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Chess Menace : No Relief In ECA Admissions

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In a decision ruling by High court, Delhi University was advised to lay down fresh physical standard criteria for students who take admission under the sports quota for indoor games like chess.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said:”No doubt it is the physical fitness which leads to mental fitness. However, it should be examined as to whether for a person playing games like chess the level of physical fitness mentioned in the rules is appropriate,”

The university was directed to reformulate physical standards for games like chess which it could implement from the next academic year.

The judges were of the opinion that the existing physical standard criteria was apt and justified for outdoor games and also indoor games like badminton and table tennis, in which physical activity was involved, but different standards of physical fitness may be required for games like chess and carrom.

Petitioner Chetna Karnani, a chess player who secured 72.5 percent in her Class 12 exams, had sought admission under the sports quota. She applied for B.A. (English) course in four colleges of the university under the sports quota for chess players. She failed in the fitness test.

The court declined to grant any relief to Karnani saying that “unless the Delhi University prescribes fresh standards for games like chess, we cannot grant any relief to her”.”Laying down all these standards is not the function of the courts, therefore, this court can only direct the University of Delhi to consider the matter in the light of our observation and after in-depth deliberations come out with the physical standards which are required for these games.

 

Sakshi Gupta
[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

DU in Desperate Need of Revaluation

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Exam results are generally not what most students look forward to. So when Delhi University decides to go ahead and make the experience even more harrowing, you can’t really blame them for being disgruntled.

Most of them would agree without question that the revaluation system is a major pain. Under the system, if there’s a difference of 5% between the original and the revaluated marks, no change would be made. In case the difference in between 5-10%, average of the two marks would be awarded. And if it is more than 10%, the paper would be reexamined and the average of the two highest marks amongst them would be awarded.

Something that appears to be troubling most students is the methodology of awarding marks within this system itself. The question that’s on their minds, put simply, would read something like this- why am I being awarded averaged marks instead of what I actually secured? “Why am I being penalized for the examiner’s mistake and why am I being charged for it? This is rubbish”, says Rudrakshica, a 3rd year economics student.

The whole system, however, now seems like a money making gimmick. Not only has the revaluation fee sky rocketed from Rs. 250 per paper a few  years ago to Rs. 1000 per paper in the present day, it also seems as if the papers have been deliberately marked less to possibly increase revenue from this source. Take for instance, the curious case of notoriously low marks in one of the Economics 2nd year papers- Indian Economic Development (IED). It is true that students were given grace marks in Microeconomics on account of the horrifying paper but that in no way justifies the enormous scaling down that has happened in IED. This has led to most of the students applying for revaluation in this paper. Taking into account the number of students currently pursuing this course in DU, the revenue that they would have generated from this is something that boggles the mind.

There is no questioning the fact that such a steep increase in revaluation fee is to deter those who give in their papers just for the sake of it. However, what they seem to forgetting is the fact that those who are genuinely facing a problem are also students and Rs. 1000 per paper might not be something that they could afford. Time to become a little more student friendly, DU?

 

Surya Rajappan
[email protected] 

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Interviews

A Tête-à-Tête with the Chess Champs of DU

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“All I want to do ever, is to play chess.” Bobby Fischer said it, and these kids seem to happily reiterate it. (For the uninitiated, Bobby Fischer was a former World Chess Champion).

These wunderkinds started playing the game at the incredulous age of seven and eight, an age when all that we could strain our brain cells for would have probably been the discovery of a new hideout for hide-and-seek or an attempt to tie the shoe-laces!

Shreyansh Daklia, a student of SRCC, in his third year of B.Com (Hons), can easily pass by as the most unassuming lad on campus, but just get that checkerboard out and he’ll amaze you with some of those lethal moves he keeps, neatly tucked under his belt. Shreyansh holds an international rating of 2216 (in chess, the higher it gets, the better it is ), and has 3 International Master norms to his credit, a title given to chess players. Also, he has received prestigious awards and scholarships like the Shaheed Koushal Award from Chhattisgarh Govt. in 2010, and scholarships from the Airport Authority of India.

Here I am in a conversation with him:

Q. When and how did you start?

A. I started when I was 7. My dad happened to visit a stadium the other day, and he saw small kids getting prizes, came home and told us, “Tum logon ko bhi aise hi prize jeetna hai.” We went on to attend a summer coaching, then participated in the district tournament (under 7). Once I became a State Under-7 Champion, there was no looking back.

 

Q. Has chess helped you evolve your mental faculties in any way?

A. It surely has, to a great extent. Chess has helped in improving my concentration, patience and logical reasoning.

 

Q. Who do you think are better at chess, boys or girls?

A. Statistically, boys are better, personally also, I think they are better. After all, fighting is in their genes. (laughs)

 

Q. What are your future plans for chess?

A. I’m confused between preparing for MBA, looking for placements. I’ll think I’ll complete my MBA, and then continue with Chess.

 

He’s not making these moves alone. We also have Kanika Saxena, another student of SRCC, in her second year of Economic (Hons). You’ll find her wheeling around the campus with the most endearing smile etched on her face but engage her in a game, and she’ll bare the most devilish grin as she knocks down your pawns and rooks. Kanika has an international rating of 1600, has participated in the Asian and Commowealth Games for chess and is the founder of the girls’ chess team in college.

This is what she had to say:

Q. How did you start with chess?

A. When I was in class 2, I used to watch my grandfather play. That s how I got intrigued by the game, pursued it at school level and started training under one of Delhi’s best chess coaches, V.S Negi.

 

Q. What role has chess played in your life?

A. It has certainly made me more cautious about things, makes you a bit calculative. I had to discontinue playing after class 10, due to studies and personal reasons, but Chess still holds a dear place in my life, and I hope I’m able to come back to it once I’m settled.

 

Vatsala Gaur
[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

Ban on Student Rallies after Harassment Incident

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It’s election time again and all Delhi University political parties are coming out of hibernation. They really wanted to make a mark and what a way they chose.

On 31st August, a girl from Indraprastha College for Women was molested in North Campus. The incident happened in the afternoon on the road opposite Daulat Ram College when a DUSU rally passed by. The girl was in a rickshaw when she got caught in the middle of the procession, was pulled down the rickshaw and harassed by several men.

While this incident happened, several policemen were on duty and did absolutely nothing to help her. One of her close friends described this behavior of the police as preposterous and inhuman. When the university authorities were contacted the first question asked was whether the girl was wearing decent clothes or not. “I was shocked to hear them ask me this question and felt like strangling them through the phone” said another of her classmates.

On 1st September, the college union and several of her close friends along with the victim went to the Commonwealth Sports Complex in North Campus to talk to the Vice Chancellor. The VC had already heard of the event as it went viral on the social network and denied entry to each and every student of IP College. Special orders were given to the guard to not allow the students inside. The students waited outside for half an hour. Finally when the principal Ms. Babli Saraf intervened, the students were allowed inside and given a chance to speak their demands. The students wanted action to be taken on the behavior of the policemen and wanted all such rallies banned. The VC promised to look into the matter and insured that some action would be taken.

Later on the same day, the proctor issued an order banning all rallies and demonstrations in North Campus. Also, not more than four people will be allowed to canvas the area at a time. This probably must be the fastest that DU authorities have responded after filing of a complaint. One of the contesting parties ABVP however, was quoted saying that it will “go ahead with a rally in North Campus in favour of women’s safety despite the ban.”

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Arts & Culture

FYI, it’s Maggi- The Newest Maggi Point on Campus

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Isn’t Maggi just the ideal snack to gorge on? It’s “finger licking good”, easily available and doesn’t stab too hard on your pocket. For your information, it’s Maggi or simply FYI as it is commonly known as among students, is the latest addition to the scores of popular Maggi points situated in North Campus, Delhi University.

To reach there, take the stairs going to down to a basement, in the lane right opposite the Mc Donald’s take away counter. As you open the door, you find yourself in a lively room with walls painted bright yellow and red, and low height tables kept with moodhas and dices. All this accompanied with the quirky but fun menu options (Read: WTF, BRB, LOL Maggi) make it an instant hit with students.

“I love this place. It is ideal for a North campus student as it is close to colleges, provides delicious food at affordable prices and the over-all ambience is great and makes one feel at home.”, says Saheba, a student of Daulat Ram College.

A very interesting feature of this restaurant is the varying versions of Maggi available. You can have your Maggi cooked in red chillies and schezwan or in chowmein style. Maggi kebabs and momos are also a hit among customers. But which is the most popular one?  “I get maximum orders for BTW Maggi that is cooked in cheese and rich, creamy butter.” says a worker of FYI.

“I live in a PG accommodation in Kamla Nagar. So FYI for me is the perfect food joint. Very often I come here with my PG roommates in the night to have food. It’s a good alternative to the boring food at my room.” she adds with a laugh.

Apart from Maggi, FYI also offers cold drinks, juices, ice tea and coffee.

The writer suggests– Increasing the quantity of food in one serving.

 

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Campus Central

DUTA Strikes Delhi University

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File photo

Today on Tuesday, 28 August 2012 the permanent teachers of DU went on a strike protesting against the “non-cooperative attitude of the Vice Chancellor and the Delhi University administration”. DUTA (Delhi University Teachers Association) declared that the strike, which also included hunger strike, will be on even after the letter of the registrar arrived stating the Dean and the principal of colleges must ensure the teachers are taking regular lectures. The letter also stated that all the leaves on Tuesday shall stand cancelled.

“We are not supposed to come and teach today, but the university administration is acting in the most arbitrary manner. Their “no work, no pay” order is stifling our right to strike and protest”, says a DUTA member. “Yes we will give lectures but support DUTA side by side, all our demands are fair and justified” adds another.  DUTA demands “filling up of 4000 teaching posts and the other vacant non-teaching posts as was promised by the vice chancellor, implementation of UGC guidelines of 2006 regarding reservation, expeditious process of promotion and withdrawal of negative service conditions”.

The DUTA also alleges that the VC is making a continuous attack on their right to protest and is not meeting the DUTA and the DUCKU, the Delhi University and College Karamchari Union. While in colleges like SRCC, Daulat Ram and Hindu students had their usual lectures, in Hansraj classes were suspended. “If teachers go on a hunger strike they will be going against the orders of high court. It will affect their service record”, says Alka Sharma, the registrar, DU. The DUTA however is not intimidated. “This high handed attitude of administration has to be done away with, we will not give up” concludes a DUTA member. However, the no work no pay strategy of DU authorities proved successful in bringing the teaching staff to college thus reducing the strength of the protest.

 

Aishwarya Chaurasia
[email protected] 

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Juxtapose

Are Reservations in College Justified?

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Graphic Credits :- Sahil Jain

Every passing year, securing admission in good colleges is getting tougher and tougher. Not for everyone though. If you happen to belong to any of the numerous communities deemed to be underprivileged (SC, OBC etc), all the skill that you’ll require is that of correctly filing a form.

The reservation system has received fervent criticism from all corners but can a country which has historically discriminated against certain minority groups afford not to provide them with opportunities for bettering their status? Or is it that reservations are the wrong way to go about uplifting minorities.

This week, Juxtapose sets the jury out on whether the reservation system is good for the country as a whole. So what are you waiting for? Scroll down and voice your opinions.

Juxtapose: Are reservations in colleges justified?
Show of Hands:
Justified: 2
Not Justified: 8
The Arguments:

1. Thangchungnung Mangte, Not Justified
I do have a great respect for the founding fathers of our constitution and their empathy towards the underprivileged sections of our society who were discriminated and exploited for hundreds of years. However, if we want to help those people to be able to grow and improve their condition, the very basis of granting reservation should be on the basis of a person’s economic condition. Giving reservation to a caste, tribe etc. will only help those, who are already doing well. A poor dalit or a tribal hardly gets to use the benefit of reservation granted to his/her tribe or caste and instead it is used more by the sons & daughters of, let’s say for example, an IAS officer.

2. Vikas Jaipuria, Not Justified
The ideal situation should have been: Merit alone triumphs! Having sat on a hunger strike when I was in class 8 in AIIMS when this debate broke out in 2006, I have seen the agitation from close quarters. This is a paralytic policy decision, which is far from the principles of equality espoused by our constitution. Sure the weaker sections and minority should be uplifted, but providing reservation in higher education is not the correct means. The government should have created better infrastructure in primary/higher secondary schools in small towns/backward areas. It should have extended the benefit of its social schemes by bringing more OBC’s/SC’S/ST’s under its net. The true effects of this paralytic decision is more evident in DU – OBC’s/SC’s/ST’s from well of families are sitting in top colleges with less than qualifying marks, while hard working students of General category who slogged their ass in class XII are precluded admission (even if they fall short of cutoff by a small whisker!). And we all know in a country like ours where bribing public officials is a cakewalk, no wonder you can get yourself made a fake SC/ST/OBC certificate.

3. Ankita Mukhopadhyay (LSR), Justified
When Dr. B.R Ambedkar formulated the Constitution, little did he foresee the uproar that his policy of reservation for minorities would create once education and literacy became a prime concern for most households in India. I think reservation for minorities is justified, provided there is an income bracket to justify their need for reservation. Reservation has come into the limelight today because of the UPA government’s policy to give preference to the minorities in order to garner more votes. The issue of reservation shouldn’t be a politically contentious issue; it should be more of a moral issue.
People belonging to the Scheduled castes and tribes are still discriminated against today in the villages, and even if a person belonging to the SC/ST or OBC category manages to break the mould and succeed in the corporate segment or any other sector, he/she is always looked down upon by the general candidates as an academically weaker peer. I agree that there are many general category candidates out there who lose out on a seat because of reservation, and economically backward general candidates face a bleak future due to no government support for them, but we should also look into the historical origins of this caste problem. The government should change its policy, and instead of demarcating lower cut offs or marks for SC/ST and OBC candidates, they should evaluate them on an equal level, barring only the fact that they have a quota for themselves. One should look for a solution to the problem, not ponder over it needlessly. We should learn from our forefathers and not continue repeating the mistakes that they committed hundreds of years back.

4. Riddhi Dayal (Sri Venkatswara College), Justified
I think reservation was a justifiable means to be used in the scenario of the caste-system in India, and many people have actually benefited from the same. Therefore, to completely write-off reservation is unjustified. Many students had a problem with the fact that General Category seats would be reduced in number due to reservation, however, that was taken care of by the court order that stated that the total number of seats would be increased to incorporate reserved seats while keeping General category seats constant. Thus, I don’t think its really a big deal.
However, I’d like to clarify that I don’t believe reservation should be continued indefinitely. As with all policies, it should be in practice till one reaches the stage of emancipation of the downtrodden and then be discontinued.
The Verdict: Reservations are neither justified nor beneficial.

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News

Tibetan DU Students arrested for protesting outside Chinese Embassy

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48 Tibetan students of Delhi University were arrested and sent in custody to Tihar Jail for protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy in Chanakya Puri . The protest was aimed at condemning the human rights violation and Chinese crackdown on Tibetans and culture and religious repression in Tibet.

The 48 students including 19 boys and 29 girls gathered to protest at around 11am on 16th February. The protest lasted for 20 minutes. During the protest, the police carried out a lathi charge, because of which many students got beaten up and one girl was injured and had to be hospitalized. They were all arrested and sent to the Chanakya Puri Police station and around 7pm, they were sent to Tihar Jail. They were released only on the evening of 18th February.

There have been 25 self-immolations since 2009 in Tibet, and most of them wereteenagers. They torched their bodies for the freedom of the Tibetan people and the independence of Tibet (as some of the self-immolators expressly stated). “Even the call by most of the self-immolators for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet must be interpreted as a call for the restoration of an independent Tibet, as the Dalai Lama”, says a Tibetan student in the University.

“The recent self-immolations are a sign of the frustration and outburst of resentment that the Tibetans have suppressed in their heart for more than 50 long years against Chinese communist regime. And the DU students who protested in front of the Chinese embassy wanted to bring forth the message that enough is enough and that the Communist government should stop their inhumane actions which compels the innocent Tibetans back in Tibet to take such drastic steps. It’s a grave time in Tibet and the whole world needs to be awared of the current situation in Tibet. Right now Tibetan parts of China have been put under even tighter security than normal ahead of the Tibetan new year, which falls on February 22nd. Free Tibet”, says Rinzin Choedon, a DU student and coordinator of Delhi Chapter of the Students for a free Tibet.

Students for a Free Tibet, Delhi is a Delhi based network of students working in solidarity with the Tibetans in their struggle for freedom.

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Campus Central

DU does a CBSE, three Economics students score 99%

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Just when you thought The Great Indian Education System couldn’t spring any more surprises, out comes DU’s first semester results. If 100% cut-offs for admissions raised eyebrows, these results are a whole new bolt from the blue. While the highest for English (Honours) was a never-heard-of-before 78%, three Economics (Honours) students top scored with a staggering 99 per cent.

Is this the dawn of a whole new era of the super-geeks in DU, or a people-pleasing attempt by the University board to show how well the semester system does for its students?

Ms Nandini, an Economics teacher from Miranda House certainly believes it is the latter, “It’s [99 per cent in Eco] absolutely shocking! These were not multiple choice type papers. The marks don’t show what actually went on in the classrooms, the kind of pressures on us. Teachers had specific instructions not to fail anyone. Internal assessment records had to be submitted before the terms ended! All this is just an attempt by the University to prove the efficacy of the semester system to everyone. The students are happy, but the University is only belittling the [Honours] degree! Oxford, other foreign schools won’t recognize us anymore!”

Mr. Krishan Kumar, another Economics teacher from Sri Venkateswara College, seemed less appalled, “This semester had the scoring papers – Maths, Statistics and Principles of Economics. The explanatory technical papers only begin the third semester onwards. Besides, though the highest score may be this much, number of first divisions in Maths is quite low.”

As for the students, several echo similar viewpoints. However, the overall mood of the community is one of gross disbelief.

Professors from colleges including SRCC, Miranda House and St Stephens are now even considering filing RTI applications to review the answer sheets of students who obtained the highest scores. Click here for the full story

Click here  for exclusive interviews of the Economics Honours toppers

Here are some of the student responses as expressed on Facebook…

Yes DU, we get it! The semester system is ‘perfect’! You don’t have to go CBSE to prove it

99% Ok…this aint the cut off for Srcc…but first sem’s highest score in eco(hons)…

DU GIVING CBSE TOPPERS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY….!!!

?99 highest in eco. 80 and 90 percent distributed like langar

Dear DU,
I hope you’re also planning on being Santa in June.
Sincerely, 3rd year student who just got a half-hour lecture from her parents.

Ankita Dhanda
[email protected]  

 

 

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Uncategorized

A Clean Sweep!

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a clean sweep1

The World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (WCARP) in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) held a massive Cleaning Campaign in and around heritage sites in New Delhi to commemorate the International Day of Climate Action on 24th October. In association with 350 and Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN), this drive targeted areas of Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Tughlaqabad Fort. More than 650 students from colleges of DU, JNU and Jamia Milia Islamia pitched in to clean the areas surrounding these heritage sites.

Says Sandeep Kumar, President of WCARP, “This cleanliness drive was a huge success. We had never imagined that so many students would be interested. In fact, a group of students asked me to conduct such a drive for bus stops and railway platforms as well. I could see a spark in the youth of this country to outdo the authorities and make Delhi a cleaner place to live in. Some students were extremely enthusiastic and wanted to take on the responsibility of keeping these monuments clean.”

The students were provided with broomsticks, gloves, chemicals and brushes to effectively do their job for the day and were also given free T-shirts and refreshments. Most students found it to be a highly enjoyable experience. Medha, a student volunteer says, “It was a memorable and satisfying day. We could actually be a part of the change in this country. Moreover it was an enlightening experience for me as well. Though I’m a Delhiite, I didn’t know there are as many as 174 monuments in my city.”

a clean sweep2

The key message of this drive was to “avoid plastic” and change the mindset of the people. The positive response to the initiative has led to plans for a second such attempt. “Upon request by the students, another drive is being organized on the 19th of November, 2009 at Purana Quila.”, says Sandeep. “So everyone who believes in the cause and missed out on this drive has another opportunity to pro-actively help change their world, be it in a small way.”

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