A Messy Affair: Food Catering at Ashoka

Zainab G. Firdausi, Class of 2019 and Nishant Kauntia, Class of 2018

Most of us complain about the food served in the mess. We write raging emails to the mess committee, scowl angrily when we have to wait in line for chicken/rice/rotis, and even cutlery, or some of us conveniently just go to the Dhaba. And we do so with cause: if the food I’m going to be paying for tastes bad or takes long, I ought to eat elsewhere, right? In light of such concerns regarding delays, quality decline and high prices, we talked to ICS staff and members of the administration regarding the challenges they face catering for Ashoka.

Pay Per Meal

The major shortcomings of the ICS catering service at Ashoka can all be linked back to the challenge of giving the undergraduates the privilege to pay only for the meals we actually eat. ICS is the third caterer at Ashoka University in just four years. Here’s a look at the process of food preparation that ICS follows.

For a particular meal, say lunch on Monday, the Operations Manager of ICS places an order for fruits and vegetables on Saturday, two days before the stipulated time of serving. An estimate of the number of people eating is created by the administration and provided to the ICS managers. The numbers vary from day-to-day and meal-to-meal on the basis of a rough trend which they have been able to outline.

Problems start to arise when either numbers greater than the estimate and numbers fewer than the estimate show up.

Wrong Estimates

If more people turn up than were estimated, there are longer lines and shortage of food. The contract between ICS and university states that no person who shows up within the stipulated time period can be denied food. This prompts ICS to cook food at a faster rate to cater to the growing number. Consequently, obvious difference in quality can be observed: the faster they cook, the larger are the pieces of vegetable (in an effort to chop faster), which in turn affects the cooking, hence, the quality declines. (Protip — For the best quality, go to the mess early during meal-times)

When the number of people is overestimated, all the leftovers go to waste and are discarded. On an average, approximately 30% of the total food goes to waste, which is about 300–350 kg per day. The loss incurred by this wastage is suffered by ICS and the university.

Since the university guarantees a minimum of 550 students, in case only 300 show up, the university pays for 250 to reach the minimum guarantee. If ICS cooked food for 700 people on the same day, it will bear the loss of the additional 150 students. This is also the reason why ICS is currently operating at a loss catering for Ashoka. The price of the food will hence not be going down anytime soon.

Unhealthy Food

Another complain that the Mess Committee receives frequently is that mess food is not healthy enough. According to Mr. Sondhi, when ICS prepares the healthy ‘detox menu’, 200 people show up for dinner, which is way less than the minimum guaranteed to ICS (550 students). On the other hand, when they make Samosas, 1200 people show up to eat. This only implies that there has to be compromise on both sides, and a balance has to be struck between health and taste.

It must be mentioned that the cost of wasted food is not only borne by the caterers, ICS in this case. On days when the number of plates served do not match the minimum guarantee provided, Ashoka administration pays the deficit amount to the caterers. Thus, in a way the university loses more money than the caterers.

Student Behavior

Pay per meal is not the only challenge that ICS faces when catering for Ashoka. The behavior of students towards ICS staff, the mess committee and their disregard for rules has become almost as big a challenge as pay per meal.

The caterers and even the mess committee have often complained of the hostility of some students towards ICS staff. Mr. Sureet Sondhi mentioned how the morale of the ICS staff in the kitchens is affected severely due to the harsh behaviour they face during meal time. When students have to wait for food, they get frustrated, putting ICS staff under a lot of unpleasant pressure. Mr. Sondhi went on to say that part of the reason behind the departure of the earlier two caterers was the rudeness of students.

Breaking of common mess rules is still prevalent. Mr. Sondhi mentioned that people take bananas and beverages without giving coupons for them. This is noticed by the ICS staff, but they don’t say anything in fear of having a hostile exchange with a student. In several instances when staff members have mustered up the courage to stop students from taking food or beverages without coupons, they have been met with anger from students.

What Does the Future Hold?

To address the problems that arise from wrong estimates, the administration is now taking initiatives to get a more accurate sense of how many people will come to eat on any particular day. To that end, the Ashoka Business and Consulting Club is now working to employ data analytics to give better estimates of turnout to ICS. Raghav Katyal, Consulting Club Head spoke to the Edict, “on most days, overproduction leads to around 200 kg of food being wasted, which consequently leads to a decline in the taste of the food. We have been working on a forecasting model such that ICS produces only as much as is required. Additionally, we have also designed a feedback system which will enable the students to rate the quality of food being served by ICS. We are confident that a combination of such solutions will lead to a better dining experience for all of us.”

The above solution can only promote efficiency of the caterers, the remainder of the effort must come from the student body.

Zainab G. Firdausi is the Managing Editor of the News coloumn of The Edict. Nishant Kauntia is the Editor-In-Chief of The Edict.

SC order in SC/ST Act Case : A Glaring Moment to Ask the Social Question

Jyoti Shankar Nayak, Class of 2019

On Wednesday the Supreme Court passed a landmark judgement questioning provisions of a 1989 act on Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs. Expressing concerns about the rampant misuse of the act to “blackmail” “innocent people”, the apex court laid out a list of guidelines to protect public servants and private employees from legal harassment.

This judgement rests on the first principle of jurisprudence. For a judicious trial, the accused has to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The right of an accused to get a fair trial not only keeps the legitimacy of the juridical infrastructure intact but also profoundly undergirds the right of an individual qua individual. Having a categorical emphasis on Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution, the judgement reiterates this primacy of individual rights. It articulates anxiety over the stringent provisions of the law — that make certain offences prima facie non-bailable — being used as clauses to not only deprive someone of comprehensive liberty but also put unfair checks on bureaucratic rituals. The law, in this sense, becomes more of a plot for legal entrapment than what its protective intentions aspire. Citing statistics from the NCRB data, the Apex Court refuses to overlook the glaring correlation between growing number of cases filed under the SC/ST act and diminishing rate of convictions. The judgement chooses to read this correlation as patterned harassment.

This judgement is contentiously significant for three possible debates that it demands.

First, this judgement recognises statistics to be a vector in the jurisprudential matrix. Albeit to what extent legality can be dictated using empirical statistics would remain debatable, still, such a method is not unprecedented. Yet, the manner in which the Supreme Court interpreted the data seems logically fallacious. The data in question is this: while on the one hand, we see a marked growth of the number of cases filed under the PoA act in recent years, more than 75% of the cases result in acquittals or withdrawals. The rate conviction has marked a sharp fall from around 38% in 2010 to 16% in 2016 for SCs and from 26% to 8% for STs. This according to the judgement provides reasonable indications of the law being misused.

However, to put the data into perspective, conviction rates for all cases filed under IPC have declined sharply over years. The conviction rates for ordinary cases like cheating, extortion, and arson unimpressively stand at 20%, 19%, and 16% respectively. The validity of such laws hardly face critique as low conviction rates are also indicators of poor police and judicial infrastructure. Yet, why in cases under Prevention of Atrocities, or Domestic Violence, low conviction per se is understood in terms of mala fide intention of the plaintiff indicates the unreasonable biases.

Statistics hardly speak for themselves; they provoke. And the Supreme Court seemed to have been lured by that provocation as it fails to see alternative truths lurking in its own backyard. The same data which leads to the inference of rampant misuse could possibly be interpreted as consequences of the judicial logjam and inefficiency of local administration. Because, rather than the rate of conviction or false cases, what is more startling is the rate of disposal and pendency — which paints a hazy picture of Indian judiciary as an upholder of justice.

Second, as the Apex Court walks an extra mile to uphold the rights of an accused, questions on the protection of victims also demand equal attention from the same logic of fair trial. Literature that demonstrates how cases of atrocities are forcibly closed or settled outside court is in abundance. Worse, most instances of atrocities even fail to get reported on account of “caste-biases among investigative officers”. Judicial delay also plays a pivotal role in disincentivising a rigorous pursuit of a case. Under such a climate of pessimism, filing an FIR should be understood more as a political act than a legal one. The politics here aims at contesting the entrenched power relations in the sphere of the social. This politics is crucial in the transition from the authority of custom to the authority of law. The earlier provisions of the 1989 acts at some level had emboldened this politics.

The judgement in its zeal towards achieving a casteless society couldn’t fathom that it is the demands of politics — not the accuracy of legal equations — that diffused the meaning and importance of caste in Indian society. On the face of it, the judicial overreach of this judgement seems to intrude into the legislature. But more importantly, it trespasses into the political, in the broader sense of the term.

Third, this judgement also unintentionally underlines the limitation of legal apparatus to penetrate and alter the social landscape. The nature the PoA act aims to undo the pervasive inequities in Indian society. This law implicitly claims superior authority over social norms. So, the SC’s own acknowledgement of its insufficiency and misuse raises questions on not only its effectivity but also on moral authority. Can we read those instances of misuse as resistance of the social to the legal ? While this law tries to reshape the social as per elite notion of egalitarian order, its strategic tweaking may be interpreted as attempts from below to subsume the law into the logic of the social. Beyond doubt, the social question needs vigorous debate, but whether courtrooms are to be considered as the right arena has to be asked.

Jyoti Shankar Nayak is part of the Undergraduate Batch of 2019. He is currently studying Politics and Society at Ashoka University. He is particularly interested in the understanding facets of human condition.

India and the World: Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia at Ashoka

Meera Damaraju, Class of 2019

The Ashoka University Economics Society (AUES) invited Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia to give a lecture on 21st March 2018 as a part of its ongoing “Indian Economy at 70” series. Speaking to a full-house, Mr. Ahluwalia shed some of his insights on India’s prospects in today’s global economic and political climate in a speech aptly titled “India and the World”. Here are some take-aways from the talk:

On Growth Trends:
Mr. Ahluwalia said that when liberalization in the 1990s opened borders to foreign investment, the ‘fastest growing economy in the world’ saw a change in growth from 5.5% to 7%. Even as India’s growth rate has been marginally higher than China’s, he said that this was only a short-term gain, and that for real positive effects, India must sustain high growth for longer periods. Despite having foreign exchange reserves north of $400 billion, he pointed out that the current Indian economy still is plagued with several problems, poverty being among the most pressing. He underscored the importance of policy in an open economy like India’s.

Mr. Ahluwalia with Ashoka University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Sankar Krishnan and members of the AUES

On Policy Structure:
Mr. Ahluwalia said that policies needed to be structured in a manner that India maintained momentum and have sustainable targets to see larger growth in the future. However, he cautioned that making stable policies was easier said than done, pointing to the seemingly transitory nature governments at India’s center- from the Narasimha administration to the BJP then the UPA, and now back to BJP. He marked the ineffectiveness of slogans such as “Acche Din”, “Make America Great Again”, and “Garibi Hatao”, saying that they didn’t convey information regarding the program itself.

On reforms:
Adding his views to the debate on how to improve India’s GDP, Mr. Ahluwalia believes that merely handing out subsidies is not the most effective way of improving GDP. Moreover, he argues that the size of the GDP of a country is only an indicator to the rest of the world or its trading partners, and that if the economy itself isn’t growing, it bodes poorly in the confidence of external investors. He remarked that democracies are inefficient in making reforms, taking the example of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax last year, which he believes should’ve been done at least a decade earlier. Having said that, he was appreciative of the government in recognizing and correcting its mistakes. Mr. Ahluwalia is a strong proponent of privatization and believes that bureaucratic-inefficiencies in the public sector slow down growth. He lauded the Central Government’s efforts to privatize Air India.

On the future:
In a 21st century world that has seen an unhinged President Donald Trump, Mr. Ahluwalia doesn’t rule out the possibility of a trade war among the European Union, China and the United States, even though the direct consequence post the WW1 should’ve been warning enough, he feels. Ending on an optimistic note, he said that in the years to come, as long as India achieves its potential and utilizes its resources efficiently, it would have done well as a democracy.

Weekend Binge: shows, movies, and music to catch up on

Himali Thakur, Class of 2019

Hopefully, mid-semester submissions are over for you now, and the long weekend is what you’ve been looking for some respite from academics. If you’re not headed to Delhi and want a day to kick back and binge on Netflix or catch up on music, this is the list for you. From supernatural shows and heavy metal riffs to some 90s nostalgia, here is a list of things to watch and listen to.

1. BBC’s Requiem

Launched in February of this year, Requiem is a supernatural and psychological thriller now available for streaming on Netflix. The show follows a cellist, Matilda, trying to work through the grief of her mother’s unexpected suicide. While going through her mother’s memorabilia, Matilda finds compelling evidence that her mother is linked to the disappearance of a Welsh girl that took place over twenty years ago. Matilda decides to find out more about the disappearance, travelling to Wales, but finds that there are otherworldly forces that are lying in wait for her.

If you are someone who enjoys psychological thrillers, this is the show for you. It takes its cues from classic movies such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Innocents, as well as Gothic horror fiction like The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, to create an unsettling murder mystery. There are six episodes in the current season, each just an hour long.

Watch the trailer here.

2. Layla M.

Although released a while back in 2016, and subsequently screened (and much appreciated) at the Toronto International Film Festival, Layla M. has recently bounced back into the spotlight with its addition to Netflix’s catalogue last week. Layla M. is a movie about Layla, a Dutch-Morrocan teenager living in Amsterdam. She struggles with her identities as a Muslim and a woman in a world that constantly discriminates. From being a rebellious teenager, we watch Layla pushed towards radicalised Islam.

The movie has a deeply moving story told from a position that is empathetic to Layla’s point of view. Currently, the movie holds a 6.8 rating on IMDb.

Watch the trailer here.

3. Wild Wild Country

In the early 1980s, the small town of Antelope, Oregon witnessed the rise of another settlement in its neighbourhood, Rajneeshpuram. The town was built on the orders of god-man Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, more popularly known as Osho. The residents of Antelope weren’t too happy with the appearance of some ‘guru’ setting up such a vast and mysterious community next to their homes. Some even believed that Osho and his followers have Satanic powers. The residents of the two communities quickly descended into dramatic and horrifying conflict. Eventually, Rajneeshpuram collapsed . The documentary masterfully puts forth fact and rumours around the cult to create a documentary that keeps you on edge.

If you are looking for a big cult exposé, this is not the series for you. Wild Wild Country is more about what it means to be a part of a cult, featuring interviews with Ma Anand Sheela, the then-deputy of Osho’s program, as well as other prominent Rajneeshees (as residents of Rajneeshpuram were dubbed). The series has a 100% aggregate on Rotten Tomatoes and is the Official Selection of Sundance Film Festival 2018. With its compelling story of a utopia that rose and fell in five years, Wild Wild Country is a must-watch this spring.

The series is available for streaming on Netflix. You can watch a trailer here.

4. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 2

Netflix’s adaptation of the much-loved book series returns for a second season on 30th March. For those not familiar with the series, the show (and the books) follow three orphaned children: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. After their parents’ deaths, the lives of the children become miserable as they bounce from foster home to foster home. Count Olaf (played by the inimitable Neil Patrick Harris), is a distant relative who constantly schemes to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune. The pseudonymous author, Lemony Snicket (played by Patrick Warburton), narrates the story, saying that he has dedicated his life to tracking down the Baudelaire children and recording their, well, rather unfortunate events.

The first season, released last year, was fantastic in terms of its grim cinematography, a smooth adaptation of a wordy text, and brilliant performances from the entire cast — featuring perhaps some of Neil Patrick Harris’ best work. The second season will pick up with the fifth book of the series, The Austere Academy. From the initial stills and trailers, the sets and costumes have changed for a brighter tone, but the fate of the Baudelaires remains as dull as ever. If black comedy is your genre, this will be a great watch for you.

You can watch the trailer for the first and second seasons.

5. Firepower by Judas Priest

The legendary metal band’s eighteenth studio album was released on 9th March this year. Firepower is the much-awaited follow up to 2014’s Redeemer of Souls, and has received positive reviews. In the lead singles, “Firepower” and “Lightning Strike”, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton deliver beautiful rhythms and raging solos on their guitars. Age has compromised much of frontman Rob Halford’s ear-shattering falsetto, but he replaces it with a lower baritone that is no less daunting. Other songs, such as “Traitor’s Gate”, stand out with strong riffs. “Sea of Red”, the last song on the album, is a ballad with haunting lyrics; its less aggressive style, compared to the headbanging songs that populate the rest of the album, will be more agreeable to listeners who are not used to heavy metal.

Firepower was released after the blow that was long-time guitarist Glenn Tipton’s departure from live performances due to the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Regardless, Priest maintain their status as a genre-defining band, and give one of their best outputs; some are comparing Firepower’s success and style to their 1990 groundbreaking album, Painkiller. “Lightning Strike” is emblematic of this return to Priest’s older style.

The album is available in its entirety on Apple Music. You can also listen to some songs on YouTube.

6. Boarding House Reach by Jack White

Left: CD album cover; Right: Vinyl album cover | Source: JamBase

After nearly four years, Jack White released the follow up to his 2014 album last week. Boarding House Reach has been described in various places as “weird”, but it is also wonderful — like most of White’s other work. The album flits between blues, jazz, funk, indie, and alternative. White brings a refreshing sound with songs like “Ice Station Zebra”, where he even slips into rap. “Connected by Love” and “Corporation” are closer to White’s previous sound. “Over and Over and Over”, the second single from the album, features a buzzing guitar sound that listeners may either find ‘eargasmic’ or just downright annoying.

Boarding House Reach has critics divided on whether the album is really “new”, or Jack White just running out of ideas. The listeners seem to have decided their answer; the album is well on its way to being White’s third album to top the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Boarding House Reach is available on Apple Music. You can also listen to the songs on YouTube.

7. Everything Sucks!

This Netflix drama was released a month ago, but the critic and audience response means that it deserves a place on this list. Everything Sucks! revolves around members of the A.V. and Drama clubs of Boring High school, as they hash out their differences and go through the motions of growing up in the 90s. So far, it sounds both like a typical Netflix high school drama and a typical Netflix nostalgia series. However, Everything Sucks! stands out when you realise that the main character is not some angsty teen, but a quiet, isolated teenage girl, Kate Messner, coming to terms with her sexuality. Peyton Kennedy, who plays Kate Messner, is the undisputed star of the show. The often dramatic episodes in the life of the teens are juxtaposed with the surprisingly more simple joys of the relationships between grown-ups.

The show is very short, with only ten half-hour episodes. It doesn’t rope you in with cliffhangers, dark background stories, or cliched setups that are meant to go wrong; rather, it’s the humorous yet sensitive take on its protagonist’s struggles as a gay teenager in a small town that keeps you watching. If you want a light, yet thoughtful, romantic comedy, this is the show you need to watch now.

You can watch the trailer here.

Headed to Delhi this weekend? Check out our list of places to see in Delhi!

A Long Weekend in Delhi

Vandita Bajaj, Class of 2020

A much-needed long weekend is finally here (even though mid-term break just got over)! With no more mid-term deadlines to meet or tests to prepare for, here are some ways to utilise this time to explore Delhi.

1. For a dramatic history lesson, attend the Sound and Light Show at Red Fort

Nearly three hundred and seventy years old, the Red Fort has witnessed history being made both within and outside its walls. It was the center during Shahjahan’s reign, the site of the end Mughal rule, and part of the spectacle of the grand Delhi Darbar of 1911. In independent India, it is a symbol of sovereignty, and the grandeur of the past. The sound and light show in the evening showcases events across time that are connected to the history of India. The Fort comes alive to tell you its story!

A glimpse of the sound and slight show | Source: Delhipedia

Pro-Tip: You could make an entire day of the visit. Besides the portions of the complex that open to the public and the Red Fort Museum (located in what was formerly Mumtaz Mahal’s Palace), you can roam around the streets of Chandni Chowk and admire the havelis or check out the bustling wholesale markets. Entry tickets are priced at ₹35 for Indians and ₹500 for individuals of other nationalities.

Nearest Metro Station: Lal Qila (Violet Line): Getting there

Price: ₹80 per person and ₹500 for Other Nationalities(on Saturday, Sunday, and Government Holidays). Tickets can be purchased from the counter up to an hour prior to the show.

Timings: 7:00 – 8:00PM (Hindi Show) and 8:30 – 9:30PM (English Show)

2. Sample the famous chaat at Bengali Sweet House

This place is an institution when it comes to the quintessential Delhi Chaat. Don’t forget to try the Mix Chaat which has the crispy flaky papdi, pillowy soft bhallas and the ultimate gastronomic delight — golguppas. If you are feeling greedy, indulge in some fried Aloo Chaat or end it on a sweet note with sugary Jalebis.

It gets extremely crowded during lunch and in the evening, so you might have to wait for a table (but, it will be so worth it!). It is a self-service restaurant but please don’t get the golgappas to your table: stand next to the counter and let the vendor serve you.

Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House (Blue Line): Getting There

Price: All the chaat items are less that ₹ 80 a plate (exclusive of taxes)

Timings: 8AM – 11PM

3. Gorge on Delhi’s best Butter Chicken at Gulati’s

This legendary restaurant opened its doors in 1959 and has been a foodie favourite since. It is paradise for those who relish non-vegetarian kebabs. But don’t worry, if you are a group of vegetarian friends, there is a spot in the food-haven of Pandara Road for you too: head right next door to Veg Gulati’s to sample some delights.

Butter chicken at Gulati’s! | Source: Zomato

Nearest Metro Station: Khan Market (Violet Line): Getting There

Price: A full portion of Butter Chicken along with Naan will cost you ₹ 950 (exclusive of taxes)

Timings:12 noon- 12 midnight

Pro-tip: I suggest ordering a half portion of the Butter Chicken, not because it is cheaper, but because they are extremely generous with the butter and cream. Instead, try out some of their kebabs. They have plenty of options for vegetarians, the Paneer Tikka Platter (₹ 500) is as good if not better than the non-vegetarian options. In case everything seems too tempting and you are unable to decide, they also have an all-you-can-eat Buffet Lunch at ₹ 729+taxes.

4. Enjoy the sun at Sunder Nursery next to Humayun’s Tomb

Touted as New Delhi’s answer to New York’s Central Park, the complex has fifteen Mughal monuments and is spread across ninety acres. Restoration work has been carried out over the past ten years by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The garden boasts myriad flower varieties and indigenous tree species.

Pro-tip: If you are planning a visit then include Humayun’s Tomb in the itinerary since it is right next to it! Try and go as early as possible to avoid the weekend rush and enjoy a leisurely walk across the complex.

Nearest Metro Station: JLN Stadium (Violet Line): Getting There

Price: ₹ 30(Indians) ₹500 (Other Nationalities)

Timings: 9AM – 4PM (Closed on Sundays)

5. Check out Champa Galli

What started out as a jamming venue for a group of friends and up-and-coming artistes earning it the name Bakedha (disturbance), now resembles a European alleyway with a reading room (The Reading Room) and quaint little cafes (Jugmug Thela being the oldest one on the block). The champa plants used by Blue Tokai (an artistic coffee shop) to decorate the space lend the place its name.

Pro-tip: There aren’t too many food options but rest assured whatever is available is simple and tasty. Don’t forget to check out Jugaad, a small store selling knick-knacks like diaries, bags, bookmarks, etc. The store stocks products made by NGOs working with underprivileged women and children; all profits are donated to charity.

Nearest Metro Station: Saket (Yellow Line): Getting There

Price: A cup of coffee and a snack would cost you approximately ₹ 550

Timings: 11AM – 8:30PM

Don’t forget to attend Professor Rita Kothari’s book launch on Friday, the 30th of March at the India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg!

Pro-Tip: Since the eating joints at India International Centre are Members-Only, walk down to the nearby India Habitat Centre and enjoy a meal at the iconic All American Diner (for those of you who watch Riverdale or know the Archie’s comics universe, it is the closest you are going to get to Pop’s Chock-lit shop) or the food court, Eatopia, which offers it’s bakery items at half the price post 8:30PM; remember to get some choco-chip muffins back to campus!

Nearest Metro Station: Jor Bagh: Getting There

Price: Entry is free!

Timings: 6:30 pm onward

Not ready to head out this weekend? Check out our list of movies, TV shows, and music albums to catch up on!

The author is an Arts & Culture staff writer at The Edict.

Budget 2018–19 : How The New HoR Plans on Using Its Money

Ashoka University’s Student Government finally gets a budget

Aashay Verma, Class of 2019

What differentiates Ashoka University’s 4th House of Representatives (HoR) from all the previous ones the most is perhaps the fact that it has an actual budget of Rs. 75,000 to work with and bring about substantial change on campus. A meeting was convened on 26th March 2018 where the Cabinet finalized its Budget Proposal for 6 months, from March to August 2018, inclusive.

This article is a graphical summary of the various amounts allocated to the ministries. These graphs are made from the numbers given in the Budget Proposal document that was sent to you today.

Distribution of the budget, ministry-wise

Above is the pie-chart distribution of the budget to give you an idea of which ministry is getting how much of the “pie”. If you find it difficult to match the colour on the chart with the key, start with Cultural Ministry (the biggest share), and move clockwise as you move down the key.

Below is a more detailed representation of the information, with the amounts allocated (in Rupees):

Now let us delve a little deeper and see what each ministry proposes to do with its pocket-money:

Cultural Ministry
Arnav Mohan Gupta’s ministry has the highest share of HoR’s budget for the next few months, with Rs. 25,000, which it has proposed to spend like:

Campus Life Ministry
With Rs. 15,000, the Campus Life Ministry under Ritunjay Shekhar has proposed to allocate its budget such:

The Summer Events, as mentioned in the Budget Document, are to be held in the Summer Semester.

Sports Ministry
Under Abdul Mannan Majid, the Sports Ministry has proposed the following distribution of its Rs. 13,000 budget:

For a more detailed version of this, please refer to the Budget document.

Technology Ministry
Kanan Gupta’s Technology Ministry, also called The TeX Ministry, has been given a purse of Rs. 10,000 which it has planned to spend such:

Development Pipeline is a Ministry project for implementing student projects. For more information, refer to the detailed Budget Proposal.

Environmental Affairs Ministry
Adit Bhardwaj, the Environmental Affairs Minister, has proposed the following use of the ministry’s Rs. 5,000:

Finance Ministry
Akila Ranganathan’s ministry has a budget of Rs. 1,000 which has the following proposed distribution:

Academic Affairs Ministry
Gahena Gambani, Academic Affairs Minister, has planned to allocate her ministry’s budget of Rs. 500 such:

Parliamentary Affairs Ministry
Under Deep Vakil, the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry’s Rs. 500 budget has been planned to be allocated such:

In addition to these allocations, the HoR has proposed to keep aside Rs. 5,000 as “House Reserve”.

For further details on any of these allocations by the ministries, please refer to the Budget Proposal document. If you don’t find an answer there, the HoR is holding a meeting today, 27th March 2018, for all students to come and ask questions to the ministers about how they have allocated money from the respective budgets of their ministries, and suggest any changes.

Attending this meeting is important for everyone, and specially for those who have questions regarding the budget, because:

1. This is the first-ever budget of a Student Government, and it is in our hands to ensure that it is used judiciously

2. If the ministers have overlooked something in their considerations, it is your chance to rectify that and ensure more efficient use of funds.

The Budget proposal will be passed in the HoR on 28th March 2018 (Wednesday) after incorporating changes, if any, suggested during today’s meeting.

Aashay Verma is the Managing Editor for the Business & Economics column at The Edict

Time to Queue Up

By Ketaki Mathur, Class of 2020

Why You Can’t Check the CCTV Camera Footage Anymore

On 31 January 2018, the Director of the Office of Student Life informed the students of the University about the institution of a new guideline regarding access to CCTV footage in cases of theft. Citing the university’s commitment towards protecting the privacy of its students, Ms. Rashmi Singh notified, that CCTV footage will not be made available to students in case of any loss of personal property on the University premise.The only footage that will be accessible to students will be that of the CCTV cameras installed outside the library in case of any loss of personal property kept in shelves there. In a short interview with me, Ms. Singh emphasised that discourse about access to CCTV footage and privacy has persisted since the university was inaugurated. She added that at the beginning of the current academic year, the concerns were sincerely accentuated to the senior leadership.

New Student Life policy states that CCTV camera footage in the residences cannot be checked for missing properrty.

However, discourse wasn’t restricted to the senior leadership and did trickle down to staff members, such as ex-president of the student government Kc Sachin and other student representatives such as Resident Assistants and YIF Committees. Kc Sachin often acted as a link between the House of Representatives and the administration. This liaison has raised several questions in the minds of students: why was there only one student representative present to negotiate with the administration on such a crucial matter? Student representatives cited conflicting schedules as the reason behind their absence. This arrangement has left a majority of the student body disgruntled at the fact that they did not have a voice in creation of this new policy.

A conscious attempt to make it as representative and as inclusive as possible resulted in the conversation becoming a three to four months long process. Ms. Singh clarified, “it was through student feedback, that access to footage of CCTV cameras in front of the library was made possible”. It had been argued that the library is an institutional space and that there needs to be a system responsible for managing the safety of student belongings.

Since Ashoka doesn’t have a mechanism that ensures the safety of the same, it was agreed upon that footage for the library will be available to students with approval from Ms. Rashmi Singh.

Another question looms over the ‘degree of preciousness’ of the object/objects that are lost. In such situations, it becomes virtually impossible to set standards around the same and have differential attitudes and provisions over such a subjective matter. Ms. Singh responds to this apprehension by assuring that the concerned student may reach out to any member of the administration, who would in turn help solve the issue in the best way possible without making CCTV footage accessible. Some of these recourses might include reporting the loss at the Lost and Found Department, spreading the search for the object through word of mouth and sending out messages or e-mails for the same.

Ms Singh also also mentioned, “at certain exceptional occasions of loss, it is not as if we are going to be blinded by the policy in place, and by all means the intention is to help and support”. She asserted that the decision hasn’t been instituted looking only at the sheer number of requests to view CCTV footage that reached the IT department, the administration, and herself. When there existed no clear policy regarding the access of this nature, the college did provide footage worth of hours. It is at this point in the interview that Ms. Singh contests the legal aspect of such a doing. The privacy of individuals belonging to the University is being seriously compromised in such a scenario. While the institution is not encouraged to issue the new guideline by mistrust in student motives to access CCTV footage, it must be taken into consideration that misuse of the same might lead to harmful consequences for any individuals: students, faculty, and staff members alike.

There is an important and rare exception that extensive discussion has allowed for, that is highlighted by Ms. Singh. She says “In the rarest of the rare situations we keep the provision of footage, if there has been a serious incident on campus and committees like CASH (Committee against Sexual Harassment) or CADI (Committee against Disciplinary Infractions) would request. The process now, is that the only space where that approval (of accessing CCTV footage) will come from, is the Vice Chancellor and the Pro Vice Chancellor.”

While students suffering from the loss of personal property might have to take slightly more complicated recourses, the administration maintains that the overall sense of privacy and security on campus is being reinforced through the introduction of a guideline of this nature. Although there is no report or any database on the lost personal belongings, the institution of this new policy begs the question whether theft has increased on campus?

Rohini Sharma, Class of 2020.

50 Points to the Bio-friendly Beekeepers?

By Sakshi Agarwal, Class of 2020

Fake Lies | The Break-Up Blues

Rohan Parikh, Class of 2019

Fake Lies is a satire and humor series about Ashokan life and culture (or lack thereof).

Are you are sitting alone in your room, writing bad poetry with an ABAB rhyme scheme?

Are you low-key thinking of drinking tonight, despite knowing you will probably end up getting really drunk and then proceed to beg strangers for hugs?

Do you have a newfound hatred for Romeo and Juliet and similar love stories from various cultures you know nothing about thanks to your Anglicized education?

Are you single — again?

Well, worry not, for help is at hand. Follow these simple rules and soon enough you’ll find yourself perfectly cold and indifferent to your ex — just what you need. Remember, every small step in the cold, vast desert is a step closer to home.

It’s a tiny campus. Do not, under any circumstance, leave the dorm without a friend. You must display your sociability, especially in these hard times. If you see her, pretend like your wisecrack buddy said something funny and show off that gorgeous smile of yours. Show her what she let slip through her fingers. Try not to show her the tears as you clench your teeth harder and harder to maintain the smile.
Dress up. Your partner left you, your wardrobe didn’t. Wash your face. Put some makeup on those dark circles under your eyes. Don’t overdo your perfume, but even if you do, what the hell. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about social signaling, and your message should be clear: I’m hot and will jump into bed with almost anyone who helps me forget my pain.
Get a hobby. So he is a debater. Big deal. You can also argue with your friends. And you do. All the time. But seriously, find some productive activity to occupy yourself with. Maybe strum a guitar, or hit the gym? And when, in three days, you realize that such things require effort, turn to your true calling. Philosophize about the inherent wretchedness of existence. Alcohol will help you think clearly.
Don’t smoke weed! It won’t help. Unless you think it’ll help you channelize your pain into something creative and positive. But definitely don’t do meth! Unless you think weed didn’t unleash all the creative juices in your brain. But surely you won’t do crack, right? Unless…
Study. In your state of neglect, you never seem to forget to go out to eat and drink, hang out with your friends, play Frisbee, watch Netflix, and then drink some more. Somehow, your studies seem to be the only thing that suffers. Her face swims in front of your eyes every time you begin reading Kant. But your parents are paying a bomb to keep you in college. So sit your ass down and write a paper on the Categorical Imperative. Try not to relate every word you read to your personal circumstances.
Talk to anybody who is willing to listen. Post a highly allegorical story on social media about ‘certain star-crossed lovers’ whose ‘destinies were parallel lines fated to meet only at infinity’ (It’s ok, you were never good at math anyway).
Stop reading Rupi Kaur.
Guess what: It’s a tiny campus. Break-ups can make you feel suffocated. Find a place where you can go and sit by yourself. Cry a little if you must. Ok, cry more than a little. It’s alright; everyone goes through this. Yes, of course the world still loves you. Look, you already have thirty likes on that story you posted on Facebook. No, she hasn’t liked it. But I bet she’s seen it. She’s thinking of you, like, right now. No, that’s a bad idea. Seriously, DO NOT CALL HER.
Remember, this too shall pass. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Think of more of such clichés as you spend day after day alone in your room with no one to cuddle. A new day is a new beginning. Love is blind. Think of more of such clichés as you hook up with a stranger at a party, and then ‘fall in love’ with them.
Come to terms with the fact that life will not pan out exactly the way you want it to. Your sense of entitlement, more than anything else, is what is hurting right now. Learn to pardon; it’s the only way to move on. Eventually time will close the wounds, and you will find yourself capable of love once again. Someone new and unexpected will come into your life. And this time around, you will be much better prepared; both, to love, and to be loved. So anyway, perhaps write a slam poem about this?
Call your mom, maybe?