TL;DR: Celebrating India at 75 and much more
Good Morning IIT Delhi! The past weeks have been times of festivities with the campus and the nation celebrating 75 years of India’s independence as well as Janamashtami with incredible pomp and grandeur. The ongoing intern season has also brought rejoice for some and disappointment for others. We have a lot to cover, as the last couple of weeks have been really happening, so buckle up for another fortnightly dose of your very own campus newsletter.
The Campus Highlights
A day dedicated to the Nation
Fifteenth August saw the entire IITD community come together to celebrate the 75th Independence Day, touted as “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, with enthusiasm and patriotism for the country. The student bodies, in collaboration with the administration and faculty, organized several events to keep guests engaged in a day-long extravaganza.
Adventure Club IIT Delhi and BSA organised the “Freedom Run” marathon. It saw active participation from students, faculty, and staff members alike as they jogged around the campus for their motherland. The air was tinged with pride and nationalism as runners enjoyed the company of colleagues and friends during the event.
CC: Kunal Bairwa
Each of the 13 UG hostels organised an Independence Day march and saw hostel representatives and residents march from their hostels to the Biotech Lawns. The Director was received by General Secretaries of all student boards and proceeded to hoist the Tricolor. This was followed by a parade organized by NCC.
The cultural programme was organized in Dogra Hall which commenced with the Director’s address followed by a patriotic performance by primary school children. This was followed by a performance by the Music Club and two nationalistic performances, one by Ankahi, the stage play society of IITD, and another by the alumni community of IITD. Finally, the BHM awards, Security unit awards, and Sansthan awards were conferred, and the celebration concluded with a vote of thanks.
A plethora of events organised by the NSS added to the festivities on campus. These included a day-long blood donation camp which recorded many enthusiastic donors, the screening of “1971” in the seminar hall on 14th August and an environmental seminar on 16th August.
All in all, the day of freedom was celebrated with much pomp and splendour as we remembered the martyrs who led the nation into light and reminded ourselves of our duties as responsible citizens who will lead the country to greater glory.
Faux pas during flag hoisting
While the entire campus delved into the festivities of 15th August, a few keen observers noticed a blunder during the flag hoisting ceremony.
Traditionally on Independence Day, the Tricolor is hoisted; that is, the flag is tied to the bottom of the pole and raised to signify freedom from British rule. However, on Republic Day, the flag is unfurled, signifying that the country is already independent. This detail was overlooked during the flag hoisting ceremony, and the national flag was unfurled instead of being hoisted.
We hope that the organisers take note of the oversight and ensure that proper protocol is followed in such celebrations.
A “Game Changer” in research and innovation
IIT Delhi's Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) joined hands with United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) to establish a Public Systems Lab (PSL) for the development of scalable solutions for civic systems and services that can impact millions of lives. PSL and WFP will work together around food systems, management and innovation as part of the three-year agreement.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the Public Systems Lab on Tuesday, 16th August. While inaugurating the lab, the minister said that this initiative could be a ‘game-changer’ when the government focuses on making India a developed country. He added that this lab would be the precursor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of India as a developed nation.
iGEM IIT Delhi’s LEADer
On the topic of innovation and research, iGEM IIT Delhi is competing at the international level in the Grand Jamboree being held in Paris this year. They have proposed a SynBio solution to the global catastrophe of lead poisoning, affecting over a third of the world’s population.
They are conducting a survey on awareness levels about Lead Poisoning and would greatly benefit if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out the short, completely anonymous survey to help them in their endeavor. We wish them all the best in their venture and believe that they will make IIT Delhi proud.
You can find the survey link here.
The Intern Flu: the blossoms, the blues and beyond
As the internship season proceeded with enervating tests, PPTs and GDs, it was time to shift these proceedings to the next level - the interviews.
Day 1 & 2 of the interviews witnessed shortlisted students turning up to the LHC for their interviews, donning the formals with CVs in their hands, hope in their hearts and nervousness on their faces. For some, those tiny cubicles were a gateway to the next leap in their careers, while for others, a walk-in would have been a glimmer of hope.
Day 1 morning saw tech giants getting busy while the consulting firms ensured everyone had a busy afternoon. Somehow, company X knew how many offers company Y had given, thanks to their "runners."
The first two days were a moment to rejoice for many while a bitter pill to swallow for others.
Although the daunting Day 1 & 2 are over, the petrifying tests, hackathons, and interviews will keep on going, and you need to tackle them head-on. The most important thing amongst all this drama is to keep up the positivity and take care of your mental state. The ones who got lucky need to keep their nerves calm and enjoy the process, while those who are still trying need to keep a pragmatic and positive attitude towards this whole intern season. Meditating might help some keep a clear and conscious mind, while talking to family and friends may help some. All the insecurities and trauma built up during this internship period needs to be let go as we need to remember “jo hogaya so hogaya” and work upon ourselves and keep moving forward for this is not the end.
A change of face for the Office of Career Services
The new logo of the Office of Career Services, the placement cell of IIT Delhi, was unveiled by Prof. Rangan Banerjee, the Director of IIT Delhi, on 12th August 2022.
The new logo features a flying starling symbolizing how OCS enables students to take flight into a future of success and prosperity. The starling is nestled in a stylized emblem C, which curls within itself to show infinite possibilities. Finally, the sun's vibrant rays represent confidence and a bright future.
The new logo is representative of the new direction OCS is heading towards as it enables placements, propels student careers, and caters to the industry's demand.
Around the World
From the Red Fort on the Red-Letter Day
On the 75th Independence Day of India, our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort with an impassioned speech highlighting a variety of subjects ranging from the Commonwealth performance of athletes to the emergence of India as the sixth largest economy in the world. He spoke about the missions of Skill Development and modernization, and the setting up of new IIMs, IITs and AIIMS - and gave his condolences to the people suffering from the recent floods while offering his wholehearted support. He also spoke about the reconciliation with the North East, newer poverty and health schemes and the boost in India’s export and manufacturing sector, while emphasizing the workers’ and common man’s contribution towards achieving such high-impact social goals, and the need to perpetuate the same spirit.
At the end of his speech, he reiterated the need to keep pushing and keep scaling new heights, and the resolution came in lieu of integral values of unity, connectivity and self-sufficiency. The country listened and swore alongside him.
“The nation will never stop, never bow before anything, never get tired. It is our aim to achieve enormous progress in the years to come.”
Farewell to the Big Bull of Dalal Street:
Billionaire and Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala breathed his last breath on the morning of 14th August 2022 at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. India’s very own Warren Buffet, born into a Marwari family and brought up in Mumbai, had been suffering from multiple health disorders related to heart, kidney, and diabetes for the past few months.
Worth $5.8 billion and famous for his bullish trends and prolonged stay in titan shares worth Rs 11086.9 crore, Jhunjhunwala was once a bear. He first rose to prominence, along with Rakesh Damani (owner of the retail chain DMart and guru of Jhunjhunwala) as a bear during the Harshad Mehta era. The one thing that everyone can learn from Jhunjhunwala’s story is that anyone can make it big in the stock market if one is earnest, honest, insightful, and determined.
“Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie stabbed
On August 12, 2022, renowned Indian-born British-American author Sir Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, United States. After publishing his fourth book, “The Satanic Verses”, in 1988, which was critically acclaimed, he was the subject of ire of the Islamic Community with multiple death threats coming his way. In 1989, the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a Fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination and a bounty of USD 3 million. This forced Rushdie into hiding for nine years with top security. However, since then, security has loosened slowly. In fact, for the past few years, he had been travelling without a security detail. The Chautauqua festival where he was speaking was known for an "accessible" and "relaxed environment". The accused is a 24-year-old man named Hadi Matar, who was caught on the scene and charged with assault and attempted murder. The government of Iran has distanced itself from having any knowledge of the stabbing, though the state media is celebrating the attack. The accused is a New Jersey citizen of Lebanese origin. Rushdie suffered multiple wounds to his neck, stomach, right eye and chest, and a laceration on his right thigh. Fortunately, the author has been recovering fast and is off the ventilator now.
Another ‘Dost Dost Na Raha’ moment in politics
On Tuesday 16th August, Bihar Chief Minister, in a dramatic yet not wholly unexpected move, broke his party’s alliance with the BJP. After calling a meeting of all JD(U) MPs and MLAs in Kumar's Patna home, armed with the mandate to leave, Nitish Kumar met governor Phagu Chauhan and put in his papers, thus tendering his resignation around 4 pm.
After his resignation, Nitish Kumar visited Rabri Devi's house in Patna. Eventually, he submitted a list of 164 MLAs to the governor in his support. Nitish Kumar has been sworn in as the Chief Minister and Tejawsi Yadav as the Deputy CM. The tension between the JD(U) and the BJP has been growing recently over various issues and has finally resulted in them quitting BJP and joining the Mahagatbandhan (which they had left in 2017).
BJP’s Bihar chief Sanjay Jaiswal called this move a “betrayal”. “We fought the 2020 polls together under the NDA. The mandate was for the JD(U) and BJP. We won more seats, but Nitish Kumar was made the CM despite that. What happened today is a betrayal of Bihar’s people and the BJP.”
Along with deranging political calculations, this move has also led to a significant dilution of the BJP’s hold over the Hindi-speaking heartland from where most of its legislators come.
Is getting better really better?
A shocking development raised a fresh controversy in Canada when a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employee voluntarily offered assisted death to a war veteran tormented by scathing scars of battle. VAC is a Canadian veterans’ welfare agency, which provides Medical Assistance in Dying, or MAID, for those veterans who opt for it. As of 2016, euthanasia is legal in Canada. However, in a recent event, this idea was suggested rather casually and unexpectedly to a veteran who was afflicted by post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury. The family of this veteran, and the community in general, hurled up in a tornado of fury at this unprompted, and uncalled-for assistance. The veteran, unidentified, was recuperating positively from his combat injuries and felt betrayed by, and firmly disgusted at VAC for this suggestion, something he had never actually raised. The incident was deeply regretted by the VAC. They affirmed that after sufficient investigation, appropriate administrative action would be taken.
The incident that transpired, floats on unsettled waters of emotional turbulence and was hence bound to receive the backlash that followed. On the same note, it also nudges and questions the very perception of death, especially from the perspective of those who’ve voyaged right at its fringes. There is peace in ‘trying’, in ‘recuperating’, but what is the stage when this peace unfurls into agony, which overpowers all other afflictions? Perhaps this is a conundrum, which in itself is an imperial affliction.
Entertainment and Sports Update
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the HBO Satellite again!
If you see a mass of burning material hurtling down from the sky, the reason could be that dragons are taking to the skies once again. Or wait, it’s probably the HBO satellite coming crashing down because everyone and their dog is frantically purchasing a subscription to the streaming service.
Fans reminiscing of the days of the critically acclaimed (if we overlook the final season) HBO series Game of Thrones had their hopes rekindled after the release yesterday of the prequel to the series, focusing on the history of the house that has a reputation for fire, blood and unending CGI budgets. Oh, and did I mention dragons?
The series, titled ‘House of the Dragon’, is based on the novel 'Fire and Blood' and focuses on the story of the Targaryens at their peak, during the politics and events leading to the lethal civil war - aptly titled the Dance of the Dragons.
Maybe you'll watch for the promise of thrilling plotlines and superlative cinematography. Or perhaps you just want to sit on the edge of your seat while watching dragons battle it out in the air. Or, you just hope the series redeems how the original collapsed with a ton of bricks in the end and brings it back to the limelight (wildfire reference, if you caught that). Whatever the reason, fans will watch with bated breath along with the rest of the world, because who has a better story than the Targaryens?
Meanwhile, for the fans who lament the nonexistent book ending, our favourite wordsmith George Ruthlessly Reclusive Martin confirms that he has finished working on the POV chapters of certain characters, with the promise of the elusive 6th tome of the series becoming reality soon (as it has been for more than a decade, note. But hey, we can only hope).
So what are you waiting for? Hold your breath and head on to Hotstar before someone spills a wretched spoiler!
Dribbling through Supreme Court Decisions:
In a shocking development, the bureau of FIFA administrators unanimously suspended the AIFF(All India Football Federation). The decision comes as a result of the Supreme Court's move to dismiss AIFF President Praful Patel and his executive committee, and appoint a three-membered Committee of Administrators (CoA) for the federation. This was considered “undue interference by a third party” by FIFA, a first since the federation's formation in 1937.
The decision means that Indian teams are no longer permitted to represent the country in any upcoming international competitions. Furthermore, India's approval to host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup scheduled for October 11-30 has been revoked. However, new hosts have not been announced, leaving the door open for reconciliation. FIFA continues to push for the repeal of the CoA mandate and the AIFF constitution to be revised in accordance with their requirements.
FIFA has confirmed it is in 'constant constructive contact' with our Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and hope remains for a positive outcome to the case.
To Serena Williams, from Conway, Arkansas
19/08/2022
Dear Diary,
I’d say I’ve had a mixed day today. I spent a long time focusing on my backhand, taking to heart my coach’s admonitions and unpropitious times, the essence of which was that I lacked the upper body strength to beat my male peers. His words weren’t vacuous, for I know that biological differences are very real, but I was crestfallen all the same. My mother, instead of offering typical consolations, simply referenced me to a name: Serena Williams.
Serena Williams is the first woman on the professional tennis tour to win a Career Golden Slam, in both Singles and Doubles, with an astounding 39 titles and 4 Olympic gold medals. Having been ranked World Singles Number 1 for 319 weeks, she was the only woman on the Forbes’ List of the 100 highest paid athletes in 2017. She started navigating life as the youngest of a modest family of colour in the US in the 1980s, an experience that would have often been demoralizing, but it never decapitated her. She is now set to retire at 40 after a trailblazing career that spanned geographies, stereotypes and almost three decades of perspiration, brilliance, inspiration, injuries and two life-threatening pulmonary embolisms. It is rumoured that the US Open this year will be her last game.
I still get goosebumps from remembering all that I learned about her today. She describes her retirement as “evolving into a new phase of life”, as an extremely arduous decision she took to support her dreams of expanding her family, and as much as it pains me, it also inspires me to be as unflinchingly audacious as she is. I’d like to say that the world has become a better place in the past 30 years, but it’d be pretentious to assume that I can fully comprehend the social and emotional circumstances in which the Williams family brought up their daughters, and yet, they did it so beautifully. Serena Williams shall always be the unassailable empress of the red sands, the girl who rose to attain impossible ambitions, the undaunted legacy.
All I want is to meet her, dear Diary, thank her and tell her that I’m not giving up, and neither will a million other girls on the planet. Because of her. Because of Serena Williams.
Signing off.
The Bluffington Post
Timble Things
Monday, 7:59 am, outside LH121
As I shuffle through my portfolio for today’s lecture, fumbling for my attendance sheet, I see him, he’s glaring at it. Again! I’m a Professor at IIT Delhi for gods’ sake; what do these dreaded Timble Reinforcers have on me? It’s not like the phony face-scanner is an actual, efficient work of technology. It could register a goat’s face, as meshed in the dashed green rangoli templates, or not, especially for the milieu of iPhone users exhibiting a routine of pigeon-like head movements in an anguished attempt to fit into the red square of attendance.
8:02 am
At this point, if the Lord could grant me all but one superpower, it would be to rid those wretched tablets of the insistent swarms of students.
8:49 am
Oh, how I miss those nimble times of paper attendance when I was the man in charge of my lecture hall! Back in our day, we were skilled at hunting for proxies, and sure, proxies are harder now, but isn’t the humane aspect of learning names and forging connections more important?
Today, I stand in the midst of the frantic commotion of these skittish children, forced to submit to the mega-cosmic digital wave, and it rings true in my head:
“Dear user, it seems like you are at a different location.”
That brings us to the end of this TL;DR. Until next time!
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