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Indian Mythical Concepts: Way Ahead of Their Time

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From time immemorial, India has been the land of numinous and unsolved mysteries. Mysteries which are diffcult to explain leaving huge question marks in our minds.

Indian texts like the Vedas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana are loaded with fanciful tales of divine beings, their forces, and epic battles between them, which are claimed to have taken place long ago. Their adventures are generally perceived to be mythological sagas that are taken as allegories. These texts mention extremely powerful Gods who fought off evil forces with superhuman abilities, flying craft s, and weapons resembling those of modern ti mes. Hence, can we be certain that all these enigmatic sagas were allegoric or did they occur in reality?

• Vimana Technology

The word “Vimana” which can literally be translated to “traversing” has various meanings ranging from its use to describe a temple or palace to mythological flying craft s in various ancient Sanskrit Texts. Mentions of these flying machines are run-of-the-mill in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts. The Vimana has been described in ancient texts as craft s of various types. Some were land and seafaring vehicles, while others flew sometimes all the way to the moon or further.

• Time Travel Technology

Just as Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar makes reference to a “Miller Planet” (An ocean planet orbiting extremely close to a black hole), on which 9 hours are approximate to 63 Earth years (Due to close proximity to the Black Hole), the Mahabharata also has made a reference to a similar concept in one of its many stories about King Kakudmi of Kusasthali (ancient name of Dwarka, Gujarat), who along with his daughter Revati , travels to heaven to meet the Creator, Brahma, to seek advice for a suitable groom. When he returns to Earth, he’s surprised to learn that many ages have passed, as just a few seconds in Brahamalok was described equivalent to thousands of years on Earth. A concept similar to Einstein’s Theory Of Relativity, explaining that ti me runs differently on different planes of existence.

• Nuclear Technology

The “Drona Parva”, which was the seventh book of the Mahabharata consists of one of the weirdest and unexplainable stories which describe the crisis of war. Although this theme wasn’t unusual, since the central story of the epic itself was based on a battle between two sets of cousins, the book gives us some descriptions, which are similar to the aftermath of a nuclear war. The book mentions explosions so powerful, that leave animals screeching in agony, metal armour melting onto the bodies of the troops, pregnant women losing their babies, as well as a scarlet cloud in the sky which resembled flames of a fire, all of which sound like descriptions of nuclear war and its fallout. A theory was also formulated, suggesting that the Harappan Civilizati on may have been destroyed by such a nuclear event. There have been finds in Mohenjodaro of skeletons of a family holding hands and appear to be flattened as if they had died of a sudden occurrence. Some unverified accounts also say that some radioactive ash was also found initially when the site was excavated. However, the veracity of these accounts can’t be examined since there isn’t any evidence to support them.

Whether these stories of advance technologies in ancient Indian texts are a reflecti on of the past or just allegories, they surely do evoke a great amount of inquisitiveness.

Feature Image Credits: Ancient History Lists

Abhinandan Kaul

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The Hero with 300 Heroines of Bhuj 1971

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The third day of 1971 India Pakistan War marked some extraordinary efforts by the jawans & mahilas of our nation, this story of Bhuj airport often slips below the pages of history and today it’s recapitulation gets extremely essential. 

Ever since the great political upheaval of the division of erstwhile British India in 1947 resulted into the creation of Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the two nations have endured a great sense of acrimony that has garnered international recognition and massive surveillance of the two on each other’s activities. The two nations have an age-long history of skirmishes and the second edition of this tussle was witnessed in 1971 amidst the Bangladesh Liberation War.

The 1971 Indo Pakistan War was significant in many ways, be it as the largest military surrender after World War II; as one of the shortest wars of history or the first of a kind that resulted in a nation-state on the basis of language. The 1971 war was perhaps the first time when all three Indian forces fought together and once again provided testimony for the greatness of our defense administration. 

With the leadership of someone like Army Chief Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, the Indian Defense has a long list of valiant heroes whose stories have become an inevitable part of our lives. The 1971 war was no different and gave us some great war heroes that we can cherish all the more (seemingly ignoring the horrors and bloodshed that war endures, the cataclysmic effects are not to be discussed here). One such hero was Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik & the women of the Village of Bhuj.

It’s 8th December, two days since the war has found the bugle; both the belligerents have employed their best to retaliate one another, when fourteen Napalm Bombs were dropped from a squadron of Sabre Jets at the Indian Air Force Strip at Bhuj, Gujarat. The attack stripped the runway in bits and hence useless for the air force commandment. 

The Border Security Force who is normally entrusted with the responsibility in such cases was already engaged on the field, squadron leader Vijay Karnik with 50 IAF and 60 Defense Security Corps personnel were amidst an unpleasant state when local villagers from the village of Madhapur, Bhuj took the responsibility of repairing the airstrip and within the next 72 hours completed the assigned task. 

What is significant about this event apart from the short duration in which it was achieved, is the will and dedication of 300 amateur villagers who are clouded with the state of war and most of them were women. Yes, the mahila shakti was the force behind the army’s successful campaign. After the sarpanch, Jadhavjibhai Hirani asked the villagers for support, the village women wholeheartedly volunteered for the almost impossible task and did it within 72 hours, without thinking much about their lives they did their job continually someday without food and water away from their homes and family. The officers also had to take care of their security and ensure that the operation is carried without any casualty, this was ultimately achieved and was celebrated on 11th August at 4 pm when the first combat aircraft took from the airstrip successfully. 

Three years later the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi did offer gifts to these women, they humbly turned it down saying, “What we did was for our country.”

A war memorial called Virangana Smarak made under the aegis of the Central government was dedicated at Madhapur village of Bhuj in 2018 to commemorate the brave deed that the residents did for the sake of their country. This story will also be told again on the celluloid with Ajay Devgn in the lead role in ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’

This anniversary of the 1971 war we salute the heroes and the heroines of the war and thank them for their service. 

Faizan Salik

[email protected]

Image Credits: thebetterindia.com

Image Caption: The Women of Bhuj 1971 at Virangana Smarak

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Arts & Culture

What threatens the Indian Culture today?

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We all have heard or seen the so-called stakeholders of our culture, according to whom the Indian Culture is threatened by even trivial things like the relationship between two individuals or even a dress worn by someone but is this really the case?

The Indian culture today as I think of it is not harmed by what people do or follow of it but its harmed mostly by what people think of the Indian Culture. When we say that same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights were not and are not a part of the Indian culture, we are believing fallacious teachings. When we say that eating pork or eating beef is prohibited by Indian Culture then again we are mistaken. When I say Indian culture, I refer to Hinduism, as it is not just only a religion but it’s more of a culture, which has been shaping the lives of Indians irrespective of their religion for a very long time. Most people have misunderstood the Indian culture and thought of Hinduism as contemporary culture, whereas it is an ancient yet modern culture that has bettered over the years. Like, in Indian Culture we have the idea of polytheism but as none of the modern religions have that, many people try to mold the Indian Culture into a monotheistic ideas, as a result of which we have emergence of supreme godly figures like Rama, Krishna, Ganesha, etc., whereas according to our scriptures a Hindu isn’t obliged to worship anyone deity or power. Instead one can worship whatever helps them to live a better life. This is the exact reason why Hindus also pray mountains like Mt.Govardhan. The modern world is not able to easily understand Hinduism, which not only includes foreigners but also us Indians. India or Aryavrat as it was called earlier was often referred to as the land of seekers by Greeks and Romans, the reason for this is that Indians were known to have the freedom to question their faiths and beliefs. In the western world, the church often barred and even punished scientists. As a result of this, most of the researchers in the western world were atheists. They thus, advocated that science and religion can never grow or prosper together. Whereas when we come to India and even other ancient eastern civilizations like China, we see that most of the scientists here were in fact saints and sages. Moreover, they believed in religion as much as others did and maybe even more. Examples such as Sushruta, Charaka, Aryabhatta, etc. are proof of this theory.  We do not have only one scripture which is important to us but we have many, we have Vedas, we have the Puranas, we have the Upanishads, etc. on the other hand, we have various examples such as Maa Lakshmi, Maa Durga, Shakti, etc. as women whom we worship today as Devis or goddesses, which tells us how much the Indian culture respected the woman. Coming on the LGBTQ front, Brihanala, the great warrior of the epic Mahabharata was also part of the LGBTQ community and she never was discriminated upon by anyone instead she was a ‘Maharathi’ which is equivalent to a military general today and yet after millennia women today have to even prove that they are eligible for protecting their own motherland. The Indian culture was also very welcoming to foreign relations and foreign people and we as a culture have never sent out even one missionary to convert people forcefully into our religion and our culture as we thought that religion is something which is based on choice and not compulsion. These achievements of Indian society itself is the very answer to why Indian Culture is threatened. Today we have changed ourselves from a free society to one where questioning our own faith is perceived as sin. The so-called stakeholders of our culture have made us believe that God is supreme and questioning him would be iniquitous. We have been made to believe that if we eat a certain type of food then we world become sinners. We have been taught that in order to be content we have to follow someone blindly and that we can’t do that alone.

So, according to me the greatest threat that the Indian culture today faces is the molding of the Indian culture into a so-called contemporary culture which cannot understand the idea of welcoming everyone, thinking the world as a family, promoting LGBTQ and women equality rights, seeking for knowledge outside of scriptures and most importantly the freedom of being able to ask the one’s God questions and interpreting the God in one’s own way, as the Rig Veda says and I quote

“The supreme power is always one and his various qualities are what we worship as devtas.”

This tells us the Indian Culture promotes singularity and plurality together. Thus, to save our culture we have to make sure that we do not hesitate to ask questions on each and every aspect of our culture, we have to make sure that we never blindly follow any person or superstition and above all, we respect the personal faith of each individual around us. Our culture isn’t vulnerable to the clothes we wear or the food we eat but it is very much vulnerable to our own narrow mind-set.

Feature Image Credits: Navya Jindal for DU Beat

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Nehru, Roses & Edwina: Beyond Trysts of Destiny

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An idealist aristocrat, who embarked as the architect of Modern India devising a visionary socialism apt for a nation that submitted itself as a protege of Mahatma Gandhi – Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister or the first head servant as he preferred to be remembered as, perhaps can never falter to be the gargantuan manifestation of administration, patriotism, class and ‘love’. 

Nehru has certainly been identified as a leader who empathised with toiling peasants, cared for the innocent children, and above all served people with immense dedication and selflessness, but this stalwart of Indian history has a different aspect to his stern political nature supplemented by the last Vicereine of India – Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, that hovers several speculations and ‘conjectures’ around it. 

It is no mystery that amidst the political configurations about the partition of India, Congress leader ‘Jawaharlal’, whose name literally means the precious one, developed precious compatibility with Lady Mountbatten which had years to endure and millions of hearts to melt with the story of their bond. 

They did develop a profound relationship that was totally platonic, as mentioned by Pamela Hicks, Edwina’s daughter in her book ‘Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten’, “She found in Panditji the companionship and equality of spirit and intellect that she craved,” quotes Pamela with reference to her mother and Pt. Nehru. She further recounts the instances when she used to be with her parents and Pt. Nehru, and Nehru and Edwina used to get engrossed in each other’s words and compensated for each other’s yearning which cannot be put in other ways. 

Their relationship paved the ways for an epistolary series that are testimonies of their emotional outsets, deepening and perks as companions of shared emotional pedestal restricted by the same privileges, responsibilities, and realizations. 

What makes this relation a kind of its own is the various anecdotes that sacrament love in an unprecedented manner and leave everyone awe-inspired. From the beautiful letters that the man and countess exchanged daily until her death capturing personal, emotional, political and administrative concerns to the red roses that often found a place in these letters giving symbolism to their bond. Theses exact letters were found with Edwina on her death bed in 1960, according to her biographer and author of ‘Edwina Mountbatten: A Life of Her Own’ Janet Morgan, the American journalist John Gunther has rightly said, “Hardly a dozen men alive write English as well as Nehru,” and perhaps hardly any man is alive that can ‘love’ any well as Nehru. 

The aforementioned line can be affirmed by another story that narrates about an incident where Edwina confronts Nehru by saying that she will miss him when she leaves India, to which Nehru exquisitely suggests that every morning she can pluck a red rose from her garden and put it on her hair and he will pluck one from his branches to fill his pocket-hole, till the end of their lives. 

Although, Nehru never explained the reason for his fondness for red roses, some assumptions go around his symbolic reference to the red of Fabian Society, some say it is in memory of his late wife Kamala Nehru, who died in 1936. One story that is apparently led by Nehru’s sister, Krishna Hutheesing, and pushed by Nehru’s secretary MO Mathai, was that it was a tribute to a young girl who would stand to wait for him with a rose, this sounds romantically fanciful and suggestive to Lady Mountbatten, but no assured evidence could be thought of to support these assumptions. 

But it is assured and proven that every year Edwina would make way back to India to meet PM Nehru and Nehru would frequently pay visits to Edwina in London. Nehru makes frequent mentions of Edwina in his literary works and letters and in his farewell party for the Mountbatten’s prepared to leave India, Nehru addressed Edwina as, “Wherever you have gone, you have brought solace, you have brought hope and encouragement,” with the grief of Edwina going. 

If this love seems interesting, one can surely pick up Catherine Clement’s Edwina and Nehru: A Novel to check Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang’s testimony when he says, “If Shakespeare were alive today, he might not have written Anthony and Cleopatra but rather Jawahar and Edwina.”

Image Credits: The Telegraph

Faizan Salik

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Growing Disrespect for Heritage in India

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Slowly yet steadily, we see our monuments wearing and tearing away, taking away the glorious heritage that had been bestowed upon us. Let us look at what our role, as the posterity, should be.

Concentrated with a vast array of monuments and temples, the capital city of India, Delhi, presents itself as a hub of the Indian heritage. From the Red Fort in the North to the Tughlaqabad Fort in the south, comprising Humanyun’s Tomb, Jama Masjid, Jantar Mantar and numerous others lying in between, Delhi’s archaeological diversity knows no bounds. However, it is devastating to see the reverence for this diversity gradually fading away.

Do you remember the last time you visited Qutub Minar, or maybe Lodhi Garden with your friends or family? You must have noticed the walls and rocks, and even tree trunks, scribbled with hideous quotes like “Raju loves Pinky” or “Anjali + Prachi BFFs forever” or maybe simply “Gopal was here”. Honestly, it is highly doubted that one would care to find out whether Gopal visited Lodhi Garden or not.

It is hard to understand the thrill behind tainting these structures of such immense historical importance. One may say that the person wishes to “immortalise” his or her love for the other. But the question remains- at what cost? I find it fascinating to note that the scribbling is even found in places which is almost impossible to access without external support. I must say, I commend the dedication.

Very often people tend to go beyond simply scribbling their names or other abusive words; they use sharp objects and engrave them, especially where there is plastered work. One may not realise this but all these scribblings and engravings not only diminish the aesthetics of the monument but also degrade the quality, basically weakening the structural integrity following the pre-existing wear and tear resulting due to the time factor.

“Institutes like the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), Aga Khan Trust, and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have been crucial in the renovation and restoration of our age-old monuments. It is sad to see the disservice we, as a society, render to these places of antiquity by defacing them or littering them. A feeling of pride that comes from our cultural heritage and history can only be sustained if we individually try to preserve what our ancestors have left behind,” says Shankar Tripathi, a history student from Hindu College.

Apart from this observed vandalism, the disregard towards the heritage can be seen in other forms. Go back to the last time you visited one of these monuments. Do you remember noticing young couples cozying up in some corner thinking they are invisible to the common eye? All these historical sites have today become merely a hotspot for lovers to unite being completely aloof towards the aesthetics that surround them.

Most people these days aren’t aware of the glorious history preceding these monuments; the journey that led them to exist in the first place. This tends to bring about a lack of appreciation for what these structures truly stand for. Heritage means different things to different people. The material traces found in the monuments are now merely an object of entertainment. Disheartening as it is, every day we stray further away from this heritage of our country, remaining ignorant towards its importance and values.

Heritage awareness remains an integral component of heritage conservation. Lack of such awareness among the public at large is one of the major reasons behind the damages faced. There is a serious need to change the public attitude and re-establish the feeling of respect and pride that we, as citizens of India, must experience towards the glorious cultural heritage that our ancestors have bestowed upon us.

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi

Aditi Gutgutia

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DUB News

DU Oversight Committee Approves Syllabus for Four Subjects

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On the recommendations of the oversight committee, the competent authority has approved the syllabus for English, Political Science, History and Sociology.

The oversight committee put in place for the revision of the syllabus for first-year undergraduate courses at the University of Delhi (DU) has approved the changes in the curriculum of four subjects – English, Political Science, History and Sociology, and has asked the departments to consider some of its recommendations.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, in letters to the departments, the DU Deputy Registrar has notified that the syllabus for the first semester of Political Science, English, History, and Sociology as well as the syllabus of the General Elective papers for the same has been screened by the competent authority.

It has also been recommended that the updated and complete curriculum is to be uploaded by the departments on their website to invite consultations and suggestions from the student body. The committee has also directed that the syllabus, after revisions and edits, will then have to be submitted for final approval by 31st October 2019.

Amidst protests, the DU Executive Council had returned the syllabus submitted for undergraduate programmes for these key subjects to their respective departments. The syllabus was met with objections raised by some teachers and students, who protested that the revised syllabus was intended to put forth a right-centric ideology.

The Oversight Committee had given the respective departments a deadline till 31st July 2019 to complete the revision process of the syllabus, after taking into account the objections raised by different members.

Meanwhile, DU has asked its Executive Council (EC) to consider the change in modalities of the School of Open Learning (SOL) and Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) by conducting semester-wise examinations like DU.

The council stated that the agenda of the meeting was notified to them just a day before the meeting, so they weren’t given sufficient time. EC member Rajesh Jha told The New Indian Express that the members were not given enough time to consult the stakeholders of this decision. He also added that many of the EC members couldn’t even attend the meeting.

Feature Image Credits: News18

Bhavya Pandey

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Admissions 2019

DUSU Forms Students’ Forum to Review Syllabus

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According to a press release, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) formed an open forum for ‘scrutiny of undergraduate curriculum’.

The Delhi University Students’ Union formed ‘Student’s Open Forum for Scrutiny of Under Graduate Curriculum’ (SOFSUGC)  for ‘Scrutiny of Curriculum’. This move comes after the controversy over the English syllabus, which the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) opposed as leftist propaganda.

Through the open forum, the DUSU will submit its report to the Heads of Departments of English, Sociology, Political Science and History, after seeking students’ views on the syllabus. In the press release, the DUSU urges the head of departments to review and consider the committee’s suggestions. The forum is expected to submit its report by 30th July, just five days after its formation. The DUSU expects the Heads of Departments to hold a meeting of the syllabus drafting committee only after the DUSU submits its report. 

DUSU President Shakti Singh said “It is important to listen to the suggestions of the students in the context of syllabus and to implement the relevant suggestions as the students are also stakeholders in the decision of the University and any decision has a direct and first effect on them. This committee will democratise the process of syllabus drafting.”

DUSU Joint Secretary Jyoti Chaudhary said, “We have already made it clear that students should not be on the losing end. If the syllabus drafting committee had adopted democratic process in the past, the students would not have suffered like this. We hope that the syllabus review committee of above mentioned departments will discuss the suggestions of the students and the false propaganda made by the left will come to an end and we students will be on track to study.”

However, students seem to be disgruntled by the move. “I think the syllabus offered to us is quite alright, and as for students we actually do not  know what syllabus we actually need, so consulting the HoD is needed,” said Suman, a third-year Political Science student from Ramjas College.

 “The demand to alter or change the content being studied is not only an attack on the academic right of a student but also on the core fundamentals on which a University stands. Personally, I have no confidence in the ABVP backed DUSU, therefore if a student forum is formed by DUSU, I doubt that the suggestions made by the forum will be free from bias. Moreover, I do not think it is appropriate to change or alter the syllabus which has been recommended after years of studies by eminent scholars based solely on suggestions made by a student forum,” adds Noihrit, a second-year History student at Ramjas College.

This puzzling move leaves one wondering why only four departments from the humanities and social sciences were targeted for this students’ forum. The accessibility of this forum and the details of its members are still unknown. DU Beat reached out to Sidharth Yadav, the media secretary of ABVP who remained unavailable to comment. 

Feature Image Credits: Saubhagya Saxena for DU Beat

Jaishree Kumar

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Campus Central

Controversy Over Proposed Syllabus Changes of Undergraduate Courses

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Recent proposals for changes in the syllabi of various undergraduate courses have sparked opposition from the teaching staff, and the ABVP.

Controversy over academic matters arose in the  University of Delhi (DU), with some members of the Standing Committee and the Academic Council (AC), along with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) taking objections to some of the proposed changes in the syllabi of various undergraduate courses.

The controversy has taken the form of opposition from Academic Council members and protests by the ABVP, which some had alleged to have turned hostile.

The Background

A report in The Hindu stated that changes in the syllabus proposed by the English department of the University were opposed in a meeting of the Standing Committee to review the Undergraduate syllabus on 11th July. Among the proposals was the inclusion of study materials related to the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and use of Hindu deities in the reading of Queer Literature.  

Similar was the case with the English Journalism syllabus. As reported by The New Indian Express on 15th July, objection was raised by some members of the Academic Council over the inclusion of chapters about Muzaffarnagar riots, and instances of lynchings.

On 17th July, The Indian Express reported about the syllabus changes of other courses and the objections that came along with them. These included syllabi of History, Political Science and Sociology, along with English. The report stated that the Academic Council “referred the syllabus of English and History back to the respective departments for reconsideration, thereby refusing to pass it as it is.” The report further read, “On the syllabi for Political Science and Sociology, some AC members said they too had been sent back for modification, while others claimed they were passed with ‘minor modifications’.”

Who objected and why?

Professor Rasal Singh, a member of the Academic Council, had raised objections regarding the syllabus changes. He alleged that in the story Maniben Alias Bibijaan – a background to the 2002 Gujarat riots – RSS and its affiliate organisations like Bajrang Dal were shown in a “very bad manner”, and were portrayed as “looters” and “murderers”.

He further said that in the syllabus proposed by the English department, “Gods Vishnu, Shiv, Kartikeya and Ganesh were depicted as part of the LGBT community. The sources and evidence for these were secondary sources like ‘Same Sex Love in India’ written by Leftists on the basis of foundational texts of Indian culture such as the Bhagavata Purana, Skanda Purana, and Shiva Purana.” He also alleged that “too much Literature was being incorporated in a paper like ‘Communication Skills’. Instead of core courses like ‘Indian Writing in English’, new papers such as ‘Literature and Caste’ and ‘Interrogating Queerness’ were started.”

Regarding the History department, he said that “[topics about] Rajput history, Amir Khusrau, Sher Shah Suri and Babasaheb Ambedkar were removed from the syllabus. In the ‘Democracy on Work’ course, only the history of Naxalism and the Left have been included.”

He also said that the topics related to the Vedic society, the joint family, village swaraj, and “basics of Indian cultural thought such as environmental discussions and nature worship” were removed from the Sociology syllabus. On the Political Science front, according to Mr Singh, Maoism had been included in the course on ‘Indian Social Movements’, while other social movements like the Ramakrishna Mission, Arya Samaj, Brahma Samaj, and Khudai Khidmatgar were removed.

Mr Singh also alleged that the English department had not complied with the format and instructions of the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) and instead of a 30 percent change in the syllabus, close to a 100 percent change had been done.

The syllabus showed “tremendous predominance of leftist ideology and a ceaseless opposition towards nationalist ideology, Indian culture and the RSS,” Mr Singh said.

The ABVP, the student-wing of the RSS, organised a protest on 15th July, against the “inclusion of false facts relating to Hinduism and nationalist organisations.” The ABVP also demanded for the “inclusion of elected office bearers of Delhi University Students’ Union in the Academic Council,” as per a press release made by the student organisation on 16th July.

While some alleged that the ABVP tried to “barge into” the Vice Chancellor’s office and demanded that the Heads of Department of English and History, and Academic Council member Saikat Ghosh be “handed over to them,” the student organisation maintained that the protest was “peaceful.”

“Following the protest of ABVP yesterday, Delhi University administration has withdrawn the proposed syllabus of Political Science, English, History and Sociology courses for revision and decided to retain 5 students as members in the Academic Council,” said Ashutosh Singh from the ABVP.

Note – Mr Ghosh could not respond to requests for comments by the time of publishing of this report. This report would be updated as and when he does.

Similar instances in the past

In October last year, the ABVP had objected to the appointment of historian Ramachandra Guha as the Shrenik Lalbhai Chair Professor of Humanities and the Director of the Gandhi Winter School at the Ahmedabad University’s School of Arts and Sciences. Pravin Desai, the ABVP Secretary for Ahmedabad city was quoted in The Indian Express as saying, “We said that we want intellectuals in our educational institutes and not anti-nationals, who can also be termed as ‘urban Naxals’. We had quoted anti-national content from his [Guha’s] books to the Registrar. We told him, the person you are calling is a ‘Communist’. If he is invited to Gujarat, there would be a JNU-kind ‘anti-national’ sentiment.”

Following this, Mr Guha announced that he would not be taking up this position due to “circumstances beyond my control.”

Counter-protests

Some student organisations have condemned the ABVP’s protests. Organisations such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Collective, and others had called for a ‘joint protest’ on 17th July at the Arts Faculty, to “save our critical thinking universities and textbooks from communal forces.”

Amarjeet Kumar Singh from AISA said, “We demand that the syllabus should be decided by the Academic Council and not by the ABVP.”

Feature Image Credits: Various.

Prateek Pankaj

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Admissions 2019

Discovering DU: Indraprastha College for Women

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The University of Delhi (DU) is famous for a lot of things. From the food to the gala experience the University offers, there’s something more that lies hidden in plain sight, something that’s at the heart of DU’s life: the acclaimed architecture with its glorious history. Dig in deep to explore how Indraprastha College for Women stands as one of the tall bearers of DU’s proud architectural history.

Fests? Check.

fest

Politics? Check.

election

Protests? Check.

protest

Apart from the quintessential characteristics which are often associated with the University of Delhi, one seemingly evident, yet highly ignored one is that of the architectural history that the University has to offer, be it to its students, professors or the celebrities and stars.

Bollywood has been a great contributor in bringing out the campus life on the big screen, showcasing DU to the world; mirroring the liberty, expressions,  and emotions which buzz through the DU experience.

Shooting of the film Raazi (2018) at Miranda House, University of Delhi
Shooting of the film Raazi (2018) at Miranda House, University of Delhi

The architectural history of DU is one which is associated with the culture of British architecture, remnants of the freedom struggle, the graffiti art, walls of democracy, and well, the famous red walls.

It is this heritage of the architectural history, which DU has carried forward with itself. This heritage that has survived the tests of times and has become an integral part of the college and University experience a student gains here at DU.

Looking up at the architectural history, Indraprastha College for Women is one such gem of DU that boasts of a rich and glorious past.

Indraprastha College for Women- 95 years of excellence.
Indraprastha College for Women- 95 years of excellence.

Formerly the residence-cum-office of the British Army’s Commander-in-Chief, the college is famous for its quiet ambience transporting you back to the era of the British the moment you step into its campus.

Being the oldest women’s college of the University, the college offers the charm of the past in its aura. Founded by Annie Besant, the college still speaks of its glorious past, both via the structures as well as the discussions in the campus.

The college building has been declared a heritage building by the Government of NCT of Delhi, as well as a recognised heritage site, thereby strengthening the deep historical ties the college holds with history.

The colonial architecture greets you as soon as you step into the college, with the presence of two pavilions situated at the entry that comprise of the elegant Roman Tuscan columns.

As one moves ahead and stands before the main heritage building, the rich infrastructure captures attention. The British colonial architecture featuring wide arches, massive wooden doors, square columns, and a pristine white building against the backdrop of a small fountain, gives the college the appearance of being straight out of an English classic.

The college also comprises of a museum and archives centre wherein lies an amazing collection of photographs, artefacts, articles and magazines which date back to the early 1920s.

So, what are you waiting for? The rich history of IP College awaits for you to discover it!

Feature Image Credits: Times of India, Hindustan Times, DU Beat Archives.

Amrashree Mishra

[email protected]

 

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Admissions

Course Profile: B.A. (Honours) History

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With 90 colleges and 87 departments, the Delhi University (DU) provides a plethora of courses. Some of these are constantly in high demand by students. In this series, DU Beat looks at some of these courses.

B.A. (Honours) History

What is the course about?

A highly popular course, History Honours is constantly in demand across colleges.

Its curriculum covers various aspects of both Indian and world histories in with respect to chronology, with core papers including History of India, Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient and Medieval World, Rise of the Modern West, History of Modern Europe among others. The electives including History of the USA, History of the USSR, Gender in Indian History, Modern Southeast Asia and so on.

What are some top colleges for this course?

History Honours is offered at many colleges. Some of the most sought after ones include St. Stephen’s College, Ramjas College, Hindu College, Hansraj College, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Miranda House, among others.

What are some good career options?

Many students choose History as their undergraduate course with an aim to clear civil service examinations. History is considered a very important and scoring paper for the highly coveted Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.

Others who are interested in the subject take it up to pursue museology, archaeology, academia and the like. Yet other options include law, journalism and media, art history, social service and policy making.

Are there any notable alumni?

Many former students who had studied History at DU have gone on to become accomplished personalities in multiple fields. Some of them include:

  • Atishi, Politician
  • Huma Qureshi, Actor
  • Ranjan Gogoi, Chief Justice of India
  • Ravish Kumar, Journalist
  • Shashi Tharoor, Lok Sabha MP and former diplomat

What do students say about this course?

According to Nandini Pillai, a first-year History Honours student at Hindu College, “If you’re keenly devoted to the subject, it is one of those subjects that will make you an excellent researcher. Considering how we live in an era of fake news, gaslighting, post-truth politics, the significance of the skills that history as a subject equips you with, has increased.”
Sharvi Maheshwari, an outgoing student of Miranda House says, “The way the course is structured not only teaches us about what happened at a certain point in time, but also makes us understand why it is relevant in today’s times. Furthermore, History Honours in DU is a veritable multi-disciplinary course which combines principles of Sociology, Political Science, etc., and has non-generic papers to make the study more holistic.” Maheshwari also adds that the faculty takes special care to organise field trips and is very informed in their subject.

 

The 2018 cut-off lists for different colleges can be viewed here: Cut-offs 2018

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Prateek Pankaj
[email protected] 

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