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On Record with Shreya V. Basu

By DU Beat October 18, 2026

DU Beat sits in conversation with Ms. Shreya Basu, Head of Partnerships and Growth at Safetipin, to discuss how the narrative around women’s safety has changed and the gaps that we are yet to overcome.

Rishika: When we talk about making spaces safer for women, there’s often a move towards more CCTVs and more police. How do we make sure that women’s safety doesn’t become synonymous with surveillance and restricting women’s behaviour?

Shreya: I think the first thing to understand is that safety and security are not the same thing. Safety is about feeling free from fear. Surveillance is a part of safety, so it doesn’t need to be completely taken away, but it has to be backed by trust and accountability. If you’re going to put up CCTV cameras, I have to feel safe, and I have to feel confident that there is someone who will help me out. The same goes for police personnel. It’s not just about putting up the infrastructure, but it also has to do with how you maintain it. It is crucial to ask who’s managing the space and how it impacts your day-to-day activity and movement in that space. It’s really important to find that balance. So, security is not bad, but security is not everything, and security without trust and accountability is only a curative measure if they care about it. We should look at safety as prevention because it’s a feeling of fear that we’re trying to eliminate.

Rishika: You spoke about the need to strike a balance between security and trust. In an ideal world, how do you think this balance should be achieved? While safety requires structural changes in how spaces are designed and managed, it also involves addressing societal attitudes and the patriarchal mindsets that shape how we perceive and approach women’s safety. What are your thoughts on this?

Shreya: First, there are two kinds of surveillance: actual surveillance and natural surveillance. In actual surveillance, in theory and in an ideal world, all the systems and institutions in a government work for the citizen. They’re supposed to be working for our welfare, but who is the citizen they’re realistically working for is the question. Because men are able to walk around. Women are not. So it’s also: who are you designing the system for? Who are you including at the table? Who are you actually asking these questions to? Because if a bunch of men sit around and discuss and design a public space, they’ll design it in a way that they understand. And that’s not their fault; that’s their reality. So, for it to be inclusive and responsive to the needs of other genders and other ages, you have to include those people in the conversation when designing. And I think the point of maintenance is very important. You can’t just do one thing and say, now it will be done. You have to continue it. It has to keep building.

Then there’s the concept of natural surveillance—activity on the streets, eyes on the streets—which changes the game. If you have space with vendors that women are actively using, as well as female vendors, you will feel more comfortable being out there. If you see more of you outside, you will feel comfortable being outside. I looked at the Safetipin data from 2023 to 2025, and what we found was that when there are no people around, both men and women feel unsafe. But as the number of people increases, the feeling of safety for men and women both increases. However, for men, the gender composition doesn’t matter. For women, the gender composition does matter. That’s why we have a gender parameter in our audit. And the feeling of safety differs for men and women when those are different, and that’s what matters.

So, activity on the street first: if you have a vendor, if you have shopkeepers, they add life to the street, and they take ownership of the street. Then you don’t feel alone. But what it also does is invite more women to use it.

What type of vendors do you have? What type of things are you selling? What type of seating is around it? Are you creating a public space where women feel comfortable to actually be? Because there’s very little room for women to be in public spaces just for leisure, for pleasure, for loitering. And it’s very important that we question why that is for all women, so that’s the conversation we need to change. Something like when Safetipin puts up their tea stall, wherein we tell women to come sit and have chai. You don’t need to be on the move all the time. Social norms won’t change quickly. They will not change in our lifetime, 100%. But infrastructure informs social change. So we can start there.

If you look at just the difference between what happened in the Nirbhaya case and the Aastha Kunj case, at the time of Nirbhaya, the instant reaction was, “Let’s install panic buttons, let’s put out a Nirbhaya fund, and let’s kill the people who did this.” In the Aastha Kunj case, it’s “Let’s do audits of public parks. Let’s look at public infrastructure. Let’s look at street lighting.” So in the last 15 years, the conversation has changed. Safety in public spaces has become mainstream, largely due to the work of feminist organisations in Delhi and in India. We have to acknowledge that it is changing very slowly, but it is. So we have to keep pushing that forward. We can’t just say it’s okay that this happened. No. But at least we’re addressing the real problem. I don’t know if they’re doing it fully correctly, but at least the wording is right. It’s not just “Kill the rapists”. I think they should be convicted, and a lot more should happen. But we’re also looking at the streets and the parks, and public toilets. If you don’t put public toilets in places, there is no reason women can come and hang out.

Rishika: Safetipin measures gender diversity in a space. But women may not be present because a space feels unsafe, and then their absence can itself become part of what makes the space feel unsafe. How can we break this vicious loop?

Shreya: That’s true. I think we also don’t feel comfortable going out alone, and I understand that. Because even if the street is completely safe, you may still not use it, because other streets are not safe. We’ve accustomed ourselves to change internally before we even question what’s happening outside.

I think that community-mobilisation activities like Jagori’s ‘Sleep in the Park’, Why Loiter’s walks around places, and Safetipin’s night safety walks are very important. Going around with a group of women, including men, also, that’s not a problem; it builds your confidence. Of course, your security and safety are very important. The reason you’re not moving around the city is that you don’t feel safe, because you’ve never done it.

It’s also okay if you don’t want to; I think that’s also fair. Maybe somebody doesn’t want to go out in the evening; sometimes they’re just lazy. We can’t say that every woman has to be an activist in everything she does. I think it’s fair to say we need a break also. But when you want to go out, you should. You want to reclaim a park, go reclaim a park; go hang out there.

How you use a space is shaped by social norms, and social norms do get created based on how you also act in those social public spaces. So I would say that’s a very community-driven feeling. It’ll increase the gender diversity; of course, don’t get me wrong, infrastructure does have to change, and other people also have to change. But this part we can do.

I don’t think the onus of my safety should be on me. Never. If something happens to me ever, it won’t be my fault. I can wear what I want, I can do what I want, say what I want, be whoever. But the onus of my enjoyment can be on me. If I try to figure out how I can look for my joy, if my joy is about being out, I should be able to access that. The negative cannot be on me; that’s on the perpetrator. But my happiness and what I can enjoy, I can do with my friends, my community, and I can choose to do that.

Rishika: Back in March of 2015, LSR and Jagori conducted a Safetipin audit of the areas around LSR, and 11 years later, Safetipin and Jagori have returned to almost the same stretch and found many of the same concerns. Students reported feeling uncomfortable in the space in 2015, and students still feel uncomfortable there in 2026. What does that tell us about the limits of producing evidence?

Shreya: I think the gap is what you do with that data, and how you make it actionable. Getting a woman’s feelings about a space is not enough, so the 8 other parameters I’m collecting—that’s what the action items are. Let’s say Safetipin does the audit with a bunch of students; we have found that you feel uncomfortable here; we have figured out what the reasons are for the parameters; we can give actionable recommendations on what needs to be done. Who will do it now is a little bit of an issue. And I’m not saying that’s an excuse. I’m saying it’s a very, very poor reality of the world we live in that we can’t get that done. But if you fight enough, if you push enough, you may even get the streetlights installed, but will they work? You may get a vendor for one day, but will they stay? So, what is the longer-term vision? And I think that’s why some of these things are slower, because the point is, it shouldn’t be a one-time thing. Implementation is not just doing it once. And I think that’s also what we have to understand: implementation is a longer process. Projects can’t just end.

Shreya V. Basu, Head of Partnerships and Growth at Safetipin

Interview Conducted by

Rishika Jain

[email protected]

Image Credit: Shreya V. Basu

Read Also: Dilli-Dallying After Dark

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Campus Central

Dilli-Dallying After Dark

By DU Beat October 18, 2026

Students of colleges across Delhi University assess safety outside their colleges across nine parameters using the My Safetipin app, revealing the terms and conditions of mobility around campus.

11 years of safety around LSR

In March 2015, Lady Shri Ram College’s Committee Against Sexual Harassment, the Aung San Suu Kyi Centre for Peace and the Department of Political Science conducted a safety audit from LSR to Moolchand. It rated the space as ‘uncomfortable’. The audit was meant to give students agency and local ownership: a safety map based on factors such as lighting, openness and visibility, to help outstation students choose PG accommodation. According to professors back then, the initiative focused on taking immediate action rather than waiting on institutional intervention. The extent of subsequent progress remains uncertain.

Eleven years later, on 24 September 2026, another audit was conducted in the lane adjacent to the college’s back gate, following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl nearby. Hosted by Safetipin and Jagori, the audit saw 8–10 LSR students use the My Safetipin app to rate the lane across nine parameters: lighting, openness, visibility, people, security, walking path, public transport, gender diversity, and feeling.

The lane scored low across all nine parameters, with the average rating for feeling indicating that the space was frightening and uncomfortable. It is only in a group that one would feel safe travelling here.

When night falls in North Campus

The five audits conducted around North Campus colleges: Hindu College, Hansraj College, Miranda House, Shri Ram College of Commerce and Kirori Mal College, reveal a mixed picture of safety around campuses. While several locations scored relatively well on openness, concerns surrounding lighting, security, and gender usage raise questions about safety in these areas.

An audit outside Hindu College, conducted at 4:08 pm, recorded no street lighting. As the auditor noted, ‘From 6 pm, there will be no light as there is no street lamp,’ warning that the area becomes ‘highly unsafe for women unless they are travelling in groups’. Similarly, Hansraj College recorded low scores for lighting and security, alongside moderate ratings for openness, visibility and gender usage.

At Miranda House, the audit recorded moderate lighting and visibility but low security and gender usage. Although public transport accessibility received a high score, the limited presence of women raises questions about whether connectivity alone ensures safety. SRCC presented a comparatively ‘safer’ picture, scoring highly on security and walk paths, with the auditor reporting feeling ‘comfortable’ in the space. The audit conducted near Kirori Mal College at 8:22 pm offers the most relevant evidence for examining safety after dark. Despite high scores for openness, visibility, the presence of people, and public transport, the location received low ratings for lighting, security, walking paths, and gender usage.

These findings suggest that favourable physical infrastructure does not automatically ensure women’s safety in public spaces, although it may contribute to a sense of security. However, only one of the five audits was conducted after 8 pm, and gender diversity was rated low rather than absent. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether the presence of women in North Campus declines significantly after dark.

Safety and sundown in South and Off Campus

Students from seven colleges across South Campus and off-campus areas identified gaps in mobility outside their campuses. While these spaces scored highly on openness and walkability, perceptions of safety were shaped by gendered usage and temporal conditions.

Audits around Gargi College and Kamala Nehru College, conducted near the gates between 5:32 pm and 6:46 pm, revealed a stark decline in women’s presence after sunset. While the streets consistently scored highly on openness and walkability, students reported poor lighting, with illumination coming primarily from secondary sources, such as the colleges themselves. The audits also revealed limited public transport accessibility and a sharp decline in gender diversity as evening fell.

In an audit conducted outside Gate 2 of Gargi College, the user, a second-year student who uses the space daily, wrote, ‘Streetlights are not functional’. Locals commented that the police leave after sunset. All women PCR vans are nowhere near. The area is fairly deserted except for the traffic. A similar picture emerged outside Gate 2 of Gargi College, where the auditor reported ‘natural light blocked by trees’ and described the stretch as deserted. These factors, compounded by relatively few or no eyes on the street, the absence of security personnel, and extremely low gender diversity, contributed to students reporting a feeling of being ‘alarmed’. They said they would avoid the space if they could.

Comparatively, Gate 1 of Gargi College was reported to have better lighting and a larger crowd in the surrounding area, contributing to a feeling of being ‘secure’, although the location still scored low on security and gender diversity.

Outside Gates 1 and 2 of Kamala Nehru College, situated close to Gargi College, the reported feeling returned to ‘frightening’ and ‘uncomfortable’, with scarce lighting around 6:30 pm, distant public transport, and gender diversity reported as ‘no one in sight’. In contrast, the area scored highly on openness, and the walking paths were good enough to run on. The auditor also added, ‘There are no working street lamps on the entire Siri Fort road.’ An audit conducted at 5:32 pm, before sunset, recorded adequately lit surroundings and a higher, though still low, female presence. By 6:39 pm, gender usage had dropped to zero.

The perception of low safety persists even in broad daylight. Outside Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, an audit was conducted at 1:11 pm, and almost every parameter was rated poorly. With virtually no street lighting, no eyes on the street, undiversified gender usage, unavailable public transport, and no security, the student reported feeling ‘frightened’ in the space surrounding the college. ‘It is a construction site, and everywhere there are construction workers even during the daytime. The way to the nearest residential area is all but worse,’ the auditor wrote.

Outside Jesus and Mary College, audits were conducted at 10:03 am and 5:17 pm. While the ratings for the different parameters fluctuated between the two times, students reported the feeling in the space as ‘acceptable’. Outside Venkateswara College, an audit conducted at 12:41 pm reported fairly diverse gender usage and an overall feeling of ‘acceptable’.

Outside Deshbandhu College, an audit conducted at 6:47 pm recorded adequate performance across all parameters except security. ‘Even though there are lights, they are not enough, as there are a few blind spots. There are no security guards over here,’ the auditor wrote. An audit conducted outside Shivaji College at 4:35 pm recorded decent scores across all parameters. The auditor, however, wrote, ‘Though it’s good in daytime, at night it’s extremely unsafe’.

For many students, the college campus functions as a safe island. But what happens when we step outside? What remains is a stretch of road that the data rates as frightening, and a city that, after dark, is simply smaller for women.

Rishika Jain and Sheetal Mishra

[email protected]

Image Credit: Rishika for DU Beat

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Features

When The Capital Shuts Down Over People Protesting, Where Does Azaadi Go?

By DU Beat October 10, 2026

As long as the slogans of resistance have echoed in the history of our nation, ‘Azaadi’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ have remained at its core. Today, however, the same chants and the same spirit of protesting that had given rise to us as a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic, become the biggest threat to the ‘rulers’ (or in better terms, government) of our land.

The year is 2026, and it is only the second week of October; the year is yet to be over, and the people are yet to be heard. Some decades earlier it was 1975, and it was the early month of March; the Emergency had been declared, and the people were already enraged. About 79 years ago it was 1947, and the month of August; the colonial rule was soon to be over, the people were soon to be heard.

There is never a democracy, at least a true one, where there isn’t dissent. What fundamentally makes a nation a democracy is the existence of a thesis, an anti-thesis, and ultimately a synthesis, in the middle of which functions a government—one that must not only heed to its voters, but also its non-voters and dissenters. It is these dissenters, that often take shape of the opposition party, an Instagram/X page, or people marching on the streets with concrete demands that make the ruling government earn respect; not by brutally detaining the people who march with their voice and placards, but by letting people resist, dissent, and protest, while addressing them democratically.

The changing face of our democracy is probably reflected at its highest coverage in the capital city. For decades, the urban residents of Delhi have quietly witnessed the atrocities breaking across Manipur and Kashmir, along with the labouring and farming class of rural India who have by now learnt to live with internet shutdowns, gunfires, brutal detentions, complete lockdowns, and a long list of restrictions that could be debated as constitutionally wrong—the Delhites remained quiet for they never once believed the same atrocities could come knocking at their doorstep. They, just like all of us, were wrong.

Today is 10th October, 2026, and somehow it feels like the 1920s as a lot of the youth who’ve only heard of those days in the stories, histories, and documentaries of the yesteryears would say. Some have even gone to the extent of calling this a remembrance of Indira Gandhi’s 1975 Emergency, but possibly worse. Shashi Tharoor in his wordplay of affairs writes,

“Gen Z deserves better than an undeclared Emer-GenZ.”

Delhi is officially, on papers, locked down—45 metro stations have been closed, X numbers of individuals from across the city have been detained, leaders of opposition parties like CJP, CPI(M), AISA, and more have been detained, incoming trains have been cancelled, and roads have been closed throughout the city with the Delhi Police doing the best job they have ever done in making sure order, safety, and ruliness is maintained. If this isn’t a declaration of Internal Emergency, one is to wonder what truly is.

Irony remains here, that the citizens who leave the comfort of their homes to walk on the streets amidst the brutal sun and police, are here protesting for answers on the integrity of elections—the same medium through which the current government remains elected by a majority, as they continue to maintain.

Just like the Delhi Police, even the University of Delhi has tried its best to keep its students in the classroom. While Zakir Hussain College (Evening), Satyawati College (Evening), Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences, and SBSC have let its students stay at home and attend online classes, women’s colleges of Delhi that happen to be regarded as “apolitical spaces” have once again risen to the occasion—Maitreyi College assured double attendance for all students who came to classes while Lady Shri Ram College witnessed more discussion on cancelling its Garba Event than on addressing concerns of offline classes. The issue here is more than just students wanting to attend the protest—DU doesn’t just have hostellers or students occupying nearby PGs, it has a larger number of day scholars who commute from as far as Faridabad and Ghaziabad to the city. With roads closed, main metros restricted, buses a less than feasible option, and Rapidos unable to function without a massive fare hike, the concern is about reaching college on time before the teachers shut the door on your face for an 8:45 A.M. lecture.

Screenshot of a Maitreyi College Official Group Chat (Credits: AISA Maitreyi)

Yet, despite the fear of RAF and CAPF being called in, the attendance bribery offered to students, and the detention of leaders right from their residence or the airport the morning of the protests, people are on the streets. They, however, are confused.

If there’s one thing India should have learnt from its history of protesting, it is that a disorganised movement has no outcome. On the 4th of October, the protestors walking from India Gate to Jantar Mantar, after losing its leader, Neha Bora and her fellow AISA comrades to the detaining police force began to scramble—they ran after the detaining buses shouting and in a spur of confusion ended up getting detained themselves. 10th October, one can only hope, has been different.

Scenes from the 4th October Protest (Credits: Mananya for DU Beat)

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of CJP—detained.

Neha Bora, AISA President—detained.

M.A. Baby, CPI(M) General Secretary—detained.

Ronak Khatri, Ex DUSU President—detained.

Arvind Kejriwal, Ex Delhi CM and National Convenor AAP—detained.

Lawyers and Journalists—detained.

Common People—detained.

While the leaders sit in buses at undisclosed locations, the public, that is, the ordinary people, many of whom have risked travelling from across the city if not other states, remain in a state of perplexity. From Jantar Mantar and ITO to Dilli Haat and Safdarjung Flyover, the people have taken to brainstorming new routes with the city’s auto bhaiyas and rickshawalas being the biggest supporters of the mass resistance. As disorganised as it may be, the people—both the ones sitting in detention vans since 11:30 AM and the ones running from the police and sitting down wherever the protest location next evolves—are angry. In fact, they are furious, tired, and hopeless. They demand a change, one that should be larger than simply a resignation but systematic, and shouldn’t vanish the minute one demand is met. In July it was for NEET. In October it is for Anti-CEC and SIR, and in the future, the right to protest shouldn’t be one that is met with brutality and disapproval, but one that is welcomed with peace, dialogue, resolution, and hopefully a Prime Minister’s Press Conference with media houses that are yet to be bought—a utopia, one day we hope our nation achieves.

As 10th October slowly closes and midnight approaches, one is to wonder, if at the stroke of midnight, Delhi will awaken to lesser restrictions and more freedom to dissent. If at every moment of dissent the government calls machinery of the state like the Police and Army to back it up at the cost of brutality towards its dissenting citizens, who will suffer—their non-dissenting citizens. If this is indeed the State’s ‘divide and rule’ policy: that they shall use the “inconvenience” caused by the protesting public to the non-protesting crowd, then one is to wonder about the success rates of it.

Today the protest may die down. Tomorrow it will rise again. Today might’ve been a Saturday with fewer offices and colleges open. Monday will be a weekday with more offices and colleges open.

One can only hope that the people stay, no matter the level of brutality, detention, and hiding away of leadership. One can only hope that this rage at being attacked, simply for being on the streets demanding accountability for a wrong, can be cultivated into a peaceful resistance that is met with systematic changes and not the sacrifice of only one member of the ruling party. It is through these hopes that protests like these sustain, and when a country finally awakens after years of being silent, one can expect the government to finally realise that its people will be exhausted, not by the protests, but by their lack of empathy, response, and accountability.

Image Credits: Aaratrika for DU Beat

Aaratrika Ghosh

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Allegations of Sexist and Sexual Remarks Surface Against Core Members of FLP Hansraj

By DU Beat October 10, 2026

Several posts circulating online allege sexist and sexual remarks made by Union Members of FLP Hansraj. The club union has released a statement announcing that the named members are no longer associated with FLP.

On Thursday, 8th October 2026, posts appeared on LinkedIn and Instagram, alleging misogynistic and sexual remarks made by members of ‘Future Leaders Program (FLP)’ Hansraj College.

Screenshots circulating on social media, independently verified by DU Beat through anonymous sources at Hansraj, show the named individuals making inappropriate remarks such as “She’s asking 4 it” and “Mein toh soc chod deta first year hota toh – zero hot women”. The screenshots also show the accused using obscene language and casteist slurs against female juniors.

Future Leaders Program, Hansraj College, was founded about a year ago in 2025. Following the surfacing of sexual and sexist remarks by the leadership, Hansraj College declared that the Future Leaders Program is not a recognised society of Hansraj, in an official notice dated 8th October.

Following the controversy, the Future Leaders Program on 9th October released a statement announcing, “In light of the recent developments and concerns that have come to light, the President, former Presidents, and individuals holding the previously associated core positions are no longer associated with FLP in any capacity.” The club also stated that it does not stand by the conduct that has surfaced, and has attempted to address these concerns over the past weeks through structured channels within the society.

Image Source: @flp.hansraj on Instagram

Students at Hansraj stated that this misconduct had been ongoing since November 2025, and the details were made clear recently. DU Beat was also told that the club’s previous union, responsible for choosing the new presidents, was aware of the alleged misconduct of the individuals named, their statements and was directly involved as well.

An anonymous source at Hansraj College stated that the FLP President, named in these allegations, had apologised to those who brought the allegations forward. They pointed out that “if it wasn’t true, he wouldn’t have apologised.”

When asked about the wider environment of the club, it was revealed that the club had a skewed gender ratio, “The current council had 10 men, 4 women, and there was only 1 woman in the whole core union.”

Further, according to social media posts, backed by students at Hansraj College, those named have received Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) from several reputed consulting companies.

Individuals involved are demanding cancellation of the accused’s Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs), out of concern for appropriate workplace behaviour and have stated suspension as the bare minimum.

SFI Hansraj, a left-leaning student political organisation, has also condemned the incident and submitted a memorandum asking for strict action to be taken against those involved.

These allegations arise against a backdrop of growing student concerns over women’s safety and their ability to move through public spaces without fear. With the recent allegations coming to light, questions surrounding safety, dignity and accountability continue to remain a concern.

DU Beat reached out to the FLP Club for a direct quote, but no response was received at the time of publication.

Image Source: @hrcduofficial on Instagram

Sahaj J.

[email protected]

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News

Delhi Police Detain CJP Leadership, Dhruv Rathee, Leftist Leaders, Lawyers, and Journalists Amidst the Jantar Mantar Anti-CEC Protests

By DU Beat October 10, 2026

The Jantar Mantar protests planned on 10th October 2026 against the CEC, Gyanesh Kumar, and SIR witnessed the Delhi Police detaining major leaders of opposition parties along with protestors from across the capital.

On 10th October, ahead of the planned Jantar Mantar protests, the Delhi Police detained CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke along with other leaders like Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka from their flight at the Delhi IGI Airport. Alongside them, CJP Spokesperson Mehr Parsicha has also been detained.

YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee has also reportedly been detained from his Gurugram Residence before he could make it to the protest. Similarly, Leftist leaders like CPI(M) General Secretary M.A Baby, ex-MP Brinda Karat, and M.V. Govindan have also been detained and put on a bus ahead of setting out to Jantar Mantar.

Live Law reported that a group of lawyers who were protesting against the CEC and SIR were also detained by the Delhi Police after they marched for “around 100 yards.” The location of the lawyers is currently unknown.

In addition to lawyers, the Delhi Police have also begun to detain journalists despite their declaration as well as possession of Press ID Cards. Scroll News reported that their journalist, Ayush Tiwari, was detained by the Delhi Police near ITO, which is 3.1 km away from Jantar Mantar. Tiwari said, “I literally shouted out to say that I’m a journalist. But the police said everyone is claiming to be a journalist.”

News Laundry too released a statement that their journalists, Ashwine Kumar Singh, Astha Savyasachi, and Anmol Pritam have been detained with their official phones seized by the Delhi Police. Similarly, two journalists were taken to the Chanakyapuri Police Station, where they were informed that they had not been detained, but were also not allowed to leave until the Investigating Officer arrived, writes Caravan Magazine.

Apart from political leaders, journalists, and lawyers, the Delhi Police has released a statement that “500 people arriving in various groups from different locations have been detained.” This comes after a shutdown has been imposed on the capital, with 20+ students detained en route to Delhi via the Goa Express in Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, 45 Metro Stations across the capital have been closed, with traffic blockages and restrictions across multiple key areas.

Image Credits: DU Beat

Aaratrika Ghosh

[email protected]

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Around the Campus

DSJ Students Stage Protest Demanding Resignation of OSD Dr. Sanjay Verma

By DU Beat October 9, 2026

Students of the Delhi School of Journalism protested, demanding the resignation of OSD Dr. Sanjay Verma over alleged gender and caste discrimination, alongside fundamental changes in faculty recruitment, internal assessments, student funds, and infrastructure facilities.

On October 8, 2026, students of the Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ), University of Delhi, organized a walkout during a lecture part of the weekly lecture series, as soon as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Dr. Sanjay Verma, took the stage for his address. The students stood on their seats, raised posters and slogans for the resignation of Dr. Verma, before proceeding to walk out in front of the dignitaries and guest speakers.

The students allege persistent gender-based harassment, including the use of sexist, abusive language; gender harassment; and psychological torture specifically targeted against female students. The students have also accused the faculty and administration of engaging in caste vilification, victimisation of marginalized students, as well as breaches of academic ethics that warrant immediate punitive termination.

The professors allegedly threatened students with academic failure and arbitrary marks if they challenged authority.

The students have also raised concerns regarding arbitrary evaluation and opaqueness in the calculation of Internal Assessment marks, demanding a standardised, transparent grading measure to avoid personal vendettas and institutional corruption. Moreover, the lack of transparent re-checking and re-evaluation procedures makes students vulnerable to malicious grading. Students also allege manipulation of attendance records and are raising demands for a real-time, tamper-proof digital attendance portal to prevent arbitrary academic disqualifications.

The students have also raised complaints regarding infrastructure collapse, especially the uninhabitable state of female washrooms. According to the students, the female washrooms lack locks, have shattered doors, and are unhygienic, exposing students to privacy breaches and health hazards. Students also report a lack of basic medical or first-aid facilities, hazardous electrical wiring, broken furniture, and decayed academic spots.

According to the students, the media studio lacks any operational functionality, alongside a deficiency of basic functional laboratories such as broadcast production, digital editing, and audio engineering, creating obstacles in practical media training.

Additionally, students have to rely on contaminated or non-functional drinking water units due to negligence in servicing water coolers. The students also report heavy library fees despite limited access to research databases, literature, or physical infrastructure.

According to a student, the college lacks basic infrastructure, which negatively affects academics. Despite repeated complaints, the authorities have not taken any action, which affects students’ overall college experience. The student asked the authorities how long they would have to wait before any serious steps are taken.

However, the authorities refused to negotiate with the students, and the lectures reportedly continued to function normally despite students carrying out the protest. From the college campus, the protest moved to the Vice-Chancellor’s office as students raised demands for reform. According to many students, these instances of gender and caste discrimination have been occurring for over a year with no action by the authorities. The protest was then joined by the Vice President of Delhi University Students’ Union, Deepanshu Shokeen, who reportedly broke the college gate lock to enter the premises, and the Joint Secretary, Lakshay Raj Singh.

A team of students’ representatives was later allowed to meet the Dean of Students’ Welfare as they raised their concerns and demanded immediate reforms, including the resignation of Dr. Sanjay Verma. The students later returned to the college with the reassurance of an inquiry into the matter.

Image Credits: Ananya Chaturvedi

Tiya Mittal

[email protected]

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DUB News

JNU Students’ Union Sits on Hunger Strike Demanding JNUEE Restoration, Infrastructure Overhaul

By DU Beat October 6, 2026

The Students’ Union of JNU has sat on an indefinite strike as it demands immediate reforms in infrastructure and hostel facilities, restoration of the JNUEE exam, alongside raising allegations of admission irregularities and unjust rustication of office-bearers.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) office-bearers and 14 other students have been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike since 3 October 2026, demanding that rustication orders against office-bearers be addressed, along with deteriorating university and hostel infrastructure, students’ rights and social justice.

JNUSU President Aditi, Vice-President Gopika and General Secretary Sunil are among the students currently observing the hunger strike.

The office-bearers have been rusticated for several months following protests earlier this month, and the union has opposed this disciplinary action, arguing for reinstatement. They have also called for a review of the Chief Proctor Office (CPO) Manual, as it has been alleged that its provisions negatively affect students’ rights and their participation in campus affairs.

For their infrastructure demands, JNUSU has demanded a fundamental overhaul of basic facilities, including renovation and upgradation of hostels, expansion of library seating, and lifts, especially in Kaveri, Periyar, and Godavari hostels. The students have also raised a demand for the repair of campus roads and gender-neutral washrooms in the Health Centre, accompanied by functional mess and Wi-Fi facilities in Barak Hostel.

The students have also raised a demand for the reinstatement of the Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GCASH), restoration of the JNU Entrance Exam (JNUEE), and reform of the Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) in accordance with the principles of the Rohith Act. Alongside this, the union is also demanding an independent inquiry into a recruitment scam through the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), an increase in MCM scholarships, provision of hostel accommodation for PhD students until the submission of their thesis, reservation norms in hostel allotment and their enforcement, along with student representation in university councils and committees.

The JNU Students’ Union alleges intimidation and threats by the chief security officer sent by the university administration. The officer, according to JNUSU, declared the hunger strike illegal and threatened an office-bearer with rustication and an out-of-bounds order. The students were also warned that their rustication periods could be extended, and they allege that the administration denied medical check-ups to office-bearers sitting on strike.

JNUSU has sent a message to the Vice-Chancellor announcing that the hunger strike would continue until all its demands are met.

Image Source: The Tribune

Tiya Mittal

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Arts & Culture

World Teachers’ Day 2026: Dr Neha Jingala

By DU Beat October 3, 2026

On this World Teachers’ Day, DU Beat sits down with Dr Neha Jingala, a faculty member in the Department of Journalism at the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi. From navigating the corridors of DU as a student to returning to them as a teacher, she reflects on the classrooms that shaped her, the lessons she carried forward, and what it means to watch a new generation of students find their own place in the university she once called her own.

Rahul: Just to start us off here, could you take us back to the day you first walked through the gates of your college as a student? What were you feeling, and what were you hoping for?

Dr Neha: I can still recall the very first day I walked through the gates of DCAC, completely fresh out of school. I remember feeling as though my heart would fall out of my chest, while also being excited about the possibility of a new beginning. There was a sense of apprehension because everything was unfamiliar, but at the same time, there were aspirations in my eyes and a great deal of curiosity about what lay ahead.

As a journalism student, I was keen to understand everything around me. The city, the world, people, and, most importantly, how stories are found and told. I hoped college would give me the confidence, knowledge, and exposure to turn that curiosity into something meaningful and substantial.

Rahul: Do you remember the first person you met in college? And was there a person, a teacher, a friend, or even a moment that made you feel that you belonged there?

Dr Neha: I distinctly remember attending my first class at 8:30 am with Mr Sunny Thomas, a seasoned journalist who taught us Writing for the Media. His lectures went beyond the basic principles of writing. He spoke about what made a successful journalist. The curiosity, discipline, observation, sensitivity, and, above all, a sense of responsibility towards the profession and the people we report on.

Those early classes made journalism feel real to me. They helped me understand that journalism was not simply about writing well, but about being curious, asking the right questions, and understanding the world around you. In many ways, those classes gave me an early sense that I had chosen the right path.

Rahul: How was teaching on your first day?

Dr Neha: My first day of teaching felt surprisingly similar to my first day as a student. I was both apprehensive and excited. There was the natural nervousness that comes with entering a classroom from the other side for the first time.

However, as soon as I began interacting with the students, those worries gradually faded. Their curiosity, energy, and willingness to participate made me feel comfortable. Very soon, the nervousness gave way to a sense of connection and confidence. It also made me realise that, although the role had changed, the classroom could still be a space where I was learning and discovering things with my students.

Rahul: What part of DU feels the same as when you were here, even after all these years?

Dr Neha: The students are still just as wonderful. They are enthusiastic, ambitious, and inquisitive. They want to make the most of the opportunities available to them, ask questions, and explore as much as they can during their time at the university.

The excitement of college life, the friendships that are built, the conversations and chit-chat in the corridors, and the desire to do something meaningful at DU all still feel very familiar to me. In many ways, it is this youthful energy that keeps the spirit of the university unchanged, even as the institution itself continues to evolve.

Rahul: Is there any course that you learnt during your time here that you now get to teach? How has that journey been?

Dr Neha: Yes, I studied Print Journalism as a student, and today I get the opportunity to teach it as well. It has been an interesting journey because I now find myself teaching something I once learnt as a student myself.

The fundamental principles we were taught. The accuracy, clarity, verification, structure, and the importance of good reporting remain the foundation of print journalism. However, the field itself has changed tremendously over the years. Technology and digital media, particularly social media, have transformed the way news is gathered, produced, distributed, and consumed.

So, while the principles remain largely the same, teaching print journalism today is very different from what it was when I was a student. In that sense, it has been fascinating to come back to the same subject from the other side of the classroom.

Rahul: What was that one moment in your teaching career, like an epiphany, that made you realise that “yes, this is why I became a professor”?

Dr Neha: I don’t think there has been just one such moment. For me, it has been a series of small moments over the years. Every time I see a student grow, find their confidence, overcome their inhibitions, and go on to do something meaningful, I feel that I am in the right place, doing the right job.

There is a particular sense of satisfaction in watching a student grow not just academically, but also into a more confident, responsible, and thoughtful individual. Seeing that transformation makes all the effort worthwhile. Those moments, rather than one particular incident, are what continue to motivate me as a teacher.

Rahul: Has a student ever taught you something about the subject or maybe about life?

Dr Neha: Teaching is a two-way street. Yes, I enter the classroom as the teacher, but I learn from my students all the time. They bring fresh ideas, different points of view, new trends, and entirely different ways of looking at the world. Sometimes, those perspectives make me pause and rethink my own understanding or opinion.

This is particularly true of journalism because the media landscape is constantly changing. Students often have a very different understanding of how young audiences consume information, how platforms are evolving, and how new forms of storytelling are emerging.

In that sense, every classroom becomes an exchange. I may enter with something to teach, but I often leave having learnt something myself.

Rahul: There’s a common notion among professors that the batches each year are declining in quality, especially post-CUET. Do you feel the same? How do you think we, as students, can challenge that perception?

Dr Neha: I don’t think the quality of students is diminishing. Students today exhibit a high level of confidence and awareness; they bring new perspectives and experiences into the classroom. The best way for students to challenge such a perception is through their work. Stay curious, participate actively, ask questions, be proactive, and make the most of the opportunities available to you. Be willing to learn beyond the syllabus and engage seriously with the world around you.

Rahul: In all these years of having been a student of Delhi University and currently teaching here, what’s that one thing that you wish would never have changed, and one thing you’re glad has changed?

Dr Neha: One thing I hope never changes is the sense of community and the enthusiasm that students bring to university life. The friendships, conversations, debates, disagreements, and the sheer energy of being a student are what make DU special. I hope that spirit continues regardless of how much the university changes with time.

One thing I am glad has changed is the amount of exposure available to students today. Students now have access to many more opportunities, platforms, internships, experiences, and avenues of learning beyond the classroom. They can explore different interests and gain practical experience much earlier, and I think that makes a significant difference to their overall education.

Rahul: If you could sit beside your past student self for five minutes, what would you tell them?

Dr Neha: I would tell my younger self not to stress over everything and to have more confidence in myself. I spent a lot of time worrying about whether I was good enough, whether I was making the right choices, and whether things would work out the way I wanted them to.

I would tell myself to enjoy the journey a little more, take risks, learn from failures, and not be afraid of uncertainty. Not everything has to make sense immediately. There will be moments when you feel lost or unsure, but with time, many things do fall into place. I would simply tell myself to trust the process a little more.

Rahul: This World Teachers’ Day, is there anyone you’d like to thank, maybe a teacher of your own or someone who’s taught you something about life?

Dr Neha: It is difficult to mention just one teacher because I have been fortunate to come across many wonderful teachers during my school years and higher education. Each of them, in their own way, encouraged me, guided me, and helped shape the person I eventually became. They taught me not only through their subjects, but also through their faith in their students, their advice, and the goals they encouraged us to achieve for ourselves. I will always be grateful to them for that.

So, on this World Teachers’ Day, I would like to thank all the teachers who have been part of my journey and have contributed, in one way or another, to shaping the person I am today.

Dr Neha Jingala
Head of the Department, Department of Journalism
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi

Interview conducted by
Rahul Kumar
[email protected]

Image Credits: Design Team, DU Beat

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DUB News

DU Quietly Drops Credit Requirement for 2025-26 Batch, Teachers Ask Why

By DU Beat October 3, 2026

Delhi University’s (DU) Controller of Examinations issued a notification this week exempting students of the 2025-26 batch from the credit requirement of earning 28 credits out of 44 for promotion to the next year. The notification says the decision has been taken with approval of the competent authority and that all other provisions remain unchanged. It does not say why.

The 28-credit requirement was introduced under DU’s National Education Policy-based Undergraduate Curriculum Framework, which mandates seven papers per semester. Under the framework, a student had to pass 28 of the 44 total credits from the first two semesters to move into the second year. That bar has now been removed for one batch.

The move has drawn immediate pushback from teachers. Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Delhi University Teachers’ Federation and associate professor at Miranda House, said the university changed the passing criteria without explaining what circumstances made it necessary. She said,

“Passing criteria for a specific batch (2025-26) are being relaxed without explaining which circumstances, hardships or systemic failure warrant such a change,”

She also pointed to a timing problem. Third semester classes began on 28 July. Results from the first-year examinations were still being declared through August. That means students entered their third semester before it was even clear how many had cleared the promotion bar, and the rule has now been changed after the fact.

Rudrashish Chakraborty, treasurer of the Delhi University Teachers’ Federation and associate professor of English at Kirori Mal College, alleged that the notification reflected incompetence in managing the growing number of papers under NEP and raised questions over whether the relaxation could benefit someone with political connections. The university has not responded to either allegation.

This is not the first time DU has quietly eased promotion rules mid-cycle. In November 2025, it decided to promote all 11,000 students in the 2024-25 postgraduate batch, including those who had failed or not appeared for exams, as a one-time measure tied to a curriculum change. The pattern of one-time exemptions, issued without public explanation and after students have already moved into the next semester, is what teachers say is doing the most damage.

Habib further says that

“Transparency and stability of the examination system are an important aspect for a good university. DU is being systemically damaged.”

Image source: flickr.com

Abhishek Goverdhan
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Campus Central

‘Hum Auratein Azaad Hai’: DU Students March to Reclaim Public Spaces

By DU Beat September 26, 2026

A solidarity march demanding safer public spaces for women and gender minorities was held across South Delhi on September 25, with students from Delhi University colleges taking to the streets following the gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl in Astha Kunj Park.

The march remained largely decentralised and student-led with no formal affiliation to any political party. Members of the Collective were, however, also seen participating in the protest. Coordination and communication were primarily carried out through multiple WhatsApp groups.

Students from various Delhi University colleges, along with those from institutions like AIIMS and IIT Delhi, joined the demonstration. The march began near Gargi College and proceeded towards Kamala Nehru College, with protesters raising concerns over women’s safety, inadequate infrastructure and restrictions on women’s access to public spaces. Reports from the protest noted demands for better lighting, security infrastructure and accountability around areas frequently used by students.

Hindustan Times spoke to a student and revealed how they were publicly recorded in a metro, raising questions around privacy and safety. The demonstration unfolded in multiple stages. Students first marched on the road before moving to DDA’s Arun Jaitley Park for a public meeting, where participants discussed the demands being raised by the protest. The gathering later resumed as a night march at around 7 pm, with students returning to the streets as an act of reclaiming public spaces after dark.

The protesters opposed measures that restrict women’s movement in the name of safety. A major point of contention was the reported move to restrict access to parks after sunset, which protesters argued places the responsibility for preventing sexual violence on women rather than addressing perpetrators, policing and inadequate public infrastructure. Moneycontrol reported that protesters also criticised restrictions on women’s access to parks and called for stronger institutional accountability.

The march also expanded the conversation beyond rape to everyday forms of gender-based harassment. Protesters raised concerns about stalking, inappropriate recording of women in public spaces and the lack of adequate lighting and security around college-adjacent areas.

At the public meeting, participants released the “Hum Auratein Azaad Hai Declaration”, a ten-point charter outlining their demands. The declaration calls for street lighting in roads, parks and public spaces, particularly around universities, slums and industrial areas; improved public transportation, including more DTC and shuttle buses and metro passes for women; and functional public toilets and menstrual-health facilities for women and gender minorities.

Speaking to DU Beat, another student emphasised the need to build collective solidarity beyond Delhi University, arguing that the movement should extend to central universities like IITs and AIIMs across the country. “For collective solidarity, this cannot remain limited to Delhi University. Students from central universities across the country should be brought into the movement so that the demand for women’s safety and the right to public spaces becomes a nationwide struggle.”

Beyond immediate security measures, the declaration places women’s safety within wider questions of economic and social freedom. It calls for more hostels and scholarships for women students, greater opportunities for women in STEM and professional fields, equal pay, and investment in public infrastructure such as anganwadis, creches, maternity homes, community kitchens and laundries.

The charter also addresses the treatment of women care workers, calling for recognition and dignity for workers in anganwadis, sanitation, hospitals and domestic work. It further raises concerns over the treatment of sexual violence as a matter of community “izzat” and demands greater accountability for public officials accused of sexual harassment.

Similar marches are scheduled to happen across Delhi University colleges. The protest thus connected the immediate demand for safer streets with a broader demand for women’s freedom to occupy public spaces without restrictions.

Image Credits: Satakshi for DU Beat

Tarunima Tayal

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