CAMPUS
Anxious students playing a waiting game
Gaurav Choudhury

With the last date of submission of forms being over, the more operative part of admissions to colleges in Delhi University has begun. For admission seekers, the week beginning on June 19 (the last date of submission of forms) will characterise a nervous waiting game till the time the first admission list is announced. The first admission list will be announced on June 26.

Nearly 15 lakh forms have been submitted in about 80 colleges in various streams ranging from conventional courses such as economics, physics, political science, history and English to professional and vocational courses such as journalism, computer applications, industrial relations, and tourism.

While the traditionally prestigious colleges in North Campus continued to remain the most sought after, those in South Campus and colleges located in other areas are beginning to have their fair share of applicants as well.

The nervousness among the applicants is clearly discernible, as competition among the students is stiff. “Despite securing high grades in my class 12 examinations, I am not sure whether I will be able to get admitted to the college and course of my choice”, said Jyoti, who had secured 85.7 per cent marks in the Class 12 examinations.

The scene on the campus itself epitomises the nervousness. The outstation students are camping in the vicinity of the campus with their parents and guardians are waiting for the admission list to be announced. “It has been my dream to study in a good college of Delhi University. The next week will decide whether my dream will be fulfilled or not”, said Daniel, who has travelled all the way from Nagaland and has been camping in the Capital since the past two weeks.

South or North, the debate continues Over the years results have shown that South Campus is merely a second choice among prospective Delhi University students. Although North Campus has some of the best colleges in the country but South Campus is also not lagging behind. “I think South Campus was never a second choice among the applicants. The students have now realised that what is more important is the desired subject, not an elite college with a course students are not even interested in’’, says, T.Satyanarayanan, Deputy Dean, Delhi University. “South Campus is just another branch of Delhi University and was developed for the sake of administrative convenience. There is absolutely no difference between the two campuses, both having there own specialisation and a different feel altogether. And comparing one with the other won’t be the right thing to do’’, he added. The general perception among the students is also changing with the passage of time. North Campus was always considered to be the hub of higher education, but the credit should also be given to South Campus for producing a large number of university toppers in almost all streams. “I always considered South Campus to be on a par with any other university campus. And the kind of atmosphere I got on the campus was simply overwhelming and actually motivated me to study’’, says Aparajit Kumar, one of the university toppers in history from South Campus four years back. But, it has been felt that students belonging to the colleges on North Campus consider themselves superior to those from colleges on South Campus. Confronted with each other, they end up having a debate to prove their supremacy. “All the cream of the students comes from North Campus .If rejected, though cream can never be rejected, they go to South and develop some grudges against North Campus’’, says Samvat Chakravarthy, a student from Kirori Mal College. “I have no hang ups about students from North Campus but it’s just their attitude. They have a major attitude problem in life as they think they are the best’’, says Bhavnoor Lamba, final year student of Sri Venkateswara College. “In colleges like Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) the cut-off list went up to 90 per cent last year. I mean it is next to impossible for me to get admission in such a college. Earlier, I was under the impression that South Campus doesn’t have my desired course, B Com Hons. As there is so much hype about North Campus people just keep talking about it, ignoring South Campus. But there are colleges like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, which is not only the best in South Campus for commerce but also fits my bill’’, says Rakhi Sood, a prospective applicant of Delhi University. Tarun Gill

Seminar on Multimedia

A speaker at the seminar organised by Arena Multimedia.

Multimedia education major, Arena Multimedia, conducted a seminar on “Multimedia in Advertising & Film-making” for students aspiring to make a career in this field and also for those who are taking up multimedia programmes. The speakers at the seminar were Mr Ajit Varghese and Ms Madhu Sarkar, Directors, Storytellers, and Mr Deepak Ghosh, CEO, Brand Stewards.

The seminar focused on the usage of multimedia techniques in print and electronic advertising and film-making.

Mr Varghese assisted by his colleague Ms Sarkar demonstrated the usage of multimedia and creative techniques in ad films for the electronic media. He showed pre and post shots of several recent popular commercials, which drove home the point that multimedia has revolutionised the way advertisements and films are getting created today.

He said, “In the past 10 years, animation and special effects have become one of the most exciting areas in films, videos, commercials and many other types of visual media. The entertainment industry today is worth Rs 16,000 crore and employs five million people. A recent Arthur Anderson study states that the revenues from the use of multimedia in film-making are projected from Rs 450 crore in 2001 to Rs 4,693 crore by 2005. The consulting major, Price Waterhouse Coopers, in its Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2001-2005, has forecast that the Indian entertainment industry will be worth $1.2 trillion by 2005, growing at 7.2 per cent compounded annually. The revolution of special effects has just begun; the best is yet to come.

Mr Deepak Ghosh, CEO, Brand Stewards, in his address spoke about the usage of digital techniques in the print media. He said, “Advertising agencies today are leveraging heavily on multimedia techniques to create visually attractive and innovative creatives for hoardings, billboards, kiosks, bus shelters, brochures, leaflets, danglers and of course advertisements for the newspapers and magazines.”

Multimedia, which is an integration of IT, communication and media, is a tool that makes communication interactive and powerful. Arena has educated more than 70,000 students to become professionals in various multimedia industries such as entertainment, fashion designing, print and publishing.

Arena Multimedia offers a range of career courses for both the students and professionals.

The comprehensive Arena Multimedia specialist programme in multimedia, web engineering and media convergence, covers the entire gamut of multimedia application from graphics, animation, games designing and website designing to media convergence.

Other courses offered at Arena include the ‘Active Learning Series for Kids’, which helps children discover their capabilities and shape their future accordingly. The most unique feature of the course is the teaching methodology, which incorporates innovative and entertaining techniques, enabling the kids to learn with fun.

Arena has set up 13 Arena Animation Academies (AAAs) across the country, which are special training centres for providing high-end animation training. The AAAs offer courses in high-end animation with specialisation in Maya for 3D animation. The Arena Animation Academy, Mumbai, also provides training in US Animation for 2D animation. It has entered into alliance with Alias Wavefront, Toon Boom and Cambridge Animation.

Awards to students

The Managing Director of MAAC, Mr Ketan Mehta, addresses the students.

The Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics has announced Rs 5 lakh in awards to the best students from their different training centres in the country.

Mr Rajesh Turakhia, Vice-President of Maya Entertainment Limited, said, “Maya Entertainment Limited, the leading special effects and digital animation producers for the entertainment industry of Bollywood, has decided to institute awards worth Rs 2.5 lakh along with a Delhi-based TV production company, Ikon, which shall also be contributing Rs 2.5 lakh awards for the best animation project, produced by MAAC students of 3D animation after the end of their six months’ term.”

Mr Turakhia also said, “There is a growing demand for the animators and graphic designers in the entertainment industry owing to extensive use of digital effects in cine and television productions. MEL in Mumbai itself employs more than 100 special effects experts and the best students from MAAC are being absorbed in MEL.”

The six month programme of 3D animation includes the one-week hands-on experience at the MEL studios in Mumbai. Students enrolled for this course after April 1, 2002, are eligible to participate in this contest.

Each student, at the end of his/her term, can submit a 30-second animation project for evaluation by a team of experts from the Maya Entertainment Limited, and Ikon Pictures, and select the best works for the awards.

The first prize is of Rs 1 lakh, while second and third winners shall receive Rs 50,000 each. Besides these three students, seven others shall win paid internship for three months with Ikon Pictures Pvt. Ltd., and three months with Maya Entertainment Limited, worth nearly Rs 2 lakh.

Ikon is a multicrore group of companies having interests in finance, real estate, entertainment and education. Ikon Pictures, incorporated in 1992, has seven multi-starrer teleserials to its credit on Doordarshan, ETV, ETC and Sahara.

MAAC is also in the process of introducing two-year Advance Diploma in Digital Design (AD3) for plus two and undergraduate students from this session onwards, to pursue a lucrative and employment-oriented career in digital animation and designing simultaneously with their studies.

MAAC is already offering hands-on experience on live projects to its students and has recently completed an interactive website for Government Museum and Art Gallery, which shall be launched soon.

The master franchise of MAAC for the northern region, Mr Naveen Gupta added, “The top five students from the northern region centres shall also be picked up for a free three-day holiday in Banjara camps in Sangla valley.”

Grooming classes

Wigan and Leigh, a leading UK-based educational institute, organised a workshop for their students on personality development with former Miss India Meyhar Bhasin at their new campus in Sainik Farms.

Besides Ms Bhasin, well-known experts like Ms Samantha Kochhar and Mr Jitendra Ram Prakash also participated in the workshop, taking students through various modules on speaking and communication and body language. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Bhasin said, “It’s heartening to know that Wigan and Leigh College understands the needs of the corporate world. What they require are professionals not only sound in theoretical and practical knowledge but also young and well turned out professionals with good communication skills.”

The workshop focussed on three broad modules, namely, module 1: Speaking and communication (focusing on enunciation, flow of speech, interpersonal communication, techniques of effective communication and how to plan and deliver a public speech); Module 2: Body Language (good personality, self-confidence, right attitude); Module 3: A new beginning in life (posture and deportment, social skills).

The Wigan and Leigh College, UK, is one of the largest government-funded educational institutions in the United Kingdom. Established over 150 years ago, it has its presence in 23 countries worldwide. The Association of Business Schools in UK has bestowed the college with the Centre for Excellence Award. In India Wigan and Leigh has campuses in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Dehra Dun and Indore, offering industry-led academic courses in management, advertising and marketing communications, advertising and graphic design, apparel merchandising and marketing, fashion technology and media studies at postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

Admission alerts

The PICT-SITM (PICT School of Information Technology and Management), an autonomous institute offering industry-driven postgraduate courses in business management and information technology, invites admission to its two-year full-time PGDITM programmes and one-year full-time PGD VLSI networking programme.

PICT-SITM is the latest addition to the reputed SCTR i.e. Society for Computer Technology and Research for offering advanced PG disciplines to aspiring IT and management professionals.

The SCTR, founded by the Pune Institute of Computer Technology (PICT), is recognised throughout the country for its cutting edge IT programmes that offer degree and masters in computer engineering, electronics, telecommunications and IT. PICT-SITM leverages SCTR’s academic as well as industrial resources to successfully introduce and integrate IT into management education to build new leaders and successful global managers.

CAMPUS SCENE
Delhi varsity sells 14 lakh forms
Tarun Gill

New Delhi, June 19
Delhi University has managed to sell more than 14 lakh admission forms (compared to only 12 lakh last year) as the admission process came to an end today. The next week will decide the fate of students as the cut-off lists of various colleges are expected to come out on June 26.

In addition, 300 application forms for physically challenged students and approximately 6,400 forms for SC/ST students were also sold.

Unlike last year when the university was running short of forms, it had printed more than 16 lakh application forms this year thus ensuring that there was no shortage.

“We printed 16 lakh application forms, as students had panicked last year when the forms went out of stock,” said Dr Hema Raghavan, Dean, Student Welfare, Delhi University.

The counsellors who were specially appointed to assist the physically challenged students in filling up their admission forms also proved very effective as more and more students turned up for their assistance.

“I would say counsellors were very effective as they made the whole admission process look so easy for these physically challenged students, who were having problems regarding the admission forms last year,” said Dr Raghavan.

However, the SC/ST students had to throng the Dean’s office in the North Campus as university authorities asked them to get the Dean’s signature on the forms before submitting them.

“Some of the SC/ST students had come with fake certificates and other documents to prove that they belonged to these categories. That is why we sent them to the Dean’s office for her approval as we are do not have any authority to make that provision for them,” said one of the DU officials.

Some of the students complained that the allotted time to submit the admission forms (10 am to 1 pm) was not adequate enough as they could not apply to all the colleges they wanted.

“Picture this. There were more than 12 lakh applicants with only 16 centres to collect the admission forms besides Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) and National Students Union of India (NSUI) offices and there only 30 hours to collect the forms (14 days including two weekends, that means only 10 days). It is just not done,” Preeti Dhandewal, an applicant, said.

“How can I commute from St Stephen’s College to Venkateswara College in only three hours when it takes two hours at least to collect the college form itself?” she asked.

“I have come from UP and our school results came just four days back. I had only less time to collect the application forms. I could not apply to most of the colleges,” Pradeep Sharma, another applicant said

“I think the time was adequate enough for all the applicants to not only collect the forms but also to submit them. Our website, unlike last year, was very effective this year. And I am quite overwhelmed with the response,” Dr Raghavan said.

YOUNG VOICE
Plenty of problems on our campus
Tarun Gill

Pradeep Solanki, President, South Campu s, a final year Bcom student of Motilal Nehru College, doesn't have big dreams to chase. All he wants to be is a successful businessman. “The problems on our campus are many and at times I can't cope with them”, says Solanki.

There are many brokers on South Campus who go to any lengths to persuade the gullible prospective students about securing admission in their desired colleges. Students should never even consider getting admission through these touts because admission is solely on merit.

This year the police tried to create some problems as our information centres due to space constraints were set up alongside the road and the police tried to remove them, causing a lot many problems to the students. Though these centres were functioning there were no sheds or tents to protect us from the sun.

Our college doesn't even have a public telephone. We have to go the main market to make our telephone calls. This needs immediate attention.

Unlike Venkateswara College, which has allotted college parking passes to the students, our college doesn't have that provision. As a result, many of our cars get towed away since they are parked at unauthorised places and are even there on the road.

MDU teachers flay Reader’s suspension
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, June 19
The Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers’ Association (MDUTA) has described the recent suspension of Dr N. K. Rattan, Reader in English Department, by the Executive Council (EC) of the university as ‘a misuse of the administrative powers’ by the university.

Dr A. S. Kajal, secretary of the association, said the MDUTA had faxed a letter to the Governor-cum-Chancellor of the university on Wednesday seeking the withdrawal of the resolution regarding the suspension of Mr Rattan passed at the recent 159th meeting of the EC. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the association held here under the presidentship of Mr Vazir Nehra this afternoon.

The association said Dr Rattan had been active in teaching and creative writing for the last over 35 years. It said Dr Rattan had been a distinguished author who brought laurels to the university by frequently visiting abroad for delivering guest lectures.

Commenting on the ‘flimsy’ ground prepared by the university administration to ‘victimise’ Dr Rattan, the association said Dr Rattan was granted a two-year study leave from April 9, 1994 to April 8, 1996 for doing PhD and he rejoined his duties just after his leave exhausted.

However, the university authorities got Dr Rattan suspended without any profound reason, the association alleged. It said Dr Rattan had been struggling for the interests of the teaching community and raising voice against the ‘administrative irregularities’ for the last several years for which he was targeted by the administration even after six years of the incident. The MDUTA warned that an agitation would be launched if the administrative powers were used for personal vendetta.