was not while the case was being enquired by the ICC. The letter also states that despite the case being reported on May 2018, no decision has been taken and no punishment has been given to the guilty party, which is a direct violation of Section 8(4), which states that the UGC regulations on sexual harassment, the Executive Authority of the University has to take a decision within 30 to 45 days after a report has come out.

 

The committee made by the VC is extra-legal and does not find a place in either the POSH law or the UGC Regulations 2016- the survivor thus stated that this quasi-judicial body cannot be allowed to discredit the ICC report.

 

She also revealed that on September 15, the Chemistry department called for an interview for the position of assistant professor on a guest basis in which she applied but the HOD was a member of the selection committee despite the ICC saying that he cannot be a member of the selection committee if she applied.

 

Feature Image Credit: DU Beat Archives

Shreya Juyal

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The dead body was found at the Sarai Rohilla railway station while the Professor’s Mother was found hanging at their Pitampura residence. 

The decapitated body of a Delhi University professor was found on a railway track near the Sarai Rohilla railway station this Saturday afternoon. Around half-an-hour later, the man’s 55-year-old mother was found hanging at their flat in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura, the police said.

27-year old Allen Stanley hailed from Kottayam in Kerala and was an ad-hoc Professor at St. Stephen’s College, North Campus, University of Delhi (DU). His mother Lissy, was found with cloth stuffed in her mouth and her limbs tied, hanging from the ceiling fan in their Ashiana Apartment flat, as reported by the Times of India. 

Stanley taught Philosophy at the college, and was also pursuing a PhD from another institute. A four page note in Malayalam along with two knives were also found in the flat. According to the Hindustan Times (HT), investigators said they suspect the teacher, who taught at St. Stephen’s College, may have killed his mother before taking his own life. They added that the duo was facing an abetment to suicide case, filed at a police station in Kerala reportedly by the family of the Professor’s father’s former wife. Police investigation has revealed that the woman’s husband had allegedly killed himself in December last year. Although, the mother-son duo had secured anticipatory bail in the case, they were depressed because of it, the police said.

Kottayam’s superintendent of police (SP) Hari Shankar, however, said that there was no case against the DU teacher and his mother in the district. “We have checked with the police station in Pambadi and found no case against them here,” he said, adding that he has informed the Delhi police about the same.

The bodies of the deceased were sent to separate government hospitals where the autopsies will be conducted by Tuesday. The police have informed the man’s brother, who lives in Kerala, about the deaths. He had reportedly given the police some insight into the reason his family members may have been depressed. 

St. Stephen’s College principal, John Varghese in conversation with HT, said, “The young man was an adhoc teacher at our college. On Saturday, he did not come to college and we got to know that he had committed suicide. The college administration was not aware of any previous FIRs against him. He had not spoken to any of his colleagues about it.”

Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Bhavya Pandey 

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Bihar had become a drought-hit area, and then recently got flooded, receiving 10% extra rain than usual. Arguably, was this a man-made calamity more than a natural disaster? Read on to find out the Bihari diaspora’s take on it.

In hard-hit Bihar, a bird’s-eye-view of state capital Patna made the city appear like a huge lake dotted with concrete structures. Posh low-lying areas like Rajendra Nagar and Pataliputra Colony were flooded. Private hospitals, medical stores and other shops were submerged in waist-deep water. In several parts of Patna, waterlogging had thrown normal life out of gear. Although the rains have stopped now, and waterlogging has receded in most parts, a closer look reveals a bigger picture than just a natural calamity. 

Owing to unexpected and torrential rainfall of 200 mm, almost all areas of the capital of Bihar have been flooded, with water entering homes, offices and other buildings, and standing on the roads. The social media was buzzing with netizens sharing videos of the flood affected area and making satire of #HowdyModi event in which the PM said, all is fine in India. 

Flooding in the city appeared to have been caused by a choked, damaged and dysfunctional drainage system, and delayed activation of pumps at the sump houses. The floods were so severe that animal carcasses were seen on several roads.

Dinesh Mishra, a civil engineer and flooding expert, while speaking to a national daily said, “The authorities have the resources, money and workforce to arrive at a solution. However, planning of drainage systems and efficient sump machines are nowhere to be seen. Authorities have pushed the city to the edge of disaster by misusing public money. Also, now, they all come up with the excuse of ‘climate change.’”

The state of Bihar has gloomed with tragedies this year. First the encephalitis outbreak in Muzzafarpur took hundreds of life in June 2019, then drought hit severel parts of the state in early September damaging agriculture, and then the recent floods have disturbed lives of millions of people in the capital city Patna. Floods are not a rare phenomena in Bihar, the Kosi river is infamous for flooding Khagaria and northern parts of Bihar every year, but the scale and intensity of this retreating monsoon’s flood was as big as the disastrous floods of 1987 and 2004 which took 1,400 and 3,272 lives respectively.

It was not only Patna but also towns like Kaimur, Bhagalpur, Araria, Banka, Munger and Muzzafarpur that faced the wrath of this catastrophe. A more haunting statistic suggests that 494 panchayats in 15 districts were submerged in water when the flood was at its peak. The death toll neared 120 in first four days. Lack of a robust political administration seemed to have aggravated the death toll and loss due to floods.

Rahul Kumar, a student of DU hailing from Buxar says, “What I think, is that the flood is a result of mismanagement and government failure. As a Bihari, what I think is in Bihar, government officials love good flood and droughts because they get chance to make money out of it. This is a man made disaster and not only the government, but we are also fully responsible for the same.”   

Suyash Jha, a fresher from the varsity who hails from Bhagalpur says that these floods have now become a routine affair. “The compound of my grandfather’s home at VIP Road, Laheriasarai get water from overflowing drains every year for the  last 10 years now. Despite several requests to the administration to work on the drainage system in the area no real action has been taken.”

Shivam Srivastava, a third-year student was in Delhi when the unstoppable rain started in Patna on 28th September.  He says, “It was really flabbergasting to see the Chief Minister say something like ‘Yeh toh prakritik apada hai, isme hum kuch nahi karsakte,’ (This is a natural calamity, we cannot help it,).”

Feature Image Credits: Rahul Kumar

Sriya Rane 

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Priyanshu

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The University of Delhi (DU) gives admission to students from not just India, but abroad as well. This article brings to you what international students feel about the University.

A lot of people talk about their perceptions of DU, but there is little mention of an international student’s perspective of the University. These are the students who have crossed miles just to be in a college of their choice. The motivation of coming to India for some is to experience cultural diversity, while for others is the ranking of the University.

After contacting a lot of students studying in various colleges of DU, belonging to countries all around the world, DU Beat found out about their mixed experiences. While some students praise the University for everything, others did not have their expectations met. What a student experiences might also depend on the college that they are studying in and the facilities they are provided with.

The problems that international students face are very different from the ones that the Indian students face. The issue of homesickness remains the most important issue. The fact that they do not find too many people belonging to the same place as them also becomes depressing at times. The language barrier also creates trouble. Culture differences constitute both advantage and disadvantage. While some people get to meet and be friends with people from different places and diverse cultural backgrounds, others feel excluded.

Naomie, a student at Miranda House shared her experience of being an international student. She said, “DU is a really good university and being a student at Miranda House has been very advantageous for me. I have seen a lot of professionalism here. The classes are well-arranged, and there are good teachers. Although, I was very scared in the beginning as I did not see many international students here. But, I have made many Indian friends here and have started feeling like home.”

She further added, “The administration staff is also very welcoming. However, I feel like not much is done for international students by the college. I haven’t seen any societies which involve international students. On events like freshers’ party, I have seen students dancing to the tune of Bollywood songs.”

Another student said, “In my college, a lot of professors deliver lectures mostly in Hindi which makes it very difficult for me. However, the University is good on an overall basis, but the language barrier is the biggest issue for me.”

Mohammad from the Gambia said, “My first experience in DU was that of cultural diversity. I met people and made friends from different cultures, different backgrounds, and different countries. when I joined the University, it was highly intriguing and fascinating for me to find people from such varied places and backgrounds.”

Another student from Kenya, Edwin Kipchirchir Kiptoo said, “After taking admission in DU, I have experienced meeting different types of friendly people and different type of Indian food. My best experience is being exposed to the vast cultural diversity among the students of the University.”

Thus, it can be said that the experiences of international students differ from person to person and college to college. The journey has its pros and cons. The inclusion of more and more international students is also important for making DU recognised globally. It is true that if the University wants to get more students from other countries, then it needs to start providing them with more and better facilities to make them feel included.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

 

Priya Chauhan.

[email protected]

 

Owing to the increasing cases of deteriorating mental health of the students of University of Delhi (DU) the Varsity has decided to set up two mobile phone de-addiction centres, in collaboration with the World University Service (WUS) in the North and South Campus.

Smartphones have surely eased the communication process. However, it has given rise to a new set of severe problems. Ina recent study conducted by the Department of Psychology suggests that the increased dependence on smartphones is leading to severe addiction and instability in the mental health of the students of DU. In such a scenario, digital detox and counselling of the student community have become imperative.

Researchers have decoded four common triggers for the compulsive use of smartphones which, if addressed, can help shun the screen addiction. The four triggers for habitual smartphone use are: During unoccupied moments, like waiting for a friend to show up, before or during tedious and repetitive tasks, when in socially awkward situations, and when people anticipate getting a message or notification.

Since most of the communication regarding classes and college activities happens through smartphones, giving up on them is not an option, making them a necessary evil.

Mamta Banerjee from Lady Shri Ram College said, “The whole college works on WhatsApp. Everything regarding classes, events and activities is communicated through that app only. The phone keeps pinging all day and I can’t help but get addicted to it.”

Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous said, “I wake up to the beep of the cell-phone and sleep with the cell phone in my hand. I always get the fear of missing out and the compulsive urge to constantly check my phone which has increased my dependence on it.”

Professors of DU colleges have observed the increased use of mobile phones in the classroom and aggressive behaviour of students when they were reprimanded for it. Dr Reema Ranjan, a Professor commented, “I always ask students to keep their mobile phones in their bags as students tend to use phones during lectures, and the attention span of the students has reduced.”

Head of the Psychology Department, DU, Professor Ananda Pradhan said, “The study conducted by the department found out some stark realities about the mental health and digital toxicity in students. Therefore, owing to the welfare of both the students and teachers, we recommended the varsity to set up the de- addiction centres for counselling”.

In light of this, the University is set to opening these centres at the World University Service (WUS) in the North and South campus and proposes to organise workshops and regular counselling for students in order to facilitate digital detoxification and check the screen time among students.

 

Feature Image Credits: Bagby

 

Sriya Rane

[email protected]

 

 

Owing to the increasing cases of deteriorating mental health of the students of  the Delhi University (DU), the varsity has decided to set up two mobile phone de-addiction centres in collaboration with the World University Service (WUS) in the North and South Campus.

Smart phones have eased the communication process. However, it has given rise to a new set of severe problems. A recent study conducted by the Department of Psychology suggests that the increased dependence on the smart phones is leading to severe smart phone addiction and instability in the mental health of the students of DU. In such a scenario, digital detox and counselling of the student community has become imperative.

Researchers have decoded four common triggers for the compulsive use of smartphones which, if addressed, can help shun the screen addiction. The four triggers for habitual smartphone use are: during unoccupied moments, like waiting for a friend to show up; before or during tedious and repetitive tasks; when in socially awkward situations; and when people anticipate getting a message or notification.

Since most of the communication regarding classes and college activities happens through the smart phones, giving up on them is not an option, making them a necessary evil.

Mamta Banerjee, from Lady Shri Ram College, said, “The whole college works on Whatsapp. Everything regarding classes, events and activities is communicated through Whatsapp only. The phone keeps pinging all day and I can’t help but to get addicted to it.”

Another student, who wishes to be anonymous, said, “I wake up to the beep of the cell-phone and sleep with the cell phone in my hand. I always get the fear of missing out and the compulsive urge to constantly check my phone which has increased my dependence on it.”

Professors of the DU colleges have observed the increased use of mobile phones in the classroom, and aggressive behaviour of students when they were called out for it. Dr. Reema Ranjan, a professor commented, “I always ask students to keep their mobile phones in their bags as students tend to use phones during lectures and the attention span of the students has reduced.”

Head of the Department of Psychology, DU, Professor Ananda Pradhan said, “The study conducted by the department found out some stark realities about the mental health and digital toxicity in students. Therefore, owing to the welfare of both the students and teachers, we recommended the varsity to setup the de- addiction centres for counselling”.

In light of this, the University is set to opening these centres at the World University Service (WUS) in the North and South Campus and proposes to organise workshops and regular counselling for students in order to facilitate digital detoxification and check the screen time among students.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted!

Feature Image Credits:  Bagby

SriyaRane

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