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Delhi HC asks authorities for a plan on defacement of public property

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The Delhi High Court on Monday directed various authorities — including the Delhi Police, DMRC, MCDs, DU vice-chancellor, Union Home ministry, winning candidates of DUSU polls, the dean of students’ welfare, and the petitioner in the case of preventing defacement of public property during Delhi University Student Union election campaigning – to convene a meeting in order to devise a plan of action.

The court has also asked the winning candidates to place an action plan on how they proposed to clean the area and how future elections would be conducted. A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the order while hearing the plea filed by advocate Prashant Manchanda, as reported by The Indian Express.

On Monday, the elected student representatives — including DUSU president Rocky Tuseed and vice-president Kunal Sehrawat — were in court. Stating that many of the defaced properties bore his name, the bench sought an explanation from Rocky. Counsel for Rocky told the court that they had carried out cleanliness drives in the North and South campuses — with the help of students and NGOs — to remove the graffiti and spray paint, irrespective of which candidate or political party had carried out the defacement.

The plea highlighted defacement of public property in Delhi University, properties within the jurisdiction of the MCDs and the Delhi Metro. It added that it was next to impossible to completely remove the defacement. The bench then directed the authorities to file a report of the meeting — to be held on 27th October at 3 pm at the dean’s office — on the next date of hearing on 28th November.

The bench has further said that defacement of public property was a cognizable offence, punishable with 10 years in jail. Rocky and the other candidates assured the bench that they would not do so in future.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Ankita Dhar Karmakar
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The Reality Of Internal Assessments

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Thanks to an impressive array of Bollywood movies and pop culture’s depiction of the University of Delhi many people are under an illusion that life of a college student is all fun and play. But now, with each assignment and test, the illusion of glamour is getting over alongside the semester itself. The credit for this goes to Internal Assessments.

Internal Assessment (IA) refers to a quota of 25% marks that is reserved for continuous flow of assignments, attendance, and tests that take place throughout the semester.
The breakup and weightage of IA is:
• Attendance- 5%
• Written assignments- 10%
• Class test(s)/ Quiz(s)- 10%
While 25% of the maximum marks in each paper is assigned for Internal Assessment the remaining 75% marks are for the final end of the semester examination.

With Delhi University’s exhaustive syllabus, regular work in form of tests and assignments keeps us in touch with the academics which ultimately reduces the burden for final preparation. The long readings are often neglected by the students, and when they finally come across the study material two days before the exam, they freak out. With internals one becomes familiar with the text, and instead of last-minute cramming students actually pause and learn. Also, since marks are awarded for attendance, this provision encourages more and more students to turn up.

Another benefit of Internal Assessment is that, if a student is failing by one or two marks, the teacher can sympathetically increase the internal assessment score.
However on the flip side, many students believe that Internal Assessment is nothing, but incessant nagging of work. Even though assignments are supposed to span across the semester, what ends up happening is teachers concentrate all work in last few weeks. When three-term papers with 3000-word limit are assigned just a few days back, students have no other choice but to shamelessly indulge in plagiarism. Therefore, most people those who turn up the assignments do it for the sake of it. Many students also question the need for tests in the middle of the semester when they ultimately have to write final exams.

This time, first week of October was declared as the Internal Assessments week in many Delhi University colleges. It is impossible not to question the logic behind this system. Mugging up facts to spill out on empty sheets over a course of one week is as good as not appearing for tests in the first place, except the marks are an easy catch. Most students would rather opt the easy way out and complete the required assignment, pulling all-nighters, regardless of the knowledge gained in the process. According to Nivvedhitha Shankar, a second year student of Commerce from Jesus and Mary College, a prerogative of case studies for internals can help both the parties involved. Students can learn in the process, and teachers can devise new and innovative ways to ensure students score well. Putting equal impetus on assignments and case studies can go hand-in-hand, and can give students the outlet to apply theoretical concepts in real life.
Similarly, the 5 marks alloted for attendance mark a controversial grey-zone in the ambiguous clout. The intention was to recognise regularity and discipline in students, but it more or less fails at that. In many DU colleges, professors care little about attendance marks and mark very leniently. Some professors can be equally uptight regarding attendance matters. There can be a major difference in scores because of these 5 marks. A meritorious student who is keen on participating in competitions and attending conferences may feel helpless. Despite his/ her ability to finish the syllabus quickly, there is always an added pressure of losing marks on the pretext of attendance.

However much we praise or neglect internals, they are here to stay. Our best shot is to question regressive methods of teaching and hopefully not get penalised for the same.

Feature Image Credits: India Unimagined

 

Niharika Dabral
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Vijeata Balani
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Skills Every Graduate Should be Acquainted With

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There’s a lot more to learning than just endeavouring to excel within the realms of academics. Here’s a list of skills every graduate should possess, for the night is dark and full of terrors.

Be it a few weeks, months, or years, a wave of agreement splashes our hearts when we say college life is much more than just studying course books and attending lectures. It is a stage of learning and shaping oneself for the future. This stage needs to be propped with certain skills that can prove to be useful in the future. And for the same, here are a few skills that every graduate should seek to learn:

Public Speaking

This is one of those skills that should be seen as a prerequisite in today’s time. Being able to stand in front of a crowd and speak confidently is an absolute must. The need to do so can pop up from college events to business presentations in the future.

Microsoft Office

Knowing how to use Microsoft programs like MS Word and MS Excel is very important especially for commerce students. Having the knowledge of the tips and tricks will help one have good command resulting in increased efficiency. This might help one have an edge in the workplace.

Coding

The rise of computers and its emergence has made it necessary for students to have good knowledge in computers. And so, joining courses to learn some computer program is highly suggested. It might come in handy sometime.

Cooking

Going far home to study and work is a common occurrence nowadays. The one thing that worries us all is the quality of food we’ll have wherever we go. This makes it absolutely necessary a learn how to cook at least a few basic things so that we can satisfy our insatiable stomachs whenever we miss home-cooked food.

Analytical Skills

Many of us ignore the importance of having the skill of analysing situations and problems. Analysing is not confined to just making those college assignment submissions, they help us with our personal lives as well. The importance of engaging our brains with problem-solving events and case study presentations cannot be overstated.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are the benchmark set of generic professional skills one should possess and hone to reach the starting point of success. It includes decision-making, self-motivation, and teamwork amongst other qualities. Possessing these skills can help one adapt into any organisation quicker and perform better. Everyone wants be appreciated by all, and growing through the ranks and these skills can certainly trigger the process.
Feature Image Credits: 123RF

Karan Singhania
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Celebrate Diwali This Year By Visiting These 6 Great Diwali Melas!

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Diwali is that time of year when the entire campus lights up with frolic and festivity. And this time, the festivity is expected to be better and bigger than ever, with various colleges planning grand Diwali melas.

With seasonal festivities around the corner and the mid-semester break having just ended, it’s time to recuperate in a fun manner. Diwali melas serve this very purpose, reminding everyone that the festival is about more than just bursting crackers and spreading pollution. DU Beat interacted with the representatives of a few organising teams of various colleges to ask them what makes their Diwali mela different from the others’. Here are their responses:

Suruchi, Hindu College (12th October, 11 a.m. onwards)

It is innovative because the decoration on display is made entirely out of waste material, particularly using the pamphlets from Mecca, Hindu College’s annual fest, and Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. The mela provides an opportunity for the blind society to set up a stall, from which all proceeds go towards underprivileged students and individuals in nearby slums.

 

Diwali Mela, Hansraj College (11th October, 12 p.m. onwards)

Just like in previous years, this year too, all the proceeds from the Diwali mela campaign will go towards an educational trip for the students of Padhaku, the educational wing of NSS, Hansraj College. Many fun events and games have been planned out for the attendees, including a special surprise that would be revealed on the day itself.

 

Zistatva, Gargi College (11th October, 9:30 a.m. onwards)

Grand celebrations have been planned this year, including an inauguration ceremony with the chief guest, Somnath Bharti, and special performances that would be put on a showcase for the event, alongside fun pre-jitter events that were held on 10th October.

 

Sparsh, Jesus and Mary College (12th October, 10 a.m. onwards)

This annual fiesta, organised by NSS JMC, is expected to be bigger and better this year, as JMC has entered its golden jubilee year and celebrations for the same have begun in full swing. From fashionable items and scrumptious delicacies for everyone, many NGOs will also put up self-made products for sale.

 

Aashayein, Kirori Mal College (12th October, 11 a.m. onwards)

Organised by Sahyog, which aims to empower underprivileged children under NSS KMC, this event will be a fun affair. Many activities have been planned for the day, including treasure hunts, beg-borrow-steal, rangoli making, and golgappa eating competitions.

 

Noor, Lady Shri Ram College for Women (14th October, 9 a.m. onwards)

The theme for this year’s mela is ‘Dastagiri’, which means ‘helping’. Apart from NGOs putting up stalls, there will also be a special kids’ corner with activities and refreshments dedicated specifically to them. There will also be a cultural programme where children from various NGOs would be given a platform to engage with the audience through singing, acting, dancing, or anything else which they would like to showcase. However, men above the age of 14 are not allowed at this fair.

 
Feature Image Credits: NSS, Jesus and Mary College

Vijeata Balani

 

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Arts & Culture

Unmasking the Privileged Classes in Delhi University

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Known for the diversity of its student community, the University of Delhi ends up masking the dominance of the privileged in its spaces by not addressing the emptiness of the concept of merit.

Despite the perpetual complaints of corruption and inefficiency within public institutions and government offices, public higher education institutions continue to be icons of (relative) integrity in India. Government colleges regularly top the lists of best institutions in the country. Unlike private institutions for one, they seemingly are based on merit alone rather than unscrupulous “donations” and have a sense of legitimacy associated with them. The University of Delhi is no exception, with it painting a picture of being socially progressive with its apparently diverse crowds from all over the country.

However, a simple examination of the makeup of the student body shows a different side. While the geographical diversity holds up to an extent, it shows a dominance of those from urban areas. This is important for a seemingly inclusive institution, considering the fact that about 70% of the population lives in rural area, and is also indicative of the obvious dearth of facilities in rural areas. Socially, a look at the merit list shows the disproportionate lack of lower caste and minority religions. An article by Nidhin Shobana pointed to her similar observations of the alumni list of Miranda House and is worth a look.

Even without the statistics, encounters with the caste/class privilege are routine and invisible. If you had lived in a big city, chances are you probably have a few schoolmates in the University, too. Or, there must be other students in the University from your city, from the same circle of three or four top schools of that city. Or, maybe you’ve had instances where you’ve run into an old classmate/neighbour/family friend on the University campus, wondered “What a small world!”, and left it at that. If you ask those who do not belong to your social strata, however, it turns out that these chance meetings and coincidences have their frequencies going down as one’s social standing goes down.

Of course, this is not a sweeping generalisation. There is no total dominance. It does seem odd, though, that most people who seem to do well as per the narrow definitions of marks scored are of a numerically minuscule class, and will probably also dominate corporate and administrative fields when they leave these institutions. Even worse, there seems to be no conversation on this unfair dominance that hides diabolically in the name of “merit”.

A quick activity can illustrate the point that this article is trying to make – we urge our readers to ask within their respective classes, students who are Dalits and Bahujans, to raise their hands. The few hands will speak for itself.  Premier institutions of the country, like the ones within the University of Delhi, reek of the hegemony of the Brahmin-Savarna class. Merit isn’t the sole reason that lands them within the confines of such colleges, but the perpetual cycle of a fairy advantageous existence because of their social standing within the larger society. It is the ugly truth that we must confront. It is the norm that has dictated the corridors of such colleges for decades now. Nidhin Shobana’s article, speaks of the same.

So, the next time you hear someone in the university merrily quip, ‘what a small world’, pat them on their backs and ask them to think twice.

 

Feature Image Credits – Fuccha.in

 

Ankita Dhar Karmakar
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Rishika Singh
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Economics Department of JMC Organises Ecovantage

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The Economics Department of Jesus & Mary College successfully conducted their annual fest – ECOVANTAGE on the 25th September 2017.
The energy of the fest reached great heights as crowds from different colleges poured in, brimming with excitement and enthusiasm!
The fest kick-started with an inaugural lecture by Professor Indira Rajaraman, providing an insight into the critical economic challenges of India. This was followed by a plethora of fun events and exciting food stalls. The International Trade Game was a first of its kind and was a huge success. The Tri-quizzard Tournament, an economics quiz, was heralded as a favourite amongst the participants.
Other popular events included Brand Tambola and Campus Surfers which witnessed huge participation. The Paper Presentation event saw wonderful submissions, pushing the bar higher than last year.
They had an online event as well, Memeopoly, where participants sent in humorous memes related to Economics and current affairs.
All in all, they received an overwhelming response and saw another year of fun yet intellectual events!

 

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Audit Report On DU Irregularities

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An audit report was done by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), University of Delhi reveal irregularities regarding appointments, land acquisition, income tax etc. They assessed several financial and administrative irregularities in its audit report of DU. These irregularities were assessed earlier this year. A lot of questions were raised on the university’s alleged “adventurous expenditure”. The document was titled “Inspection report on the accounts of University of Delhi for the year 2014-16”. It was compiled by the Director General of Audit, Central Expenditure and highlighted various irregularities in appointments, land acquisitions, income tax etc.

For 2014-16 audit, CAG gave 11 inspection reports and 60 outstanding paragraphs which were struck down to eight inspection reports and 34 outstanding paragraphs after due process of explanation. Sources say, when the audit was closed, there were only 20 or so paragraphs left outstanding. These outstanding paragraphs, too, are being worked on by the university. Earlier, in transactional audits, at times, the university used to have around 200 outstanding paragraphs.

A law student along with an advocate, Mohit K. Gupta, had filed an RTI with the CAG in July this year. The audit includes 16 faculties and 77 colleges. The audit has questioned the treatment of the post of registrar on deputation basis and termed purchase of iMac computers for routine work in South Campus as “unauthorized expenditure” worth Rs 24.95 lakhs. The report also highlighted that the University press had been under-utilized and incurred losses from 2009-15. It showed that the press had not paid expenses amounting to Rs 1.30 crore and had idle equipments worth Rs 36 lakhs. The non-payment resulted in the outsourcing of the work causing losses amounting to Rs 1.40 crores to the Faculty of Law.

Not only this, the report also revealed that the university had incurred heavy losses due to the parallel running of feeder buses along with campus bus services without any feasibility analysis. A source in the Vice-Chancellor’s office said that the University was working on the outstanding paragraphs and would respond any further queries by the CAG.

Image Credits: CAG

 

Karan Singhania

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HR Symposia’17: Delhi School of Economics

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HR Symposia 2017, one of the most awaited events of MBA (HRD) Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics kick-started on 23rd September 2017. The theme for HR Symposia 2017 was  ‘Techcelerating HR: Forging Integration’.

The first day of the two-day extravaganza commenced with the inaugural lamp lighting ceremony by Dr. Urvashi Sharma, Course Coordinator, MBA (HRD) along with our esteemed guest speakers, Ms. Ira Singhal, who is an IAS officer and Mr. Alok Nigam who is the Group CHRO, Bhartiya Group. Ms. Ira Singhal started her keynote emphasizing upon the importance of HR’s role in any organization. She described how HR has the ability to create an impact in other people’s lives. “To succeed in HR, one should be a silent warrior.” she quoted. Mr. Alok Nigam took the stage and started with his address with the fact that one must have a lifelong yearning to learn new things, calling himself an eternal student. He further continued talking about the essentials an HR manager must keep in mind. “Practice doesn’t make a man perfect, it makes a man better” he quoted.

Soon after, we had on stage, Mr. Jaspreet Bakshi, Director & Regional Head, HR People Services India, Royal Bank of Scotland. Mr. Bakshi talked about how the technology is going to drive the businesses in future. He shed some light on the recent trends which have enabled the organizations to transform the traditional workspace setup. “Focus on value, not on raw data” he quoted. Shortly, Mr. Bakshi was joined by Mr. Arindam Chakraborty, VP-HR of Eicher Polaris, Mr. Kiriti Sen, Life, Career and Relationship Coach, Winged Bird, Ms. Rashmi Mansharmani, Corporate Head – HR, The Wave Group, Mr. Govind Negi, Director – Talent Engagement India, 3Pillar Global – India for the first panel discussion of the day which was on the topic, “HR in C-Suite: Assuring Seat at the Table”.

The panel started the discussion highlighting the fact that HR is no longer a support function and has become a growth enabler in business. They talked about how crucial it is for the HR managers to have an in-depth understanding of the business they are a part of so as to enhance their influence in the business. They also discussed various challenges the businesses are facing in the present day and how HR can help them provide fruitful solutions to them. The panel discussion concluded with an interactive Q&A session between the students and panelists.

After the panel discussion, we welcomed Mr. Paras Kaushik, VP-HR, Aditya Birla Group for the Speaker Session on the topic ‘Design Thinking in Tech HR’. Mr. Kaushik explained in detail about what Design Thinking is all about with real-life examples and experience sharing. He emphasized on how Design Thinking is more about the mindset than just the process. He also briefed upon the key elements of design thinking. In the end, there was an interactive session between Mr. Kaushik and students to get further insights on Design Thinking and its future implications. “Ownership of product leads to more responsible use and care of the product, increasing productive usage.” he quoted. After Mr. Kaushik, we welcomed Mr. Prasad Kulkarni, Head HR – Shared Services and C &B, Raymonds Ltd., Mr. Avadhesh Dixit, Head Global HR, Moody’s Analytics Knowledge Services and an MHROD Alumnus 1999 Batch, Mr. Gaurav Saini, HR Director – India & MENA Region, HMD Global (Nokia), Mr. Rajneesh Singh, Managing Partner, SimplyHR Solutions and Mr. Rupesh Tripathi, Head HR, IHS Markit for the second panel discussion of the day. The topic for discussion was ‘VUCA Times and Technology: Finding Solutions’.

The discussion began with the panelists discussing how technology should be seen as a facilitator to problem-solving instead of making things complex. To adapt to the fast-changing technology, there has to be a change in the mindset of people. Panelists were of the view that VUCA times need to be embraced rather than feared. Each speaker of the panel shared their own experience and guided the students in the interactive Q&A session which was an extremely enlightening experience for the students.

After a very interesting first day, the second day saw the excitement and enthusiasm of the participants soaring high!

The first session of the day was a panel discussion. In keeping with the theme of the event- “Techcelerating HR: Forging Integration”, the topic of discussion was “Optimizing HR: Augmented Workforce. The panel included Mr. Ashok Kumar Rai, Director Human Resources at Aricent, Mr. Biplob Banerjee, Executive VP – HR and CSR at Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd., Mr. Sanjeev Sharan, Director- HR- Globalization at ZTE Telecom Ltd and Mr. Manoj Sharma, Senior VP – HR at RG Group.

The discussion began on a very interesting note where the moderator, Mr. Banerjee introduced the panelists and opened the discussion by delving into what augmented workforce means. The discussion was taken forward by Mr. Douglas Peter who put forth the observation that in today’s changing industry, it is the HR manager who holds the power to actually implement policies and add value to the business in the bigger picture of things. The rest of the panelists spoke along the same lines, agreeing to the common fact that while the change is really fast-paced, the role of HR is all about adapting to that change.

The second session of the day was another highly intriguing panel discussion on the topic, “Digitalization and Disruptive Leadership”. The panelists included Mr. Mukesh Batra, Head HR at MothersonSumi Infotech & Designs Ltd., Mr. Anurag Srivastav, Co-founder of PayReview, Mr. Vikash Dubey, Head HR – Services BU at Persistent Systems, Mr. Ashutosh Sharma, Head HR at Paras Buildtech and Mr. Snehashish Bhattacharyya, VP-HR at VLCC Person Care Ltd. The panel gave some insightful views on the topic, with Mr. Batra moderating the session for the house.

The topic of discussion for the session is currently a highly relative one with more and more organizations moving towards Disruptive Leadership. This is impacting the role and functioning of the HR manager majorly as organizations today are becoming boundary-less, making them very susceptible to the technological changes happening in present times. The key takeaway from this session was that prospective HR professionals need to be ready to think of the unthinkable to survive this disruption and simultaneously work towards improving the experience of the end-user.

The panel discussion was followed by Mr. Vikash Dubey, Head HR – Services BU at Persistent Systems addressing the house. Taking a cue from the discussion that took place in the previous session, Mr. Dubey went on to explain more categorically how the role of an HR is evolving. He emphasized the importance of staying conceptually strong and tech-savvy at the same time for any HR manager today. Maintaining that human connect will always be the core responsibility of an HR manager is what he concluded his address with.

The final session of the day and the event saw an extremely interactive and exciting panel discussion on the topic- “Cognifying HR and Social media”. The panelists comprised Mr. Narendra Chandel, Head, Talent Acquisition, North India at Tata Consultancy Services, Mr. Rakesh Seth, Director of ICPI, Ms. Harpreet Datta, Sr. Vice President / Head – Human Resources at The Princeton Review, Mr. Deepak Bharara, CHRO at LANCO, Mr. A.K. Munjal, VP-HR at Maruti Suzuki and Ms. Amrita Singh, Senior Manager- HR at Godrej. The discussion was moderated by the high-spirited veteran speaker, Mr. Deepak Bharara.

The session started with each panelist presenting their take on the topic of discussion. They all agreed to the fact that data today is the new oil and social media has changed the way we are communicating in our personal as well as professional lives. HR roles have been transforming to accommodate all these changes, and while the use of technology has eased out things, it can in no way replace the HR manager.

Mr. Bharara made the session very interesting by giving the panelists a pop quiz. It was really interesting and informative to listen to the panelists answering his questions to the best of their abilities and experience.

Day 2 of HR Symposia ’17 ended with the Convenor of the organizing committee, Student Development Cell, Khushboo Mandal declaring the event officially closed. The participating students were definitely left richer by the experience and knowledge shared by the speakers of the event. HR Symposia ’17 concluded on a successful note, with the anticipation of something bigger happening in the coming year!

Image Credits: Department of Commerce, DSE

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Restrictive Hostel In-Timings in DU: What Do They Represent?

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In light of the recent Banaras Hindu University controversy comes to mind the question of moral policing and gender. Different in-times in college hostels for boys and girls show how the administration tries to morally police women. The fear of female autonomy and expression of sexuality is so deep; it makes colleges implement these sexist rules and guidelines in order to curb them.

Seemingly liberal colleges, where conversation around feminism and gender is never lulled, have restrictive hostel timings or a different in-time for boys and girls (not officially but in implementation). The in-time for Daulat Ram College’s hostel is 7:30 PM, for the Miranda House Hostel, is 8:30 PM, for the Rajiv Gandhi hostel for women, is 9:30 PM as is the Hindu College girls hostel. Timings for Men’s hostels are also somewhat similar but the difference is they are never really enforced. The Post-Graduate Men’s (PG Men’s) hostel for instance on its prospectus has an in-time of 10:40 PM but according to sources, the in-time is never followed. Srivedant Kar, a resident of PG Men’s hostel says that while the prospectus reads 10:30 PM, there really isn’t an applicable in-time there. He mentions that the PG Men’s hostel is “open 24*7”. A resident from Rajiv Gandhi Girls Hostel, who would like to stay anonymous, says “The in-time is 10:00 PM and it is strictly implemented”. Hindu College offers hostels to both boys and girls but here is how both are treated differently. According to Muhammad Daniyal Ubaidullah, a student of Hindu College “Boys’ in-time is hardly a reality, as in, it is not enforceable at all. Girls hostel is strictly around 10:30, I think”. Kirori Mal College (KMC) hostel’s in-time is 11:00 PM ( please note-three and a half hours later than DRC, two and a half hours later than Miranda). When I asked an acquaintance living there if the in-time was implemented his reply was “not really”.

Two people from a similar age group are allowed radically different levels of independence. So, if a girl gets back to the Daulat Ram College hostel at 8:00 PM instead of 7:30, she may have to go through disciplinary action, humiliation, and child-like admonishment but if he were a boy living in either the Hindu College boys hostel, KMC boys hostel or PG Men’s hostel, he would have the liberty to walk in as and when he pleased. This system which allows one eighteen-year-old boy to be out all night but expects another eighteen-year-old girl to inside the hostel premises by 7:30 PM sharp is shameful and sexist. It is these kinds of discriminatory laws that infantilise women. It reiterates that women are incapable of taking care of themselves and should be indoors before it gets dark.

The idea of a woman being out at 10:30 PM was apparently so threatening, so unsettling that administration nipped this problem in the bud itself. The radical difference between how boys and girls hostels are treated highlights a deeper problem. The underlying root of this form of strict discipline enforcement is moral policing. This moral policing stems from a) a fear of female independence and b) an attempt to control women and curb their decision-making power. If a university willingly chooses to limit the choices the women studying there can make, we have a problem at our hands.

Here is how these discriminatory timings play a greater role than they seem to have. Every time a girl needs to rush back to meet her 7:30 or 8:30 PM deadline while her male counterparts continue to be out, it reminds her of how societal perception of what girls should do and how they should behave has still not changed. This mould of a “good girl” that’s so aggressively marketed by college administrators, movie makers, and pop culture subconsciously affects us, one that is idolized, glorified, put on a pedestal if reinforced by these ridiculous timings. Those who choose to speak out and rebel are often problematically labelled as “feminazis” (casual usage of the word “Nazi” is insensitive).

Here is another dangerous idea which is behind these ridiculous in-timings, the idea that women will be “unsafe” at night and therefore need to be actively protected and locked indoors. It is this restrictive in-time that stops women from “reclaiming the streets” so to speak. If women won’t be allowed to step out at night, the idea that women are unsafe after dark will only strengthen. That part in Jab We Met where the ticket conductor compares a woman a lone woman to an open box of riches, ready to be ravaged, was not funny then and is not funny now; simply because it hits home. Because I know that isn’t some random dialogue in a random film that will not matter the second I step out of the theatre. That sentence defined and reflected the beliefs of our society at large. The fact that in a place like the University of Delhi, one of the most “woke” institutions in India allowed such outright discriminatory rules to stand and gave men a free pass while caging women shows how little is progress that we have made.

It is imperative that authorities recognise that this form of moral policing does a gross injustice to the young women whose idea of self they are meant to shape and positively influence. Universities across the country need to stop acting like the self-anointed guardians of women. When we don’t question the reasoning behind these chauvinistic rules, we give them legitimacy. Rules that reinforce age-old problematic norms about women, try to constrict their freedom and independence should be actively questioned and fought against.

Image Credits: The Hindu

Kinjal Pandey
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Why the University of Delhi Is Not As Inclusive As It Seems

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The University of Delhi, with its highly subsidized education and with a plethora of Gender Cells and Enabling Units may look like the ideal place to be but its education pattern and infrastructural facilities are structured in a way that largely benefits able bodied, upper-middle class, privately schooled, English speaking students.

The internet and its spawn twitter have made everyone with an internet access, a potential activist. And with this sense of activism on the internet I came to know about the concept of inclusivity- which is a concept that asks whether an institution, organization or work space is accessible, suitable and does justice to people from all ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds, and gender identities and does not condone ableism. In 2015, Brown University allocated $100 million dollars to make it more inclusive. This shows how globally renowned colleges are doing a reality check of their own hidden biases and it is time DU did the same. Inclusivity in a university space is important because first, invisible barriers in education means putting disadvantaged communities at a greater disadvantage by keeping them away from education and second, students who will learn in a non-inclusive, privilege rewarding environment will tomorrow propagate that kind of behaviour in their respective work spaces, simply because their idea of society in general would be warped and distant from reality, they were never sensitized about their hidden privilege while learning.

Here’s why DU is not all that inclusive and how this affects certain students and communities particularly-

1) Lack of hostels– as of now there are only 15 colleges that have hostels available for undergraduate students in DU. Eight of them are girls hostels, with one of them for foreign students, two boys hostels and only four colleges that have both girls and boys hostels. These hostels can accommodate on an average no more than one-fifty students. When a college student body consists of some four-thousand students, this number appears to be pitiably-low. Since DU attracts students from all over India and in large numbers, it falls upon the shoulders of these students to find appropriate accommodation for themselves. They resort to living in private hostels which cost some Rs. 12,000 on an average. Thus, studying in DU for those not from Delhi/those who don’t get a college hostel is expensive. Ergo, DU is, speaking in general terms, a feasible option only for those who can afford private accommodation. The accommodation issue is one which also makes us question the subsidized nature of DU’s education and make its status as a diverse and accessible university dubious.

2) Lack of uniformity in facilities available for differently abled students and academia– the biggest problem for differently abled students is that there are vast discrepancies in facilities offered to differently abled students. While a handful of top-ranking colleges have ramps, elevators, tactile paths and active enabling unit cells, the remaining don’t. These six or seven colleges act as tokens that make DU appear more democratic and inclusive but in most colleges, differently-abled students continue to suffer because of broken tactile paths, ramps with no railing, no elevators, broken recording machines and limited or no braille libraries.

3) Linguistic barriers- the medium of communication for most classes in DU is English. Majority of students, who hail from a Hindi-medium educational background, find this problematic. They rely on guide books and the help of friendly classmates to tide through lessons. And while professors try to be accommodating, if they held their classes in Hindi alone, students who don’t speak the language would be at a heavy disadvantage. Nanditha Harimohan of Daulat Ram College says” Since I do not speak Hindi, if all my classes were conducted in Hindi I would quickly lose interest and end up assuming things”. This linguistic barrier affects all those who are not fluent in either English or Hindi. Unless the university acknowledges this issue as a legitimate problem, an adequate solution to it will never come by and it will continue to be a conundrum that plagues students.

4) High cut-offs – While each one of us works exceptionally hard for our boards’ percentage, it is important to keep in mind that it is much easier for a student hailing from an urban private school to score 95% in their boards than it is for someone studying from a government school in a far-off village. And while both study diligently, one has an invisible privilege over the others. There is no shame in being privileged but it is essential to acknowledge it. While top universities across the globe take a subjective approach towards determining ones achievement and dedication, this system in our University, which reduces everyone’s individual struggles to a number, to a game where a 0.25 less means heartbreak and crushed dreams is strangely dehumanising. Scoring marks in boards is an objective, soulless process where wealthier students with their ten-year question papers, private tuitions, goals oriented not knowledge oriented studying and guidance on how to study and write answers; will always do better.

5) Good infrastructural facilities offered only in a handful of colleges – The idea of what DU is and what it stands for, for a lot of people across the country is limited to St. Stephens, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Shri Ram College of Commerce and Hindu College. Ceilings have fallen in Daulat Ram College, Hans Raj College and College of Vocational Studies (twice). While certain off-campus colleges or lesser known colleges are crumbling away, authorities remain unconcerned. Basic issues like lack of adequate number of washrooms or a shortage of classrooms is seen in many colleges but these issues remain un-highlighted because leaders and administrators only bother visiting the top six or seven colleges. Narendra Modi visited SRCC, Smriti Irani visited Hindu College but colleges where no major infrastructural improvements have taken place in decades are side-lined and few renowned people in the public eye seem interested in visiting those. A highly subsidized education cannot obviously offer the same kind of amenities that a privately funded education might, but in institutions where basic needs remain unfulfilled, it is impossible for any academic or cultural breakthroughs to take place. These colleges are not neglected for a lack of funds. Out of the Rs.300 crores that has been given to DU by the UGC from 2012 to 2017, only Rs.100 crores was spent and of the remaining amount Rs.105 crores lapsed. So while colleges continue to hike their fees or suffer due to a cash crunch, grant money remains unutilized. If the administration bothered to look at the almost pitiable state of certain colleges, this could have been avoided. This inherent sense of elitism where politicians, actors and famous personalities visit a handful of colleges and remain bothered with only them is discriminatory and not inclusive because it limits the resources the rest of the student body has access to.
A College of Vocational Studies student has the same right to sit in a classroom, where ceilings do not fall on their head as a St. Stephens student does. Elevators for wheelchair bound students are needed in every college, not just the five most renowned ones. Everyone deserves the opportunity to study in the University of Delhi, not just those who can choose to spend two-lakh rupees annually as PG rent due to lack of hostels. A student hailing from a small village in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and studying in a government school worked hard for her 85% in boards and deserves the same chance to study in DU as another 95% hailing from an ISC affiliated private school’s student. It is important that both the student body and administration work actively in order to make DU a make inclusive space. Our responsibility towards making the world more inclusive is not limited to sharing dramatic tumblr posts about lack of people in the Trump cabinet. While that is certainly important but our responsibility also extends to and includes our immediate surroundings, our colleges, our workspaces, our films and pop-culture and our environment.

Image Credits: Equal Opportunities Cell, University of Delhi website

Kinjal Pandey
[email protected]

 

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