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ISSUE NO. ONE NOVEMBER 2011

DELHI UNIVERSITY’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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Contents Editorial Grin and Bear it - Short Story Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish DUPedia AFSPA 1958 Media Ethics Keys Sex and Blackberry Sadhguru TOP 10 Highway - Travel Movie Review Book Review Quiz !

Word Power Food Review Facebook V/S Google Plus

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SUJAI BANERJI

Recently, when Steve Jobs died, there was a comment on Facebook that read, “Three apples changed the world; Adam’s, Newton’s, and Steve Jobs’.” The idea of starting “The Empty Classroom” too was borne while I was eating an apple sitting on the rickshaw, trying to reach college on time for the first lecture.

Well, what is connection of apples with the human brain is an enigma, I’m yet to decipher. Anyway, coming back to work, this being the first issue, I would like to introduce the magazine to you.

As a student passes out of college, there is lot he takes with him besides his degree. Probably, he learns more outside his classroom than inside it.

As teenagers turn men, (this goes for the girls as well, no gender-bias here) they develop a sense of individuality which is reflected in the form of their opinion and the magazine aims to be a mirror of this very opinion.

Winston Churchill once said, “There is no such thing as public opinion.

There is only published opinion.” and my earnest effort in this magazine has been to contradict this fallacy which plagues the print media almost everywhere.

There are no specific columns dedicated to a selected few writers and articles have poured in from many colleges in Delhi University as well as others like GNDU, Amritsar, MAIT, Delhi, IIM Bangalore, Amity University, Delhi, IIT Delhi, to name a few.

The highlights of the magazine include an article by Anjani Shankar from St. Stephen’s College who’s written a insightful article on the leisurely evenings of Kamla Nagar. Navneet Anand from Hans Raj College has written an analytical piece on on the role, ethics and extent of freedom of media.

Dr. Paramjit Singh Judge, Professor of Sociology in GNDU, Amritsar has given an erudite write-up on the repeal of the AFSPA. Then there is the section of reviews which include a book review on Arvind Adiga’s latest novel, “The Last Man in the Tower” and a food review on “Tamil Mess” in the Post Graduate Men’s Hostel, adjacent to Gwyer Hall. There is also a commemorative article on Steve Jobs which pays tribute to his efforts as IBM would say, in building a smarter planet. There is also a rather sleazy article from an anonymous contributor on the nightlife of Delhi’s high-society.

Last but not the least by any means, I would like to thank the entire team of “The Empty Classroom” who have tirelessly stretched their arms towards perfection. Although, there are a few people I would like to mention individually without whom this edition would not have been possible.

I know it sounds cliché, but I really mean it. Firstly, Shubhojit Chatterjee, the backbone and the creative-genius behind the magazine, without whom this venture would have died right just after its inception without ever getting published. Secondly, Reuben Browne, who helped out a lot in the initial stages with the editing of the articles and getting in touch with sponsors.

Finally, the ever-taciturn, Sashank Kumar who brought a new life to the magazine with his clicked pictures.

Lastly, I hope that you enjoy reading this edition of “The Empty Classroom” because our readers are the only motivation that will help us in moving forward and setting higher journalistic standards as well as keeping you entertained. So, read on my friend.

Editorial Board

Production and Sales

1) Editor-in-Chief: Sujai Banerji 2) Managing Editor: Devender Singh 3) Associate Editor: Lakshit Kuntal

1) Chief of Production and Sales: Raj Kumar 2) Deputy Chief of Production and Sales: Girish Sharma

Marketing and Advertising

Art and Design

1) Head of Marketing and Advertising: Rahul Gandhi 2) Deputy Head of Marketing and Advertising: Tanu Sharma

Head of Art and Design: Chitra Juneja

Financial Board 1) Chief of Finance: Rhea Rana 2) Deputy Chief of Finance: Abhas Barman Roy

Publisher Devender Singh

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Grin and Bear It Have you ever wondered, if an insignificant element could become the medium to diminish the very essence of something as significant as a relationship, which was actually a faux-pa in the garb of golden glee!

Dude& mademoiselle, what I want to tell you all by citing a cliché is that “Love is indeed blind”. How this became apparent to me will be answered in the anecdote which I am going to narrate.

I was walking along the by lanes of Kamala Nagar or K’ Nags as some of the abbreviation ally chic ones call it, accompanied by a dear ‘female-friend’ of mine. Well I plea for not being misconstrued for a misogynist or a sexist, as the specification of the gender of my friend, which is of no matter to me, actually generated a response which had not been, had I been with a guy. Among the hoodlums of the slum-kids who often nag us for something or the other on our way, came dis anonymous ‘distress in damsel’ who wanted to sell her flowers and approached me and my friend thinking to be a couple. ( Now, this really shifts my focus for the spur of a moment as I really wished this to be true, not that am unhappy with my friendship, but Yeah, dilmaange more !) As expected I refuted her and made it clear that neither we need the flowers nor are we seeing each other. To my surprise her constant repetition of “girl-friend & boy-friend” made me annoyed and make him as what did she really knew about such a friend.

She was a staunch trader of course, her aim didn’t shift from selling the flowers and I kept on moving after escorting my friend.

While I just walked a couple of foot-steps she followed me and answered the question I had asked her in a disinterested and irritated spirit. She said that she knows traits and trends of such a friendship. Woo … Wasn’t it startling to get a ravaging repartee from a slum-dweller. Interest initiated even if I knew that something foolish and false was coming up, as an altruistic gesture (isn’t that an exaggeration of selfappraisal, I’m a victim and trust me it has been recently diagnosed, courtesy AditiNarayani) I fed her up with a burger and grabbed a pizza for myself, while we sat at the corner to unravel that she thought and was excited to tell me which would eventually prove to be surreptitiously scandalous, ignorant about its truth value. Autumn had started to make its arrival, but some of us were unaware of the premonition of ensuing winter. The mentioning of the weathercondition wasn’t just to adorn my narration with conventional rhetoric but certainly to substantiate the fact that love-birds were now more seen in flocks inside the coffee houses than the kulfi and ice-gola stalls.

We were co-incidentally near one of the coffee houses, my personal favourite Costa Coffee. I asked the girl who was with me to throw some light on her assertion.

How commercially exploiting she was, she asked for another doze of food. I agreed as I didn’t want her to feel underprivileged at all, at least for the time being she was with me. She instantly pointed me towards this girl, dressed in black denims and cool green top with a face-lift pony, carrying a clutch in her hand. She said she is the apt epitome of the kind of ‘girl-friends’ she meant.

Of course she didn’t want to accuse any girl who was engaged in a relationship but certainly the quintessential ones overshadow the not so overt ones. Her argument was that she comes along the coffee house on specific dates with specific guys and accords for a free PDA (Public Display of Affection). I was obviously not convinced, and told her that it’s a similar error she had committed like the one by allegedly engaging me and my friend. To this, she said, do I ever go cosy with my friends in a manner that would alarm those around me? Certainly not and nobody sane would. Whatever the case had been, I needed a proof for her observation so that the fallacy which she did in my case certainly does not get repeated. And even if she becomes successful in substantiating her observation, which at first appeared obviously childish and superficial to me, I would sometime narrate this anecdote to a larger audience. She finished her burger.

Picked up her rags and started to move before I could actually ask her to convince me that she was true. She turned back and said that she expects another dozes of burgers tomorrow at the same time and same place.

(Frankly I never knew these people had watch, and that they cared about time, also her hunger was ceaselessly down-market).

The next day she was there but I was late, I was ashamed of myself but reconfirmed to the notion of being socially superior, I paid no apologies, after all It was a leisure activity for me, had I known it would yield the plot for my story. This day I was firm not be exploited and tap the validity of her observation. She said that she would show me in two hours of time that she will have a date with 3 guys, within and interval of 30 minutes each.

Wow! I could never be that quick and time-appreciating. A thought which came to my mind was that perhaps she was in a open-relationship and hence was free to date multiple guys at a time but the girl said it was not the case as never ever the guys came across. I said, what if they all get together to meet her, and she replied, she would be caught red-handed. I was not going to save those guys from being cheated, nor I wanted the pretty lady to lose her fun, but as a student of history, I was accustomed to invalidate the arguments not in favour of mine. How I did it and whether my assumption was right or wrong will be brought up soon…………!

- Anjani Shankar To be contd...

“Stay hungry, stay foolish” - Pranav Malhotra Steve Jobs (1955-2011) The very basic beliefs of an innovator are reflected in his greatest innovations. Steve Jobs always believed that it was not worth wasting time on something you’re not interested in. This was the reason he dropped out of College as by dropping out he was not obliged to take classes that didn’t interest him. He started then dropping in to classes that did interest him by hanging around his College for the next 18 months. This for me is the very basic idea of the Apple iPod . You can pick and choose your favorite songs and keep them in a single small pocket sized gadget.

There is absolutely no need to sift through entire albums to listen to the song you’re interested in anymore because Jobs has stamped his philosophy in life on one of his best selling products. The story of him dropping out of college is told by Jobs in his now famous commencement address at Stanford University. These fifteen minutes of footage reveals a lot about the man and I urge anyone who’s interested to look it up on Youtube. In the very same address he also has a sly dig at Microsoft saying Windows had copied the Mac when it came multiple typefaces on the Personal Computer. The very basic beliefs of an innovator are reflected in his greatest innovations. Steve Jobs always believed that it was not worth wasting time on something you’re not interested in. This was the reason he dropped out of College as by dropping out he was not obliged to take classes that didn’t interest him. When one looks at pictures of Steve Jobs and Microsoft supremo Bill Gates in college, it is difficult to imagine that two shaggy haired bespectacled guys would one day be two of the most important men in the world. As similar as they might look in their youth, these are two very different people.

Jobs was the eccentric genius who was involved in the counterculture

movement of the late 1960’s an early 1970’s in the US. Gates, on the other hand can be seen as the straight laced hard working man who always seems to do what’s right. The rivalry between the two can be described as friendly because both Microsoft and Apple have at various junctures helped each other.

Both men have inspired each other to not rest on their laurels. A great test in getting to know Jobs and Gates is using both a Mac and a Windows operating system and then comparing them. Windows is functional, quick and will get your work done. Mac on the other hand might be a bit unpredictable sometimes but is cultured, unique and spectacular. Jobs went as far as to point out the difference between the ideologies of the companies by criticizing Microsoft and saying. “They have absolutely no taste. And I don’t mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don’t think of original ideas, and they don’t bring much culture into their products” While Gates has now retired and is completely focused on his Philanthropic work, he has seen Apple become an electronic industry giant by adhering to the philosophy that Jobs believed in. It seems like Jobs’s vision was right all along. So many success stories are about taking chances and the story of Steve Jobs is no different. His is also a story of redemption as he returned to restore the very company that had forced him out. His second stint at Apple is one of the most productive periods a CEO can have with a company. He spearheaded the launch of the iPod,iPhone and iPad. While Apple will miss Steve Jobs, his stories and philosophy will live on. After hearing of his passing all that I could think about is how he ended his commencement address at Stanford. He used four words that I have always tried to keep with me and remember when times are uncertain. Those four words were, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.”

Features of Dupedia:

An Overview - Keshav Saraf

It covers all the queries related to Delhi University (DU) admissions.

A Wikipedia of Delhi University, Dupedia.com was welcomed with open hands by the Delhi university students.

All the questions related to accommodation like list of Hostels, PG’s &Hostel rules are given.

An initiative, rather a boon for the students, Dupedia.com had received appreciation from both teachers and students since its commencement.

List of Libraries, their forms & their admission process are also given.

We all have doubts, queries, need notes and different kinds of help while studying in a college and Dupedia is a handy guide for all this. “Dupedia was started with a view to help those already in the Delhi University and those aspiring to go in it”, adds the founder - Keshav Saraf.

Considering Dupedia an encyclopaedia for the Delhi University would not be wrong as it is a storehouse of almost everything that goes into being a Delhi University student. From notes to accommodation to information to extra-curricular, any help you need, Dupedia is the best source available on the net.

“Dupedia is like Dream come true. Being a student of DU I always looked for a place where all the needs of a student can easily be satisfied. Finally I decided to bridge this gap and making students life ease by making a website covering all areas of Delhi University. We are trying to provide anything and everything focusing on “academics” but covering all other aspects related to DU extra-co curricular, placements, admission & accommodation all at one place and that’s why the website is rightly called “An encyclopedia of Delhi University”. The day is not far when dupedia.com will be “google, wikipedia, wikileaks and facebook” of Delhi University.”

It gives the facility to download previous years Question Paper’s as well as Notes of DU Topper.

Articles written by students on various aspects of DU are displayed.

One can avail the benefits of Information about Fees, Concessions, Scholarships, Bus & Travel facilities.

There is DU Media Section where all the news updates about DU published in various publication is compiled.

All doubts about Placements like its Process, Major Recruiter list, Sample Resumes, Common GD Topic are displayed.

If interested in Social Work then information about NGO’s & Social Organisation’s working in DU is given.

There is compilation of forms & projects as well.

Student’s themselves contribute to information related to extracurricular activities happening in various colleges.

The website is very student friendly.

Last but not the least all the information provided is free of cost.

AFSPA 1958 ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS ACT)

When India achieved independence in 1947, it was also partitioned and two new states emerged, which underwent the painful process of nationbuilding. We al know what happened to Pakistan in 1971 when a new nation, Bangladesh came into existence despite common religion. Right from the beginning the leaders of independent India were aware of the mammoth task building the Indian nation under the conditions which were not quite favourable. India present a case of tremendous diversity and creating a consensus on various issues was difficult to achieve. All communities - religious, regional, linguistic - began to aspire for what they thought was their rightful status in the Indian Union. In this regard the Northeastern states presented the most distinct and diverse region for the project of nation-building. Manipur was ruled by a king, whereas the other regions were under very loose control of the British. In which Christian missionaries were the major instruments of control. And Nagaland was the first to resent its inclusion in the Indian union.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers Act) was a reaction to the emerging ethnic nationalist aspirations and struggles in the northeast. Over a period of time, more and more ethnic communities started waging armed struggle for sovereign statehood. The Indian state handled the situation by not only implementing the Act but also though negotiations with the leaders of insurgency However, during the first fifty years after independence northeastern states as well as Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. The scope of the Act was further extended to Jammu & Kashmir in 1990, but the same was not done in Punjab. The death of Thangjan Manorama in custody raised hue and cry and subsequently the Jeevan Reddy commission was formed in 2004 to review

the Act and make recommendations. It is now well known that the Reddy Commission recommended the repeal of the Act, but the same has not happened. Irom Sharmila is on fast for long to press the Indian government to repeal the Act. Nothing of the sort has happened.

In the light of the above outline of the Act and its opposition, it is important to examine the issue whether the Act should continue or be discontinued. Various ways of looking into the matter could be employed, for the Act is not acceptable in terms of human rights, justice, citizenship and civil liberties. However, the attempt made here is to examine the issue form the perspective of diversity and nation-building. Though it is quite easy to refer to Czech and Slovak republics, yet the difficulties involved in the issue are sometimes invisible. Even the referendum in Quebec (Canada) on the issue of cessation was not a simple result of the nationalist aspirations. India is in the process of creating a national consensus and taking cognizance of the aspirations of every community is Herculean task.

The ignored communities are resenting their position. Being a multicultural society India has to go slow on the issue of social and political development. As a multicultural state, the need is to build consensus in such a way that each community does not feel ignored and deprived of resources and is not threatened by the elimination of its cultural heritage and history. Unfortunately, it has been observed that assertion of many communities in India is perceived as a threat to the India’s nationbuilding project by the state agents. As a result, draconian acts are passed to suppress such aspirations. The consequences of such acts have always been negative in the sense that they isolate and alienate these communities from the nation-building process. Armed Forces Special Powers Act is one of these enactments. Such acts never help except for creating secessionist aspirations and struggles among these communities. It is high time that this act is withdrawn if Indian state wishes to build the national consensus.

- Dr. P.S. Jugde

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Media ethics

When one talks about ethics in Media, it should not be forgotten that the beginning of mass media channels was marked by propaganda and dishonest publicity. Adolf Hitler used the mass media as his ‘mouth piece’ and so did the other parties of the World War II. The importance of media and its impact on the society, in fact, was realized only after its ‘misuse’ in the Great Wars.

Media has a very strong influence on the society it serves. Recent trends indicate that the media plays a substantial role in the Legislative decision-making of a Country.

There was a lot of fuss regarding Barkha Dutt’s and Veer Sanghvi’s ‘hidden’ influence in the distribution of port folio to some cabinet ministers of the UPA Government. But then, what we in India call a scam is actually ‘lobbying’ which is legal in the U.S.A. (they were responsible for grabbing the portfolio for A. raja…the 2g scam that followed was not their problem, at least I think so) So when we talk about ethics in media, it doesn’t really make sense unless we talk in the context of a country’s socio-political scene. With regard to India, lobbying may not be accepted openly so soon. But it cannot be denied completely because media has that kind of power to influence legislative decisions, at least in our country. And the power that the media enjoys is not totally arbitrary.

Media is a powerful institution because people have faith in it, and we cannot overlook its importance to us. Though it has begun prioritizing news for us and sometimes we don’t quite agree with it. For instance the entire Anna Hazare episode was a ‘one-sided’ affair where the opposition was not given any voice; and the opposition was not just the Government. A larger portion of the Indian population believed that the creation of ‘an office of profit’ will not curb corruption. In fact some were of the opinion that the creation of a superman Jan Lokpal, would only open more doors for ‘channelizing’ the Country’s treasure. But this was not represented by the Indian Media because they, apparently, did not find it ‘important’.

In context of the World media, WikiLeaks is giving quite a ‘stir’ to the Governments of the world whose business culture is based on the principles of secrecy. There are two aspects of it: In course of the wires released by WikiLeaks, it might disseminate certain confidential data that could threaten the security and integrity of a country. So, the ‘whistle-blowers’ should be able to differentiate between a scam and an official secret.

The term ‘official secret’ is vague. It has been left to the discretion of the Government to deem an information as an official secret. So, an organization like the one owned by Julian Assange is, but, needed to allow some transparency in the system.

The Chinese room a thought experiment by john Searle, It addresses the question: if a machine can convincingly simulate an intelligent conversation, does it necessarily understand? The media if we are liberal enough to assume it to be a machine(we can do this safely as a machine which disseminates info from one strata of society to the rest),can be thought of as such as machine which does simulate conversations but the question arises whether it can understand it or not or even more so, can the people whom it is trying to convey info understand it sufficiently enough to simulate that info into something meaningful as its own.

Recent acts of whistleblowing and revolts all around the globe entail the very reason why such a thing as a media ethic arises across literature. Earlier modes of dispersing info on the society could have presumed to be out tune with the ambitions and aspirations of the majority of people in the capacity that it was a Chinese room(in this case , a highly biased one),thereby stimulating new forms of “social machines” to arise and take its place in society independent of its “predated peers”. So it seems safe to presume that unless this predated peer (the media) is not able to get in tune or rather address the truth of society objectively, no matter how harsh it is, new forms and new dictates will keep on arising in order to perform that very task and sink the previous forms into oblivion which today, daresay, are missing the main objective and digressing into tasks less suited for their authority(which is ethically incorrect, analogy to other illustrious organizations outreaching its authority).

- Navneet Anand

KEYS SEX & BLACKBERRY

You know, of course, that the Tasmanians, who never committed adultery, are now extinct.

- W. Somerset Maugham, The Bread-Winner.

Adultery is one of the major things going on in this world since its creation. It has, and always have been around us, it’s just that we have not always been able to point it out because of the different methods it uses as its camouflage. It can be open as in the case of red light areas in Delhi and in Calcutta, or it can be nicely and beautifully blended into the society in the form of parties. One exciting camouflage of it is the “key clubs”. “Key clubs”, as the name suggests has keys involved in it, not the room keys but key of your four wheel ride. These things are simple in working, and the only problem that one may face is the problem of entry into these clubs; a person can only enter these clubs by invitation. Once this problem is taken care of, the only thing that one should worry, or get excited for that matter, is that what partner he will be getting for the night. As one enters this club, he/she finds a bowl on the table near the entry; it’s where everyone put their ride’s keys. The party then goes on normally until it’s about to finish. And here comes the interesting part, ladies then picka key from the bowl and finds its owner. And that’s how the party ends, i.e. waking up in someone else’s bed with a bad headache. Disprin?

Anyone?

The same camouflage used by higher societies is painted in more expensive colours. Blackberries are used to send the night’s information to the desired couple. The initialization of such parties is the same as the previous ones. Everything is same except the role of “key” used here is totally gone. While being in the party if a couple finds you guys interesting, then he /she will approach you and ask you, “are you guys looking for some fun?”.

If you reply as yes then congratulations you have just become the lucky owner of a high end blackberry phone. Then as in the previous case the magic happens when then party ends. You will receive a text message on your new phone with some address and timings, for which I have invented a word “laiddress”. And the rest, as we all say is history.

The only thing wrong with being an atheist is that there’s nobody to talk to during an orgasm.

- Author Unknown

The same camouflage used by higher societies is painted in more expensive colours. Blackberries are used to send the night’s information to the desired couple. The initialization of such parties is the same as the previous ones. Everything is same except the role of “key” used here is totally gone. While being in the party if a couple finds you guys interesting, then he /she will approach you and ask you, “are you guys looking for some fun?”. If you reply as yes then congratulations you have just become the lucky owner of a high end blackberry phone. Then as in the previous case the magic happens when then party ends. You will receive a text message on your new phone with some address and timings, for which I have invented a word “laiddress”. And the rest, as we all say is history. _Anonymous

Sadhguru

Along the course of seasons, greed and materialism engulfed these puritanical spiritual sects, reducing them to corporate revenue sources; prophets of deceit, as opposed to popular beliefs. But amid this chaos, veering into view is a certain generation of ambassadors radiating hope in these cycles of darkness.

There is a mixed response on how these leaders (religious and spiritual) are viewed.

Some guardians of tradition or “Samaaj ke thekedaars” as I would like to call them have never been able to think beyond clothes, color and community. However, there is also a new generation of “happiness ambassadors” that is beyond religious fundamentalism and which focuses more on the provision of inner peace and a state of satisfaction.

The 21st century lifestyle in all its glories hides an un-ignorable darker shade, that all perceive without much will to act upon. With the definition of survival hanging at the brink of the second, each man for his money-each soul for the debt, the invariable exhaustion of mind and body pits the man through to an unholy crescendo of emotional distresses. And these profound instances encourage psyches to way in pursuit of inspiration and peace.

These people attract the hoi polloi by creating very high level energy environments, which are usually positive. A stupid but creative analogy in terms of a bliss scale will ebb the perplexity. Artificial happiness or created state of bliss will improve the levels of peace and satisfaction for some time till the external factor is in place whereas natural happiness through spiritual coexistence will take you to higher levels of the state of bliss that would be sustainable.

Since the beginning of time, curiosity has driven the individual in pursuit of relevance to books of mythology that gave birth to religions and cults. In pursuit of a real world supernatural element, man of god, as to say; and since time immemorial, like life-forms, this urge has evolved and progressed outward to form sections in an existentialist humanity.

With advancements in technology and the will of being for the better life, came twenty four hour visual and audio channels encompassing this unavoidable need of the masses; putting light on just how deep the lines of ritual run in the modern Indian.

The role of a spiritual teacher hasn’t changed with modernity. However, the manner of delivering the spiritual process has definitely changed and that has always changed with times. Many traditions need correction with the times which haven’t changed and that are why they look twisted or out of place. The mushrooming of God men across the country is a phenomenon of our time. The new generation of them surely fills up the aesthetic void and also helps people focus their energies on a more blissful sojourn through life.

Can you imagine a Yogi driving from Coimbatore to Bangalore, three hundred and fifty kilometers in four hours. Quick fix meetings with people happen en route. Wow! Amazing! A good amount of Adrenaline is needed to drive at 135 km/hr, that too on the tortuous roads of the Himalayas. Why this article is here is because this man is none other than Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the founder of the Isha Foundation.

Born in a rich Mysore family in 1957, Jagadish was the youngest child of an ophthalmologist.

He became a mystic at 25 when he underwent an out of body experience in the Mysore hills. According to Sadhguru, there is a whole inner dimension of science to create inner well being, which he calls Inner Engineering. It is a technology that helps one take charge of his life. Sadhguru’s program has found many followers. When he is not a guru, he lets down his garb and appears like a regular man riding bikes, in jeans playing golf etc. He has a number of youthful interests. The photographers at Isha foundation document Sadhguru’s public life. Are you confused, challenged or shaken? The Guru has definitely confused you, challenged your faith and shaken your identity. The skeptics sell themselves as fundamentalists. They still can’t imagine a spiritual guru doing all this. He drives his own car; people call him by his first name. A participant in a documentary, a delegate to the UN Millennium World Peace Summit and a regular participant at the World Economic Forum since 2006, he is Sadhguru. He is one serious example of a modern ambassador.

We should definitely not fall for the gurus or leaders who have a tendency to befool the throng with some lackluster definition of God and humans and spirituality and happiness.

We need to keep in mind that they are too mere mortals who can help us but not govern our thought process.

- Roerich Bansal

TOP 10

The new season has begun across europe and it brings forward with itself new challenges and aspirations for top clubs. With many of the oldheads retiring, focus has shifted to the younger lot to pick themselves and grab the centerstage. With games becoming more compelling, young blood ensures high spirits on the field. This articles enlists 10 players who I feel have the world at their feet right now.

Its upto them to grab that chance that they have created for themselves.

Jack Wilshere

Thiago Alcantara

Neymar

The young Arsenal midfielder is an extremely talented player, and is amongst the best of the footballers England has had to offer in the last few years.

With the departure of Cesc Fabregas, Wilshere has to fill the void of the Spaniard and drive Arsenal through to silverware.

Generally, he is described as one with Spanish technique and Brazilian flair. He is considered by many to be Xavi’s natural heir.He must prove he is worthy to occupy a spot in the starting eleven of the greatest team in the world, Barcelona.

Comparisons with Brazilian legend Pele, and Argentine wizard Lionel Messi speak volumes about the quality Neymar has to offer. Currently plying his trade with Santos, Neymar looks set for a move to a European powerhouse with the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid both interested. He has all the qualities needed of a forward – pace, skill, trickery. One can bank upon him to provide some fireworks in the upcoming season.

Ganso

Juan Mata

Nuri Sahin

Like teammate Neymar, Ganso has been instrumental in the rise of Santos as a club. Ganso has replaced Ballon D’or winner Kaka from the starting lineup of Brazil football team, and is expected to join a Serie A club, most likely A.C.Milan with the hope of leading Milan to European glory.

The Spaniard currently plays for Chelsea, and is one of the prime reasons Valencia didn’t suffer even after the loss of players of the caliber of David Villa and David Silva. In recent matches, Mata has been nothing short of sensational, he may get a chance to establish his name amongst the best.

The best player in Bundesliga last season, Sahin was the driving force behind Borussia Dortmund’s title winning campaign. Against German international Bastian Schweinsteiger, twice Sahin came out on top in the league matches controlling the pace of the game from the centre of the midfield. Notched by Spanish giants Real Madrid, Sahin would be expected to support Xabi Alonso in the midfield.

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Javier Hernandez

Romelu Lukaku

David de Gea

Chicharito was snapped up by Manchester United last summer, and alongside Mesut Ozil was the best transfer of the last season, scoring crucial goals in crunch situations. With Dimitar Berbatov no more the favourite, Hernandez will line up in the first team alongside Wayne Rooney in the striking department. Expect him to keep notching in the goals at Old Trafford for seasons to come.

Dubbed as the ‘new Drogba’, Lukaku was snapped from Anderlecht by Chelsea. With a physical built and a knack for goals, fans will be looking forward to a delightful partnership with Fernando Torres, at least on paper.

The natural heir to Iker Casillas, David de Gea was Manchester United bound to fill the boots of Edwin Van der Sar. With the sharpest of reflexes, De Gea must rise to the occasion and prove himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Mesut Ozil Although one may argue that Ozil has already had a breakthrough season at Real Madrid in 2010-11, the sheer talent that the German possesses is enough to indicate that things are only going to get better for him. He will be expected to find an answer to Barca’s dominance with assists and goals. Ozil certainly has the potential, the question is- does he have the character to do it?

- Amiya Sinha

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Highway “Contrary to the popular belief’s, the destination(goal) is always ‘obliviously pedestrian’.

And the only thing which is extra-ordinary is the journey to that destination’’.

(from my wild imaginations) A highway aptly symbolizes life, It reflects the ‘’calmness’’ of a ‘’steppe’’ and the ‘’aggression’’ of many a storms.

This article is about a highway name ‘’rohtang pass’’. Situated in the highmountain range of the eastern pir-panjal of the himalayas, which connects the kullu valley, past manali and over the pass to keylong/leh. Its name derived from ‘’rohtang la’’, in tibatese, which means the ‘’pile of corpses’’,may be its existence is the influensive force behind its name, So i be ter use ‘pass’ only to the coming literature hahaha...

It provides an astonishing views of geypan peaks and lies on the watershed between the ‘’chenab’’ and ‘’beas’’ basins.

On its southern side, the beas river emrges from underground flows southward and northern side, the chandra river, a source stream of the river chenab, flows westward. And bodily gives a ‘’motherly impression’’ that is to be followed to the grave.

The pass is open from may to november, but trekkers can cross it earlier. Having an unpredictable weather, it enjoys a well-deserved reputation for being malignant because of snowstorm and blizzards. And this m lignancy also contributes to its popularityamong the trekkers and the motorcycling enthusists.

Many motorcyclists on a pusrsuit of adventure and to prove their metal (and of their motorcycle’s) comes here, and drive through this pass to get to the leh-ladakh.

One has to painstakingly drive through this pass, because of its zig-zag existence and very rough-terrain.

Riding through this pass one soon realizes that ‘’no journey carries one’s far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world with-in’’. The arrogant looking mountain’s surrounding the pass conspicuously gives you a sensation that you are now under the ‘’supervision’’ or the ‘’auspices’’ of nature. ‘’The mist fades slowly as the day becomes older but, its impression will not fade into the mist of time’’.

One has only one thought after journying this pass ‘’The journey and not the arrival matters’’ - Devender Singh

Two and a half men’s ninth season had its legenary return on the night of September 19th 2011. The curtain raiser shows the funeral in which various recurring characters were bidding adieu to Charlie Harper. The funeral wasn’t actually a funeral, rather it seemed to be a museum full of people bitching over some unseen & uncared dead person lying in the coffin. His ex girl friends kicked around his memory by venting their vulnerable sexual maladies he shared with them. His mother is there, defending him, but jokes seriously about selling the house. For a funeral service, it seemed more haphazard on the jokes that they can make, instead of mourning a brother, son, and an uncle. The funeral was full of embittering for Charlie & making derogatory comments on him followed by implausible confession (which wasn’t actually a confession, viewer can make it out) by Rose, one of the recurring characters and a crazy stalker from beginning of the series, about Charlie’s death. (she killed him) After kicking off the with the formal departure of Charlie Sheen aka Charlie Harper, was the time to introduce Ashton Kutcher aka Walden Shmidt. Walden appears from the balcony of Charlie’s house out of the blue (couldn’t they think of some better way to work Walden in there?), exemplified as suicidal, dejected, distraught and a heart broke billionaire that will have sex with any woman willing to keep him company.

Clearly the shows tried to build Walden in with some kind of sympathy but unfortunately it didn’t go well.

In that respect it feels like Lorre’s decision to axe sheen from the series was never implemented in the way it had to be. It was clear that he tried a lot to save the grace of the show by posing Ashton nude and his threesome with two beautiful chicks, he and Alan picked up from the bar.

Nude and a half men Also in the second episode, a new side of the Walden was revealed of him being too much juvenile in his character that he was referred to as “Peter Pan” by his ex-wife, which explains why she dumped him.

Now, the one question blowing my mind is that, will Ashton be able to fill the shoe of Charlie? Well, this can be only be answered with the upcoming episodes of the season. But after watching the premier, the one thing which will surely occur to you will be that it’s not the same without Charlie.

Lakshit Kuntal

towers to construct a glittering new edifice to embody modern India’s global aspirations.

Book Review : Last Man in Tower

His growing at a fast pace accounts for one of the reasons he wanted to demolish the slum tower and construct ‘Shanghai’ as his bequest.

After the great success of the White Tiger and Between the Assassinations, Arvind Adiga brings out another piece of his profound insight into a cyclone of emotions and impuissance as a consequence of the present seismic economic shift in India.

To fuel the plan of demolishing the rickety tower, the ruthless Shah offers a lucrative amount in lieu of their property. Subsequently, avariciousness being an order of the day, all the families complies with his will and surrendered except – Masterji for whom the pang of separation is inexplicable. Despite Last Man in Tower tells the story of a strugof a handsome monetary return, parting gle for a slice of lustrous and skyrocketing from his abode would drag him through Mumbai real estate, bringing all of Adiga’s a cheerless existence as he clings to the frills for sharp social observation and mordant reminiscences of his deceased wife and wit to the fore. daughter that pervade the building.

The ‘Last Man’ in the title is ‘Yogesh Murthy’, popularly ‘Masterji’- a retired school teacher whose initial resistance and firm stand against those wanting to grab at the riches through Mumbai’s spiraling real estate market but later being resisted by his own neighbours petrifies that one’s social opulence is far more mollifying and outweighing than respect for others’ sentiments.

Adiga offers a convincing glimpse of human nature as these upstanding residents then turn on one another like stoats in a stack, a muddled mob maddened with greed and prospect of losing their promised riches. He documents each families greed and materialistic obsession and succeeds in breathing life into an array of characters from Mrs. Puri (“communist auntie’) who has an 18 year old child with Down’s syndrome and sees The story begins with a panorama of legions money as a way of making their lives easier of families with different creed rubbing along to Mary, the cleaner who will lose her livelitogether in a crumbling, yet unimpeachable, a hood when the towers are demolished. peaceful middle class enclave in the slums of Mumbai- ‘Vishram Housing Society’ Tower A. The highly adored and esteemed Masterji is badly humiliated and castigated by the The denizens lived from hand-to-mouth. residents as he turned down Shah’s offer, However, their shabby utopia is short-lived, as the rules state they all must sign. Eventuhowever. In no time, to shatter the dwellers’ ally, you are saddened by this indictment on peaceful existence, Shah, a property mogul society which is all too true today - avarice marks his entrance. Being an embodiment of and desire for anything new and glittery far social mobility and global aspiration, he aims outweighs benevolence to neighbours. at bulldozing the dilapidated and moth-eaten

- Rishi Pahuja

Quiz The first 5 winners will get Rs. 500/- each.

Please send in your entries to the.empty.classroom@gmail.com.

Powered by www.quizpotatoes.in 1. Outside Jodhpur, a shrine and pilgrimage centre said to effect miracles of fertility has formed around something. Initially erected as a memorial to its owner, after the latter suffered a fatal crash, this something has now become a centre of pilgrimage, attracting pilgrims – especially devout truck drivers and ladies – from across Rajasthan.

What is this something?

2. Identify this famous American classic song attempted by the likes of Paul Whiteman, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, the most famous rendition sung by Paul Robeson. Its popularity can be vouched for by its umpteen parodies and references made in popular culture even so that it inspired Bhupen Hazarika to create multiple vernacular versions of this cult song.

We all love him and adore him, this fictional character hails from Tal Sonapur village in Bengal and his heart rending last journey is a “tonga” ride between Pandua railway station and Maneckpur village.

Just identify.

3. Panoramic! Isn’t it? Witness to military action during the Sino Indian war, this transboundary wetland is two-third in Tibet. Identify this beautiful lake which featured in a 2010 Bollywood blockbuster’s climax scene.

4. Named after a Belgian king, this place, a travellers’ connoisseurship in Mumbai, was founded by Iranis and is currently owned by Fahrang & Farzad Jehani. It was mentioned extensively in Gregory David Roberts “Shantaram” and was one of the first sites to be attacked in the 26/11 catastrophe. What it is?

5. Identify this famous Indian actress involved in one of the longest kisses in Bollywood that too back in 1933 (wow!)

The painter incidentally is her second husband.

6. The present day city was so named because there was a Hindu “rest house” on the slopes where this site to accommodate a Native regiment was found in 1849. 110 years later the city and its vicinity literally turned into a “rest house” of sorts by offering refuge to nearly a hundred thousand people. Identify this travel buff’s must visit place.

7. British engineer Hiram Codd patented a kind of bottle design which is manufactured only by Khandelwal Glass Works in India under the brand names “Victory” and “Deco”.

Sold as Ramune in Japan, this is a must have in summers and is found abundantly at every nook and corner of Delhi University. Easy one eh?

8. These two wrote a book that describes how they met, got married, travelled from London to Australia and how, a famous organization was formed. What?

Clues in the pic.

9. The creative team of Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra (T&T) has created their own splashy paintings and art installations. One of their favourite themes over the years is what they rudely call the ______ series. For starters, they made T-shirts with slogans like ‘Bank Ki Lorry’. What is their brand called?

Hint: We all know the word for its sensational representation in recent popular culture

WORD POWER

- Tanu Sharma

Aphorism Meaning: a short pithy instructive saying Synonyms: axiom, byword, Antonym: absurdity, ambiguity Sentence: Downloading the free app will give users one aphorism per day.

Collogue Meaning: To conspire, deliberate Synonyms: advise , argue Antonyms: refrain, refuse Sentence: I’m satisfied they’re colloguing to beat me out of my place.

Parsimony Meaning: stinginess Synonyms: frugality, meanness, miserliness, Antonyms: prodigality Sentence: Mr. Krabs is very parsimony. He loves money and hates spending it.

Obsequious Meaning: groveling, submissive Synonyms: fawning, flattering Antonyms: arrogant, assertive Sentence: He was so obsequious when the boss was present, that his co-workers shunned him in disgrace.

Archetype Meaning: a model or first form; prototype.

Synonyms: ideal, model Antonyms: atypical

Dogmatic Meaning: dictatorial, opinionated Synonyms: arbitrary, arrogant, assertive, Antonyms: amenable, doubting, flexible, Sentence: The old professor was dogmatic in his views and would not admit error even when his mistakes were clear.

Ubiquitous Meaning: ever-present Synonyms: everywhere, omnipresent Antonyms: rare, scarce Sentence: Computers are becoming increasingly ubiquitous; they are ‘ disappearing ‘ into everyday objects.

Quixotic Meaning: extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; Synonyms: fanciful, fantastic, imaginary.

Antonyms: realistic, practical.

Sentence: And the idea that you can “ halt climate change “ is wonderfully quixotic.

Insidious Meaning: intended to entrap or beguile Synonyms: intriguing, perilous Antonyms: fair, honest Sentence: I know we are working against an enemy who is very insidious in his methods.

Denunciation Meaning: an act or instance of denouncing public censure or condemnation.

Synonyms: accusation, arraignment Antonyms: appreciation, approval Sentence: Two years ago at durban, hiv positive judge edwin cameron’s passionate denunciation of health inequality galvanized the world drug access movement.

Food Review

- Isha Panwar

It is well known that there is no dearth of places to eat at, in Delhi University’s North Campus. From a corner chai shop that commands a huge fan following to glitzy franchisees of popular food joints, this place has it all. Sure enough, it is easy to miss out a few great places which do not feature popularly in dailies’ supplements. One such place, at the edge of the verdance of North Delhi Ridge is the Tamil Mess in the Post Graduate Men’s Hostel, adjacent to Gwyer Hall and opposite the Vice Chancellor’s Office gate which faces the entry/exit of the ridge. A rickshaw ride from Arts Faculty or Malkaganj Chowk or Kamla Nagar would cost no more than Rs. 25 in all cases; for the nature-lovers, it’s a beautiful walk from Malkaganj or alternatively, for those strapped for time, a short walk from the Vishwavidyalaya metro station.

Entering the hostel gates and a quick turn to your left is where this mess nestles, trees bordering it and low shrubs sprinkled between tables. Annas from Tamil Nadu and Bhaiyas from the North weave between tables, expertly taking orders and serving piping hot Tamil fare- masala dosa, egg rice, sambhar rice and uthappams are hot favourites. Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays boast of special dishes like vegetable biryani, chicken parantha, chicken biryani and fish, respectively. Home sick students from down south visit regularly and can be seen chatting up with annas who are extremely friendly and if you do not speak tamil, rest assured as they will take your sambhar-vada-withhot-tea order in fluent hindi as well! And if it’s 9 pm and you are yearning for a change from your regular dinner menu, hop in and get a ‘take-way’ packed. The mess is usually fucntional between 9 am and 10 pm. The sweet, milky coffee and tea in winters are bliss and do not miss the fruit beer in warmer weather. Says N. Bala Kumaran, former student of Hans Raj College, “Early in the morning, idlis and vadas are amazing. In fact, people choose to jog to Tamil Mess and have a delicious breakfast. The food is simply great,” following it up with a grin. K.S. Yashaswini agrees and affirms that the food is extremely affordable while the mess itself is a quiet getaway, once in a week.

To enquire about the timings, day’s menu and special preparations, call the mess at 09717177274.

Pic of the month !

Cash Prize Rs. 500 !

Winner: Sashank Kumar Entries should be sent to

the.empty.classroom@gmail.com

The biggest USP of g+ has been the “Circles” feature. It is simple and exactly what we all have been longing for in Facebook. With one step you can create your circles as friends, colleagues and acquaintances. It is but natural that you might not want to share relationship details with your family and g+ allows you to control these things.

V/S - Rahul Gandhi In our rapidly changing life, where work pressure is demanding more than body can meet, time is something which has become dearer to us, more than even money. As socialising becomes increasingly difficult for most people, this essential shortcoming is met in the form of subscribing to social networking sites which keeps your every “zaroori friend” close to you 24x7.

The social networking scene is one that is queen-bee driven and many social networking sites like Friendster, MySpace and Orkut have held this coveted position from time to time. Orkut was toppled by Facebook while Google made a futile attempt with Google Wave. With Facebook having dominated the market for quite sometime, it’s Google’s time for redemption as they have launched their newest kid on the block – “g+.”

Google Plus has some “plus” points over Facebook: Privacy Privacy has remained a core problem for Facebook since its inception. This issue has regularly plagued Facebook and sparked outrage. And almost always , Facebook has got itself out of soup. But this has also led to people becoming wary of its privacy control settings and has trouble figuring out how to control cache of information.

How g+ had managed to make its different identity: Easy way to upload your pic Uploading photos and videos online is always a pain and our internet connections have the last laugh in this regard.

People have the option of downloading your photos in high resolution. On the contrary, g+ saves you from all the hassle as it allows automatic uploads of your photos and videos from your phone in a private album, then it is up to you if you would like to share it everyone or only selected people.

One thing I must say is that a new user is sure to get enticed by these features which tells you what to do sans wasting your time.

In fact, its been almost two months since g+ has made its way into the market and it has started to attract some users but “a seagull doesn’t make a summer.”

For Google’s sake, I hope I may be proved wrong after sometime. Some may say that I am drawing a conclusion too soon but I definitely don’t see g+ making its place in the plethora of social networking sites.

Two months have gone by since it has entered the market and as of now, the success rate is low. Therefore, it is for g+ to answer whether it is their marketing failure or are they simply jinxed.

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