CAMPUS
Come exams and they study hard to pass with flying colours
Gaurav Choudhury

The moment of reckoning has finally arrived for the Delhi University students. After a rather eventful year, the examination process is under way and students are doing what they are best at – burning the midnight oil.

Every student has been hit by the examination fever and is getting down to catch up and make up for the lost time. Libraries are packed with students, busy writing down notes.

This is a common scene every time and this year is no different. One university teacher pointed out, “The last minute rush among students is directly linked to the education system that we have in our country. The system has been so developed that it may fail to separate the boys from the men in the final analysis. Another drawback of the system is the tendency of students to look for shortcuts to success. Otherwise, how would one explain the brisk business made by guidebooks and other such booklets. This amounts to improper development of our human resource, as the system does not encourage originality. Students seem more interested in reading guidebooks instead of the original text. This is a dangerous phenomenon and needs to be curbed.”

Thus, for law students, there are the dukkis, for others there are Champion Guides available in all subjects. The practice among students to study guides books rather than original texts is more prevalent among students from social science rather than science stream students.

There is a rather interesting story behind the christening of law guidebooks as `dukkis’. An enterprising young law graduate started the business of selling guidebooks containing short and precise answers to specific questions more than three decades ago. The business was an instant hit and these books, priced at Rs 2, were sold like hot cakes to the students, who were till then wrapped up in reams of legal treatises. For the price, these books came to be popularly known as `dukkis’. It is referred to by the same name even today, even though they are priced at more than Rs 30.

Another indicator of the onset of examinations is the rush in the Photostat outlets in the campus, with harried students using the shortcut of getting notes photocopied instead of going through the rigmarole of writing it down.

The year 2001-02 has been an exceptional year in more than one ways. As the academic year comes to a close, and the new batch of students prepares to walk in, the NCR Tribune lists down the major events that affected the University.

Patriotism on campus

If anything, the recent terrorist attack on Parliament has at least heightened the sense of patriotism especially among the student community. While the tension on the campus in the aftermath of the arrest of a lecturer has now eased a bit, students can be seen engaged in serious debates, ranging from India’s diplomatic strategy to the statistical details of the country’s military strength.

As hot winds rip through the Capital, roadside soft-drink vendors are doing brisk business as students, besides exchanging notes on issues pertaining to their courses, also engage themselves in discussing contemporary issues affecting the country’s external policy.

And like the political establishment, the views are contentious in nature. “I do not understand why India cannot ensure Pakistan gets off our back. It’s like carrying an irritating monkey on our back for several decades and still we continue to allow them to attack our democratic institutions. This is ridiculous. Going for a military onslaught is the only alternative,” says one student while taking a sip of nimbu pani on a warm afternoon on the campus.

A different strand of thought, however, co-exists. “We cannot afford a war at this point of time. For one, economically, a war with Pakistan will inflict a serious blow on our already fragile economy. For another, the changed geo-political calculus will entail that the international community would not support the declaration of war by India. Whatever methods Pakistan uses to provoke us, we should display ultimate restraint,” says another student.

The arguments, of course, are packed with statistical enumeration, minute historical details, and other trivia. Now and then, the discussion gets heated up, though the common thread of patriotism ensures that the debate does not get diluted. And so long as this happens, the country can rest assured that the future is not all that bleak.

Police verification

The sensational shootout in the Parliament House in December last year and the alleged involvement of a lecturer of Zakir Hussain College (Evening) in the dastardly act have thrown open a whole lot of issues within the academic circle in the Capital. Among other things, it is now being debated whether it should be made mandatory for academicians to go through the rigmarole of police verification to record their credentials in aspects other than academic.

The security agencies probing the sensational shootout case, had arrested one Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani, a lecturer in the Arabic Department of Zakir Hussain College (Evening). It is alleged that he had conspired with the militants in the terrorist strike at the very heart of Indian democracy.

Informed people in the field of education said that the alleged involvement of Geelani in the shootout has initiated serious brainstorming within the government agencies so as to prevent the campuses from becoming conduits for anti-national activities.

Under the existing system, university teachers are not required to go through the procedure. Most teachers said that the process, if introduced, would inflict a severe scar on the `nobility’ of the teaching profession.

“Teaching has always been considered a noble profession. A gross generalisation, arising out of one case, may not be a good precedent for the authorities to set. Moreover, what should be the yardstick for checking the integrity of any teacher? If it is on the basis of political affiliations, then it might open a Pandora’s box, with the possibility of gross violation of basic rights through political high-handedness,” a teacher of Delhi University told the ‘NCR Tribune’.

Under the existing system of governance, the universities in the country have a fair degree of operative autonomy, even though they come under the overall supervision of the University Grants Commission (UGC). While the UGC is the nodal authority for granting of funds, introduction of new courses etc, it does not have the mandate to directly intervene in the operative functioning of the universities.

Educationists maintain that the authorities need to be careful not to go overboard to the extent that it might violate the fundamental norms of human rights. Moreover, in India, university campus has been one of strongest manifestations of the resilience of Indian democracy. The university student politics has been one of the most vibrant forums for discussions and debate, with even teachers having different political predilections.

“It would be unfortunate, if one incident is used to question the honour and dignity of the profession,” a teacher said.

House hunting

The dastardly terrorist attack on Parliament has also changed equations among the student community, especially the resident students on the north campus in the Delhi University here. That one of the main alleged conspirators was rubbing shoulders with many students has been one of the most damning revelations for many.

A disconcerting development has been the arrest of certain students who were residing in rented accommodation in the vicinity of the campus in areas such as Mukherjee Nagar, Gandhi Vihar etc.

With limited hostel seats available on the campus, most outstation students prefer to stay in these areas on a shared basis. House owners also preferred students as they generally paid more.

However, the events in the aftermath of the attack on Parliament and the suspected involvement of Geelani, have changed the equilibrium. Property dealers, for one, are now a wary lot. “Earlier, it was easy. House owners would inform us that there was a vacant room and we would act as the intermediary between them and students. Now, the shootout at the Parliament House and the alleged involvement of students in the incident, has thrown open a whole lot of questions. Checking the antecedents of outstation students is not an easy task,” a property dealer in the area said.

For the students, on the other hand, it may mean another ordeal of house hunting, with more probing questions from landlords, property dealers and even security agencies.

Creativity at its best

Creativity in all its myriad manifestations was on display in Gargi College during its annual festival last year. The four-day festival presented an entire spectrum of artists, resonating with stellar performances in art, dance, paintings, drama etc.

A glittering hour-long choreography composition under the theme name Gajaanana- the God of Good Things - by Anita Ratnam’s dance group set the ball rolling for an arty extravaganza.

A spellbound audience, most of them young, impressionable college girls, were witness to one of the most brilliant works of imaginative endeavour crafted by fêted icons from almost every field of art.

Master craftsman Harkishan came calling to the college campus and students were audience to a spectacular effort of craftsmanship where the artist worked his skilled hands on a clay image of Lord Ganesha.

Eminent artist Anjali Ela Menon, formally inaugurated the carnival on a misty morning. “Over the years, every individual tends to grow up through a process of data accumulation and it registers in the sub-conscious of the person. Some of these data die away with time. What remains is the legacy of our culture which draws upon its inherent strengths. But there are certain people who have the tendency to overlook the might of our cultural fundamentals,” Menon said.

For young writers-to-be, there could not have been a better opportunity to interact with their role models. A galaxy of celebrated writers including the likes of Shobha De, Githa Hariharan, Namita Gokhlae, Leena Mahandale, R.W. Desai and Dr Anamika converged under one roof during the writers meet and interacted with students. A more appropriate opportunity would have been rare for students who aspire to become writers and authors.

And for the movie buffs, classics and contemporaries were there. But the one that stole the show amidst shrieks and cries of the audience was the Oscar winning thriller Boys Don’t Cry.

SRCC jubilee

From 1926 to 2001, it has been a long and cherished journey for the Shriram College of Commerce (SRCC). From a modest beginning in a rented house in the congested Daryaganj area of Old Delhi, the college celebrated the platinum jubilee of its establishment. While for the distinguished alumni, it was time to take a trip down nostalgic lane of the college, for the current crop of students, it was time to look into the future. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee himself graced the occasion. For most of the students, it was an opportunity that was not to be missed and they trudged long distances to be in the Vigyan Bhawan complex well before time to hear the Prime Minister speak.

It is a different matter, some of them would not have cared as much to attend a special class if it was held faraway from the campus. “After all, it was a question of listening to the Prime Minister,” a student quipped. The Prime Minister did not disappoint. Mr Vajpayee was at his oratorical best and laced his speech with interesting anecdotes of his own college days even as he urged the students to contribute significantly to the cause of nation building.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Mr Vijay Goel, who was a student of the college during 1971-74, used the opportunity to delve back into the past and cheered the crowd with jocular tales of his own days on the campus.

Referring to the college chairman’s observation that SRCC was the only non-exclusive girls’ college to have a ladies hostel, Mr Goel lamented that the students of earlier days were deprived of the facility.

Narrating his experience, the minister said that he was delighted that not much has changed during the several decades of its existence. “The same old gate, the same old building, classrooms, canteen, library and hostel. I was overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. When I entered a student’s room in the boys’ wing of the hostel, I found that a girl was sitting with him. Before I could say anything, he said that the girl was his cousin and I thought that even the excuses continue to remain the same.”

And there were enough reasons for the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Deepak Nayyar, to say that “undoubtedly SRCC is one the jewels in his crown”.

Golden jubilee

It was golden jubilee time elsewhere. Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College celebrated its golden jubilee last year. Exhibition cricket matches, science festivals, inter-college debating competitions and different other programmes were held during the course of the year.

“Our idea was to celebrate the 50th year of our college in a way that creates a greater sense of belonging for students and teachers alike. We are concerned about the excessive commercialisation of educational institutions. We do not want the same to happen to our college,” a faculty member of the college said.

CULTURE

THE ACHIEVERS
A theatre group born to draw the best out of 
art forms
Priyanka Gupta

New Delhi, April 3
The mesmerising lights, captivating sounds of music and the magic of dialogues of a play on stage are the things that all of us enjoy. But what remains unknown are the efforts and hard work behind the play that includes production, acting, script writing, music composition, direction etc. Tatva, only a six-month-old theatre group, offers an entirely new concept and definition in the field of theatre.

The group was conceived by three enthusiastic youngsters — Vasant, Uttam and Nawneet — in an informal way in June 2001 and was later joined by Amit and Bhupesh.

Their aim was to explore dimensions in the field of performing arts, especially theatre and dance, for the realisation of their immense potential. This is how Tatva came into being in November 2001 as the theatre for a cause.

Belonging to different backgrounds, it was sheer coincidence that brought them together to form a new group. Most of them faced strong opposition from the families for pursuing theatre as a career. They were already performing various roles as lead singer, musician and even martial arts trainer in theatre.

“Though my parents were hostile, something in me drew my attention towards theatre. Actually, a play can be performed anywhere, any time. People do not seem to take theatre seriously, which is really hurting. And we are trying to retain its image and giving it a new look. And we are getting positive response from people,” says English (H) graduate Nawneet Ranjan, director, Tatva.

Many of these actors have tried their skills with the directors of National School of Drama (NSD) too. It was the discontentment with the work, especially discrimination, there that had made them start this new venture.

They say that Tatva is created to voice the concerns of the youth of today and to provide a platform to young individuals to interact with one another. It is also a statement that today’s youth does not only mean fancy clothes, rock and snazzy cars but there is a lot more to him.

“Tatva is a culmination and incorporation of different backgrounds like arts, psychology, photography, painting, literature in a garland whose length increases day by day…,” Nawneet says.

The ensemble has been performing on stage and holding street shows, workshops and musical performances. It had already performed before the Spastics Society of Northern India, Lawyers’ Collective, Action for Autism, Prism, Deepalaya, Dastakar, Casp-Plan, Care Plus and many other organisations focusing on different social issues like integration of people, HIV-afflicted women etc.

The group also presents music seminars and dance shows on the second Thursday of every month at the Spastic Society and Friends Club.

The members of the group feel proud of their plays ‘Circle - the state of Flux’ and ‘Akhani’, which were staged at many places.

These explain the circle of dreams and ambitions in which we are thriving and how, despite our best efforts, we remain discontented. Another unique feature of the play, ‘Circle…’, is that it does not have any dialogue.

Doing their graduation from Delhi, Vasant and Uttam feel that theatre is the brightest way to educate people as it is related to everything that we call extra-curricular activities in schools. Born in Delhi but hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Uttam is in the final year of his degree course.

He says, “Coming from a typical Brahmin family, I was scolded for joining theatre. But my conscience did not allow me to leave theatre. Though television channels have provided a better exposure, still theatre is the best way to spread messages and teach as it includes everything: language, music and everything creative. Moreover, the society is now reacting positively to theatre.”

Vasant shares the same views: “Only creativity led us to choose this line. Though it’s a bit difficult to establish in this field and earn a living, we are not concentrating on money. We want to earn identity. We never thought of forming Tatva. But now we feel as if it had been running in our blood all these days.”

Amit, guitar artiste of Tatva, says: “Our own group is our inspiration. And like everyone, we also want to make our own mark in this field and may switch on to production.”