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The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

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Singularly depressing choices generally between letting your girlfriend die or seeing the world engulfed in flames may not send a cult superhero into a cold sweat but they can easily be considered avoidable. The superhero for his part has the consolation that by the time the credits start rolling in, the girlfriend would be in his arms and the world free of doomsday plotting villains (at least for the time being). Unfortunately, India caught up in a similarly precarious situation has no such assured ending to fall back on.

With an ever increasing energy demand, managing oil imports has become the first priority for India. Around 13% of these imports come from Iran. Under such circumstances, one can forgive India for wishing that Iran had not courted the wrath of India’s long time ally, Israel and the almighty West. But that is exactly what Iran has done by refusing to cut back on its ambition of becoming a nuclear capable state.

Recent events have only made matters worse. Iran has publicly expressed delight on the progress of its nuclear programs. If that wasn’t enough, a terror attack on an Israeli diplomat’s wife in India has conveniently been linked to Iran by the ever so enterprising Israel. All this has left India ropewalking an increasingly thinning rope with no safety net what so ever.

Up until now India has successfully managed to continue importing Iranian oil despite the increasing number of sanctions against the same. According to the latest Indo-Iranian deal, Iran is willing to accept 45% of the payment for oil in rupees. This will further strengthen trade ties between the two countries. Iran will probably use the acquired rupees on Indian goods.

USA and Europe have already placed an embargo on Iranian oil and NATO is continually encouraging other allies to follow suit. This, along with India’s professed commitment to the Non Proliferation Treaty, has politically obligated India to support NATO in its endeavours. Economically and practically, India cannot do without Iranian oil.

India has been at its non committal best on the issue and this for once seems to be the right policy to follow. It will be fool hardy now to cut off trade relations with Iran and equally suicidal to extend support to its operations. It therefore seems best to play the waiting game and while we are at it, we better send out the oil scouts. And ask them to hurry up.

 

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Events

AIESEC DU recruitment begins

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For all those who missed out in August, AIESEC in Delhi University’s February recruitment has kicked off and if you’re someone whose unsure of what the organisation is all about, how you can apply and the kind of work that one is required to do, we provide you a rather candid insight into the functioning of the organisation.

Present in over 110 countries and territories and with over 60,000 members, AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organisation. AIESEC India currently has 24 local chapters namely Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Bhubeneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Deccan, Delhi IIT, Goa, Hyderabad, IIT KGP, Indore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kolkatta, Lucknow, Manipal University, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Vidyanagar and Delhi University.

An AIESEC aspirant will have to go through a three round process which will include; a group discussion, team activity and personal interview. Group discussions have officially started today, the team activity will be a simulation of the work that AIESEC does, and the personal interviews will commence at a later stage. AIESEC Delhi University stands out in the national circuit for its innovative thought process and creativity, and so, thinking out of the box and having excellent communication skills will be essential to crack the personal interview.

“We at AIESEC engage people from all over the world to achieve meaningful ends. Its all about the experience. If you say you’re with AIESEC, you can be: a) doing an internship in any country of any continent, except Antartica, b) providing international human resource to companies like TCS c) running your own social development project d) doing a lot of cool value adding stuff like sales, marketing, design, communication, public relations e) having fun in life“, says Adhiraj Singh, Local Committee President(E), AIESEC in Delhi University.

He further puts an AIESEC stereotype to rest and states, “The popular belief among DU students is that AIESEC is a party organisation. And I must say that they’re right. We do party. But they miss the complete story, we work and party and thats the cool part about us. We don’t get paid for what we do (don’t frown please, we do get reimbursed) but for us AIESEC moments are worth a life time. So if you’re someone who wants to connect, learn and contribute, or simply want an awesome C.V. Then are three words for you, AIESEC Delhi University”

Still not convinced? Megha Dasgupta (Vice President, Talent Management, AIESEC DU) tells us why one should not miss out on this opportunity, “At 20, I managed the human resource of a 200 member Local Chapter, with knowledge of and experience with HR operations ranging from talent planning, induction, training and performance management. I have always been passionate about societal development and got an opportunity to lead a 10 member organizing committee that planned and delivered the social impact event “Udaan”, an initiative of AIESEC in Delhi University to bring out the artist in every child by providing underprivileged children in our city, the opportunity to exhibit their dormant talents by expressing them through cultural workshops and competitions and direct them towards quality educational opportunities, giving me holistic event management experience, with focus areas ranging from logistics, event funding, partnerships, working with NGOs and under privileged schools in Delhi and NCR”

She further adds, “AIESEC life is surreal. The whole journey and experience is inexplicable. Its a revelation every single day; be it the people, the work or the environment”

If you’re the lucky one who gets to call him/herself an AIESECer, you will get to work in one of the following departments of AIESEC in Delhi University.

Corporate Relations
The corporate relations department of AIESEC DU is the best in AIESEC India. It provides international interns to corporate fulfilling their short term HR requirements. Some of the clients are TAJ, TCS, FORTIS.

Development Sector
This department works for the welfare of the society by undertaking various social projects and also by providing interns to the NGO’s. It runs various projects on wide spread issues like Casteism, Environment, Child and Women Empowerment. The local chapter through one of its projects is also sponsoring the education of 30 children in Seemapuri

Educational Sector
It runs various projects in premier institutes and schools across Delhi and NCR, focusing on soft skill development, cultural education and language training.

Outgoing Exchange Sector
This department works in sending Indian students on international exchange programmes. It offers management, technical and social internships to students.

External Relations
This department handles sponsorships and various external partnerships for AIESEC DU.

Communications and Information Management
This departments handles the external branding of AIESEC DU, working with various media houses. Some of the organizations they’ve worked with are MTV, Red FM, NDTV.

Talent Management
This department manages the HR of the organisation handling 200 odd people.

Finance
This department manages the administration and finances of the organization. Also works on preparing and maintaining the budgets hosted by the organization.

So if you’re from North Campus or a student of LSR, Gargi or DCAC, or if you study in Amity University or any other private institution and want to be a part of the world’s largest youth run organization, then register here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVvU25WTFY4SFJKQW45ckp0dmZBRWc6MQ#gid=0AIESEC in Delhi University- Recruitment Registrations , 2012″

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Rural fellowship ruling the roost

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With the whole campus shifting its focus to the global scenario: international internships, foreign exchange programmes, internships with MNCs et al doing the rounds, a rural fellowship programme is quick to turn a few heads and raise a curious eye.

Poultry and pastures are perhaps the first thing that would come to ones mind when asked to define the term ‘rural’. However,a rural fellowship and the projects associated with it venture much deeper. Rural fellowships give you a chance to explore as well as study rural India in actuality. Also, the fellows are given an opportunity to work on the various issues directly concerning the particular region assigned to them. These projects generally address a range of issues  from microfinance, education, health and sanitation to child labour and agriculture .

What makes this programme so unique from is that one gets a first hand experience: instead of working on the issue from the comfort of your air conditioned room like any other ordinary work, you will the get the opportunity to reside with your host NGO in the village itself and work and live with the people, like the people, and study the problems of rural economy upfront.

iVolunteer India, in partnership with Sir Ratan Tata’s Trust, selects up to 20 students every year to go for a youth fellowship programme for six weeks to villages across the  country. The primary aim of all the fellows is to help make a difference in rural India by virtue of their talent and education.  As part of this year’s recently held fellowship programme, students from all over the varsity including colleges like Kirori mal college, Sri Venkateswara College St. Stephens. ,worked on  a variety of projects such as child rights in Dehradun ,microfinance and livelihood, Shubhangi Shukla from Miranda House is still helping to promote art as a subject in the region of Kumaon where they children have never seen a set of crayons in their life. States Udisha Saklani, a second year student of St. Stephens who worked in on a water and sanitation project in Uttarakhand, “This exposure should be mandatory for every student, as it helps you both on a personal and professional level and sensitizes you towards bigger, more real issues that apparently sixty percent of our economy suffers from. This fellowship helped me become aware of the same.” Deepti Khera, a mass communication student from Mumbai worked in the village of Kolwan, Pune with autistic and schizophrenic people. “It was a life changing experience. I initially felt odd living with the special friends 24/7. I was also hit by an autistic person. But I realized how much more sensitive these special people are than us. “, she says. The fellowship also further inspired her to get into rural reporting. Also, her experience helped her gain admission in one of the top five mass communication institutes of India. Thus, one cannot deny that a rural fellowship does wonders for your CV., especially if seeking a scholarship in universities abroad.

For those dynamic ones ready to sample India for what it really is, rural fellowships are an excellent avenue providing a zing to your resume and an opportunity to do something meaningful with your time.

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Your Beat

Of Independence and Ideology

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images

Happy Independence Day. Why day? Why happy? Most importantly why the Independence?

First and foremost, why must we celebrate an Independence DAY? Surely the massive struggle for Independence was not achieved in so insignificant and insulting a time as a day. It was a gut wrenchingly slow and dragging battle for which thousands of souls over far too many generations fought and died. It began from the first feelings of unrest among those suffering under the yoke of colonial oppression and continued till the last of the colonial overlords, wearied to the bone, finally took his leave of the land that had been to him successively a trading haven, a conquest, a property and a home.

Even if we do, in the impatience of contemporary life, choose to allot a mere day to acknowledge this monumental episode of our past, how can the complex emotions triggered by its memory be labeled by that grossly simplistic umbrella emotion: happy? It was a hard won independence, resulting as the result of a long drawn struggle, a world war, mutinies, marches and the silent protest of a nation wanting to exist. It inspired an utter cacophony of emotions. Feelings of relief, euphoria, thankfulness, bliss, bittersweet triumph and pure epiphany all swelled up when the realization dawned that this land was finally solidly ours. At the same time the joy was drenched in the sickening memories of partition, of violence which tore a country apart and the irreversible damage it wreaked. Will any amount of relief drown out the horror necessarily attached to the same historic incident? Surely the drowning cannot be so complete as to even leave behind an overall feeling of ‘happiness’ in its wake…

Finally, to tackle the issue of Independence: Why use such an uncompromising psychologically and socially relevant term to describe a historical victory? Our freedom from colonial rule was certainly a magnificent triumph leading to the re-assertion of our identity. However our country existed far before the British ever came seeking us. We have in turn been conquered and ruled by many invaders; most of whom got assimilated and became us while some were thrown back. Did we celebrate as Independence each little skirmish that led to an oppressive tribal chief, city chieftain or even king being ousted from power? However those fights won freedom too, highly valued by the victims in each case. Even today the struggle for independence is far from over. Whether it is a corrupt government, a negligent minister, an unfair law or even a tyrannical teacher, there will always be people trying to overpower us and deny us our rights. The fight against these oppressors can never cease as indeed our quest for finding new ways of defining and achieving freedom can never end.

Independence is a state of mind. It cannot be brought about unless every citizen truly feels free in our country. Perhaps when India can satisfactorily fulfill the needs of every person calling it home, protecting them and nurturing them, it will achieve that which is closest to ‘Independence with a capital I’- the selfsame one we so presumptuously celebrate each year.

However until that utopian ideal is achieved, let us be content with hoping that each one of us shall appreciate and acknowledge the multiple facets of one great historical achievement of our country, not an Independence but a more temporal albeit equally creditable struggle for freedom.

Here’s to a great victory!

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