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Nexus, the annual cultural fest of Sri Venkateswara College, organised by Students’ Union and Fine Arts Association concluded it’s Day 1 with a ravishing performance by The Yellow Diary. 

Nexus’20 with its tag line of “Lights, Camera, Action” encapsulated the Bollywood theme, in all its glory.

Inauguration Ceremony 

The inauguration for Nexus 2020 began at 10:40 AM with ne arrival of the Chief Guest, eminent Santoor player Shri Abhay Rustum Sopori. Ater the lighting of the ceremonial lamp and singing of hymns, the staff advisor and conveyor of the fine arts took turns to thank the various organisers, teaching and non teaching staff for making the event possible.

This was followed by an introduction of the Chief Guest and speech by the Principal who explained the impact globalisation on the current generation and how it has created challenges and opportunities. Shri Abhay Rustum Sopori addresses the gathering and stressed on the need to preserve the creative arts and provide a platform to the younger generation, regardless of the field.

Madari: The Street Play Competition

Madari, the street play competition, organized by Anubhuti Sri Venkateswara College, took place in the front lawn on day 1 of Nexus. The event began with a performance called ‘(en)titled’ by LSR, a hard hitting performance on caste discrimination and how it is entrenched in Indian society. This event was presided over by 2 judges, Rajneesh Gautam, a director from the theater industry, and Rajesh Bakshi, an actor. The 11 teams which performed delivered powerful performances on water shortage, division in India, inefficiency of Indian governance, missing persons, and other prevailing issues ailing our country.

Hindi Debate Competition 

Vimarsh, the Hindi Debating society of Sri Venkateswara College also organized a hindi debate on the first day of Nexus. The debate was in the turncoat format, with each participant being given 5 minutes, 2 minutes for the motion, 2 against, and 1 minute to conclude. The judges presiding over this event were Mr.Umesh Chaturvedi, an advisor for All India Radio (AIR) and a prominent journalist, and, Dr.Jitendra Veer Kalra from the hindi department of SVC. With 28 participants, the debaters spoke about various issues such as cities versus villages in terms of personal development, feminism, the need for a national language, and other relevant issues.

Jugalbandi: The Duet Indian Classical Event 

Day 1 of Nexus, the annual cultural fest of Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) begins with several enthralling competitions. One of which is Jugalbandi. Jugalbandi is a pair on stage duet competition for indian classical music. 15 talented college and cross college teams presented their instrumental and vocal renditions for the judge, Shivani Singh, a hindustani classic singer who also has experience in carnatic songs and gulam Ali gazal and the enthralled audience. This event took place on the mini stage.

Heathens, and the Photography Exhibition

Effulgence, the photography society of Sri Venkateswara College, organised Heathens, the solo photography competition. The event witnessed widespread participation from photography enthusiasts all over the University.

Effulgence, the Photography society of Sri Venkateswara College, organizes a photo exhibition and competition Kodachrome’20for Nexus, the annual cultural fest of SVC, The theme for this year’s competition is Marvel vs DC.

Bollywood, Mela and India Quiz 

Day one of Nexus 2020 saw the first two quizzes held by Conquitadors, the quizzing society of SVC. The event saw slight delays due to technical complications. It began with the India Quiz, Azaadi-E-Kamil, won by Ankur Agraj of Campus Law Centre and Tanmay of St Stephen’s. Next the Bollywood Quiz, Cin-E-Hind, was won by Ankur Agraj and Aayush Shukla. The third quiz of the day, MELA, Music, Entertainment, Literature and Art, was won by Vallari and Hariharan.

Razzmatazz: The Western Group Dance Event 

With much delay and doubt, the second half of Nexus was a rocky yet uphill ride. Razzmataz, the Western Group Dance Competition set the stage on fire! Soaring high stunts, charm, expressions and flexibility marked the event leaving the audience in awe. Spardha, the Western Dance Society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College was declared the winners, following suite, Dhanak, the Western Dance Society of Zakir Hussain Delhi College were declared the runner-ups. Parallelly, Diminuendo, the Western Singing Duet Competition took place. Cosy room. Check. Fairylights. Check. High-pitches. Check. As the crowd sang along to the beautiful melodies under the dim-light and Tumblr vibes, the competition ended on a high note.

Thirak: The Folk Dance Event 

The afternoon of the annual festival of Nexus, the annual cultural fest of Sri Venkateswara College (SVS), was highlighted by the mesmerising performances, which represented the folk culture of India. Thirak, a classical folk dance competition was put up with the efforts of Nrityangana, the Indian Dance Society of the host college. The face off witnessed 12 performances of some amazing teams competing with one another beautifully to set the bar high. Diversified dance sequences took the audience to the journey with them from Lavani to Bhangra to Garba and to other prominent dance forms highlighting the rich cultural fabric of our nation. The best performance title was bagged by Nazaakat, Gargi College and the runner’s up position was entitled to Mridang, Miranda House.

Rock Night: The Yellow Diary

The night came to a perfect end with a magnificent performance by the fusion rock band, The Yellow Diary, leaving the audience captivated. They performed some of their most popular songs like Rab Raakha, Marz and Tere Jaisa Hor Dissa among others. The audience was highly eager and demanded the band to perform one of their most famous and motivating songs, Kashmir. No doubt, the entire crowd was enthralled and went home highly pleased.

Diminuendo: The Group Acapella Competition 

The Western Music Society of SVC, Crescendo, orchestrated the dulcet Acapella competition, Diminuendo, opening with a statement condemning the ongoing violence across the State. The event started about 40 minutes late and was interrupted a few times by speaker disturbances outside. It was evaluated by Ritwik De and internal judge, Dr. Namida Nayyar. The first position was awarded to the Western Music Society of LSR, followed by JMC’s Echo with the second position and St. Stephen’s’ Sound Machine with the third.

Feature Image Credits: Janesh Sahni for DU Beat.
Prabhanu Kumar Das
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Anandi Sen
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Umaima Khanam
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Aditi Gutgutia
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Tashi Dorjay Sherpa
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Four years and five deadlines later, the underpass connecting Benito Juarez Road with San Martin Road in front of Sri Venkateswara College is only half complete. The project, which is a part of the Rao Tula Ram Marg Redevelopment Project recently missed its 6th deadline of completion in June 2019 causing much trouble to roads of South Campus. 

When one visits Sri Venkateswara College or Satya Niketan, a sight to behold is the unfinished construction site which is surrounded by gutter streams all around. That is the three-lane underpass, being constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD), which has been delayed for more than 5 deadlines. It has been said to be delayed due to lack of utilities, shift slot issues and the complex nature of project.

A senior PWD official on condition of anonymity said, “It will take another eight to nine months to complete. The delay is due to shifting railway’s power cables, telephone lines and other utilities. The work related to shifting of utilities on BJ Road and SM Road has been completed, while the utilities at Ring Road are yet to be shifted.”

The construction has been a menace for long, it acts as an incubator for health hazards as well as take away from the beauty of the place.

The dual access one-way underpass construction begins near Springdales School on Benito Juarez Road and is said to pass under the South Campus Metro Station on the Ring Road. One arm of the underpass is said to go to San Martin Road while another will open on Ring Road towards Moti Bagh.

Being near one of the most prominent metro station for DU south campus students, The Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus metro station, the sore construction site is something which all people are witnesses to.

The delay in the construction has left the entire place stinking and has even hampered the travel on the roads. Due to the construction in process, the roads have been long broken and aren’t even close to getting repaired. It causes a huge traffic problem, as already the streets of Satya Niketan are very narrow with the construction they have been reduced much more on its main entrance which doesn’t allow cars to enter.

Each season there’s a new trouble. In the rainy season, there is collection stagnant water which leads to the breeding and provides a mating ground for many flies, mosquitoes and insects causing diseases. In winds of winters, the dust accumulated there causes dust winds that harms the health of the students.

Tarsh Verma, student of Sri Venkateswara college said, “Its so hazardous to be around this construction because of the broken roads, the enormous amount of mosquitoes and huge water puddles. It has also divided the road from the center making it very inconvenient.”

What’s worse is that this construction will be extended to the Ring Road which is one of the busiest roads in Delhi. The delayed construction will lead to deferred traffic and will be highly inconvenient. Other than traffic, hygiene and convenience issue the construction is also harmful financially.

The underpass was estimated to cost INR 102 crores. Constant delays have escalated the expenditure and have added an extra amount of INR 42 crores to the project.

S. Velmurugan, senior principal scientist, traffic engineering and safety division, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said, “Most of the important projects such as construction of flyover parallel to RTR flyover on the Outer Ring Road and phase-3 of Barapullah elevated corridor are running years behind their deadlines. Such important projects should be completed on time and the responsibilities of the authorities should be fixed.”

The proximity of the construction with the colleges and the metro station should motivate the authorities to complete it as soon as possible.

 

Feature Image Credits: Aakarsh Gupta for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba 

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Amidst all the worry that lies related to climate change around us, Robin Suyesh, Amphibian Biologist and Assistant Professor at Sri Venkateswara College found new species of amphibians which might just be the ray of hope we all need.

 As reported by The Times of India (TOI), an amphibian survey conducted in the Aravalli Biodiversity Park showed the existence of four new species of frogs called Nepal’s Wart Frog, Indian Toad, Indus Valley Toad and, Indian Burrowing Frog. Along with these, the four species which were discovered earlier were the Bull Frog (largest frog in India), Indian Skipper Frog, Narrow-mouthed Frog (smallest land vertebrate from Delhi) and Pierrei’s Wart Frog.

According to the research, amphibians are an important part of an ecosystem as they are considered to be environmental indicators. Their semi-permeable skin makes them highly susceptible to pollution and their presence indicates a relatively healthy ecosystem. They also play a very important role in the food chain as they consume insects and control their population, and are also sources of food for carnivores like reptiles and birds.

In his survey report, Robin Suyesh said, “Amphibians in urban areas are currently facing a major crisis of habitat loss, split and fragmentation. But it was the habitat restoration work done by ecologist Vijay Dhasmana that has led to this change.” He also added that the park already has basic requirements to sustain amphibian life, and over the years, efforts have been made to provide shelter from excessive heat, dryness, predators and, spaces for hibernation.

According to Suyesh, no other habitat in the National Capital Region (NCR) currently shows such a high diversity of amphibians, and the Aravalli Biodiversity Park is among the best habitats that can support amphibians.

The survey report also suggested that the conservation efforts for amphibians must protect all the aspects of the habitat they need, thus it is very important to preserve the water-bodies and adjoining terrestrial habitat in the Aravalli Biodiversity Park to prevent them from becoming locally extinct.

Feature Image Credits: Business Standard

 Akshat Arora

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The placement season this session at the University of Delhi touched new heights in terms of the number of companies involved and the number of students securing placements. Because of the initiatives of the various placement cells, this year witnessed a rise in the average pay packages offered.
The highest placement offer this year of Rs. 31 lakhs per annum (LPA) was bagged by a student of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), offered by the consultancy giant Parthenon-EY. This placement marked an exponential improvement for the Placement Cell of SRCC as their highest placement for the last academic session 2016-17 was Rs. 30 LPA. Kirori Mal College and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College both witnessed their highest placement offer at Rs. 19 LPA. The highest offer in St. Stephen’s College was Rs. 19-20 LPA in terms of cost to company (CTC) by the Boston Consulting Group. Hansraj College observed a boost as well since their highest offer increased from last year’s figures of Rs. 16 lakhs per annum to Rs. 17.5 LPA this year.

The average pay packages this year start off at Rs. 3.9 LPA at Daulat Ram College. Kirori Mal College, where over 90 students were placed, and Sri Venkateswara College, where the current number students placed is 146 (subject to increase), both received average salary packages of Rs. 4.1 lakhs. Shaheed Bhagat Singh College observed an increase to an average of Rs. 4 lakhs per annum from the previous year’s Rs. 3.2 lakhs, out of the 170 students placed. Hansraj College yet again managed to increase their average package amount from Rs. 5.02 lakhs to Rs. 6 lakhs. SRCC also observed an average salary package of Rs. 6 LPA this year.

St. Stephen’s College, Hansraj College, and Sri Venkateswara College witnessed 85+ companies visiting their campus for placements this season.

Notable names like KPMG (India), KPMG (Global), Hindustan Times, Inshorts, Decathlon, Bain and Company, Barnes & Noble Loudcloud, Zycus Infotech, Fidelity Information Services (FIS), Accenture, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and TATA Power, recruited the most number of students. First time recruiters like Hindustan Times, Inshorts, Byjus, and Saavn, among others, were also involved this placement season.

The most popular job profile remains Audit Associate or Analyst for commerce students. However, this year noticed a trend of inclusivity of companies branching out to the humanities and science streams as well. There were a plethora of job opportunities for science and humanities students. Companies like NIIT, IdInsight, FRR Forex, StartupEd, Decathlon, Bain & Company, Dell, Teach for India and Urbanclap, recruited from all courses. The profiles offered for humanities and science students ranged from business development, research, marketing, content writing, human resources, etc.

Communication skills, practical knowledge, achievements in academics and extracurricular activities, analytical skills, quick and out of the box thinking, strong logical and reasoning abilities, and academic proficiency are some qualities that hiring companies look for in a student.

(All information is based on the data received from participating colleges in a DU Beat survey)

 

Feature Image Credits: AstroBetter

Bhavya Banerjee
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It is the season of examinations, and along with it, is also the season of uncertainty and apprehension for the students who frequent their colleges like a blue moon frequents the sky.

 According to the Varsity mandated rules, students of the University of Delhi (DU) need to maintain at least 67% attendance in order to sit for the end semester examinations. For those who don’t, pleading the professors to consider their Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) attendance, or visiting a shady doctor for a medical certificate are some of the extreme choices one has, since the college is technically bound to act under the rules of the University and detain those with less attendance.

Things look especially uncertain for the third year students in some colleges, like Miranda House, as they have been told that they won’t be able to sit for the examinations if they do not have the required attendance.

In South Campus, Sri Venkateswara College has not been given the admit cards till now. Prabal Khatri, President of Sri Venkateswara Students’ Union, told the DU Beat correspondent, “There are no issues for third year students. Earlier, the 67% attendance requirement used to apply to the final year students as well. But this year, our Union has been able to bring it down to 0%, providing huge respite for them.”

When asked about whether the college administration is lenient for the first and second year students as well, Khatri remarked, “For them, even if the required attendance is 67% according to the Varsity mandated rules, our union has brought the benchmark down to 35%. However, there are some students who never show up to class, neither do they have ECA’s, nor medical certificates to justify their low attendance. Those people are of course not given the admit cards.”

In Miranda House, a meeting to determine whether third year students with below 40% attendance will receive their admit cards is slated to be held. While in the past years, the administration would not withhold the admit cards for the final year students, this year, the college has constantly maintained, right from the beginning of the semester, that they would be more stringent with attendance requirements, even for final year students.

In a phone call conversation with the correspondent, Mahi, a final year student from Miranda House remarked, “The final year students have coaching and have to prepare for entrances. So the administration is usually more understanding with us. However, I do not know about the changes brought about this year.” Since none of the final year students have been given their admit cards till now, a cloud of uncertainty looms over their futures.

It is to be noted that, amidst the first and second year students who have already received their admit cards, there are students with attendance below 40%, who are still struggling to get their admit cards. A member of the college administration told DU Beat on condition of anonymity, “Even as the college is prepared to be flexible with the final year students, we have instructions to be uncompromising with the first and second year students.”

Nestling in the heart of North Campus, is Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), boasting cut-offs that rise as high as 99.25%. SRCC is surprisingly not as strict as some of its neighbours in campus, when it comes to attendance issues.

The Corporate Communications Head of the Students’ Union, Shrimann Adhith, held that until last year, the 67% requirement of attendance in order to be eligible to sit for the exams was not followed. It is only from the current academic session that students require the aforementioned percentage of attendance to get their admit cards. Shrimann went on to say, “Even if they do not maintain the required attendance, the students would eventually be given the admit card. However, they would be made to sign an undertaking.”

Sonul, a sports student from Gargi College, does not seem stressed about getting her admit card. She says, “If any of the third year students does not have the required attendance, they will be made to sign an undertaking. At the most, their parents will be called. But they will eventually be allowed to sit for the exams.”

Contrastingly, in Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Himansh Pandey, current President of ‘Anhad’, the Music Society of the college, told  DU Beat, “even if you are a part of a cultural society, you do not get ECA attendance. After a lot of protest, the Principal promised us that they will bring down the bar of required attendance for students of cultural societies to 30%. However, for other students, 67% attendance requirement is strictly followed, without which they do not get their admit cards.” However, he also added, “The worst case scenario is that your parents are called. But the final year students are given the fated sheet of admittance even if they have to stand in lines from 9 to 5, and fight with the administration.”

For the students of Lady Shri Ram College, things appear uncertain as there has been no word from the administration. When the DU Beat correspondent asked Amita Yadav, the President of the college, whether the third year students with below 67% attendance would be allowed to sit for the exams or not, she said, “There has been no word from the side of the administration till now.”

One common trend witnessed in most of the colleges is the lack of communication from the side of the administration. With less than 10 days left for the exams, students are still uncertain about whether they would receive their admit cards or not.

With most colleges having already celebrated their farewell, is this lack of communication justified? As the final year students gear up to step into the outside world of jobs and higher studies, isn’t keeping them second-guessing about their examinations a sheer lack of transparency?

These are some of the questions we need to pose to the administration departments of the colleges.

 

Feature Image Credits: HansIndia

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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In heartening news, Nishtha Dudeja, a commerce graduate from Sri Venkateshwara College won the title of Ms India Deaf, 2018. The 22 year old, in a report by Amar Ujala, said that she had spent a year in preparing for the contest, learning ramp walk and dancing. A prolific tennis player, Ms. Dudeja also represented India in lawn tennis during Deaflympics 2013 (Bulgaria) and World Deaf Tennis Championship 2015 (UK) and Deaflympics 2017 (Turkey).

In the three-day pageant held from 24th to 26th February organised by the Rajputana Deaf Arts and Culture Society (RDACS) in collaboration with All India Deaf Arts and Culture Society (AIDACS), Ms. Dudeja showcased her skills at being the best on the ramp, which also included Bhangra dancing. Her father, B.D. Dudeja, mentioned how she had been a stubborn child since her childhood, learning speech therapy for several years. He also admitted to feeling unlucky earlier about his fate being the father of the differently-abled child. “We now feel very lucky to have her. She is very caring,” he concluded.  

The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 provides for both preventive and promotional aspects of rehabilitation in areas like education, employment and vocational training, reservation, research and manpower development, creation of barrier-free environment and so on. However, such measures have rarely been implemented. A recent survey by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) found that  thirty-two of India’s top universities and institutions of higher learning , including IITs, IIMs, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University, have together filled up barely 16% of the minimum quota for people with disabilities.  The survey also found women students with disabilities made up of 28% of the disabled students in these institutions. This was later followed by a statement in December, 2017 by the Vice-Chancellor, Yogesh Tyagi who resolved to start a centre for disability studies soon for further inclusion-oriented research.

However, there is a larger culture of silence and neglect that afflicts disabled people in the country. Speaking of her travels abroad, Ms. Dudeja remarked how people with disabilities were given equal opportunities there instead of mere compassion. In India, they are made to feel weak which is something very harmful.

Nevertheless, Ms. Dudeja’s achievement does bring in inspiration for people with disabilities to pursue their dreams against heavy odds.

 

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Sara Sohail

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The second day of Nexus, the annual fest of Sri Venkateswara College commenced on the morning of 9th March 2018, with several events around the campus. One of them was Goonj, the Indian classical group singing competition.  The seminar hall in which the event took place was given the necessary aura by being decorated with dim fairy lights. Eleven colleges enthusiastically participated in the event, including Kamla Nehru College, Hansraj College, Ramjas College, etc. Though the societies of each college filled the auditorium with great vigour with their voices, the highlight of the event was a special performance by the host team Alaap, the Indian music society of Sri Venkateswara College.

The competition was judged by Ujwal Nagar, an exceptionally talented musical artist from a famous collective called Advaita. Geetanjali, the Indian music society of Miranda House, bagged the first position and a cash prize of INR 8000 through their beautiful blend of Raga Puriya-Dhanashri and Raag Jog. The second position and a cash prize of INR 6000 were won by Alankaar, the Indian music society of Hindu College, which mesmerised the audience with their mixture of the three raags – Rageshree, Jogkauns, and Gambheera Nattai Talam. All societies were very supportive of each other and the event seemed like a celebration of music.

The MELA Quiz organised by Conquiztadors, the quiz society, and saw active participation. Gokul of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College and Gourav Jena of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies bagged the first position as a team and won INR 2500 as the cash prize. The second position was bagged by Akash Verma of Delhi School of Economics and Rabin Jacob of Department of Anthropology, the University of Delhi (DU).

Anubhuti, the street play society Sri Venkateswara College, organised Madari, the street play competition. Natuve of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Morning) bagged the first position. Their impactful performance was based on depression. DramaNomics of College of Vocational Studies won the first runner-up trophy, and the dramatics society of Lady Shri Ram College followed as the second runner-up. Kshitij of Gargi College received a special mention. Shilpa Marawaha of Sukhmanch Theatre was one of the judges. She said that all the plays were very contemporary and thought-provoking. Abhishek Kumar Singh of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies won the Best Actor award and Best Actress was given to Spraha of IP College for Women.

Leonci, the Fine Arts Society organised a Story Illustration Competition, out of six participants, Nibedita Roy of Shivaji College bagged the first prize and Shivangi Rao of Maitreyi College secured the second position.

Effulgence, the Film, and Photography Society organised a short film competition which was judged by Mr. Imran Raza, Director of IG Productions. The first position was bagged by Symbiosis College, Pune and second was won by St. Stephen’s College.

Alaap, Indian Music Society of Sri Venkateswar College, organised Gamak, a classical solo competition. Mr. Kshitij Mathur, an Indian Classical vocalist based out of Delhi judged the event. Vasundhara of IP College for Women won the first position while Shreerag of Kirori Mal College secured the runner-up trophy.

The action at the main stage began with the Battle of Bands. The various bands from across universities locked horns for the top spot. The competition was judged by Abhay Sharma and Varun Rajasekhar. At the end of the showdown which extended for more than two hours, Six in the Evening, the western music band of Hansraj College and Jokes Apart- Flip, the collaborative group of DU colleges shared the first prize. Common Thread, the western music band of Audiophile, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College was ranked second.

Unni Vishwanathan of Hansraj College was adjudged the winner of Mudra, the solo Indian classical dance competition. Nandita of Hansraj College was the runner-up. Judges Disha Rawat and Nisha Rani further appreciated the efforts of Sanskriti Sharma of Janki Devi Memorial College and Reetu Purna of Lady Shri Ram College.

The next event on the roll was Dyad, the western vocals (duet) competition. Ashisha John and Miriam Matthew of St. Stephen’s College were awarded the first position for their rendition of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. Vinayak Arora and Shikhar Lakhumna of Delhi Technological University stood second for their cover of Beat It, another Michael Jackson song.

The slam poetry competition was the venue of new-age poetry wherein the participants mesmerised the gathering with their poems, based on varied themes such as feminism and the melancholy of having a broken family. While Seep Garwhal from Sri Venkateswara College secured the first position, Prashant from Bhartiya Vidhya Bhawan bagged the second position by a close margin.

The Hindi debate competition was a battleground of raging thoughts as participants engaged in a verbal battle on the topic – This house believes that world peace is a myth. Harshit from Shivaji College outsmarted his competitors and bagged the first position while Shubhangi from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College won the second position.

The choreography competition which commenced at 3 p.m. was the highlight of the day with zealous teams competing neck-to-neck. The themes ranged from ‘spirits’ to the ‘foils of an arrogant king’. The judges were Arpita Kaul and Ragini Bhajanka, both of whom are seasoned performers. Sensation of Kirori Mal College won the first position and was followed by Sparx of Gargi College which emerged as the runners-up.

Musician Haider Saif closed off the eventful day two of Nexus with soulful songs.  

The third day saw the star night performance by Armaan Malik, which oversaw a huge audience in thousands to witness him singing. He sang famous hit sings like Gulabi Aankhein, Kar Gayi Chul, and Vajah Tum Ho, among a plethora of other songs to which the audience grooved heartily. His closing act concluded a yet another successful Nexus!

 

Feature Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan for DU Beat

Khyati Sanger
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Nikhil Kumar
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Prachi Mehra
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Vaibhavi Pathak Sharma
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Enactus, the global non-profit community which seeks to inspire action, has transformed communities in more than thirty-six countries with the help of visionary minds. Emphasising on the monumental impact of entrepreneurial action, the Enactus community has been working towards manifesting an independent world by generating employability through its unique projects. Colleges under the University of Delhi have established their presence through relentless efforts and have emerged successful in catering to the plethora of social issues plaguing thousands of lives. Here is a compilation of the events, projects, and achievements of the prominent Enactus societies of the University of Delhi.

Enactus Ramjas

The Ramjas chapter of this social venture commenced in 2011 and has successfully catered to three models of business since its inception. These include the Enactus Store, Project Bawarchi, and Project Transcreation. Enactus Store is an online platform which specifically caters to the products and services of Enactus teams all around the country. Project Transcreations seeks to help the transgender community to sustain their lives through providing them with entrepreneurial avenues such as cab driving, jewellery making, etc. They have also launched their very own beauty parlour in Saket solely run by transgenders. Project Bawarchi is a canteen exclusively being run by victims of drug and substance abuse near North Campus and is accompanied by food carts and tiffin delivery. The society has also conducted myriad events to serve the community this year. Under the umbrella of its Project Transcreations, Enactus Ramjas organised a transgender fashion show along with an LGBT pride march. It also conducted the biggest Enactus Festival in February of this year and saw a successful participation. Semi-finalists of Enactus Nationals 2016, the society has carried out more than 30 sensitisation campaigns related to drug abuse since the launch of the project.

Enactus Hindu

Conceptualised in 2014, Enactus Hindu launched its Project Veerangana in this academic session. The social endeavour aims to propagate safety ideals for all by transforming young, unemployed women into self-defence instructors. The previous social campaigns of the society include Project Shreshth and Project Oorja. Their pilot project, Shresth, transformed a group of financially dependent women from the Badli Industrial Area, Rohini into self-sufficient entrepreneurs who manufacture and market incense sticks under the brand name ‘Aanchal Aggarbatis’. Project Oorja strives to preserve environmental balance by providing clean solar lighting solutions to tackle the menace of rising carbon footprints. Under its current project, the society introduced a campaign titled ‘Be A Veerangana,’ and witnessed two months of intensive offline and online promotions, encouraging women to share instances of harassment and breaking the taboo around crimes. At Mecca 2017, the annual cultural festival of Hindu College, their team conducted ‘Road to Safety,’ a unique? simulation of the streets of Delhi, with the objective of raising awareness about simple safety measures which can come in handy in our day-to-day lives. The animal community was also served with its ‘Warmth for Paws’ initiative to provide clothes to street dogs with sweaters made from discarded woollens in the bitter cold months of December and January.

Enactus Khalsa

One of the youngest members of the Enactus community, the Khalsa chapter of the non-profit endeavour germinated in August of last year. While their pilot project is currently under development, they successfully organised an awareness campaign within the college. Titled #LetsMakeGodTalk, the students of the college were induced to deliberate upon the social sphere. On Daan Utsav, the society also organised a visit to a girls’ shelter home and spent a day there with the kids playing games and interacting with them.

Enactus Miranda House

An active member of the social community, Enactus Miranda House has been the launching pad of four successful initiatives since its inception in 2011. Namely Project Zaffran, Project Jazba, Project Tarang, and Project Daryaft, the society aims to boost the issues of financial dependency amongst the women community, strengthening the standing of acid-attack survivors, developing environmentally complementing products, and enhancing the tourism sector, respectively. This year, the society organised a seminar – ‘Astitva’ in relation to Project Jazba, along with a seminar with Mr. Vikramjit Singh Rooprai on the occasion of Heritage Day under Project Daryaft. The annual festival of Enactus Miranda House – Impressa 2017, was organised with the theme ‘Breaking Stereotypes,’ and witnessed events such as open mics and movie screenings. In addition to organising a waste collection drive, the society has also conceptualised an internship programme ranging from the Campus Ambassador Program to Synergy, the Winter Internship Program to propagate ideals of entrepreneurship and initiative.

Enactus SRCC

Perhaps the oldest member of the Enactus community, Enactus SRCC has been doing pertinent projects for a decade now. Some of their recent projects are as follows. Project Life On Wheels facilitates micro-credit for rickshaw pullers by enabling them to own their rickshaws. Project Aahaar is an initiative to rehabilitate underprivileged women by providing them with culinary training. Project Azmat was an endeavour to liberate manual scavengers by providing them with a sustainable source of livelihood through a development of a micro-enterprise and to facilitate construction of proper toilet systems. Project Sattva was an initiative to bring efficiency in India’s dairy sector by the rearing of high yielding cattle and value addition to milk through a mutually beneficial relationship. Project Asbah aimed at providing clean drinking water to rural households through the development and marketing of clay-based water filters produced by a community of potters. With projects like these, Enactus SRCC secured the second runners-up position at the Enactus Nationals 2016. They have received the prestigious KPMG grant and Walmart grant in recognition of the progress made by their projects.

Enactus Shaheed Bhagat Singh College

Since its formation in 2014, Enactus SBSC has come a long way with three socially relevant and inspiring initiatives. Their first project, Project Karva aimed at the upliftment of women. Under Project Roshni, visually impaired people were taught how to make candles as an attempt to become independent as well as self-sustaining. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, they conceptualised their third project, Project Aahar, which seeks to provide affordable as well as hygienic food to people in need. Other than the projects, two fundraising campaigns were conducted this year. From 5th-7th October 2016, Campaign Umeed took place where members sold bookmarks and notebooks made by the specially challenged children of Deepalaya School. On the 109th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh under Campaign Anghaar, candles made by the visually impaired to the students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College were sold. Campaign Sparsh addressed the women residing at Anand Parbat and introduced them to NGO GOONJ’s ‘My Pad’ – a kit that contains undergarments, sanitary pads, and a manual on menstrual health. They also addressed the issue of child sexual abuse as it is one of the major evils surrounding Anand Parbat through organising interactive activities for the children and showing videos that demonstrated the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching.

Enactus Maitreyi College

Established in 2014, Enactus Maitreyi is currently working in collaboration with the National Coalition of People Living with HIV on their third project – Project Samya. True to its name, Project Samya aims at bringing equality to women affected with HIV who are evidently socially excluded and are often forced to quit their jobs. Enactus Maitreyi’s first project, Unnayan, helped the women of Mayur Vihar to make and market a liquid dishwasher, ‘Clean Ninja’ for them to become self-reliant. They launched their second project, Swadhin in 2016, with the aim of helping the physically impaired community by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills. This year the society started its own plantation drive. Other than this, Enactus Maitreyi purchased stationery items for the specially-abled students of Anukriti School, with its own funds by keeping aside INR 2 from the sale of every product. To raise funds, Enactus Maitreyi launched a fundraising campaign called,#IDidMyBit, which was conducted over a period of 2 months. A photo booth in Connaught Place was also created to raise money.

Enactus Sri Venkateswara College

Conceived in 2015, Enactus Sri Venkateswara College has been appreciated for its innovation and uniqueness of projects. The society has successfully churned out three projects, namely Project Captain Compost, Project Aushadhi, and Project CiggB. Project Captain Compost aims to provide a solution to the garbage menace in the city while uplifting the social and economic status of ragpickers at the same time, and Project Aushadhi merged the two issues of homelessness and medicinal waste. Winner of the Blue Dart Grant worth INR 40,000, the society launched Project CiggB this year which focuses on the disposal and recycle of used cigarette butts. To establish a communal outreach, they organised stalls in the fests of Hindu College, Indraprastha College for Women, Kamala Nehru College among others, along with stalls and exhibitions under ‘Heartist,’ where they provided a platform for street artists to showcase their skills and sell their products. In association with ‘People for Animals’ and Enactus SRCC, Enactus SVC also set up a winter cloth collection drive in December 2016. They have also collaborated with ‘Parivartan’, the social service society of Sri Venkateswara College for interaction and skill development of slum children and organised a special event for them to celebrate Children’s Day.

Enactus Hans Raj

A cognizant member of the Enactus community, Hansraj College’s Enactus has been running four projects since its commencement in 2011. Project Lekhni has been successful in helping five women from Jhandewalan to rise from the status of victims to the masters of their lives, Project Boond seeks to solve the problem of clean drinking water for the underprivileged masses by providing them with low-cost water purifiers that run without electricity, and Project Mithaas is an endeavour aimed towards providing a stable source of income to farmers in India by encouraging them to adopt beekeeping as a practice. Enactus HRC conceptualised Project Aaangan this year to provide day-care facilities to working women of lower income strata. Winner of the Best Project for showcasing the spirit of VEER at Enactus Nationals 2016, Enactus HRC has, in addition, conducted a donation drive for Project Aangan. Aashayein’16 was an initiative for the kids of an NGO Navjyoti to help them experience the dream they wished to live. It was a small drive by Enactus Hans Raj to fulfill wishes and spark a fire in them by overcoming challenges.

 

Feature Image Credits: Google Sites

Saumya Kalia
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Niharika Dabral
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The second day of Nexus ’17, the Annual Cultural Festival of Sri Venkateswara College, began with a host of musical events. ‘Battle of the Bands’, organised by Crescendo, the Western Music Society of the host college, was won by ‘Thread Makers’ of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. They performed their own composition, Metamorphosis. The Indian Classical Choir event ‘Goonj’, organised by Alaap, the Indian Music Society, was won by Samranjini of Gargi College and Alankaar, of Hindu College bagging the second prize.

A glimpse from the ‘Battle of Bands’ 

This musical affair was followed by a series of Western Dance Competitions. Western Dance Solo competition, organised by Nritya, the choreography society, witnessed participation from around 22 participants. Vipin Lactrix from IGNOU and Ashmita Tomar from Mata Sundari College bagged the first and second prize respectively, in this event. The main stage turned into a magnetic field when the much-awaited Western Dance Group competition, ‘Razzmatazz’ began. It was won by Zeal, of Maitreyi College, followed by V-Defyn of IIT-Delhi.

 

Etcetera of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur College won the first prize in Madari, the Nukkad-Natak competition organised by Anubhuti, the Street Play society of Sri Venkateswara College. The second and third prize was awarded to Ibtida of Hindu College and Natuve of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College respectively.

Drawing the second day to a close, The Raghu Dixit Project performed at the Rock Night at Nexus ‘17. Charming the crowd with his mellifluous voice and quick wit, Raghu Dixit and his band members induced energy and exuberance to the evening. As the crowd cheered with verve and zest, the eventful second day concluded with a musical delight, setting the mood for the last day’s performance!

 

Feature image credits: Vegh Daswani for DU Beat

Lovleen Kaur
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Saumya Kalia
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Kriti Sharma
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Sri Venkateswara College’s 3-day annual fest ‘Nexus’ began today. This year, the extravaganza is centred around the theme of ‘Bollywood’, something that reflected in the inventive and breathtaking decorations, events and general atmosphere.

Based on the theme of ‘Bollywood, Nexus’s ambience definitely did the theme justice

The event began with an inauguration ceremony, which began with invoking Goddess Saraswati, followed by the lamp lighting by Dr. Pawan Sharma, an alumna of the college, along with the principal. The dignitaries were joined by the members of the student advisory board and student union.

The first competition of the day was held by the Western Choir Society and was an A- Cappella competition. The event saw participation from eleven colleges and was a huge success. The first prize was won by Echo, the Western Music Society of Jesus and Mary College. Swaranjali- Music Society of Hans Raj College and Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College secured the second and third positions respectively.

This was followed by the Folk Dance Competition. High on energy and vibrant to the core, the event saw huge participation. Gargi College, which presented Badhai, a dance form from Madhya Pradesh secured the first position, followed by SGTB Khalsa. Maitreyi College earned a special mention.

 

Mudra, the solo classical dance competition saw Unni Vishwanathan from Hansraj College securing the first position, followed by Reetuparna Vishwanath from Lady Sri Ram College.

The afternoon session began with the Western Solo Competition. The event saw a string of soulful performances. Among the eighteen participants from across the university and the city, Mayank for his cover of the Eagles’ Despererado’ was adjudged the winner. Kishore, with Felix on keyboard from Amity University ended up as the runner-up for his cover of  ‘Over the rainbow’ by Judy Garland. Taeysha Kohli from Jesus and Mary College and Rohan from St. Stephen’s College received a special mention for their outstanding performances.

In ‘Saarang’, the solo instrumental competition,  Aditya from Kirori Mal College and Megha from Miranda House stole the show, bagging the gold and silver respectively.

The crowd turned up in huge numbers at the choreography event, which saw some engaging performances follow one after another. At the end of the event, Terpsi Chorean, the western dance society of the Hans Raj College and Sensation, the western dance society of Kirori Mal College were adjudged first and second for their superior performances.

But the highlight of the day was the much-awaited ‘Sufi Night’. Returning to Nexus for the second time in a row were the fabled Nizami Brothers. Their music mesmerised the crowd. Their performance resonated with the large numbers that flocked Venky’s grounds to get a taste and sense of Sufi in its pristine form. The concert set the tone for a great start and one can anticipate more action to follow in the next two days of Nexus ’17.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hitanksha Jain

Akshara Srivastava
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Nikhil Kumar
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Kriti Sharma
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