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Arts & Culture

Bazinga: DU to Create Inter-College Societies

By Shivani Dadhwal November 7, 2019

University of Delhi (DU) has introduced an inter-college society system, in an attempt to tackle the divisions within the Varsity.

DU’s Extra Circular Activities (ECA) and Sports Committees have launched the Delhi University Collegiate Culture Circuit (DUCCC) with newly formed inter-college societies. This initiative was collectively taken in the Executive Council (EC) meeting held on Saturday, 26th October. The two day long EC meeting witnessed long formulated debates on both sides of the matter. A certain level of hierarchy along with team esteem exists in all the societies of DU, and the scheme may not play out well there.

Many college students have expressed their disagreement with the decision, as they believe it will create segregation instead of belonging. Amaal Kumar, President of Natuve, dramatics society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, said, “We spend each day of our college life with our society. Now with that gone, it takes away our convenience as well as bonding. It should also be noted that when you’re in the same college, you face similar issues, and are around people with same teachers who understand your society needs. Now all of that will be gone.”

However, the decision has been taken to do away with the college elitism that exists in DU. Ramesh Ray, the ECA Committee Chairperson, said, “This will do away with the resentment among students that has been created out of years of competition, and bring feeling of community as a whole among students.” The DUCCC has been set up to look after the many changes this decision will bring. Allotting areas for practice and scheduling the practice time of inter-college societies will be taken up by this newly formed committee, along with the matters of society elections, and dealing with administrative work.
The official announcement has been made on the DU website and thereby, the scheme will be initiated after the upcoming fest season of January to March, 2020. The campus has received this news with contrasting opinions; many feel a loss of identity to be not known by their college society names. Some others feel this will give an opportunity to meet students from all walks of life.

Karan Thapar, member, Vurbum, the western Dance Society of Motilal Nehru College, said, “This
is a great step. The barriers of college, location, and seclusion will be broken with this. It will be great to see a Hindu College society member with a member from Ram Lal Anand College to perform, united by their art.”
Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted.

Featured Image Credits: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba
[email protected]

DU Admissions 2019: ECA Schedule and Guidelines Out

By Kartik Chauhan July 16, 2019

After the declaration of results, several rounds of admissions to follow in the supernumerary seats of the ECA category.

On Monday, 15th July, the University of Delhi (DU) announced the schedule as well as detailed guidelines for aspirants seeking admission to its colleges under the Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.

The University conducted the Preliminary rounds of trial for fourteen categories of the ECA quota from 25th June 2019 to 5th July 2019. The results of shortlisted students to appear for the Final round of trials was released on 6th July 2019 and the Finals were conducted from 9th July 2019 to 14th July 2019.

Schedule for Registration and UG Admission via ECA quota Image Credit: Delhi University

According to the recent information uploaded on the DU website, the result or the merit list prepared after the Finals, will be notified on 17th July, 2019 at 5 pm. After which, there will be several rounds of registration and admissions for candidates whose names figure in ECA Merit Lists – four rounds have been scheduled so far. Aspirants should note that each college will conduct its registration process separately, and that there is no centralisation of this process. Therefore, they will have to apply separately to each of the colleges they are seeking admission to, during each of the registration and admission rounds.

The first round of registration is scheduled from 18th July 2019 to 20th July 2019, and the colleges will release their first notification of admitted candidates on 22nd July 2019 by 10 am. The candidates who secure admission in each of the rounds of admission, are required to pay their fees on the DU portal by 3 pm on the next day of taking admission.

There are 1,050 seats up for grabs under the fourteen categories according to the DU’s Bulletin of Information for candidates seeking admissions to Undergraduate programmes. The varsity has also specified that a maximum of five percent of the total seats in a college have to be put up for admission under this category.

Lastly, the aspirants seeking admission under ECA must keep in mind that they are required to carry all relevant documents in hard copy for the admissions procedure, and will also have to sign a bond on a non-judicial stamp paper, committing to take part in that ECA activities of the college, throughout their stay in college.

Feature Image Credit: Rishabh Chauhan for DU Beat

Bhavya Pandey

DU Extends Relaxation for Outstation ECA Aspirants

By Kartik Chauhan June 25, 2019

University of Delhi (DU) extended a day’s relaxation in case of any delay incurred while arriving at the venue in time for the extra-curricular activities (ECA) trials for outstation students who have their trials scheduled on 25th and 26th June.

Outstation students witnessed a sigh of relief as University of Delhi (DU) declared relaxation in case of delay incurred while reaching the venue in time for the extra-curricular activities (ECA) trials. A day’s relaxation shall be extended by the varsity to the outstation students.

The ECA trials- a two level process– have commenced today, kick-starting with Indian Classical Music (Vocal), Dance, and Debate. The trials will be continuing till 5th July, the results of which will be announced on 6th July on the official website of the University. This would be followed by the final round of selection, thereby giving the selected students a gateway to Univerity of Delhi.

The spatio-temporal glitches which are evident during the admission season turn out to be the major cause of stress for many outstation applicants. Hence, the flexibility in such a case emerges as a bliss. However, the relaxation is only extended for students having their trial slots on 25th and 26th June 2019.

“The relaxation is a welcoming step, as the schedule put forth by the University of Delhi has undergone frequent changes and delays. These delays and changes have posed as problems, given that the arrangements for transportation are difficult to be settled on a short notice,” says Shreya M., an outstation applicant from Odisha.

As reported by the Asian Age, an official of the University said, “The applicants who are unable to reach on given dates are instructed to reach venue at the earliest date, which is preferably on June 27 and contact the registration desk of the relevant category. The relaxation option is not available for those candidates whose trials are scheduled for any other dates for a category or for those categories for which trials are scheduled for a single day”.

The official site of the University of Delhi has also laid emphasis on the fact that the condition is selectively applicable for those who reside outside the National Capital Region (NCR), having their respective trials scheduled on 25th and 26th June.

Feature Image Credits: DUB Archives

Priyanshi Banerjee

Increase in Number of Seats Under Sports Quota

By Kartik Chauhan June 12, 2019

University of Delhi (DU) took the decision to increase the number of seats under the sports quota without exceeding the 5 percent limit in the intake. This was only applicable to extra curricular activities (ECA) quota till last year, and now has been extended to the sports quota as well.

In a meeting held last week, the varsity decided to increase the number of seats, in case there was an increase in demand of said quota at the department level.

This gives colleges complete freedom to decide the increase in the number of seats for either sports quota or ECA category. They can allot particular number of seats according to the demands and needs of the college.

An official was quoted by The Asian Age as, “Usually, it is seen that the students in the sports and ECA categories opt for humanities and social sciences programmes, rather than science, since they feel they may not be able to cope with the pressure in the latter. So, in case there are no admissions under the sports and ECA categories in the science department, the vacant seats can be transferred to another department where there is greater demand, but without breaching the total number at the college level.”

In the situation where the seats allotted under the categories in the departments are vacant, then the college can shift these vacant seats to other departments, where the demand is more. Hence ensuring that the students fill all the vacant seats, and the demand for a particular course is also met. This step also ensures that the five percent cap of intake is not breached by the colleges.

According to a circular issued by the authorities, “However, in case of greater demand in a particular course, up to a maximum of double the number of seats sanctioned under the ECA and sports categories in the said course may be admitted by a college, subject to the overall ceiling of five percent.”

Rasal Singh, member of the DU Academic Council, assured that this move would pave way for only the deserving students to get admission in the university.

Lavanya Ratauri, a football sports quota student said, “This move allows more flexibility for authorities to allot the number of seats but also at the same time it should consider the demands of the student. I hope this move gives students more liberty to take only that course which they want.”

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

Antriksha Pathania
[email protected]

Open Day Sessions for DU Aspirants Starting from May 31

By Anushree Joshi May 30, 2019

In an endeavour to simplify the process of admissions, the University of Delhi (DU) is organising several open day sessions where officials will be available to answer and address various doubts and concerns that students may have.

The DU admission process for the academic year 2019-2020 has finally begun, following various date speculations and unprecedented excitement from young people all across the country. The online applications for all undergraduate courses began on 30th May and the other online applications too will be available shortly.

Every year, the Dean’s Student Welfare Office hosts open day sessions before the admission process ends, in order to address questions and concerns from prospective students and parents. The application process and the documents required for various categories and courses are different, and hence many questions are bound to arise. These sessions are structured like press conferences where the University officials will be available to answer any question or doubt that the students may harbour regarding the application process.

DU is one of the most reputed and sought after universities of the country. A large part of that can be credited to the diversity of students it invites to its campuses each year. Students can apply via sports quota, ECA quota, foreign quota, etc. These open day sessions are especially useful for students from the the aforementioned different categories who have a significantly variable admission process as it helps them understand the requirements better.

Here are all the details you need to know about the Open Day sessions being held for the admission process in 2019-

DATE AND VENUE :

Conference Centre, North Campus Gate Number 4 –

May 31st, June 3rd & June 8th

Kamala Nehru College, Zakir Hussain College, Rajdhani College, Ramlal Anand College and Maharaja Agrasen College –

June 4th, 6th, 7th & 10th

TIMINGS:

These sessions will last from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM on all the above mentioned dates.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additionally, a help desk will also be set up outside the conference centre in room number 5 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM everyday during the admission process to assist students and parents if any concern arises.

The different colleges under DU will also set up separate counselling sessions and help desks to address the concerns of applicants and explain their admission processes further.

Pragati Thapa

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

DUB Speak

Your College Isn’t Over Just Because You Failed That Society Audition

By Niharika Dabral August 10, 2018

Society auditions seem to be the ultimate gateway into finding friends and purpose in college. With so much at stake, how does one deal with the failure of making into their preferred society?

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”Winston Churchill. This sounds phony, but it’s true.
The first week of August is over and chances are that the society orientations and auditions must be wrapping up as well. If you are one of those people who auditioned for extra-curricular clubs and societies, but unfortunately didn’t get through then this article is for you. We can’t claim to be experts in offering advice, however, we’ll repeat the lessons you are familiar with but need a reminder about.
The societies and cells in the University of Delhi (DU), be it the ever vibrant dance societies or the smug English debating ones, are repositories of talent. DU owes its spirit to them. It’s only natural that most of us want to be a part of these groups, for which we undergo a strenuous selection process. Some of the more competitive ones amongst us start preparing for it weeks in advance.
On the D-day, several things can go wrong. And even if they go right, you might still not find yourself amongst the chosen lot. And obviously, your heart will break, plain and simple. You’ll yearn to join those Dramatic Society members whenever you see them practicing in their high-pitched and compelling voices and reverberating energy. All of this will hurt and in all honesty, it sucks. There is no other adjective to explain this dismay and dejection.

To say that you have to be and can be bigger than your failure is unerring, but it also stems from this over expectation of healing. Take your time to crib and curse. The recovery needs to be neither graceful nor easy. Allow yourself the luxury of sorrow and once you are done, it would be time for an after-action review. Sit and analyse what went wrong, ask the members of the selection panel for feedback. It’s imperative that you reflect on what you did and avoid similar mistakes in the future. While this contemplation is never straightforward, it’s totally possible that the reason you didn’t get in has nothing to do with what you did wrong but with different expectations of the selectors. Maybe you are amazing at Indian classical music, but the society folks wanted someone who can beatbox. Your takeaway from this rejection should be self-assessment and experience. Make most of it even when you feel like murdering an entire clan.
At the onset of new sessions, societies recruit members liberally and what usually happens is, by the next month or so, a few recruits leave the society for several reasons. This opens up space for new members again, hence, your chances to join your desired fraternity are still available. Make sure you tell your seniors about your availability and try again.

Now, it’s time to use the ‘when one door closes, another opens’ analogy. Look around and scout for other opportunities that are still open. You may never know about your cinephile credentials unless you sign up for the Film Club. You might never unearth your abilities in entrepreneurial action unless you join the Enactus unit of your college. A huge part of college life is also about discovering oneself and it’s time you try as many things as possible. Keep your mind and your options open. There is a saying that sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get you to the right place. So maybe, just maybe, your destiny and passion lies in an obscure club waiting for you to locate it.
There is more to college life than societies. Have faith, seek beauty in the mundane, and you will fare the failure. We are rooting for you.

Feature Image Credits: Kartik Kakar for DU Beat

Niharika Dabral

Campus Central

ECA Profile: Quiz

By Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak June 22, 2018

Our Indian education system’s school boards can be as temperamental as Simon Cowell’s manner of judging contestants at the X Factor: Whimsical and capricious. Acknowledging this anomaly, the University of Delhi (DU) allows scope for admission through the Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.

In which year did the Battle of Lepanto take place? Who was the first black footballer to play for England at any level? What is autarky? Who discovered the element polonium? Which actor was dubbed the Man of a Thousand Faces? Which tempo in music is slower – andante or adagio? If you wish to fight your way to the top of the ECA merit list for Quiz, you would need to know the answers to the aforementioned questions and much more.

In a phone call conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Varun S., an ECA candidate who was admitted to DU through the ECA quota in 2015 said, “The ECA trials can be described as nerve-racking and competitive, to say the least.”

PERSONALISED EXPERIENCE

Rishabh Bora, who had appeared for the Quiz trials in 2017, claimed that he “completely unprepared” for the prelims of the ECA trials. In spite of that, when he found his name in the merit list of candidates shortlisted for the finals, he was ecstatic. Almost a year later, he recalls, “One of the questions asked in the prelims was: “Which US spy ship was captured by North Korea in 1968?” In an instant, I remembered flicking through an article in Reader’s Digest when I was a kid. It was about the USS Pueblo. That journey back to my childhood took place in a quarter of a second. And after that quarter had ended, I found myself back in the room with a dozen other quizzes. I remember the expression of wonder on the face of the quiz-master when I gave the answer. At that moment, I knew I had made it.”

COMMON ECA GUIDELINES

1. Trials will be held at two levels: (i) Preliminary trials (ii) Final trials
2. The trials of both these levels shall be the conducted by an ECA Committee appointed by the University Admission Committee.
3. “Candidates will get a relaxation of only up to 15% in cut-offs if they apply for the ECA quota,” says Suchitra Gupta, Deputy Dean of Culture and Youth Affairs in DU.
This implies that not more than 15% relaxation in academic merit vis-à-vis unreserved category applicants (for the last relevant cut-off) may be given for admission to specific programmes. In simpler terms, if the cut-off for a particular course is 90%, then the ECA candidate will get a relaxation of upto 15%. This means, to be eligible for admission to a course whose last relevant cut-off was 90%, the candidate must have scored at least 75% in his qualifying examination.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR QUIZ

1. In both preliminary and final rounds, questions are usually asked on topics such as history, sports, current affairs, arts, popular culture, business, science, literature, and politics.
2. The preliminary round may either consist of a written round or a verbal question and answer round. In case of the former, three kinds of questions are generally asked- (a) Multiple-choice questions (b) Generic questions (c) True/False statements
3. Late entry would lead to penalisation of the candidate.
4. The University ECA Admissions Committee is usually very strict with mobile phones not being allowed into the premises, and bags are also thoroughly checked.
5. Candidates are supposed to carry a writing board and a blue or a black pen.

SOME TIPS TO ACE THE ECA TRIALS FOR CATEGORY ‘QUIZ’

As told to the DU Beat correspondent by Anukul Mishra, an ECA candidate of 2016, a fair number of questions come from the magazine ‘Competition Success Review’, especially the objective-type questions given on the last pages.
Many of the questions are also derived from the archives of the Bournvita Quiz and Samvidhan Quiz of the preceding years.
Read. Record. Recollect: These are the famous 3Rs of quizzing as laid down by Neil O’Brien. One has to read, whether on the iPad, smartphone, or the good old newspapers, magazines, books, and journals.
Take reference from the online resources available on the ‘Quiz Zone’ and Trivia.fyi. Many of the questions found in these sites overlap with the questions asked in the ECA trials.

THE TRIALS

1. The preliminary round for Quiz will be held on the 20th and 21st of June 2018, from 9 a.m., at Ram Lal Anand College. The preliminary rounds usually get over by 11:30 a.m. on the same day.
2. Following the prelims, the list of short-listed candidates for the final round will be notified on the university website. Final round will be held on 30th June.
3. In the final round, the applicants must carry all the relevant certificates in original (and a self-attested photocopy) for evaluation. The certificates will account for 25% of the total weight while the trials in the final round will account for 75% of the weightage.

OBLIGATIONS AND COLLEGE SOCIETIES

1. The selected candidates will have to submit an Undertaking at the time of admission stating that the candidate will perform for the College for the entire period of the candidate‘s undergraduate programme of study. The college has a right to cancel their admissions if they violate the undertaking during their stay in college.
2. The candidates who are admitted through the Instrumental Category mostly get incorporated into the Quiz Societies of the colleges.
3. Candidates who secure admission through Category ‘Quiz’ in DU are almost always under immense pressure of performing well as their competitors come from a wide range of people, not confined to a particular age group. In other words, most quizzes held in the Delhi-NCR region receive participants from the age group of 17 to 71.
Feature Image Credits: The Spectator
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

Campus Central

KNC Conducts Divinity Trials: 38 Applicants Turn Up Out Of 178

By Muskan Sethi June 16, 2018

Kamala Nehru College conducted trials for Divinity, which was introduced as a separate category in 2017, on14th and 15th June.

The Delhi University has received 17,586 ECA applications this year. The preliminary trials commenced on June 14 for 7 out of the 12 ECA categories. Kamala Nehru College conducted the preliminary trials for Divinity on June 14 and 15 which was introduced in 2017 as a separate ECA category before which it was included as a subcategory to vocals.

According to the University guidelines, the candidates have to be prepared in the elemental aspects of Sikhism as well as the cultural aspects. Harminder Kaur, former Vice Principal of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, and Harpreet Kaur, a doctorate in fine arts from Miranda House College judged the trials.

“The candidates are being assessed on the basis of their caliber, creativity, and intellectual capability. After their performance, they are asked questions on their technical knowledge of music and their knowledge of Sikhism,” said Mamta Tyagi, coordinator of the trials at Kamala Nehru College.

Namneet Kaur, who aspires to study B.Com. Programme at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, recited the Shabad ‘Ab More Jiwan Padvi Par’. She said, “The trials went very well. I was able to answer all their questions.” Simarpreet Kaur, an aspirant of Economics Honours at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce said, “I have been preparing the Shabad ‘sabhe jee Samal Apni Meher Kar ’ since the past one week. I feel confident that my performance will go well.”

178 applications were received for divinity this year, out of which only 38 applicants turned up for trials. Looking at the low turnout, Tanushree, a representative of the organising committee at Kamala Nehru said, “Many applicants thought that divinity was a subcategory to vocals because of which they had filled the form incorrectly and their application was rejected for this category.” Krishna Shree, another member of the organising committee said, “There have been many clashes in the preliminary trials because of which many applicants have prioritised other categories over Divinity and haven’t turned up for these trials.”

Mata Sundri College, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce are the four colleges that offer admission on the basis of this category.

Trials for Creative Writing, which have received 1395 applications, were conducted at Hansraj College on 15th June and the trails for Debate- English and Hindi commenced on 14th June at Zakir Husain Delhi College (Evening). The trails for NCC, which received the highest number of applications at 3,019, will commence on 19th June at SGTB Khalsa College. The preliminary trials are scheduled to end on 21st June and the list of selected candidates for final trials will be declared on 22nd June.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat
Muskan Sethi
[email protected]

Campus Central

ECA Profile: Music (Vocal)

By Niharika Dabral June 15, 2018

For applicants applying under the ECA category, the best place to be informed is the University of Delhi website. However, admission into a college only depends upon the availability of seats in that particular college and is not subject to clearing the final trials.

Guidelines

Here are the general guidelines for the students applying under the Music (Vocal) category:

Indian Classical

Date: 17th – 18th June (Preliminary rounds)

2nd July (Final Round)

Time: According to alphabetical order (Preliminary rounds)

9 a.m. (Final Round)

Venue: Rajdhani College

The time limit is up to 3 minutes per candidate.
Tracks are not allowed.
Accompaniment/accompanists are compulsory, however, not more than one accompanist per participant shall be allowed. Candidates can use electronic taanpura/shrutipeti.
Candidate should come prepared with at least 3-4 numbers across different genres to showcase their talent.
Film Songs are allowed.
No time will be given for tuning the instrument. Candidate should ensure that the instruments are tuned at the beginning of the trial.

Western Classical

Date: 19th – 20th June (Preliminary rounds)

1st July (Final Round)

Time: According to alphabetical order (Preliminary rounds)

9 a.m. (Final Round)

Venue: Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (E)

1. The candidate should introduce the item in not more than 30 seconds.
2. Not more than one accompanying instrument shall be allowed.

3. Candidate can bring his/her own musical instrument.
4. The performance should not exceed 3 minutes.
5. No time will be given for tuning the instrument. Candidate should ensure that the instruments are tuned at the beginning of the trial.
Vocal Western Light
1. The candidate should introduce the item in not more than 30 seconds.
2. Candidate can bring his/her own musical instrument.
3. The performance should not exceed 3 minutes.
4. No time will be given for tuning the instrument. Candidate should ensure that the instruments are tuned at the beginning of the trial.
5. Candidate should preferably use an accompaniment and/ or bring along an accompanist, however, not more one accompanist per participant will be allowed.
6. Participant should come prepared with at least three songs of competitive nature,
which can showcase their talent.

Colleges offering Music (Vocal) ECA quota

Colleges offer ECA quotas in five categories under Music (Vocal): Indian Music (Classical, Light and Vocal) and Western (Classical and Light). The ECA committee for Admissions would consist of the Principal or the Principal nominee, two experts from eminent institutions like the Sangeet Natak Academy and the College Cultural Council convener or nominee.

This year, 51 colleges in Delhi University are offering such ECA quotas, including Sri Venkateswara College, RamJas College, Zakir Hussain Delhi College, Maitreyi College, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Gargi College, and Kamala Nehru College. The more comprehensive list is provided in the official Bulletin for Information for Admission to UG Programmes (2018-19).

The Trials

Trials include the two usual rounds of Prelims and Finals. The trials consist of single auditions of songs in the respective category. Santur Kundu, a first-year student at Ramjas College who got admission in the ECA quota of Indian Vocal says, “I gave my ECA trials in Kirori Mal College last year. Given the category, I was judged on the parameters of tone, composition, and clarity. One accompanist was allowed although no backup tracks were allowed. Apart from all the tension and dilemma I went through, it was a wonderful experience to be performing in front of such talented people. I ended up getting the 2^nd rank with a total of 82 out of 100 and also getting admission into B.A. Economics (Honours) at Ramjas.”

Gaurav Sharma, an ECA student of the Western Vocal category from Ramjas College says, “Even though there was no official notice, it was pretty understood that the judges judged us on our tone, timber, an accuracy of notes, and overall feel of our performance. We could also be accompanied by an accompanist.”

Students do complain about the lack of clarity in the University website or even the official Bulletin of Information about the specific guidelines. “I was very unclear and I almost missed my prelim trials. Someone told me how it happens on the very last day and I went. Naturally, I was very nervous. However overall, it went pretty good,” says Gaurav Sharma.

Feature Image Credits: Video Block

Sara Sohail