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Revision of DU Syllabus Invites Friction from the Faculty

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11 departments and one college were asked to prepare a first draft of the revised curriculum by 29th March; each department was to come up with a minimum of four drafts before finalising.

The University of Delhi (DU) has yet again asked the heads of 11 departments and Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) to start revising the curriculum of their undergraduate courses and introduce the revised syllabus in the 2019-20 academic session.

The varsity’s undergraduate curriculum revision committee (2019) wrote to the heads of 11 departments, which comprised of computer science, history, botany, music, zoology, Sanskrit, microbiology and environmental studies, and the administration of Indraprastha College for Women, with a revision schedule, asking them to “abide by it”.

This pronouncement received criticism from the faculty members who were displeased by the bypassing of the democratic steps that are to be followed in reforming the syllabi. They called it a “serious statutory violation”. The members of the Executive Council (EC) and Academic Council (AC) wrote to Yogesh Tyagi, the Vice-Chancellor of the varsity, against the “manner” of this revision.

Rajesh Jha, an EC member, said to Hindustan Times, “As per DU rules of revising syllabus, the departments would root the draft of revised curriculum through individual committees of all courses offered by any department. It is then sent to each faculty for approval. It is further passed by the standing council before going for a discussion in AC. Then the final draft is passed by the EC. The university has bypassed all these steps.”

The EC and AC members have requested Tyagi to withdraw the communication. “The schedule was prepared without any consultation with the statutory bodies. So, we request you to revise the UG syllabi in a statutory and democratic manner and withdraw all the communications concerned,” states the letter.

The schedule orders the departments to constitute their respective committees and prepare the first draft of the new syllabus by 29th March. A minimum of four drafts have to be sent before deciding on the final one, which is to be submitted to the respective Heads of Departments (HoD).

The Undergraduate Curriculum Revision Committee also asked the HoDs to make public the draft, and to invite suggestions from all the stakeholders.

The flipside to the current air of resistance from the faculty, and a reform in the current syllabus is not just appreciated, but needed. “Being a premier university, the revised curriculum is not only going to help our prospective students but would also set a trend for many other universities,” the committee’s statement said. However, it is the untimely and unconstitutional method of doing things that the student and the faculty communities collectively have a problem with.

Even in 2016, the History elective paper was entirely changed two months into the semester, marring the efforts of the students and teachers alike, and was met with opposition because a substantial investment went to waste. To avoid these confusions, a democratic process in a central university like DU must be adhered to.

Feature Image Credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

Maumil Mehraj

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Campus Central

Say No to Drugs: Faye D’Souza at IPCW

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As a step towards spreading awareness about abusive drug consumption by students, Mirror Now, a National News television channel hosted a debate at Indraprastha College for Women, to have a one-on-one conversation with the students.

 

Ms. Faye D’Souza, the Executive Editor at Mirror News, along with five panelists, hosted a debate in the campus of Indraprastha College for Women on Thursday, August 31, 2017, in the college’s auditorium. The panel included a practicing advocate and member of the Bharatiya Yuva Janata Morcha, a pediatrician with significant contribution in the field, the DCP of Delhi police, a script writer hailing from the Bollywood industry, and a student of the college.

With the aim of initiating a dialogue between the general consumers of drugs and those opposing the consumption, D’Souza started by discussing its easy accessibility around educational institutes by taking the Hyderabad drug bust case as an example. Inviting opinions from one of the panelists, Nandini Suri, who is also a student of the college, the panelists discussed about the urgent need of enabling a communication about the issue at a national level, between the country’s leaders and the general masses. One of the panelists who is a practicing advocate at the Supreme Court and a member of the Bhartiya Yuva Janata Morcha, the student wing of Bharatiya Janata Part (BJP), talked about the provisions in the Indian Constitution that prevent the illegal circulation and consumption of drugs, which widened the debate’s horizon to the connection between drug consumption and the law’s role in curbing it.

Further opening the debate to the audience which primarily comprised of students from the college, various concerns and angles about the issue came to the fore. The primary issue discussed was the vulnerability of an average teenager, and the corruptibility of the Police Force which has enabled a manifold increase in such rackets across the country. The debate included the aftermaths of abusive drug consumption, however casual or occasional it may be. One of the panelists, the DCP of Delhi Police added, how even casual or occasional consumption of drugs facilitates other rackets including human trafficking etc. The students also raised questions about the validation provided to drugs’ or alcohol consumption, majorly by Bollywood and/or the entertainment industry, and its subsequent influence on teenagers.

 

Faye D’Souza, in her concluding note, welcomed solutions to fight the problem, where one of the panelists put forward “flipping the peer pressure” as one of the solutions that might prevent many teenagers from being consumed by this culture of abuse.

With the debate, Mirror Now took their responsible step towards preventing an entire generation which is at stake.

 

Feature Image Credits: Priyal Mahtta for DU Beat

 

Priyal Mahtta

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Daulat Ram College

Admit Card Blunder Leaves Students Miffed

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Many students studying Journalism Honours and Psychology Honours under CBCS guidelines received information about the Skill Enhancement Course’s external and internal assessments’ final marks distribution from their college’s faculty members close to the date of their final examination. With the dates of receiving this information varying in different colleges, students from Journalism Honours in Kamala Nehru College (KNC) learnt about the same from their teachers hours before their examination. Interestingly, the confusion of the Psychology Honours’ batch of Daulat Ram College (DRC) was clarified only upon receiving the question paper.

The discrepancy was found out in various colleges upon receiving the admit card. Students of Journalism Honours in KNC and Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) found a 50-50 marks distribution for external and practical assessment for SEC in their admit cards. While KNC students had been studying the course keeping the 50-50 distribution in mind, LSR students were uncertain as they had been following the 75-25 marks distribution, with 25 being allotted for internal assessment. Students from other colleges also underwent similar confusion. “Our admit cards said that the SEC paper that was documentary production would be of 50 marks. But the paper actually was for 75 marks.”, said Aditya, a Journalism Honours student from DCAC.

The situation varied across different colleges and different departments. In certain colleges, the final distribution came to the students’ knowledge quite late, while in certain colleges like Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW), there had been no discrepancy about the same neither in the admit cards, nor with the faculty.

The entire situation around the distribution of marks created confusion and hustle among students. “We were pretty confused since we didn’t know how the marks would be divided and how we are supposed to answer had it been for 50 marks.”, said Utkarsha, a Psychology Honours student from Daulat Ram College, where no clarification from the faculty had been received regarding the SEC Emotional Intelligence paper.

DU Beat reached out to faculty members, but received no comments from their end. There is still uncertainty whether the discrepancy had been for the Journalism Honours and Psychology Honours courses only.

Such action by the college administration as well as the faculty members makes us question whether the students’ best interests are really at heart. After all the formalities and unnecessary steps the students are forced to go through to receive their admit cards, such a massive error with regards to the marks distribution is a careless mistake by the authorities. Students who prepared accordingly, having faith in the college administration and the teachers, were shocked on the day of the examination. With all the buzz around exams and the pressure on students, why was this matter handled so inadequately by the authorities?

 

Priyal Mahtta
[email protected]

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Indraprastha College for Women

Signs 2017- The Annual English Literary Festival of IPCW

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IPCW

The English Literary Society of Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) organized its Annual English Literary Festival- Signs 2017 on 21st and 22nd March, 2017. The event being divided over two days included many events including competitions, talks, poetry reading etc. With celebrated guest speakers, the Literary Event was attended by students and teachers from across the University.

“Windows and Frames”, the annual theme for the English Literary Society, the first day included a paper presentation competition, where undergraduate students from across the University presented diverse perspectives on the given theme. With discussions varying from voyeurism to Chiaroscuro, the event saw a sea of ideas flowing in. From among the various papers presented, Muskan Nagpal and Ishan Mahendru from Hansraj College bagged the first and second prize respectively, while the third prize was won by Sumedha Anand from IPCW. The day proceeded by boosting the spirits of all the Potter Heads, through the Harry Potter Quiz where the all the fans of the series competed to prove their fandom.

The second day commenced with the release of the English Literary Society’s Annual Journal – Inkspill by the college’s Principal, Dr. Babli Moitra Saraf. Congratulating the Society and the English Department of the College on the release of the Journal, the Principal addressed the audience and threw light upon all the events organized by the society throughout the year. The address was followed by a heart warming poetry reading session by the famous Poet, Teacher and Lover, Hoshang Merchant. The poet being the author of numerous poetry books and the first gay anthology – Yaraana: Gay Writings from India captivated the audience by his poetry. Next was a talk by Ms. Sheela Reddy, the author of the book, Mr and Mrs Jinnah- The Marriage That Shook India. The author, being an active Journalist shared with audience her experience of writing the novel while peeping into the old and forgotten history of Jinnah. The event closed by a slam poetry competition organized in the College’s beautiful lawns. The event wrapped up with a vote of thanks.

Priyal Mahtta

 [email protected]

 Image Credits: Tamanna Rafique from IPCW

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DUB News

IPCW hosts Conference on “Dilli: Perspectives on Delhi”

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The Centre for Inter-Disciplinary Studies, Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW); organised a Conference on “Dilli: Perspectives on Delhi” on October 6, 2016. The College hosted speakers with years of experience in the study of various aspects of Delhi. Encompassing issues from Ancient Delhi Architecture to Makeshift Bazaars, the event gave deep insights into the capital city’s cultural understanding.

The first session, with the theme – Delhi’s Cultural Heritage opened with the Delhi Heritage virtuoso, Mr. Sohail Hashmi’s presentation. His address included an in depth historical explanation of Delhi’s architectural and religious culture He also put forth and attempted to break certain myths attached to Islamic architecture. The second speaker, Ms. Fauzia, an expert in Old Delhi Culture; familiarised the audience to ‘Dilli ke lehaze’– the long lost linguistic culture of Old Delhi.

Centered at ‘Equitable Access to Delhi’s Resources’, the second session witnessed speakers Mr. Ashutosh, Spokesperson of AAP and filmmaker Mr. Shaunak Sen presenting some eye-opening realities of the Delhi’s common man. Mr. Ashutosh, in conversation with Ms. Poornima Joshi, political editor, the Hindu; discussed the Delhi Government’s efforts in improving health, education and the bijli-pani concerns of the populace. Filmmaker, Shaunak Sen, on the other hand, presented clips from his documentary, ‘Cities of Sleep’ highlighting the issue of sleep shelters in various parts of Delhi. The screening was followed by a discussion on the issues highlighted.

The post lunch session with the theme –‘The Tragedy of Delhi’s Commons’ had Mr. Manoj Kumar Mishra; who has been working for the cause of reviving River Yamuna for over a decade, present to the audience, the miserable condition of the River through a series of slides. He also pointed out the possible solutions to revive the Lifeline of the city. The next speaker; Dr. Sunil Kumar, Professor at the Department of History, University of Delhi, talked about ‘The Medieval History of Saket region ‘. He also elaborated on the geographical history of the water bodies in the Lashkargah and Quila Rai Pithora area.

Towards the last session of the Conference, speakers Mohammad Sayeed, Ms. Samprati Pani and Mr. William F. Stafford focused on issues that lay close to the common man, ‘Making Space in Delhi: Ethnographic Explorations’. Speaker Mohammad Sayeed threw light on the issue of unauthorized housing and its consequences in particular areas of the city. Ms. Samprati Pani, highlighted the culture of Makeshift Bazaars in Delhi, their modern face and their influence on the life of Delhi commons. As the last speaker of the session, William F. Stafford discussed about the convergence of modes of transportation. He further talked about the common mode of transport, the auto rickshaw, as a symbol to understand public transactions.

The first Conference, from Series 1 of ‘Dilli: Perspectives on Delhi’ came to its close, with a vote of thanks by the College fraternity to the guest Speakers.

Image Credits
Priyal Khattar

Priyal Khattar
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Indraprastha College for Women

IPCW’s Political Science Dept. hosts a National Conference on its Golden Jubilee

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Indraprastha College for Women, known for its distinguished presence as a women’s educational institution, marked the Golden Jubilee of its Department of Political Science and organised a National Conference on 15th-16th September, 2016, for the same.

The two-day long Conference, themed around Women, State and Power: Reflections on Democracy witnessed several eminent Speakers. The Chief Guest, Ms. Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Chairperson of National Commission for Women, New Delhi, along with the Guest of Honour, Ms. Indu Agnihotri, Director and Professor at the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi, directed the course of the conference in their opening address. Ms. Kumaramangalam, through her speech, encouraged the young audience to think before accepting the deeply ingrained practices of the patriarchal society. Ms Agnihotri further explained the  significance of keeping the movement for women’s rights alive in all phases despite the challenges the society poses. 

The Principal, Dr. Saraf, welcomed one of the founder members of the department, Dr. Sushil Bharadwaj, as a special guest for the Conference. The first session witnessed Prof. Mary. E. John as the Chair, and Dr. Jagmati Sangwan and Prof. Ujjwal Kumar Singh as speakers. The theme for the first session, State and the Institutions of Democratisation, was discussed with special reference to honour killings and electoral politics. 

The first Speaker, Jagwati Sangwan, the National General Secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association, is a name synonymous with Women’s Rights in the State of Haryana. She shared her knowledge and experiences on honour killings’ victims and the State’s response. Professor Ujjwal Kumar Singh, the former Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, spoke about the State, Democracy and Legitimacy in India and presented some eye opening realities to the audience. With startling facts, he left the audience wondering about the nature and the current status of the State.

The second session, chaired by Dr. Babli Moitra Saraf ,themed at Politics of Culture and Identity, hosted Prof. Mary John, Professor and Senior Fellow at CWDS, Delhi, and Prof. Madhu Kishwar from the CSDS as speakers. Prof. John talked about the participation of women in electoral politics, and framed a trajectory of the ups and downs the movement has gone through. Prof. Kishwar, on the other hand, elaborated on the multilevel nature of identities.

The Conference opened on the second day with three eminent speakers having expertise on topics that concern women inadvertently. Chaired by Dr. Anupama Roy, the panelists, Dr. Madhulika Banerjee, Prof. Nandini Sundar and Ms. Aparna Moitra discussed about gender perspective in development and ecology. The first Speaker, Dr. Banerjee, talked about gender, knowledge and medicine – its recipe and formulation- and the role of the state in the same. The second speaker, Prof. Nandini, then enlightened the audience about the problems faced by women due to changes in their environment, encompassing every definition of change – from climatic to social change. The third speaker, interestingly, presented to the audience the case of Henvalvani Community Radio, Uttarakhand, and reflected upon hill women’s perceptions and articulations about climatic change.

The concluding sessions of the conference took a completely different turn, when real life fighters shared their stories of struggle and violence. Under the theme, State and Structures of Violence, founder of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, Ms. Parveena Ahanger and acid attack survivor, Ms. Laxmi shared their survival stories. This being the most emotionally charged sessions of the conference evoked many opinions, questions and condolences, from the audience’s side.

Image credits: Nilakshi Basumatary and Asmita Jagwani
Image credits: Nilakshi Basumatary and Asmita Jagwani

The celebration ended with the College Principal’s words of wisdom, along with cultural performances such as a dance recital on Draupadi by Gargi Goswami, and a play titled Mooch Neech Ka Papda, by the college’s dramatics society, Abhivyakti. The play, showcasing gendered stereotypes, was received by a huge round of applause by the audience. With this, the 2-days long National Conference commemorating 50 years of the Political Science department closed with countless ideas and questions to ponder upon.

Featured Image Credits: Nilakshi Basumatary and Asmita Jagwani, Dept. of Political Science, IPCW

Priyal Mahtta

 

 

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Indraprastha College for Women

IPCW organises a talk by Dr. Shirshendu Chakrabarti

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The English Literary Society of Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) organised a talk by Dr. Shirshendu Chakrabarti on 8th September,2016. The talk was based on the topic, “The Eighteenth Century City : The Insanity and the Insane”. It was chaired by the college principal, Dr. Babli Moitra Saraf, who is also a senior member of the English Department.

Dr. Saraf, while welcoming Dr. Chakrabarti introduced the audience to his credentials. Dr. Chakrabarti has been teaching in the English Department of St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi; for over 40 years, and is a globally known figure in the English Literature sphere. He has authored a book on Tagore called ‘Towards an Ethics and Aesthetics of the Future: Rabindranath Tagore 1930-41’. He has also written various scholarly articles on 18th century, and has now devoted himself to the study of Tagore.

The talk started by discussing the major aspects in which the city grew and attained modernity. He then talked about the reality of the 18th century, that is, the ‘Polarisation of the Polite and the Popular’. Under popular literature, he elaborated on the separation of ‘Sanity and Insanity’, and how this idea of separation finds its space in the 18th century city. During the course of the talk, Dr. Chakrabarti made various references to London and the Shakespearean City. He further elaborated on the Shakespearean City and its social aspects. The talk moved further down in the discussion of squalor and crime in the 18th century city.

Towards the end, a question and answer session was held, in which the literature enthusiasts of the college and guest attendees delved into a deeper discussion of the subject. The gathering and members of the IPCW LitSoc then expressed their gratitude by a standing ovation and round of applause.

Image Credits: Prof. Kanav Gupta from IPCW

Priyal Mahtta

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Beyond the Obvious of Delhi University Colleges

Spotlight: Indraprastha College for Women

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20-06-2016 06.38.57 The college is situated in the posh area of Civil Lines with an excellent metro connectivity from the college walls. Yes, the college has its own Metro Gate!

Infrastructure:

Free periods are mostly spent in the college’s circular canteen, the library, bleachers, back lawns, gymnasium, tut-rooms, front lawns, pavilions or even empty classrooms. In winters especially, one can find girls sunbathing in the college field or soaking the sunlight in the back lawns. [gallery size="medium" ids="43088,43089,43093,43090,43092,43091,43095,43094,43096"]

What to do in between classes:

  •  The only neighbouring site to the college though is the National Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Control. But, IPites are undeterred. The college campus is sufficient enough to kill time in, it is that huge!
  • While most girls like to remain in the campus, there is Moet’s-the Chinese restaurant and Mocha’s for the affluent who prefer to drop there in groups.
  • Sant Parmanand Hospital across the college has Bikano, which is very affordable for anyone.
  • The Momo’s Point and the Roll Point near the Metro Station are also frequently visited sites, along with the Wai-Wai noodles in the Metro station premises.
  • The college’s favourite eatery remains the Bun-Tikki Wala aka Banta Wala, just outside the college gate.
  • A 40 rupee ride to Kamla Nagar and GTB Nagar is all it takes if one wishes. Shopping, partying or simply singing loudly from their cars on the Ridge is what Ipites generally enjoy doing.

Delights to catch on:

The college canteen is often flooded with students, who have a variety to offer from the menu, at affordable prices. Chhole Bhature, Dosa, Chilli Potato, Cold Coffee, Sev Puri, Juices and a lot more is never kept out of service. A huge demand is always catered by a large supply. The college is a photographer’s heaven! With peacocks and parrots around 365 days of the year, the college’s green campus with sprawling environment all around is natural photographic scenery. IPCW boasts of a beautiful front garden with a breathtaking variety of roses and other flowers and a scenically placed fountain. Another photographic place is the graffiti wall in the college. [gallery size="medium" ids="43097,43098,43099,43101,43100,43102,43103,43104,43105"]

Once here, keep an eye for these societies:

The college has a wide range of societies to offer. 1. Abhivyakti, the well-reknowned DramSoc in the DU Circuit 2. Afroza, the much-praised Western Dance Society 3. Alaap, Indian Music Society 4. Mridang, Indian Dance Scoiety 5. Gandhi Study Circle 6. Enactus, IPCW The college has individual achievers too, from mountaineers to academic achievers, to national-level sportswomen. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="43109,43111,43112,43110"]

Annual Fest, Shruti:

Shruti, the annual college-fest is a favourite amongst the DUites. With Singers like Kailaash Kher and Euphoria having performed here in the past, the wide range of activities keeps everyone on their toes, in a fun way. The college-hostels are proud hosts of their independent Proms/ Guest Nights, held in February, which sees a lot of enthusiasm and dancing all evening.   [gallery ids="43107,43106,43108"]

Why join IPCW?

As a part and parcel of an IPites’ life, every student is imbibed with the values of ‘keeping the college clean and tidy’ and ‘helping the needy’. An IPite is fashionable, fun, studious, helping, aware, success-oriented, opportunistic, crazy and hungry-for-food. But, the best part is that the life of a girl of IP College is guy-free. When in IPCW, you won’t miss guys for long, you will have girlfriends and they will be your best mates for life!   Image inputs by Gerush Bahal for DU Beat Ayesha Sareen [email protected]]]>

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Indraprastha College for Women

IP College for Women launches a bilingual website

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IP College for women (IPCW), University of Delhi has recently unveiled the new bilingual website for the college. The website has been made available in English and Hindi now.
“The college’s Hindi/bilingual website has been launched. It can be accessed at www.hindi.ipcollege.ac.in and also from the link on the homepage at www.ipcollege.ac.in” Dr. Babli Saraf, principal of IP College told Hindustan Times.

Ms. Yogi, the union advisor at IPCW said, “It is a part of the national agenda to make all content available in Hindi too. Taking cue from this, the principal took an initiative to make the website a bilingual one.” “The content on the website was translated to Hindi with the assistance of an alumna of IP College, who can be said to service her college”, further added the Union Advisor.

Akshara Srivastava

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Indraprastha College for Women

Highlights of Indraprastha College for Women in 2015-16

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With yet another academic session almost coming to an end at the University of Delhi, it is time to look back at the year that has gone by, before all of us get busy with semester examination preparation. Going by the thought, DU Beat brings to you its exclusive series ‘Colleges’ Round Up (2015-16)’, where we present the highlighting incidents of numerous DU colleges that took place over 2015 and 2016.  

So, go with the flow and view all what activities highlighted the near to end session at Indraprastha College for Women

From Kiran Bedi and Swara Bhaskar’s visit to getting the highest NAAC Score in DU, Indrapastha College for Women has had quite an eventful year.

Here’s an overview of all what happened at IP College, this session:

 

Compiled by Kritika Narula for DU Beat

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