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Journalism and Mass Communication in DU receives over 59,000 applications

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The conventional courses that have long been the choice of most students, might be a thing of the past. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the applications for the Journalism and Mass Communication course in Delhi University have risen to 59,583 this year, taking a huge leap from last year’s 2,200.

Whether the sudden popularity for the course is due to the lack of an entrance examination or due to the course incorporating mass communication into the curriculum is something only applicants can tell.

It is perhaps the high demand that is leading onto the cut-offs for the course also being so demanding. While the lack of an entrance is being criticized, the fact that it didn’t happen as a lack of time is known to few. As a clarification to all existing beliefs, the syllabus for the FYUP in Journalism and Mass Communication has been a taxing process for the faculty. It was only in the first week of March that the syllabus with all the theory bits intact was finalised. With no time for the preparation of an entrance left, the only option for the University was that of opting for a cut-off. This does not at any point mean that there will not be an entrance for the course in the future

The fact that 59000 aspirants are vying for less than 250 seats is one statistic to be concerned about. Moreover the fact that most students have filled in the course as a second or third preference leads us to believe that the professional degree seems to be a back-up favourite for the aspirants.

The course is offered in six colleges namely Lady Shri Ram College for Women, I.P. College for Women, Kamala Nehru College, Kalindi College, Maharaja Agrasen College and Delhi College of Arts and Commerce. While LSR’s first cut off is at a high 97.5 for Humanities/Science students and 98.5 for Commerce students, Kamala Nehru College is offering the course at 94-96%. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, which is the first choice for most male candidates is again at a high 97.5 for the first cut-off. Maharaja Agrasen has a cut-off of 95, while Kalindi has a 93 cut-off for the course. I.P. College for Women, the latest addition to the ‘gang’ of Journalism colleges in Delhi University has set the bar at 93-97 for the course.

What is rather astounding is that while the ‘back-up’ course comes with a 97.5 percent requirement, courses such as Political Science and Sociology which are the first preferences of many top candidates are at a lower cut-off between 95-96. The reason for the unrealistic inflated cut-offs happens to be mere paucity of seats.  The entrance based past of the course doesn’t help either, as the teachers were also unsure of what to expect.

Other apprehensions revolving around this year’s procedure are around the lack of aptitude for the course in the applicants. One might have scored more than 95% but that does not in any place mean that the person has a sound understanding of the media or of current affairs.

With such high cut-offs, sources tell us that the course has not found many takers after the first cut-off in colleges such as LSR and DCAC.

With 59,000 plus applications, does it mean that the ‘professional’ degree is suddenly hugely popular? Or does it refer to the fact that earlier only the students who were genuinely interested in the course gave the entrance examination and now with that rider away, many candidates have simply kept it as a ‘choice’?

Image credits: Guillaume Brialon

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Lady Shri Ram College for Women

The Implications of Autonomy for Top DU Colleges

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autonomy

The Union Home Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is working on a plan to give complete autonomy to some of the country’s prestigious colleges. The move will free the colleges from the administrative control of the Universities they’re currently affiliated to. So here’s how this dramatic step promises to topple the world of the various colleges being spoken of and what the implication of this fancy jargon will be, on us students.

Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and St Stephen’s College – three of the top ranking colleges of Delhi University are being sought to be brought under the ambit of this drastic step. However in what ensued, was a collective and outright state of condemnation and panic by the faculty and the students alike.

Earlier in the year, the staff association of LSR resolved “to reject any move to delink Lady Shri Ram College from the Delhi University in any manner and in any aspect in part or in whole “. As far as LSR is concerned, clarified Ms. Meenakshi Gopinath, no such application form for autonomy had been filled or no such proposal was lying in the pipeline. This statement came in the wake of similar rumours about granting of autonomous status to these colleges. The statement also went onto say that privatisation of these colleges would compromise on inclusiveness, equity and quality of higher education in India. Calling it as one of the ways for the state to recede from the key sectors of the economy, they were completely opposed to such balkanisation of The University.

The teaching community has mixed reactions to offer on this, as do a lot of DU students. Some of them see it as the last stone to be unturned for saving the fate of thousands of students from the shackles of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme being introduced in the University. The rest of them are grappling with the fear of a possible financial crunch which might lead to a hike and a change in the fee structure in future, making higher education inaccessible to the masses.

Whatever be the case, all we can do is to keep our hopes high and believe that this is not going to be another one of the rushed-and-then-put-under-the-carpet-steps blindly taken by the authorities like The Four Year Programme. While making such decisions, it becomes important to involve the stakeholders- faculty and the students and to uphold the democratic values that we so vehemently preach in the confines of those four walled classrooms.

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Features

Golden Key International Honour Society

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GOLDEN KEY INTERNATIONAL HONOUR SOCIETY (popularly known as Golden Key) is an organisation that blends academics, leadership and community service in such a way that one feels an overall personality development while being a part of Golden Key. This organisation currently works at 11 colleges of Delhi University and the drive to include more is in progress.

Golden Key established its University of Delhi Chapter in the year 2011 and continues to grow. This chapter is run and governed by students under the watchful eye of the Golden Key Asia Pacific Office. It runs various events pertaining to professional development, community service, and academics. The events are open to all and not just the Golden Key members.

Golden key organised various events in the past year, such as “Resume Writing Workshop” which was held at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. This was followed by a panel discussion which took place at Indraprastha College for Women. Golden Key also held its New Member Reception on 12th January 2013 whereby the top 15% students from all departments of the member colleges were awarded with their merit certificates.

The ongoing University of Delhi chapter has already witnessed two workshops on “Resume Writing and Enhancement of Interview Skills”. These workshops were conducted by Dr. Abhiram Prabhu, University Relations Officer, Golden Key, India and Mr. Prikshit Dhanda, Co- Founder and CEO of Making India Employable. We are further planning to have a film screening on gender issues, followed by a talk on the same by Ms. Kamla Bhasin in the month of April. Apart from this, Golden key associates itself with a famous NGO- Amar Jyoti Trust.

MAKING INDIA EMPLOYABLE (MIE) are the official partners of Golden Key and in association with MIE, Golden Key plans to organise a quiz competition in the month of August open to all the colleges of NCR, with huge prizes.

For more information visit:

http://www.goldenkey.org/

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Events

Day 2 at Tarang – A day full of surprises

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  1. The Stand-up comic Abish Mathew won over the LSR centric audience with his charming ways and inside jokes about cats, our complete dependence on Balbir ‘dabbang’ Bhaiya for crisis of all kind and gave the women some precious insight to the working of the supposedly ‘one track’ male psyche.
  2. The Principal planted an affectionate peck on the cheek of Monsieur Mathew at the end of the performance on the pretext of ‘doing what every girl in the auditorium wanted to’ and stole the show (as always), leaving the recipient of the said peck in a state of visible disbelief.
  3. An armada of XY chromosome was noted to be gravitating towards the quizzing event. Sometimes stopping on their way to ask the directions to the Upper Seminar Room with the hesitance that only a seemingly intimidating same sex institution can fill in one in a shy yet polite manner.
  4. Vinay Bhushan, a character reminiscent of Shahrukh Khan’s portrayal of Surinder Sahni in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in his blatant simplicity had the audience rooting for him since the very first scene where he brushes his teeth on stage. Post his performance in the KMC production ‘The Line’, an enthusiastic fan was shocked to discover that the actor’s accented English was a part of the act and words like ‘chiterr’ (sic) were not a part of his off stage vocabulary.
  5. The audience at Yavnika – the Stage Theatre event was an extremely temperamental one, rushing out to only to re-enter (with food hidden inside their bags) every time the doors of the auditorium were opened after a performance.
  6. The English Debating Society was spotted practicing their dancing skills at the registration desk while waiting for participants to stream in. Watching the President of the Society learn the steps to ‘subah hone na de’ with so much sincerity while simultaneously mouthing the words was the only thing that kept the NSS volunteers helping with Tarang Security entertained.
  7. It was interesting to see people purchasing earrings, eating Chinese food and test driving a Tata Nano in the same venue.
  8. The flash mob may not have been a total surprise but +10 points for the choice of the single ladies sound track. One could safely say that the strict security measures and the exclusivity of the passes ensure that the ladies of this college remain single forevermore, for the boys who do manage to make their way into the campus ‘if you like it then you should put a ring on it.’Pragya Lal
    [email protected] 
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Events

LSR Tarang 2012 – The Curtain Raiser

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College fests, generally associated with vibrancy and euphoria, have recently been reduced to money making opportunities for participants. The relatively easy availability of sponsors has allowed almost all fests to hand out exorbitant cash prizes thus ensuring considerable footfall. Consequently the actual concept of fests has faded into oblivion leaving one ‘cultural bonanza’ indistinguishable from the rest.

In such a depressing scenario specially for purists, Tarang 2012, the annual fest of LSR, comes as a refreshing change. For once the conversation hasn’t touched upon the prize money. (Alright, you caught my bluff. It has atleast tended to digress). Tarang has managed to generate such excitement among people as not witnessed for a long time and not only among the boys.

If the events’ description is anything to go by (found on the Tarang website), Tarang promises to be loads of fun. There is something for everyone. Photographers, debators(both Hindi and English), writers, singers and dancers; none will find themselves out of place.

The competitions are not the only attraction. Shailaja Taparia(General Secretary, LSR Students’ Union), tells us that, Abish Mathew, contemporary comedian of repute, is going to tickle your funny bone on the Comedy Night to be held during the fest. LSR itself is amazed that Abish would grace Tarang with his presence. It will definitely be a sin to miss Comedy Night.

Kritika Bhardwaj, President of the Students’ Union, outlined various security and procedural issues regarding the fest. Participants will have to submit their id cards at the gate. The others will need a pass to enter the college during the fest. Each LSR girl will have one pass on her. Having an LSRian as a girlfriend definitely has its perks. NSS and NCC will be on hand to ensure security is maintained and that people without passes don’t get in. On a not so scary note Kritika says that the Rock Show, DJ night, Western Dance and Choreo are events one just cannot afford to miss.

Rabindranath Tagore’s works form the underlying theme of the fest thus making him Tarang’s personality. Happy 150th to you Sir.

Apart from the more serious main events, there are a number of informal events so that no one feels left out. LSR’s minute to win it, a much better take on the popular game than the Indian version, is bound to keep most on their toes. The Giant Crossword Puzzle, another unconventional game, gives away goody bags everytime some one solves the clue.

Tarang does not only have attractions for the guys but also has enough to please the shopaholic in every girl. Jewellery and clothing among others will be the items on offer. Foodies won’t be disappointed either as there will be an exotic array of eatables waiting to devoured including Mughlai, Mexican and Afghani dishes.

Tarang has come a long way since last year. The official website, the promotional video and picture badges are all new additions from last year.

Tarang looks like one of those Bollywood masala movies with something in it for everyone. And as is often the case with such movies, Tarang looks all but set to be a rapturous blockbuster!

 

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Campus Central

10 Things NOT to do at LSR Tarang 2012 for bwoys

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  • The silk shirt, red pants and orange sneakers you own must not be put to display this season. Some things are best hidden in the dark depths of your cupboard.
  • This is not the best occasion to apply copious amounts of Gatsby hair gel that you may have won at the BITS PILANI fest during a quiz.
  • Pickup lines like “You turn my software into hardware” will only lead to loss of self-respect and a tooth.
  • Belting out ‘shirdi wale sai baba’ in an inebriated state during an informal event is a NO-NO.
  • Staring pointedly at anything but the face of your girl pal could be a cause of trouble.
  • Facebook status updates like “ Duuudeee, there are many fish in this sea” or “Guess who is getting lucky tonight?” will not work in your favour.
  • Always remind yourself that the Axe effect is a fictional phenomenon, spraying the entire contents of the deodorant bottle on you will not result in anything positive.
  • So, you are the President of the debating society of your college/played Julius Caesar in a school play/have been offered a hefty pay package by on campus recruiters but if that’s all you choose to talk about then my sympathies lie with the person you are conversing with.
  • At all times avoid reading passages from the Satanic Verses to woo your lady love lest you be forced to leave the country.
  • Only superman can get away with wearing his underwear on top of his pants, if you don’t have any superpowers then please refrain from wearing your pants 2 inches below their rightful spot. The world will continue to spin on just fine without the knowledge of which brand’s underwear you sport.Pragya Lal [email protected]
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    Campus Central

    LSR: The Promised Land

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    PHOTOGRAPH: Sapna Mathur[/caption] A day that begins at 8.45am and ends at 4pm with back to back classes is not what one has in mind when they picture college especially if they have grown up watching Karan Johar movies. It takes about a week into college to realize that one has been tricked by their mother as the 12th std. board exams are definitely not the last time one has to study with superior concentration. For an outstation student settling into a new city, a new college can be tiresome. Parents, friends, distant relatives and the media don’t leave any stones unturned in making sure that you arrive in the rape capital of the country armed with a pepper spray and a prejudiced mind. The stereotypes people create precedes them; contrary to popular belief the favourite hobby of men in Delhi is not rape just like the conversation in a girls college and more specifically LSR doesn’t always revolve around hair, shoes, boys and nail paint. Surprising as it may be male bashing and feminism are not compulsory concurrent courses offered in our curriculum. Jokes about the sexual deprivation of the students of LSR which were once only a feature of lunch time conversations of college students have now become a part of stand-up comedy acts of Vir Das. Ironically, LSR students find these jokes equally amusing. The lack of testosterone in college leads to women dropping all their pretensions (almost). Thus, the sight of women dressed in their snow man printed pyjamas soaking up the winter sun while sipping on some hot chocolate is not an unusual one. It is hard to fathom that these unglamorous pyjama clad girls were once the inspiration behind the Punjabi rap song ‘Kudi LSR Di’ by the Triple Aces. Touted as one of the best colleges in the country, the atmosphere at LSR is a competitive one. In throes of self-pity students often think of the college as a ‘military boot camp’ and imagine their over achieving classmates as hamsters on steroids running an endless race. But it is these very people who constitute the mystical ‘magic of LSR’. When existential and economic crisis seem to get the better of us it is these people who come to our rescue as we try and find catharsis in mulling over about our fleeting woes together. The differences in our personalities, ethnicities and interests brings us together as we try to find our individual niche in the protective bubble that is LSR. Living in Delhi and studying in LSR are both acquired tastes. Sure, the winters are harsh and the curriculum is taxing but they both grow on you with time. There is a method to the madness in this city and in this college; all you have to do is discover it in the process of discovering yourself. Pragya Lal [email protected] ]]>

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    Lady Shri Ram College for Women

    New semester disorders annual-mode timetables in LSR

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    Post the completion of the first semester in Delhi University, while opinions remain ambiguous regarding its fate as a successful attempt or tepid reform, the unwarranted difficulties spawned by it seem to emerge with discouraging regularity.

     

     

    The DU time (table) warp. PHOTOGRAPH: Sapna Mathur

    The introduction of new timetables at the beginning of a semester, while an integral feature of the system, however, has been the source of much inconvenience for the large percentage of the student body that still functions according to the annual calendar. Due to the re-structuring of teachers and syllabus according to the University-specified semester modules, annual students in LSR now find themselves flummoxed at having to change their timetables and teachers as an unpleasant side-effect.

    “As if it wasn’t bad enough that they compartmentalized texts into capsules to be swallowed, this sudden switching of teachers and schedules is especially jarring as it strips our subject of consistency”, says a second-year English student of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, who wishes to remain anonymous.

    Second and third year students of arts and text-intensive courses, including English, History, and Political Science are perhaps not wrong in their resentment at having this arbitrary measure inflicted upon them, especially since the benefits of the semester system (most notably, that of the uncharacteristically high marks) elude them. 

    Teachers, too, while sympathetic with the plight of the affected student body and in concurrence with the disjointed quality it imparts to the flow of study, have expressed inability to rectify the situation. Apart from the sudden mid-year changes for the annual students, it has also resulted in further pressure on Heads of academic departments to re-structure the schedules for all three years.

    The general outcry appears to be that the official stance of the University may be touting the success of the semester system, but in its zeal to reform and revolutionize the system of education, the DU administration seems to have lost focus on the academic well-being of the annual students.

     

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