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National Press Day: A Closer Look at Student Journalism

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Looking at student journalism in Delhi on the occasion of National Press Day, an account of student journalism through the eyes of students. 

 Journalism was and still remains to this day one of the most dangerous, exciting, albeit under-appreciated professions. The case remains more so, In India. media freedom group, Reporters Without Borders released a report in 2018, which put India fifth on the list of the maximum number of journalists killed in 2018, the death count being six. In the current atmosphere, many students at Delhi University (DU) and universities across India look at journalism as a career option. For many students, this career starts from the undergraduate level through college magazines and organizations such as DU Beat where valuable experience on how a media organization functions can fit into a students timetable.

For many students, working in student media and student journalist has been an enriching experience. As Chhavi Bahmba, a first-year student at Sri Venkateswara College and a correspondent for DU Beat says, “Student journalism has been one of the most liberating things, and the highlight of my college life. It has given me access and a platform to write. Also, people around me also get a voice as I can put their thoughts forward. It’s been a stepping stone to my career.”

There is also the fact that deadlines and missing them are one of the deadliest sins in media, and working as a student journalist inculcates that. Aditi Gutgutia, a first-year student at Lady Shri Ram College says, “It compels me to write as a habit and makes me fight the urge to procrastinate.”

According to Faizan Salik, A student from Jamia Millia Believes that exposure is one of the most important aspects of a student journalist as he goes on to say “ it is a veritable bridge that can expose you to multiple dimensions of life which is untouched otherwise and hence promises some good amount of fermentation in the long run.” He also goes on to talk about how it working for that can be a challenge but that is something that he and several others have had to overcome. He says, “Being a part of something like this in a university like Jamia was a challenge that we at The Jamia Review, a student-run journal of Jamia Millia Islamia has taken a step further and hopes to incorporate everything that it requires to achieve our goals.”

There are, of course, negative aspects too, some of which are synonymous with journalism as a profession. Jaishree Kumar, a third-year student at Ramjas says. “I learnt that journalists are treated badly and worshipped. It is also rewarding and exhausting at the same time.”

There are the obvious downsides of handling so much workload along with regular classes, and another problem put up by Jaishree was how working for student newspapers not associated with the College administration also doesn’t help attendance as even though her teachers are supportive of her work, they cannot give her ECA attendance.

In conclusion, in the current politically charged climate, student media has given aspiring journalists a place to hone their skills. The experience that we get is valuable and the experiences and contacts that we build cannot be found anywhere else.

Feature Image Credits: Scopio

 

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

[email protected]

 

 

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Campus Central

The Unspoken College Essentials: Delhi Metro and Buses

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This piece aims at comparing and contrasting between two of the most popular transportation mediums amongst the students of the University of Delhi (DU) in light of the National Transportation Day.

The daily pilgrimage to college is clearly left incomplete if one does not mention about transportation, be it the long metro rides or the jam packed buses! Here is a comparison and evaluation of Delhi Metro and Delhi Buses on various factors ranging right from comfort to money.

1. Comfort:

The metro offers a comfortable journey as one is away from the sudden breaks and jerks. But the seats are something which everyone has a mutual hatred for! Hard and uncomfortable, with people trying to squeeze into the tiniest of cracks and effectively invading your privacy is something everyone is troubled during the metro rides.

The buses on the other hand have a much more deadlier relationship when it comes to seats and people. The local buses which you board on places near the campus are surely very crowded. But the ones that connect bigger areas offer respite with only one person per seat.

 

2. Time efficiency:

The metro is steady, stable and unvarying in this attribute. It takes the same amount of time, every time, more or less. Constancy is a much desired trait, no doubt, in humans as well as in one’s means of transport. The bus on the other hand is at the mercy of the city’s infamous traffic jams. Bus travel can stretch excruciatingly long at times but that is if you are truly unfortunate. For reliability, metro is always the wisest option.

3. Expenditure:

The bus wins this one hands down! Personal observation! Where it costs me about 200 rupees for 5 days of travel in the metro, and that too if I stick strictly to my route from home to college and college to home, the bus offers unlimited travel for Rs. 165 a month to wherever I may want to venture (student perks, y’all! ). So much more money for food

4. People:

Travelling alone in the metro can be quite tiresome when you are forced to eavesdrop on conversations you otherwise will have no interest in. Although for some it’s the opposite, some who find spicy snippets of gossip amusing.

The bus on the other hand has not yet put me through such an ordeal. Till now I have found the people in the bus to keep their love affairs to themselves. Although there is no guarantee of this remaining unvaried in the future since the people everywhere are still the same puerile Delhiites.  (Of which I’m one and proud to be so!)

5. Congestion:

This is completely susceptible to the time of your travel. Both the metro and the bus fare more or less the same in this category. Both are filled to the brim in office hours with no breathing space. People are known to die (almost) in both. Both subject people to the same kind of harrowing treatment on trying to board or de-board the metro/bus. People are inconsiderate of others in both and no matter how crowded, they often tend to let other people have a whiff of the gases brewing inside them

6. Accessibility:

Bus stops are everywhere. Metro stations are on their way but even then, in a city like Delhi, they cannot achieve the ubiquity of the bus stops. Constructing metro stations is a lot more work and requires a lot more space. Buses are far more convenient on this front.

7. View:

Metro gives an aerial view and can be quite awe-inspiring the first few times. One is left gaping at the neat roads and tiny cars crawling along, their rash movements imperceptible at the height I was at. But one gets used to all things in life, especially the good ones. No one stares out the window in the metro any longer, they are all busy staring at their phone screens, texting, playing games or have earphones plugged on. Soon I started feeling nostalgic for the road. The metro gives an isolated feeling at times, as if you are disconnected from the outside world.  On the road you get a closer view of the workings of the city, you feel closer to its heart brimming with blood and activity!

 

Feature Image Credits: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba

[email protected]

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Constructing a Smile

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Why is it that in this gloomy, fast-paced world we don’t put in a little extra effort to make others smile more often? On World Kindness Day, this year let us try a bit harder to turn a few frowns upside down!

As children we’ve all been told on countless occasions to be kind to those around you. It sounds like such a simple and obvious idea and well, it really is! But somewhere down the road the whole concept seems to have gotten lost in its journey. We tend to forget how easy it is to be kind. Kindness is a gift which everyone can afford. So why is it that we don’t share it more often with people around us?

The single, smallest and the most random act of kindness can make a person smile. Given that we live in such a dismal and cynical society, we all can use a little cheering up. Little acts such as greeting the cab driver a good morning with a happy face can bring joy to a person in ways one never thinks. Who knows your day will turn out beautiful just by saying kind words? It’s almost saddening to see how nobody greets each other anymore.

Our lives these days are very busy. It’s as if we barely have time for ourselves, let alone others. We are so occupied in our own businesses that we ignore the others’. We fail to ensure whether those around us are doing well or not; did they smile today or not? Just a “How are you?” after a “Hey” can make a person feel special and acknowledged.  The words of Dalai Lama ring all the more true now when he said, “When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace,”

Being kind is like giving hope to someone who feels alone. We don’t realise how our words and actions impact those around us. Nobody knows what the other is going through. We casually crack jokes that often can be derogatory but are yet supposed to be “funny”. Thus, always think twice or thrice or maybe even a hundred times before being rude to someone.

It’s the best time to be nice to people around you. Kindness can be expressed in the most mundane actions, for instance, smiling at someone, offering to open the door, letting them know they look nice or maybe just making them laugh.

On asking around I received different views by others as to what they feel is an act of kindness, most people associate kindness as an act which makes them smile. This includes gestures right from sharing music, reminding your friends to ‘stay hydrated’, a random hug, marking your friend’s proxy or just recommending a good book!

What act of kindness did you do today? Did you make someone smile?

 

Feature Image Credits: Navya Jindal for DU Beat

Aditi Gutgutia

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Campus Central

Massive Protest Breaks Out in JNU over Fee Hike

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A massive protest broke out in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday over fees hike during the Varsity’s convocation ceremony, leading to clashes with the police.

On 11th November 2019, thousands of students from JNU clashed with the Delhi police after the protests over drastic fee hike escalated. The students were demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, which they claimed has provisions for fee hike, dress code, and curfew timings. They were planning to protest outside the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) premises where the varsity’s third convocation that was being addressed by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu was held. While Naidu left the venue after attending the convocation, the Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD), Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ was stuck due to the protest for over six hours.

The students were demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, in which service charges of INR 1,700 were introduced and the one-time mess security fee, which is refundable, has been hiked from INR 5,500 to INR 12,000. The rent for a single-seater room has been increased from INR 20 per month to 600 per month, while rent for a double-seater room has been increased to INR 300 per month from INR 1,000 per month. The draft hostel manual also has provisions for dress code and curfew timings, the Students’ Union alleged, even as the administration denied these two claims.

Over 600 police personnel were deployed to handle the protest organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU). Several blockades put up by the police were also broken by the protesting students, who started their march towards the AICTE around 11.30 a.m. Barricades were placed around the JNU Campus, as well as on the route between the AICTE auditorium and the University at Baba Balaknath Marg and nearby areas. As the protest escalated, students clashed with the Delhi police, leading to skirmishes. Water cannons were used to disperse the protestors and police claimed that students were detained. This intensified the protest, with the students shouting against the Delhi Police, as well as the Vice-Chancellor (VC).

As reported by the Times of India, the JNUSU office-bearers later met the HRD Minister who assured them that their demands would be looked into. But the VC still hasn’t met with the union. “The VC is destroying the varsity. We have made several attempts to meet him on campus, but there has been no fruitful result,” Aishe Ghosh, president of JNUSU.

The students claim that the decision to hike fees by 300 percent is exclusive of students from marginalised communities. The protest is also against other actions of the varsity, like restrictions by the administration on entry to the Parthasarathy Rocks – a hillock inside the campus, or attempts to lock Students’ Union office.

DU Beat spoke with a foreign student from JNU agitated against the administration who threw light on the condition of foreign students. The student revealed that the Science students of the Foreign Nationality category pay up to 1500$ which counts nearly INR 1 lakh per semester. The Arts students of the Foreign Nationality pay up to 1200$ per semester, which equates around INR 87,000. “Just because we are “foreign” category doesn’t mean everyone comes from well to-do families. Around 40 Tibetan students’ who passed the entrance exam, could not afford the fees. They couldn’t join. JNU has a good population of SAARC country students. The fee is particularly neck breaking for South Asian students who come from third world countries,” they said.

Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students' via whatsapp and social media. Image Credits: Unknown
Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students’ via whatsapp and social media.
Image Credits: Unknown
Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students' via whatsapp and social media. Image Credits: Unknown
Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students’ via whatsapp and social media.
Image Credits: Unknown

In these circumstance students’ raise pertinent questions like-“How is this affordable? And how does this hold to any foundational values of JNU?” while the responses remain bleak.

Around 15 to 20 students who were graduating were sitting inside the auditorium main gate in solidarity with the protestors. The JNUSU has said the strike would not end until the hostel manual is withdrawn.

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Shreya Juyal

[email protected]

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Campus Central

LSR and the Concern of Juxtapose ’19  

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The Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose’19 to be held on 7th and 8th November 2019 at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was cancelled a day before the event.

The Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose’19 to be held on 7th and 8th November 2019 at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was cancelled a day before the event.

The Department of Journalism was at the forefront of discussions inside the gates of Lady Shri Ram College for Women since the last week due to concerns centered around the Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose 2019.
Juxtapose’19- scheduled for 7th November and 8th November 2019, was aimed to be focusing in a quest to engage students in a two-day event raising questions and saving the integrity of Media as a whole. However, the event ceased to face the light of dawn. The reasons behind the cancelling of the event are majorly cited as administrative and departmental glitches and communication gap.
The RnR held in the campus on 8th November 2019 put forth the take of the Department of Journalism which comprised of the President, Treasurer and the General Secretary. The Department Union expressed the incident to be disheartening as it culminated the hard work of 1.5 months. It was said that the proposal for the Academic Meet was not signed, as a result of which-the Union had to wait for long hours for sanctioning of the needful.
The Student Union of the Department admitted the fault on their part of circulating a message which reiterated their concerns, parts of which received backlash. Thereby, a message was issued which mentioned an apology for the manner in which the message was framed and its articulation.

The Organising Committee of Juxtapose released a WhatsApp message which stated that the Principal had not checked the proposal despite frequent visits of the students. However, soon after, the department issued an apology stating that their intention was not to defame their Principal but to bring attention towards their issues.

Another WhatsApp message mentioned that, “We phrased a new theme, reworked a competition, invited another key note speaker, made new trailers for the event, edited the posters and proposals to incorporate the changes. However, at 2.30PM in the afternoon, the students were told that Juxtapose cannot happen since the proposal cannot be signed one day before the event.”

Adequate response could not be gathered from students as one of them responded, “We as a department have decided to be united and have only the union talking about these matters.”

The statement further informed that the Union plans on engaging in a healthy conversation with its faculty to discuss the concerns and to formulate a plan of action in order to ensure that similar incidents do not take place in the department again.  The Union mentioned that a statement would be released soon and did not wish to respond as they mentioned that they are “in the middle of making a plan of action which requires the consensus of the entire department.”
Arpita Chowdhury, first year student pursuing English Honours who witnessed the meeting during the RnR said, “The meeting was fruitful because I wanted to get a clear view of the matter. It was a good idea to clarify on this issue. It also made me come across the proceedings of the college.”

The Department released its official statement on 10th November 2019.

Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose'19 (Part 1)
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR
Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose’19 (Part 1)
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose'19
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR
Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose’19 (Part 2)

A response from the staff and administration is awaited. A General Body Meeting is said to held on 11th November to discuss the matter further.

Feature Image Credits: Career India

Priyanshi Banerjee

[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

Chai Pe Charcha : The Love for Chai at Campus

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From the loveable Raja bhaiya at the Patel Chest in North Campus to the Chai spot behind Jesus and Mary College in the South Campus, the entire University of Delhi (DU) has fallen in love, head over heels over Chai, and this article traces why is that so. 

Tea is more than just a beverage, it’s the elixir of life. Here are few of the many reasons why DU can’t be imagined without chai and chaiwallahs.

Chai brings an inevitable feeling of belongingness and warmth. It’s like a home away from home. This feeling of familiarity that chai brings often takes away the anxiety of starting somewhere anew, hence precisely why the Fresher’s feel at peace when they are on the campus with their favourite chai spots. It’s often that the vibe of the place and the people make you fit in.

Abhinandan Kaul, first year student from St. Stephens College, said “As I entered the DU North Campus, I had been introduced to the famous Sudama Tea stall, “north campus ki shaan!” “Sudama“- the Amar Chitra Katha character symbolizing true friendship, transforms friendship in DU too. It’s such a cute place to build strong bonds with minimum resources, I always go there with my friends to chill out with a hot cup of tea and biscuits!”

Drinking chai is a habit, it has become part of the everyday routine we follow. There’s a specific time for it. There’s a specific place for it and a specific ‘nashta’ or food to go with it.  Whether it be after the 2 p.m.  lecture or receiving calls from your mother everyday exactly at 6:30 in the evening to ask you only would you be home for chai, A hot cup of tea cannot be missed.

Noihrit, third-year student from Ramjas College said,  “Chai is constant for me. Whether I scored well or poorly in my exams, had a good or a bad day, hectic or leisurely society work, chai is indivisible from me. Spending my evenings with friends and chai at the tea point at Old Gupta Chowk is something which I’ll relive forever.”

Infact, while many of us fall in love with chai, there are many who fall in love at chai. With a cigarette in one hand, chai in other, sitting on the plastic stool, bursting out with our most vulnerable thoughts, discussing everything from weird exes to family troubles to even anxiety issues, chai spots pave a way for a perfect conversation with your special one. Chai and momos constitute a perfect day at the campus.

Prabhanu, first-year student from Kirori Mal College says, “I met this girl online way before I got into DU and I live in South Delhi. So we started talking and to meet her I had to go all the way to Civil Lines and all we used to do was drink chai and smoke sutta (cigarette) for hours until I had to go back home. Our first date included going to a hospital in Civil Lines, chai and sutta. And we are currently seeing each other.”

Its 3 a.m. and you have a sociology internal in the morning, an economics assignment to submit and a begging session to ask your teachers for attendance is also due. Chai in this moment of extreme chaos, rescues you.

Jaishree Kumar, third-year History student, Ramjas college said, “I once stayed up all night to finish my assignments. No sleep at all. Nada. Chai came to my rescue to keep me up.”

Chai is the staple for all societies, whether it be to survive the rigorous practice sessions or just to gossip about other societies with a cup of tea in hand. Chai helps all to perform.

Yaksh Handa, first-year student at the Hindu college said, “So members of the Deb Soc, before commencing the day’s proceedings, would go out to the Hindu ke saamne wali chai tapri, to get a shot of adrak wali chai, and over chai, everything from politics of the right wing to the stupidity of the debsoc seniors and to the quirky nicknames for our debsoc tshirts was discussed. I feel such short and unplanned chai tapri visits keep the soc entangled in a common thread.”

One will be amused to know that chai has a very special place in hearts of this organisation, the DU Beat, as well. Infact, the very feature image you see, is the last spot of the senior-tour which apprised the juniors of the most memorable places at college campuses from there to be gone seniors.

Vaibhav Tekchandani, Photographer and Video Editor at the DU Beat, said “The last fest season, all of us, i.e. The Village Area, the photog family, as well as the correspondents, without any said notice or gesture used to accumulate at these chai wali tapris and everything from the live updates to the captions was discussed. It was a beautiful feeling and I’d give anything to go back to those days.”

From broken hearts to broken hands, all was treated at the chai wali tapri. It is the greatest source of making memories that will give you nostalgia every time you pass through that place.

Janesh Sahni, Photographer and Video Editor at the DU Beat says, “Raja bhaiya’s Tapri has been our go to place since like forever. I broke my hard drive last year during Tempest and we all tried to fix at Raja Bhaiya while I panicked hard. “Meltayi Maggie” is melted cheese Maggie that you can get at Raja Bhaiya, we coined that term.”

Chai brings a pool of memories for not only just for society members or DU Beat members, but for each student of DU. From assignment discussions to ranting about college professors; everything takes place at chai wali tapri. People like Raja Bhaiya and things like Sudama ki Chai becomes actual realities of our lives, than just places.

Waise bhi, it’s the gospel truth that Chai bina Chen kha re. (All this while one thing remains the gospel truth; there is no peace without a cup of tea.)

 

Feature Image Credits: Janesh Sahni for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba 

[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

Peer Pressure- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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All of us have experienced peer pressure at some point in our lives. Here’s decoding the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of peer pressure.

Right from school to college, we spend a considerable amount of time every day with our friends. Thus, it’s only natural that we pick up certain habits and thoughts which belong to them. But when we feel compelled to be just like them or adopt their lifestyle, it most definitely is peer pressure.

Peer pressure is a circumstance wherein we tend to get carried along with our peers and get influenced by their lifestyles, habits and even their thought-processes.

To identify if you are succumbing to peer pressure, ask yourself just one question – “Am I doing this because I want to do it or because everyone around me is doing it?”

Adolescence is a tricky age to be in. We get fascinated by anything and everything. We learn and unlearn every day. This is the very age when we get more influenced by our peers than by our parents. Consequently, we end up doing a lot of things to ‘fit in’ and be ‘cool’.

One of the worst things that peer pressure can lead one into is the loss of identity very early in life. One starts disregarding himself/herself for not being like others and constantly try to be one among the lot. If not found acceptable to one’s peers, a person starts dismantling parts of themselves every day and rebuilds to get validated.

Adopting the thought-processes of your peers without scrutinizing them can puncture your ability to think and reason. One might end up becoming an individual with no original ideas and thinking. It’s very close to having a mob-mentality where the actions and thoughts of people around you become your own. Thus, it’s pertinent to make sure that you don’t lose your inherent personality while engaging with your peers on a daily basis.

Adoption of habits is one of the most common forms of peer pressure that exists around us. Willingly or unwillingly, we fall into this trap of adopting the habits of our friends. Many a times, we tend to start living the lifestyles of our peers. More than half of the young people start smoking or drinking merely out of peer pressure. The phrase, “Don’t be a chicken, everyone’s doing it” is enough to compel one into doing a certain thing.

The above mentioned aspects can be attributed to negative peer pressure.

While the term peer pressure is always taken in a negative connotation, it’s not really the case. While it may lead you into making destructive and unhealthy choices in life, it can  at the same time also push you towards self-betterment.

One of the best things that peer pressure can do to you is that it makes you sit back and evaluate yourself. It’s undeniable that we all have the scope to grow and learn. Constantly being around people with conflicting opinions and personalities will make you challenge the personality and thought-process you’ve been carrying hitherto then.

It also makes you look beyond yourself and accept those conflicting personalities. Selectively and carefully analyzing them will help you bring positive aspects into yourself and make you grow as a person. Having a sound group of friends who push you to do better every day is like finding a gold mine. They will help you experience positive peer pressure. Thus, be careful of the company you choose to hang out with.

The most important thing to realize while experiencing peer pressure is that it is more internal than external. Mastering our minds to comprehend right from wrongs can make you go a long run into not succumbing to negative peer pressure. Also, doing away with the rigidity of one’s personality and thinking and considering the opinions and constructive habits of those around will help you extract the positive out of your peers.

 

Image Credits: Scopio

Shreya Agrawal

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DUB Speak

Understanding the Business of Education in India

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As the opportunities in the service sector and manufacturing sector increased for the educated youth, the demand for educational institutions grew, and hence, education is turning into a business in our country.
In India, it is not legal to run educational institutions as business organisations, since only trusts can run such institutions on a non-profit basis. However, there appears to be a systemic method by which many trusts turn these non-profit institutions into their profit-making centres.
The entrepreneurs, taking advantage of the high demand for education, generally get land allotted at a nominal cost in the name of an educational community. In the initial stages, some temporary structures are put up. Later on, as students are admitted, funds begin to flow in the form of development fee, building fee, tuition fee, cultural event fee, etc. These institutions charge cost plus pricing for the services rendered by them. Therefore, over a period of time, these institutions were able to construct huge buildings and purchase costly equipment to modernise their establishments. In this way, a large percentage of unaided private schools and colleges have converted education into a business enterprise.

Earlier, these institutions were confined to metropolitan areas and big cities, but now they are spreading even to smaller towns. “This seriously undermines the selfless nature of education, especially in a country like ours where students are supposed to consider their teachers as Gods,” opined Bhavya, a first-year student pursuing B.A. (Honours) Economics from Daulat Ram College. Of late, the issue of charging capitation fee by educational institutions has also become a sensational topic of disccussion. The Supreme Court, in its judgement on the Mohini Jain versus the Government of Karnataka case in 1992, declared that the Right to Education was a fundamental right, and that the charging of capitation fee was arbitrary, unfair, and, therefore, in violation of the fundamental Right to Equality contained in Article 14 of the Constitution. Mohini Jain, the petitioner in the case, was admitted to the medical college in Karnataka, but she could not take advantage of admission as she could not pay INR 60,000 per year as capitation fee.

A distinction has to be made between privatisation and commercialisation of education. India has a long tradition of privatisation of higher education. Tilak, Karve, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, and many other charitable trusts started educational institutions to widen educational opportunity in the society. But modern educational entrepreneurs are not guided by philanthropic motives of the earlier reformers. They intend to invest in educational institutions to maximise profits, because the demand for professional education is very high and the risk involved in this investment is minimal.
There have also been many instances of promoters of educational institutions getting involved in tax evasion and money laundering cases. Politicians and other investors create trust funds, citing education as the motive.

Corporate Social Responsibility funds flow into the trust through legitimate banking channels. These funds are returned to the promoters in cash, and the actual expenditure on the institution is met with the illicit hoard of black money. The expenditure is then inflated, helping launder the black money. In spite of these negative aspects, there are many positive aspects as well that have been brought in by the private investments in the education sector. They have filled up the investment deficit in the education sector. They have increased the availability of seats, creative subjects, and also developed the other centres including the urban areas.

Any development without proper regulations is hazardous for the society. Hence, there should be a strong regulatory body across India for the regulation of these institutions regularly. Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” One can sincerely hope the investment is not made to run education as a business to a point of extreme capitalistic individualism and exploitation, but in order to increase knowledge for the building of a stronger and a more reformed society.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Abhinandan Kaul

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Arts & Culture

Living a College Life in the Age of Social Media

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Social media is a modern-world tool available in the hands of today’s youth, and they find solace in the sea of information found in it.

To connect or to disconnect from social media has been an intensely debated topic, especially among today’s parents and the youth. While a majority of the parents think that using social media is a waste of time and a major distraction, most youth believe that it is a useful tool since it provides a virtual medium for people to get connected with each other, engage in discussions, share information, etc. As a socially active youngster, I am of the opinion that one of the best advantages of social media is that it connects people at the click of a button, with the right source required by them at that particular point of time. This click makes life very easy and comfortable, especially for the teenagers who enter into a new phase of their lives, i.e. university life. These confused teens find solace in the sea of information found on social media.

To learn and unlearn by one’s own experience is a thing of the past, as with the improved network of social media, experiences of successes, as well as experiences of failures are available for guidance. To select a course or a college away from home takes tremendous courage, and that courage comes from the information and knowledge-base provided by social media. “Before taking admission in any college, I went through videos a million times. I saw all the fest coverages and everything. It helped me a lot in knowing what will come my way,” says Bhumi, a first-year student, pursuing B.A. (Honours) Philosophy at Daulat Ram College.

Apart from empowering the students with knowledge, social media also plays an important role in connecting people; more so in making an outstation student feel at home. With the virtual connect, social media enables them to speak and stay in touch with their loved ones back home, and at the same time helps them in making new friends. “Social media helped me to connect with my friends, and most importantly to bridge the distance between me and my family. Also, as a byproduct of its well-connected nature, it helped me to settle in a city with a sense of ease in the sense that I wasn’t only able to establish, but also maintain new contacts in the city,” opines Aditya Nath, an outstation first-year student from Jharkhand, pursuing B.A. Programme at St. Stephen’s College.

Getting the right type of accommodation is a very crucial thing for outstation students who do not manage to get into hostels, and with the advent of social media, students are easily able to find paying guest accomodations(PG) and flats to live in, with the ratings and experiences of seniors recorded on various networking sites. In the words of Avilokita, an outstation first-year student from Chattisgarh, pursuing B.A. Programme at St. Stephen’s College, “Social media, especially Facebook really helped me a lot to find a good PG with a good environment to live in, because being new to the city, it is very difficult to find a safe and secure place where a student can easily adjust.” Social media has also played an important role in increasing the availability of opportunities for students, since all information regarding clubs, orientations, fests, competitions, etc. are circulated on applications like Instagram and WhatsApp. At the same time, it is a saviour for students who take part in sports or extracurricular activities, since they can catch up on all that is taught in the classes they miss by getting notes and questions from their friends through networking apps.

Thus, to conclude in the words of the famous Greek physician Hippocrates, “Everything in excess is opposed to nature.” Truly, nothing in excess is good. Therefore, it is important that each one of us manages the time spent on social media efficiently and usefully, so as to harness the maximum benefits from this gainful resource.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Abhinandan Krishn Kaul

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

The Curious Case of Cancel Culture

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Cancel Culture has gained both critiques and praise, its approach has helped many, but also often remained short-lived. This tool has emerged as a voice for the marginalised, but how effective is it?

Cancel Culture refers to the phenomenon of “cancelling” or boycotting a celebrity’s work, products, art and position, and as a practice has gained momentum in the past year. This process involves people expressing their anger towards the celebrity by collectivising in order to counter the social influence he or she has. This tool has been proven effective in providing marginalised groups with a voice and facilitating in the “takedowns” of people. Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey’s careers were cancelled after several women, and men came out against them in cases of harassment.

Cancel Culture comes with its supporters and opponents. Its advocates talk about how in an attention-based economy, this is a medium to gauge the attention of millions of people towards problematic behaviours. It can help educate and enlighten. We can call out big companies or brands for their acts of fright. The notion of individuals with social capital getting away with their wrongdoings is now challenged. Furthermore, we can now raise awareness about issues which were never openly discussed before, such as sexual harassment, racist comments, and queerbaiting.

This practice goes on from a celebrity-fan equation, to also a person-to-person equation. A very recent example becomes the number of people who were called out as a part of the #MeToo movement. We have all heard these stories, read these posts on Facebook or Instagram or known someone who has experienced this. From offices to colleges, and mostly the circuits of different societies. After the incident is painfully reported, the retelling of the story begins. But even at this level, there exists this social hierarchy, with some people whose reputation will be unaffected and those with much to lose.

The accused tend to remain involved, while the accuser is forced to leave this situation.

Recently, several cases of this have come to light. From Logan Paul, Aziz Ansari, James Charles to Indian comedians like AIB’s Gursimran Khamba and Tanmay Bhat have been boycotted. But the question remains, is this an effective solution? We cannot guarantee its impact, and how long the impact lasts. Only so few people have had to face long-lasting repercussions of being cancelled. Aziz Ansari made a comeback on Netflix, and incorporated this period in his piece, James Charles made an apology video and regained his lost position, Kanye West also successfully returned with his reputation untouched.

It is believed that with every controversy that comes and goes, people tend to forget the past. So, most celebrities suffer a brief period of losing deals and fans. Their return involves three steps; they make a seemingly “raw” and honest apology, lay low for a few months and return with the persona of a “changed” person. The authenticity of these apologies and transformations seem questionable. Going back to how it pans out in college circuits, a similar trend follows.

With cancel culture, “cancelling cancel culture” has also gained some attention. It has risen as a messiah of the ‘cancelled’ and propagates that these individuals be made aware of their problematic behaviours. Some people even bring in the idea of cyberbullying in speaking out against cancel culture.

Short or long, the impact this new culture brings is a ray of hope in a world where even ‘Instagram famous’ people gain social capital which can be hard to fight. The idea is not to takedown celebrities or to oppress them, but it is to revoke the privilege that has been placed. This fights against people in positions of privilege who have gotten away with racist and homophobic jokes or demanding sexual favours. The exploitation has now collectivised many to rage against, not a few select individuals, but centuries of oppression.

 

Feature Image Credits: Lamar University

 

Shivani Dadhwal

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