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Unveiling the ‘Culture of Toxicity’ in SVC’s FilmSoc

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From the recurrence of several ‘misogynistic incidents’ perpetrated by society members, negligence of supervision, to ‘targeted bullying’, we uncover the dark side of Sri Venkateshwara College’s Film-making Society, ‘Effulgence Films’.

Sri Venkateshwara College’s film-making society, ‘Effulgence Films’, is one of the reputed societies within the Delhi University circuit, with several productions across the year. However, beyond the disguise of ‘galaxies of creativity’ lies the truth about the ‘toxic and horrible’ working space that society provides, as several sources allege.

Flashing back to January of the present year, a student from Sri Venkateshwara College, in conversation with DU Beat, claims that a ‘highly problematic incident’ took place within the society circle, which was reported to the Internal Complaints Committee with the signatures of several students within the society. Following this, several members of the society who were ‘traumatised’ by the event left the society. The Internal Complaints Committee of the college, after conducting a six month-long sequence of hearings, removed the perpetrators from the society in June- two of them, who were also a part of the core within the FilmSoc.

Moreover, the other societies within the college had also released a Statement of Condemnation following the ‘horrible incident’. Some parts of it read as follows:

As of today, 11 members of Effulgence, The Filmmaking society of SVC have taken the decision to leave the society post after a series of events over the course of the past few months.

There has been a culture of toxicity pervasive in Filmsoc centred around misogyny. Female directors and writers were constantly spoken over and have had projects taken over by arrogant men whose memberships weren’t removed even after being given repeated warnings as they were considered “cherished assets”. The general nature with which women who spoke up were treated, how female members of the core were called “token women” and mocked behind their backs, called trash “to be cleaned out,” and how instances of objectification were treated as dismissible, is utterly appalling.

However, despite being legally removed from the society by the college ICC, the perpetrators continued to be a part of official FilmSoc events like the recent Indian Film Project (IFP), openly participating in film shootings and so on.

“The convenor of the society was also present throughout the ICC hearings. However, no action was taken against the perpetrators re-entering society-circles despite being banned by the ICC.”

A student at SVC.

Despite legal procedures kicking in and several call-outs, the society space still remains a home ground of toxicity, with rampant groupism, the core isolating other core members, targeted bullying, and the list goes on.

 “The new core has also been formed out of the friends of the previous perpetrators, who are extremely close with each other and sideline the work and opinions of other members. The society has two Presidents and one of them was removed by the core for speaking out against their sexist behaviour. It is a horrible space to work for women, and if anybody raises their voice, they condemn it with “Zyada woke mat bano!” (Don’t be too woke).”

Sources within SVC.

Students also claim that the Filmmaking society has been a trap for this cycle of toxicity for several years, but recent events show that ‘they can do anything and everything and get away with it’. Members are not given due credit for their ideas if they are not too close with the core, and the January incident is often shoved under the carpet with “Ek hi incident tha, forget about it!” (It was just one incident,;forget about it!).

“But that one incident left so many within and without the society traumatised.”

alleges a student at SVC.

Pin-pointing at this culture of toxicity, the statement of condemnation further elaborates that:

“The focus of the society has also severely detracted from filmmaking, with the creatives constantly undermined and put second to those with logistics prowess. Apart from this, the dirty politics of keeping friends of friends in power as well as recruiting and raising many inactive members within the society just for the “vibes” were unjust and demotivating.”

Hitherto, coming to the “vibes”, the society has also been proving to be an unfair space for the freshers and new-recruits who are unaware of the ongoing-climate of the FilmSoc.

“Considering how freshers are new to the college climate, all societies in the college must strive to create a safe atmosphere for them, as freshers are unaware of the power dynamics existing within societies and are desperate to do anything in order to join the society. However, in an ice-breaking event of the FilmSoc, freshers were asked to go down on their knees and propose to seniors and dance with them, which could be uncomfortable for any newbie in college.”

– a student at SVC.

Moreover, students also pin-point several ‘triggering instances’ taking place during the recruitment process of the FilmSoc as well:

“The core members were drunk during the recruitment process and were openly consuming alcohol. Also, the interview questions were nowhere related to FilmSoc, and they were like, “Are you into drugs?”, “Do you drink?” or “Do you have a flat where we can party?”. What sort of climate is this society going to provide to the new-comers?”

The Internal Complaints Committee of the college claims that no incidents were reported after the procedures of the January incident. However, students claim that they were too ‘traumatised and triggered’ to have the courage to talk about such incidents in fear of ‘targeted bullying’.

The Statement of Condemnation concludes by saying that:

“We have time and again tried our best to endure everything and work professionally with these people. However, we were disrespected amongst their circles and within the larger society. So, at the very least, we seek to make this public now, as it is only fair that in the future, people will be aware of the culture that permeates this society and cognizant of the environment they are interacting with.”

While societies form an integral part of the ‘DU culture’ and a beneficial part of the self-development and growth during college years, unhealthy spaces can leave a lasting impression on many. It is imperative to raise your voice against unjust practices and foster safe spaces within campus.

Read Also: North-Eastern Student of Hindu College Faces Racially-Motivated Attack

Featured Image Credits: Arush Gautam for DU Beat

Priyanka Mukherjee

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The Nominations Debacle: SVC in Uproar as Nominations of ABVP Candidates Cancelled

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SVC

After a tumultuous pre-election campaigning season, the nomination period for DUSU and college Student Union elections has proven to be no less happening. Amid similar scenes being reported in Hindu College, SSCBS, and Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, ‘Venky’ or Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) saw students protesting against the administration to demand an explanation for the grounds on which their election nominations were cancelled.

On September 14, 2023, the administrative body of Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) released the provisional nomination list of candidates for election of Executive Committee of SVC Students’ Union & Central Councillors. This document listed 5 provisional candidates against the post of President, of whom two candidates—Arth Ohlan and Kartikey Tomar—were supported by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) according to our sources. The very next day, however, a corrigendum was issued by the college, removing Kartikey’s name from the list.

Even though the very first list claimed the candidates being “found valid provisionally, after the scrutiny for various posts”, the nomination of Kartikey Tomar was cancelled in the second list reportedly on the grounds of not meeting the attendance criteria. In conversation with DU Beat, Kartikey revealed the explanation he received from the college administration for the cancellation of his candidature.

Nominal list mein mera naam tha, usmein meri attendance poori thi. Par doosri list mein mera naam nahi thi aur admin ka kehna hai ki tumhari attendance poori nahi hai. Ya to meri attendance poori pehle nahi thi ya meri attendance kam karwai gayi hai.

(My name was there on the nominal list and my attendance was complete at that time. But my name was not there on the second list and the admin told me that your attendance was not sufficient. Either my attendance was not sufficient in the first place or my attendance has been reduced by someone.)

He blamed the college administration and election committee for committing such a blunder, if it was a case of the attendance criteria falling short. The latter part of his statement here is referring to a protest that happened on the college premises on the morning of September 15, where he and other sources alleged that “pass-out students” had protested to cancel his nomination. The same was mentioned in a complaint mail sent by Kartikey, addressed to the DU Registrar, Dr Vikas Gupta, Dean of Colleges, Prof. Balaram Pani, DU Proctor, Prof. Rajni Abbi, among other University officials. It read,

My name (Kartikey Tomar) was there in the list. But today a group of opposition students protested in front of the college administration and finally the election officer favored them and finally reduced my attendance by 1%.

One of our sources claimed that these protesting students had belonged to a youth organisation called ‘Happy Club’. We were able to get in conversation with one of the students from Happy Club, and they told us that suspicions arose over Kartikey Tomar’s attendance when they talked to his fellow batchmates.

Classmates ko idea rehta hai kisne kitne lectures attend karein hain… Jab humko doubt hua to humnei strongly is baat par demand rakhi. Administration ne humari sunkar cross-check kiya aur fir list badal di.

(Classmates tend to be aware of who has attended how many classes… When doubt arose, we strongly raised this demand. The administration listened to us and cross-checked (the attendance), after which they changed the list.)

They also informed us that the candidates from Happy Club have won both the posts of Vice-President and Secretary unconstested.

The provisional list of candidates is supposed to provide a final window to candidates to withdraw their nominations. ABVP activists from the college informed that they had submitted the withdrawal of Arth Ohlan’s nomination on their own volition, since the latter “was a second-year student and we thought it would be better for him to contest as President next year”. However, with the cancellation of Kartikey’s nomination, ABVP is left with no valid candidates on the final list for the post of President of Sri Venkateswara College Students’ Union.

In view of the same, Saturday, September 16, saw sloganeering and protests by ABVP activists in the Sri Venkateswara college premises. Protesting students gathered outside the administration office and messages circulating on social media also claimed that students had locked professors and staff inside a room. While the validity of the latter claim could not be fully confirmed, one of the protestors present on-ground did strangely admit during our conversation,

Ek hi professor hain jo apni marzi se ander baithe hain. Bas hum unhein bahar nahi aane de rahe.

(There is only one professor sat inside willingly.  We are just not letting them come out.)

They also said that the door had been locked by the guards from the outside.

This is not the first time an incident like this is happening. Reports have been floating around of candidate’s nominations being cancelled allegedly without satisfactory explanations and students protesting against the same. The latest updates on the situation in SVC have informed that the Hostel Warden and another professor of the college advised the protesting students to send a mail to the Grievances Redressal Cell, along with assuring that their demands will be formally heard on Monday morning. Students wait in anticipation for the redressal of their grievances.

Read also: Death of Democracy? Protests at Hindu College as Multiple Student Union Nominations Rejected

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Sanika Singh
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SVC’s Continued Resolve Against Fragmentation of Delhi University

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The ongoing talks of Sri Venkateswara College being dismembered from DU and shifting its affiliation to AU have been in the headlines and a cause of concern for some time now. With DUTA officially siding with the SVC staff association in their resolve against the fragmentation of Delhi University and the ongoing protests by the student body, the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) as well, has released an official statement in solidarity with the fraternity of SVC, calling upon teachers and students to unitedly fight against NEP. 

DTF, in solidarity with the teachers of Sri Venkateswara College (SVC), expresses its concerns in synonymy with the latter’s protest against the attempts of the Andhra government to press for the merger of the college with Andhra University. DTF President Nandita Narain and Secretary Abha Dev Habib go on to shed light on how the excellence achieved by the college owing to it being a part of the University of Delhi (DU) must not be undermined. 

The Andhra government has made a plea to the Centre to amend the 2009 UGC order disallowing the jurisdiction of a university beyond the state by which it is established. DTF further goes on to point out how the move is driven by the host of steps taken recently as part of the government policy toolkit to acquire brand value through the ranking framework to be competitive in the market that would be determining for successful business in education. 

DU planning offshore campuses is driven by the same objective of reshaping itself as a business enterprise and has nothing to do with revamping education. The IoE scheme, which granted this freedom, for select universities had too narrow a base. The freedom to do business therefore has been extended to the management of every university and college under NEP 2020.

“This is also a forewarning of the dismemberment of colleges from Delhi University unless DU wants to make some wholly a part of itself and the college managements agree to cede powers to the BoG of Delhi University. The freedom granted to BoGs is unlikely to disallow takeovers, mergers and acquisitions.”

-Statement in Solidarity with the fraternity of SVC, DTF

Further outlining the existing laws to prevent such happenings and the effect NEP will have on them, DTF expresses its concerns on how the protections that we enjoy today from the UGC Act and DU Act from such takeovers will become a thing of the past as NEP gets rolled out. In particular, with the introduction of the provision under clause 19.2, “There shall be overarching legislation that will supersede any contravening provisions of other earlier legislation”.

In conclusion, DTF states that the Andhra Government need not plead any longer over any regulation for NEP’s “Light but Tight” regulatory framework will only require persuading the college management. The high ranking of the college will ensure such a possibility sooner than later.

“We fear that this move may be driven by and find support from the NEP recommendations to universities to have offshore campuses. The host of steps taken in the recent past as part of the Central Government policy is pushing institutions to acquire brand value through a specious ranking framework in order to be competitive in the market for edu-business.”

-Abha Dev Habib, Treasurer, DUTA

DU Beat reached out to the SVC Student Union in the same matter. The entire students and staff fraternity of SVC has been disheartened ever since the initiation of the move. The seriousness of the issue is what has brought the entire staff and students under a consensus who have been unitedly protesting against the move.

“Some prominent teachers of our college have offered to resign in case any of such development takes place. The Telugu students of our college are also not willing to get the college affiliated with AU, hence the issue of catering to the needs of Andhra students is not justified. The students, especially the first years are quite a bit disappointed with the move, and it is due to the ongoing COVID-19 protocols that we are unable to assemble inside the college campus to show our disregard. However, the students union on its part, started the protest on online platforms yesterday, and I was quite overwhelmed by the response that our struggle was addressed with.”

-Anand Devendran, Acting President, Students Union, SVC

The online Twitter storm, dated 25th February 2021 has been quite a success with students from other colleges joining in as well in large numbers. #Venky_belongs_to_DU and #VenkyIsDU have been trending ever since, thus bringing the required attention to the issue. “The level of support that we got yesterday has proved that the entire DU stands behind Venky and if the future developments are not in our favour, we will resort to physical dharna and protests. I want to reiterate that all the students and staff bodies are united against this move and we will ensure that SVC stays in DU only,” added Anand. 

 

Also read: 

https://dubeat.com/2021/02/duta-opposes-andhras-move-and-sides-with-svc-staff-association/

https://dubeat.com/2021/02/sri-venkasteswara-college-to-leave-du/

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Annanya Chaturvedi

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DUTA Opposes Andhra’s Move and Sides with SVC Staff Association

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In an attempt to affiliate Sri Venkateswara college to Andhra University, Andhra CM wrote to the centre. Delhi University Teachers’ Association has released a press release in the same matter outlining its consequences and thus, opposing the move.

On February 20th, 2021, DUTA issued a press release ‘DUTA against fragmentation of Delhi University’ in response to Andhra’s request to the centre to affiliate Sri Venkateswara college to AU. DUTA President Rajib Ray and Secretary Rajinder Singh go on to express the association’s concerns for the college and how if pushed into its due course of action, the move will have “disastrous consequences for teachers, employees and students as well as the character of education” and therefore, must be opposed. 

Addressing the motives behind it, they further go on to acknowledge how the move appears to be driven by the fact that the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh lost several premier educational institutions to Telangana post bifurcation alongwith the founding idea of catering to the needs of Telugu-speaking students in Delhi. 

The Andhra government has also claimed that the foundation has been making grants for the enhancement of the college and its guidance and combined efforts have played a considerable role in the high ranking achieved by the college. Therefore, a plea has been made to the Centre to amend the 2009 UGC order disallowing state governments from establishing off-campus of a state university beyond the geographical boundaries of the state.

DUTA goes on to express how the reasons mentioned above are not sufficient to dismember the college from DU, taking into account the fact that a large part of the reason of Sri Venkateswara college being in top NIRF rankings today comes from it, being a part of DU. The crowd of students and faculty that it attracts is because it has been affiliated with Delhi University and has, therefore, always strived for excellence. 

“In making this plea, the Andhra Government is ignoring the fact that SVC has established itself as a premier institution within the framework of Delhi University. As part of a Central University, it is open to all students including those from Andhra Pradesh. The heterogeneity in terms of the student population has created the environment for achieving excellence. As part of DU, it has been able to attract the best academicians as faculty.”

-DUTA Press Release, 20.02.2021

Thus, DUTA has made its stance clear in standing alongside the SVC staff association in their resolve to oppose the move. 

Adding on, the press release also outlines DUTA’s concerns pertaining to the move being driven by and finding support in NEP recommendations to universities to have offshore campuses. “The host of steps taken in the recent past as part of the Central Government policy is pushing institutions to acquire brand value through a specious ranking framework in order to be competitive in the market for edu-business.”

Featured Image Credits: lokmat

Annanya Chaturvedi

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The Delayed Construction of South Campus Roads

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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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Beyond the Obvious of Delhi University Colleges

DU Professor Discovers Four New Species of Frogs

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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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Job Placements 2018: Highest Placement Offer of Rs. 31 LPA at SRCC

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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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Attendance and Admit Cards: A Tale of Woe for Students

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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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Nishtha Dudeja, a Commerce Graduate from Sri Venkateswara College Wins Ms India Deaf 2018

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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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Armaan Malik Draws the Curtains to Nexus 2018!

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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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