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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.”

On 23rd of October, 2003 , a certain Mark Zuckerberg while trying to get over his ex girlfriend came up with Facemash, an internal website for students of Harvard University. 5 Years later, Zuckerberg’s creation revolutionized the way we all communicate with one another. Yes, we’re talking about Facebook. Initially only for students of various universities in the United States, Facebook is now used by people of all age groups and from all every corner of the globe.

If Harvard is proud of Zuckerberg, then DU too has a reason to be proud. Honey Arora, a technical expert has started www.networkdu.com , Delhi University’s first ever social networking website.

From connecting with old friends, watching videos or listening to music, to conducting polls and being part of groups and discussions, networkDU has it all. It is well and truly a website for students and by students. In her address to Higher Education India, Arora explains that besides providing entertainment and networking, the site also aims to help students with placements, internships and scholarships. NetworkDU also serves to provide campus related information such as locations of PG and Hostel Accommodation.

The site has witnessed a great start with more than 2000 people registering within 4 weeks. Out of those, 500 are DU Alumni.  The network is open to people outside of DU as well. Content like blogs, polls, videos and forums are freely accessible without having to become a member while listening to music or viewing the profiles of other members requires you to sign up first.

The site bears a slight resemblance to Facebook though its content sets it apart. A little more colour, vigour and energy would make the site more engaging and hence more popular. However it’s still a great initiative and we truly hope Arora can become the next Zuckerberg.

A young mind is full of questions, driven with a passion to change the world, and the Right to information Act or RTI is the perfect tool for them.

Right to Information Act, from its very inception, aimed at initiating change. You ask for ‘it’ and you get ‘it’. This is the basic premise of RTI. It ensures a smooth and immediate, ‘hassle free’ flow of information.

However in Delhi University atleast, the procedure for filing an RTI is far from hassle free. As veteran RTI activist and co-ordinator of the Youth Task Force RTI- Josh4India, Aditya Prasad comments, “At times, I feel RTI is losing its charm because the authorities are not serious in implementing it and the public is not too eager to use it. The way the Commission functions and Appellate Authorities act the fight seems endless. They are making it difficult for the common man to use his right.”

In 2007, Aditya Prasad, a student of Delhi University, challenged the transparency of the newly formed internal assessment system at DU.  He filed RTI applications to get details about the internal assessment procedures followed by various colleges and universities. Universities like Indraprastha and Jamia Milia provided him with satisfactory response.

However DU and its colleges refused to cooperate. “Some colleges had the audacity to say that they were not under the RTI act. DU’s approach is vague and they have not uploaded any manual as well. They call themselves a university but every college has its own rules and regulations for giving out information.” says Aditya.

All this added up to DU’s violation of section 4 under the RTI act.

Aditya says “Under one of the provisions of Section 4 all public authorities are supposed to maintain all their records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner that facilitates the Right to Information.”

After a year full of complications, in 2008, Central Information Commission (CIC) hauled up DU and its affiliated colleges for not implementing section 4 of the Right to Information Act (RTI).

A deadline of 14th November 2008 was assigned to DU to update all of its online manuals, publish copies for public reference and make sure that all the colleges do the same by November 14.

“Since then, till now, we have had no concrete change. In January2007, I wrote several applications for non compliance of the CIC orders but to no avail” says Aditya.

In his crusade for the RTI he has been threatened to the extent of failing him in his University examinations. But, that till now, hasn’t deterred him from taking these steps.

On June 7th of this year CIC along with Delhi University conducted a seminar for the Principals of various Delhi University colleges regarding the necessary implementation of the RTI act.

As we keep our fingers crossed, Aditya says, “Hope it works this time!”

Dean of students’ welfare : 27667092

Email: [email protected]


DTC head office: 01128855125 (Scindia House)

JAGORI Safe Delhi Campaign team: 26691219/ 20 ext – 30

Auto rickshaw complaint number : 23378888

Tiffin services at reasonable rates:
North Campus
Sri Sai Caterers,
KD-228 Pritampura
Tel. 9811138031, 011-65135345
Price: Rs. 60 per meal (Only vegetarian food served)

South Campus
Red Chillie Caterers,
15/2, Kalkaji
Tel. 9810733631
Price: Rs. 50 per meal (Vegetarian food)
Rs. 65 per meal (Non Vegetarian food)

NSS chairman (Prof. R.S.Mann): 27667474

Vice Chancellor         27667011, 27667190         27667049

Pro-Vice Chancellor         27667899, 27667758

Dean of Colleges :27667066,     27666642

Director, South Campus         27662865        24116876

Director, Campus Open Learning :     27667041, 27667799

Registrar:         27667853 ,       27666350

Controller of Exams:     27667934, 27666348

Toll free anti-ragging helpline number:1800-180-5522

Email is [email protected]

Are a great idea

Ragging- the term initially meaning an interaction between freshers and seniors has now come to be a much dreaded word for every student, and not without reason. Some individuals, owing to their seniority, remorselessly misuse their authority for shallow pleasure, often leading the victim to suffer physically and/ or mentally. Furthermore, the lenient laws against ragging initially made it very easy for the accused to slip out of the crime with a petty penalty or none at all, thus leading to a more insecure environment for the times to come for the fresher. This reason alone held back a majority of the victims from lodging harassment cases, thus going on to show how ineffective the laws against such an abhorrent crime were and resultantly the vulnerable position which the students were forced to occupy. The population most affected by ragging was that of the outstation students, who due to the absence of guardians and familial help had become easy prey to such incidents. These factors and more made it easy for such exploitation to remain rampant.

The predicaments of ragging didn’t just end there. Such adverse incidents carried out by a senseless few eventually led to the status of seniors being questioned by the juniors and the authorities alike, thus leading to lack of communication and resultantly a lack of cooperation between the three. This has since gone on to severe the relationship between the respective parties, and none seem satisfied. Amitav Roy, a third year student of Sri Venkateswara College says, “We never had a proper interaction with our juniors last year due to the misdoings by a few people highlighted by the media which caused all seniors to be stereotyped as reprobates. Hopefully this time this myth will be broken leading to a mutual, more mature interaction between the two groups. Though the affidavits are a highly unnecessary step, if it makes the freshers feel any more secure then so be it.”

The colleges have been provided a nine page notice defining ragging and stating the newly established rules against it along with the do’s and don’ts for the freshers. According to the Union Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibal, the stringent measures against ragging this while include rustication of the student, withholding of scholarship, derecognising the institution, debarring student from appearing in any test and stopping of grant to the institution.

While the authorities seem happy with their decision, the freshers too seem to share the same sentiments. States Anant Ghughe, a freshman from Hindu College, “The ‘If we suffered, they’ll suffer too’ psyche needs to come to an end. Compromising on one’s dignity for the sake of acceptance is unjustified.” Thus strict as the new anti ragging rules are, they will finally put an end to the psychology of ragging being passed down as a right by virtue of hierarchy.

Are a disaster

The only time our country reacts to a problem we may be facing is when the problem suddenly becomes large and threatening, at which point the authorities inevitably get carried away with the solutions. This was seen during the reservations issue, when instead of offering the underprivileged equal grounds for competition they simply gave them huge advantages without the groundwork needed to support these advantages. Similarly in the case of ragging, when the Supreme Court did take action was when suicide and murder finally brought this long existing problem into the media glare, at which point in order to save face they simply announced a blanket ban on ragging without attempting to understand the situation.

The problem you see is not with the fact that ragging has been criminalized, which is perfectly justified, but that the laws doing so are so terribly sloppy, poorly thought out and ridiculous. By the extraordinarily wide definition of ragging provided in the law, anything, virtually ANYTHING can be construed as ragging. If someone is blocking the passage and you ask them to make way for you to pass, you can be booked under ragging. If you ask a fresher their name you may be seen to be ragging. Even speaking to a fresher puts you in danger of being accused of ragging. It is no wonder than that most seniors are determined to avoid the freshers like a plague, which is hardly a healthy situation to exist between co-students.

What is even more irksome is that the laws, while more than adequately protecting the ones being ragged, are absolutely deficient in shielding the ones falsely accused of ragging. The law states that it is for the accused to prove themselves innocent rather that the complainant to prove them guilty. Moreover third party complaints also hold equal weight, meaning that if any random student, senior or fresher happens to complain that you were ragging another unnamed fresher, you would still be suspended. Such extremely one sided laws are so easy to misuse it would be a huge surprise if they weren’t.

Apart from the misuse that these laws will be put to, and the lack of protection against such misuse provided to seniors, these laws combined with the affidavits to be signed will only sour the relations between freshers and seniors, a situation that can be disastrous in a learning environment. Hence though extreme cases of ragging may be avoided, the lack of interaction between the students will certainly strain the university environment, leading to a whole new problem.

The whole crisis is a result of the lack of effort in creating the laws. Instead of understanding the problem of ragging and identifying exactly which aspects of it are dangerous and how to stamp them out, the authorities decided to put together such broad laws that any and every interaction could be penalized. Instead of balancing the power equation, what they did effectively was to simply shift the power from the seniors to the freshers. Only when cases of freshers bullying seniors or a large number of seniors being unfairly expelled comes into the lime light will the authorities realize their error, at which point they shall again try to save face by coming up with more hurried and ridiculous laws with their own set of evils.

This vicious chain can only end when the law making bodies become mature enough to look before they leap, but then again that may be a far fetched dream.

Delhi University has made life easy. All you need to do is study as final exams approach. It worked for the lazy lot, but the university seems to be heading towards a revision of plans, with talks of introducing the semester system post recommendations made by the UGC and NKC . This however has generated mixed reactions.

The Vice Chancellor in an online addressal to members of the university elaborated the rationale behind this system. Enlisting the numerous benefits, Professor Pental said that introduction of the system would inculcate better paced understanding of the subject and more focused classroom interaction. Two semester examinations would not only inculcate regular study habits among students but also eventually halve their workload, as they’d only have to prepare half of the syllabus that is presently prepared for the final examination.

Introducing this system also implies greater stress on interdisciplinary courses. While some professors and students feel it would be compartmentalizing knowledge and discouraging in depth study of any course, the upside is that undergraduate students would be imbibed with relevant knowledge outside the boundaries of their primary subject..

The supporters of this system also insist that by introducing the concept of credits, students can avail the use of short term study abroad programmes that would give them the opportunity to gain greater inter university exposure, both at the national and international level.

Introducing the semester system at an undergraduate level in Delhi University would automatically synchronise it with the prevailing system of examination at the post graduate level as well as that with the few courses already following it such as bbs and journalism.

This is not to say the system doesn’t have its detractors. At a dharna held outside the VC’s office this June, the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation had expressed concern over the excessive academic demands of the system , saying that it could take away from the students’ social and extra curricular activities.

Those against the implementation of the system also point out that it would be detrimental to the interests of teachers because the short period of a semester would hinder them from getting leave both for medical reasons and for research work. In such a situation a compromise either with the research work or the students’ syllabus would be inevitable. Conducting and evaluating two examinations a year would increase their workload immensely.

Many members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association feel that maybe the varsity is not logistically enabled for such a transition and needs to do a lot of research before implementing it. As a teacher from Hans Raj puts it, “In principle, I think it’s a great idea. It’s a worldwide system and it would make the course more rigorous. I just hope that in our university, with so many colleges included, the authorities find the right way to implement it”. What teachers are adamant on is that the results should be declared sooner and the class hours should not be reduced.

The AIDSO had earlier insinuated that the semester system was an inseparable part of those recommendations of the Knowledge Commission, which were conducive to globalisation and liberalisation policies as it made education a salable commodity while simultaneously adapting the system to suit the market economy. They feel that in the name of imparting quality education the character building aspect of the process would be destroyed merely making education a saleable product.

Students are keen on this change but confused about its implications. A student from Hindu college says “This would leave me with no time for ECA and I can’t promise so much regularity.” On the other hand, a student from SRCC approves of it saying ‘It would make our study pattern more flexible, making it parallel to other universities in and around India and allowing movement across universities.”

The students already in colleges with the semester system have something else to say. According to a student pursuing B.Tech (IT) from Kurukshetra University, “The system is good but there’s the pressure of exams coming up every 6 months after which new subjects are introduced. At the end of the day, you don’t feel satisfied with the amount of time you are able to give to each subject”. Another student from IP college feels that “it gives us two chances in a year to improve on our own marks and we don’t have to study as many units as other colleges in one go”.

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New to DU? Unsure of whether to believe the glossy prospectus which makes your campus out to be some mini-heaven, or your grumpy seniors who see it as hell on Earth? Let us guide you with our very own DU Report Card!

Infrastructure
A lot of colleges in DU could serve as the next location for some RGV horror flick with their crumbling walls and desolate air. Smells ranging from those of unwashed socks and hospital wards may be waiting to invade your noses as you step through most college gates. However, there are still a few institutions where you can pee without having to hold your breath and not have to screw your eyes shut to block unmentionable horrors. Some even have furniture which go beyond mere bits of wood held together by rusty nails. Overall, though, the state of DU infrastructure is pretty bad.
Rating:  2.5/5

Hang out zones
Now this is something we can totally brag about. Whether it’s shopping or hunger pangs or coochie-cooing or just plain time-pass, DU has a place for everything! Kamla Nagar offers options galore for shopaholics and foodies alike. From bhelpuri to chuski and Puma to Fabindia, you get all of it right here. Head to Sarojini if your wallet’s on the thinner side and skip over to paranthe vali gali if you’ve got food on your mind. Sadly though, movie-lovers are left with little choice with most of the cheap theatres like Chanakya closing shop and the ones still functioning charging rates so exorbitant, you’ll have to go hungry for a month to pay for the tickets.
Rating: 4.5/5

Fashion
When it comes to fashion, there are no rules in DU. You can wear anything you want and get away with it. From carefully made up Barbie dolls in their stilettos and tight clothes to the tousle-haired PG kids in their pajamas, walking straight from the bed to the classroom, DU gates are open to one and all. With so much variety and colour, our creativity can put any designer to shame! However as always, once in a while you are bound to come across a walking, talking fashion disaster who’ll make you want to cringe or wish you had little marbles instead of eyes so you’d be spared the torture.
Rating: 4/5

Atmosphere
“Chilled out” describes the DU atmosphere best. Yes, we know how clichéd the term is and it is exactly what reporters and journalists have been harping on since forever, but for once they seemed to have hit the nail on its head. DU is where pretensions vanish, where you are just you and no one else. Unlike school, where you had teachers and parents pushing you around and directing your every little step, you’re truly set free in DU.
Rating: 5/5

Results Declared, students still in the dark.

Delhi University has declared the results of the annual examinations, 2009 for most courses. The announcement of results commenced in the last week of June. However, several students studying in North Campus colleges have complained of the inaccessibility of the same due to the irregular maintenance of the official DU website, www.du.ac.in.

South campus colleges have not faced this problem as their results are not displayed on the official DU website. All the required information is available to them on www.south.du.ac.in, a website dedicated to south campus colleges of DU, which is regularly updated.

Says Dikshant Bagh, a student of Electronics in Hansraj College, “I found out about the declaration of results from the south campus website. The official website did not display the results until two days after the declaration. This distressed me greatly as I saw the number of failures on the south du website and had to wait two days to find out my own result”. The situation was worse for philosophy (Honours), the results of which were displayed a full six days after their declaration. Many anxious students were forced to rush to their respective colleges to find out their result, defeating the whole purpose of the website. The problem was compounded for out-station students, who spent many nail-biting moments on the phone trying to find out their result. The website in question seems to have a track record for failing at crucial moments.

Says, Resham Manaktala of Lady Shri Ram College, “The website is not user friendly. It kept hanging when the date sheet came out. It also does not provide specific information for many Post Graduate programmes offered in DU.”

Courses whose results are declared include philosophy honours, geography honours, chemistry hons , bbs , journalism ,psychology and applied psychology hons, and maths honours. Most results are expected to be out by  July 21.

( The writer can be contacted at [email protected])

Did you know the reality behind these DU misconceptions?

1. Fashion: Dressing sense, no bars. Wardrobe revamping for the new session? Hear, hear. Before fashionastas jump to conclusions and come up with the next session campus couture, let us make it clear for all. DU does not believe in following so and so trend predicted by so and so designers. With all due respect to national dailies, Delhi University refuses to abide by their “must-haves” and “campus fundas”, and remains the quintessential free spirited campus, where fashion is (not)concerned! Yeah, college is all about wearing what you like, whichever way you like.

2. Love-shove, et al.: Ah, Bollywood fillums, you know. I could never fathom this one, why did they (read directors, producers) always think college was this place for puppy love, candlyfloss and bubblegum chewing yuppies? I mean yes, we love love and all the other things associated, but then, there is a lot more to us than boy-meets-girl stories, for Christ’s sake.

3. Academics and DU: Do not, ever, fall into the dark with this one. You will pay, and heavily too. College is fun, frolic and fantastic, but not all the time. We study. Whoever said college is all play and no work? No, it was not always about bunking classes, like our dear celebrities so happily announce!

4. Nonsense abbreviations: K’nags (Kamla Nagar) and BTMs (read behenji-turned-mods) is understandable, but GJs? Seriously now, when did Gulab Jamuns become shortened to that? And, “fucchas”. For my life, I never heard any sadistic senior address any hapless fresher with this word.

5. Rivalry, eh? : Okay, we may have grudges against so and so college; however, it definitely isn’t as pronounced as the world around us projects it to be. Some of the best friendships are forged across the common wall, and some of the best activity/society partners are made yonder.

6. Girls’ Colleges: Guys on motorbikes circling girls-only colleges, did you actually ever see that happen? No. We are not talking about the shady Delhi-ite here, but still, this is one sight I am yet to come across in campus. Nah, college was not that romantic ever.

7. “Happening crowd”: Agreed, college is cool and hip and all that, but honestly, it’s overrated. University is a mixed bunch almost always, so we do have a fair share of wannabe Rakhi Sawants and Rannvijays. Isn’t that what going to college is all about? Meeting your (in)famous celebrities right there!

– Aditi Sharma

On February 4, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati asked the Prime Minister to put a ban on the text recommended for the Delhi University History students, which allegedly contains objectionable references to the characters in Ramayana. Mayawati made a written complaint to the Prime Minister, after Akhil Bhartiya Vidhayarthi Parishad (ABVP), and BJP students wing protested in Delhi and Lucknow, alleging the text was a part of a book compiled by Prime Minister’s daughter Upinder Singh.

According to Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, ABVP, Indraprastha VHP, Bajrang Dal and other socio-religious organizations this is degrading to our Hindu culture. A number of groups have organised protests and have raised objections to the inclusion of an essay by (late) A. K. Ramanujan, titled “Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation�. The said essay is one of the readings for the Delhi University concurrent course on Ancient Indian Culture in the B. A. (Honours) programme, which has been offered in several Colleges from July 2006 onwards.

In the essay, Ramanujan illustrates and analyses the great dynamism and variety in what he describes as ‘tellings’ of the story of Rama within India and across the world. It has, however, some references to Hanuman which the ABVP says are offensive. “This is a deliberate attempt to hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. If the article is taught, students will be expected to reproduce it in exams as well. In our education system, unless you write what is taught in class, you do not get marks. Hindu students will be forced to write something they do not believe in,� said Niharika Sharma, the ABVP’s Delhi General Secretary. A memorandum has been sent to Deepak Pental asking for the deletion of that text from the course.

The Prime Minister’s Office, however, said there had been a misunderstanding as Upinder Singh’s name had been found in one copy of the text. “I have absolutely nothing to do with this text. The contentious article is not written by me. Nor is there any book of mine, which contains the article. I fail to understand why I am being linked to the text,� Upinder Singh said.

Some students are of the opinion that the entire issue is baseless and aims to promote party politics. “India is a country of diverse cultures. These epics were in fact oral and were later converted into written forms as per the various cultures. And so (that explains) the differences.� said Shreya, a History student from Stephens.

“One cannot teach by imposing. One cannot questions different faiths and other versions. The crux is the same�, said Arushi, Vice President, Gargi College. History Department teachers in LSR, too, spoke on the same lines, saying that they defend the issue and “The article should certainly be included in the curriculum The aim of the course in question is to teach University students to be able to analyze a variety of source material academically, analytically. One should not get sentimental on issues like these�

As the famous saying goes…“History is past politics� and Politics is “present history�. It is after all a game of select few who decide the paradigm of the events that happen in a certain country. India is a free country where it is our democratic right to express freely. Whether this debate will uphold that freedom and integrity is still a question mark.