Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Tag

Hindu College

Browsing
Bazinga

Bazinga: Bilateral Talks Between St. Stephen’s College and Hindu College in a Seminar Titled ‘Rethinking Rivalries’

By

As part of their annual fest ‘Praasna’, the Department of Philosophy of St. Stephen’s College is organising a seminar which would witness bilateral talks between two delegations from Hindu College and St. Stephen’s College.

This unique event titled ‘Rethinking Rivalries’ would be themed around the heightened tensions in the relationship between St. Stephen’s College and Hindu College. In the same, two delegations of students from both colleges would brainstorm ideas about how to truncate the uneasiness in the relationship between the neighboring colleges. Member of Parliament, Shashi Tharoor, who is also an alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, has been invited to lead the delegation from his alma mater while Managing Director of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, has consented to lead the delegation from Hindu College, his alma mater.
The event is expected to signify a shift from a spirit of competition to cooperation.

The rivalry, as considered in academic circles of the University of Delhi, between the two neighboring colleges is a well-known one. One interesting myth about the origin of this rivalry dates back to the year 1889. A young prodigy of a rich dad wanted admission in St. Stephen’s College but couldn’t make it. Disheartened, the rich dad decided to start a college right in front of St. Stephen’s. Thus, the foundation stone for Hindu College was laid, and along with it were laid the seeds of rivalry between the two colleges.

Legend has it that once, during the annual fest of St. Stephen’s College, posters were put up saying, ‘Hinduites And Dogs Not Allowed’. The college across the road then retaliated with posters saying, ‘Dogs Are Allowed But Not Stephanians’. This then led to a spate of protests and counter-protests between ‘Stephanians’ on one side of the road and ‘Hinduites’ on the other, with both sides exchanging risqué curses.
In fact, a certain rumor which does the rounds in North Campus is that whenever ‘Stephenians’ are scolded at college, they are told, ‘You don’t deserve to be here, your place is across the road’.

There are various reasons why both colleges love to hate each other, one of them being the difference in the cultures of the two. While students of Hindu College frown upon the exceptionally disciplined atmosphere at Stephen’s, students of the latter refer to the environment of Hindu College as ‘anarchical’ and ‘disruptive’.

This seminar is hoped to diminish the tension between the two colleges and bring about an ambiance of comradeship and amity, thereby enabling two of the best colleges of the University of Delhi to work together to establish eternal peace and prosperity.

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

 

Feature Image Credits: The Times of India
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Hindu E -summit 2018 concludes successfully!

By

The Entrepreneurship Cell of Hindu College recently concluded its year-long endeavors with its annual flagship event the Hindu E -summit.

The event was hosted by the E-cell over a course of two days, which saw participants from all over the country take part in an extravaganza of events, which were curated perfectly by the E-Cell members to test the wits and grits of the budding entrepreneurs.

The summit started with the main attraction event – the startup expo, a one of its kind event that was aimed at bringing leading investors looking to diversify their profiles and the student-run startups and others alike to a common stage to facilitate future avenues of collaborations. Leading investment firm Fisca Global was the title sponsor of the event and was accompanied by prominent investors from the Delhi angels circuit such as Mr. Syed Faiz Hassan and Mr. Ajay Muttreja to name a few. A plethora of startups also knocked the doors of opportunity that awaited them. A number of startups bagged fundings in multiple rounds of pitching and even pocketed investment of up to 50 lakh rupees, while other got a chance at fixing meetings for further talks. A striking feature was the elevator pitch, which simulated a 60 seconds pitching opportunity which tested the improvisation and extempore skills of the startup founders.

The summit not only catered to college students and the startups, but recognized that the young adult generation is on its toes raking up the next big idea and in a bid to promote that it hosted the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge (YEC) over a course of two days which saw students from the length and breadth of the country battling it out in an elaborate and holistic series of events. DPS Bhopal emerged as the overall winners of the YEC and took home the trophy along with a number of accolades for the 2018 edition of the event.

The other attractions at were the Entrepreneurial Forum which was a first of its kind discussion forum with real-time topics and live interaction amongst the various stakeholders. The outcome was some really intelligent and fruitful discussions which provided gainful insights. Corporate -Knot saw participants get the idea from the paper and chalkboards to a simulated investor market, handling everything like government policy changes, and investing hassles on the way, but the budding entrepreneurs put up a good fight and were successful in curating their B plans to success.

All work and no play makes the entrepreneur a dull one and in lieu of that, a number of informals were planned which included ‘minute to win it’ and a life-sized biz monopoly along with the refreshments.

A unique networking event- The Linkedin Local- for professionals and students alike to promote more synergy and opportunities, which was accompanied by icebreakers and concluded with hi-tea. The event was highly appreciated by all stakeholders and was successfully concluded with the awards distribution ceremony and closing notes by all post holders.

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

IISC Bengaluru Declared as the Best University, Miranda House Tops the College Category in NIRF India Rankings 2018

By

The Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD), Prakash Javadekar, announced the 2018 National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings at an event in Vigyan Bhawan.

The Ministry Of Human Resource Development’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru as the overall best institution in the country. At an event in the Vigyan Bhawan, the Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD), Prakash Javadekar announced the NIRF rankings wherein, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad was declared the best management institution and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras bagged the position of best engineering college. In the University Rankings, IISC Bengaluru stood first, followed by Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU), and Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The premier healthcare institute All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, was ranked the number one institute under the medical college category. University of Delhi’s Miranda House, situated in North Campus, was announced as the best college, and National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru, stood first in the law school category.  Other eminent colleges of Delhi University, like, Hindu College, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, and Shree Ram college of Commerce were also part of the top 10 colleges in India for the year 2018.

This year, NIRF added medical, dental, architecture and law categories in its rankings, apart from the other four categories of 2016, Universities, Engineering, Management and Pharmacy. A total of 4000 institutions had applied this year, in comparison to the 3000 that were considered last year. The rankings have acquired much significance as the performance of the institutions is linked the “Institutions of Eminence” scheme.

The top 5 colleges given are:

1. Miranda House, University of Delhi

miranda

Image Credits: Miranda House.

 

2. St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi

St.-Stephens-735x400

Image Credits: St. Stephen’s College.

 

3. Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirappalli

TY04COLLEGE hindu

Image Credits: The Hindu.

 

4. Hindu College, University of Delhi

hindu-college1 hindu college

Image Credits: Hindu College.

 

5. Presidency College, Chennai

446237-presidencycollege dna india

Image Credits: DNA India.

 

Feature Image Credits: Miranda House.

Oorja Tapan

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DU Annual Fest Season

Highlights: Mecca 2018, the Annual Cultural Fest of Hindu College

By

Mecca 2018, is one of the most anticipated annual cultural fests in the University of Delhi. The three-day fest that kicked off on the 14th of March, enthralled the fest going students in the University. With a line-up that included the indie band The Local Train, DJ Zaeden, and Bollywood sensation Amit Trivedi, Mecca 2018 was bigger and better than ever. The fest, which attracted a significant crowd during all the days, was a thrilling event including good music, food, and games.

The decorations of the fest were based on the theme “Around The World in 72 hours”. The college was decked in trinkets, maps, and more which divided the college on the basis of countries and cities. The theme could be seen on the graffitis that were made by students as well. Overall, the decor made the college infrastructure come alive, all the while providing fest going students aesthetic backgrounds to take photographs.

The Inauguration ceremony of Mecca 2018 took place in the auditorium of the college. Alankar, the Indian music society of Hindu College has opened the ceremony with a musical gala which was followed by various cultural performances including Kathak and classical music. The performances enthralled the audience and were a collective display of skills of some of the most talented students of Hindu College. Panache, the Fashion Society event subsequently followed the inauguration in the venue itself.

Various events ranging from Gully Cricket to Street Soccer, Fashion Competition to Musical and Dance Competitions. Slam poetry event, photography exhibition also took place. I Vogue, the fashion society of SGGSCC bagged the first position at the fashion competition. Alaap, the Indian music society won the first prize at Harmony, the Indian choir competition. The Western music society of DTU bagged the first prize at Arpeggio, the western choir competition. Ayaam of Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology came first in the street play competition. Verve of Sri Venkateswara College came first in the western dance competition, and Sparx of Gargi College came first in the choreography competition. SGTB Khalsa College and SGND Khalsa College jointly bagged the first prize at the folk dance competition. The Mecca Idol competition was held in the Hindu College auditorium and was one of the most anticipated events at Mecca 2018. A total of 108 people registered for the competition, out of which 30 were selected for the offline preliminary round which was held on day 1 of the fest. Sukriti Poddar of Gargi College won Mecca Idol 2018.

Sumit Anand, a stand-up comedian spirited the Mecca audience in a fit of laughter with his witty and relatable punchlines. With a happy-go-lucky attitude, his jokes were effortlessly funny, leading to momentous hooting from the audience.

The Local Train, a Hindi rock band was invited to close the first day at Mecca. Their set featured popular songs like Manzil, Aaftaab, Khudi, and Mere Yaar.

The closing act and the most anticipated performance, DJ Zaeden called curtains to Day 2 of Mecca. He entertained the crowd with Bollywood as well as western songs like Shape of You and Attention.

It was time for the much-awaited star night. Indeed, Mecca had saved the best for the last. Following a small delay, Amit Trivedi arrived on the stage with four additional singers. The concert kicked off with the song “Dilli”. The four other singers accompanying Amit Trivedi were Arun Kamath, Meghna Mishra, Divya Kumar and Rashita. Meghna Mishra was a 16-year old artist who had won awards for “Secret Superstar”. The team said that they divide their performance into two halves where the first half was for the ears while the other half was for the legs. The songs they performed included hits like “Maanjha”, “ Gulaabo”, “Shandaar” and “ Ud-daa Punjab”.

 

Feature Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan for DU Beat.

Keep Reading
By
Cultural Festivals

Zaeden Calls the Curtains for Day 2 of Mecca, Hindu College

By

Mecca Day 2 began with the Street Play Competition that was organised by Ibtida, the Dramatics Society of Hindu College. The teams used puns and metaphors to talk about issues like politics, gender, and corruption in a hard hitting way. A total of 15 teams participated in the event out of which there emerged four winners. Natuve from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and The Dramatics Society of Sri Ram College of Commerce tied at the third spot while Dramanomics from CVS secured the second prize. The first prize was secured by Aayaam from Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology. The competition was held at the Ibtida Lawns and generated immense attraction from the fest goers.

A host of other events were taking place simultaneously. Arpeggio, the A capella event organised by Aria, the Western Music Society of Hindu College saw soothing melodies at play. The event was adjudged by the esteemed judges Joshua Peters and Nisha. It concluded successfully with the winners being the Western Music society of DTU, Echo, the Western Music Society, and Western Music Society of LSR bagging the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions respectively.

Firestone, the western dance competition was organised at Mecca 2018 by Aramya, the western dance society of Hindu College. The auditorium was lit up with iridescent lights, colourful costumes, and up-beat songs like Swalla, Run The World (Girls), and O Oh Jaane Jaana. Every performance was ruthlessly energetic and made us move us move to the beats. Verve of Sri Venkateswara College was prized as the winners and Enliven of Gargi College was the runner-up.

Following this, Aramya, the Western Dance Society of Hindu College also organised the choreography competition. A host of engaging and mesmerizing performances with beautiful sequences were put up on display by the various societies. Each society put up a brilliant performance, making it extremely hard for the judges to select the top few. Sparx, the Choreography Society of Gargi College bagged the first spot whereas Terpsi Choreon from Hansraj College got the second position and Choreography Society, LSR bagged the third place.

You’ve Got Scale was the western Vocal Solo Event organised by Aria, the western Music Society of Hindu College. Christina A Dayal of Ramjas College bagged the top spot while Prabahan Shakya of Ramjas and Jannis Joe of JMC tied for the second position. The event was judged by Amartya Ghosh.

The Mecca Idol competition was held in the Hindu College auditorium and was one of the most anticipated events at Mecca 2018. A total of 108 people registered for the competition, out of which 30 were selected for the offline preliminary round which was held on day 1 of the fest. The finals were held on the second day of the fest, in which a total of 7 people participated. The third prize was secured by Sarat S Kumar while Shayan Chatterjee won the 2nd prize, both of whom sang Piya Tu Kahe Rootha Re from the movie Kahani. The first prize was secured by Sukriti Poddar who sang “Raina Beeti Jaye” from the movie Amar Prem.  The event was judged by Shubham Sarkar, an internationally acclaimed violinist and the youngest recognized Hindustani Classicalist. The winner of Mecca Idol, Sukriti Poddar would be opening the star night of Mecca 2018 on Day 3, right before Amit Trivedi’s performance.

The closing act and the most anticipated performance, DJ Zaeden called curtains to Day 2 of Mecca. He entertained the crowd with Bollywood as well as western songs like Shape of You and Attention.

Keep Reading
By
Bazinga

Bazinga: Virgin Tree of Hindu College to be Cut Down

By

Worshipping the Virgin Tree at Hindu College has been a ritual for a long time now. However, this quirky tradition is scorned by the conservatives.

The Virgin Tree is the oldest member of Hindu College and has witnessed the Valentine’s Day celebrations, Puja of Damdami Mata, and the water-filled condoms hung from its branches. From Deepika Padukone to Disha Patani, famous Bollywood actresses have been treated as the Damdami Mata to be worshipped. The University of Delhi, apart from the excellence in academic performances, is also famous for the liberal multitude. This fun, amusing, and somewhat problematic tradition is also a way to spread awareness about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and the use of protection while sexual intercourse.

In the time of toning down of sex education and condom advertisement bans, keeping up with this fascinating culture of Hindu College seems difficult. Bajrang Dal has been in the headlines since a long time for chasing away couples who were seen in public. This time, they have targeted the practices of adorning the Virgin Tree of Hindu College and the Damdami Mata Puja.

Bajrang Dal has been planning to uproot the Virgin Tree, bringing an end to the “obscene” culture of the westernised populace. They intend to inculcate “Indian morales” in the students and prohibit the celebrations of Valentine’s Day altogether. According to the sources, they went to an extent to discuss this matter with the Vice Chancellor of DU, Yogesh K. Tyagi, and the Principal of Hindu College, Dr. Anju Srivastava. On the issue, a professor of Hindu College quoted, “Our students have enjoyed this liberty of campaigning and spreading awareness on AIDS. This has been a mirthful tradition with a purpose that must not be ended.”

When asked about this interference to a member of Bajrang Dal, he said, “We must not forget our values. What must be restricted to the bedroom, should never come about in the public, and that too among students. Studying in DU is prestigious, but students must never forget their role and indulge in such detestable practices.”

“The Students’ Union got involved much later in the issue,” said a student. Bajrang Dal members tried working with the “elders” first, and then include the students. The decision to fell the Virgin Tree is halfway taken. The final call is yet to be taken by the students. It is also feared that the felling of the tree will lead to protests and create chaos, hence the conclusion hasn’t been made yet. So, this year may be the last of the captivating practice in DU.

*Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is a humorous, light-hearted column that should only be appreciated and not accepted.

 

Feature Image Credits: Stories Feed
Radhika Boruah
[email protected] 

Keep Reading
By
Events

Hindu College and ORF Conduct a Conclave on Indian Foreign Policy

By

The Department of Political Science, Hindu College in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has organised a two-day conclave christened ‘The Dancing Elephant: Perspectives on Indian Foreign Policy’, today being the first day.

At a time when the foreign policies of states are aligning and realigning based on the economics of interests and benefits rather than on ideologies, this conclave seeks to generate a broader conversation as to where India stands and perceives itself globally.

On the first day of the 2-day conclave, the event kick-started with the lighting of the lamp, followed by the welcome address by the Principal of Hindu College, Ms. Anju Shrivastava, in the auditorium of the college. Thereafter, the inaugural address was given by Anirban Ganguly, the Director of the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookherjee Foundation.

Session one started with the keynote address by Harsh V. Pant, Fellow and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme of the ORF. In the rather spirited discourse on the changing contours of Indian Foreign Policy, Pant made thought-provoking observations regarding how our international relations with other countries needs to be looked at with a fresher set of eyes. Besides asserting that India should stop being ‘a balancing power’ and should instead become a leading power, he also remarked that the aspiration of countries to align on the basis of ideological fixation is today gone. India, today, is ready to take help from any country, provided its security concerns are met. The idea that India’s priority is domestic consolidation was very subtly put forth in Pant’s speech.

Post noon, a panel discussion was held on the most imperative question facing Indian Foreign Policy today: Can India Ignore Pakistan? Moderated by Senior Fellow of ORF Maya Mirchandani, the discussion was taken ahead with insights from TCA Raghavan and Sushant Sareen. The vibrant discussion ranged from topics such as the twin threats of nuclear warfare and terrorism from Pakistan to whether SAARC would be able to establish South Asia as a cohesive region despite the fractured relations between India and Pakistan.

In today’s global economy, when major powers are facing suppressive regulations for environmental concerns, how India transforms its economy is a big challenge. Shedding light on the apparently opposing nexus between economic growth and equitable sustainable development, the next session was a dialogue on how India will galvanize a development model by managing the workforce disparity, energy security, and its natural resources.

Post lunch, the enterprising discourse was taken ahead by a panel discussion on non-alignment and Nehruvian idealism and whether these ideas still have relevance in the current scenario where the world has increasingly moved towards multi-polarity. Moderated by ORF Fellow Abhijnan Rej, the discussion was enriched with perspicacity from Diplomatic Editor of The Hindu, Suhasini Haidar, and Member of Parliament Swapan Dasgupta.

Wrapping up an eventful first day of the conclave, most students found the same highly enlightening, especially the International Relations enthusiasts.

Today, we’re looking at a very different get-political scenario than what was prevalent a few decades back. As we move ahead with higher education, some of the textual learning might not be very effective in helping us gauge India’s foreign policies. That’s why, it becomes important to engage in these events where students get first-hand knowledge from diplomats and distinguished people who themselves mould our nation’s foreign policies.

 

Feature Image Credits: DUB Archives

 

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Arts & Culture

Walk-A-Thon: A Sensitisation Drive

By
On the eve of White Cane Safety Walk, Save The Quest organised a blindfolded walk throughout the North Campus, University of Delhi. The purpose of the walk was to sensitise people about the difficulties faced by the visually impaired people and how we can help them with a little effort.
The event started off with registrations at 8:30 in the morning. Orientation programme took place in the auditorium where we were welcomed by the teacher-in-charge of NSS Hindu College and the founder of STQ, Mr. Saif Ahmed Khan. At 10:30 we were asked to hold a white cane, put a blindfold and join the crowd with a partner each. One was blindfolded and other remained sighted, which got reversed half-way through the walk. It was not just an emotion of selflessness, it was a feeling: to salute our fellow visually impaired friends who manage to carry out their daily chores. We were accompanied by a chain of volunteers and policemen who controlled the traffic. A 2 km blindfolded walk and we faced so many difficulties in getting through despite having someone to guide us and the visually impaired ones- they do not always have people around them to be their eyes. The world seemed black and the way we were walking on, vast and scary. We came back to our starting point, shared our views on how we felt and what we feel towards our friends. Then, we had a performance by Save the Quest VIS band.
Mr. Saif Ahmad Khan distributed white canes and Braille Signature tool to all the visually impaired students present there and later a vote of thanks to NSS Hindu, Adroit, advertising society DCAC, NSS DCAC: all for their selfless hard work.
img-20171015-wa0007 img-20171015-wa0008 img-20171015-wa0009
Keep Reading
By
Hindu College

Hindu College Under Fire for Sexist Poster

By

On the morning of 4th October, an image was posted by Pinjra Tod – a collective against the sexist and discriminatory practices in higher educational institutions – on its Facebook page. The image was of a poster from Hindu College, which said “Hindu mein Maal aur Maal dono milta hai”. In Hindi, the word “maal” is a slang term that is used to either refer to women in an objectifying manner, or to refer to narcotic substances.

An excerpt from Pinjra Tod’s caption sums up the view of those aghast at the language used in the poster thusly: “The many ways in which patriarchy reinforces itself every day in our campuses to convey the message that we may be studying in a university, we may be sitting in classes together, but women are to be primarily seen as sexual objects of exchange amongst men.” The poster almost seems to be bragging about the presence of women in the college, who are apparently not to be treated as equals or as peers of same intellectual calibre, but primarily as objects for men to lust over. Women are used here in the same breath as addictive substances, indicating that both are objects for pleasure. What adds to the whole issue is the fact that the poster was used during a Freshers’ party, and was probably one of the first messages that the new students picked up from their seniors regarding women’s place and perception in the institute. Universities are meant to widen horizons regarding thinking openly, but the regressive poster seems to be contributing towards promoting the opposite.

The Prime Minister of the college’s student union, Brijesh Tiwari, issued a statement that condemned the incident on Facebook. An excerpt from it said, “The Hindu College Parliament unanimously condemns the usage of such shamelessly gendered and misogynist phrases on campus or anywhere else. We at the Parliament consider it our utmost endeavour to arrive at a stage of gender equality, withering of misogynist practices and tendencies, and an overall climate of equal opportunities for all genders. We recognise how such phrases and their usage become an impediment in trying to achieve all of the above. The Parliament ensures that it will do its best to nip all such practices in the bud and to ensure that the student-driven crusade against misogyny must never be weakened.” Further, administrative lapses on part of the organisers and “deeply entrenched” misogyny that is “not a new innovation” were blamed.

This is, however, not the first instance of discrimination and sexism in Hindu College. Back in August, women students protested the administration over the differences in the hostel fees for men and women. The newly opened women’s hostel, in the college’s 118-year history, charged its residents more than double the fees charged from the men.

 

Image Credits: Pinjra Tod

Rishika Singh
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Events

Hindu College hosts Tale Talk with Imtiaz Ali

By

Imtiaz Ali, an alumnus of Hindu College, was seen interacting with the students of the English department on Monday, 20th September. He was there to talk about his life and career, his passions, film-making, and theatre.

The event, which was named Tale Talk with Imtiaz Ali was organised by the English department, Hindu College, where one of the senior-most professors, Mrs. Swaroopa Mukherjee, who also happened to have known Ali from his college days, took the role of the speaker. This event was able to draw out from Ali a lot of his adventures during his college days, some of which even led to inspirations for the plot of his films such as Rockstar. When asked about the sources of ideas for his films, Imtiaz said, ‘Stories have just been in side me. For the ones like Highway, I didn’t have to think out of the box. It is the story of a simple girl in the most ordinary situations that anyone can be caught in. For the ones like Rockstar, I never needed to have an idea. I guess I’ve had enough idea about Hindu and Stephen’s during my time here!’

What was interesting was the fact that he revealed how he never really liked most of the titles of his movies. ‘I never wanted Jab We Met to be Jab We Met’, he said. ‘As a matter of fact, Jab Harry met Sejal was suggested by Ranbir to Anushka and neither Shahrukh nor I liked it. But I still approved these titles because I want to keep myself away from the naming business. I feel I’m not great at it.’

He was also very excited to meet Ibtida, the Dramatics Society of Hindu College, of which he happens to be the founder. He narrated tales of how even before coming to college he had planned on joining the Dramatics Society. The dilemma after coming was that there wasn’t any such society in Hindu at that time. ‘It was time that Ibtiba needed to come into being. And it did.’, he said.

The students seemed really delighted to meet him. One of the third years said, ‘He is so relatable. He is still as clueless about what he is going to do next as we are!’

Keep Reading
By