Reverts some changes in gemfile

minor change in capitalisation

CNAME

@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-wona.co.in
-
+watchout.iitr.ac.in

_config.yml

@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ defaults:
       is_category_page: true
       layout: category
 
-name: WONA
-url: http://wona.co.in
+name: Watch Out, IIT Roorkee
+url: http://watchout.iitr.ac.in
 gems: [jekyll-paginate]
 description: The official news magazine of IIT Roorkee.
 paginate: 10

_data/categories.yaml

@@ -36,3 +36,12 @@
 - name: sports
   title: Sports
   subcategories:
+- name: internblogs
+  title: Intern Blogs
+  subcategories:
+    - name: summer2016
+      title: Summer 2016
+    - name: summer2017
+      title: Summer 2017
+    - name: summer2018
+      title: Summer 2018

_data/categories_name.yaml

@@ -13,3 +13,7 @@ sac: SAC
 editorial: Editorial
 verbatim: Verbatim
 sports: Sports
+internblogs: Intern Blogs
+summer2016: Summer 2016
+summer2017: Summer 2017
+summer2018: Summer 2018

_data/youtube.yaml

@@ -1,4 +1,19 @@
 ---
+- title: In conversation with Anil Kumar
+  id: TCcMKcYeZuU
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCcMKcYeZuU
+  tag: verbatim
+
+- title: Behind the Scenes of Swaranjali '17 
+  id: UJdrYcND7E8
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJdrYcND7E8
+  tag: music
+
+- title: The Making of "Aaj Ka Kurukshetra" - Street play by Dramatics Section, IIT Roorkee
+  id: WoWh_SCzta8
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoWh_SCzta8
+  tag: dramatics
+
 - title: In conversation with the Director, IIT Roorkee 
   id: 8HszMROqZYs
   link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HszMROqZYs

_includes/footer.html

@@ -4,19 +4,22 @@
       <img class="logo" src="/images/logo-black.png">
       <div class="name-container">
         <div class="name">Watch Out!</div>
-        <div class="desc">Official News<br>Body of IITR</div>
+        <div class="desc">Official Media<br>Body of IITR</div>
       </div>
     </div>
     <div class="social pull-right">
       <!--      <a href="/team">Team</a> -->
       <a href="/about">About</a>
-      <img src="/images/fb-logo.svg" href="http://fb.com/WatchOutNewsAgency">
-      <img src="/images/youtube-play.svg" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZ7tKOzy4EJpuVxtdcp1A">
+      <a href="/guide">Guide</a>
+      <a href="/getinvolved">Get Involved</a>
+      <a  href="http://fb.com/watchoutiitr"><img src="/images/fb-logo.svg"></a>
+      <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZ7tKOzy4EJpuVxtdcp1A"><img src="/images/youtube-play.svg"></a>
+      <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13290672/"><img src="/images/linkedin.png"></a>
     </div>
   </div>
 
 
   <div class="container copyright">
-    <p>&copy; Copyright 2016 &#8212; Watch Out! News Agency</p>
+    <p>&copy; Copyright 2018 &#8212; Watch Out! News Agency</p>
   </div>
 </footer>

_includes/head.html

@@ -21,13 +21,21 @@
 
   <!-- Open Graph protocol -->
   <meta property="og:site_name" content="Watch Out! News Agency" />
-  <meta property="og:title" content="{{ title }}" />
+  <meta property="og:title" content="{{ title | xml_escape }}" />
   <meta property="og:type" content="{% if page.excerpt %}article{% else %}website{% endif %}" />
-  <meta property="og:url" content="{{ site.url }}{{ page.url }}/" />
+  <meta property="og:url" content="{{ site.url }}{{ page.url }}" />
   <meta property="og:image" content="{{ site.url }}/images/{% if page.image %}posts/{{page.image}}{% else %}posts/main-building.jpg{% endif %}" />
-  <meta property="og:description" content="{{ desc }}" />
+  {% if page.description != null %}
+    <meta property="og:description" content="{{ page.description }}" />
+  {% else %}
+    <meta property="og:description" content="{{ desc }}" />
+  {% endif %}
   <!-- Open Graph protocol -->
 
+  <!-- Facebook tags -->
+  <meta property="fb:app_id" content="691723664330476"/>
+  <!-- Facebook tags -->
+
   <!--[if lt IE 9]>
     <script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/html5shiv/3.7.2/html5shiv.min.js"></script>
     <script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/respond/1.4.2/respond.min.js"></script>
@@ -39,6 +47,7 @@
   <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/atom.xml" />
 
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/base.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/table.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />
 
   <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery-2.1.3.min.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>

_includes/header.html

@@ -36,14 +36,18 @@
   <div class="container-title">New Articles</div>
   <section>
     <div class="row outer-row">
-      {% for post in site.related_posts limit: 5 %}
-
-      {% if forloop.index == 3 %}
-    </div>
-    <div class="row outer-row">
+      
+      {% assign counter = 0 %}  <!-- Count of articles rendered under new articles -->
+      
+      {% for post in site.posts limit: 10 %}
+      {% if post.category == "coverstory" %}
+        {% continue %}
       {% endif %}
-
-      <div class="col-sm-{% if forloop.index < 3 %}6{% else %}4{% endif %} article-col">
+      {% assign counter = counter | plus:1 %}
+      {% if counter > 5 %}
+        {% break %}
+      {% else %}
+      <div class="col-sm-{% if counter < 3 %}6{% else %}4{% endif %} article-col">
         <a href="{{ post.url }}">
           <div class="article">
             <div class="center-fill-container img-container tinted">
@@ -51,17 +55,18 @@
             </div>
             <div class="details">
               <div class="head">
-                <h3 class="title"><a href="{{ post.url }}">{{ post.title }}</a></h3>
+                <h3 class="title"><a href="{{ post.url }}">{{ post.title  }}</a></h3>
                 <div class="tag"><a href="/category/{{ post.category }}/">{{ site.data.categories_name[post.category] }}</a></div>
                 <span class="date">{{ post.date | date: "%b %e, %Y" | upcase }}</span>
               </div>
-              {% if forloop.index < 3 %}
+              {% if counter < 3 %}
               <div class="excerpt">{% if post.excerpt != null %}{{ post.excerpt | markdownify }}{% endif %}</div>
               {% endif %}
             </div> <!-- details -->
           </div>
         </a>
       </div>
+      {% endif %}
       {% endfor %}
     </div>
   </section>

_includes/navbar.html

@@ -4,14 +4,17 @@
       <img class="logo" src="/images/logo-black.png">
       <div class="name-container">
         <div class="name">Watch Out!</div>
-        <div class="desc">Official News<br>Body of IITR</div>
+        <div class="desc">Official Media<br>Body of IITR</div>
       </div>
     </div>
   </a>
   <div class="social pull-right">
     <a href="/about">About</a>
-    <img src="/images/fb-logo.svg" href="http://fb.com/WatchOutNewsAgency">
-    <img src="/images/youtube-play.svg" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZ7tKOzy4EJpuVxtdcp1A">
+    <a href="/guide">Guide</a>
+    <a href="/getinvolved">Get Involved</a>
+    <a  href="http://fb.com/watchoutiitr"><img src="/images/fb-logo.svg"></a>
+    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZ7tKOzy4EJpuVxtdcp1A"><img src="/images/youtube-play.svg"></a>
+    <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13290672/"><img src="/images/linkedin.png"></a>
   </div>
 </div>
 
@@ -24,10 +27,10 @@
         <span class="icon-bar"></span>
         <span class="icon-bar"></span>
       </button>
-      <a class="navbar-brand" href="/">Watch Out!</a>
+      <!-- <a class="navbar-brand" href="/">Watch Out!</a> -->
     </div>
     <div id="navbar" class="navbar-collapse collapse">
-      <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right">
+      <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right hacky-css">
         {% for cat in site.data.categories %}
           {% if cat.subcategories != nil %}
           <li class = "dropdown">

_layouts/post.html

@@ -12,10 +12,23 @@ layout: layout
     <div class="date">
       {{ page.date | date: "%B %e, %Y" }}
     </div>
+    {% if page.author != null %}
+    <div class="author">
+      - {{ page.author }}
+    </div>
+    {% endif %}
   </div>
   <div class="row body">
 
     <section class="col-md-8 content{% if page.justify %} justify{% endif %}">
+      {% if page.image != null %}
+      <div class="center-fill-container cover-img" style="height:{{page.height}}">
+        <div class="img-container">
+          <img class="center-both img-center-fill" src="/images/posts/{{ page.image }}" alt="">
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      {% endif %}
+
       {{ content }}
 
       <div class="fb-content">
@@ -36,7 +49,7 @@ layout: layout
 <div id="more-articles-container" class="container">
   <div class="head-wrapper">
     <h1 class="container-title">More from {{ page.category | capitalize }}</h1>
-    <span class="view-all">view all</span>
+    <a href="/category/{{ page.category }}/"><span class="view-all">view all</span></a>
   </div>
   <section id="more-articles" class="row">
 
@@ -45,7 +58,7 @@ layout: layout
     {% if forloop.index < 5 or found %}
     <div class="article col-sm-3">
       <a href="{{ post.url }}">
-        <div class="center-fill-container img-container">
+        <div class="center-fill-container img-container tinted">
           <img src="/images/posts/{{post.image}}" alt=""  class="img-center-fill center-both {% if post.image == null %}hidden{% endif %}">
         </div>
         <div class="details">

_posts/2016-07-30-summer-diaries-inria-research-centre-paris.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Inria Research Centre, Paris"
 image: inria-saclay.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Shashank Anand is a 4th year student in the Department of Civil Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with the POEMS team at the Inria Research Centre, Paris during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-02-summer-diaries-citigroup.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries : Citigroup"
 image: citi.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Aman Srivastava is a 4th year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with Citigroup, Pune during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-02-summer-diaries-samsung.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Samsung Research Institute Bangalore (SRIB)"
 image: samsung.jpeg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Parag Nandi is a 5th year student in the Department of Earth Sciences. Read on as he recounts his experience of working at the Samsung Research Institute Bangalore during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-07-summer-diaries-tata-steel.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries : Tata Steel, Jamshedpur"
 image: tata-steel.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Aman Mansuri is a 4th year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of interning with Tata Steel, Jamshedpur during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-08-summer-diaries-itc.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: ITC"
 image: ITC.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Aman Agasi is a 4th year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with ITC during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-09-summer-diaries-reckitt-benckiser.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Reckitt Benckiser"
 image: reckitt.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Raveesh Kalra is a 5th year student in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with Reckitt Benckiser, Gurgaon during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-11-summer-diaries-microsoft.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Microsoft"
 image: microsoft.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Priyanka Jain is a 4th year student in the Department of Computer Science and engineering. Read on as she recounts her experience of working with Microsoft, Hyderabad during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-11-summer-diaries-schlumberger-mumbai.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger, Mumbai"
 image: schlumberger.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Akanksha Patel is a 5th year student in the Department of Electronics and Communications. Read on as she recounts her experience of working with Schlumberger, Mumbai during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-15-summer-diaries-adobe-research.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Adobe Research, Bangalore"
 image: adobe.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Tathagata Sengupta is a 5th year student in the Department of Mathematics. Read on as he recounts his experience of interning with Adobe, Bangalore during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-16-summer-diaries-schlumbarmer.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger, Barmer"
 image: schlumbarmer.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Abhijeet Mittal is a 4th year student in the Department of Industrial Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working at Schlumberger, Barmer during the summers of 2016._

_posts/2016-08-17-summer-diaries-amazon.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
 title: "Summer Diaries: Amazon"
 image: amazon.jpg
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: career 
+category: summer2016 
 ---
 
 _Dhaval Kapil is a 4th year student of Computer Science and Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of interning at Amazon._

_posts/2016-10-23-the-locks-they-are-a-rattlin.md

@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
----
-layout: post
-title: "The locks they Are A-rattlin’"
-tags: [wona, column]
-category: sac
-image: security_cover.jpg
-excerpt: While a student’s life revolves around juggling academics, sports and culturals, the aforementioned subjects face a lot of scrutiny and form the crux of casual discussions about life at IITR.
----
-
-_While a student’s life revolves around juggling academics, sports and culturals, the aforementioned subjects face a lot of scrutiny and form the crux of casual discussions about life at IITR. As is the case with most things at IITR, various inadequacies come to the fore only after an unfortunate mishap. The recent scrutiny involving the curfew of girls and the inadequacy of the IITR hospital have seen the unearthing of many such shortcomings in the area of safety and security at IITR.  In a two part series, Watch Out! digs deeper into a domain that is understated in its importance and as a result is oft overlooked._
-
-#### <b>Campus Security Issues: </b>
-
-<b>The problems - </b>
-
-Roorkee, being volatile by virtue of its inherent communal diversity, provides a challenge while securing the campus from various threats. The vicinal areas are purported to have a high crime rate and pent up tension. The campus of Roorkee, during the day, acts as a connecting link between parts of the town. However, a chat with the Security Officer, Mr. K.P. Singh reveals that the entire blame cannot be shifted onto IITR’s unfortunate locality. According to Mr. Singh, the challenge is as much internal as it is dependent on externalities.
-
-The institute makes it mandatory for families of staff and faculty to possess colour coded dependent passes, with an aim of serving as an accountable measure of the people residing in the institute. But as is the case with most other rules of the land, there are always some who inadvertently find loopholes and flout the norms. This makes it very difficult to gauge the exact number of people using a single dependent pass. To quote Prof. D.K. Nauriyal, “We have servant quarters where if one is allotted, 8 dependents would stay there and we don’t know if they are actually dependents or not.”
-
-Being aware of threats posed by such situations, the institute takes it upon itself to enforce certain restrictions which inevitably curb a student’s freedom of movement. The justifiability of such restrictions is arguable, with each side having its own merits and demerits.
-
-<b>Solutions and steps taken - </b>
-
-Securing the campus is inextricably linked to extending various other facilities in the campus. Arguments against suspending the women’s timing restrictions are often quelled by citing the age old reasons of security and porosity of the campus. Under a budget of around 25 lakhs per month, IITR outsources the security to private security contractors. However, with the recent debate surrounding security, the institute is in talks with CISF to take over the security of the campus. Subject to budgetary constraints, this initiative is expected to be a step in the right direction.
-Security being out of the jurisdiction of the SAC, the last SAC worked towards pushing a proposal for improving security in the campus, with an emphasis on the timing restrictions. The proposal intends to build on the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee, which was constituted to look into the security of women after the brutal 2012 Delhi gang rape. The committee unequivocally stated that locking women up is not the solution to the security of women and that it is the prerogative of universities to provide for the security that enables women to exercise as much freedom as is guaranteed by the constitution. While one can’t help acknowledge the gravity of the obstacles to absolute security on campus, locking up adults well into their 20s seems rather short-sighted and primitive, as far as solutions go. “We’re not questioning the students’ judgement”, says Prof. D.K.Nauriyal, “Our only concern is their safety. There have been times when we’ve personally roamed around the campus and found lots of eve teasers. We rounded them up and took them to authorities. The moment we’re sure that our girls are safe, we’ll open it for 24x7 as we’ve no problem with that.”
-
-The proposal acknowledges the porosity of the campus as one of the primary bottlenecks in achieving better security. This is in part to the fact that there are various public offices within the campus and partly due to unauthorised and unaccounted residents inside the campus. Proper documentation of vehicles as well as institute residents is suggested as a way to counter this challenge. The in place scheme of dependent cards is a sufficient measure if implemented thoroughly and documented comprehensively. This needs to be complemented with a similar scheme for vehicles. The proposal suggests defining “authorised vehicles” as a vehicle belonging to a faculty or employee of the institute and accompanied by a dependent card. Unauthorised vehicles would require the submission of ID Cards/Driving Licences before entering the institute.
-
-The occurrence of eve teasing in the campus, despite all preventive measures, is lamentable. IITR has a relatively unknown and dormant body called the “Committee against Sexual Harassment (CASH)”. Its inactivity has essentially lead to all such cases being handled by the DOSW office. CASH is headed by Prof. Ritu Barthwal of the Biotech department and constitutes of various professors. However, students who encounter cases of eve teasing barely know of such a bureaucratic structure and do not resort to pursuing a complaint actively.  To quote the DOSW, “It’s not dormant. But it’s activated only when there’s a complaint received. The point is that lots of complaints do not come to the committee. The moment we get a complaint we immediately forward them to the committee and there are actions.”

_posts/2017-01-20-career-series-lovneesh-chanana.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Watch Out! Career Series : Dr. Lovneesh Chanana"
+image: lovneesh.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: career 
+---
+
+_An engineer himself, Dr. Chanana serves as a government advisor on e-governance, business process reengineering, consulting and capacity building. Having worked with giants in the industry including the likes of IBM and SAP, he expounds on how potential collaborations of industry and academia can offer a goldmine of opportunities for engineering grads._
+
+
+**In common parlance, can you explain to us what e-governance is and how it influences our lives?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – Simply stated, e-governance can be described as use of information and communication technologies to deliver government services with a view to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. The end goal of such online service delivery to improve government-citizen interactions leading to more participative governance. In terms of influence on a citizen’s life, e-governance application offer huge transformational potential for an inclusive development. Take the example of passports – from a 45 days issuance cycle, it has been brought down to a 3-4 days. You can track the status anytime. Similarly, a farmer in rural India can have instant access to soil data, expertise on improving yield in his field and mandi rates etc. The potential is huge. Mygov is another classical example of providing a platform for inclusive citizen participation. And the recent development on demonetization coupled with the push to digital payments has provided the much desired impetus towards incentivisation of e-services. 
+
+**How did e-governance suddenly become an area of academic and practitioner interest?**
+
+Dr. Chanana –There are two three reasons for the sudden increase in interest level of both academia and practitioners. One, the holistic packaging of initiatives by the current Government in terms of well-defined programs such as “Digital India’, ‘Smart Cities’, ‘Make in India’ etc. This has provided the required direction and unified objective oriented push to digital agenda. Second, the fast paced developments in technology coupled with affordable acquisition and usage models such as cloud have opened up a canvas of new form of applications which could lead to transformed government processes. The third area that is more of an offshoot of the first that I mentioned above is the unsaid competitive environment that has been created among state governments and even central Ministries. Given the high level of visibility and potential impact of IT interventions in Government from social, economic and political aspects, all governments are taking steps to ensure that they are not left behind. So to summarize, the three factors for e-governance to become an area of increased interest levels are (a) the programmatic approach and the new models for management of these programs (b) the rapid advances in technology specifically for government services and (c) the socio-technical approaches required to leapfrog in this areas.
+
+**How can e-governance be of interest to students?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – When it comes to students, I feel that there can be three broad areas: a career in e-governance; entrepreneurship; and research. This is besides their normal expectations as citizens. From a career perspective, e-governance offers huge opportunities both in technology as well as management space. The sheer size and complexity of e-governance projects (e.g. rail reservations, income tax etc.) offer great learning potential for both technology and management oriented minds. Consulting in e-governance is another career option. The world of tech startups and creation of productized solutions for e-gov is another area that may be of interest. Students willing to take up research can do so in a variety of areas in e-gov e.g. mobility, cyber security, digital payments etc. 
+
+**What is your take on the role of industries in pushing academia towards research?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – I won’t say that one stakeholder group pushes other to do something. It is always a collaborative effort. Industry academia collaboration in creating an environment of actionable research is a much talked about area (though I am not sure about the actual level of its success). The contribution from industry can come in a variety of forms including identification of real life problem statements, joint projects, curriculum development etc. Joint training, management development programs and capacity building is another area of common interest. Knowledge sharing on success and failures of research projects could be another area for collaboration.
+
+**In USA, companies tend to allot projects to students via professors. If these projects prove successful then many-a-times they are taken up by the students as their PhD programs with funding given by the companies. Why don’t we get to hear of such opportunities in India?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – If one observes closely, some form of this exists in our system too. Take the example of numerous centers of excellence set up jointly by industry and institutes. These centers do work on creating prototypes which can be taken up for rapid development and deployment by industry. One may argue on the qualitative success of such models but intent and plan of execution do exist.
+
+**What is the industry’s stand on the current education system offering enough in terms of practical exposure to students?**
+ 
+Dr. Chanana – One has to be mindful that in academia, the priority is to ensure that students get an effective conceptual learning which can be supplemented by industry experiences from a practical exposure standpoint. This can be achieved by industry involvement in curriculum design so that the inclusion of relevant concepts which are close to industry expectations can be achieved. Also, getting industry professionals as faculty may help both sides. Though, I must say, it sounds easier than it actually is. 
+
+
+**What is your message to the students of IITR?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – Take pride in yourself and be proud of your capabilities. Don’t be in a hurry. Think of your long term career and not the job alone. Focus on acquiring technical and soft skills in the first few years and the paths for your professional journey will automatically open up. And one last thing – never forget your institute, your teachers and mentors. 
+
+
+_<b>The article features in our Autumn’16 print issue. The issue’s Cover Story delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR and the two big stories analyse IITR’s security and expound on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: [https://issuu.com/wona-iitr](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)</b>_
+

_posts/2017-01-29-the-locks-they-are-a-rattlin.md

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The locks they Are A-rattlin’"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: bigstory
+image: security_cover.jpg
+excerpt: As is the case with most things at IITR, various inadequacies come to the fore only after an unfortunate mishap. The recent scrutiny involving the curfew of girls and the inadequacy of the IITR hospital have seen the unearthing of many such shortcomings in the area of safety and security at IITR.  Watch Out! digs deeper into a domain that is understated in its importance and as a result is oft overlooked.
+---
+
+_While a student’s life revolves around juggling academics, sports and culturals, the aforementioned subjects face a lot of scrutiny and form the crux of casual discussions about life at IITR. As is the case with most things at IITR, various inadequacies come to the fore only after an unfortunate mishap. The recent scrutiny involving the curfew of girls and the inadequacy of the IITR hospital have seen the unearthing of many such shortcomings in the area of safety and
+security at IITR. Watch Out! digs deeper into a domain that is understated in its importance and as a result is oft overlooked._
+
+## How safe are we?
+
+### The problems:
+
+Roorkee, being volatile by virtue of its inherent communal diversity, provides a challenge while securing the campus from various threats. The vicinal areas are purported to have a high crime rate and pent up tension. The campus of Roorkee, during the day, acts as a connecting link between parts of the town. However, a chat with the Security Officer, Mr. K.P. Singh reveals that the entire blame cannot be shifted onto IITR’s unfortunate locality. According to Mr. Singh, the challenge is
+as much internal as it is dependent on externalities.
+
+The institute makes it mandatory for families of staff and faculty to possess colour coded dependent passes, with an aim of serving as an accountable measure of the people residing in the institute. But as is the case with most other rules of the land, there are always some who inadvertently find loopholes and flout the norms. This makes it very difficult to gauge the exact number of people using a single dependent pass. To quote Prof. D.K. Nauriyal, “We have servant quarters
+where if one is allotted, 8 dependents would stay there and we don’t know if they are actually dependents or not.”
+
+Being aware of threats posed by such situations, the institute takes it upon itself to enforce certain restrictions which inevitably curb a student’s freedom of movement. The justifiability of such restrictions is arguable, with each side having its own merits and demerits.
+
+### Solutions and steps taken: 
+
+Securing the campus is inextricably linked to extending various other facilities in the campus. Arguments against suspending the women’s timing restrictions are often quelled by citing the age old reasons of security and porosity of the campus. Under a budget of around 25 lakhs per month, IITR currently outsources the security to private security contractors. 
+
+Security being out of the jurisdiction of the SAC, the last SAC worked towards pushing a proposal for improving security in the campus, with an emphasis on the timing restrictions. The proposal intends to build on the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee, which was constituted to look into the security of women after the brutal 2012 Delhi gang rape. The committee unequivocally stated that locking women up is not the solution to the security of women and that it is the
+prerogative of universities to provide for the security that enables women to exercise as much freedom as is guaranteed by the constitution. While one can’t help acknowledge the gravity of the obstacles to absolute security on campus, locking up adults well into their 20s seems rather short-sighted and primitive, as far as solutions go. “We’re not questioning the students’ judgement”, says Prof. D.K.Nauriyal, “Our only concern is their safety. There have been times when we’ve
+personally roamed around the campus and found lots of eve teasers. We rounded them up and took them to authorities. The moment we’re sure that our girls are safe, we’ll open it for 24x7 as we’ve no problem with that.”
+
+![Locks Rattling 1](/images/posts/locks-rattling-1.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+The proposal acknowledges the porosity of the campus as one of the primary bottlenecks in achieving better security. This is in part to the fact that there are various public offices within the campus and partly due to unauthorised and unaccounted residents inside the campus. Proper documentation of vehicles as well as institute residents is suggested as a way to counter this challenge. The in place scheme of dependent cards is a sufficient measure if implemented thoroughly and
+documented comprehensively. This needs to be complemented with a similar scheme for vehicles. The proposal suggests defining “authorised vehicles” as a vehicle belonging to a faculty or employee of the institute and accompanied by a dependent card. Unauthorised vehicles would require the submission of ID Cards/Driving Licences before entering the institute.
+
+The occurrence of eve teasing in the campus, despite all preventive measures, is lamentable. IITR has a relatively unknown and dormant body called the “Committee against Sexual Harassment (CASH)”. Its inactivity has essentially lead to all such cases being handled by the DOSW office. CASH is headed by Prof. Ritu Barthwal of the Biotech department and constitutes of various professors. However, students who encounter cases of eve teasing barely know of such a bureaucratic
+structure and do not resort to pursuing a complaint actively.  To quote the DOSW, “It’s not dormant. But it’s activated only when there’s a complaint received. The point is that lots of complaints do not come to the committee. The moment we get a complaint we immediately forward them to the committee and there are actions.”
+
+## The October Revolution:
+
+![The gathering in front of the main building](/images/posts/locks-rattling-3.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+*The gathering in front of the main building*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+After grappling with the administration’s nonchalance on the issue of the 11pm curfew on girls, the student body finally resorted to a peaceful protest against the rule. Students defied the deadline and gathered at the gates of Kasturba Bhawan, equipped with candles and banners, and started the march at 11 pm. An assembly of around 400 students was then led on towards the Main Building, ultimately proceeding towards the Hill View faculty residences where attempts for an audience with the
+Chief Warden, Kasturba Bhawan and the DOSW were made. The DOSW ultimately agreed to address the students gathered and this is what he had to say on the issue, “We are not indifferent to your problems. We need to look after the security of you students, especially girls.”He focused on the porosity of the campus, saying, “People go to CBRI, moving through the campus. You have NIH here. You have many spots like servant’s quarters and all that. All kinds of people come here.”
+
+He added that they agree with the views of the students, in principle, but their only concern was security which they must ensure. The involved students then took up the matter with the MHRD through a letter. The MHRD in its response has appointed Prof. Pradeep Kumar, Department of Civil Engineering as the Nodal Officer for coordinating on the issue. However, the institute still waits for a decisive outcome to this issue.
+
+## Hospital Inadequacy:
+
+![Hospital](/images/posts/locks-rattling-2.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+As is the norm in Roorkee, many a critical issue is brought forth only after serious mishap. The unfortunate and tragic death of Anurag Sharma owing to an injury on the squash courts last year, opened the can of worms regarding the health care issues on campus. The mumbles of discontent have burst forth after this freak disaster. As unanimously agreed upon, it’s high time the medical facilities on campus were revamped to meet the standards one comes to expect of a premier
+institution. Following the incident, a special meeting of the SAC was called for, wherein myriad problems were brought forth regarding the institute hospital and the counselling cell.
+
+Following multiple complaints regarding the dire state of affairs at the institute hospital, an assignment was undertaken to compare IITR’s facilities with sister IITs’. As expected, Roorkee’s paltry facilities are further dwarfed in contrast. The facilities available at other IITs are admirable. For instance, the pathology lab of IIT KGP has been awarded two citations for consistent quality maintenance. Most other IITs are well equipped with emergency rooms and advanced
+equipment like Multi Parameter Patient Monitor, ECG, Radiology and Pathology services. IITD stands out, having 24 hours ECG facilities and excellent emergency medical support.
+
+The problems of the IITR hospital are twofold, with both the staff and equipment found lacking on several occasions. The complaints start right from the hostile reception one receives at the registration counter. The modus operandi calls for doctors to visit the hospital every time a student shows up with a medical issue. But the doctors tend to show a step motherly attitude towards their duties at the hospital, and consider it a necessary chore.
+
+The location of the physiotherapy department on the 1st floor defies common sense. Adding to this, there are no wheelchair facilities for the injured or the aged. Questions have been raised regarding the hygiene on the premises, photos of algae in water cooler having created quite the uproar. The lack of specialists is a matter of serious concern. The hospital lacks basic monitoring equipment. The existing equipment, including X-ray and Ultrasonography machines are
+dysfunctional and unmanned. It’s no clairvoyance to predict an impending tragedy considering a widespread sports culture in the campus. The pathology lab lacks proper equipment and staff to execute basic tests like Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, ANA, etc. The bed strength of the hospital can’t cater to the needs of the entire junta on campus. It’s a chilling realization that we are at the Lord’s mercy in case an epidemic breaks out, considering the dire absence of good
+hospitals in Roorkee. Ambulance service is sparse and slow, especially in cases of transferring students to medical units outside IITR.
+
+In an interview with the CMO, he insists on the production of the medical booklet at the counter since it confirms the students’ contribution to the medical fund. He also berates the lack of discipline among the student community visiting the hospital and insists that they form queues and maintain decorum except in case of emergencies. Speaking about the problems that the hospital faces, he acknowledges the shortage of doctors and specialists. He confirms salary issues as a hindrance
+to hire a trained radiologist. He, however, assures us that the X-ray and ECG issues will be resolved, and informs us that, in a welcome step, lifts and wheelchairs are being planned.
+ 
+ In spite of all talks and promises, the situation has gone southwards. The administration plays the location card as their defence for the lack of facilities and trained personnel in the hospital. But the institute hospital, if properly developed, can turn its inopportune location to its advantage, and act as a focal point for healthcare in Roorkee. This will consequently attract qualified people. The current state of affairs in the hospital leaves much to be desired. The
+ recent agitation and the subsequent discussions will hopefully pave the way for remedial actions. In the meanwhile, improved student participation and deliberations will surely act as a pressure point for the administration and lead to proper management of the medical fund.
+  
+## Epilogue:
+
+A lot has been said on the same, and the issue of security and safety on campus has been up for debate for more than a decade now. But as far as definitive measures to solve these issues go, the admin has very little to show. The implementation of a lot of the above said changes could bring about a sea of change in the current state of safety on campus. Achieving this also calls for co-operation and understanding from the student body. It requires one to conduct themselves in a manner that does not put one in danger outside the campus while also working in cohesion with the security authorities.
+
+__The article features as a Big Story in our Autumn’16 print issue. The issue’s Cover Story delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR along with an added Big Story analysing the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: https://issuu.com/wona-iitr__

_posts/2017-01-30-sac-general-body-meet.md

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "SAC General Body Meet | 30th January, 2017"
+tags: [wona, news, sac]
+category: sac
+image: cover-gbm.jpg
+author: "Aditya Peshin, Vikrant Saha, Ayushi Gupta, Nikhil Arora, Saurav Mahale"
+excerpt: The Senate Hall on Monday, played host to a first of its kind, open for all General Body Meeting organised by the Student Affairs Council. The event aimed at giving the student body a chance to voice their concerns regarding their issues at IITR and to communicate them directly to the General Secretaries. It also gave the appointed secretaries an opportunity to share their contributions and policies with the student populace. 
+---
+
+The Senate Hall on Monday, played host to a first of its kind, open for all General Body Meeting organised by the Student Affairs Council. The event aimed at giving the student body a chance to voice their concerns regarding their issues at IITR and to communicate them directly to the General Secretaries. It also gave the appointed secretaries an opportunity to share their contributions and policies with the student populace. 
+	 	 	 	
+### Opening Remarks:
+
+The meeting started off with an information dissemination session, with all the General Secretaries providing a brief insight on the various projects proposed and passed under them. 
+
+The meet was started by the GS Hostel Affairs and Convenor of the SAC, who updated the attendees on various future projects like the provision of Wi-Fi in the Lecture Hall Complex. Taking inspiration from other IITs in developing a strong Bhawan culture, IITR will be holding Inter Bhawan Cultural, Sports and Technical trophies. Adding to that, a proposal regarding the entry of boys in the girls’ hostels till the canteen and the garden had been approved, subject to the condition that a maximum of three boys can be accompanied by a girl in the bhawan. In further developments, talks were in place for an extended break during Holi and Diwali. An interesting insight was the breakup of the Rs. 6000 charged by the institute towards extracurricular activities. It was clarified that this is the only fund at the DoSW’s disposal and it is divided in the following fashion:
+
+
+![Meta Chart](/images/posts/meta-chart.jpeg){: style="width: 90%;"}
+
+
+Some changes relating to technical, academic and alumni affairs were intimated by the respective secretaries. To the relief of many students, an update on the attendance rule was given, stating that the proposal to increase the attendance to 90% was rejected by 14 of the 21 head of departments, with 3 HOD’s still undecided. Talks for a Q&A BOT, that can answer any question any student has, are ongoing. To ease the process of sharing current institute affairs, a Media Cell in association with Watch Out! and a Broadcasting Channel are to be set up. A temporary Alumni Connect on Request portal will be set up which will enable crowdfunding by multiple alumni along with internship opportunities, all through a single channel.
+
+
+### Question and Answer session:
+
+![GBM 1](/images/posts/gbm-1.jpg){: style="width: 50%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+The meeting was then opened up for the general populace, who spoke up about their concerns regarding the biggest issues plaguing the campus, specifically the unpleasant experiences of students at the institute hospital, the nonchalance of the administration to address the issue of the girls timings, and the difficulties arising due to cultural gap faced by the international students during their stay on campus. Here are some issues covered in the meeting :
+
+**Representation of international students in the decision making:** International Students who attended this meeting proposed two suggestions which they felt sorely needed to be implemented. They requested that there be an “International Student’s Day”, as well as demanded student representation at the institute level. The members of the SAC promised to raise this issue in the **next senate meeting.**
+
+**Induction Period:** To better help the new students adapt to the shift in culture, as well as allow the non-english speakers to gain equal footing, a 3 week induction programme is being proposed. Also, an elective induction program is being planned for the students in the higher years, letting them explore their interests, before finally deciding their electives. We should see results at the **beginning of the next semester.**
+
+**Branch change:** One of the most pressing issues throughout the meet was a call for an increase in the number of seats available to branch-changers. An increase of seats to the proposed 10% is not feasible because of a lack of funds. It was clarified that most IITs keep a certain number of seats vacant to accommodate branch changes in the future. This being a toll on the institute’s fund, is not a viable solution for IITR. However, plans to increase this number from 2% to 7% are already underway. Also, the authenticity of having branch changes after the 1st sem was questioned, to which the SAC befittingly replied that the current system is actually more beneficial for the students and for once, the other IITs may follow in IITR’s steps.
+
+**The counselling cell:** An Increase in the number of counsellors to three from a current situation of only one has been proposed. The last time the suggestion was rejected because, according to the DoSW, there is a reluctance by students to utilise it.
+
+**SAC Website:** SAC has plans to release a website of their own, within the **next 5-6 days**, with the aim of improving the depth of penetration of any new information, and letting all students access the most important information, neatly compiled, at their fingertips.
+
+**Alumni Connect:** A Connect on Request platform has been announced, which will be functional from the **2nd week of February.** Also, an Alumni Internship program has been proposed, which will allow alumni to directly recruit students for their summer/winter internships. 
+
+**Alumni Funding:** This portal will allow students to seek guidance from alumni who have gone down the same road, as well as allow groups to raise crowdfunding requests where in teams participating in competitions may receive financial support from their alumnus. In the interest of transparency such alumni funding requests will involve the following stakeholders:
+
+ - The beneficiary: Groups, sports teams, etc.
+ - Dean of Alumni Affairs and International Relations office
+ - ARC
+ - The donor
+
+
+**Feedback Forms:** Students demanded transparency in the results of the feedback that professors got for teaching a course, and asked the SAC why no action was taken against the professors even though the course was deemed unsatisfactory. The SAC promised to push for the transparency of these feedback forms in the **next senate meeting.**
+
+**Foreign MoUs:** When the topic of foreign exchange programs (rather, the lack thereof) was raised, the GS Alumni Affairs agreed that having just 14 MOU’s was not up to the mark of an institution at this level. He has agreed to work with the Dean, International Relations to increase the number of MOU’s with other universities exponentially, and says we may reach 50-60 MOU’s by next year. Also, the topic of a summer school was raised, with the response being that it was already being considered by the Dean of Alumni Affairs and International Relations.
+
+**Clashes between minor and departmental course examinations:** We have a Dean of Planning whose sole role is ensuring the preparation of the examination calendar after holding meetings with the HODs of each and every department. Earlier, departments had an option to recommend to the administration about the scheduling of their courses but from next semester onwards, it has been made compulsory for them. So, it is expected that this problem will be resolved now.
+
+**IITR Hospital:** The unfortunate experiences of many students at the campus hospital has led the SAC to develop a rulebook for defining each and every aspect of the administration and the employee structure of the hospital. The SAC has promised to release this within the **next 15-20 days.**
+
+**Heaters and Coolers:** The plea of students to allow the use of heaters and blowers in the hostel rooms have been heard by the Administration, with plans of having a common room in each bhawan with 2 AC’s, for the convenience of the students. Also, the general secretaries will question the rationale behind coolers only being allowed in the top floors of each bhawan in the next senate meeting.
+
+**11pm curfew of girls:**  The inaction of the SAC and the Administration to resolve the issue of the girls hostel timing was raised, with the reply from the SAC being that there were complications that had not yet been resolved, like the reluctance of the PhD and MTech students to opt for increased timings, citing the harassment that they face working under certain guides in the night. The questions were also quelled citing the inability of the students to put forward a perceptible demand in front of the administration as one of the reasons. With the hue and cry that occurred last semester, such a claim can barely be justified.The SAC representatives said that they have to resolve this issue before they could propose a change in the restrictions imposed by the administration. In a meeting with the Director, earlier today, it was principally agreed to permit entry into hostels for the opposite sexes. The catch there being that this will be implemented in stages.
+
+### Our two cents:
+
+![GBM 2](/images/posts/gbm-2.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+The sister IITs are no stranger to such General Body Meetings. IIT Bombay has a very organized idea of GBMs where the Gymkhana President - a faculty-in charge of the Student’s Gymkhana - chairs the meeting, and aims at reviewing the performance of the Office Bearers. All students can attend the meeting but only members of the General Body present can vote. The meeting is conducted once a semester and the quorum is 50% of the members.
+
+Being a first in IITR, the meeting set up a good precedent for the next batches of representatives to follow. However, the success of such a meeting heavily depends on an informed and strong response from the students themselves. The scant numbers at the senate hall on Monday is a lamentable manifestation of the enthusiasm that such discussions see on the SAC facebook group. The other factor defining such a meet is how the students’ questions are met. While most responses offered adequate justification and logical arguments, few failed to be satisfactory. A few discussions were concluded with the promise to put forward a solution. Promising it may seem, but whether the word is backed up by work remains to be seen.
+
+IITR has had an appalling record when it comes to tangible action on the part of its student representatives. The earlier executive committees have had a track record of passivity, with only a few coming off as outliers. This SAC has clearly differentiated itself in this regard. In the short span of time afforded to them, there has been laudable work done. However, much needs to be done as IITR can be seen to finally wake from its slumber. Promising it may seem, but whether all the words are backed up by work remains to be seen. 
+
+### References:
+
+[https://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in/~hostel15/Docks/SAC-Constitution-April-2012.pdf](https://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in/~hostel15/Docks/SAC-Constitution-April-2012.pdf) - pg 23 onwards

_posts/2017-02-02-in-conversation-with-mr-rajiv-sikri.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: In conversation with Mr. Rajiv Sikri, ex-Secretary, MEA
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: verbatim
+author: "Utkarsh Ruhela"
+image: rajiv_sikri_cover.jpg
+excerpt: Mr. Rajiv Sikri retired as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs after an illustrious career spanning 36 years with the Indian Foreign Service. Read on as Mr. Sikri talks about the growing role of policy think tanks, the nationalist wave enveloping the world and his love for Russian authors.
+---
+
+Mr. Rajiv Sikri retired as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs after an illustrious career spanning 36 years with the Indian Foreign Service. In this capacity he had overall responsibility for India’s relations with East Asia, ASEAN, Pacific region, the Arab world, Israel, Iran and Central Asia. He earlier served as the Special Secretary for Economic Relations supervising foreign economic relations, including India’s external technical and economic assistance programmes. He has also served as India’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, and headed the Departments dealing with West Europe as well as the Soviet Union and East Europe in the Ministry of External Affairs. Mr. Sikri completed his bachelor studies from St. Stephen’s College, majoring in History and entered Foreign Services in the following year.
+
+Read on as Mr. Sikri talks about the growing role of policy think tanks, the nationalist wave enveloping the world and his love for Russian authors.
+
+<b>A lot of think tanks and independent organizations like in Washington DC have come up in India as well. How impactful is the contribution of such organizations like Carnegie, IPRC?</b>
+
+There is no competition between our think tanks and DC’s think tanks. They attract the best minds of their country. It is also because of the revolving door policy. One day you are working in a think tank and the other, you are in the administration, this policy also gives incentives there to work. It is not such a case in India, you don’t have funding and infrastructure. But, all this is changing. There are a few brilliant people working in these organizations now, and it seems to be a growing sector in our country as well, but it’ll take time. We need to consolidate our research sector and at the same time, the attitude.
+
+<b>The introduction of your book, “Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India's Foreign Policy”, mentions your love for books. Which are some of the books that moved you?</b>
+
+I don’t read fiction much, even lesser lately. But, It’s mostly fiction which impacts you. I have been touched a lot by the Russian authors in my early young days. Particularly Tolstoy. I found, his work to be incredibly descriptive. It immerses me in itself. The setting, the characters. Both Anna Karenina and War & Peace. I enjoyed Vikram Seth’s ‘A Suitable Boy’. Because, of course it is a detailed piece of writing and deals with the whole Indian society of a particular time period. Short stories by Chekhov. The reason, I am compelled and moved by Russian authors is maybe because of my stay and service in Russia. The grandiosity of Moscow can be felt through these author’s works.
+
+Another book I enjoyed was by Prakash Tandon (Chairman of PNB), he has written a trilogy, “A Punjabi Century”, because I wanted to know more about the place where I come from.
+I currently started watching this TV series as well, “The Crown”. I loved it. It’s the most recent piece of art I enjoyed.
+
+<b>We can see that the masses are more “aware” of their standing in the globalized world, no country seems to be free of the bias of national sentiments. Do you think these populist sentiments creeping in the foreign policy of nations is a worry?</b>
+
+What has happened is the period of growth and prosperity that began after the second world war ended some time ago. When the economy is expanding the jobs are expanding, you take that for granted. But, the history shows that there are always ups and downs and development don't always go in a linear fashion. After the second world war there was a sense of idealism and will to create structures and to observe the rules of civilized behavior, so much carnage and destruction had taken place in the wars. Those who were the victors structured it in the manner that they became the Guardians of the world, Japan, Germany were kept out of it. The European Union was created created by which started as European Coal and Steel community. Who could have imagined in 1945 that their grandchildren would live in a Europe without borders, obviously threat from Soviet power were affecting as well, situations changed Soviet Union break up is this was the world with Americans was going to dominate it was just the beginning of the process which is still changing.
+
+The 1789 was the French Revolution that was followed by Napoleonic wars and subsequent defeat of Napoleon and formation of Congress in 1815, what all it took was about 26 years, to see the parallel, it was in 1991 Soviet Union broke and it is 2017 and things have changed again. China has gone up, Russia is rising up again. The assumptions behind the European policies and American policies, it is an end of a particular era today. What you see today as Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump, it is the reactionary forces against globalization. Globalization was meant to bring benefits into the nations but there are downsides to it as well.
+
+<b>What role do you think the average citizen plays into considerations pertaining to foreign policy?</b>
+
+First of all, there is a behavorial aspect. There were these attacks on Africans living in India. These assaults lead up to certain aversion from that country’s point of view towards India. These are sensitivity issues. We should take care of such things.
+
+Or when we go abroad, what kind of impression we leave. For example, how there has been a positive impact of Indian techies, what they have created all around the world. And, managers. All around the world. If 50 years ago, we were a nation of snake charmers. It reminds me of a joke, when Bill Clinton was coming to India, his administration said India is always asking for this and that technology. Bill Clinton said, “Is there anything we can get from them?”, and one of the delegates said, “There’s this technology they use,  such innovative, out of the box solutions of tricky problems. They call it ‘jugaad’.”
+So, when Bill Clinton asked for ‘jugaad’, Atal Bihari Vajpayee burst into laughter and said. “I can’t give you this technology. Because Mr. President, our whole country runs on this thing called ‘jugaad’.”
+
+That’s a joke, but there’s the impression that if you’re Indian, you are intelligent, innovative and hard-working. On the other hand are Gulf countries, where Indian workers go and they are exploited. That leaves a negative impression of weakness and poverty. Our culture and arts are recognized worldwide. All in all, every Indian is contributing towards foreign policy. We just need to capitalize on the positive aspects, and eliminate the negatives out of this equation.

_posts/2017-02-22-can-we-trust-ourselves.md

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Can We Trust Ourselves? 
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh, Vedansh Bhartiya, Yash Singh"
+image: can_we_trust_ourselves.jpg
+---
+
+_“The problem with people is that they are so stupid. So stupid that they have no idea how stupid they are.” - John Cleese_
+
+Trust is a fundamental cog in the machinery that drives the world. We trust drivers to follow traffic lights and not bump into cars. We trust news agencies to give us factually correct quality content; our politicians to make the right decisions. However, the grounds on which it is built are largely unknown – our decision to trust others is perhaps a subconscious, impulsive one, acting more as false assurances than absolute security against potential deviations. When weighed collectively with the consideration that our senses (and what they perceive thereof) are not “facts” as we wrongly attribute them to be, an unsettling question presents itself: Can we trust ourselves?
+
+George Orwell floated such an idea before the world in 1984. By tampering with evidence and indulging in propaganda, Big Brother is successful in reinforcing the desired belief in the subjects’ mind. Elizabeth Loftus, who specialises in false memories, has shown that they are easily born or planted. In her TED talk, “How reliable is your memory?”, she explains how false memories are responsible for a three quarters of wrongful convictions and other bizarre, irrational beliefs and occurrences that constitute our identity. Memory, she states, is unlike a recording device which stores information without modification; the brain is plastic, and accounts evolve over time into stories that distort the truth to great extents. She attributes this phenomenon to misinformation and the subconscious or unconscious acceptance of memory (or other sensory stimulus) as fact.
+
+Oftentimes, hypocritical behaviour is foreign to our awareness. Christened the “Actor-observer bias”, this phenomenon encapsulates how our angry disapproval persists despite the probable circumstances under which a fellow human being has committed an infarction (say jumped a signal) – but when the observer becomes the doer, he feels that his act was justified. Here, empathy is stifled by ignorance of the said principle, rendering us not completely impartial, in contrast to what we tend to believe.
+
+In 1999, Dunning and Kruger presented their hypothesis, seconding Bukowski, who had previously remarked: “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence”. By checking the consistency of actual test scores of candidates against their own predictions, they concluded that high-ability individuals underestimate themselves, while those with low abilities overestimate themselves. This illusory superiority is a manifestation of the lack of metacognitive abilities; i.e. people are unable to recognize their incompetency.
+
+Even if it rests on false pretences, trust is necessary for the continuation of normal life. In its absence, external chaos and internal anxiety would uproot all order; it is a safe assumption, having no basis and yet – having no evidence to the contrary either. Every fact or principle was once an assumption; unbounded scepticism is hardly helpful in the establishment of such bases, which the civilized world believes to be true. This said, perfect trust is a symptom of ignorance. The longer one lives, the more selective they become about who they trust. Trust is bestowed upon others because we believe we are intelligent and capable enough to make such choices; however, in light of the above considerations, it seems that the foundations of this faith are built on the marshy lands of our perceptions and memories, which are, in and of themselves, unreliable and fallible.
+
+__The article features in our latest print issue. The issue delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR and expounds on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: https://issuu.com/wona-iitr__

_posts/2017-02-27-the-sac-has-holes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The SAC has holes: Analysis of the electoral system"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: coverstory
+image: cover-sac-holes.png
+excerpt: In most discussions pertaining to systems, processes and cultures, IITR is found to be lacking when compared against its sister IITs. The previous academic year saw us moving one step further in one such domain – our electoral systems. However, just as we saw the transition being successful and meritocracy coming to the fore in the case of elections, an unfortunate incident in Jawahar Bhawan, took us two steps backward.
+---
+
+In most discussions pertaining to systems, processes and cultures, IITR is found to be lacking when compared against its sister IITs. The previous academic year saw us moving one step further in one such domain – our electoral systems. However, just as we saw the transition being successful and meritocracy coming to the fore in the case of elections, an unfortunate incident in Jawahar Bhawan, took us two steps backward. Incidents like these force us to dwell upon our shortcomings, both in terms of students and organisations. Herein, we try to offer an analysis of the electoral system at IITR.
+ 
+## The earlier system of elections:
+ 
+The earlier system of elections at IITR required for a two level voting system to take place. A council of 108 members, called SAC-1, consisting of Bhawan level office holders was elected, with a voter’s vote restricted only to the posts in their Bhawan. The elected 108 then voted for a SAC-2 which became the primary executive body of the SAC, responsible for institute level decisions and changes. This system created a need to unite a majority of 55 candidates under a single umbrella. What filled that void were easy targets based on identifiable and personal common grounds. Unbecoming as it might be of an institute of our stature, but votes were cast based on regional and factional preferences.
+ 
+## The Jawahar fiasco:
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-1.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+Political “factions” in the campus often run the risk of being taken a little too seriously. It does not take time for members to take personal disputes in a collectivist sense and act accordingly. With this as the case, disputes such as these often tend to boil over and snowball into full blown clashes, violent in their nature and immature with their logic. This aptly sums up the Jawahar fiasco.  
+This has led to the DOSW cancelling the elections and in constituting an interim SAC to carry on the workings till the next elections, prophesised to take place in March’17. This step may look reasonable, but has its own flaws. _When we asked the DOSW on what basis the student representatives would be selected, there was no specific answer but vague mentions to analysing career plans and listening to ideas proposed by the candidates._ The question here is not that of the competency of the candidates, but rather of checks and balances to ensure it. No election will be perfect. However, it needs to be fair and transparent.
+ 
+## The current scenario:
+ 
+Even though the system has been revamped and the atmosphere seems to favour competent candidates but there still remain some grave issues that need to be addressed, before we move onto the next election. Looking at the new election system, we spotted a few anomalies, and a multitude of illogical clauses making up our Election’s code of conduct that insidiously hinder meritocratic politics. We approach these, one at a time and offer a few solutions to them.
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-2.png){: style="width: 90%;"}
+
+## Drawbacks of the current system:
+ 
+#### A public addressal system (or a lack thereof):
+ 
+Perhaps one of the biggest issues yet to be addressed, there exists no provision for candidates to put forward their opinions and debate openly about issues that plague the campus. The outlet for such an addressal system does exist now in the form of the ineffectual and seemingly fictional “Bhawan Addressal System”. The system is a relic and allows for candidates to make speeches of a specified duration in each hostel, highlighting their credentials and plans. 
+
+However, the system is a complete failure, partly due to the apathy of the student body and partly due to the system it promises to be. The ADOSW mentions, “We tried allocating time slots to candidates for using the Bhawan addressal system. The observation was that the voter turnout was scant and uninterested.”
+ 
+#### Printed Posters:
+ 
+Usage of printed posters for campaigning is prohibited, even though they are an extremely important way of communicating the agendas of a candidate to the masses. Instead, the code of conduct allows for hand written posters to be put up on stipulated places. The motive behind this restriction is a logical one - to ensure that the students do not overspend during the election process and the problems of accounting such a provision faces. However one does not have furrow their brows to come up with a solution to this problem, discussed in the later stages of our story.
+ 
+#### Online Campaigning:
+ 
+The code of conduct strictly prohibits online campaigning of any sort since it cannot be regulated and that there are no checks to arrest any unwanted developments, which might lead to the defamation of the college. In a scathing but true indictment, “An online portal is being worked on and we wouldn’t mind going online after the college has attained a level of maturity befitting an IIT”, says Prof. Nauriyal.   
+ 
+#### Unequal footing for the female candidates :
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-3.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+Since the girls have to be back in their own hostel by 11 pm, as well as cannot enter other hostels for campaigning as easily as the male candidates, they enter the ring with a handicap. The roots of this can be found in the age old issue surrounding the curfew on girls. With that in place, a female candidate can barely match the reach of a male one.
+ 
+#### Limited Role of certain posts:
+ 
+Certain posts at the hostel as well as the institutional level are viewed as redundant, as they have no assigned responsibility, and a very limited active role. The ADOSW’s response is best stated in his own words:
+“It is always the responsibility of the elected member to implement what he has planned. No one restricts the representatives to any particular activities. If the Secretary is enterprising enough, he can bring up new ideas, and if they are good we will go ahead with them. No post is irrelevant and if the students are ready to work on their posts then there is a lot that can be achieved. If someone just wants to enjoy the perks of being elected, he will not work. Furthermore, if you genuinely have a sound logic to refute some posts, do come to us and we will consider it accordingly. A similar thing happened with General Secretary (Finance) this time, as we felt that the budget didn’t need a separate person just to handle the financial affairs and we got rid of the post.”
+ 
+## Solutions:
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-4.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+They say learning never stops, and it shouldn’t in this case either. We take this opportunity to examine our procedures to see where we lack, and how we can improve.
+ 
+#### Soapboxes:
+ 
+A soapbox is a central event where the contesting candidates comes and ask relevant questions to each other. It misses the tension and heat of a debate all while having incisive questions asked among the candidates in the fray. When asked about a soapbox Prof. Indradeep Singh, ADOSW (Discipline) cited the trivial and workable details such as the unavailability of an adequate space and security issues as the roadblocks to conduct such an event. “The student population is around 8000. Considering that around 1500 turn up, we lack a place to accommodate them at once”, says Prof. Indradeep Singh.
+ 
+#### Comprehensive accounting of printed posters:
+ 
+We suggest for the election commission to limit the following factors in the case of printed posters:
+
+- Content: A template can be followed which allows for a poster to display the candidate’s credentials and plans, succinctly and concisely.
+- Numbers: A stipulated number of printed posters can be obtained signed duly by the commission.
+- Locations: Certain locations can be pre-decided, apart from the existing ones that would allow the posters to get considerable traction.
+ 
+Accounting for the aforementioned factors immediately deals with the hazards posed by unsupervised spending and ensures effective campaigning. The election commission in IIT Bombay, allows for banners and flexes to be put up in pre decided spaces, which both curtails any extra expenditure, and gives equal footing to all the candidates involved in door-to-door campaigning. Each candidate is allowed to put up a 6’x3’ flex, containing the candidate’s photo and announcing the main points of their manifesto.
+ 
+#### Centralised portals:
+ 
+The fairness of not having discussions and campaigning on online mediums cannot be debated. Such discussions often venture into uncomfortable territories and cannot be stopped from proliferating into controversies. However, we understand that there is no online portal or forum where candidates can put up their manifestos, nor does the general public have any idea as to where they can find a copy of the manifesto. In other IIT’s, provisions of online portals displaying each candidate’s manifestos have proven to be an extremely efficient method to keep the masses updated on each candidate’s modus operandi, and has helped the decision making process stay simple yet based on merit.
+ 
+We suggest the creation and maintenance of a regularly updated web portal, upon which candidates can post their manifesto, a portal where the general electorate can compare the profiles of the candidates, as well as have a neutral third body asking the right questions to each candidate, and posting the answers onto this forum. As was mentioned by the DOSW, work on such a portal in already underway and we can hope for the aforementioned points to be present in one way or the other during the next elections.
+ 
+## Epilogue:
+ 
+It is accepted that improvement in every system is an iterative process and each iteration takes time and thorough deliberation. The newly adopted system in IITR is a welcome step towards meritocratic politics and is still in its infancy. However, the general student populace is still largely lukewarm towards the elections and some reforms need to instituted to overcome that. With the perspective of history and an eye towards the future, we should anticipate what new potential challenges may lie over the horizon and consequently the reforms that need to be devised to ensure fair and transparent elections. 
+
+__The article features as the Cover Story in our latest print issue. The issue’s Big Stories analyse IITR’s security and expound on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: [https://issuu.com/wona-iitr](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)__
+
+

_posts/2017-03-05-exchange-diaries-switzerland.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Exchange Diaries : Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland"
+image: switzerland-2.jpg
+tags: [wona]
+author : "Chitransh Chatnani"
+category: academics
+---
+
+To experience and learn, to learn and apply, to apply and succeed or fail, and hence experience something new altogether. This for me is the instinctive orbit that makes growth modulus. And if the experience is eccentric, days are not dreary and the evenings become laughable.
+
+One of the eccentric experience I had wanted to have since my second year in college was to go on a Semester exchange to Europe. The idea of living a considerable time in a first world country, learn in an evolved curriculum, meet people from around the globe, speak a new language, and grasp where we (the probable cream of Indian education ) stand on an international platform was enticing enough to take this journey.
+
+### Application process
+
+While the concept of exchange semester is quite popular in IIT-Bombay and Delhi, it is still a nascent trend gathering momentum in Roorkee. To make it happen, you apply at a University abroad (that has such an MOU signed with IIT-R) through a bureaucratic channel that will take around two months. 
+
+The exchange application is supported with grade sheets of previous semesters and internship certificates. This has to be supported with a comparative list of all the courses that you’ll be taking in the applying university with the ones that home university is hosting in the particular semester. Course descriptions have to be on the same line more or less. The Indian credit system is supposedly more strenuous than the ECTS system in Europe, so for 20 credits that we were supposed to score in Roorkee in autumn semester of fourth year we had to cover 30 ECTS at HSLU.
+
+This set of application is first passed by the Exchange coordinator in your respective department. This is forwarded to the Head of Department who then forwards it to DAPC committee for scrutiny of credits etc. If forwarded by the DAPC the application moves swiftly to further tables. The HOD then sends it to the Dean of Academics who then sends it to the Dean of International Affairs. It is from here that the application is sent to the International Office of foreign
+university. Then, if the foreign university is convinced with your CV and letter of intent you’ll get a letter of acceptance in the next month. In the end you have to obtain a No-objection certificate from Dean of Academics and Dean of Student’s Welfare. 
+
+After getting all these signatures you have to breathe and congratulate yourself, get the finances in place and move forward to obtain VISA for that respective country. Flight tickets. Goodbyes. Take off.
+
+### The Fall of 2016
+
+![Switzerland 3](/images/posts/switzerland-5.jpg)
+
+We (me, Deovrat and Kshitij) applied together for Hochschule Luzern, Switzerland and were ecstatic to get our acceptance e-mail on 18th May, 2016 for the coming Fall Semester. (September ’16 – February ‘17). The dogs of CS-169, Rajendra Bhawan had been unleashed to waggle tails for European blondes, hike along scenic Alps, bootleg through Roman alleys, and growl Grützi at every other firang dog that passed through.
+
+We flew on 2nd September.  Their international office had helped us with getting affordable accommodation and all the Visa documents.  The reception was warm - an orientation program that included basic German classes, hikes, city tour and an inter-cultural workshop had been chalked out for all the 70 odd students making an exchange in various departments of the University.
+
+The classes begun from 21st September and hence came forward the clear picture of why Switzerland tops the Global Competitiveness Ranking every successive year. While in India people jump to college directly after schooling, Swiss students join an office or industry as an intern for two to three years to know their trade, which is followed by diploma or graduation. So, my classmates were all three or four years older and with much substantial knowledge. 
+
+### Hochshule Luzern
+
+![Hochshule-Luzern](/images/posts/Hochschule-Luzern.jpg)
+
+30 ECTS meant 8 courses - 2 Major modules (12), 2 Related Modules (6), 3 Minor Modules (9), and a language course(3). 
+
+One of the minor modules was called ‘Swissness’, which covered everything about their history, culture, geography, governance, and industries. It was compulsory for all the exchange students. This module and Deutsch language course was an interesting experience as the lectures were very interactive and student body was a diverse concentration of cultures from everywhere. A particular lecture on the democratic structure of Switzerland was followed by a discussion between me,
+Sebastian (from Dublin), Katja (from Vienna) and Andrew (from California) about our own Parliaments and voting rights. We ended up in a bar competing who would get their bottoms up done faster. Indians are pro. RP is bliss. 
+
+The other six modules were all in the domain of architecture. The related modules were a compliment for the personal project that an individual is designing or researching about in his major module. I worked on three different design projects, two case studies and a research paper through the semester.  Every week for every project a 90 minutes slot was fixed with the professor of that particular module. The professor has 12-16 individual projects under him or 3-4 groups if it’s a group project. The personal discussions were very intensive. I grasped that much of the learning is imbibed when one discusses his progress week after week with his mentor, in a tuition kind of methodology. Those 90 minutes were a dreadful fear through the semester, because you cannot subterfuge a person who has been following your work from the very beginning. A lot of homework had to be done so that I have enough substance for making a quality discussion. Snow falls were missed and all nighters were adored a lot of times.
+
+ September to December went from week to week managing work, time, and food. I got a bit frustrated for not being able to live the Euro-trip I had imagined. One weekend in November, I decided to close my laptop and go to Venice for Bienalle.  The intriguing Italy of kings and merchants, a city floating on water, narrow alleys leading up to grand piazzas and majestic Castles. It was all fun and smoke, but I was choked with unsurmountable work for the weeks that followed. From
+ Christmas to New Year were holidays half spent sleeping and half in the mist of French Alps. January was lined up with exams, final presentations and critique.  
+
+### The Swiss Deal
+
+![Switzerland](/images/posts/switzerland.jpg){: style="width: 50%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+Swiss folks, like their climate, are usually very cold. They have evolved confined to each other in small communities that thrived in valleys and lake sides surrounded by mountains. Being a major tourist destination, the locals have seen a lot of foreigners all their lives and somehow have grown indifferent to their presence. While serving the visitors with all hospitality and services, they remain closely knit in their own inner circles. A greeting in Swiss German is the password to get
+ them talking, but don’t try to get too friendly. They take time to absorb a newbie in their life.
+
+Although the popular notion of being a honeymoon destination still holds, it is a very narrow view for a country overshadowing major global players in technology, economy and environment preservation. A landlocked small country between major powers like France, Germany, Italy and Austria, it is with great resilience and determination that they have been able to hold on to their idea of Swiss conservatism and national identity. Swiss German is a very different dialect from
+ German that even the Germans find difficult understanding.  Being in the center of Europe and being filthy rich courtesy to the Jews that developed the banking system to rope in all the gold, the country has had a rich past in art, architecture and medieval towns. Moreover, their neutral stand and powerful defense has been able to preserve these treasuries through the dark ages of World War. 
+
+![Switzerland 4](/images/posts/switzerland-4.jpg)
+
+In spite of being conceited and snobbish like a goblin, the Swiss have sentiments. And all their emotional nerves are attached to some pounding heart in their wrists. The people have an OCD with time skills. Being late was never accepted. Being an Indian was a major joy for the fun we can have in recklessness. The food they eat is no food at all. Cheese, chocolate and bread are supplements for us, main course for them. ‘Swiss Watching’ by Diccon Bewes is much recommended book to know about
+ Switzerland and its people.
+
+But in all this time and amidst all those clones of perfect sapiens, I made some good friends. Lee, Axelle, Juan, Viki, Andrew, Rhys, Jamie, Toby, Michael, Reem, Sebastian, Sam, Manuelle were delightful humans to remember. 
+
+Now, I am much excited for my last year in R-land. The campus has a different vibe, much progressive and less fearful. With every new notice there is a relentless cry to break away from ever withholding past. It’ll be another eccentric experience to meet girls whistling in Main building lawns coming back from BusTea at 4 o’clock in morning. 
+
+__Ciao.__
+
+![Switzerland 2](/images/posts/switzerland-3.jpg)

_posts/2017-03-09-dogs-are-here-to-stay.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Dogs are here to \"stay\""
+image: dogs.png 
+tags: [wona]
+category: sac
+author: "Aman Nayak, Anurag Mall, Nikhil Arora"
+---
+
+The last few months have seen a rise in the cases of dog bites in and around the campus, with several students speaking out on social media to express their grievances against the dog menace. A large section of the student community has regularly petitioned the Students Affairs’ Council to take concrete action regarding this issue. Here, we try to look at the issue and figure why it refuses to die down.
+
+### Our hands are tied
+
+![Animal Welfare 1](/images/posts/animal_welfare.png){: style="width: 45%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+![Animal Welfare 2](/images/posts/animal_welfare_2.png){: style="width: 45%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+*Ref: [http://www.awbi.org/awbi-pdf/circular_abc_cantonmentboards.pdf](http://www.awbi.org/awbi-pdf/circular_abc_cantonmentboards.pdf)*
+
+According to a circular [1] issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, stray dogs cannot be beaten or driven away from their localities. They can however, be sterilised, immunized, and released back into the same area in accordance with the Animal Birth Control programme; which happens once every two years in the campus. According to K.P. Singh, Chief Security Officer, these sterilised dogs (whose right ears have been notched) are often displaced due to aggressiveness, which leads to
+other fertile and territorial dogs from outside the campus taking their place. What follows is a perpetual cycle wherein these dogs that have now entered the campus are sterilised and then again released into the wild on account of aggressiveness, and so on and so forth. The end to this is the utopian ideal of having every dog in the country sterilised and immunized, through the IIT Roorkee campus or otherwise. 
+
+![Animal Cruelty Memo](/images/posts/animal_cruelty_memo.png){: style="width: 55%;"}
+*Ref: [https://jaagrutiindia.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/public-grievances-circular-pg-1.jpg](https://jaagrutiindia.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/public-grievances-circular-pg-1.jpg)* 
+
+Furthermore, a memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training [2] states that in all problems relating to stray animals, “no association, recognised or unrecognised, shall take recourse to action on their own, either themselves, or through any person employed by them like Security Guards.” 
+
+### The stalemate
+
+Essentially, laws protecting animal rights makes it very hard for the authorities to act upon the students’ requests, and restricting the entry of dogs is impractical given that the campus is porous. Sterilising and vaccinating the dogs is currently the most practical means to make our campus safe. Additionally, preventing dogs from entering the bhawans by monitoring the gates constantly is definitely workable.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
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+

_posts/2017-03-14-placements-16-17.md

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Bang for the Buck: Placements 16-17"
+tags: [wona, column]
+image: iit-convo.jpg
+author: "Yash Singh, Vedansh Bhartia, Sahil Grover"
+category: career 
+---
+It goes without saying that placements are a serious business for the student community of the institution, perhaps the reason for joining an IIT for many. From boatloads of aptitude tests, group discussions and resume submissions to clean shaven faces and suited up personas, they sure take a heavy toll on students. As the campus moves through the second phase of placements, we analyze the placements so far. This report considers all placements this academic year, **till February** (second phase of placements is still in progress) and throws light on the key trends and statistics. 
+
+<div class="infogram-embed" data-id="placements-983578" data-type="interactive" data-title="Placements"></div><script>!function(e,t,s,i){var n="InfogramEmbeds",o=e.getElementsByTagName("script"),r=o[0],d=/^http:/.test(e.location)?"http:":"https:";if(/^\/{2}/.test(i)&&(i=d+i),window[n]&&window[n].initialized)window[n].process&&window[n].process();else if(!e.getElementById(s)){var
+a=e.createElement("script");a.async=1,a.id=s,a.src=i,r.parentNode.insertBefore(a,r)}}(document,"script","infogram-async","//e.infogr.am/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js");</script><div style="padding:8px 0;font-family:Arial!important;font-size:13px!important;line-height:15px!important;text-align:center;border-top:1px solid #dadada;margin:0 30px"></div>
+
+![UG CTC 1](/images/posts/ug-ctc-2.png)
+
+![UG CTC 1](/images/posts/ug-ctc-1.png)

_posts/2017-03-18-predictably-irrational.md

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Predictably Irrational?
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh, Aman Nayak, Rhea Parekh"
+image: predictably_irrational.jpg
+excerpt: Are intelligence and rationality the same thing or being intelligent doesn’t necessarily mean being rational?
+---
+
+Think of a well-engineered car: an engine with good horsepower, sound suspension – capable of navigating numerous types of terrain. Assume that it has to go from point A to B via a thin, rather arduous patch of road. The degree of success, then, is dependent not only on the car itself, but also on the proficiency of the person driving it. While the line between the two is thin, once visible, it cannot be overlooked.
+Intelligence becomes the car, and rationality the driver. The car is a given; unalterable and permanent.  The driver’s resourcefulness, then, determines the probability of reaching the destination. In casual conversation, intelligence and rationality may mean the same; however (counter-intuitive as it may sound), they are only weakly correlated, and therefore, largely independent of each other.
+
+Intelligence is defined as "ability to efficiently achieve goals in a wide range of domains", while rationality is "the art of choosing and implementing actions that steer the future toward outcomes ranked higher in one's preferences". Intelligence – quantified by IQ – is a measure of how easily one picks up various skills (the “theory” component). Rationality (measured by RQ) is the ability to use acquired skills, account for various innate cognitive biases, other non-cognitive domains such as empathy, socio-economic factors and make decisions to deliver a desired outcome.
+
+From an evolutionary standpoint, intelligence precedes rationality. Jared Diamond hypothesised that an average tribesperson of Papua New Guinea is more intelligent than the average European, his rationale being that European countries have a good standard of living and good accessibility to important services, while in the case of the tribes, isolation from such facilities presents challenges to the continuation of life on an almost daily basis. Meeting these challenges requires intelligence, synonymous with adaptability. Simultaneously, perfect rationality is never possible. This is for two reasons: first, the number of cognitive biases is so great that we do not have the ability to account for all of them. Secondly, any previously acquired knowledge is inevitably associated with certain prejudices – more so in the case of people with higher IQ.
+
+Unlike IQ, however, RQ is not an unalterable quantity; one may make himself “more rational” by learning about the thinking errors and fallacies the human mind has a tendency of committing, and avoiding them in practice. Greater rationality leads to a happier future, as it signifies agreement between one's actions and one's view of the consequences of those actions in the future.
+
+In hindsight, it becomes apparent that rationality and intelligence are differentiable attributes. Ernest Hemingway once mused: “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know”. Intelligence (here) encompasses self-awareness – knowing one’s capabilities and limitations; the good and the bad embedded within. Focussed on the possibilities these entail rather than actually pursuing them, intelligent people often swim in rivers of self-doubt and self-hate. Rational people skip straight to the answers, and are able to get what they desire out of such situations. Morality and ethics are unimportant, insofar as they are able to fulfil their own needs. Intelligence becomes severely debilitating; rationality frees us from its chains as long as we learn to forget what we assume we know.

_posts/2017-03-22-cogni-31.md

@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ layout: post
 title: Cogni '31, 2431!'
 image: cogni-31.png
 tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Suvam Das"
 category: phekingnews
+excerpt: Cognizance is indubitably the biggest of IITR’s army of fests. It has been fondly described as the 2nd largest technical festival in Asia.
 ---
 
 Cognizance is indubitably the biggest of IITR’s army of fests. It has been fondly described as the 2nd largest technical festival in Asia. The abovementioned fact may be questioned but the writers of this article choose to believe whatever other facts a random freshman working for Cognizance Sponsorship Team would speak out loud on phone. With its ever widening reach, and the rumored ever increasing fixed deposit, Cogni’s pockets seem to grow deeper with every passing year. We take

_posts/2017-04-01-now-we-see-you.md

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Now We See You"
+tags: [wona, column]
+image: illustration-camera_1x.png 
+category: phekingnews
+---
+
+A month after the breaking of the metaphorical “pinjra”, IITR has seen a palpable change in the levels of security and surveillance employed in the campus. One of the oft cited challenges to the free-campus movement was the lack of security and the porous nature of our campus. In a fitting response to these issues, the administration has upped the supervision in the institute to previously unforeseen standards with even greater levels anticipated in the future. Upon a closer examination of these measures, there have been some unsettling discoveries that have caught our eye and refuse to let go of it.
+ 
+
+### The low down
+
+The security of the campus can be broadly analysed through the lens of the Human Resource employed and the technology accompanying them. As a first and warranted step, there has been a significant increase in the number of guards patrolling the campus. However, incredulity kicked in when we came across the plan to employ a group of three female and two males to observe vigilance across certain hotspots. The move bears an uncanny resemblance to a policing tactic employed in a neighbouring state. Referred by an uncalled smearing of one of Shakespeare’s chief protagonists, that move has seen considerable flak from various sections of the society for it aims at outright moral policing and privacy breach. We can only hope that this likeness in implementation is not driven by a likeness in vision and aims.
+
+![Respect my authoritah](/images/posts/we-see-you.png)
+
+Our mild incredulity grew stronger upon learning the technological upgrades planned under this security overhaul. We would like to start by outlining the planned purchase of TASER guns and Heat Vision goggles for the security guards. This is accompanied by the acceptable aim of ramping up CCTV surveillance, in and around uncharted territories such as the dark corners of the Civil Department and places where students usually visit in groups of two. The increased security measures would cost the administration Rs 3 cr per year along with a onetime cost of Rs 4 cr for equipments and installation. One can get a decent idea of what this means by comparing with the institute’s annual medical expenses of Rs 3.5 cr and academic scholarship/fellowship spending of Rs 8.5 crore.  
+
+A member of the administration, when questioned about why there was such an indifference towards the student populace’s right to freedom, completely discredited the question, while showing concern about the motives of the students who find themselves out of their hostels late at night. 
+
+"When the students were protesting for a restriction-free campus, they argued that they would use this freedom towards constructive purposes like working in the various technical and cultural societies. However, now we hear cases of students wandering around with no purpose, holding hands and engaging in what we believe are just frivolous activities for students of this age. We expect the students to be more responsible."
+
+He further went on to say that if more such students are observed in the coming days, the administration might have to revoke the liberty that was handed to the students. This comment was a rather unwelcome one, considering the fact that a majority of the IIT Roorkee students have never had a chance to ‘hold hands’ with someone they’d like to.
+
+Our incredulity snowballed into utter disbelief when we were told of an intended purchase of Drones to kick start the much more effective and consequently intrusive aerial surveillance. With drones envisioned to be a part of the IIT Roorkee airspace, what this means for the student community and SDS’s yearly exhibition is something that only time will tell.
+
+### Our two cents of wisdom
+
+We are still unsure of why these measures are being taken, as the institute rules do not categorically ban any forms of PDA. This move clearly questions the students’ morality and instead of being a protective measure, it is more of a privacy breach. There is a fine line between campus security and privacy invasion, and it is ironical how, in spite of being promised “freedom” through the Pinjra Tod movement, the students are still under the watchful eyes of the inner party. 
+
+That being said, Watch Out would like to caution all the students to tread carefully post-midnight and avoid giving the authorities a chance to hold things against us. After all, trying to contain your raging hormones is better than being contained in your hostels post 11.

_posts/2017-05-24-decoding-eas-iitr.md

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Decoding EAS-IITR : Early-warning, Earthquake Alarm System"
+tags: [wona]
+category: tech
+author: "Ekdeep Singh Lubana, Vaibhavi Katiyar, Dhawal Pagay, Aman Nayak"
+image: earthquake.jpg
+---
+
+Secluded into a nook, on the third floor of the Biotechnology Department, a computer whizzes away. On the first look, one might have an impression of being in a “Mr. Robot” episode, and when you get to know that the mainframe sitting in front of you is analysing real time data from approximately 80 places, distributed over the northern regions of Uttarakhand, your “Mr. Robot” vibe just grows stronger. Only if it was meant for the same purpose, as going on in our minds. Well, it isn’t. 
+
+The newly installed, “Early Warning Earthquake Alarm System,” nicknamed EAS, is an impeccable innovation in the field of disaster management systems. Achieved through concerted efforts from researchers at IIT Roorkee and “Space Dynamics,” a venture by Italian entrepreneurs into the field of “Disaster Mitigation Systems,” the project was executed under the umbrella of Disaster Management and Mitigation Center, Uttarakhand. 
+
+Earthquakes, under their current level of understanding, are quite indeterministic in their nature, i.e. one cannot pinpoint the place of origin, time of occurrence, or the intensity of an earthquake. However, EAS, post-analyzing real-time data (shown in the image,) from certain selected earthquake-prone regions, calculates the time that shall be required for the secondary seismic wave to travel between the epicentre and the location under observation. This is known as the “Lead Time.”
+
+![EAS 1](/images/posts/eas1.jpg)
+
+Earthquakes begin with primary waves, which move at an average speed of 6 km/s, and are followed by secondary waves, which move at 3 km/s. Ground particles vibrating in the direction of propagation do not tend to cause any damage, however, for the case of secondary waves, one observes particles vibrating perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. Perpendicular vibrations allow for damage of humongous orders.
+
+A magnitude 7 earthquake, analytically, releases approximately 32 times more energy than a magnitude 6 earthquake. Hence, on the densely populated Gangetic Plains in Uttarakhand, an earthquake with magnitude greater than 7 or 8 has the potential of causing overwhelming damage to human life and property. 
+
+To explain the methodology in a brief, seismic sensors have been deployed in tectonically-active areas, and regions which have had a past record of earthquakes. Himalayas, due to the folding and faulting between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, tend to be tectonically-active region. As repercussions of the same, adjacent regions - such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Nepal - have had an earthquake-fling of their own, with earthquakes of magnitude greater than 8, on richter scale, being observed in the past. Currently, collisions which can lead to disastrous earthquakes, in the aforementioned regions, are being anticipated. This is why, with EAS as a weapon, Seismologists in the state of Uttarakhand have been on a “night watch.”
+
+![EAS 2](/images/posts/eas2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+The biggest highlight of EAS is the algorithm that estimates the magnitude of the earthquake in real time simulation, in a matter of 3 seconds, only. Roorkee, being about 120 kms away from the Himalayas, can observe an S-wave in about 40 seconds, if the epicentre of the earthquake lies in Himalayas. After estimation of intensity within 3 seconds, and an additional 10 seconds for an alert to be issued, EAS provides Roorkee with a lead time of about 25-30 seconds. Additionally, warnings shall be issued, only if the magnitude of earthquake exceeds a 6 on the richter scale. Four or more sensors should back the notification, else, no warning is issued. Within the inevitable 10 seconds required for the issuing of warning, the S-wave moves ahead by about 30 km - making this region the blindspot. However, the epicentre is usually a teeny bit into the depths of Himalayas, and, hence, the corresponding blindspot turns out to be a sparsely populated region. Still, an earthquake of magnitude more than 8 can cause some serious havoc in regions reaching upto Delhi.
+ 
+In recent years, the population in northern Uttar Pradesh has increased significantly, and, more importantly, the entire region sits on soft soil, which tends to amplify wave motion rather than dampen it, hence increasing seismic risk. Fortunately, due to the recent developments in all the nearby villages, broadband network and mobile phones’ connectivity has become very routine. Thus, following the Earthquake emergency measures - post-issuing of the notification - can turn out to be a life-saving choice.

_posts/2017-05-27-guide-to-branches.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Watch Out's Guide to the Branches at IIT Roorkee"
+tags: [wona]
+category: academics
+image: branch-guide.jpg
+---
+
+It is pretty difficult to choose a field of study that you might have to stick with for four (or five) years. We know because we've all been there. Hence, to make the process a little bit easier, we came up with this rather elaborate and painstakingly devised guide to the various branches at IIT Roorkee. With an analysis of the various specialisations available, including an overview of the syllabus, future prospects, and some inside information from IIT Roorkee, we hope to give you a perspective of what you might be getting into!
+
+<a href="/WatchOutsGuidetoBranches.pdf" style="text-align: center"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-block btn-lg">Download the Guide Here!</button></a>

_posts/2017-05-30-search-great-indian-literature.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: In Search of Great Indian English Literature
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh with inputs from Utkarsh Bajpai, Aaushi Kamble, Saurav Mahale, Ravee Chawal and Saihimal Allu"
+image: indian-literature.jpg
+excerpt: Literature, which is art married to thought, and realization untainted by reality – seems to me the end toward which all human effort would have to strive, if it were truly human and not just a welling up of our animal self
+---
+
+#### “Literature, which is art married to thought, and realization untainted by reality – seems to me the end toward which all human effort would have to strive, if it were truly human and not just a welling up of our animal self” – Fernando Pessoa, _The Book of Disquiet_
+ 
+Methods/means of communication have evolved simultaneously with our species; what began as gestures and symbols grew into languages, each with their innate grammatical logic and vocabulary. A desire to store information led to the creation of dialects; these twin inventions, when used in conjunction - to address the need of expressing oneself - was baptised “literature”. Today, literature is not merely a means to preserve knowledge; it serves to express the writer’s ideas, opinions and beliefs. It is this body of work - thus derived - that is used as an instrument for the infusion of ideas on a large scale. 
+ 
+Literature – by nature – is subjective; any effort made to sift good literature from the mediocre, the bad and the useless will tend to elicit mixed responses from its readers. Nevertheless, for purposes of this editorial, the term “good literature” needs to be defined and elaborated upon.
+ 
+If there is such a thing as good literature, it is thus declared by scholars. Notwithstanding this observation, one of the primary characteristics of a great book is universality - its ability to engage a wide range of audiences, each with their own complexities and taste. The story and the quality of language – the yarn and the way it is spun – are also definitive attributes. The fourth – perhaps lending it the added advantage of relatability – is insight; a commentary, reflection or discourse on the human condition; oftentimes, this may be implied rather than direct, deduced from the actions of a character or correlations in characterisations.  Most importantly, however, any great work of literature should distinguish itself, being unique in at least one way: in Julian Barnes’ _The Sense of an Ending_, it is the unreliable narrator with his seemingly malleable memories; in Elanor Catton’s The Luminaries, pivotal characters are assigned each of the twelve zodiac signs or associated with one of the planets, and the narrative is based on the lunar cycle. Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North enchants the reader with its hauntingly beautiful narrative, employing no direct speech.
+ 
+Listing these characteristics does not liberate literature from the wrath of its subjectivity, for these parameters are, in themselves, subjective; several books deemed abhorrent upon release go on to become classics (_The Picture of Dorian Gray_ by Oscar Wilde is one such example); whether this is due to a delayed acceptance of unpopular opinions is hard to ascertain. Tastes also differ from one person to the other, scholarly or otherwise; _The Narrow Road to the Deep North_ was reportedly rejected outright by a jury for a national prize, but went on to win the Man Booker Prize.
+ 
+#### “For some, English-language Indian writing will never be more than a post-colonial anomaly, the bastard child of Empire, sired on India by the departing British; its continuing use of the old colonial tongue is seen as a fatal flaw that renders it forever inauthentic.” – Salman Rushdie, _Mirrorwork: 50 Years of Indian Writing_
+ 
+Essentially, there seem to be two types of Indian (English) literature: the first, originally written in English, and the second, written in a vernacular language thereupon translated to English. With both, several shortcomings are immediately visible.
+ 
+In the same passage as the source of the latter quote (a preface), Salman Rushdie ponders over the reason for the inclusion of only one translated work in the anthology; he sees it as a manifestation of the “genuine problem of translation in India”, where authors writing in vernacular languages do not get the recognition they deserve due to the inadequacies of their translators. This problem, he assures us, is “certainly much diminished” due to efforts made by UNESCO and the Indian Sahitya Academy – but “not eradicated”. A parallel can be drawn with the national film industry; when being voiced over in a different language, the derived meaning may greatly diverge from the one originally implied.
+ 
+While prizes do not always herald the addition of new works to the conglomerate of good literature, they are important markers of their quality. To date there have been only four Indian recipients of the Man Booker Prize (of whom only one – Arundhati Roy – can be considered “truly” Indian), one of the Nobel Prize for Literature (Tagore), and none of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction; this rather paltry number is cause for concern. 
+ 
+What, therefore, are we doing collectively wrong?
+ 
+Most noticeably, there is no incentive to use English as a medium. In order to communicate with the masses, the language that ensures most readership is Hindi; any English work, therefore, in order to be commercially successful must use oversimplified language, in addition to clichéd stories and themes. As a result, a majority of contemporary Indian literature is unimaginative, unoriginal and oligopolistic, with the likes of Chetan Bhagat, Durjoy Dutta, Preeti Sheenoy, Ravinder Singh and Amish Tripathi being its forerunners; these are the figures the younger generations of readers and authors look up to, forming a vicious cycle of mediocrity. Indian literature seldom strays outside the narratives of jilted lovers or stories of overcoming loss; while these are possibly elements of a great work of literature, it cannot be constituted by these alone.
+ 
+Furthermore, it is quite rare for an Indian author to use quintessential English vocabulary, owing mostly to the education meted out in Indian schools. Our stories and poems contain nouns and expressions that we – as Indians – see and use in our everyday lives. A set of such words would be _Memsahib_, train station, railing, _Oye_; their English counterparts are (respectively) Madam, railway station/ train depot, balustrade and pardon me. While these sets may seem largely identical, they are markedly different in spirit and effect; one seems to pride itself on its Indianess, the other lends it a universal air. Although books using a regionalised vocabulary are less likely to succeed internationally, several have; Kiran Desai’s _The Inheritance of Loss_ is one such work.
+ 
+India, while tolerant (in the sense that it allows for the peaceful coexistence of several diverse communities, whether divided by religion, state or caste), is eternally averse to unpopular opinions; how, then, do artists – because writers are artists in their own way – express themselves honestly? Salman Rushdie helplessly maintains a safe distance from India – the setting of his Man Booker Prize winning book, _Midnights Children_ – in light of the large protests that erupted after the release of The Satanic Verses; M. F. Hussain was rather harshly chastised for his painting depicting a nude Saraswati; while India may claim to be a democracy, freedom of speech and expression are only valid unless no sentiments are hurt, which is rather often. Being vocal in opposition of a popular viewpoint precedes social exclusion and ridicule.
+ 
+Perhaps as India grows older, there shall be more room for art and literature; for now the picture is rather bleak and uncertain. 
+
+_Illustration Credits: Christoph Neimann_

_posts/2017-06-06-story-of-pibit.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Story of Pibit"
+tags: [wona]
+category: career 
+image: pibit_logo.png
+excerpt: Pibit is an IITR start-up which has created a digital platform for the local merchants where they can connect to potential customers.
+---
+
+__WONA: What does Pibit exactly do?__
+
+__PIBIT__: Pibit has created a digital platform for the local merchants where they can connect to potential customers in real time. Thus, solving the problem of low sales during off-peak hours by luring customers through real-time offers.
+In addition to this, Pibit also offers the feature of pre-ordering so as to save you valuable time and money.
+
+__W: What future do you see for Pibit from here on?__
+
+__P__: Well, we have been able to establish our market in Roorkee and parts of Dehradun without any kind of financial aid from anyone. After an extensive market research, we're planning to expand to Tier 1 and 2 cities as soon as we get funded.
+
+__W: Recently you have been dilating to other cities as well. What were the challenges you faced initially and while expanding?__
+
+__P__: As far as establishing the market in Roorkee is concerned we didn't face many difficulties given the fact that our team wholly consists of undergrads. Expanding to Dehradun was an uneasy task. Commuting to Dehradun from Roorkee and then back to Roorkee was quite hectic. Gaining the local restaurant owners' confidence wasn't a cake walk. However, the most challenging thing was building a team in Dehradun, because it's difficult to manage a team when none of your core team members is actually present there at all times. The good thing is that even after these challenges we've managed to come this far.
+
+![pibit 1](/images/posts/pibit_team.jpg)
+
+__W: What sets you apart from your competitors?__
+
+__P__: What gives Pibit an edge over its competitors is that most of its competitors do not provide real-time offers and pre-ordering features. That makes Pibit the only online platform that gives real-time connectivity, personalized offers, pre-ordering and home delivery all at one place.
+
+__W: What advice do you give to budding entrepreneurs?__
+
+__P__: It takes a lot of guts to start something new. There are all possible risks of failures. One thing that matters the most is how persistent you are? Nothing great is achieved easily. Set your GOALS, know your TARGETS, keep working until you achieve those targets. There are all sorts of people out there to discourage you. It's a good thing though because the feeling of proving them wrong is exhilarating in itself. And it's one the best boosters to move forward.
+
+__W: How do you think the administration can help promote entrepreneurship on campus?__
+
+__P__: The administration can be helpful in many ways, for instance, reducing the minimum attendance percentage required to take exams. Many foreign universities offer a no. of major and minor courses in entrepreneurial studies. Our college too can introduce such courses as electives. There are many projects that receive funding from the administration. In the same manner, good business ideas should also be sponsored. The introduction of Tides Business Incubator is a good start to a start-up culture at IIT-R. Steps like these are surely going to give rise to the number of budding entrepreneurs on our campus.
+
+
+_To share your start-up story with us, send it to watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2017-06-13-beautiful-life.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: It's a Beautiful Life
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh, Anushrut Gupta"
+image: beautiful-life.jpg
+excerpt: The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.
+---
+
+#### "The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed." - Achilles, _Troy_ (2004).
+
+The value of any commodity in our possession – philosophically or economically – is ascertained by a lack of abundance. Life is universal, but never in perfect competition; the longevity and quality of, as well as the insignificant infinite incidents constituting our lives vary globally. Nevertheless, death is the indiscriminate adjudicator that unites us. Perhaps it is the only reason we ever do anything; a visible eventual end reinforces the value of our life, spurring us on to make the most of each day.
+
+What, then, will we – our attitudes, outlooks and dispositions – make of a significant increase in the average life expectancy?
+
+If the (hypothetical) elixir were to bequeath to us an additional 120 years – that is to say, a life expectancy of 200 years – one immediately assumes that scientific and technological progress will accelerate by an unimaginable magnitude, for greater work logically follows greater amount of available time. In retrospect, however, it is short-sighted to exclude the talent for procrastination with which we are naturally endowed. The perception of time as an infinite commodity shall incentivize a majority of the human race to recursively postpone autonomous tasks, resulting in collective underachievement.
+
+Counterintuitively, there shall also be a – eventual, if not immediate – decrease in population. Assuming that most countries of the world shall be developed by the time such an elixir is made available, the prevalent family size shall be significantly smaller. Men and women shall hop in and out of relationships – having enough time to find the “love of their lives” – a hunt that shall, perhaps, forever elude and disappoint them.
+
+Meaning is innate in language but never in life, forged by its bearers (in an attempt) to make sense of the series of circumstances that establish themselves as parts of their lives. It is sought from a definite number of sources – primarily suffering, love and work. Love and work become largely irrelevant in this scenario; very rarely shall these be the sources of fulfilment, and fodder for discerning meaning. By exclusion, we shall turn to suffering to define our lives. What a sad life this shall constitute! With suffering predominating the emotional landscape – and additionally milking it for meaning – an aversion to happiness shall prevail, for it (logically) becomes the antithesis of meaning’s forge.
+
+#### “Living, naturally, is never easy. You continue making the gestures commanded by existence for many reasons, the first of which is habit. Dying voluntarily implies that you have recognized, even instinctively, the ridiculous character of that habit, the absence of any profound reason for living, the insane character of that daily agitation, the uselessness of suffering” – Albert Camus, _Suicide: the one truly serious philosophical question_
+
+Wrought and marred by misery, humanity’s faith in the absurd shall be solidified; once the “uselessness of suffering” is established – those that rely on it as the foundation of meaning shall eventually realise that there is none – any reflective, contemplative being shall surrender himself to the reasoning that his/her existence is worth nothing, that nothing will possibly be different on their passing. Employing Adrian’s logic (from The Sense of an Ending) that one may choose to renounce their life upon examination – since it is a gift given to them and therefore, theirs to reject – intellectually endowed people shall renounce their lives the way Adrian did. Who, then, shall lead this world into the great unknown that is the future?
+
+Our lives, although flawed, shall never be as disastrous. Perhaps it is conducive – even ominous – to have a life of eighty years. A supernumerary life may arouse gratitude initially, when one has a standard to compare it to; over time, however, it shall be the source of a universally prevalent disdain.
+
+_Illustration Credits: Scott Laumann_

_posts/2017-06-18-the-ericsson-awards.md

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Ericsson Innovation Awards"
+tags: [wona]
+category: verbatim
+image: ericcson_team.jpg
+---
+
+**_“Swedish vodka and the best meat you could ever have - hmm, well, if only I wasn’t a non-drinking vegetarian.”_**
+ 
+_"Four students from IIT Roorkee made the institute proud by grabbing the top spot at the prestigious Ericsson Innovation Awards, hosted at the Nobel Museum. We had a chance to talk to one of the members of the contingent, and ask him all about their exploits in Sweden._
+ 
+ 
+
+__WONA: First off all, how’d it all begin?__
+ 
+__TEAM SNAP__: Getting the first prototype ready, filing a patent, and publishing a paper on the results of the pilot implementation - an idea that I had while sinking in my bed, has certainly come a long way. I had the idea for this project in December, 2015, and have been working on the same, since then.
+ 
+To begin with, the device is basically a multispectral imaging tool, which images a leaf at different wavelengths, in a very controlled environment, calculates Geo-imaging Satellites (GIS) based spectral parameters, and correlates the same with the nitrogen content in the leaves. Hence, you get to know the nitrogen content in the leaves, which can then be correlated with the nitrogen content in the soil, and, thus, you can get to know the optimal nitrogenous-fertilizer content, required for the best yield of your crops.
+ 
+
+__W: Tell us something about the Ericsson Innovation Awards.__
+
+
+![EIA 1](/images/posts/ericsson1.jpg)
+
+
+__TS__: The Ericsson Innovation Awards, which were started in 2009, tend to promote innovation amongst university-students, motivating them to come up with original ideas. Thinking that we were original enough, we submitted our project. I had looped in others, the current team as you know, to participate in the competition. However, it was Ankit Bagaria, who led the ante further in terms of everything not-tech. I had one job: getting the product ready, i.e. a working and presentable prototype.
+ 
+Though we did apply for the competition, I wouldn’t be lying if I said that we were the quintessential should-not-be-selected team, back then. However, “it’s a new day, it’s a new sun.”
+ 
+With a great presentation, and some great pilot runs coming our way, we realized that we could actually make it. And we actually got into the top 13 out of 907 teams, across the globe. WE were shocked with the selection, frankly. Hell, there was a team from Stanford! Last year’s top 3 had included a team from MIT, so, I wouldn’t be over-extrapolating if I said that we had actually beat teams from all the biggies.
+ 
+ 
+![EIA 2](/images/posts/ericcson2.jpg)
+ 
+ 
+__W: Must have been pretty overwhelming!__
+ 
+__TS__: Well, things just got wilder, for we actually made it into the top 3, and were selected to present our prototype at the World Finals, which was supposed to be held at the Nobel Museum, Stockholm, Sweden.
+ 
+We got an actually presentable prototype (believe me, the one used for pilot implementation looked like a screwed up shoebox) ready, which was giving quite awesome results. We tested this one for a decently healthy leaf, and a totally dead leaf, and the results were amazing. 
+
+
+__W: Talk us through your first day in Sweden.__ 
+ 
+__TS__: We reached our Hotel, “Hotel Connect, Kista,” near the Ericsson’s Global office, Kista, Sweden. If you are into electronics, you are in for some anxiety a
+ttacks when you get to this place. Linear Technology, Xilinx - the ones you use for making all the basic structures - to biggies like Panasonic, Bosch - who build upon those basic structures - everyone had their offices here. KTH’s research facilities were a 5 minute walk. I, for one, was certainly witnessing transcendence. 
+ 
+We were supposed to record a 45 second pitch, the very next day, in the morning. Not much of a big deal, since it had been months that we had been practicing our pitching skills. I must say, though, the Ericsson Studio was beautiful!
+
+
+![EIA 3](/images/posts/ericcson3.jpg)
+
+
+These guys, they have projects from 5G to virtual reality to predictive transport network systems to whatever-you-want-to-get-anxious-about. We also got to click ourselves with an emmy award - certainly won’t win one, ever, in my life, but, at least, I shall always have a click to back my bluff with.
+ 
+Meanwhile, our crew had witnessed some additions. We had the global talent acquisitions head, some interns, and some other employees join us. 
+ 
+ 
+__W: Coming to D-Day. What was going through your head?__
+
+__TS__: Back in Studio, we started pitching our MVP and demonstrated the same to the Ericsson employees, who were kind enough to stop and listen to our rants of how Agriculture is dying. 
+ 
+At the Museum, I don’t think I could control my anxiety anymore. We were at the Nobel Museum! While everyone was busy mugging their pitches, I was going around the Museum, doing experiments with some pretty hefty equipments - which, unlike our labs, was working. The gift shop - it was a heaven of its own. From Bob Dylan to Einstein, there was everything. 400 well spent Kronas later, I realized we had 10 minutes left before our pitch. High time I mugged up my part of the pitch? Certainly.
+ 
+The jury was chaired by Sara Mazur, Head of Ericsson Research with Caleb Harper, MIT Media Lab, Dr. Catherine Mulligan, Imperial College London, Mattias Fyrenius, CEO Nobel Media, and Johan Jörgensen, Founder Stockholm FoodTech, as the jury members.
+ 
+Snap the scene to the pitching room, we pitched our hearts out. Unluckily, we had too much content, and too less time - our Business model, we could just half-explain it - luckily, though, the judges did not care for it. Clicking images and get chlorophyll content? “You think I’m crazy, convince me with that, we’ll get to the business model later” - certainly what the judges felt, for all they asked us were technical questions. Now, here is where the 1.5 years of efforts helped us. We were spot on with the technical questions; frankly, I could speak a lot more than I did for the technical aspects. 
+
+
+__W: What was the best part of the trip, you know, apart from being the global winners!__
+
+__TS__: THE RADIOHEAD CONCERT. It was something that had us overwhelmingly excited from the moment we landed in Sweden!
+ 
+If you want to witness transcendence, go watch these guys live. I have been a fanatic of Radiohead, for an year now. Going there, I got to know why. The stripped down versions, the little flings they’d play with their instruments and vocals, it was too much for me to bare. I swear, if someone hugged me, I’d have sobbed hard.
+ 
+ 
+![EIA 4](/images/posts/ericsson4.jpg)
+
+
+I’ll give you this - when I retire, Sweden it’ll be. The people, the place, the atmosphere - it was all so satisfying.
+ 
+ 
+__W: Looking back, did you back yourself from the start? How confident were you?__
+ 
+__TS__: Well, since we never got down to the business model, I was pretty sure we’ve missed this one. There seemed no reason to me that a technical venture could win a technical competition, after all. Silly me? Spot on, because we did win. 
+When you feel like you are screwed and there’s no chance that you could win a dime, but you bag 25000 euros (pretty huge, eh?), believe me, you burst out with some huge rushes of adrenaline.
+ 
+_And, that was it. Team SNAP got some snaps clicked, snapped out of the Museum, out of Sweden, and back to 40 degrees Celsius of grueling summer heat in India, from a pleasant temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. The experience got us through some amazing rushes of excitement, for sure!_

_posts/2017-06-26-summer-diaries-fuzzy-logix.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Fuzzy Logix"
+image: deept1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2017 
+author: "Deept Mahendiratta"
+excerpt: "The company is basically focused on In-Database Analytics i.e. performing the analytics inside the data warehouse itself, without having to extract the data for analysis. The company is expanding and has also begun providing analytics services to its clients."
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+**Selection Process:**
+Fuzzy Logix has a well-defined selection process. The company usually comes for campus selections and opens for all branches. For the first time, online tests were conducted for shortlisting this year. The first step consisted of the selection of students with a CGPA greater than 7 for the online test. Then, after resume-shortlisting with preference being given to students with a CGPA of 8 and above, interviews were conducted.
+ 
+**Rounds:**
+The first round was the online test containing 10 basic aptitude questions, 10 simple questions based on C/C++ (mainly syntax related) and a very basic coding question. After the first round, around 55 students were selected for the personal interview round.
+
+For the interview, two panels, one for the technical interview and one for the HR interview, were created and the two interviews were carried out in different rooms. In the technical interview, difficult questions were asked on coding and probability and we were grilled based on our technical knowledge. On the other hand, the HR interview was based on an interaction with the panel with discussions that revolved around our resume. Some basic C++ programming, Object Oriented questions, and a few puzzles were also asked. If you can interact well, explain properly what you have done throughout your college life and present your achievements, your work here is done!
+A total of 8 people were selected for the internship after the interview round.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/deept2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+<br>
+**Details about the firm:**
+​Fuzzy Logix has two main corporate offices, one located in Charlotte, North Carolina and one in Bangalore. Fuzzy Logix develops libraries and functions for various data warehouses like Netezza, TeraData, TeraData Aster, Oracle Exadata etc. The company is basically focused on In-Database Analytics i.e. performing the analytics inside the data warehouse itself, without having to extract the data for analysis. The company is expanding and has also begun providing analytics services to its clients.
+ 
+**Aim of the internship:**
+The aim of the internship was to get us well acquainted with the work that Fuzzy Logix is involved in. No specific prerequisites were needed. We were taught the basic languages and softwares that Fuzzy Logix uses during our first-week induction program at the company. We were then allotted various projects in groups of two on the basis of the languages we knew beforehand. More or less, the work involved the testing, debugging and documentation of already built functions.
+
+**Work culture at the firm:**
+The work culture at Fuzzy Logix is quite cool and similar to that of a startup. There are flexible working hours which range between 10 am to 7 pm. No predefined seating arrangement is followed; we are allowed to sit wherever we wish to work. There is a table tennis table and a well-equipped pantry. We can eat or play anytime we wish to as long as we are not required to work. We just have to make sure that the assigned project is completed before the deadline. The company requires you to wear formals to work except on Fridays. In short, Fuzzy Logix follows a culture similar to that of a startup and hardly that of a corporate. The best part of being in Fuzzy Logix is that you get to work with your seniors and friends from IIT Roorkee and IIT Kanpur.
+
+### Summing up
+<br>
+**Experience gained:**
+​I learned a lot about various languages used specifically for Data Science and also got an insight of the important functions used. We are also allowed to attend various team meetings so that we could get an insight of how the work is carried out in an IT firm. Overall, it was a great experience for a person like me, who had no background in coding. The mentors and people around helped me from scratch and cleared the silliest of my doubts.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/deept3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+**Advice to people gunning for it:**
+Though the work at the internship might get redundant after a while, it’s the foundation of the work done at Fuzzy Logix that you learn during your internship. You learn the basics of Data Science and see how various functions work.The work for interns basically revolves around the development, testing, debugging and documentation in various data analytics platforms. Work done at Fuzzy Logix is quite different from that at a conventional IT firm and that’s what makes it more interesting. You may be expecting that there would be a lot of Data Science, so you may get upset on this front as most of the interns are made to work mainly on development projects. But since it’s more of a startup, you can work closely with the team and also get to know about the work being done in other projects. Overall, there is a great learning atmosphere. If you’re willing to go for it, build a strong resume, present your work in the right way and get it proofread by your seniors and friends. As for the interview, prepare well about the things you’ve mentioned in your resume, your projects or earlier internships and be confident. Also, a good command over coding would definitely give you an edge.

_posts/2017-06-26-summer-diaries-qualcomm.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Qualcomm"
+image: akanksha1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2017
+author: "Aakanksha Doda" 
+excerpt: "Qualcomm is an American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. The company headquarters are located in San Diego, California, United States and has 224 worldwide locations."
+---
+### Making it there:
+
+The selection process for Qualcomm is carried out in three rounds.
+
+**Online test**: The initial shortlisting is done on the basis of this test which consists of three sections namely 
+
+1. Quantitative and Verbal
+
+2. Object Oriented Programming and Algorithms
+
+3. Electronics/Software 
+
+The third section is to be chosen by the student depending upon which profile they've applied for. One can opt for both the options (if interested) and extra time is allotted accordingly. The time given for each round varies from 25 to 40 minutes, which might seem quite less compared to the number of questions asked. So, time management plays an important role.
+Right after the test, there is a presentation the next day which is to be attended compulsorily. It is here that they brief the applicants about the company and its work culture as well as announce the names of the shortlisted candidates for the next round which is carried out the same day.
+
+**Technical Interview:** In this round, questions mostly about your past projects (if any) are asked. So, it is important to be up to date with your projects/previous internships. Also, if you do not have any projects in your resume related to the profile you've applied for, slightly modified questions from 'geekforgeeks.com' are asked to check your knowledge of mainly data structures. You may be asked to write a pseudo-codes of the same in the language you prefer.
+ 
+**HR Interview:** If you have been selected for this round, the chances that you have already been hired as an intern are pretty high. In this round, they basically want to know how easily you can open up in a new environment. This round is more like a light conversation than an interview. A little knowledge about Qualcomm can be helpful here.
+Apart from learning about algorithms and data structures from 'geeksforgeeks.com', a basic knowledge of Linux programming and practicing aptitude questions (interviewbit.com/puzzlersworld.com) is enough to crack the selection process successfully.
+
+### Work:
+<br>
+Qualcomm is an American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. The company headquarters are located in San Diego, California, United States and has 224 worldwide locations. It played a major role in the 3G and 4G industry and is now working to launch 5G networking soon. 
+The internship commenced with the assigning a mentor and a manager to every intern. Most of the interns were given projects regarding testing or error handling of previously written codes. 
+I worked in the WLAN Software Team and my project was to add a feature to record and handle the error that occurred when a user configured the WLAN Modem. The whole project was to be coded in C language using various other techniques like socket programming, etc. The main obstacle in my project was the file size in which all the configuration commands sent to the driver were to be recorded. This required an extensive use of different data structures and understanding previously written codes for VAP configuration. My mentor was very helpful and always available to clear all my doubts. The manager allotted to me, on the other hand, generally remained in his office and rarely checked on my progress during the internship. 
+ 
+The work hours depend on your project and the team assigned. I used to stay in the office from 10 am to 6 pm while a few of my co-interns used to work in slots – 11 am to 4 pm and then after dinner – 9 pm to 12 midnight. The project is assigned considering that you are a two-month intern which means that the work is not very pressurizing. All that expected of you the completion of the project by the end of the internship. Apart from work, there are team lunches and outings organized weekly/monthly depending upon the team.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/akanksha3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Perks and fun:
+<br>
+Qualcomm takes very good care of its interns providing the best of facilities. All the interns are provided with luxurious apartments, cab service, gym, etc. Qualcomm offices are not exactly in the main city, so you may have to travel for an hour or more to find some happening places. However, the office buildings are well equipped with a lot of indoor game areas like foosball, TT, carrom and video games like FIFA too. The best part of doing an internship in Bangalore is that most of your friends are also in Bangalore, the center of India's technology industry. There are a lot of places in and around the city to have a good time. The pleasant weather adds up to the fun of bike trips around the place. Also, this city has some coolest places to dine in and the nightlife is amazing.  
+
+Qualcomm also organizes many competitions and fun events. During my internship, there was a photography competition and a singing event organized for the employees and interns. A major part of a Qualcomm internship is the Qualcomm Idea Quest whereby all the two month interns have to submit a new idea related to the domains in which Qualcomm works and if the idea is selected, teams are made and funding is provided to execute the idea in not more than 15 days at the end of which, a winning team is announced. Also, there are various days celebrated by the company – Qliving day, in which we were taken to WonderLa, Qsocial day and many more.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/akanksha2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Key takeaways
+<br>
+Qualcomm is a great company to have an enriching experience and meet some of the best minds during your intern. This company provides you an in-depth view of how the corporate world works, letting you decide whether you want to join it or not. I would suggest to all the folks aiming for Qualcomm–software that you don't need to be an excellent coder or have a great resume with many projects, all you need is to be clear with your basics and you are good to go. 

_posts/2017-06-26-summer-diaries-tata-steel.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Tata Steel"
+image: shrutika1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2017
+author: "Shrutika Yeola" 
+excerpt: "As is common, in my 3rd year, I was still ascertaining where my interests lay. The question of whether I should take up an internship in my “core” field (i.e. Metallurgy) remained largely unanswered until a professor advised me to do so. I chose to.."
+---
+
+As is common, in my 3rd year, I was still ascertaining where my interests lay. The question of whether I should take up an internship in my “core” field (i.e. Metallurgy) remained largely unanswered until a professor advised me to do so. I chose to take heed of his advice: I had studied these subjects for two and a half years, and felt I had nothing to lose.
+ 
+TATA Steel’s selection process is relatively easy, in that it has no CGPA criteria. The first round was a 2.5 hour long online test comprising questions of Mental Ability, English and Metallurgy. 10 out of 90 candidates were then shortlisted for a Group Discussion, where we were asked to “imagine that you are waiters working for a loss-making hotel. How, then – in your capacity as a waiter – can you do to turn a profit?” 6 students consequentially made it into the personal interview round.
+ 
+Never had I (previously) faced the critical eyes of the interviewer; although initially cynical of such an exchange, I managed to exceed my expectations, and the interview has since become a fond memory. I was asked a mix of technical and HR questions. An in-depth knowledge of two sub-topics is also necessary to get past the interview ( a detailed version of the proceedings can be found <span style="color:#72C5EB">[here](https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-best-interview-experience-you-have-had/answer/Shrutika-Yeola-1?srid=7fLI&share=f2d2636c)</span> ). Two of us were thus selected to intern at TATA steel.
+ 
+There are three other ways to bag the internship:
+ 
+1. <span style="color:#72C5EB">[Mind Over Matter (MOM) competition](http://www.valueabled.com/mind-over-matter-season3.aspx)</span>: Details can be found on Channel I. Questions are of a technical nature, and are to be answered either individually, or in pairs of two. All 3rd year students (regardless of their field of study) are eligible to participate. 23 students were selected through this route.
+
+2. <span style="color:#72C5EB">[Women of Mettle](http://www.valueabled.com/women-of-mettle.aspx)</span>: Since the programme is a recent development, I do not possess adequate information about the same. Relevant details can be procured first-hand from the website.
+
+3. Word-of-mouth recommendations (a.k.a “contacts”), although this directly implies that a PPO cannot be secured.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/shrutika2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work culture:
+<br> 
+The primary focus of TATA steel is values, as is evident by their motto “Values stronger than steel”. Many-a-senior had stated that the company is indifferent to incurring loss, but is very uptight about basic ethical considerations (such as wearing a safety helmet). Non-adherence to such simple yet important rules is liable to get you fired. Excluding such circumstances, however, one’s job at TATA Steel is largely secure. At present, it is the best corporation for a “core” job in Metallurgy; the joining salary has also risen to 10.5 LPA. 
+ 
+A 5-day working week is the norm, with working hours being 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Interns are put up in the Graduate Trainee Hostel (with double rooms for boys and single rooms for girls), which is not without its fair share of problems: a time restriction for girls (7:30 pm), absence of basic commodities such as Wi-Fi, washing machines, and a considerable number of insects. Most days are tiring, and there is no energy left to wander the city (on working days). A mess adjoining the hostel provides food 4 times a day.
+ 
+The stipend is a humble Rs. 10,000, in addition to reimbursement of 3-tier A/C tickets for travel. The quanta of work depends on the guide, but is usually manageable. The attire is also determined by the guide, although safety shoes and a safety band are compulsory. The internship/ job is ideal for those having parallel pursuits such as the UPSC and CAT (or a completely different career) as there is sufficient time left over. At the end of one’s time here, there is a 20 – 30 minute long presentation, serving as the sole criteria for securing a PPO.
+ 
+My project was on “The Crystallographic and Texture Analysis of Ti+Nb+Mo HS 800 Steel”, under the Flat Product Technology Group (it is scarcely as dangerous as it sounds). A few days of study on the topic at hand fosters an interest for it. Moreover, I was fortunate enough to be appointed a guide who kept in constant touch through weekly updates, and also helped me with experiments. Sincere work can result in the publication of a research paper within the stipulated period of two months; many students have done so in the past.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/shrutika3.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+TATA Steel possess a variety of equipment: the Coke plant, Pellet plant, Blast furnace and LD furnace, to name a few. One gets to see, in real time, all that they have studied and – at long last – an answer to why we study the course.
+ 
+The employees of the plant are rather helpful; they are forever ready to help and guide the interns.
+ 
+### About Jamshedpur
+<br>
+Jamshedpur has a scant number of attractions: Dimna Lake, HUDCO Lake, Jubilee Park, the Dalma trek and the Zoo. Further off (4-8 hours away) are Kolkata, Puri, Konarak and Bhubaneshwar. Bakeries and restaurants nearby include Bon Appetite, Le Bon, and Brubeck. Though it may initially seem (by observing the area around the Railway Station) that you are in for a dreadful bore of two months, time shall tell you different.
+ 
+The weather here is mostly hot and humid, interspersed by frequent rain (once every 3 days).
+ 
+### Takeaways
+<br>
+TATA Steel is best for those in metallurgy wishing to pursue a “core” job, or explore its possibilities. It is a rather secure job, and the probability of being laid off is very low, provided one sticks to the ethical code of the corporation. Chances of bagging a PPO, as well as of publishing a research paper are good. Its work culture makes it a good company to start with.<br>
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/shrutika4.JPG){: style="width:80%;height:auto"}

_posts/2017-06-30-summer-diaries-wipro.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Wipro"
+image: Aryan1.PNG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Aryan Khaitan"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Although Wipro is famously referred to as a mass-recruiter, the fact that there were only 13 interns from different IITs in the Pune Campus was kind of contradictory to the maxim. Wipro sure expects a lot from their interns, by giving them projects that would probably make their employees wonder how without any prior experience, an intern has been given such a role!"
+---
+ 
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+**Selection Process:**
+Wipro, on paper, had a considerably difficult selection criteria. The company usually comes for campus selections and is open for all branches. They kept a CGPA criteria of at least 7 for core and 8 for non-core branches. You need to fill a form in the beginning which includes all details regarding your interest and explaining all of your personal information. 
+  
+**Rounds:**
+It is then followed by an online test which has some really easy questions. I was able to nail the coding section in less than 10 minutes, which was one-third of the time they had allotted for it. The speed of solving the questions was probably a criteria too, considering the fact that I got through to the next round.
+
+ For the interview round, we had to go through two panels. The 1st one was the technical one in which interviewer asked 2-3 questions about our preferred programming language (C, C++, Java, Python), and some about the basic functioning of operating systems. He also often served us with some curveballs, like ‘What have you done for your country?’, which might make you wonder if the technical interview has morphed into an HR interview. You can expect some puzzles here, too. My HR interview was taken by a senior lead at Wipro, and he was probably way more chilled out than you’d expect an interviewer to be. A total of 13 people were selected for the internship from Roorkee. Eight among us were allotted in Bangalore, 3 got Pune and 2, Chennai.
+
+### Work
+<br>
+**The company**
+ 
+Wipro is a name that needs no introduction. It was, however, an exciting time to join the firm as it recently launched a new logo and unveiled its new brand identity. The new identity would mark Wipro's emergence as a trusted digital transformation partner to clients, delivering at global scale with increasingly localized capabilities, and leveraging hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics, cognitive and emerging technologies. The new logo, "connects the dots" for its clients integrating deep technology and domain expertise, applying insights from across industries, and consistently delivering world-class integrated, end-to-end capabilities and services, it also highlights the company's strong technology heritage and reflects capabilities for the future.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Aryan2.PNG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+**Internship experience**
+ 
+It’s safe to say that a major part of your internship depends on your mentor, and I was lucky to get a really brilliant and experienced person as a one. Although he was one of the busiest people in the office, he never burdened the work on us and equivalently divided the workload among our team. Wipro also took special care to make sure that we mingle with everyone by putting me in a team of three people, all of them from a different IIT. 
+ The project we were allotted was different from the profile we had worked on. And soon enough, we realised that this is how IT works. You don’t get a project on the kind of profile you had worked on and hence you need to be prepared for everything. This project, however, was not only intellectually stimulating but also exposed me to an important real-world problem, something that I feel shall help me over the long run. 
+ 
+**Work culture**
+ 
+The office hours were typical, as we were asked to work from 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays. This left weekends free for us to visit all the nearby places. Moreover, the workload was also flexible, depending on the kind of mentor you get. (I’d like to reiterate here by mentioning how your mentors are really cool people who will treat you as a younger brother during your whole internship period.) You get free snacks and beverages, daily, and a personal cubicle to work in. In a company of close to two lakh employees, the fact that an intern would get a personal working space seemed pretty cool to me! The office had a pretty free culture, as we enjoyed occasional games of pool and table tennis. Our mentor too joined us some time, but would often, in  a friendly way, taunt us for wasting time here rather than working! 
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Aryan3.PNG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up
+<br>
+To all the people who would be targeting it for next year, the work for interns basically revolves around the development, testing, debugging and documentation, depending on  the different projects Wipro gets from their clients. You can either be the part of the whole project or just a part of a minor project depending on how massive it is. The stipend is a decent one. However, there are chances that you might end up getting a mundane project, something you really can’t help yourself with. However, there is no doubt that being a part of a giant like Wipro exposes you to the most amazing business problems and you shall probably take away some key lessons on how you should deal with clients and your colleagues.

_posts/2017-06-31-summer-diaries-adobe.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Adobe"
+image: Aashaka1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Aashaka Shah"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The research internship takes place at the Big Data Experience Lab of Adobe Research in Bangalore. Interns are given a vast problem space from which they have to read literature and generate ideas. Most of the projects fall in the domains in which Adobe is working on or is interested in expanding its hold on."
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+My selection to the internship was based on my grades. The top 5 department rank holders from CSE and top n ( n <= 5 ) from EE, ECE and MnC get this VIP-level direct entry to the Big Data Experience Lab, Adobe Research, India. The other procedure of selection involves a coding test followed by telephonic interview. They also have a few other off-campus internship opportunities for women via the competitive coding contest - Codhers and Adobe India Women in Technology Scholarship.
+
+
+### The Work and Culture
+<br>
+The research internship takes place at the Big Data Experience Lab of Adobe Research in Bangalore. Interns are given a vast problem space from which they have to read literature and generate ideas. Most of the projects fall in the domains in which Adobe is working on or is interested in expanding its hold on. It might come as a surprise to many, but apart from the ubiquitous PDF, Photoshop and Illustrator, the infamous flash player and the coveted Behance invites, a lot of Adobe’s revenue and customers come from its Marketing Cloud. It is in this domain that the Adobe India Lab works on. The projects may span multiple different areas like video, systems, text, email, etc but almost always have a touch of machine learning attached to them.
+ 
+Each team consists of 2-3 interns and two mentors. The mentors are friendly, there are team outings and meetings are also usually very interesting.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Aashaka2.JPG)
+ 
+On a more serious note, the internship is divided into three stages, which loosely translate into choosing a problem (problem defense), thinking of a solution (solution defense) and a demo (final presentation). The first stage goes a long way in improving your presentation and analytical skills and the next two stages, your technical skills. 
+ 
+The timings are flexible, which means you can work for as much as you can, there is nothing to stop you from working. In fact, interns also tend to work on Sunday, lured by the prospect of ordering free (till a certain, but huge, amount) food for both lunch and dinner. Lunch and dinner on all other days is free and provided in the cafeteria. There is a pantry at every floor which always has a stock of milk, coffee and tea, while maggi, fruits and cornflakes finish quickly.
+ 
+Adobe tries its best to keep work lively for its interns and employees by organizing fun activities like volleyball tournaments, chess competitions, Friends quiz, and stand up comedy shows. Apart from that, one can find interesting things to do in Bangalore using apps like LBB and Insider.in.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Aashaka3.jpg){: style="width:80%;height:auto"}
+
+### Key Takeaways and Advice
+<br>
+One of the goals of the internship is to publish research papers and file patents, which is a useful addition in case one plans to pursue research in the future or make more money on the side. As for the structure of the internship, one of my mentors fondly referred to the internship program as a mini-PhD program. To be fair, I couldn't have agreed more! The prospect of a research internship had always appealed to me from the start of my second year. An internship at Adobe Research seemed like the best of both, the industry and the research world when I had accepted the internship offer. As my internship progresses, I believe that I made the right judgement. 
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/Aashaka4.gif){: style="width:100%;height:auto"}
+ 
+As mentioned previously, a ‘wild-card’ way of getting this internship is on the basis of your CGPA. To the smug readers falling in the aforementioned category, here’s a warning! Unless you are the DR1, or have a secret contact in the TPO who can reassure you otherwise, do not live in the bubble of comfort of having already scored an internship, as Adobe’s intake policies could change every internship season. 
+
+

_posts/2017-07-01-summer-diaries-pwc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: PwC"
+image: Soumya1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Soumya Ranjan"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "As an Electrical Engineering student, I tried my hand at core engineering in my sophomore year but it pretty much felt forced, and so I decided to follow my interest in finance, business and market modeling and the technology associated with it like Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Networks, etc. And that is how I ended up with PwC India."
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+Well, I wanted to get an internship as soon as possible, so that I wouldn’t have to rush to the TPO in borrowed formals for a whole semester, or possibly two. At the same time, I didn’t want to compromise on my interest areas. I became choosy and PwC was only the 4th company I applied to, after a long hiatus of two months following American Express, Goldman Sachs and ITC, three of which I botched on the 1st day itself after getting shortlisted. The company requires you to submit your CV (did I forget passport size photographs?) via the TPO and conducts a written test that is pretty “CAT-like”, consisting of Aptitude, Reasoning, and Verbal Sections. Thereafter, selected candidates are called for an interview. The main point is to focus on your CV. They will grill you on your CV, much like Gordon Ramsey in Hell’s Kitchen, and you need to justify everything that’s on it. Your interests are another area of focus as the field of work that will be assigned to you will depend on it. After this technical interview, there will be an HR interview, in which you just have to be yourself for some questions and lie with a straight face for others.
+As they recruit through official channels, you are not allowed to apply off campus. BUT, PwC does allow, in fact, encourages its employees to refer persons known to them. So if you have relatives in PwC, it’s probably time to renew old family ties. At the same time, do look for opportunities on their official website (https://www.pwc.in/).
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Soumya2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+<br>
+A few insights into PwC as a firm. PwC is one of the “Big Four” accounting firms in the world and the biggest amongst them in terms of revenue and services provided. PwC India provides industry-focussed audit and assurance, consulting and tax services to public, private and government clients in all markets. Now, as you can imagine, such a diverse business model promises you a lot of exciting fields in every domain possible. I was selected for Technology Consulting which comes under Advisory group. As the name suggests, it provides solutions to various challenges faced by the clients in terms of adoption, acclimatization, and troubleshooting associated with new technology.
+
+I was assigned to Enterprising Applications division. My work was to develop a mobile app. The app was based on the general safety of the user. I was asked to study the market dynamics of various safety apps currently present in the market and devise a frame for a fool-proof application that can be easily used on all mobile platforms. After that, I would have to use the phone’s sensors, without any add-on devices, to realize my ideas.  Also, I had to work on a business strategy to pitch the unique features incorporated into my app.
+
+A big misconception that people carry about working in a corporate world is the monotonous nature of the work. But believe me, with the right company and work culture you do not need to fear about that. The daily working hours were fixed and there were no rigid timings unless you had to face a client. My Project Manager was a chilled-out person and gave me a free hand on imagining and designing my app. Colleagues were super awesome with no air of superiority and you could even stroll into a Partner’s cabin for a small chat. So yes, the work environment was relaxed and you could seek anyone’s help without hesitation. Apart from regular work, you could participate in CSR initiatives to gain a broader perspective on life. Or you could just spend a day at the gym or challenge anyone for a game of table tennis or football. We also had a buddy attached to us who was supposed to take care of our daily problems and most importantly, take us out on a grand lunch. We had a CCD Coffee machine and unlimited snacks on each floor, so you would probably be caffeine addicted by the time you leave the internship. All in all, if you are looking forward to challenging yourself, you wouldn’t regret interning at PwC.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Soumya3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### What’s to love about the place?
+<br>
+Coming to the most important part of your internship program, the location. Honestly, I had applied for Bangalore and Hyderabad as my preferred locations but I received Kolkata, which by the way, houses the headquarters of PwC India. Let me assure you, Kolkata is absolutely the worst place to be in during summers. But as you will be in Air Conditioned rooms either at office or at home, you wouldn’t really mind that. Daily transportation was by auto rickshaws and if you feel like going to gym, but don’t have time, you can always hop onto a local bus. Kolkata, compared to other metros, is not an expensive city to live in. Being the erstwhile capital of British India, it houses lots of monuments, amusement parks, temples, museums and some amazing restaurants. The Bengali cuisine takes some time getting used to, especially if you are from North India, but you can expect a variety of cuisines in any metro city. You have amazing opportunities to visit Darjeeling, the Sunderbans and if you are feeling a bit adventurous, you can always pay a visit to Northeast India and Bhutan. I can guarantee you a fun stay in Kolkata at dirt cheap price.
+
+### Summing up
+<br>
+The greatest skill I learned from this internship is how to reinvent yourself as the situation demands. Summing up, internships are all about getting your hands dirty and meeting amazing people, who are considered giants in their field of work, and expanding your network. You should always approach them with an open mind and prepare yourself for the surprises and amazing challenges thrown your way. The best way to create an impression during an internship is to showcase your efforts and “never say die” attitude. Don’t bother slogging off extra hours but be prepared to justify every minute of your work. For people striving for such an internship, maintain a decent CGPA (> 7 will do in most cases) and have a life outside regular academics. Be involved in issues and fields you are interested in. After all, it’s not just about spending a summer and earning a stipend, it’s all about providing your life a direction.
+

_posts/2017-07-04-summer-diaries-americanex.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: American Express"
+image: rohit1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Rohit Joshi"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "AmEx has two offices in India for Risk and Information Management, in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Gurgaon has a large office with around 6000 employees. I was posted in Bangalore, known as the Big Data hub of AmEx, which has a strength of around 500. AmEx has a great work culture."
+---
+
+American Express was one of first few companies that visited the campus to hire interns. As is for most companies, CGPA was certainly a criteria for initial shortlisting of the applicants. However, AmEx has no specific CGPA cut-off, and it depends on the number of applicants. (For IITR it was around 8.) There is a perception that AmEx hires only programmers, but it is not so. From IIT Roorkee, AmEx hired for the profile of a Business Analyst/Risk Analyst Intern.
+
+### Making it there
+
+**Selection Round:** 
+There were 4 rounds in the selection process. AmEx looks for people who come from different backgrounds, who bring in varied experience and diverse skills. This is reflected in the type of interview they have as well. In each round of personal interview, they try to gauge the interests, the perceptions, and the personality of the candidate besides the quantitative aptitude. 
+
+**Online Round:**
+The round consisted of 20 MCQs. The time allotted was 50 mins. The questions were quite easily doable, and tested Mathematical Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. The MCQs were similar to CAT questions. Strict shortlisting was done on the basis of the online round, and only 15 students were selected, give or take.
+
+**Technical Round 1:**
+The first technical round revolved around Guesstimates. It started with conversations about current affairs, politics, and cricket and then moved on to the guesstimate part. The interviewer asked three guesstimates, each followed by a 10-15 min discussion. The main objective of the round is to see how the candidate understands, structures and solves the problem. I was encouraged by the interviewer to think of multiple approaches to solve the problem. I would recommend you to have a look at the general structure used for solving case-studies and guesstimates before the interview.
+
+**Technical Round 2:**
+This round was meant to test Mathematic and Analytic Aptitude. At first, we had discussions regarding AmEx, particularly its expansion policy, competitors and future. Finance and previous internships and projects were also a topic of discussion. These were followed a few puzzles, most of which were of a medium difficulty level. There were also a few questions about Data Analysis and Statistics. It is recommended that you brush up basic Maths and read up about the company you are interviewing for. 
+
+**HR Round:**
+This was like a generic HR interview. There were usual questions regarding previous internships, projects, interests, background, ambitions, strengths etc. The best way to tackle these questions is to be brutally honest.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/rohit2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+
+AmEx has two offices in India for Risk and Information Management, in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Gurgaon has a large office with around 6000 employees. I was posted in Bangalore, known as the Big Data hub of AmEx, which has a strength of around 500. AmEx has a great work culture. They have open workplaces, no cubicles, and no offices for anyone but VPs. This means the person sitting next to you may even be a Director in AmEx, which was actually the case for me. AmEx ensures that employees have a great work life balance. The office timings are very flexible and there is always an option of working from home whenever you feel so. The only criteria is that you deliver your work before deadlines. However, I would encourage interns not to work from home; instead try to learn as much as they can from people in the organisation.
+
+The responsibility of delivering a project is given to smaller groups of 2-3 members and each person works on multiple projects. Personal Accountability is something which is emphasised a lot in AmEx. Interns are given individual projects and a mentor to guide through the project. I worked for the performance marketing (aka AmEx Advance) team. The primary work revolves around leveraging AmEx Closed loop data to develop 3rd party marketing solutions. At a high level, the project revolved around developing state-of-the-art models for targeting in the digital space. The project had application of state-of-the-art algorithms on big data its core, with some knowledge of Digital Marketing platforms. The project demanded programming in Python and PIG. It is always beneficial if you master at least one programming language, after which adapting to a different language is not a difficult task.I would recommend python. As I was working on a huge chunk of data, most of the codes had to follow the Map-Reduce framework. This differs from project to project. Many of my fellow interns used SQL, SAS, Hive as well.   
+
+Interns are generally given the projects that would have otherwise be given to regular employees. The best things about AmEx is the people! Almost everyone I met was really friendly, eager to help, which I guess is imbibed because of the overall integrated work culture. We had frequent discussions with higher management regarding the project. For my project, I had weekly review meeting with the VP. Involvement of Senior Leadership in all the projects, was one of the things that stood out for me. Also, the HR team strived really hard to organise experience-sharing sessions by the top executives from India and US offices, which gave us insights about the values AmEx believes in and the overall functioning of the organisation.
+ 
+### Location
+
+The AmEx office is in Koramangala area of Bangalore. Koramangala is an absolute paradise for foodies. It has a range of restaurants, cafes, bistros and clubs. There are exquisite English Cafes, Pizza Places, Theme Restaurants, Buffets, Continental Bistros and Fast food places. You name it, they have it. The weather is great if it isn’t raining. There are many places to visit in and around Bangalore. You can checkout Wonderla, take a trek to the Nandi hills or spend your weekends in Pondicherry, Coorg or Ooty.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/rohit3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up and Key Takeaways
+
+AmEx is good company to intern in if you are aiming to work as a Data/Business Analyst or would want to head into research. The internship was a great learning experience for me. Being an intern in AmEx, has led to overall development of my personality, gave me an insider’s view on corporate life and truly helped me in consolidating my future choices. Conversations with the many employees of AmEx were a learning experience in itself. I understood right at the start of the internship that data manipulation and interpretation are going to be a major part of the project. I was not a coder before I joined AmEx. Nevertheless I worked hard on it. During these 8 weeks at AmEx,this is the most valuable skill I have developed. A major takeaway was something my VP said to me in the initial stage of the project, “You have to give your 100% to the project, finally it is ‘your’ career on the line”. 
+
+Some tips to make your internship a successful one:
+
+1. Strive on developing skills and learning new things.
+
+2. Master at least one language used for data analysis. Python is recommended.
+
+3. Interact with people around you. Most of them are going to be highly skilled and experienced in the work you are doing. Ask for help whenever you need. Believe me, you will save a lot of your time.

_posts/2017-07-04-summer-diaries-nokia.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Nokia"
+image: pranav1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Pranav Gujarathi"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Apart from mobile phones, which used to be their flagship product, Nokia-Siemens is also known for being one of the world’s foremost Network and Solutions company, recently having merged with Bell Labs. Many of the prominent Telecom companies are its customers for its networking infrastructure and solutions. The department that I was working in is responsible for optimization of networking maintenance and performance. "
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+The selection process was pretty straight-forward and short. A shortlist was announced among all those who applied. Going against the trend, ‘resume-shortlisting’, to them, was not just another term for CGPA-shortlisting, as is the case for most of the other companies. But then again, the internship was announced in mid-March, and the number of candidates was not huge. Therefore, it's possible that they didn’t have to resort to it. But there is no telling what will happen next year; if they announce it earlier and the CC overflows(which will), they would face the same dilemma that all other companies do.
+ 
+The process had primarily three rounds.
+
+1. Round 1 was like any other preliminary test, consisting of Aptitude, English and an additional section based on a choice of either Electronics or Software. The Software section consisted of objective as well as three actual coding questions, with the difficulty level being easy (at least according to me).
+
+2. Round 2 was a video-based interview. At the beginning itself, they made it abundantly clear that they were looking for candidates specifically for Data Science related projects. The interview was short with me explaining my past experience in the subject and them asking a few questions based on my work in earlier internships.
+
+3. Round 3 was basically an HR round where they made sure that we were committed to pursuing the internship as well as the subject it was primarily going to be based upon. This, in a way, provided a choice to those who wanted to back out in case they weren’t sure about the subject.
+ 
+### Work
+
+Apart from mobile phones, which used to be their flagship product, Nokia-Siemens is also known for being one of the world’s foremost Network and Solutions company, recently having merged with Bell Labs. Many of the prominent Telecom companies are its customers for its networking infrastructure and solutions. The department that I was working in is responsible for optimization of networking maintenance and performance. 
+ 
+The work environment was pleasant and we were treated like all other employees. We were also given all the company benefits (assorted insurances and what not) and resources available to full-time employees. In fact, our designation was that of a short-term consultant rather than a college intern. 
+The five of us were assigned four projects based on ML, NLP and also a little front end development. There was no rigid sub-allocation, so we were free to decide our tasks by ourselves. There was considerable leniency and those less familiar with the subject and the requisite programming tools were given ample time to familiarize themselves. The office hours were flexible enough for me to be able to find time to pursue some free-lance DS work in the first month. We would often be allowed to work from home or stay late, the office space being open 24x7. It was suitable for night owls like me, who for some reason can function better after 12 am(It was another stroke of luck that I found a PG arrangement in the adjacent building).
+ 
+The projects required us to be able to learn quickly and be flexible and adept at programming tools. We did not, however, have any senior subject expert guiding us or working with us;  where we lacked, we had to educate ourselves, which is not new to DS enthusiasts for whom the internet is the biggest boon and perhaps the only resource, for the field is new and under development. It was thrilling to be part of a team that was working on solutions to be deployed at a global level. Imagine finding out that your team’s work is being verified and prepared for deployment in Ireland. After this, the ordeal of having to subject ourselves to extensive and invasive pre-employment medical checkups almost seems worth it.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/pranav2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+ 
+### Key Takeaways
+
+A key thing to note about Nokia’s internship recruitment was that from the get-go, they were very particular about the subject that the internship was going to be based upon. Data Science is a very popular field and yet it is not as extensively spread in India as one hopes it to be. Hence, most of the internships for it are in start-ups, which people are left to fend for off campus.
+ 
+For those firm about establishing their future in this field, it is a unique opportunity since we had all the freedom that startups do, as well as the resources and perks only a large established company can provide. However, it may not be ideal for those blindly applying to all companies with the work profile being remotely related to Software in any way; there is simply no spoon feeding of subject knowledge. 

_posts/2017-07-05-summer-diaries-amazon.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Amazon"
+image: sudeep1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Sudeep Kandregula"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Bagging an Amazon internship is simple. Get through the online round and two technical rounds. Pretty straightforward right?"
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+Bagging an Amazon internship is simple. Get through the online round and two technical rounds. Pretty straightforward right? Well, let me go into the details:
+
+1. **Online Round:** There were around 20 MCQs and 3 coding questions. Make sure you give importance to the MCQs as well, as my friend who solved 2 coding questions did not get through whereas I who had solved only 1 did make to the next round presumably because of my MCQ performance. It was basic CS stuff, nothing too fancy.
+
+2. **Technical Rounds:** There were two technical rounds. Okay, so make sure you study geeksforgeeks. It’s really that simple. Amazon doesn’t ask you fancy questions with complicated algorithms, they ask you straightforward Data Structures and Algorithms, but they ask for complete implementation. They especially look for corner cases and null checks. All code is checked by them and they can see loopholes in your code quite instantly. After the base question they ask if there’s any improvement that we can do to improve space or time complexity. In the second round they asked me another technical question (again slightly modified from geeksforgeeks) and asked me questions about my resume. Make sure you know your resume because they rigorously analyze it ask you about it.
+
+So that’s pretty much all there is to scoring an Amazon Internship, CG really has no relevance and is not a major criteria. 
+
+### Life At Amazon
+
+The first week of Amazon went into getting used to the work culture and orientations. Work culture at amazon is unique, There are no fixed timings for when you want to come in. Extremely flexible. In fact from my what I know, there is no record of how much time we are spending in office or logged on. I worked as much as I needed to on different days. Some days I worked from 10am - 12am. Some days i came at 12pm and left at 5pm. They don’t measure how much time you’ve spent at office but rather how much progress you’ve made. Having said this, I’ve gotta say that there is a ton of work at Amazon. 
+ 
+I was assigned to the FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) Inventory Experience Team. This team caters to warehouse operations and the cool thing about Amazon is that the work we do impacts not only India but can be used by anyone in the World. At Amazon, I never felt like an Intern. The work they gave was pretty much as much as a full-fledged employee would have to do. My project was about creating a User Interface for a new validation that Amazon wanted to implement in their warehouses. So I had to create front-end, back-end and Service integrations for my UI along with coordinating with the product manager regarding the design and utility of the UI and coordinating with other services that my UI needs to use. I, myself have never done any front-end coding and hence it took me the first week and a half just to get the basic UI frame up and running (had to learn JS, Spring MVC Framework, Html, CSS, etc). After that most of the work was researching a ton of stuff and then implementing it. The whole backend was written in Java. 
+ 
+I did work a lot, but we had a ton of fun too. My whole team was extremely friendly and we had our quarterly outing at a resort! In our office there’s pool, table-tennis, carroms, foosball. A couple of other interns and I used to play pool everyday in the evening. My internship was at Bangalore which had beautiful weather but horrific traffic. Now when i say horrific I mean it. I’ve never experienced such horrible traffic, haha. But it doesn’t really matter, you kind of get used to it after a while. Every weekend I used to go somewhere or the other, sometimes with the other interns, sometimes with my friends from Roorkee interning here as well, and sometimes with my team! There was never a dull moment in my time here. Work was exciting, I was learning how to write clean and concise code and learning a bunch of new things. My peers always gave me helpful tips and helped me out when I was in a bind. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/sudeep2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up!
+
+My internship at Amazon has taught me a ton of things. First and foremost, make sure you make the most of your college days, because they are extremely precious and we can’t get them back. Secondly, life here is not as monotonous as I thought working at a corporate company would be, working at Amazon was a pleasure! And last but not least, Bangalore is a joy to be in, with a ton of exciting things to do! (Except for the traffic. I hate the traffic. And trust me, you will too). 
+

_posts/2017-07-10-summer-diaries-berlin.md

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Technical University of Berlin"
+image: Himanshu1.PNG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Himanshu Nagpure"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "This was my first experience of foreign travel and a research internship. I learned how to live in a foreign country which has a different culture, different language and a different way of living."
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+While I was applying for internships on campus, I was also searching for foreign internship programs like DAAD, EPFL, Charpak, Mitacs, Viterbi etc. Seniors help a lot in getting you familiar with these programs and letting you know the particulars of each program. Generally, the procedure for all foreign internships is similar. They ask you to fill in your educational details in a form and upload your résumé, statement of purpose (SOP), motivation letter, no objection certificate (NOC), letter of recommendation (LOR), passport, transcripts and finally give your choices for the projects out of the given choices or of your own. In Mitacs, you were given many options for the projects in multiple universities across Canada. In EPFL and Viterbi, you have to find your institute of interest and give your idea about a project of your choice, which is tough if you don’t have any. However, DAAD has a very different selection process. To apply for the program, you need to be in the pre-final year of your course and have an CGPA above 8.5 till the current semester. First of all, you have to send emails to the professors of government universities of Germany (which was the most tiresome part), and if they agree to become your mentor, you ask him/her for an invitation letter and a German host confirmation letter. You have to upload these documents along with the other documents mentioned above and some of your personal documents to the DAAD portal. 
+
+DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) is a German government funded program which helps students of different countries experience internships and masters in Germany. The scholarship is 650€ per month plus 525€ for travel. The application process has a deadline almost every year on 1st November and the results are declared in December or January. But the process is longer than just filling the form. It is better to start sending emails to the professor from the month of September as the professor may take time to respond or may not respond at all. I made a list of all the top ranking universities (based on QS world ranking) and searched for professors whose research area matches my area of interest. It is advantageous to read their research papers or articles, as it helps you know the professor better and enables you to mention in the email the specific work you would like to do under him. The professor would also feel good that you are taking interest in his/her work, which increases your chance of getting a reply. An email should consist of your introduction, your interests, any of the professor’s work that interests you, what you expect from the internship and lastly a mention that your internship would be funded by DAAD. 
+
+Seniors can also help in writing emails. I also used Mailtrack as I wanted to be sure if my mails were really seen or not, although this isn’t a good habit. If you have a very good resume and are very specific about the research topic, you will most probably get a reply after two or three emails. I got three replies from professors of three different universities. I found that working in TU Berlin would be the best option. The duration of my internship was three months, from the 15th of May to the 15th of July under a professor from the mathematics department of TU Berlin. 
+
+Big cities are more expensive than smaller ones, so finding cheap accommodation and food is a problem. But, I still chose Berlin because TU Berlin was the best of the three universities. I politely rejected the other two offers mentioning that another professor had already accepted me. Then I requested the professor for the invitation letter, which took nearly a week. After that I filled the details in the DAAD portal and performed some formalities like uploading the NOC and the LOR, and writing a motivation letter regarding my project and my motivation behind taking it.
+
+I started completing the remaining process for DAAD application. It includes providing your passport details, making a German VISA, hunting for accommodation and cheap currency exchange rates and most importantly booking flights. Booking flights in advance and also for the return journey is a good idea as prices increase dynamically. I booked my flights in February when the rates were quite low. If direct flights to your destination is not cheap, then flying to either Munich or Frankfurt is better. The cities are well connected by bus and train services. You can also find some domestic flights having rates comparable to trains and buses. Flixbus is the most economical option one has in Germany and many other European countries. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Himanshu2.PNG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+Getting a visa is not difficult. If you have your passport already ready, which you must in January, the visa application hardly takes 20 days. The process is simple: there is a short term visa available for a short (less than 3 months) stay in Germany which is called Schengen visa, which is valid for most countries in the European Union. All you have to do is book an appointment at the visa application centre near you, fill in the online or offline form and take the printout to the centre on the appointment day. It takes 2-3 hours for biometric scanning and verifying your details. Visa application is free for DAAD students but still you have to pay the convenience fee of ~1500₹.  
+
+One of the toughest parts of the DAAD process is to find accommodation in Germany. The cheapest accommodation available in any city is that of Studentenwerk, however it is only for semester exchange students. There are also sites which allow one to post ads for rent like WG-Gesucht, but one should be careful on such sites because scammers might reply very quickly and ask for advance payment of rent for making a contract. Guest houses are available in many universities but most of the times they are full. It is also a good option to contact a PhD student working under the Professor for accommodation inquiries. I found one site named ‘spotahome’ where apartments were available for rent at reasonable prices. There were many people going to Berlin so sharing with them helped me in having accommodation for low cost.  The rates here are very high and generally getting an accommodation under 300€/month is difficult. I was lucky, having finalised my accommodation by the end of April. The apartment we chose had a kitchen so we decided to take some rice, dal and masala with us. 
+
+I did my currency exchange beforehand from buyforex.in. You should carry enough money for at least two weeks worth of expenses because the monthly scholarship starts only after you make your bank account in Germany, which takes at least a week. A international travel card is a good option if you don’t want to take money in cash. It is an easy, fast and reliable means of exchange, and can be issued from any nationalised bank. 
+Note: Learning German is not required as you will find English speakers in your institute and in the worst case you have your Google translate app.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Himanshu3.PNG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+
+My internship was in the combinatorial optimisation and graph algorithm research group of the Mathematics department of TU Berlin. My professor was a very kind and helpful person. On the first day of my internship, he allotted me my laboratory (with my name written on the door, cool!), which contained an email account of TUB. The project overview was sent to me earlier but he explained the problem statement very clearly and gave me my first task and some research papers and books as a reference. 
+
+In the main campus of TUB where I was working, there are seven faculties and every faculty has 6 to 7 institutes. I was working alone on a new project on “Instationary Gas Flows: Complexity and Algorithms”. Basically, my study was on the model of gas flows in a network. This was a completely new research topic, and the work was based on graph theory and optimisation techniques. I was supposed to do some theoretical stuff at first and then implement it using any programming language to find the maximal flow. My professor helped a lot by clearing my doubts. I was expected to dig deep into this new topic and try to gain an intuition about what actually happens if the networks complexities are changed. I was not supposed to publish a research paper because it is tough to publish in 2 months and the project took me some time to get comfortable with. 
+
+The work culture is completely different in here. Students and professors are very dedicated to their work. PhDs are very much engaged in doing their research. There are a number of seminars arranged by the PhDs in the institute every week and topics discussed there are those from the latest research that anyone can sit and listen to. I attended some of them though most of the talks were bouncers for me. Professors and students are very friendly with each other. They work, eat, play or chat together over times. Students don’t feel shy to talk to the professors. Professors ask PhD students and interns to join them for lunch (they don’t pay for us if you are thinking so). And there are no working hours restriction. I can come, work and leave anytime. I used to go at around 10 am and work till 5 pm with some time for lunch and stretching in between. The work is relaxed with no strict deadlines so I can work at my will. But, at the end of the week (i.e. Friday), the summary of the work should be presented. There were some PhD students working in the institute who became my friends. We used to play foosball and carrom in our free time after work.
+
+
+### What to love about the place
+
+Obviously, when you are in Germany, there is almost nothing you don’t like. When I landed in Frankfurt, my first vision of a German city was astonishing. The city was so clean, the air was fresh with almost no pollution and everything so well maintained that I was feeling almost uncomfortable at first. 
+
+The people here greet others very happily and friendly. Generally, when you buy something from the shop, the person on the counter first asks, “Good morning, how are you?”. When I ask someone for help (e.g. for directions or for a translation), they feel like it is their responsibility to help. This shows the really amazing nature of the Germans. 
+
+The bus service in Germany and other countries in Europe are very comfortable and restful. All the buses have A.C. and are very clean. Most of them have USB ports and some even have free wifi. They almost always run on time. Also, the six lane highways are so even that you cannot tell the difference between flying in a plane and travelling in a bus. The countryside is bright green with lots of windmills installed. Wind is one of the primary sources of energy in Germany. They even decorate the fields in various ways for beautiful views from the highways. 
+
+Almost all the countries of Europe have great travel attractions. Even Germany itself consists of many beautiful places to see. The north coast of Germany (the Baltic and the North sea) has many wonderful cities with very beautiful beaches. In south Germany, there are many beautiful forests in Bavaria. Even cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Leipzig contain many attractions. And if you are in Germany, it is easy for you to go anywhere being right at the centre of Europe. Major German cities are well connected to other countries of Europe by road, railways and planes. Weekend trips are best because you don’t need to worry about work. 
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/Himanshu4.PNG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+If you are a fan of football, then this country is for you, but the time is not suitable since the league ends in May. However, you can always visit football grounds for a minimal entrance fee.
+
+The one thing I did really miss about India was the food. Indian food is the best. Being used to it, I found German food bland and tasteless. The only dishes I liked there were the sweets. So we used to cook our own food daily. Vegetables, along with snacks and fast food, can easily be bought from supermarkets at reasonably low prices. 
+
+The weather in Germany is the best in the summer. Temperature ranges from 7 to 30 degrees  with good sunshine. There are cold breezes blowing almost all the time, so carrying warm wear is recommended. The sun rises here at around 4 in the morning and sets at 10 in the night during summers. It was at first difficult for me to manage sunlight after 7. But I got used to it eventually. It also used to rain unexpectedly once or twice in a week. 
+
+### Summing up and takeaways
+
+This was my first experience of foreign travel and a research internship. I learned how to live in a foreign country which has a different culture, different language and a different way of living. I never followed traffic rules as strictly as I did while I was there. 
+
+My internship was also a memorable experience. I learnt how research actually takes place. The cooperation of professors and students were necessary for a good internship experience. You feel very proud working on a problem which no one has touched before. And when you get results, you feel really happy for yourself. 
+
+I would say that from a foreign intern, you should expect to see the working environment, the respect and the facilities you never felt before.  You should expect to make new friends (including professors) who are very helpful and kind. You should expect to see a new world. 
+
+For those who are already excited for the opportunity, start your hunt for a professor from September onwards. And keep your passport ready!

_posts/2017-07-12-summer-diaries-jindal-stainless.md

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Jindal Stainless Limited"
+image: Renju1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Renju Kokkatt"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Jindal Stainless Ltd, a part of the O.P Jindal group is India’s largest stainless steel company. They have stainless steel plants located at Hisar in Haryana, Jajpur in  Odissa, Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and also in Indonesia."
+---
+
+### About the Company
+
+Jindal Stainless Ltd, a part of the O.P Jindal group is India’s largest stainless steel company. They have stainless steel plants located at Hisar in Haryana, Jajpur in  Odissa, Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and also in Indonesia.  The Hisar plant where I interned, is spread over a few hundred acres and has a turnover of Rs. 140 billion and produces hot rolled and cold rolled coils and sheets,  coin blanks, razor and precision strips etc. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Renju2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Making it there
+
+JSL came for recruiting interns early in October with openings for Metallurgy, Mechanical, P&I and Electrical. The recruitment process included resume shortlisting, group discussions and personal interviews. There wasn’t any CGPA bar for shortlisting. For Mechanical and Industrial Engg students, the personal interviews were more of a ‘walk me through your resume’ type with questions about your previous works, projects and internships along with usual HR questions and a few technical ones. On the other hand, for the Metallurgy students they went more on the technical side with questions about process metallurgy, steel making etc. The interviewers also tested your management skills by citing examples of different day to day problems you might face in the plant and asking you to solve them. 
+
+### Work and Culture
+
+Together we were 19 interns at the Hisar plant from IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur and a few NITs. Some were placed at their corporate office in Gurgaon. The internship began with a 3 day orientation session through which we were acquainted with the manufacturing processes and facilities here. For mechanical and P&I students, the projects were related to increasing productivity of mills, improving efficiency of processes, logistics planning, procurement planning, waste heat treatment etc.  For those with metallurgy background, the projects dealt with improving the quality of stainless steel, enhancing efficiency of steel-making processes etc.  Monthly review meetings were held with the plant head and other members of the senior management.  
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Renju3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+I worked on two projects here. The first one was in the finishing section of the Hot Rolling Division where I was given the task of enhancing the productivity of the line. We used time motion study, delay analysis etc. to find the bottlenecks in production. The second one was with the Production Planning & Control Dept. where I worked on optimizing the logistics planning of the company. The aim of the project was to reduce dead freight on trucks using algorithms for truck utilization. 
+
+Personnel safety is given utmost importance inside the plant and you would be allowed to enter production facilities only with protective helmets and shoes. The safety culture soon becomes a habit of your life too. Work hours are from 9:30 am to 6 pm and 6 days a week. Interns are treated like regular employees and therefore, attendance and work timings are strictly followed. The good part, we were given club membership with indoor courts, gym and swimming pool and increased stipends owing to higher profits of the company. Interns are accommodated at Engineer’s hostel which is located close to the plant and are provided AC single rooms.
+
+The city doesn’t have much to boast about except the legacy of colossal industries and manufacturing plants. Nevertheless, it’s got almost all celebrated food chains and a few local attractions too.  Delhi, Shimla, Mcleodganj etc. are also possible weekend getaways.  
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/Renju4.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up
+
+It was the second time that JSL came for internships in IITR. They are in the process of restructuring their internship programme and recruiting more people from Tier 1 colleges in India. So, in the years to come, you can expect more from the company.  The internship familiarizes you with the day to day operations of the company and provides insights into the working of the core sector. For students interested to join or experience the core sector, JSL provides an enriching experience. The company also selects interns for Pre Placement Offers. The students from the previous batch have already joined the company as Graduate Engineer Trainees.

_posts/2017-07-13-summer-diaries-texas-instruments.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Texas Instruments"
+image: Tanvi1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Tanvi Sharma"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Integrity. Commitment. Innovation. These words are the foundations of work culture at Texas Instruments. The company tries to instill these values in each employee. In fact, they even conduct a fun workshop on mindsets and behaviors, filled with a lot of group activities and tasks.
+"
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+The internship recruitment process for Texas Instruments is pretty similar to that of other companies. It consists of a preliminary test followed by two interviews. Prospective interns can apply under any of the three profiles of analog engineer, digital engineer and software engineer. One can opt for hardware and/or software profiles in the test. The hardware section usually consists of questions on the concepts of analog and digital circuits as well as questions testing general aptitude. In the digital section, apart from the usual questions on K-maps and digital logic, most of the questions focus on the mosfet implementation of gates. The software part, however, focusses on usual coding questions followed by a common aptitude section. 
+
+For more information​ on questions, as well as some reference materials, you can visit the following link: 
+https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FCvqKO0Pp16vOhasx3EJdtPHiMix-3Tobi5yrLri9Q8/edit
+(Courtesy: Seniors)
+
+After clearing the online test, there is a technical interview round, for both the analog and digital domain (or coding domain, based of the profile applied for). Based on your performance in the test, you can be eligible for both the rounds. In the interview, they mainly try to check your concepts and logic. They may try to confuse you on some concepts, as well as help you out at some places by giving hints. The interviewer might also offer you a cookie if you are lucky!
+
+The HR interview round follows the technical round. Most of the discussion in my HR interview revolved around my second year summer project on Embedded Systems, what I did as part of it, where can it be used and what features can be added to make it more useful. The interviewer looked quite satisfied with my answers. Looking at my resume, she told me that you will enjoy a lot in TI.
+The result came in around 4 hours. An internship offer letter was later delivered to us along with a starters kit consisting of a pen, an Intex fitrist and a T-Shirt.
+Texas Instruments is a dream company for many electrical and electronics engineers. If you keep your logic and concepts clear, (with a bit of luck) you can easily make it through the selection process. Moreover, TI does not believe much in any CGPA criteria and anyone having CG > 7 can sit in the online test.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Tanvi2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+<br>
+Integrity. Commitment. Innovation.
+These words are the foundations of work culture at Texas Instruments. The company tries to instill these values in each employee. In fact, they even conduct a fun workshop on mindsets and behaviors, filled with a lot of group activities and tasks. One-day-trainings were organised on Perl, Verilog, Advanced Unix, C and CCS Architecture during the first week to give students a head start in their projects. You could choose and attend the ones which seemed helpful to your project.
+
+Based on my interaction with various other interns, I can say that most of the interns are given work related to designing, testing/verification or doing some initial work on a new project/new methodology. Each intern gets his or her individual project.
+One of my friends was given a new software which had been recently launched in the market and was asked to explore how it can be used by the company. Another one had to design components in analog domain. Everyone gets a mentor to guide them in their projects. Mentors also give feedback during the mid-term and final evaluation, which plays an important role in deciding whether you will be offered a PPO or PPI.
+
+I was a part of the backplane MCU (Microcontroller Unit) team, particularly the Standard Cells team. The project helped me gain in-depth knowledge of the working and structure of flops and the reasons they can fail in different conditions. I had to work on the robustness of the flops. Later, I had to develop a framework which detects the failure cases in a flop and corrects itself. I worked from around 9-6 but the timings were usually flexible. However, for girls, there is a restriction on the timings. So, I could not stay in the TI campus after 8 p.m. because of the Karnataka state government rules on women security. The weekends were quite fun, and were usually spent hanging out with friends at places in and around Bangalore.
+
+Depending on your project, you may find the work interesting or boring. But the upside is one can always ask the mentor to modify the work according to his interests. Also, since there are so many experienced people around, you can learn a lot just by interacting with them. Everyone is quite humble and always willing to help.
+During the internship, TI organises a workshop on ‘Presentations with finesse’ in which they teach presentation skills like maintaining the correct body language, introducing yourself effectively, among other skills. Apart from this, we attended an IEEE conference, had power lunch with one of the most senior members of the team, and went out for team outings. I also went to a government school on the outskirts of Bangalore when I volunteered in the Back to School campaign.
+<br>
+![pic3](/images/posts/Tanvi3.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+TI gives its interns free access to its entertainment and sports facility area - Texin. It offers a plethora of recreational activities like music, carrom, snooker, TT, badminton, meditation, etc. It’s quite fun to go there and relax for some time when you get tired of your work.
+
+### Summing up and key takeaways
+
+<br>
+Overall, it is quite an enriching experience to know and be around people who explore in the industrial domain. Some of the most important things I learnt on this internship are:
+* Always be curious about how things happen and connect with as many people as you can.
+* You can explore a lot even on a small topic. Learning matters, not completing.
+* Keep moving even if you can’t see the path ahead. One day, everything will become clear.
+
+

_posts/2017-07-17-summer-diaries-schlumberger.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger"
+image: Ghanendra1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Ghanendra Shrivastava"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Schlumberger Ltd. is the world’s largest oilfield services company employing approximately 100,000 people from 140 countries and engendering revenues of approximately $35.47 billion."
+
+---
+
+### About the Company
+
+Schlumberger Ltd. is the world’s largest oilfield services company employing approximately 100,000 people from 140 countries and engendering revenues of approximately $35.47 billion. 
+
+### Making It There
+
+In my sophomore year, I was quite akin to most of my colleagues who didn't have any particular field of direction but had wee bits of experience in all fields. For people in similar situations,Schlumberger is a considerable option as it keeps you open to other career options.
+As with most companies, the recruitment process starts with shortlisting of resumes. Schlumberger recruits from almost all branches and as such, there is no CGPA bar. But  Schlum pays heed to your leadership qualities, so a CGPA of above 7 along with past instances of leading and working in teams can give you an edge. This is followed by a Group Discussion round where you are judged on your leadership skills and your ability to drive the conversation. The last round is a generic HR interview round where questions regarding your life and related to the company are asked. Your interview is likely to conclude with the usual “Do you have any questions for us? ”, so make sure you have a good question prepared beforehand as this can have a big impact on the interviewer’s mind.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Ghanendra2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Life at Schlumberger
+
+The journey starts with a three-day orientation cum training program in Mumbai where you learn about the company and the Oil industry in general followed by safety training. Safety is a major concern for the company, so much so that you may even get fired for not taking necessary precautions like wearing seat belts while travelling.
+
+After the orientation, every intern is assigned a Mentor, a Field Service Manager and a Field Mentor to guide them throughout their tenure. My field location was Agartala, Tripura and base location was Mumbai. My work was roughly divided into two major projects, the first of which was to modify the design of a cementing unit and to increase its efficiency with respect to money and time. Secondly, I had to make a tool for the efficient mobilization of assets. Apart from these, I was also working on a mini project to improve the efficiency of the base office.
+
+At schlum, interns are given huge responsibilities and the same goes for the freshman employees. Having a bigger role than usual from the offset is a good motivator as it gives you the feel of being an integral part of the firm. For our field work in Tripura, we had a very hectic schedule. We had long days with no fixed working hours, no weekends off and seemingly never-ending work in a remote location. On the plus side, if you do a satisfactory job, you are very likely to get a PPO with additional perks like good accommodation and traveling benefits on top of a handsome pay. The best part is, you get to travel a lot and experience living at different places.
+
+### Takeaways
+
+This internship is a complete package of learning, starting with a brief understanding of the Oil and Gas industry. From there, it moves quickly to the field work wherein you are expected to put in long hours in remote locations.But it ends well with mind-boggling projects in corporate offices. Since it is only a month long intern, it gives you an entire  free month which can be utilized for management, consultancy or other similar internships. 
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Ghanendra3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing up and advice to people gunning for it
+
+This internship is a great opportunity for all those who do not have a clear plan of action for the future. Due to the recent shattering of oil prices, the company is suffering from diminished revenues and cost cutting, so your motivation needs to be knowledge and not money. You are bound to face new challenges on a daily basis, which will improve your decision-making and adaptability skills while providing you with the necessary experience. The key to success is interacting with everyone and having the persistent zeal for learning. If you continue to perceive and experience things, money will not at all be a issue in the long run. Most importantly, if you are into this kind of work, you get to experience firsthand, the work culture of a Fortune 500 firm which is still way ahead of its competitors. 

_posts/2017-07-19-summer-diaries-schlumberger-2.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger II"
+image: Vij1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Shubham Vij"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield service sector company which is divided into various segments (Slickline, Wireline, Drilling & Measurement etc)."
+---
+
+### About 
+
+Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield service sector company which is divided into various segments (Slickline, Wireline, Drilling & Measurement etc). Schlumberger covers a vast multitude of nationalities and you’ll find engineers from almost every discipline working in some sector or the other at  Schlumberger. 
+
+### Selection Procedure 
+
+Schlumberger generally comes in the month of August and there are 3 rounds an aspirant has to go through before he/she can make it as an intern there. The first round is basically resume based shortlisting. The chances of making it to the list increase, for people who are involved in various extracurricular activities ( Sports, Groups, Fests etc. ) and the chances further increase if you have certain  Position of Responsibility ( POR’s) under your belt. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Vij2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+The second round involves a group discussion in which the Schlum people gauge you on your ability to drive a conversation, your speaking skills and how valid and supported your points are. The GD involves abstract topics (tick mark, parallel lines, a dot etc.), so as such no preparation is required for the GD. Just go in with an open mind!
+
+The final round is the Personal Interview, which comprises of some standard questions. Taking into consideration my PI experience, they didn’t ask me any specific questions. It was more like a general talk when you meet a random person and you tell him about the stuff you do. 
+
+But still, keep 2-3 points in mind when you face your PI. Tell them about your leadership skills and team working abilities and be confident about the stuff you have on your CV ( Resume). 
+
+### Life at Schlumberger 
+
+At the start (irrespective of your segment), all the interns gather in Mumbai for a 3-day induction programme. The induction programme includes an introduction to the Oil and Gas field, and we are made sensitive towards the various safety measures we need to follow during our jobs. 
+
+After the orientation, everyone is sent to their allotted location, where they are assigned their mentor, FSM (Field Service Manager) and a Field Guide from whom we have to extract as much information as possible about the industry. I was assigned Vadodara as my field location and my segment was Wireline (WL). After a week I was sent to Barmer (Rajasthan) where I spent almost a month and then returned back to Vadodara.
+Work at Schlumberger is quite hectic, 7 days working, no fixed timings and every day is a challenge. It is certainly not a run-of-the-mill cubicle job. At its base, it involves exploration and people at Schlumberger are extremely efficient in what they pursue. 
+Coming to my projects, my first project was depth tension analysis of Cerus (.xml) files in which I had to write a code to calculate the total number of Jars for subsequent runs in a well subject to certain stipulations. It’s a Slickline project and you’ll understand more once you get acquainted with the field.
+My second project was to analyse and improvise the Process Flow Diagrams for Explosives, Handling Radioactive Sources, Service Delivery, New Employee Orientation and analysing Jarring Data. These were some of the action items of the Barmer Base which were closed marked by the completion of my project. 
+The third project which I did, was conducting an Employee Satisfaction survey for the employees of the Barmer Base. This is when for the first time the topics we studied in our courses at the campus (Market Research Course) came to our rescue. A questionnaire was floated among the employees of the Barmer Base. At its core, my project involved analysing the responses and giving the best possible solutions to enhance the satisfaction levels of the employees  
+
+Apart from the Base projects, we also have Rig visits/ Field Visits (Rigless Jobs) where we get to see and get our hands dirty with the actual oilfield stuff. There are a variety of jobs in the Wireline Segment and field visits are an essential part of the intern which makes it easier for you to decide whether you are a good fit for Schlumberger. For those of you who are enterprising, sporty, love to face challenges, and can work 24X7 without exhaustion, then it’s the right place for you. Intern at Schlumberger is an altogether different experience; it’s an experience of a new lifestyle, the lifestyle of the oil industry.
+
+Food, accommodation, travel and other facilities are provided for by Schlumberger and you’ll not have any complaints with the basic necessities. Apart from that, throughout your intern, you’ll be travelling a lot, and exploring new places which you’ll probably never visit during your lifetime.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Vij3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Takeaways and Advice
+
+The internship is basically a long term interview process for the company and a good opportunity for you to decide the kind of life you want to live. Life here is away from all social circles, away from family and you may feel lonely at times. Your crew and the office staff is your family at Schlumberger. 
+
+People who aim for a job at Schlumberger need to build their leadership skills. Apart from academics, they need to get involved in the activities which are going on in the campus, take initiatives, work on them and be proactive. Enhancing your organisational skills and developing your communication skills is a must. In addition to this, you should also be able to handle emergencies when confronted by them.These are the qualities which the company looks out for when it comes for recruitments. 
+
+For any further questions and clarifications, you are free to approach me at any time!

_posts/2017-07-21-summer-diaries-iihs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Indian Institute for Human Settlements"
+image: iihs1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Venkatesh Babu Arunachalam"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a National interdisciplinary institute which specializes in urban studies, practice and academia relating to Indian Settlements"
+---
+
+The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a National interdisciplinary institute which specializes in urban studies, practice and academia relating to Indian Settlements.
+
+**Your ticket into IIHS:** IIHS has a completely tailored process, based on each individual’s work, interest and aptitude. (There are no benchmark Grade Points as such). They prefer students having prior associations (as part of academia / projects / prior internships/ workshops attended, etc), with the related field of work. The organization is quite multifaceted, as the teams consist of folks from multiple backgrounds, disciplines, states and countries. Both graduate and postgraduate interns form an integral part of the institute.
+
+**The process:**
+
+<u>Step 01</u>: Fill up their online internship application form (found on the website itself - http://iihs.co.in/). You would be asked to fill in your interests, qualifications, CV, portfolio of work (if any).
+
+<u>Step 02:</u> Wait for a few days for them to get back. (They take interns only if there is a requirement as part of a specific research or project.)
+
+<u>Step 03:</u> Remind them over mail or call, if ‘Step 02’ fails to happen. (Please be polite and pitch in your email id, contact number and your application date to help the HR team keep a note)
+
+<u>Step 04:</u> If you are considered for the internship, you would be connected through a skype or telephonic interview.
+
+Min. Preferred Internship period: 4 – 6 weeks. 
+Average internship duration:  2 – 6 months
+(Yes, they do give extensions to internships). There also exists a high chance for your internship churning to a full-time job since they are expanding the institute rapidly (A gigantic New campus is in the pipeline, scheduled to commence very soon).
+
+**Ideal time to apply:** They hire interns all-round the year, so suit yourself!
+
+**About the Institute:** The scope of their work reaches out to macro level concepts like poverty, population, housing, climate change, economic development, sustainability, governance, urban systems et all. The institute collaborates with various government, public and international bodies, colleges and institutes to carry out projects and research work, which is usually of sky high standards. A continuous learning and development systems- among others, an Urban Fellowship Programme (UFP), a Doctoral research program and several other workshops, training and capacity building programmes take place quite frequently.
+
+Other online courses, talks, seminars, book fairs, exhibitions, film screenings take place on a regular note too. A well maintained and stacked public library adds additional charm to the workplace.
+
+The institute also is known for its state of the art labs - Word lab, Media Lab, Design Lab, Geospatial Lab, Urban Informatics Lab. 
+
+I was part of the design lab, which is into spatial design, setting guidelines, master planning and suitable practices in the built environment. My work included reviewing and setting up standards for labor accommodation pan India, campus planning and some furniture, graphic design.
+
+**The people:** A diverse range of vibrant and fun individuals, which includes engineers, architects, planners, researchers, economists, media junkies, artists, etc. 
+
+**Work Ethics:** Quite an enriching place to be in. The work load is nominal with flexible and customized schedules. Team leads and colleagues are very supportive and take time to help you with your work hands on. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/iihs2.jpg)
+
+**Location:** Located in the quiet and elite suburb of Sadashivanagar, you get to experience the old charm of the city – with lakes, silent lanes, street food, concert halls, vibrant markets, various malls; all within a short distance. The transport networks are also quite approachable – with the metro, bus other public modes. The institute has 5 branches currently – Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Trichy.
+
+**Office infra:** A adequately large setup with latest tech, flexible work zones, well stocked library, state of the art research labs, multiple meeting and conference rooms, recreation facilities, a terrace garden and some great coffee!
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/iihs3.jpg.png)
+
+**Summing up:** The entire internship was a unique experience, which I am sure would be difficult to match elsewhere. The work the institute does is especially prestigious, big and necessary for today’s urban communities. The continuous process of learning and re-learning was very exciting too. I would encourage interested students to be a part of this paradigm, to broaden his/her horizons. 
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/iihs4.jpg)

_posts/2017-07-24-summer-diaries-jindal-steel-works.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Jindal Steel Works" 
+image: anushka2.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Anushka Chandrawat"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The Summer Internship Program offered by JSW is adequately organized and structured. Before we landed in Mumbai, we were given a list of projects to chose from. "
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+JSW only goes to a few Engineering, Commerce and Law colleges and takes a total of  approximately 30 students per year as their summer interns. JSW came to Roorkee around October for their presentation, where they elaborated on their selection process. The arduous process has three rounds: 
+
+1. **SOP & Resume Short-listing:** We were required to make an account on SIP(Summer Internship Program) website and fill a form. It consisted of general questions like “Why JSW?”,  “What are your strengths and weaknesses”, “Out of the Box Thinking”,etc. We were also required to upload our resume. We were consequently shortlisted for an online test.
+
+2. **Online Test:** This test consisted of only psychometric questions, which are quite easy to solve with a few hours’ practice.
+
+3. **Skype interview:** It is crucial that one dons a professional attire. Within this interview there were two people who took turns to interview all the candidates: a HR representative and an official serving in a more technical capacity. I was asked very basic questions related to Chemical Engineering, but most questions had to do with my SOP. They seemed to give a certain weightage to positions of responsibility and sports. All in all, the interviewers were very friendly. They seemed to be looking for people who could balance both academic and extracurricular activities; I mentioned my position as the Joint Secretary of the Dramatics society and my stint with the Inter-IIT Basketball team.
+
+The three rounds culminated in the selection of two candidates, of which I was one.
+
+### My Experience At JSW
+
+The Summer Internship Program offered by JSW is adequately organized and structured. Before we landed in Mumbai, we were given a list of projects to chose from. It comprised a mix of technical , Finance and Economics intensive projects, but they were, nevertheless, consultancy projects in various fields.
+
+To begin with, I’d like to mention that I’ve travelled a lot in my time here. First I was in Mumbai, where we had a 4 day orientation about the company and the internship. There was a freshers’ party, where we were treated to good food and introduced tot high-ranking officials of the company. We were then assigned the projects we were going to be working on (based on our resumes and the preferences we had filled in earlier). My project was under JSW Energy labelled “Exploring Boiler Operations for High Ash Indian Coal”. It was located in Jaigad Thermal Plant owned by JSW near Ratnagiri. 
+
+For the next 5 weeks a fellow intern from IIT BHU and I ventured to the beautiful shores of Ratnagiri to work on our project. Our consultancy project aimed at reducing costs incurred for JSW through research and analysis of data to optimize and reduce costs, thus providing a solution. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/anushka3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+#### Here at Ratnagiri
+
+Most of my internship was spent at the Ratnagiri plant. It was here that we met our mentor and 2 “buddies” (colleagues assigned the task of helping us out). The beauty of the township was breathtaking. There was a beach around every corner and we usually spent our holidays roaming these sandy shores. There was also a wildlife sanctuary nearby, on account of all the greenery. We were accommodated in a spacious flat, stocked with everything we needed. The mangoes, for which Ratnagiri is famous, were exquisite as well. We also observed incoming shipments of coal on the JSW-owned port,  an exciting sight for a chemical engineer.
+
+In the 5 weeks that we were there we collected data, analyzed it, made reports and a few models to predict an optimal solution to run the plant. One of the most exciting things about the project is that we were actually contributing to the company; the project dealt with real issues and would have an actual impact on the company. This was one of the most crucial considerations of the internship.
+
+#### Vijaynagar Trip
+Out internship also entailed a trip to the Vijaynagar Plant near Bangalore. We were shown the township, with all its facilities, and even went on a trip to Hampi, A UNESCO World Heritage Site! Hampi is an ancient city with an array of archeological sites. We also had the opportunity to listen to the wise words of the GMHR of JSW Steel, the EVP Operations and EVP Allied Services & Mines. Towards the end of our visit, we were treated to a generous party at Hyatt.
+
+#### Back to Bombay!
+Following our trip to Vijaynagar we went back to Ratnagiri, where we prepared presentations to summarize all that we had done; the seniors there helped us make modifications to the same. We headed back to Bombay where we presented these to the  associates of JSW. Yet another party marked the end of our internship.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/anushka1.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up
+It was a wonderful experience! I learnt much about how the corporate world works, how industries and consultancies work. From parties to presentations the internship really was the whole package. The internship is not just for undergraduates of Chemical Engineering; a lot of the work also included non-core fields. A balanced resume with a blend of extracurricular activities, positions of responsibilities, a decent cgpa and good communication skills is capable of bagging the internship.
+
+Interning here was an astounding experience, and one that I’m bound to remember.! 
+

_posts/2017-07-24-summer-diaries-s-p-global.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: S&P Global"
+image: Vaibhavi1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Vaibhavi Katiyar"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Headquartered in New York, S&P Global is a publicly traded American company. It is the parent company of S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and S&P Global Platts, and is the majority owner of the S&P Dow Jones Indices(S&P DJI)."
+---
+
+S&P Global does not recruit from the campus, for both - internship and placement. I applied off-campus, on S&P’s online portal for internship. My work profile, till now, has been in “Energy Economics,” which actually helped me get through the resume shortlisting process, because my applied sector concerned ESG Indices. The application was submitted during the month of March and the results were declared by April. 
+
+The entire process comprised of four stages:
+
+1. Resume shortlisting: One was supposed to upload one’s CV on the online portal, whilst applying. I’d like to point here that many people confuse resume with CV, however that is not the case. A CV is supposed to be more descriptive whereas a resume should not exceed a page and a half.
+
+2. Technical Interview: The technical round is conducted over skype and goes for a span of 45 minutes. It encompasses questions about one’s existing knowledge and questions about any previous projects/interns completed by one.
+
+3. HR round of interview: A telephonic interview - one receives a mail confirming one’s application status, as that of an intern, within a day after the HR interview.
+
+4. Final round of interview: The area or the sector, that the intern will be working on, is decided.
+
+### Work
+
+Headquartered in New York, S&P Global is a publicly traded American company. It is the parent company of S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and S&P Global Platts, and is the majority owner of the S&P Dow Jones Indices(S&P DJI). Of the 4 units mentioned, I interned at S&P Dow Jones Indices. 
+S&P DJI defines the way people measure and trade the markets. They provide essential intelligence that helps investors identify and capitalize on global opportunities. Currently the largest global source for idex based concepts and home to iconic financial market indicators such as the S&P 500 and S&P Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P DJI operates in India as Asia Index Pvt. Ltd., wherein 45% of the stakes are owned by BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and the remaining 55% by S&P Global.
+ 
+I worked in the sector of ESG Indices, wherein my job profile was that of a Research Analyst. There were 2 divisions in the ESG sector – the “Corporate Ratings team” and the “Financial Institutions team”. I worked in the former. 
+S&P Global Ratings’ ESG team provides intelligent analysis to global institutions, worldwide, that are in need to assess the impact of their ESG risks and opportunities - presented by ESG climate change, resource constraints, demographic shifts, innovation and technology, politics, regulation, etc. - and that aim to capitalize on the transition to a greener and more social economy.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Vaibhavi3.JPG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+ 
+The intern was duly divided into 3 parts. The first week comprised solely of the training sessions to get me acquainted to indexing, the importance of ESG while calculating the market capitalization index, and some concepts related to carbon-footprinting and equity markets. The training sessions went on till the end of the intern, and were organised on a weekly basis after the first week. For the initial 4 weeks, I worked on the E-part of the ESG sector, which involved monetizing the environmental aspect to check compliance with the Paris Treaty and calculate the carbon-footprint of the companies that were traded in S&P DJI. For the remaining 3 weeks, I worked upon a very different project which aimed at quantifying the S-LCA ( Social Life Cycle Assessment). Apart from these, I also worked on a few sales support tasks that involved a bit of market research using “FactSet.”
+
+At S&P, the work was not done on a regional basis, rather, for each project, a global team was formed, which was decided based upon the available capacities of the analysts. Each team comprised of 4-5 members - a supporting analyst, a senior analyst, a lead analyst, and the line manager. The line manager was decided based upon the time zone compatibility of the client (company being dealt with) and the analyst available. With the senior analyst mentoring you, the line manger could be anyone across globe. For Example, in my case, the line manager was based in London. There were regular VCs organised, for knowledge sharing and to keep track of the work done by everyone. Everyone works on multiple projects, with the projects requiring the use of Excel VBA, Factset and MATLAB.
+
+S&P has open workplaces, than cubicles. The Senior management ensures that the work-life balance of the employees was not disturbed. There are no mandatory working hours. The only thing important is to drive the project to completion by the due deadline. At times, I used to work from 9am to 9pm, however, there were days, when I would reach at 12pm and leave by 6pm. As long as you deliver upon the task assigned to you, no one is bothered about how long you work. Employees could also use the leverage of working from home, however, in general, people prefer working according to the time zone of the client they are dealing with. 
+
+### Location
+
+S&P Global has its office on the 14th floor of the BSE building. It’s situated in South-Bombay and is surrounded by other corporate houses. The place has an abundance of eateries around it, with employees preferring to explore these, than eat at the pantry/canteen, during lunch. Thus, you know where you’ll find people to chat with. 
+An important highlight would be the “weather.” It can get a bit depressing if it’s pouring continuously for 5-6 days, for, chances are, it’ll kill your weekend - Bombay is an amazing place to explore or hang around, on weekends.
+
+### Summing Up
+
+To the people in non-circuital branches, I would advise them not to be too obsessed with the on-campus hiring, as there are not many non-circuital companies that visit the campus. People tend to get very disturbed if they are unable to make it through a visiting company. However, the visiting companies are not the sole companies present. Although, I don’t discourage anyone with entrepreneurial inclinations, who actually do want to work in a start-up, I’ll recommend that rather than getting demotivated and switching to apply off-campus, at start-ups, it’s better to search for suitable roles in the prominent companies based upon your interest.  You never know which giant has its shoulders ready for you to stand upon.
+
+For S&P, it’s an amazing place to intern if you have your interests vested in domains of equity markets, commodity pricing, energy economics, bond calculations, indexing, or other finance related fields that you might be intrigued by. S&P shall provide you with the opportunity to understand and implement the latest index products, conceptualized by the clients, along with liaising with key stakeholders in the business - internally and externally - with exposure to the clients, by working with them. The people are amiable and always ready to help, in case you encounter any difficulty.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Vaibhavi2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}

_posts/2017-07-30-jashan-uom.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: University of Manchester"
+image: Jashan1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Jashan Singh"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Research is serious professional work and is treated as such. Although the British atmosphere and culture felt quite weird at first to a student such as me, with having lunch at 12pm, dealing with excessive rains, sunbathing if the sun ever shines (3 days out 7), the 9 to 5 work culture and then having dinner as early as 6pm, health and safety induction programs that stretched the entire week (apparently, prevention is the best cure, literally), celebrating weekends, and Happy Hours (it’s exactly what you think it means) after a conference at the department with the professors, you get used to it soon."
+---
+
+### Prologue
+<br>
+“Biotech waale toh sab foreign intern maarte hain” was the phrase I had constantly heard since my first year. Since the placement office doesn’t fancy the “Core Biotech Internship Program” if there ever was such a thing, <b>we</b> have to make do with Europe, North America and Australia over the IT rich cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Gurgaon. 
+<b>we</b> = Biotechnology, Metallurgy, GT/GPT, etc
+Since DAAD, EPFL, Charpak, Mitacs and Viterbi are well known to send students off for internships on a full stipend to universities abroad, many people end up applying to such programs. And if you know anything about the Indian education system, there is bound to be some major competition which entails higher GPA requirements, a resume adorned with previous research projects and blessings from The Almighty Himself/Herself (feminism). 
+To sum up, getting a foreign intern is almost as tough as JEE Advance or changing your branch!
+<br>
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+Students forget that the internet can be used for other things as well. If you have convinced yourself that you want a career in research (just to keep you going through the process), here are some useful <b>intern-ey</b> things to do/keep track of while you are online:
+1. The new semester usually starts from September in the EU region so that’s when the professors are looking for kick-starting new and interesting research projects.
+2. Look out for funding agencies like the British Council (again the requirements are pretty much the same as stated above), but apply anyway.
+3. Search for reasonably high ranking universities (according to your status)
+4. Search for professors whose research interests align with yours
+5. (If you don’t have one, pick the topic that you have studied the most)
+6. Prepare a Cover letter (primary email) and a resume (not a CV; they are different things).
+7. SOPs (Statement of Purpose) are highly specific to the research area that you want to go to and usually, professors tend to ask for it in successive emails (if you get there), so no need to prepare it beforehand.
+8. Just have a friendly conversation with the prof (over email or Skype), subtly ask for a stipend and Voila, you are there.
+9. Apply for the passport that you lied about having. (If already have one then proceed to step 10)
+10. Acquire the Acceptance letter from the University and make sure it states “Visiting PGR student” or something similar and not an “Internship”. (Needed for step 11)
+11. Get a short term student visa (at least 15 days before your flight).
+12. Fly!
+
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Jashan2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Life at UoM
+<br>
+People expect a scenario similar to certain American college movies, but that’s just superficial.
+Undergraduate life is the same in almost every part of the world, only the work culture, hangout spots, night-outs and party plans change. It is important to remain in touch with that part of your being when you are on an internship abroad. 
+Research is serious professional work and is treated as such. Although the British atmosphere and culture felt quite weird at first to a student such as me, with having lunch at 12pm, dealing with excessive rains, sunbathing if the sun ever shines (3 days out 7), the 9 to 5 work culture and then having dinner as early as 6pm, health and safety induction programs that stretched the entire week (apparently, prevention is the best cure, literally), celebrating weekends, and <b>Happy Hours</b> (it’s exactly what you think it means) after a conference at the department with the professors, you get used to it soon.Fortunately I befriended some undergrads to get me back in the groove and really explore Manchester as though a first yearite would. It’s the after work/dinner social life where things get interesting.
+Remember when I said it was all superficial? <b>I lied. </b>
+<br>
+### Exploring the country(s)
+<br>
+Before leaving for my internship, people usually told me to roam different cities, look at the famous attractions, click loads of photographs, and basically be a tourist. This, really, is not a bad idea, because you can easily go on pre-planned, cheap trips across Europe and manage 2-3 countries on long weekends.
+But to me, it was all about being a traveller, exploring the culture and the people while having someone awesome keeping me company. We would take it slow, a country or a city in a weekend like the way it is meant to be done. We could never see as much a tourist would in a single day over the entire weekend and we never wanted to either.
+<b>Honest opinion</b>: Do some sightseeing on Google Maps 3D and then plan your trips, you would definitely enjoy more.
+<br>
+### Epilogue
+Keeping it simple, an internship to an overseas university is a must for all students as it teaches you not only how much research means in the world but that opportunities are limitless for the so called “non-core” fields.
+
+

_posts/2017-08-01-summer-diaries-visa.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: VISA"
+image: princi1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Princi Vershwal"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "I made it to Visa Inc’s internship program through an off-campus attempt. Like many good companies do, Visa conducted an online coding contest on HackerRank, but this was open only for women. Similar to many other contests on Codeforces, it had five coding questions. Post the contest, they invited the top-50 participants for a couple of interview rounds in their Bangalore office."
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+I made it to Visa Inc’s internship program through an off-campus attempt. Like many good companies do, Visa conducted an online coding contest on HackerRank, but this was open only for women. Similar to many other contests on Codeforces, it had five coding questions. Post the contest, they invited the top-50 participants for a couple of interview rounds in their Bangalore office.
+
+There are many companies like Cisco, Morgan Stanley, and Codenation, that conduct such online contests during the internship season, so keep a check on the HackerRank calendar. These contests usually have a stiff competition, as students from various colleges and branches all over from India participate in such competitions. For preparation, practice ceaselessly on online portals like Codechef, Codeforces, HackerRank, and HackerEarth.
+
+For this year, however, Visa is planning to come to the IIT Roorkee campus for hiring interns. The campus hiring process would probably be similar to the other companies, that is, one coding/aptitude round followed by a series of interviews.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/princi2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### The Work and Culture 
+
+Visa genuinely cares about its employees, which is something that was evident with the way I was treated throughout my tenure here.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/princi3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+As far as the projects go, it all depends on the team you are assigned to. There are real time projects related to the work going on in the teams. Interns usually work the same way as a regular employee does, apart from the ton of guidance regarding their work. I worked on an individual project, but there were other projects which had people working in teams of two or three.The working hours are flexible, but most of the interns work from 9 am to 5 pm. Most of the teams have daily standups which help keeping the work on track. 
+
+Apart from all the serious work in the team, our two months were full of team outings and social events within and outside the office. Additionally, special events which were arranged only for interns (including booking the entire movie hall). Visa also provides all the luxuries including a good place to stay, daily travel, and food. This is a big advantage for first-time Bangalore visitors like me.
+
+Moreover, every year, Visa has a Global Intern Summit (it was in San Francisco, USA this year) where we had a chance to meet Visa’s interns from more than 14 other countries, 	the CEO (Al Kelly), and the CTO (Rajat Taneja) of Visa, along with the other great people working at this company. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/princi4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Words of Advice
+
+If you are a non-CSE student, getting an internship in a coding profile might seem difficult to you. However, with the right amount of dedication and meeting the right people, you can make it to impressive heights. For instance, here is a conversation I had with my mentor Sean McArthur, who is a full-time employee at Mozilla.
+
+
+<i>Sean: So what kind of a student are you? Are you a topper or a backbencher at your college?</i><br>
+<i>Me: Actually, I’m average. I don’t enjoy my subjects as much as I like to code, which is why I study all of my departmental courses just before the exams to survive. I have had just one course in C++, that too in my first semester and I managed to get an A in that.</i><br>
+<i>Sean (surprised): No other course? Nothing at all?</i><br>
+<i>Me: No</i><br>
+<i>Sean: Oh my god! Really? That’s so cool! I am so impressed! Then how do you know so much about this field?</i><br>
+<i>Me: The internet at our college is pretty fast!</i>
+<br><br>
+That is it! If you learn to effectively exploit the facilities our college has, you’ll be good to go. Additionally, here’s some other advice I can offer 
+<br>
+
+- Do a coding internship only if you are interested in it, otherwise don’t waste your time. Anyone who has a good knowledge of the subjects related to Computer Science can get hired by a good company, irrespective of his/her branch. However, a good CGPA is always important and you will, very soon, get to know this in the coming internship season.
+
+- Do not run behind campus placements (especially for internship). Explore more. There are way better options.
+By the end of my 6th semester I had four internships, all in different fields of CS and in different companies (Fuzzy Logix, Visa, Morgan Stanley and Mozilla(Outreachy)), and I’m a student of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering with a CG of 7.4! So, learn more and explore as much as you can. Read blogs, see what all opportunities are there, find out where your interest lies, and do not be afraid of making wrong choices, you are just in the 2nd/3rd year of your college. This is the time to learn and not run behind an internship.
+
+- Being a student at IIT Roorkee, you are surrounded by some of the best coders, developers, and researchers. We have people from all branches and fields of science who have expertise in various domains of CSE. Connect to people around you and talk about their experiences and work. 
+One of the major reason I could have such an amazing summer is because I met the right people at the right time. 
+
+- Ask questions. No question is ever dumb. Go out and talk to people, take random trips to SDSLabs, MDG or any other room in the hobbies club. People will always welcome you. 
+
+- If you ever get a chance to attend any good conference or event, (like, I went to Google I/O this summer), go there and explore even if it is being hard on your pocket. These experiences are completely worth the money.
+
+- If you are planning to do a remote project like GSoC/Outreachy, try not to wait till third year, it will be better if you do it in your second year. Honestly, if you are doing it for the sake of learning(and not earning) do it after 2nd year, as at the end of your 2nd year you have a lot of time to learn.
+
+- Use your 2nd year summer breaks wisely. They form the springboard for your 3rd year internships.

_posts/2017-08-03-summer-diaries-nig.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: National Institute of Genetics, Mishima"
+image: sonali-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Sonali Srijan"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The National Institute of Genetics, Mishima is a research institute that serves as a host to the DNA Data Bank of Japan. It provides post-graduate education under the Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), and is a hub for international and domestic research collaborations."
+---
+
+### About NIG
+
+The National Institute of Genetics, Mishima is a research institute that serves as a host to the DNA Data Bank of Japan. It provides post-graduate education under the Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), and is a hub for international and domestic research collaborations.
+
+### Making it there
+
+I’m currently availing the Honda Y-E-S (Young Engineer and Scientist) Plus scholarship (2016-17) that funds Y-E-S awardees to pursue a ten-week (or more) long research-based internship or masters in universities of Japan. The Honda Y-E-S award (India) is a recognition granted to academically inclined pre-final year students from a list of IITs shortlisted every year.
+
+<b>Selection:</b> The Y-E-S is an initiative to disseminate green technology, and aims to strengthen technical prowess among the Asian youth, holding competitions along the similar lines in countries like India, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. 
+
+After going through the online registration, the applicants (third-year undergraduates) are filtered based on a cutoff-C.G.P.A (greater than 7.00 GPA in each of the first four semesters). This is followed by a written round, which requires an essay on a pretty broad topic that allows you to connect with your field of expertise in the subject. About ten students are then shortlisted for the interview from each IIT.
+
+The interviews are based on eco-technology, and finding unique ideas to tackle current environmental issues. After getting past the first interview, the finalists received a confirmation call along with a biography of Soichiro Honda San, the founder of Honda Motors. The final interview for Y-E-S (2016-17) was assessed by Mr. Shirish Garud, Director and Senior Fellow, TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). It was a really interactive session, where we were asked questions based on our technical competence, the write-up, general awareness and co-curricular activities. 
+
+After the above intermittent rounds of rigorous personal interviewing at the Honda headquarters in Delhi, the final awardees are felicitated at a decorated event with a handsome prize money. Furthermore, they are encouraged to take up research internship projects in Japanese universities, through financial funding via the Y-E-S plus scholarship.  
+
+The aforementioned sequence of chapters got me interested to avail the scholarship. And after a month-long mailing session, I earned the chance to work at the Model Fish Genomics Resources Laboratory at the National Institute of Genetics (NIG or Idenken in Japanese) in Mishima, Japan. 
+
+Mail-trackers like Mixmax came in handy, given the time difference between India and Japan (the latter being 3.5 hours ahead). A befitting resume and a few crisp and aptly crafted e-mails worked for me. Keep the mails short and to the point. I would recommend using IITR webmail wherever possible. 
+NIG also accepts undergraduate research enthusiasts via a separate one-month long summer internship program called NIGINTERN. 
+
+### Work and life at NIG
+
+I chose to take up a core part of the ongoing forward-genetics research in Danio rerio (zebrafish).  My job was to rough-map/locate a chemically-induced novel heterozygous mutation in the zebrafish germline that manifests a direct impact upon spermatogenesis, for a better understanding of the shift from mitosis to meiosis in vertebrates. The job required precise liquid-handling techniques and electrophoretic data-analysis skills, and a hands-on training experience in the first week helped me get through it. The project required me to conduct multiple PCR reactions, an idea that was initially intimidating. 
+The first day at the lab wasn’t really great. The DNA extraction experiment went wrong and I ended up with a dead specimen.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/sonali-2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+I received considerable technical support from my Professor (Sensei) and the Assistant Professor that made project details lucid, along with other numerous concepts that I had previously read but forgotten. 
+
+Work hours were flexible, but given the slightly demanding nature of the project, I would often quit work late in the evenings. Every alternate Tuesday, we had a Journal Club, that’s a confluence of multiple labs presenting and discussing recent publications in germ cell research. I must admit many of the discussions were beyond me, given the fact that developmental biology is not part of our curriculum in the strictest sense. Despite the same, the discussions apprised me of the general flow and also to the format of a typical research-oriented presentation.
+
+Added to that, I was lucky enough to attend the NIG Retreat: an institute-level symposium that takes place every two or three years, where activities like poster-presentation events, research overviews, general discussions and sumptuous meals are organized at an enticing location. It was an amazing experience for me, all the fantastic presentations and the authentic Japanese cuisine made it an unforgettable event. It was also a wonderful opportunity for me to socialize with international researchers. 
+
+During the second month of the internship, lab visits were organized for all the visiting interns. The experience was indeed very enriching. 
+There doesn’t exist a discrete “buddy” system there, but people in my lab were very thoughtful to send me details about the Indian researchers at NIG. Moreover, my sensei gave me a ladies’ bicycle (called “Mamachari” in Japanese) to travel around conveniently in Mishima. NIG is located on top of a hill, and it was always overwhelming, cycling down the descent with the view of Mt. Fuji. 
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/sonali-3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+The first few weeks were pretty challenging. One of the main reasons being the language barrier. I couldn’t really make the best use of my rudimentary Japanese acquired by a two-week long self-learning program. NIG, being very receptive to foreign students was luckily very sensitive towards this issue, with all seminars conducted in English. Despite that, there were underlying issues in explanation of concepts, doubt sessions, troubleshooting etc; stemming from lingual differences. Especially outside the campus, problems were very visible. Google translate came in handy, though it does translate many words in a wrong way. Sign-language was my last resort in worst-case scenarios. The locals helped me a lot to cross this language divide.
+
+Another reason was the food. But after a few days, I adapted to it quite well and in fact, came to develop a taste for many of the local dishes including Japonica variety rice, unagi (eel), okonomiyaki, omu-rice (traditional omelette-rice), and sushi among other delicacies. I would often eat lunch at the campus cafeteria, and prepare breakfast and dinner by myself. This ensured I developed the skills to cook decent food on my own. 
+
+After my project was complete, I got the chance to attend an international research symposium on Regulation of Germ cell development in Kyushu University, Fukuoka. The brilliant talks with some very innovative sessions were quite resourceful and insightful. 
+
+### What’s to love about the place
+
+Everything!
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/sonali-4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+![pic5](/images/posts/sonali-5.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+After five hectic days of work, I would always save up time to travel during the weekends. Japan is a country that can boast about the best of scenic landscapes. Be it volcanoes/mountains (oh yes, I climbed to the summit of Mt. Fuji in a very bad weather, covering a significant portion of the ascent all alone. Yay!), hot sulphur springs and black hard-boiled eggs (Hakone), sandy beaches (Atami and Numazu being closest to my prefecture; though rich Honshu-dwellers head straightaway to Okinawa), high-rise concrete jungles with clean air with lots of places to shop and party (Tokyo: Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku; Osaka, Fukuoka etc.), shrines and monuments of cultural and historic importance (Kyoto, Hiroshima), Disneyland and Universal Studios, thrilling roller-coasters at FujiQ highlands, the very popular Shinkansen (bullet train)... And the list goes on and on. 
+
+Apart from these places, Mishima, the place where NIG is situated, is no less. A very peaceful town with the majority population as sexagenarians, it’s very close to nature with some very picturesque riversides, and offers a spectacular view of Mt Fuji. Located in Shizuoka prefecture, it is home to Japan’s longest skywalk, and is surrounded by cool getaways. 
+
+### Key Takeaways
+
+The internship was amazing in every sense of the word. Science and symposiums, huge culture exchange, travel, hard-learnt punctuality lessons, indispensable life-skills, a sense of accomplishment that follows completion and a resolve to learn the Japanese language. That‘s the many takeaways from this other-worldly experience. 

_posts/2017-08-06-summer-diaries-itc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: ITC"
+image: soumajit-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Soumajit Sen"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The projects at ITC are real world business problems which the company is currently tackling. The expectations from KITES interns is enormous and they reciprocate with the freedom the interns are given to carry out any experiment, contact any OEM, install any equipment and even design any machine. Any insights put forward by KITES interns are taken up with utmost concern and discussions are also held on the same."
+---
+
+### About ITC
+ITC is a multi-billion-dollar Indian conglomerate which was established in 1910 as the Imperial Tobacco Company of India. Today its diversified business includes: FMCG, Hotels, Paperboards & Packaging, Agri-Business and Information Technology. It has a market capitalisation of over US $40 billion and a turnover of around US $8 billion. 
+
+### Making it there
+ITC has an entirely offbeat selection process to scrutinise and select its interns. The process commences with the company presentation and is followed by the display of the list of shortlisted candidates. The submission of the applications had occurred on their portal 2 weeks prior to the presentation. The presentation is followed by Group Discussion. The group discussion is a case study where your opinion with supportive arguments for the given situation matters the most. Group Discussion is among groups of 9 students each. The cases in general are hypothetical situations with certain alternatives following the situation. You are expected to arrange the alternatives in order of priority.  For cracking the GD try to read the case study as fast as you can and start the dialogue. Initiating the GD, driving it to conclusion or even a sensible summary will fetch you brownie points. Next in line are two rounds of interview, the first is technical with the other being HR. The latter is taken up by the senior most professionals on the team.
+
+The technical interview is to check your conceptual understanding of the subject and how strong you are with your basics. Be prepared with at least two subjects as the interviewee is always given an option to choose any 2 courses that he/she is comfortable with. For chemical, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Thermodynamics, etc could be the options. The resume will be discussed thoroughly and it is advisable to only mention projects about which you are confident. Be prepared to answer questions about your most recent internship/ project.
+
+The HR round begins with a series of clichéd questions such as, “Tell us about yourself”, “Strengths and Weaknesses” and then gradually moves onto the tricky ones like say the implications of working in a tobacco factory or about working in remote locations (Munger for example).
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/soumajit-2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Workplace
+
+#### Aim of the internship and domain of work
+
+The projects at ITC are real world business problems which the company is currently tackling. The expectations from KITES interns is enormous and they reciprocate with the freedom the interns are given to carry out any experiment, contact any OEM, install any equipment and even design any machine. Any insights put forward by KITES interns are taken up with utmost concern and discussions are also held on the same. 
+The Projects assigned are from different disciplines, ranging from supply chain, quality control, automation to Six sigma, Image Processing and Optimization. Most of the times it so happens that the projects are not related to your domain and it becomes mandatory to step out of your comfort zone to finish the task. As for mine I was assigned two projects, one being on quality control and assurance and the other on Statistical Process Control Techniques in the Foods Business Division on a product belonging to the brand Fabelle. In my project specifically, the major bottleneck was the shelf life of the product and the time it took for the micro-organisms to enumerate and for me to receive the reports. Yes, you read it right, this summer I was working on micro-biology. My approach towards the problem was using the Quality Control Technique to check on all the reasons which summed up to the problem and to come up with practices and solutions which confirmed quality assurance and control. The second project was on improving process capability for moisture variation which demanded control charts and step-by-step analysis of the process to deliver.
+
+Reviews were held every week with the project guide in the eight weeks internship period and two reviews with the entire team which were presided over by the category head occurred, one at the end of 4 weeks and the other at the end of 8 weeks. The mid-review and final review are particularly important to track an intern’s progress and only on the category head’s recommendation will the project qualify for a review at the Head Office. 
+
+As for the offer, the intern-PPO conversion rate at ITC is around 45-50% and it’s best to not be optimistic and prepare for the worst. But once offered a job at ITC, the initial few months involve a lot of factory visits and travel.
+
+#### Work culture
+
+ITC has a dynamic work culture. It demands you to be on-the-go. One day you are at a factory and the next day at another (which is in a different city altogether) and since the company is expanding its FMCG market, the current scenario is intense. Every project being undertaken is critical to the company’s future and is the reason why when interns work on a project, it attracts the entire team’s attention.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/soumajit-3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+As for an intern’s week, I had a 6-day job since my project demanded that the majority of my time be spent at the factory. The factories have strong management practices such as the 5S’ which are carefully adhered to. Everyone at ITC is always pumped about work and always come up with innovative stuff. During my internship tenure, I also had the opportunity to visit Life Sciences and Technology Center (LSTC), Bangalore, the R&D HQ of ITC which has state-of-the-art facilities.
+
+#### People at the place
+
+We as interns at ITC are allotted a “guide” who works along with the interns on the project in addition to their day-to-day tasks. The guide is always there to help the intern with any doubt, query or regarding any clarification. The entire system is transparent. Data is shared with the interns during their tenure as required providing them with all the resources necessary in completing the project. This time a new concept of a “buddy” was also introduced who was necessarily not from the same category. Buddy had the responsibility to help the intern with any kind of issue, be it personal or to get a hang of the system protocol in addition to helping with the project if need be. I had a buddy from the biscuits category despite interning in New Category (Chocolates). Everyone at ITC is extremely helpful and easily approachable including the unit head.
+
+#### What’s to love about the place
+
+The most awesome and motivating part about ITC is the way they treat their interns be it the stay, travel, induction programme, etc. It’s a dream come true to work as an intern at ITC. It all starts with a 3-day “Mind Over Matter” induction programme at Bengaluru during the month of April. The entire induction programme along with the stay is arranged at ITC Windsor, a classic of the ITC luxury hotels chain. 
+
+At the start of the tenure we were summoned to the head office of the division we had been allocated and I had a chance to interact with the senior members including the CEO of the division (in my case Foods). Then since my base location was Bangalore, I could commence work the same day. I was made familiar with all the departments and incorporated into the factory dynamics. Although difficult to roam around during the internship tenure, Bangalore is a pretty happening place especially throughout the weekends and enough places to chill out. The weather in Bangalore is admirable with cool breezy winds and rain showers almost every day. All in all, it was a remarkable journey to cherish throughout.
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/soumajit-4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing up and key takeaways
+The two-month tenure at ITC is a huge value-addition to any intern. Irrespective of the outcome, there is a lot to learn and apply within these 2 months. It might be difficult to scale your thinking but solutions presented with impacts to the business are always commendable. Life will be a bit difficult during these two months and sometimes you might feel demotivated but perseverance is the key to everything.
+
+As for the recruitment part, those individuals are preferred who display out-of-the-box thinking and therefore the term ‘Mind-Over-Matter’ is given importance. They look for candidates who step out of their comfort zone to achieve or those that have strived hard to work towards their goals. I would advise the candidates sitting for ITC to keep your calm when appearing for the interviews and the group discussion, and also to be clear and confident of what you have mentioned on your resume. 

_posts/2017-08-07-debsoc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Debating Society, IIT Roorkee"
+image: debsoc.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Rishabh Jha"
+category: verbatim
+excerpt: "We are IIT Roorkee’s official body in the pursuit of debating in English language. As such, it is us who train students and represent the college in national and international level debating tournaments around the world. We follow specific formats of debating, namely the British Parliamentary and Asian Parliamentary Format, and spend as many evenings as we can on perfecting our skills in it."
+---
+
+### How is debating at college different from debating at school?
+
+Oh, it’s a world of difference. At debating contests in schools, the focus is much more on how well you speak rather than on what you speak. For most of my life as a debater at school I was flustered by how good elocutionists with rather nonsensical speeches in terms of content, trumped the rest of us in a breeze. College debating differs in that aspect. Here, all that we really care about is the quality of your arguments. If your logical abilities and case building are sound, you should be able to take the debate even if your elocution isn’t state of the art.
+
+Another major difference is the casual attitude. At school you have a panel of strict principals and teachers sitting as judges who will judge you right from the shine of your shoes to the length of your hair. At college, no one cares. The tournaments are exclusively conducted only by students. Everyone from the organisers to the speakers to the judges are students. No one cares about how you dress, how formal you are, or if you use the F-word. We only care about the argument you are making. 
+
+### What does the Debating Society do?
+
+We are IIT Roorkee’s official body in the pursuit of debating in English language. As such, it is us who train students and represent the college in national and international level debating tournaments around the world. We follow specific formats of debating, namely the British Parliamentary and Asian Parliamentary Format, and spend as many evenings as we can on perfecting our skills in it. In addition to the frequent debates, we have weekly sessions called Argumentative Weekends, open to the entire campus, meant for us to expand the scope and depth of our knowledge as much as possible
+
+### Could you explain the structure of the Debating Society?
+
+The Debating Society has 7 secretarial posts spread across the second, third and fourth yearites. After recruitments in the beginning of each year, a corpus members are recruited who are intensively trained with the purpose of excelling in tournaments.
+In addition, we conduct weekly events open to the entire campus where we welcome anyone to learn from us, teach us and hone their skills in debating.
+
+### What is the best part of being in the Debating Society of IITR?
+
+Intelligent Company, without a doubt. We can all more or less agree that each of us likes to hang out with people of a certain intellect. While I myself may not be very smart, I enjoy the company of smart people. It can often be difficult to find a high concentration of such people in a randomized social structure. The Debating Society helps sort that out for me by flocking together a good sized bunch of them in one place.
+
+### We often hear that the DebSoc engages only in *Parliamentary Debates*. Could you explain what it means?
+
+Yes. When we participate in school debates, they do not all conform to the same set of rules. There is no uniformity.
+However, there do exist standard formats of debating around the world. Popular among these in India are Asian and British and Parliamentary Debates. Each of these format has set prescriptions in terms of how many teams there are, what the number of speakers in each team is, what role each of them have to play and so on.
+
+For example, most debates we have on campus are conducted in the 3x3 Asian Parliamentary Debating Format. What this means, is that each debate will have 2 teams with 3 members each.
+
+One team will be the proposition (prop) and the other will be the opposition (opp). The topics will be given to both teams 20 minutes before the debate starts. The debate will begin with the first speaker from prop followed by one from opp and so on. Each member of the team will adhere to some specific rules prescribed for them. Every speech will be 7 minutes long. After the speeches, the first six speeches, there are smaller reply speeches. And it goes on. 
+The summation of all these rules have to be followed when you are doing such a parliamentary debate. One needs to attend our workshops on the subject to gain an in-depth knowledge of the format, but I hope this gives you an idea.
+
+### Could you name some glories and achievements of the group(both before and after you’ve been a part of the group)?
+
+In the past years we have participated in at least over a dozen debates against many different colleges and hold a victory in the majority of them. Notable tournaments were at KNC and Hansraj 2017, IITD PD – 2016 and 2017, NLU D – 2017 and 2014 along with many more.  Our team were semifinalists at the inter IIT Debating Championship and Arnav from the team adjudged the final debate of the tournament.
+ 
+### What are some of the problems you’ve faced due to the administration?
+
+There was a time when we suffered quite a lot to the administrative apathy. But thankfully, last year saw a change at the helms and we have been able to thrive since then.
+
+One problem that still remains that the admin often doesn’t understand the kind of debating we do at college. Explaining the entire structure of a parliamentary debate and the sheer effort it takes for us to excel at it is quite difficult to explain. We are often expected to garner crowds and fill auditoriums in the way that the performing sections do (and they do it quite well), except that they do not understand we aren’t at school. Parliamentary debates don’t work like debating at school where you can any number of people stand on stage and hear each of them repeat the same things that all of them stole from one book on the topic. Our debates are spontaneous and usually explore each topic to such depths that if someone lacks the context to it, they just won’t enjoy it. That we aren’t a performing section, is rather difficult to explain. Our job is to practice immensely and represent the college in debates, not to fill our auditoriums and entertain.
+
+That aside, our biggest concern remains with the need for a room. A room is the fundamental thing you require for conducive debates. We are a rare college whose debating society still decides its schedule at the mercy of the weather and debate under the open sky, often among dogs*. The explanation of the admin is that they don’t have rooms to give, or want us to inform them of a debate before the debate is scheduled, but our problem still stays. We need a dedicated space to debate whenever we want.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/debsoc_canine.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+<center><i>*Proof of our canine company</i><center>

_posts/2017-08-08-summer-diaries-intuit.md

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Intuit"
+image: anushrut-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Anushrut Gupta"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Being called a 35-year-old startup, Intuit believes in reinventing itself time and again, making it one of the most innovative companies in tech right now. Intuit is one of the most employee friendly companies out there doing amazing work, for which it was recently awarded the Economic Times’ award for being India's best company to work for, 2017."
+---
+
+___
+intuit
+
+**ɪnˈtjuːɪt/**
+
+*verb*
+
+  - understand or work out by instinct.
+
+___
+
+With a mission of _powering prosperity around the world_, Intuit was conceived in 1983 by Scott Cook who realized that personal computers could lend themselves as replacements for paper-and-pencil based personal accounting.
+
+_“We believe in the people who do things – the hat jugglers, the to-do list junkies, the masters of getting it done faster, better and more efficiently than ever before. Whether that's balancing the household budget, running a business or paying taxes.”_
+<p style="text-align: right;">- an excerpt from Corporate Profile, Intuit</p>
+
+In this constantly evolving world, Intuit believes in not just meeting, but leading the changes, which has made them survive for more than three decades and emerge as an industry leader.
+
+Today, Intuit stands as a leading provider of business and financial management solutions, that develops and sells financial, accounting and tax preparation software and related services for businesses, accountants and individuals, headquartered in Mountain View, California, generating a revenue north of $4.7 billion.
+
+### How does one get into-it?
+My story reads a little fairy-tale like, you’ll see.
+
+Step 1: __Have a low enough CGPA__, so you get rejected by GS. But not so low that you can’t recover. So I kept it at 6.95 (by choice).
+
+Step 2: __Screw up MS’ written test.__
+
+Step 3: __Get Intuit to come to your campus__ (luckily they did, for the first time in 2016).
+
+Step 4: __Get through the primary test__, which comprises of a set of multiple choice questions focusing on several computer science concepts, especially, Data Structures, Algorithms, Operating Systems, Networks and Databases; followed by 3 programming questions with varying levels of difficulty. Luckily, you get the freedom of language and editor (Python and Vim, yay!).
+
+Step 5: __Ace the interviews__. They mainly focus on your personality, aptitude, knowledge of computer science fundamentals and experience with code. Also, they silently judge whether you comply with their ethics and make sure they don’t just bring in a workhorse.
+
+Step 6: __Get selected__ in the team of your choice. Yes, they listen to you if you know how and when to __*subtly*__ drop the necessary hints, during the interviews that is. I, hence, landed an intern with the _Innovation and Advanced Technology_ team.
+
+
+### Work, place?
+
+![pic1](/images/posts/anushrut-2.png)
+
+I always thought a good satisfying corporate job was a myth I had to believe. Well, my internship proved me wrong. Being called a 35-year-old startup, Intuit believes in reinventing itself time and again, making it one of the most innovative companies in tech right now.
+
+Intuit's approach to innovation has two core competencies that differentiate the company and allows it to deliver solutions that truly change people's lives.
+
+  * __Customer-driven innovation__, which is a mindset and methodology to uncover important, unsolved problems.
+
+  * __Design for Delight__, a process that helps create better ways to deliver what's most important to customers. This approach to innovation creates an entrepreneurial environment where small teams collaborate to delight customers and deliver awesome product experiences.
+
+"By giving our employees the freedom to experiment, we are able to bring groundbreaking innovations that solve important customer problems to market faster than ever." said Brad Smith, Intuit president and chief executive officer. "Our strong performance is boosted by the secular tailwind that we're riding toward a connected services economy, backed by continuous innovation and strong execution."
+
+After spending ten weeks, I can safely say that all of this is true and brilliantly achieved.
+
+The interns are regarded on the same level as the employees and granted all the privileges, which I’ll get into, soon. On your day of arrival, you are issued the highest end Macintosh laptop money can buy (cheap thrills, sorry) and an identification card which earns you the perks an employee enjoys.
+
+After a tedious orientation day, you get to meet your team and mentor, the ones you’ll be working with for the coming months. The people there, way too friendly (thanks to the silent judgement of ethics during the hiring process), help you around and get you acquainted in no time. You are allotted a spacious desk among other employees, mostly of your team, equipped with a desk phone and any number of accessories which you ask for; monitors, keyboards, mice, headsets and the like.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/anushrut-3.png)
+
+The workload depends on how much you take upon yourself and there are no restricted working hours. I personally took up two main projects and usually worked from 11 to 6, but stayed back a little longer (for the food, fun and games).
+
+Being in the IAT team, I broadly worked on Data Science and Machine Learning projects, thanks to which I learnt a lot and gained claimable proficiency in the same. Being a large organisation, there are teams digging deep into each field of information technology and the work one intern gets is almost guaranteed to be good, meaningful and deliverable, which actually goes into production, like mine did in the last week of my term.
+
+Dotted throughout the months were meticulously planned and well executed events, some exclusively for the interns and some otherwise, ranging from hackathons to leadership-connects, from We Care and Give Back sessions to product-mashups. This helped us learn the ins and outs of the company and attain a sense of belonging.
+
+Good work is always appreciated at Intuit, in the form of Spotlight rewards, mementos or dine-outs. This keeps one motivated and feel like someone cares, which is something you don’t come by in giant corporates.
+
+At the end of the day (or whenever you feel like it), you can drop down to one of the recreations areas lined with numerous games and avocations, or grab a delicious bite to eat at one of the cafeterias (free food, early morning to late evening), or enjoy the luxury of the gymnasium, sleeping cells et cetera.
+
+In the last week, you present and demonstrate your work before the Architects whose judgement, in conjunction with your team, manager and HR’s feedback, determines whether you’ll be called back to work with them a year later.
+
+### Location, location, location
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/anushrut-4.png)
+
+Intuit has three buildings in the RMZ Ecospace tech-park in Bellandur, Bangalore. You already know about Bangalore, right?
+
+### Summing up
+Intuit is one of the most employee friendly companies out there doing amazing work, for which it was recently awarded the Economic Times’ award for being [India's best company to work for, 2017](http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/indias-best-companies-to-work-for-2017-at-intuit-everyone-gets-a-say-in-policies-affecting-them/articleshow/59417729.cms). One can describe the internship experience as a training period for a full time role where you can pick up right where you left off. Intuit boasts a lot, but for a reason; difficult to describe in words, but marvelous to experience.

_posts/2017-08-15-quizzing-section.md

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Quizzing Society, IIT Roorkee"
+image: ruhela1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Utkarsh Ruhela"
+category: verbatim 
+excerpt: "Quizzing is a sport, and being a sport it obviously helps in flexing the concerned muscles. We are an open group, which means anyone (with or without a team) can show up to our quizzes and psarticipate."
+---
+
+### How has the Quizzing Section changed your life?
+<br>
+Change is quite a heavy word. I’d rather tell you how it has impacted me as a person. Quizzing is a sport, and being a sport it obviously helps in flexing the concerned muscles. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to fall in love with quizzing as a sport, yet.
+
+However, I have absolutely fallen in love with what it entails, which ranges from exploring Salvador Dalí to knowing that Napoleon and Hitler were just making up for being biologically unfortunate males.
+
+I see another trait- Spontaneity, which is quite common in all quizzing enthusiasts. You know the situations where you need to make snap decisions, and I think it has helped me build that too.
+<br>
+
+### What is the best part of being in the Quizzing Section of IITR?
+<br>
+Intelligentsia. In this new world order where we are all preparing to be corporate slaves, original and eccentric thinkers are becoming rarer and rarer. I thank all the quizzing folks for showing me how beautiful and normal it is to want to know everything and think differently at a technical institute.
+
+<br>
+
+### Could you explain the structure of the Quizzing Section?
+<br>
+We are an open group, which means anyone (and, I mean anyone, with or without a team) can show up to our quizzes and participate. 
+We have a seven member core team to help us in the execution and organisation, which comprises one secretary, two additional-secretaries and  four joint-secretaries.
+
+<br>
+
+### The most memorable quiz?
+<br>
+TATA Crucible 2017. Renju Kokkatt was my teammate for this one. I was in Delhi at home when he gave me an ultimatum with his broken Hindi to come to Roorkee for the quiz scheduled the day after. We hadn’t prepared at all for the quiz. As it turns out, we made it to the stage finals. He single-handedly took us to a tie for the second-place (which we ended up losing). But, it was one of the recent exhilarating quizzes.
+
+<br>
+
+### The best quizzer you’ve seen on campus?
+<br>
+It would be a tough fight between Sripad Behera and Akshit Tripathi.
+
+<br>
+
+### Team/Solo, what’s your favourite format? If team, who’s been your favourite team-mate?
+<br>
+Team quizzing hands down, I suck at lone-wolf quizzing.
+
+\*whispers\* substandard quizzer here.
+
+Renju and I complement well in a team.
+
+<br>
+![pic2](/images/posts/ruhela2.JPG){: style="width:100%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+
+### Glories and achievements of the group (both before and after you’ve been a part of the group)
+<br>
+This is one of those enigmatic groups on the campus! I keep finding out about ancient achievements even now, well into my fourth year. At Nihilanth 2011, Haaris’s team won the Business Quiz. For those amongst you who are unaware of Nihilanth, it is the annual Inter IIT-IIM Quizzing Fest. At the last Nihilanth, the team consisting of Sripad Behera, Akshit Tripathi and Sai Varun Reddy won Arul Mani’s general quiz. We have regularly dominated TATA Crucibles too.
+
+<br>
+
+### What is one thing you’d like people (especially freshers) to know about Quizzing Section?
+<br>
+It is often believed that Quizzing is about remembering facts and trivia. I feel this a big misconception about quizzing. Sure, you need to know very basic stuff about things, but most of the times we are just making smart guesses and logically trying to work out the answer in the dark. One might feel overwhelmed initially, but a couple of quizzes and they’ll be as comfortable as we are.
+
+Plus, the sheer amount of cool art, books, and what not you encounter in Quizzing is amazing. I would have been missing out on a lot of stuff if I had not been a part of the section, and I don’t feel this way for a lot of things.
+
+<br>
+
+### What are some of the problems you’ve faced due to the administration?
+<br> 
+Previously, there were a lot of issues, from the lack of funds to the booking of a venue. However, with Prof. P. K. Jha at the helm of Cultural Council, things are beginning to change for the better. We now have funds, resources and a bigger team after the split from the Debating Society.
+
+<br>
+
+### The LitSec has now been replaced by an independent Quizzing Section, and a Debating Society. What does this change mean for you?
+<br>
+LitSec has a lot of history and a rich heritage. There was a time when a lot of people were at the intersection of debating and quizzing, but now there are hardly any interaction and overlap of the members between two sections. Fueled by the dire need to increase the team size, it was a harmonious decision that the DebSoc and the Quizzing Section took bilaterally. It means a loss of identity as LitSec and bashings from alumni for breaking from the routine, but it also means catering to larger crowd at IITR, serving people with quizzes and debates more often, and subsequently expanding our reach.
+

_posts/2017-08-18-azad-bhawan-protest.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Azad Bhawan Protest"
+image: azadtheft1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: Uday Shinghal, Aditya Rathi
+category: bigstory 
+excerpt: "On the evening of August 14th, a laptop was stolen from the room number F-168 of Azad Bhawan. Apparently, the thief didn’t break any locks, but was recorded in the CCTV footage whilst trying to open various locks in the first wing of the Azad Bhawan, until he finally struck gold."
+---
+
+On the evening of August 14th, a laptop was stolen from the room number F-168 of Azad Bhawan. Apparently, the thief didn’t break any locks, but was recorded in the CCTV footage whilst trying to open various locks in the first wing of the Azad Bhawan, until he finally struck gold. Mr. Ajay, the residential warden of the Azad Bhawan, was first notified by the residents of two rooms in the hostel, about an attempt of opening of a lock - citing an unknown key, that was found stuck in the lock - and, an hour later, around 6:30 in the evening, the theft of a laptop was reported to the residential warden.  
+
+In immediate response to what happened and on further notifying the Chief Warden of Azad Bhawan, the CCTV footage of the Bhawan and various other cameras were hustled through till early in the morning, and a person was seen messing with the locks. That was all the CCTV footage could reveal, with the clarity of the recording not being good enough to recognise who the said culprit exactly was.
+
+Supposedly, the same person, on the very next day, stole 2 more laptops from Azad Bhawan, from two rooms in the first wing. An eagle-eyed resident of Azad Bhawan identified the culprit, who was on a bike, and tried to stop him by following him on his own bike. On being unable to successfully catch the accused, he, along with some more people who had joined him in the chase, started shouting at the security at the main gates to stop him, but the security guards didn’t (or couldn’t) stop the bike, because the fugitive had a staff sticker on his bike.  
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/azadtheft2.png)
+
+The very disappointed group of chasers soon turned into a group of irate protesters, and, very soon, no less than 60 people from Azad Bhawan were protesting in front of the Main Gate. Until then, the General Secretary, PG Academics was updated, who further notified the remaining members of the SAC - namely the GS Cultural Affairs, the GS Alumni Affairs, and the GS Hostel Affairs - who reached the spot as soon as they were informed. Also, some people from the horde even called the media which was present near the campus on account of the Independence Day celebrations. The Dean of Students Welfare, Prof. Anand Joshi, soon joined in to pacify the mob, which began to demand the resignation of the residential warden of Azad Bhawan.  
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/azadtheft3.png)
+
+The unsatisfied crowd, despite having a document with a stamp of the police, protested in front of the Director’s Residence, later in the night, demanding his appearance and his address on the issue. Very soon, the Dean of Students Welfare, ADOSW Bhawan, ADOSW Student Activities, Dean of Academics, the Security Head, and various other professors gathered there to monitor the crowd. 
+
+The students were stuck on their demand of meeting the Director. After a prolonged series of arguments between the crowd, the professors, and the SAC representatives, at around midnight, Prof. Anand Joshi, the GS PG Academics, and a Ph.D. scholar (Mr. Sumit Mishra) went to meet the Director to convey the demands of the students. The application addressed to the Director by the students listed the following demands:
+
+* Compensation for the lost laptop. 
+* The resignation of the residential warden.  
+* A revamp of the security system. 
+* Follow-up on the 6-month old complaints of theft. 
+
+After a short meeting with the director, the representatives and the Dean came out of the residence. Director's response to the incident, as stated by one of the representatives, was this:
+
+> By calling the media, you guys have tried to tarnish the reputation of the Institute. This indeed is really disappointing. By these actions, we might not remain among the top 10 institutes of the country, and we have already been pushed back to seventh! The Student Aid Fund has been created for such incidents and the affected Ph.D. scholars shall get compensated. Additionally, a meeting shall be called upon to discuss the demands put forward by the student community and immediate action, after rigorous investigation, shall take place.
+
+This incident has posed some serious questions, and, among them, the question of when the students will be compensated is probably not the major one.  
+
+First, despite similar incidents of theft from the hostel rooms, why haven’t any strict measures been taken up yet? Why are the loopholes so gaping that the CCTV at the main gates can't even read the number on the number plate of a static vehicle which was rather close to the camera?
+
+Second, the students protesting were asking GS Hostel Affairs to respond to the occasion. Considering the fact that there are 3 hostels in the campus which are completely inhabited by PG Students, shouldn't we have a separate GS from the PG community for hostel affairs? Also, there are various other errands that ultimately fall under the GS Hostel Affairs, but, instead, should be under one “GS Administration” - which doesn't exist. If the ever increasing workload could be channelized, more effective output can be expected. 
+
+Also, is protesting the best way of asking what is required? By protests and demonstrations, students portray as though they are gentlemen of leisure, but, instead, waste the time and energy rather unconstructively. 
+
+All things considered, maybe the students were right by doing a public demonstration at the Main Gates, earlier in the day, and, later, demanding a public appearance of the Director, at midnight, in front of his residence.
+
+Or, maybe, Prof. Misra was right in resonating the thoughts of the Director, by saying, “I’m ashamed of you, of all of you. The things you are doing, are done by the students of a random private institution. You are damaging the reputation of this prestigious institution.” 

_posts/2017-08-19-a-distressing-development.md

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "A Distressing Development"
+image: distressing-development-1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author:
+category: bigstory 
+excerpt: "A recent unfortunate incident haunts the campus of IIT Roorkee - Aman Chauhan, a resident of Mainpuri, UP, committed suicide by hanging himself in his room, in Ganga Bhawan (2nd floor). He was pursuing a Masters of Science in Chemistry (PG) at IIT Roorkee and had joined the institute on July 13th."
+---
+
+A recent unfortunate incident haunts the campus of IIT Roorkee - Aman Chauhan, a resident of Mainpuri, UP, committed suicide by hanging himself in his room, in Ganga Bhawan (2nd floor). He was pursuing a Masters of Science in Chemistry (PG) at IIT Roorkee and had joined the institute on July 13th. 
+
+### Details gathered via Mr. Mrinmoy Sinha, Secretary at Ganga Bhawan
+
+At around 12pm, 19th August, a neighbour knocked on the first year M.Sc student’s door, asking for bathing apparatus. On hearing no reply, he looked through the window, and immediately, he understood the gravity of the situation. Along with some friends, they tried to knock down the door, while another student hurried to alert the authorities. However, breaking the door proved to be difficult as the latch was reinforced and strong. They, then, proceeded to remove the netting from the window, breaking it and opening the door lock from inside. Nevertheless, by the time they got to him, it was too late. 
+
+According to certain sources, Aman had last been seen going to the mess to eat breakfast in the morning. 
+
+Gathered by his friends’ accounts, Aman appeared to be suffering from depression and had been prescribed Lithium tablets by the in-house psychiatrist. He was laconic and answered most questions in binary, yeses/nos. He seemed aloof and didn’t change his behaviour in the past month (since joining IIT Roorkee). According to some friends, he maintained a written diary. However, it hasn’t been found yet. 
+
+His roommate had gone to Delhi two days ago, and, thus, wasn’t present during the incident. At around 3:30pm, we witnessed the student’s body being transferred to the hospital via the ambulance.The Uttrakhand Police took the relevant evidence from his room. Later, we followed the Deans and professors to Rajendra Bhawan’s office where we waited for a statement.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/distressing-development-2.png) 
+
+### Certain excerpts from the conversation that we had with the Deans
+
+**WO**: Could you give us the official brief from the administration regarding this unfortunate incident?
+
+**DOSW (Dr. Anand Joshi)**: I wasn’t here the entire time. Dr. Upadhyay and others were here before me. But as per eyewitnesses, Mr. Aman Chauhan, a MSc First Year student (PG), committed suicide by hanging himself in the room. But, this is still a matter of investigation for the Police. There was no note left by the student. 
+
+**WO**: What do we know about the student? Have any reasons, which justify his choice of such an extreme measure, been stumbled upon?
+
+**DOSW**: As there is no evidence or indication left behind by the student, it has been very difficult for us to judge as to why he committed such an act. We all feel that this incident is very unfortunate and are saddened deeply by it. We are taking lots of efforts to improve the counselling cell. We are (planning on) introducing a new online counselling app by the name of “Your Dost”. So, we are trying to take care of all these things for the students, on all ends. For this case, in particular, we have no proper information. 
+
+**WO**: Was the student undergoing counselling?
+
+**Aalok Misra (ADOSW, Student Wellness)**: I spoke to Dr. Shikha Jain and she said that she was not in touch with the student. He was probably in touch with the psychiatrist Dr. Gupta, however I’m not sure about that. 
+
+**WO**: Any information inlet, justifying the act, given by his friends?
+
+**DOSW**: I have no information regarding this. 
+
+**WO**: The student just joined a month ago. Any reason as to why he took this step?
+
+**DOSW**: I don’t have the entire information. If a student comes away from home, he is under mental pressure. We do try to provide support through orientation program and giving information about Counselling cell.
+
+**WO**: What steps are you taking in the future to avoid such incidents. Could this have been prevented?
+
+**DOSW**: We are taking every effort to prevent the happening of such incidents. We are all feeling distressed by this unfortunate event. We take all efforts to stop depression amongst students - continuously expanding our counselling cell and providing online services for all students, 24 hrs, the entire year (referring to the new app that is being developed by the administration). 
+
+**WO**: Has this initiative been launched?
+
+**DOSW**: It was earlier in the process, but, now, everything is finalised, and, hopefully, by the 1st of September, it will be launched. 
+
+**WO**: Any message you would like to give to the rest of the student community?
+
+**DOSW**: My advice to all the students is that if you are in any sort of trouble, you are free to contact anyone of us - whether the problem is academic, physical, or mental. If you have any problem, please approach me. 
+
+### Our Viewpoint :
+
+This unfortunate incident also raises many questions and issues about our campus and its administration.
+
+- Regarding the counselling cell - Is having only one counsellor for 8000+ students justified?
+- As is apparent about from the discussion, why is the administration ignorant about the situation? 
+- If the student was already diagnosed, why didn’t the psychiatrist notify the administration that he may have suicidal tendencies?
+- The student just joined the campus (a month back). Why is it the case that after just one month at IITR, he was forced to take such a step? Isn’t the orientation program effective in helping the students adjust? Why are the students so stressed just after joining the campus?
+- What should the administration be doing differently to make the inbound students feel more welcome, secure, and relaxed?
+- The administration claims to be developing a new app, but how effective will it be if students aren’t made aware about the various counselling facilities available to them?
+- Why is there so little awareness about depression? If the students were correctly trained to report any signs of depression/self harm to the counselling cell, would this situation have turned out differently?
+
+Though the administration means well, the fact that this unfortunate incident happened, shows us the glaring holes in the way in which the students’ psychologies and problems are handled in our campus. We, at Watch Out, are deeply enraged by the flaws that the counselling system in our campus has and will put up an in-depth analysis of the same, soon. We hope that the issue is promptly raised - both, by the SAC and the administration - to ensure that such an incident doesn’t occur again. 
+
+Also, we would like to emphasize that the entire student community stands with the friends and family of the deceased, and mourn, deeply, for the loss of a bright young mind. We utterly stress that everyone at IITR is here to help, and, any student facing any such tendencies, or feeling depressed, should contact the counselling cell. If one notices such symptoms, he/she should report it to the counselling cell, as well, hence ensuring that the affected student receives proper attention. 
+
+No student should have to go through this, ever again.

_posts/2017-08-20-4th-students-senate-meet.md

@@ -0,0 +1,598 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "4th Students' Senate Meeting"
+image: senate.png
+tags: [wona]
+category: sac
+author: ""
+excerpt: "Minutes of the 4th students' senate meeting held on 18th August, 2017."
+---
+
+|_Venue : Senate Hall, IIT Roorkee_ |
+
+|_Date : 18th August 2017_   |
+
+|_Time : 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m._ |
+
+<br>
+__Members of SAC__
+
+|G.S. Alumni Affairs|:|Mr. Manik Verma (Convener)|
+|G.S. Cultural Affairs|:|Mr. Prajwal Bhatt|
+|G.S. Hostel Affairs|:|Mr. Sambhav Anand Jain|
+|G.S. Academic Affairs UG|:|Mr. Saksham Agrawal|
+|G.S. Technical Affairs|:|Mr. Punit Dhoot|
+|G.S. Academic Affairs PG|:|Mr. Rajesh Vishwakarma|
+|G.S. Sports Affairs|:|Mr. Shubham Vij|
+
+The meeting was attended by a total of 62 senators.
+Mr. Manik Verma welcomes the Members of the Students’ Senate.
+
+__Item No. 4.1__
+
+__To report the senate of the following:__
+ 
+__1) Bhawan Day Policy restructured - Bhawan Days to be celebrated throughout the year on festive occasions.__
+
+__2) Night Canteens - Canteen running all night to be started by 20th August on a pilot run at Rajiv Bhawan and will be expanded throughout the campus if successful.__
+
+__3) Privatization - Final stage interview to be taken and contracts to be assigned. Starting with 5 Bhawans namely RKB, Rajiv, Ganga, Cautley and Sarojini.__
+
+__4) Appetizer launch - A mobile app for the smoother functioning of mess and bhawan facilities is ready and is planned to get launched by 1st September. It will be on a pilot run in 2 of the messes and will be expanded to the whole campus very soon.__
+
+__5) RKB-Ganga Mess Separation - Work for construction of a separate Ganga Bhawan Mess has been started.__
+
+
+_Presented by Mr. Sambhav Jain_
+
+1. Bhawan Day Policy restructured:
+  * Bhawan Days, celebrated earlier in the last 2 months of the 2nd Semester, to  now be spread over the year
+  * PG Bhawans to be allowed to celebrate their Bhawan Days in the Mid -Semester Break
+  * A maximum of 2 Bhawan Days to be allowed per month
+  * Felicitation Ceremony to be held at the end of the academic year
+
+2. Night Canteens:
+  * Pilot run to be conducted at Rajiv Bhawan
+  * To be introduced throughout the campus
+  * Canteens to start at 3:30pm and to run till 6am
+  * Canteen staff to work in 2 shifts
+
+3. Privatization of Mess:
+  * 2 vendors finalised for implementation
+  * To be started at 5 messes - RKB, Rajiv, Ganga, Cautley and Sarojini
+  * To be incrementally  expanded by 2019 as CCB workers retire
+
+4. Appetizer:
+  * Developed by MDG
+  * Meant for smoother functioning of mess facilities
+  * No structure currently in place for students to claim rebate, only 24 days of rebate were initially allowed; to be increased to 105 meals
+  * Rebates to be given in real-time upon application being submitted 12 hours in advance
+  * Cooperation requested from Bhawan Councils to identify students via Biometric means to implement the aforementioned system
+
+5. Separation of RKB and Ganga mess:
+  * Construction started in second part of Cautley Bhawan Mess with separate kitchen and dining areas; completion expected  by the end of the year
+
+6. Miscellaneous remarks:
+  * Night tea vendor at Cautley Bhawan accessible only by boys
+  * Feasibility of Night Canteens will be reviewed through pilot run
+
+__Item No. 4.2__
+
+__To consider request to recognise IAC as a functional body of SAC. It will work directly under Dean of Academics Affairs.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+1. History:
+  * Present in sister IITs
+  * Worked under the leadership of Sankalp Asawa in the last academic year as a pilot project (informally)
+  * Aims to communicate information to, and address grievances of all departments, and present them to the Dean of Academic Affairs
+
+2. Constitution:
+  * Prepared and Drafted
+  * Copy given to Watch Out! to be made public through their channels
+  * One copy to be approved by the Convener and to be forwarded to the Faculty Senate for their approval
+
+__Item 4.3__
+
+__To remove Gardening, Philately and Numismatics as proficiency as the sections have been closed. Students already enrolled in these should be allowed to re-register for a new proficiency.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+1. Current Scenario:
+  * Gardening, Philately and Numismatics Section closed during the restructuring of the DOSW office but still exist as proficiencies
+
+2. Steps:
+  * Proposal to restructure the constitution to remove these proficiencies
+  * Students with these proficiencies can register again after the proposal has been approved
+
+__Item 4.4__
+
+__To consider the request for introducing printing facility in Library__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Suggestion invited for the identification of more places for the installation of printing facilities within the campus
+
+__Item 4.5__
+
+__To consider the request to increase no. of sockets for laptop charging at library.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. To be presented as an agenda point of the SAC to Dean of Administration
+
+__Item 4.6__
+
+__To consider international student representation in senate.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Suggestion invited to include international students in the daily activities of the institute
+
+2. Representation to be given to international students in the senate
+
+3. Ganga, Kasturba and Rajiv councils requested to put forward suggestions for the same and give a report of the steps taken by the
+
+4. Ganga:
+  * Sufficient participation by the said students in Bhawan activities when personally informed
+  * Inadequate participation of international students in Institute activities and events due to lack of information fueled by large communication and language gaps
+  * Setting up a council which will collect their contact information and disseminate information in their own language was suggested
+
+5. Use of Soft Skills Program to reduce communication gaps suggested
+
+6. Bhawan Cultural Secretaries requested to make sure that information about Institute-level activities reaches the said parties
+
+7. Zero participation seen in the recent workshops conducted by the Institute and suggestions invited for the same
+
+8. Rajiv:
+  * Appointment of a representative among the international students in every Bhawan suggested to channelise communication
+
+9. Kasturba:
+  * Voting rights in Bhawan and Institute elections requested
+
+10. Announcement of agenda on Bhawan Day suggested, considering that presence of international students is high on such days
+
+11. A SMP focussed on international students suggested
+
+12. Time slot separation in Sections suggested for PG/International students to increase participation; dismissed succinctly due to its counter-intuitiveness
+
+13. Cultural Secretaries of respective Bhawans requested to disseminate appropriate information to the said parties about the various Institute activities
+
+14. Written proposals requested from Bhawans having high international students population by 24th August
+
+15. Inclusion of students having a knowledge of different languages to channelise information to international students suggested; written proposal requested for the same by 25th August
+
+16. Establishment of a portal to collect information about international students on the day of registration suggested
+
+17. Representation of the native culture by international students on Bhawan Days suggested; Rajiv and Kasturba Bhawans requested to implement the same in their Bhawan Days
+
+18. Information regarding eligibility of PG students for selection in Sections requested by a Member of the Senate; informed that PG students are unwilling to do the requisite back-end work leading to drop-outs from Sections in the 1st Semester, PG students willing to do the work will be recruited by the Sections
+
+19. Monthly events for international students to showcase their native cultures suggested; summarily dismissed as it cannot be incorporated into the prevalent system
+
+__Item No. 4.7__
+
+__To consider request for a public cycle sharing system at IIT Roorkee. An adhoc comprising of elected and nominated students will propose feasibility and budget for the same. It will be launched in stages. 1st stage shall comprise of 50 bicycles.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Idea:
+  * Present in sister Institutions
+  * Cycles to be painted in separate distinctive colour
+  * 2 cycles stands-one at MAC and one at MGCL-proposed
+  * Pilot run with 50 cycles
+  * Cycles can be issued by all students
+  * Entry of cycles not allowed in Bhawans and restriction of their exit from the Campus
+  * Cycles can be parked only at the aforementioned stands
+  * Constitution of a Standing Committee proposed for the same to discuss the security issues, the feasibility and the budget
+  * Maintenance Secretaries-2 of all Bhawans nominated to the said committee and requested to come to a conclusion by 28th August and prepare recommendations to be submitted to the DOSW
+
+2. Suggestion requested for the same
+  * Issue of feasibility raised by a Member of the Senate citing that ideas such as RFID cards have not been implemented yet; SAC assured that the DOSW has requested for a budget and a proposal
+  * RFID cards have been ordered for all 1st Year students (approx. 2000 ); to be ordered for other years eventually
+  * Responsibility to ensure the restriction of the movement of such cycles to be given to the Security Guards; stray cycles to be picked up and returned to the stands
+  * Proposal to present the above idea to members of the SAC Discussion Forum to brainstorm and identify flaws
+  * Technological solution for the identification of location of cycles suggested; SAC proposed the addition of such solutions after the implementation of the system as a long term goal
+
+__Item No. 4.8__
+
+__To consider usage of Multi-Activity Room (MAC 4th Floor) - The room can be constructively used by various groups as increasing number of sections require space to function their activities.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Suggestion to be introduced as an agenda of the Students’ Senate to the Dean of Administration
+
+__Item No. 4.9__
+
+__To consider construction of Girls Washrooms in each of the Bhawans. A girls/common washroom to be constructed near the common area such as visitors room/canteens/entrances etc. in every bhawan.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Bhawan Councils requested to come up with proposals for the same by 25th August
+
+__Item No. 4.10__
+
+__To consider removal of Gate Pass system for the girl students. Currently the girl students need to generate a gate pass signed by the asst. warden for the exit from the campus after 12 AM which is quite redundant.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. System to be removed due to its redundancy
+
+__Item No. 4.11__
+
+__To consider centralized structure for the washing facilities in each of the Bhawans. Every bhawan should deduct Rs. 200 per student per semester for providing the washing facilities with an attendant without any extra cost. Timings of each bhawan for the same service may vary according to convenience.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Sambhav Jain_
+
+1. Idea:
+  * Majority of Bhawans already functioning in the proposed way, others charge extra cost per bucket
+  * Policy to be centralized and made available to every student
+  * Plan to add ironing facilities to reduce student dependency on Dhobis
+
+2. Issue of slow work in the establishment of laundry rooms in RKB raised by the Member; looping in of General Secretary(Hostel Affairs) suggested for the same
+
+3. Issue of difficulty in conducting Bhawan activities due to dissent by the hostel authorities: raised by SAC upon complaint of the Councillors; Councillors suggested to raise such issues with the General Secretary(Hostel Affairs)
+
+4. Roll back to Item No 4.10:
+  * Female Bhawan Councillors requested to suggest alternatives to the current system to ensure security of female students in the campus
+
+5. Issue of clash of timings of washing facilities with classes raised; SAC suggested that timings be moderated by Bhawan Councils in association with the Chief Wardens according to the convenience of the residents
+
+6. Cross-Bhawan washing facility use suggested; summarily dismissed due to feasibility issues with regards to adjustment in CCB accounts and time extension suggested at the Bhawan level
+
+7. Query regarding the mandatoriness of the payment of the requisite fee raised as students still avail external washermen facilities; SAC proposed making the fee mandatory as the restriction in the movement is required due to security concerns. Funds to be deducted from CCB accounts and Bhawans unwilling to implement can raise their issues.
+
+8. Ganga Bhawan Councillors raised the issue of Rs. 200 being too less to pay the staff for the facilities in Bhawans having less students; point noted by the SAC
+
+9. SAC proposed that all steps of the washing process will be taken care of by the recruited washermen to reduce inconvenience for the students
+
+10. Vote called on the agenda point - passed by the Students’ Senate
+
+11. Pilot run suggested; SAC informed that the point had been included after the feedback of a pilot run with 80% people being in favour
+
+12. Security checks on external washermen suggested; dismissed citing viability of such checks
+
+13. Vote called again - passed by Students’ Senate
+
+14. Query as to identification of appropriate authority to appoint staff raised by a Member; SAC proposed the deduction of funds from CCB account and handing them over to the Bhawan Council to be used to pay the staff
+
+15. Roll back to Item No. 4.10:
+  * Female Bhawan Councillors suggested that the Bhawan Registers can have carbon foils to make duplicate copies of the entry to be submitted by the student at the Institute exits; point noted
+  * SAC proposed the extension of some system to allow female students to leave campus after 12 a.m.
+  * Female Bhawan Councillors asked whether they are willing to comply with the new proposal of allowing movement outside the campus after 12 a.m.
+  * Register to maintain records proposed at Main Gate for a trial run on the lines of the current system being followed for male students; no requirement at Bhawan level
+
+__Item Nos. 4.12 and 4.13__
+
+__To consider installation of Wifi-Routers in the common areas of each Bhawan - For the bhawans without the Wifi routers in the common areas like visitors room, TV room, Canteen, etc. Installation of the same will be mandatory. 
+To consider installation of CCTV cameras in each bhawan - For keeping a check on the security, each bhawan must have CCTV cameras installed at the entrance and the security's reception area. For the bhawans without this facility, it will be made mandatory.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Proposals requested from Bhawan Councils of those Bhawans currently lacking these facilities for the identification of places for the installation of the same
+
+2. Increase in the quality of Wifi Routers at LHC suggested; TPO and ICC being looped in for the same by identification of places to install routers and conducting stress tests
+
+3. Wifi not available in RKB hostels, timeline requested for the same; SAC proposed the initial installation of routers at common places as the Bhawans have LAN facilities
+
+__Item No. 4.14__
+
+__To consider the request to obtain the No Dues certificate Online. It takes a lot of effort to collect no dues from different places. It would be better if we can have an Online portal for the same.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Punit Dhoot_
+
+1. Current Scenario:
+  * Students have to collect a large number of No-dues certificates to get the degree
+  * SAC proposes to make the system online with the stakeholders uploading the lists with the amount and payments can be made online
+  * IMG to be looped in to monitor the entire system and a common certificate to be printed for all places
+
+2. Implementation of the system for all types of certificates proposed; to be discussed in the next meeting
+
+3. Proposal to make the system central; can be extended to the departments
+
+4. Implementation of the system to Library Card Renewal Process proposed
+
+5. Idea of online registration of new students: implementation proposed by the end of next semester by IMG
+
+__Item No. 4.15__
+
+__To consider the request for Security System development project. Building a security system in collaboration with the Information Management Group and ArIES. There is a need to address infrastructure issues on institute gates.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Punit Dhoot_
+
+1. Current Scenario:
+  * Portal has been built by IMG which can replace the current system of stickers and paper-pen registrations at the entries through car number detection by image processing 
+  * Electric infrastructure to be established. Security Guards have been trained for the same
+
+2. System being followed at IITB can be implemented to allow entry of visitors of residents of campus. System consists of tokens with timestamps to identify visitors and the students. Can also be used to identify defaulters who don’t carry IDs. Proposal submission requested for the same for the consideration of the SAC.
+
+3. System being followed at IITK of taking photographs of drivers also suggested. Tokens can be used along with valid IDs; to be discussed in the next meeting.
+
+4. Change in point 2 suggested which will consist of matching entries in a computer to make system smooth and convenient and prevent dependence on timestamps. Bar codes can also be used
+
+5. Details to be discussed in depth later
+
+6. Guests of residents of the societies form a major part. Pass system can be used for identifying such guests.
+
+7. Issue of outsiders in the campus in the morning raised by a Member; porosity cannot be reduced drastically, therefore, security checks to be improved at Bhawans
+
+8. Proposal to close the barriers at Main Gate to be opened only upon registration
+
+9. Security Guards to be kept in check; issue at top-priority with DOSW
+
+__Item No. 4.16__
+
+__To follow up on the eligibility of IDD/IMT students to register for minors__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. To be pushed forward with greater force
+
+__Item No. 4.17__
+
+__To consider the request for making the professor feedback online.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+1. Current Scenario:
+  * Feedback remains with the professor and the HOD
+  * No use as such of the reviews
+
+2. Suggestion to make the data public so that it can be used by the students while choosing electives
+
+3. Parameters and questions to be changed for reviews to maintain objectivity and prevent biases; suggestions for parameters requested
+
+4. Steps to be taken based on such reviews questioned by a Member; dismissed as not highly relevant to the current agenda point and can be looked at later
+
+5. Suggestions invited to increase the credibility of the reviews
+
+6. Non-compulsory reviews suggested at the end of MTEs based on remarks to facilitate a continuous improvement process
+
+7. Inclusion of Lab Reviews in the same suggested; noted and approved
+
+8. Judgement based general satisfaction of the entire class suggested
+
+9. Open form for the submission of questions after some thought suggested; approved
+
+10. Issue of improper marking in certain subjects raised; solutions implemented by the Institute in the form of a software and students advised to raise the issue in front of Dean of Academic Affairs in case of discrepancy
+
+11. Opening of minor suggestions proposed for the entire year; reduced to an increased number to make the system feasible
+
+12. Proposal to be eventually put forward by the SAC consisting of the questions to be included in the review
+
+__Item No. 4.18__
+
+__To consider the request for increase in the number of branch changes for the first year students to at least 7%.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+1. Goal to eventually increase it to 10% proposed by the SAC
+
+2. Increase to be proposed to Dean of Academic Affairs
+
+3. Upper limit proposal rejected
+
+__Item No. 4.19__
+
+__To consider the request to remove reservation in book allotment procedure of Library.__
+
+__On-spot Agenda:__
+
+To consider the request to remove reservation in branch change
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+1. Neither of the two followed in any sister-IIT
+
+2. Books to be given on a first-come first-served basis
+
+3. Empty category seats to be opened for all during branch change
+
+4. Proposal to not discuss topics related to reservation in the Students’ Senate suggested
+
+5. Agenda point to be proposed in Faculty Senate
+
+__Item No. 4.20__
+
+__To consider the request to decrease the fee for bona fide, transcripts, provisional degree and copy of grade sheet.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+<ol>
+<li> Huge increase in rates in recent years</li>
+
+<li>Current Rates:
+<table>
+<tr><td>Bonafide Certificate</td>  <td>:</td> <td>Rs.100</td></tr>
+<tr><td>Transcripts </td> <td>:</td> <td>Rs. 2500</td></tr>
+<tr><td>Copy of Grade Sheet</td>  <td>:</td>  <td>Rs. 1000</td></tr>
+</table>
+</li>
+
+<li>Reduction to be proposed in the Faculty Senate</li>
+
+<li>Proposed Rates:
+<table>
+<tr><td>Bonafide Certificate</td>  <td>:</td> <td>Rs.30</td></tr>
+<tr><td>Transcripts </td> <td>:</td> <td>Rs. 1000 + postal charges</td></tr>
+<tr><td>Copy of Grade Sheet</td>  <td>:</td>  <td>Rs. 100</td></tr>
+</table>
+</li>
+<li>Roll back to Item 4.19:
+<ul>
+  <li>Vote called - passed</li>
+  <li>Option to be given to the students to have reservation in only one of the two things; summarily dismissed as the two topics are to be considered different</li>
+  <li>Committee having proportional representation of the various categories proposed; approved by the SAC</li>
+  <li>To be taken to Faculty Senate for consideration</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+</ol>
+
+__Item No. 4.21__
+
+__To consider the request to organize certified mini courses in the mid-semester break.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+1. Courses can be core as well as non-core
+
+2. Fees structure of the course requested by a Member; SAC clarified that the courses would be free
+
+3. Courses would be organised by IITR faculty
+
+4. Proposal to include Groups and Section organised courses suggested; noted but concerns raised as to the authenticity of the certificates
+
+5. Concerns regarding eligibility criteria raised; to be thought upon by the SAC
+
+6. Number of seats to be limited
+
+7. Open for all years except 1st Year
+
+8. Funds to be paid from the Student Activities’ Fund
+
+9. Removal of certificates from short courses proposed; dismissed citing the example of crash courses giving certificates to students
+
+10. Proposal to make the course content available online with online tests to be conducted before the awarding of certificates(along the lines of edX and Coursera), courses can then be followed by the students throughout the year and not necessarily during the break; to be thought upon by the SAC
+
+11. Expert staff can be invited to hold lectures for the courses which can’t be taken up by IITR faculty; to be figured out eventually by the SAC
+
+__Item No. 4.22__
+
+__To consider the request for introduction of Bug Bounty program to report vulnerabilities in campus websites. To allow students to perform security analysis of campus websites, under certain guidelines. The reward for a vulnerability to be decided by a committee formed by General Secretary, Technical Affairs based on the severity of the vulnerability__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Punit Dhoot_
+
+1. Has been implemented in IIT Guwahati
+
+2. Incentive to report bugs in the site and make sites secure
+
+__Item No. 4.23__
+
+__To discuss procedure to form Rajendra Bhawan council.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Expert Panel for selection of students for the RJB Council having representation from DOSW as well as SAC along with the Chief Warden suggested by the SAC
+
+2. Counterpoint presented supporting the conduction of election in RJB as election provide incentives to the Council to do work; SAC clarified that it supports the conduction of election but they can be held only after MTEs due to the plethora of activities and it would be lead to a hindrance in the activities of the Institute
+
+3. SAC clarifies that an immediate formation of Bhawan Council is required
+
+4. Representation of 1st Year girls in Sarojini Bhawan Council and other committees proposed
+
+5. Vote called - Against nominations - 14, With nominations - clear majority, resolution passed with 77% students in favour of nominations.
+
+__On-spot Agendas:__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+__To consider the request of student representation in the committee responsible for revision of rules to be followed in case of use of unfair means in examinations__
+
+1. Need to change the rules highlighted
+
+2. Formed Committee has no student representation
+
+__On-spot Agenda:__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+__To consider the request to extend the timings of dinner beyond 9pm as NSO students have NSO activities till 9pm leading to skipping of meals by such students__
+
+1. Extension till 9:30pm proposed for the sports community
+
+2. Delay in the opening of messes for dinner proposed; approved by the SAC
+
+3. Issue of lower flexibility in timings with the introduction of private messes raised by a member; SAC assured that the timings of private messes is 7:30-9:30pm and only 3 more private messes would be introduced by 2019
+
+__On-spot Agenda:__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Saksham Agrawal_
+
+__To consider the request to allow proficiency change after 2nd Year as well__
+
+1. Current rules force students to continue with their 2nd Year proficiencies in the subsequent years
+
+2. Allowing a change after 2nd Year proposed
+
+__Item No. 4.24__
+
+__Report to the senate-Review of the Bhawan Councils - Every elected bhawan representative will be reviewed twice in every semester (after mid sem and end sem). They need to submit a report on the works done by them and the meetings at the end of each month which will be made public with the attendance. If review is below a certain level, then the same will be reflected on their certificate.__
+
+_Presented by Mr. Manik Verma_
+
+1. Reports will be made available on the SAC website
+
+2. Results will reflect on the certificates to be issued
+
+3. Change suggested to make Members submit reviews at the end of MTEs and ETEs i.e twice each semester
+
+4. The reports, along with the attendance of the attendance of the Students’ Senate as well as Bhawan Meetings to be made public on the SAC website
+
+5. Watch Out News Agency to conduct reviews of the work of the General Secretaries on a mid-term as well as an end-term basis
+
+6. Manifestos of all Members to be published online
+
+7. Reports to be submitted at the end of every month with regular reviews and warnings
+
+8. Committee to be set up to introduce quantitative marking rather than qualitative remarks for the Members
+
+9. Chief Wardens and Wardens to be included in the committee
+
+10. Agenda point put forward to establish a database for future Students’ Senates and SACs
+
+Mr. Manik Verma clarifies that some of the grievances received through Google Form have been addressed and some are in the pipeline.
+
+### Questions received through the Live Broadcast:
+
+__Question 1:__
+
+Questioning 
+
+1. The lack of agenda points concerning the Institute Sports Council and other sports matters
+
+2. Provision of healthy snacks and meals to those who are supposed to represent the Institute in Inter-IIT and other events
+
+3. Update on provision to establish sports alumni connect
+
+4. Idea behind sport workshops - to introduce students to the basics of a sport in the initial run
+
+_Skipped due to the absence of General Secretary (Sports Affairs)_
+
+__Question 2:__
+
+__The tenders in both the canteens and public places are decided by the ADOSWs and the Chief Wardens. They seldom use these facilities. Can the job be given to the SAC instead?__
+
+_Response:_
+
+SAC is now involved in all committees from this year and this has been made sure by the Director. The system is already in place.
+
+__Question 3:__
+
+__RFID cards should be integrated with mess attendance so that remaining mess fees can be reimbursed if a student misses a meal. Information regarding other places where these cards can be integrated__
+
+_Response:_
+
+In the meeting with ADOSW, it was decided that initially the system will be dependent on biometric attendance but it is a long term goal to integrate RFID cards with a majority of facilities. Proposed places are MGCL, Academic Sections, Intitute Gates.
+
+__Question 4:__
+
+__Can a password reset button be made available in the IITR webmail?__
+
+_Response:_
+
+The matter will be looked into.
+
+__Question 5:__
+
+__Why does a centrally funded institute not cater to the needs of non-vegetarian students? Why do the students have to pay for non-vegetarian food brought from outside? Why is a non-vegetarian mess absent?__
+
+_Response:_
+
+Non-vegetarian food is costlier than vegetarian food and it cannot be expected that the non-vegetarian students will be served food at the same amount. It cannot be provided free of cost. However, an effort is being made to increase the facilities and non-vegetarian food can be made available on a coupon basis.
+
+__Question 6:__
+
+__With reference to the events at Azad Bhawan, are the current security guards competent enough to handle such matters?__
+
+_Response:_
+
+The SAC acknowledges that there are certain events now and then but it has been emphasized time and again. Security measures at Bhawan level will be improved. Porosity decreasing measures will also put into place. Resolution to be designed in the coming weeks to improve Bhawan security. It is also the responsibility of students to cooperate by carrying ID cards and furnish them whenever asked.

_posts/2017-08-30-the-robin-hood-army.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Robin Hood Army"
+image: robin1.png
+tags: [wona]
+category: verbatim
+author: ""
+excerpt: "**The Robin Hood Army** is a volunteer based organisation that works to get surplus food from restaurants to the less fortunate sections of society in the cities across India, and 11 other countries."
+---
+
+**The Robin Hood Army** is a volunteer based organisation that works to get surplus food from restaurants to the less fortunate sections of society in the cities across India, and 11 other countries. The organisation consists of over 12,350 volunteers spread across 48 cities, and has served food to over 3,436,531 people so far. The volunteers are largely young working professionals from varied fields. The lesser fortunate sections who the organisation reaches out to include homeless families, orphanages, night shelters, homes for abandoned children, patients from public hospitals, etc. We spoke to Sarim Khan, a third-year student of the Chemical Department, who has been managing this initiative in Roorkee, to understand how the whole system works.
+
+### How did the initiative get initialized in the institute?
+I have been a volunteer of RHA in Greater Noida since my junior college, and whenever I am back at home on a holiday, I initiate a drive on my own with several other people. In other cities, RHA pilots tie-ups with certain restaurants to provide the food for the drives. In addition, you have a lot of families of your society who love to cook for the underprivileged children. One day, it occurred to me that we could initiate a similar chapter in Roorkee, wherein we would also take the excess food from our messes. 
+I discussed this idea with Tanmay Bichu, my classmate, on the last bench of our classroom during one of our boring lectures. We both devised the team structure and thought our operations out. Really soon, we began our hunt to gather a team and a volunteer base. We conducted our first drive in Jalalpur on 9th August, with the surplus food from one of our messes.  We fed over 70 people on our first drive. Then soon after that, we conducted a drive on the occasion of Independence Day with the surplus breakfast from the same mess. 
+Since then we have conducted over 10 drives in a span of just 20 days with help of a volunteer base of 40, feeding over 1200 needy citizens of Roorkee.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/robin2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Which group of people does this initiative seek to help? 
+
+Mainly children. There’s a lot of temporary labour working on our campus near LHC and KB, and their families (especially children) live in slums in Jalalpur (2 km from KB gate). More than 100 families live there with over 200 children. Most of the children there don't go to school, and only get to eat once in a day. In fact, breakfast was totally a new concept to them when we went there for our Independence Day drive!
+ 
+
+### On the ground level, what are the logistics involved in carrying out this operation?
+
+We majorly operate on Saturdays and Sundays, but we have also have had drives on regular weekdays. So far we have been taking excess food from our messes, who prepare a tad bit of extra food keeping in mind the variable influx of students eating there. No doubt, sometimes we have to return empty handed from the messes as well when they had no excess food for the day, but we choose to see the bright side to it, which is no food wastage in that particular mess for the day. We transport the food in rectangular containers of our messes in an e-rickshaws taking utmost care of the quality of the food. What’s heartening is that the drivers of the e-rickshaws are very kind as well, offering to carry for free, but we always make sure to give them a fair fare for their services.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/robin3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"} 
+
+### Which places have received the benefits of this initiative so far?
+
+Just before our first drive, Tanmay and I roamed in the outskirts of Roorkee to locate slums. We talked with the elders of the slums about the food availability there. So far we have expanded to 3 locations namely Jalalpur, Bhangedi and the slums near the Army Cantonment Area.
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/robin4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### What was the response elicited by the student fraternity of the institute towards this initiative?
+
+A major chunk of the volunteer base belongs to RKB. Also, there is an active participation from members of the Rajiv, Jawahar, Kasturba and Ravindra. We have already had 2 drives from KB Mess as well. Some of the volunteers even volunteered on their birthday, dedicating their special day to community service. Our members from Jawahar also donated 40 brand new t-shirts that they had designed!
+
+### What are your plans regarding the increase in the scale and the reach of the group?
+
+As is the case in other cities, we are piloting tie-ups with the restaurants of Roorkee to give us their excess food. We have also made a WhatsApp group of all the generous housewives in and around the campus who volunteer to prepare food for the needy on a rotational basis.  We are also working on expanding our volunteer base by encouraging the professors to participate as well. Also, we don't want to limit ourselves just to our campus, and hence, we are also working on involving the citizens of Roorkee outside of the institute. We have also talked to the families of army personnel regarding the same.
+
+![pic5](/images/posts/robin5.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}  
+
+### What is your vision for this initiative?
+
+Wiping out hunger from the face of Roorkee! I know it sounds far-fetched but we are trying to do just the same by covering all the slums in the vicinity of Roorkee, and trying to make sure that no citizen has to sleep hungry even if it's only for two days in a week. We are working extensively on making this sustainable and we would really appreciate any help that we could get from IIT Roorkee junta. Along with this whole chain of food distribution, I have realised that a lot of people are willing to help us, so we just have to take a step ahead to latch onto all the help that we are getting from everyone.  
+
+_The Robin Hood Army’s Roorkee Chapter has an ambitious goal, to make sure that no person in the vicinity of our campus sleeps hungry. You can help them achieve this target by volunteering with them or helping them out in anyway you can. Please reach out to Sarim Khan (9990553180) to be a part of this initiative._

_posts/2017-09-06-are-we-there-yet.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Are we there yet?"
+image: women1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: Aditya Rathi
+category: sac 
+excerpt: "Over the last few months, the students of IIT Roorkee have ceaselessly endeavoured to transform the institute into an equal-opportunity environment for themselves. But with close to 12% of the students and residents of the IIT Roorkee campus being women, a structured method for complaints related to sexual indiscipline targeted towards women has been as good as absent."
+---
+
+_Over the last few months, the students of IIT Roorkee have ceaselessly endeavoured to transform the institute into an equal-opportunity environment for themselves. The changes in the regulations of the institute, be it the stepped-up security in and around the campus, or the relaxation of the curfew timings of the hostels, suggest that the female students have now been encouraged to enjoy the facilities of the institute as rightfully as the male students do. However, most of these changes were brought through unstructured rebellions that carried a tone of resentment among the student populace; and while public portrayals of disapproval might not be the best way to insist for these policy changes, thanks to the lack of an organised system to address problems of the female junta at IIT Roorkee, students find themselves devoid of an option, hence engaging in mutinies in hopes of proper reforms. While this might have been, even in the most marginal sense, acceptable to the students for now, in the more sensitive cases involving the females of the college, the lack of a dedicated grievance redressal system in the administration compels students subject to issues like sexual harassment and abuse to take unwarranted ways in hopes of justice and fair treatment._
+
+With close to 12% of the students and residents of the IIT Roorkee campus being women, a structured method for complaints related to sexual indiscipline targeted towards women has been as good as absent. As of now, there has been nothing but vague and obscure documentation to outline what the residents of the campus must do in cases involving sexual misdemeanour. 
+
+#### __The Current Method__
+
+The general practice currently followed is that the students subjected to sexual misconduct report their grievances directly to the Office of the Dean of Students’ Welfare. The limited times during which you can seek help from this channel and hence, the utter inaccessibility of this system, forces the students to reach out to the Student Affairs’ Council, which is, in no way, equipped any better to deal with the problems than the aggrieved student himself/herself.
+
+If the complaint does make it through to the DOSW, a committee is set up which comprises the DOSW himself, the faculty-advisors of the Cultural Council, the Sports Council, and HEC,  ADOSW (Bhawan and Mess), ADOSW (International Students), the Chief Wardens of Jawahar Bhawan and Sarojini Bhawan, the Member Secretary of Kasturba Bhawan, the General Secretary of Alumni Affairs, the General Secretary of Academic Affairs (UG), and the Convenor of SAC. This committee, upon listening to both the parties involved, takes action on the basis of their sound judgement. The complexity of this procedure makes for a delayed and possibly tedious sequence of steps, that, in some cases, the victims might shy away from. 
+
+![pic](/images/posts/women2.png)
+
+#### __Obsolete Systems in Place__
+					
+In addition to the procedure outlined above, in accordance with the Gazette of India, Part‐II, dated April 23, 2013, the then-Director of IIT Roorkee constituted the “Internal Complaints Committee” dated 28th November 2014 in the Institute to inquire into the complaints of sexual harassment. However, the committee was, by the looks of it, developed only to comply to the pressure from the Ministry of Human Resources and Development and has not, in fact, served as a complaint redressal cell we so desperately need. Most of the students, in fact, are unaware of the ICC owing to its dormancy on the campus. Moreover, this committee does not have any student representation, making it all the more inaccessible to the students of IIT Roorkee.
+
+(You can find the details of this committee on this [_link_](https://www.iitr.ac.in/Main/uploads/File/estt/2015/Internal%20Complaint%20Committee.pdf).)
+
+#### __Lack of Female Representation in the Students’ Affairs Council__
+
+Furthermore, the seven institute-wide positions of the SAC have been occupied by the male students this year, and for the longest of times, the executive body of the SAC has seen minimal representation of the female faction of the campus. Although the representatives from the Sarojini and Kasturba Bhawans are nominated as senators, the executive body of the SAC has not had elected member who represents the interests of the females in the campus. 
+
+Moreover, considering the change in the election timeline since last year, the council of Sarojini Bhawan, which shall now be elected in April every year, sees no representation from the first-year undergraduate students, since they don’t  join the campus until July.
+
+#### __Our Two Cents__
+
+Colleges all over the globe, be it Harvard, Stanford and Columbia, or the sister-IITs at Kanpur and Bombay, have a structured organisation similar to the Women’s Cell we need in our campus. Detailed study of the structure of these organisations, and replicating their activities as might be relevant to our campus might help in making the lives of the women at IIT Roorkee a bit easier. This organisation can offer 24x7 complaint registry services, counselling, and emergency response services among others. Currently, an almost defunct complaint system exists in the campus which enjoys minimal awareness among the student populace. Along with an immediate revamp of this system, awareness of this organization should be given utmost importance to ensure that IIT Roorkee, in fact, becomes a safer campus.
+
+Additionally, along with the annual elections that choose the representatives for the various institute-wide posts currently in place, introduction of a new post, by the name of __General Secretary: Women Affairs__ could probably solve the issue of the lack of representation in the SAC Executive Body. The same student can be the nominated member of the Women’s Cell, with more members selected from the students through nominations and selections done on the basis of their interest in working for this committee. The elected representatives of the Kasturba Bhawan and the Sarojini Bhawan, too, can be made a part of this committee to make it as inclusive as possible. 
+
+
+_Illustration Credits:_ __Justin Mezzell/Molly O’Connor__

_posts/2017-10-01-fasities-of-passion.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: The Falsities of Passion
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: Lanka Adarsh, Ekdeep Singh Lubana
+image: passion1.png
+excerpt: "Follow your passion! But how does one discover passion? Does everyone have a passion? Or should we just make do with what we have rather than searching for the unknown?"
+---
+
+_While “passion” has several connotations, the one referred to herein is that which – upon discovery – becomes the eternal spring of fulfilment and its offspring, meaning._
+
+Etymologically, the word ‘passion’ is derived from the Latin word, _“pati”_, which means to suffer. The irony is inescapable.
+
+If passion were a binary entity, its existence can be proved via an elaborate argument involving biology: our DNA is a specific, unique combination of four proteins (Adenine, Guanine, Thymine and Cytosine). An individual’s DNA is a code written in these four variables. We are the program that it produces, by virtue of the nature and sequence of linkages constituting it. Although not provable conclusively, it isn’t irrational to assume that every part of us – in some proportion – involves our genes; the same can be extended to one’s passion(s). There ought to be certain activities that give us the requisite pleasure as we perform them.
+
+![pic1](/images/posts/passion2.png)
+
+To argue for the non-existence of passion, one may bring to the fore the prevalence of innumerable potential activities. Discovery of a singular activity may consume the better part of our lives, perhaps even elude us till death. What, then, is the point of such an activity? It is in the best interest of our happiness to make do with what we have and not wander wildly, searching for what we do not possess.
+
+The non-existence of passion also has a great deal to do with what it has come to mean: an activity that consumes us constantly, prompting an unwavering devotion and culminating in happiness. As Mark Manson argues in “Screw Finding Your Passion”, every undertaking seems unappealing some of the time. The error in judgement occurs when we are in the process of acquainting ourselves. New interests excite us because we tend to get better at them with great pace. However, once saturation is reached and getting better by the same amount requires that much more effort, frustration sets in and the activity begins to seem unappealing. Since it does not align with the contemporary idea of passion, the individual abandons the present activity, thus resuming his search for the mythical entity.
+
+According to the Dualistic Model of Passion, there exist two types of passion: harmonious and obsessive. Harmonious passion includes all such activities that individuals derive pleasure from and, over time, become associated with their identity. However, free will – in choosing the activity, performing it, and disengaging when necessary – is an important underpinning. This contrasts with Obsessive Passion, where individuals perform tasks primarily to avoid punishment and/or guilt; there prevails a strong inner compulsion to finish the task at hand, while not deriving any pleasure from the activity itself. Incomplete work corresponds to a decrease in self-worth.
+
+The prevalent idea of passion borrows from both types: that an activity should be pleasurable and an important part of our identity come from the harmonious variant, while the incessant occupation and the compulsion to do it are traits derived from the obsessive variant. To tend toward harmonious passion, it is essential that one possess the ability to disengage whenever required, upon his/her free will. Harmonious passion has several correlations: positive with feeling immersed in their activity (flow), well being or positive emotions, creativity and pursuit of other activities; negative with neglect of alternate goals.
+
+It becomes clear, therefore, that one cannot be productively obsessed. Being truly productive and fulfilled demands that the individual do such an activity out of free will, not internal compulsion. This is likely to seem counterintuitive in light of the false ideal we have been fed and have come to uphold. A revaluation of ourselves and the beliefs that mould our identity is key to our growth. Now is as good a time as any.
+
+
+_Illustration Credits: Eelco Veil/Bill Kenney_

_posts/2017-10-06-the-international-students-story.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The International Students' Story"
+image: international-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: ""
+category: bigstory 
+excerpt: "While the cultural diversity and cross-cultural learning of IIT Roorkee are significantly supplemented by their presence, the International students often go unnoticed. Their opinion does not have a platform from which to be expressed."
+---
+
+### Introduction :
+
+While the cultural diversity and cross-cultural learning of IIT Roorkee are significantly supplemented by their presence, the International students often go unnoticed. Their opinion does not have a platform from which to be expressed. Their involvement in campus activities is at a minimum, resulting in - and from - a nominal interaction with Indian students, a wide cultural divide. This gap is often the reason that they to resort to interacting (almost exclusively) with other international students. The realization of the existence of - let alone to understand - the difficulties of International students in the premises is almost absent. Watch Out, to this effect, talked to a few International students and tried to better understand the status quo.
+
+### The Issues Faced:
+
+Their inconvenience starts well before they set foot into the campus. The reporting date being less than a week from the time they are notified of admission, they have to fret about in haste to make the necessary arrangements, visas, scholarship and admission documents, their pocket money, besides bidding goodbyes.
+
+Once they arrive in Roorkee, they are subjected to worse; they are clueless regarding the authorities to contact or the procedure to follow regarding their admission formalities, which are extremely drawn out in themselves. Expecting to get their scholarships as soon as they get enrolled, their angst is further perpetuated when they are told to wait for a minimum of two months to obtain the aid. Being previously unaware of the waiting time, they realize that they have fallen short of the necessary amount of money required to enjoy even the basic necessities to live in and around the campus. “When I arrived here, I had to sleep hungry because I did not have money to buy food. It felt like an insult.” lamented an international student in agony when asked about his initial days in Roorkee. 
+
+Adding to their misery is the relatively obscure Indian accent. Understanding the whereabouts of Convocation Hall and their hostels, told to them in an Indian accent, is a gruelling task. Although everyone adapts in due time, their struggle to understand basic English words during the initial months is nothing short of drudgery; the only silver lining was that the professors were patient enough to explain stuff again if they failed to decipher the  contents of the conversation.
+
+Another major issue that came to light was that of food; residents of Rajiv and Azad Bhawans are accustomed to the sight of these students having the bare minimum, usually just bread and milk for breakfast, and egg for lunch, since they find everything else too spicy. When asked if they would prefer that there be special provisions for international students, we received a mixed response - the rationale for separate cuisine was the spiciness of food, while that against it was that they get acclimatize to the food over time and that they had come here not just to study, but to imbibe our culture. They lament the non-availability of non-vegetarian food, as it was a part of their staple diet at home.
+
+Moreover, accommodation for majority of the new international entrants are given in Azad or Ganga Bhawan and later in KIH. When asked which bhawan they preferred, almost everyone approved KIH as more comforting. They could invite their families to stay in KIH, which they can’t in Azad Bhawan; living around other international students alleviated their loneliness, and made them feel more comfortable.
+
+![pic](/images/posts/international-2.png) 
+
+In conversation with one of the senators representing Cautley Bhawan, we were informed that although each Bhawan level event (aimed at all students, Native and International) is well publicized, the international students rarely participate, and the reason for this remains unknown. This was further confirmed when the “Burpp and Slurpp Competition”, organized by the Culinary Club in association with the SAC, was met with only one participant from the international students community.
+
+These developments are worrying, and raise the question as to why the administration has such an apathy towards international students, and on why a blind eye has been turned to them till now.
+
+### Elections, and the Buddy System
+
+Ever since IIT Roorkee has “welcomed” international students into its hallowed halls, there has never been any way for the students to have any representation at the students senate. Since the communication gap between them and the rest of the campus has been vast, their problems seldom reach the ears of the people in power to implement the changes. With this in mind, the SAC this time has plans to elect a student representative into the senate, via elections at KIH. They hope that this will provide a channel towards identifying and resolving issues faced by the students much more efficiently, and provide a voice to this otherwise unnoticed community.
+The elections are tentatively set to be held in the upcoming week.
+
+The SAC also has plans to introduce a “buddy system”, where each incoming international student will be assigned a buddy, who will help them adjust to the cultural shift that they face, and will ensure they have someone they can contact in case they need help. This is a practice followed in many international institutes, and we would do well to inculcate the same. While the idea looks promising on paper, there have been no steps taken as of now towards defining the constitution of this system, its functioning and structure. 
+
+### Our two cents
+
+The international students community is plagued with a plethora of issues, which need immediate redressal. As an institution that is touted as one of the top technical universities of the country, we cannot afford to treat our foreign students they way they are being treated now. The administration needs to look into some major loopholes in the current admissions procedure, i.e. giving the students a notice well in advance regarding their admission (2-3 months being the internationally accepted standard, as opposed to the 2 weeks) and providing a stipend to the students sooner (by using the monetary reserves of the institute to pay their stipend till it is released from the government). The buddy system and the elections need to be given a high priority, as they will be instrumental in helping the students better adjust to the campus and have their voice heard.

_posts/2017-10-20-watchout's-time-machine.md

@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Watch Out’s Time Machine"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: coverstory
+image: wonatmcover.png
+excerpt: "After some long hours studying (read: pretending to) in the library a week before the end semester exams, we ended up traversing the catacombs of the labyrinth (that is, the corridors of our library), to escape the acute taedium vitae. We stumbled upon  a dark humid alley that opened into a cavern with a strong musty whiff of old books and hidden treasures..."
+---
+
+After some long hours studying (read: pretending to) in the library a week before the end semester exams, we ended up traversing the catacombs of the labyrinth (that is, the corridors of our library), to escape the acute taedium vitae. We stumbled upon  a dark humid alley that opened into a cavern with a strong musty whiff of old books and hidden treasures. Our eyes nearly popped out of our sockets with incredulity when the years on some read 1948, 1853, 1847, and so on. The moulded, half-eaten and half-burnt books gave off a peculiar odour, accompanied by euphoria and utter disinterest in studying, hypnotized us, pulling us deeper and deeper into the room, when upon hearing a low whirring sound (and being self-proclaimed investigative journalists), we couldn’t help but look into.
+
+What startled us was the unending mound of ancient books, magazines and newspapers, all crumbling and deteriorating but encompassing 170 years of history..
+
+So if you didn’t take the pains to read that (i.e. tl; dr)
+
+1. We do not claim to have stumbled upon a time-machine in Roorkee (this is not an HG Wells Novel), just some old boilers probably breathing their last breaths (although, what we beheld was definitely a nerd’s wet dream).
+
+2. All of the below facts were found after hours and hours of serious meticulous research by our team and multiple field trips (which didn’t do us any good except help us get in shape).
+
+3. What we found will not help you improve your CGPA, nor will it decrease any of your monetary burdens. But you will have something to amuse your date (notwithstanding the probability of such an event ever happening). 
+
+4. So here is a compilation of all that we hoarded from this treasure trove. The rich history of R-Land called out to us, and we felt the moral obligation to publish it for the Junta. Some funny, some quirky, most serious and bland - but nevertheless intriguing.
+
+### INCEPTION AND EARLY DAYS
+
+The inception of a civil engineering college in Roorkee was a result of the ambitious project started by Colonel Proby Cautley. The canal was deemed necessary since the famine that struck the desolate plains of upper United Provinces claimed close to a million lives in 1837. Near Roorkee - a small hamlet at the time - the land fell away sharply, and an aqueduct had to be built. Thus in 1847, under these triple coincidences, the foundation of the college was laid. It was originally started in Saharanpur on an experimental basis. 
+
+The emblem was the figure of a lordly Lion, confident in its majesty and power, but showing neither fear nor ferocity, an embodiment of the college spirit. “Absque Labore Nihil (nothing without labor)” was the older motto, which we still hope to stand faithful to. The older magazine derived its name from the same motto.
+
+Indians were initially debarred from admissions to the overseers class, established only for the European non-commissioned officers and soldiers. Later on, however, the Indian candidates that were allowed to pass out of this class were consequently given key positions by the English. This was the class of students christened by Thomason as Lallas.
+
+The course structure included the following subjects: Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Drawing, Surveying, Hindustani, and English. The successful candidates were awarded Higher or College Certificate if they scored at 60% of the total and 50% in each subject, and ordinary certificate on scoring a minimum of 50% and 33% respectively. This provided difficult for the army men, and hence more intellectually demanding topics such as geometry, drawing, and mensuration were scraped. This degraded the quality of the forthcoming batches, forcing the college to virtually go into a period of hibernation from the 1870s to the 1890s.
+
+
+As testament to the importance of physical fitness, fitness tests and examination of the medical certificates of candidates took place before actually admitting them. The menace that is proficiency grading commenced in 1877. The students were (back then) graded only on their horse riding, swimming and gymnastics skills. No freedom of choice was given to them whilst allotting proficiencies.
+ 
+Indiscipline of any kind warranted zero tolerance from the very inception of the Institute. The college witnessed its first expulsion ever in 1885, when two students were caught using unfair means during an examination. When two others were found plagiarising their work, they were disqualified from appointment. DISCOs - or their equivalent - then, started off in the 1880s.
+
+In matters of finance, all students were entitled to stipends of either 10 Rs or 5 Rs, reviewed based on periodic tests. The residential and mess fee of 50 paise and a tuition fee of 1.5 rupee per month were imposed on students.
+
+Along with academic development, The Roorkee College took huge strides in building extracurricular and recreational facilities; it was the first educational institution to introduce squash as a sport in India. Polo was introduced in 1872, and all students were asked to buy or rent a pony, with horse riding becoming an essential part of training here. 
+
+In that era, the students celebrated TGIF by taking out their ponies on rides upto Ganga Canal, camping and shooting in the nearby forests and also taking dips in the Ganges. (We need to emulate our alumni, and abstain from sleeping our weekends away).
+
+The pace of expansion of the campus (physically) reflected the precipitous increase in student population. Post-war technology was held accountable for a few mishaps during this period, the most notable of which happened in 1917, with the wooden floor of the Convocation  Hall and Gymnasium catching fire due to a fault in the Electric Wing. It was rebuilt at a cost of Rs. 17,000, with help from the engineers of Bengal Sappers.
+
+Both the wars had a devastating effect on the Institute, particularly the first world war, where a lot of alumni lost their life. Most of the faculty and students served in the war, leaving the college lacking the requisite number of faculty and students. Surprisingly, however, the number of students appearing for the Entrance test increased exponentially post each war. This, in addition to the parting gift of new academic departments by the British Government post Independence eased the transition of Thomason College Of Engineering into University Of Roorkee. Thenceforth, it ceased to serve exclusively as a college to educate Engineers seeking careers in the Armed Forces. For the next 50 years it sought to continue its legacy and the period was marked with swift development of the campus and vast changes to existing buildings and grounds.
+
+### POST INDEPENDENCE ERA
+
+![wonatm1](/images/posts/wonatm1.png){: style="float:left;width:40%;margin-right:2%" }
+
+This flag, flying high over the Main building lawns is often an object of curiosity for guests and newcomers to the campus. It was adopted as the University flag in 1949 at the inauguration of the University on 25th November, 1949, known thereafter as Charter Day, celebrated with much pomp till a few years ago. Now, it is marked by a lit-up main building. The college had, by then, expanded its field of teaching to include courses like Electrical and Mechanical engineering; the old engineering and overseer courses of Civil engineering also remained. 
+
+The upcoming period was marked in both the physical and intellectual development of the institute. In 1954, AN Khosla, arrived as the Vice Chancellor, and brought with him a forward thinking attitude, and a desire to bring change to the stagnating campus. He believed in Shramdaan and students were encouraged to help out the masons in construction of new buildings and structures. If done today, this stunt would obviously be seen by the angsty junta as forced labour or slavery. Between 1955-1961 Govind, Ravindra and Azad bhawans were built. Some years later, Jawahar was built for PG students. A 50*15*5 m swimming pool was constructed and an open air theater was made out front. 
+
+![wonatm5](/images/posts/wonatm5.jpg)
+
+![wonatm4](/images/posts/wonatm4.png){: style="float:left;clear:left;width:40%;margin-right:4%" }
+
+A temple, now dubbed the Saraswati Mandir, was constructed along with a yoga hall. It played host to an annual fair on Nagapanchami. The place has various tales associated with it: it is believed to be the site of two Satis in the past. It also served as some sort of memorial to a Pehelwan Baba (wrestling coach). The University dealt with this by constructing two chhatris as memorials for the satis and a spot as the pehelwan babas memorial. This mandir still serves the needs of the professors’ families and the God-fearing junta during exam time. The wedding feasts held regularly in the temple grounds attract quite a few disguised students seeking somewhat-edible food.
+
+The intellectual change in the University was a reflection of the newly-independent India, with students becoming increasingly involved in college life, and taking a stand against pretty much everything. We wonder if they had to attend mandatory yoga sessions after this audacious outburst (wink wink)?:
+
+The students at this time felt agitated and angry at the lack of job opportunities available to them after graduating with an engineering degree. In 1967, Indira Gandhi was the guest of honour at the annual convocation. As soon as she got up to give her address, they all got up together and shouted thrice with one voice, **“We don't want speeches, we want jobs”** and everyone walked out of the hall noiselessly, in a single file. The PM was visibly annoyed but later, regaining her composure, she ruefully but gallantly remarked: **“ It was the most disciplined walkout I have ever witnessed”.**
+
+In March 1968, over 200 students left for Delhi to join nationwide protests against the rising unemployment. **53 of them were arrested and put behind bars.** Two teachers and an assistant, pegged the “Rescue Team” got in touch with the DC of Delhi and met the students in Tihar jail. They were let off after signing an apology letter (after much restraint and protest). After coming back, a victory march was held with slogans of **“ Roorkee University zindabad, Chopra** [Vice Chancellor at the time] **Saheb zindabaad!”**
+
+Despite changes in the attitudes of the student populace, the old order and college culture still continued. This interesting story accurately describes some of the nuances that students still exhibited:
+
+*A new, young lecturer, not brought up in Thomasonian tradition came to class with an open collar and no tie. After repeated hints from the students, he refused to change his attire. One day a student came late, and the lecturer allowed him to enter. However, the class senior (old era CR) said “No, you can’t. You are not properly dressed” and told him to come in with a tie. 
+The lecturer too fell in line the next day onwards.*
+
+We can now make a sufficiently well-educated guess with regards to the origins of this “no slippers in my class” rule.
+
+At the times when rock ‘n’ roll accounted for a major portion of music, students of Roorkee University were at par. Groups of music enthusiasts assembled in the open space in front of Motel Polaris and held open concerts. The same motel - visited by The Beatles twice - became a hotspot in UoR times. Legend has it that UoR students played more English songs than Hindi ones.
+
+Roorkee University was once widely assumed to have produced hockey players for the state and few for the country as well. Roorkee, equipped with the best sports facilities, had an unique way of ordering sports equipment and accessories. A Sports fair was organized annually, with retailers from neighbouring cities and towns exhibiting their stock. Groups of experts were invited to select the best equipment, among the available, and deals were signed.
+
+Ragging was a big part of college culture which became progressively worse. This led to it being formally outlawed and a large no. of teachers being appointed every year (in the opening weeks) to do the required policing. Despite its near nonexistence today, the fears of ragging still exist in the minds of the administration, and the initial restrictions continue to this effect.
+
+In contrast to the ‘austerity’ of previous eras, the changes brought about a blossoming of student activities and the inauguration of various clubs (notwithstanding their short lived lives). Graduating seniors often failed to instill a sense of responsibility or pride in their juniors resulting in the demise of various groups like ‘Vinimay’, a discussion group started in Jawahar Bhawan. The University started publishing official fortnightly bulletins in 1962. They consisted of some vacuous news and everyday shenanigans of students and faculty. In response to this, some enterprising seniors, whose identity remained hidden, started bringing out a satirical, humorous and somewhat irreverent rag of a paper called **“Razor”**, which for a brief period, provided a small dose of fun to all those who read it.
+
+The 70s and 80s were filled with periods of student unrest. It was not uncommon to see student marches late into the night or for sporadic bursts of violence. After an incident involving alleged negligence on the part of the administration and staff, leading to the death of a student, the campus erupted in violent protest. The students went as far as setting the Director’s bungalow on fire (the Director - luckily - escaped along with his family by means of the rear exit unharmed). 
+
+### THE IIT DAYS
+
+With the turn of the century and the formation of a separate state for the northern reaches of Uttar Pradesh, a new era dawned upon the Institute: on 21st September 2001, the 154 year old college finally decided to accept the designation of an IIT. With increased funding, the next 10 years reportedly saw intensive infrastructural development of the campus. A lot of structures like the new Library, the LHC, the sports pavilion, housing for faculty, as well as the guest houses were built during this period. The changes weren’t just limited to the campus grounds; the rapid changes had an impact on the surrounding areas and changed the fortunes - for better or for worse - of various traders and shopkeepers that relied on student spending. 
+
+The student intake gradually increased, and more Masters and Doctorate applicants started coming to the newly-formed IITR. As we went about our market research, we discovered that the traditional booksellers profited a great deal from the GATE and CAT craze that engulfs most technical institutes today. The once small town saw changes elsewhere too, with the diverse student populace demanding different kinds of eateries and entertainment options. The hundreds of restaurants, water parks and multiplex are a somewhat direct result of the adoption of the IIT name in Roorkee. 
+
+The issues that plague the Institute today are starkly different from those of yesteryear, but revolve around a common theme: that of greater student autonomy. Recently implemented reforms - doing away with restrictions for the girls of our campus being the chief example - are promising steps in this direction. However, any significant change can only be brought about in the long run; our four/five years are only a precious few frames in the much longer movie of IIT Roorkee.
+
+_Sources : 'History of Thomason College' and 'History of University of Roorkee' by Prof. K.V.Mittal_
+
+#### *The article features as the Cover Story in our next print issue. In the issue’s Big Story, we present a comprehensive analysis of the research ecosystem at IITR. To read our previous issues visit <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)</span>.*

_posts/2017-10-25-appsent.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Appsent"
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Yash Bharani, Jeyashree Venkatesan, Aditya Rathi"
+image: Appsent1.png 
+category: phekingnews
+excerpt: "The Students’ Affairs Council, after its latest meeting, announced that it shall be taking up the proposal for a new app, which shall be developed with the help of the Mobile Development Group of IIT Roorkee."
+---
+
+The Students’ Affairs Council, after its latest meeting, announced that it shall be taking up the proposal for a new app, which shall be developed with the help of the Mobile Development Group of IIT Roorkee. Dubbed as ‘Appsent’, the app shall help repay the students a congruent amount of their tuition fees if they do not  attend a certain lecture, tutorial, or practical of their curriculum. The app shares its premise with the recently launched ‘Appetizer’, which, upon being notified of your disinterest in enjoying (or subjecting yourself to) the facilities of the mess for a certain meal, helps you get a refund worth the amount you are entitled to. 
+
+The app was conceptualised after two students from the third year took up a project to explain why an app like ‘Appsent’ makes sense, under the guidance Prof. Ahluwalia of the Dept. of Mathematics. Whilst trying to convince us how they took this project up for a legitimate reason and not just to add points to their résumé, the students shared the summary of their paper, which read: _“With the recent hike in the tuition fees for the incoming students, every new admit now pays Rs. 1,00,000 every semester for his/her academics. Considering that there are approximately 5 contact-hours a day; for the 80 odd working days in a semester, a student engages in 400 contact-hours every semester. Dividing the fees by that number, we realised how every student is paying a whopping Rs. 250 for an hour of lecture, practical or tutorial he/she attends. To put it in another way, for every hour of lecture, practical or tutorial a student misses, he/she effectively loses Rs. 250!”_
+
+The app shall come with real-time notifications of the upcoming lectures, display of your weekly schedule and a flagship feature which lets you skip any hour of your time-table you are not excited about. The amount you are entitled to for every week shall be cumulatively deposited directly into your bank account every Friday night. For this very purpose, students shall now have to link their Institute ID Card to their bank account. Every student can, nonetheless, avail rebates only for 25% of the total classes for every course, which, some believe, might encourage the students to attend the 75% of the classes they have to pay for no matter what. 
+
+![Appsent](/images/posts/Appsent2.png)
+
+Despite this minor snag, the students were understandably overjoyed at the announcement. A resident of Jawahar Bhawan was quoted saying, “We really like sandwiches. However, our pocket money has never been enough to get us through the month. We have either been sleeping hungry, or filling up on the substandard sandwiches from the sandwich-guy across the bridge in Roorkee. Now, we simply miss a couple of lectures and get enough money to buy a couple of really good sandwiches to unwind after a long day.” 
+
+Not everyone, however, was happy after hearing about the introduction of the app. Faculty across the college believe that this adds to their concern of scarce attendance in their classes. A representative of the Main Building, who we caught up with after the Senate Meeting in which the app was finalised, said that the administration was planning on rewarding the teachers who drew in a high percentage of students, thereby incentivizing a large turnout to classes. This might also give an additional impetus to the teachers to conduct frequent quizzes in an effort to bring in more students to their classes. Some of the teachers also believe that there is a positive side to the whole charade for them too. “I have a feeling that I wouldn’t have to worry about proxy attendances anymore,” said a professor of the Chemical Department. “Students are not going to ask their friends to answer to the roll call on their behalf anymore and risk losing the money they would have been granted, had they not been marked ‘present’ in a class they didn’t attend.”
+
+Prof. Ahluwalia, who faced severe backlash from the professors for encouraging such a project, defended himself by saying, “We were hoping that the students realise how frivolously they are wasting their money just by not showing up to the lectures and availing the services the institute offers and their parents paid for. However, instead of coming to the classes after some retrospection, the students have simply demanded their money back, claiming that they rightfully deserve it.” The administration, which was wary of triggering yet another peaceful protest in front of the Main Building, had no option but to cede to the request of the students and ask the SAC collaborate with the MDG to develop the app.
+
+_‘Appsent’ shall soon be available on the Play Store and the App Store, possibly before the start of the next semester._

_posts/2017-11-05-perils-of-research.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Perils of Research at IIT Roorkee"
+image: research-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: ""
+category: bigstory 
+excerpt: "IITs, despite being the most funded institutes of India, have failed to sail into the global top-200  (except IITD, at 172nd place and IITB at 179th) in QS World University Rankings, 2017-18. In view of this, we tried to explore the research environment in IITs and understand the rationale behind the underperformance of IITs - focusing on IIT Roorkee in particular."
+---
+
+A long haul of struggle started back in the 1950s with regard to providing scientists and technologists of the highest calibre - who Pandit Nehru supposedly believed would engage in research and development to help steer the nation towards self-reliance in her technological needs. This was the initial ground to set up the IITs - institutes where students would not brawl for placements and packages; an institute where students would actively contribute their mite towards Nehru’s underpinning vision, “Technology”. IITs, despite being the most funded institutes of India, have failed to sail into the global top-200  (except IITD, at 172nd place and IITB at 179th) in QS World University Rankings, 2017-18. In view of this, we tried to explore the research environment in IITs and understand the rationale behind the underperformance of IITs - focusing on IIT Roorkee in particular.
+
+### Where do we stand?
+
+_(Skewed results are achieved when Roorkee’s publications before 2010 are accounted for. Roorkee’s age tend to pull the total number of citations into its favor. Thus, the current analysis features publications post-2010.)_
+
+As far as the rankings are concerned, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, 2016-17, ranked IITR at 431st position, a drop of 32 ranks since last year. We stand 231st in QS Engineering and Technology rankings - a colossal 160 positions short of IITD standing. The research productivity of IITR over the past 5 years has been commendable - we produced an equivalent output on the research front as produced from 1999-2008; the total citations, achieved by Roorkee, in the past 5 years, is double than that in 1999-2008. Although these results show significant improvement, we are still unable to compete with the productivity that our sister IITs boast of. The total research paper output of IITR from 2010-2014 was 3,452 compared to 5,871 of IIT KGP. We produced only 805 Internationally collaborative papers, while IITB’s turnout was an astounding 1470 papers.Per Capita, Roorkee has an average 7.6 publications - IITB, IITD, IITM, IITK, IIT-Kgp have a minimum of 9.7 publications per capita and maximum 10.8.
+
+As shall be sanely argued, the quality of publications matters more than quantity, Roorkee boasts of approximately 16,330 citations for the period 2010-14, a far cry when compared to IITB’s 26,991 citations.  As the exhaustive review suggested, IITB also had 85 publications in the top 1% most cited papers for all IITs; IITR achieved only 39 publications.
+
+<p>
+    <img src="/images/posts/research-3.png" alt="citations graph">
+    <em><font size="-1">Credits : The Wire</font></em>
+</p>
+
+This dearth in productivity, as claimed by many professors, stems from the lack of effective UG research in the institute. The recent budget unveiled that Roorkee receives the maximum amount amongst all IITs, and complaints were registered regarding a lack of endowment in the same year.
+
+### Whither are we bound?
+
+Although, like many of our sister IITs, we have numerous tie-ups with leading corporate firms - IBM, Adobe, Texas Instruments, to name a few - the administration has failed to give our researchers a world-class environment conducive to quality research. Unavailability of instruments, huge amount of time delay in the repairing of faulty instruments, no proper instructions for operation, tedious process and paperwork for the purchases of new instruments - the hurdles are almost infinite. A study by the renowned magazine, “Science,” shows that around 12% of the US Graduate enrollments were Indians, whilst they comprised only 3% of the Undergraduate enrollments; the author states that, “Top-performing Indian students are well-served at the undergraduate level by the country’s network of elite technology institutes, known as IITs”. It is very obvious that the undergraduate program is just a building block. Undergraduates, however, are never a pillar of research output. Professors, in general, allow them to gain experience by being a part of their groups. Research happens mostly in the Graduate and PhD programmes. The Admission procedure to the way resources are offered - a basic analysis reveals severe loopholes, indeed.
+
+### MTech Admission Procedure:
+
+IITs have a linear admission procedure, and are based on a student’s performance in the 3 hours of the GATE examination. It does not have any consideration about what the student has achieved or demonstrated to date. It basically boils down to one’s analytical and capacity for  mental math in those three hours. 
+
+### PhD Admission Procedure:
+
+Although the admission procedure into the post-graduate programme is plain and straightforward, the PhD admissions involve rigorous testing and interviews. Along with clearing minimum GATE cutoff, selection of a particular student depends on the number of vacancies, synchronisation with the research interest of the professor preferred, and how convincing can you be, in your interview. Finally, the fate of all PhD seekers rests at the discretion of the professor, and thus, one’s ability to market themselves becomes decisive. But for an undergraduate from IIT - with a “mighty” CGPA of more than 8.5 - GATE score is not a requisite for admission into PhD programme. The snag in this form of selection lies in the scholarship criteria - without a minimum GATE score, you become ineligible for the Junior Research Fellowship from MHRD, and, subsequently, the Senior Research Fellowship.
+
+On a contrarian note, one gets to observe some very vivid differences when the admission procedurals of reputed institutions abroad are scrutinized. It is imperative to understand why the research environment in reputed US universities is conducive to their greater output - qualitatively and quantitatively.
+
+### US MS/PhD Admission Procedure:
+
+A student, to begin with, chooses a university, that he/she is interested in applying to. This is based on his/her interests, the professors in the field of interest, and recommendations. Post-GRE and TOEFL results, one is allowed to apply to 4 universities in US. However, one can send their scores to other universities too, with an extra payment. The applications are consequently scrutinized on the basis of SoPs and LoRs (Usually 3 LoRs are needed for US universities). One’s SoP matters greatly. CGPA, publications, patents, the width of the resume are also scrutinized. The procedure for Guide allotment usually varies, however, a generally followed procedure entails a student choosing his/her guide, with the help of a Graduate Advisor, as soon as possible. One is to declare two guides, in an order of priority. At the end of one’s first year of PhD, one is allowed to switch to the second Guide, as listed in the aforementioned declaration.
+
+It is very evident that the US procedure is far more critical of a student’s overall capabilities, his intentions for a MS/PhD, and the synchronicity between the guide and student. Such a system can very well be deployed in the Indian institutes. It shall allow for higher quality of students, and, hence, better research outputs.
+
+### Conundrums for Research Fellows:
+
+Most of the research output from the institute is through the M.Techs and the PhDs. IITR, being one of the premier institutes of the country and having shown high growth in research in past 5 years, nimbly attracts many aspiring candidates. 
+However, their research experience here is blemished by certain predicaments that they have to face while carrying out their research. A common hitch faced by the students is incompatibility with guides. A guide steers the research towards a certain path, and is the person that students turn toward when they are stuck - making it essential that they have a good rapport with him/her. If a guide is uncooperative and passive towards their problems, that certainly does not help matters; it disrupts the flow of work. The process of changing guides is a long one and it may lead to frosty relations between the professors involved. 
+
+The department policies are also not very student-friendly either;  QIP (Quality Improvement Program), is a program which requires that the students take some prerequisite courses, and gives them a chance to earn some extra credits on the way. Although the idea sounds great on paper, it is not a popular option among the students, because the courses can be irrelevant to their area of specialization. Moreover, the necessity of taking this course is left to the professor's discretion.
+
+In addition to the above, one also has to deal with issues that plague most of the Indian labs, especially in regards to the inadequacy and obsoleteness of instruments. All the expenses incurred for sending samples to lab testing are borne by the student himself/herself; more often than not, the students are on the receiving end of the professor's whims and are saddled with the personal tasks of the professors; doctoral research is funded by the MHRD for only 7 years, so, if a student is forced to confront the unfortunate event of being forced to delay his PhD, due to some unforeseen circumstances, he/she is at the mercy of the institute and the professors - most rant by students are not baseless. 
+
+![image](/images/posts/research-2.png)
+
+### Professors' views on research here and abroad
+
+Research in the European countries and the US has a hierarchical setup - ensuring a smoother flow of work. There are PhDs working in collaboration with post-docs, who, themselves, report to a guide. In India, though, such a setup is lacking in most labs. Says, Dr. PK Jha, India also lacks competent researchers; Indian researchers are directionless most of the times. What researchers in the Indian context lack, is methodology, efficiency, and result oriented-ness. Most researchers in India publish only for money, and the results are lackluster manipulations and copy-paste jobs. This practice is largely frowned upon in the foreign universities, and considered highly unethical. A common gripe among the professors is the lack of creativity among the Indian researchers; they argue that students bring nothing new to the table. 
+
+While the universities in the US are federally funded, the burden of allocating funds to the universities in India falls upon the MHRD. In the present schematic, the IITs are better funded than the state universities, which puts them at a relative advantage when it comes to carrying out quality research. However, a common problem that plagues most of the Indian universities, is that the available resources are mostly digital in nature, with even the print material not being available at times due to financial and spatial constraints. 
+
+Moving on to undergraduate research, professors are impressed by the quality of students that approach them for projects in the semester, but strongly feel that the number of students actively pursuing research is minimal. Although programs like SURA (Summer Undergraduate Research Award) are present, not many students opt for them. This may be due to the heavy coding-centric culture that our campus has developed over the past few years. In India, research is still not considered a viable career option. With too much time invested, and lower salaries, there is a strong reason why many students shy away from research. However, they say research abroad is highly incentivised, and students are urged toward making breakthroughs in technology and innovation. Perhaps a paradigm shift in the way students view career options is needed for research to boom in the undergraduate section, they muse. The only undergraduate students from IITs who stay in India for their PhDs are those are motivated by a strong sense of nationalism and giving back to the country.
+
+Talking of undergraduate research, it is a common consensus among professors that while the institute offers ample resources and opportunities to the students to carry out research, they don’t utilize the same. Professors claim that this is not the case with students in the foreign universities. In our institute, in general, and in India, in specific, there is a lot more focus on areas other than research, hence overshadowing the same. 
+
+### Conclusion
+
+The obvious fallacies in the current systems at the top tier institutions, where promotions are based on the number of research papers a faculty member has published (as opposed to the quality of the work), has lead to a research culture which produces a large quantity of low quality research papers. Furthermore, since teaching is not something that the faculty’s performance is graded on, the quality of teaching seems to be deteriorating at the top institutions, leading to a disinterest among students. While this is not a fault of the faculty, the administration must look toward implementing changes that foster a conducive environment for quality research, and where young minds are nurtured toward research.
+
+While there are lots of causes of worry in the current research scenario, things seem to be shaping up for the better. The past few years have seen a rise in the number of students in R-Land opting for research, and the number of students applying for SURA scholarships at IITR has increased dramatically. Coupled with governmental policies looking to retain outgoing talent by providing higher pay grades to promising undergraduates (via the Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme), this will hopefully lead to better quality student-researchers and a higher quality research output, eventually shaping the currently bleak scenario into a brighter tomorrow.
+
+_The article features as the Big Story in our next print issue. In the issue’s Cover Story, we take you back in time to the foundation of our institute, and its journey from there on. To read our previous issues visit: <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)</span>._
+
+### Resources
+
+- <span style="color:#0645AD">[https://thewire.in/118430/seven-charts-new-old-iit/](https://thewire.in/118430/seven-charts-new-old-iit/)</span>
+
+- <span style="color:#0645AD">[http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/112/05/0923.pdf](http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/112/05/0923.pdf)</span>

_posts/2017-11-20-rahul-gairola.md

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "In conversation with Dr. Rahul K Gairola"
+image: gairola-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: ""
+category: verbatim 
+excerpt: "I will never forget the first week of classes in July 2015.  The moment I walked into the lecture halls and tutorial classrooms and opened my mouth, students were stunned!  Many of them said that they had never before met someone who looked like them but talked like *X-Men*."
+---
+
+### You’ve been a professor of English and comparative literature at IIT Roorkee for two and a half years. In your view, how has the institute evolved through your tenure?
+
+I have had the privilege of witnessing the Institute evolve for the better since the day I arrived in June 2015.  At that time, there was a major ruckus about 73 students being rusticated from the Institute.  After speaking to students and having read media reports, I thought about ways that my identity, in addition to my knowledge and teaching, could best serve students – especially those who feel disenfranchised or excluded.  In this respect, the previous DOSW (Professor D.K. Nauriyal) also recognized the gendered bias of a curfew for girl students, and quashed it.  I recall sitting in his office and him asking for my opinion of this directive.  I remember replying that for me there were two issues: (1) If one says that this is for the girls’ "safety," then does that mean that the campus is unsafe?  (2) If gender bias is unconstitutional in the world’s largest democracy, then isn’t a curfew for girls also problematic?  
+
+I would later discover that my view was shared by many.  So, I wasn’t necessarily adding anything new or "western", but that IIT Roorkee is at a very exciting time of its reincarnation as a world-class university.  It has grown tremendously since I arrived.  KIH has totally been renovated, and now Himgiri Apartments across from the Century Gate offer a serene and contemporary living environment to new faculty members.  Last month, Thomso was centered on the main playing fields in front of the Thomson Building, and a new building is being constructed adjacent to those fields.  A massive residential complex as well as new homes for HSS and other departments will be constructed in the coming years. New faculty with international credentials are being interviewed across campus, and this has created an exciting sense of anticipation and yearning for the future to be here now.   This investiture in the Institute’s destiny is the greatest thing that we all have to look forward to, and we all should be supportive agents of positive change in its service.  
+
+### We realize you are the only international faculty member that our institute has had in a long time, possibly ever.  What initiatives should the Institute engage in order to ease things for foreign faculty?
+
+I will never forget the first week of classes in July 2015.  The moment I walked into the lecture halls and tutorial classrooms and opened my mouth, students were stunned!  Many of them said that they had never before met someone who looked like them but talked "like X-Men".  My American English accent was a novelty, and I used this as a tool for thinking about intercultural communication in all of my English classes.  Since I was the first, the Institute made many accommodations for me.  This was a learning process for both of us, and there have of course been some challenges.  For example, FRRO police registration and getting a PAN card were difficult for me since I was not fluent in Hindi at the time.  Since then, I am proud to say that my Hindi has gotten much better!  But the Institute might consider eventually opening a Centre for Global Exchange as a resource centre not only for international faculty and students, but also as a nexus for international study abroad.  As we are currently preparing a proposal for IIT Roorkee to be designated a world-class Institute of Eminence, I have shared this and other candid recommendations with the IITR faculty email list.  
+
+I was very lucky to have had many kind individuals, in both the Thomson Building and in the HSS Dept., help me accomplish the many bureaucratic tasks that I had to complete.  But this ease has not been the case with other foreign visitors and students.  I thus believe that a long-term international strategy would not only include the establishment of the Centre for Global Exchange, but should be coordinated with a very strong, centralized network of alumni and associates of the Institute – those with clear stakes in the wellbeing of IIT Roorkee – who can serve as Institute Ambassadors abroad and online.  This Centre could serve as a haven for international faculty who face hostility from others, and could in fact serve as a home away from home. Another idea involves two of the main issues that all of us have, but which pose particularly acute problems for international faculty: transportation and food.  There needs to be a greater variety of options with more low-carb, low-oil options.  Also, it is absolutely essential that food venues stay open later now that the departments are all open 24-7.  I also many times wished that the Faculty Club in KIH could be transformed into a CCD where faculty members could congregate and swap ideas like in the great coffee houses of Paris. 
+ 
+Roorkee’s relative isolation and the odd timings of train and bus connections to and beyond Delhi is a very big problem.  The Institute, in my view, should heavily lobby for greater connectivity to at least Delhi and also run twice or thrice weekly shuttles between the Roorkee and Noida campuses as such shuttles are standard on all other multi-campus universities around the globe.  Finally, the word "foreign" has very negative connotations around the globe, and it should be dropped as much as possible in favour of the word "international".  I would encourage students to read the brilliant articles in [The Wire by Professor Pushkar of The International Centre of Goa (ICG)](https://thewire.in/author/ppushkar/).  He is perhaps the greatest critical writer of the ways in which India’s higher education system can become globally competitive and nationally sustainable.  I feel that IIT Roorkee is strongly positioned to take the lead, and also establish a London or Washington centre in the future.  To this end, I think that fund-raising abroad should be intensified and streamlined as quickly as possible.
+
+### What are some changes, in general, needed for the institute to improve its quality and performance in terms of academic and industrial collaboration?
+
+I think the key lies in a strategy of hiring quality new faculty as quickly as possible along with the expansion of a number of courses and the way that we even think about coursework here.  In other words, the Institute’s academic and industrial collaborations will be improved by pedagogical innovation.  Radical changes in the way that we teach, think we teach, and our core teaching philosophies.  As we hire new faculty with international collaborations, we must also ensure that our PhD students are never teaching more than one tutorial section as this often harms their research.  And as a means of mentoring, each supervisor should commit to observing their Research Scholar in at least 1-2 tutorial classes before the student goes on the job market.  This way, the Supervisor him/ herself can speak to the job candidate’s teaching/ leadership/ elocution skills.  Indeed, these days, especially in European countries including Germany and Sweden, PhD Research Scholars are treated as colleagues and employees rather than subaltern students.  Likewise, senior colleagues in all the departments can think of new and creative ways to mentor their junior colleagues; in this vein, I was very lucky to have been mentored and supported by Professor Rashmi Gaur amidst some very traumatic and disheartening situations.  
+
+I also appreciate the notion of a multi-lingual campus at Roorkee as one anchor in what we could call the Roorkee Research Triangle (RRT).  The RRT forms a core saturation of geographical stakeholders in Roorkee, Saharanpur, and Noida.  The Institute’s assets in all three places in my view should be strategically harnessed to the service of the region, nation, and world.  This will add to the overall goal of swiftly moving up in the global rankings while nurturing entrepreneurial ethos, academic rigour, national service, and global citizenship.  In other words, I believe that academic and industrial collaboration would best benefit through a diverse distribution of our finest and smartest minds in all three campuses.  If IIT Roorkee is able to capture the much-coveted designation of Institute of Eminence, it will have a grant of 1,000 crore INR to develop into a world class-ranking university.  In the interest of this shared goal, students should also galvanize and strategize on how to complement the faculty and administration in making this dream a reality.  The Institute is much stronger and more competitive when all of our minds come together as a team. 
+
+### In your five semesters worth of teaching experience here in Roorkee, what are some of the facets you think the students of the institute can change about themselves?
+
+Haha, oh wow!  Really?  Okay: let me first give the politically-correct but honest answer and then end on a more candid note.  The greatest thing about IIT Roorkee, for me is you all, the students!  You all made every minute worth being here, and the reason why I will continue to have a special bond and interest in this place.  Of course, I am also an Indian American who moved here from New York City, so one would have to have special investment in Uttarakhand to leave The Big Apple.  
+
+In fact, my father was born in Dehradun and I personally immersed his ashes at Har ke Pauri in Haridwar after he passed 14 years ago.  My father was also a professor, and was literally [requested by Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru to return to India](https://content.lib.washington.edu/icweb/gairola.html) and serve the nation after he had moved to Germany.  In this vein, I have indeed walked in his footsteps by literally joining in the region of his birth and death.  But if I had familial and ancestral ties before I came to Roorkee, they have been much further deepened by the amazing students I have had here.  I always have joked with them in class that they might have one professor, but I have more than thirty!  The learning experiences and practice in Hindi I have had, as well as intercultural exposure with the classroom as an interactive contact zone, has been truly life-changing.
+
+That said, I think students here need to be more focused.  In my opinion, there are too many days missed due to festivals, holidays, breaks, etc.  When all this happens, I see students’ concentration falter.  Students, especially those from the vernacular (non-English) mediums should resist shyness and speak up in class.  No one speaks English perfectly, and our classrooms are human resource laboratories in which we need to feel safe experimenting.  As much practice the better!  In fact, I forced myself to speak in Hindi after my first month – not because others could not speak English, but because I felt it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to really learn and embody Hindi with "my own people."  In a globally competitive and competent world, the top most students cannot afford to allow their concentration falter.  At the same time, I do recognize that professors and lecture topics can be boring and that the Indian educational system is relatively rigid in terms of what you can study.  
+
+Still, IIT Roorkee affords all of us a beautiful environment with few distractions and some of the brightest students in the world.  In this context, concentrations should be intensified, attendance should be taken very seriously, and research output should increase.  But my regard for you all will soon be official: I have dedicated my most recent peer-reviewed essay on queer zombies and monsters in the fiction of Michelle Cliff and Shani Mootoo to the students of IIT Roorkee!  That publication will be up online in the next couple of weeks in the scholarly journal [Wagadu](http://webhost1.cortland.edu/wagadu/) – I hope you guys like it despite its admittedly dry, academic tone!
+
+### How will you be associated with IIT Roorkee after you leave? 
+
+Let me first say that I will not really be leaving Roorkee – in fact, I will continue to be working with many junior colleagues and a few senior ones to continue advancing the Institute’s stakes throughout the world.  I will, in other words, be working from the outside in!  Next Spring, a co-authored book titled Migration from Garhwal: Gender and Home Economics in Rural North India and co-authored with Professor D.K. Nauriyal will be published by Lexington Books.  I am also working on my second monograph with Routledge/ Taylor & Francis Group which is tentatively titled Digital Homes: Identity & Agency in Postmillennial India.  Both of these book projects are collaborative efforts which have been and will continue to be shaped by a number of my colleagues here at IIT Roorkee.  I am also working on a book project with Professor Rashmi Gaur, and we hope to finalise the Call for Papers (CFP) by late December so that I can distribute it and spread the news at the largest annual convention in the world for teachers and scholars of language and literature – the annual convention of the Modern Language Association (MLA) in New York City this coming January.
+
+![image-2](/images/posts/gairola-2.png)
+
+I am moreover working with a wonderful group of junior colleagues to institute a campus-wide Institute Faculty Interdisciplinary Lecture Series (IFILS), and I will continue to work with this team once I formally join my new academic post.  I will be seeking approval to serve three of my students as an international co-supervisor, and I will be working with our Professor S.P. Singh in his capacity as HOD of HSS over the next year to secure external collaborative funding to support a Centre for Uttarakhand Development Studies.  My stakes in IIT Roorkee are as deep as my ancestral roots, and I will always be there for the students and faculty members who have been kind, helpful, and supportive to me.  I will also continue to mentor a number of BTech, MSc, and PhD students with whom I have developed a good rapport, and will help them as much as possible to write compelling Statement of Purposes, grant and fellowship applications, and job letters.  Finally, I hope to be able to visit this beautiful campus when I am back in India, and hopefully would be able to give a guest lecture or international workshop.  The fact is that the avenues and possibilities for international collaboration are limitless, and as the Institute’s first U.S. citizen faculty member I must lead the way. 
+
+### Are there any songs that, over the past few years, became anthems for you that will always remind you of your time at IIT Roorkee?
+
+The best thing about this question is that it allows me to reflectively map out my experiences over the last 2.5 years even as my career moves forward.  When I first came, Justin Bieber’s song "[Sorry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRh_vgS2dFE)" was playing throughout India, as was the song "[Dil Dhadakne Do](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijLZ9-rlEhg)" from the Bollywood film of the same title. Coldplay’s video and song "[Hymn for the Weekend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YykjpeuMNEk)" with its selective representations of India came out as my second year here began, and their epic, feel good song "[Up and Up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNTC7uZYrI)" was released as I was deciding to change jobs. When I visited Delhi a few times, I heard "[Let’s Nacho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLnwqAarPkM)" in a number of restaurants, and of course Ed Sheeran’s lacklustre hit "[Shape of You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGwWNGJdvx8)" sticks out in my mind only because of the superb dance video made by our very students!  
+
+Kean’s beautiful and guitar-heavy "[Crystal Ball](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZI6klvnacE)" cheered me up when I was worried about my future in India, as did Billy Ocean’s 1980s hit "[When the Going Gets Tough (The tough Get Going)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n3sUWR4FV4)".  When I was having a hard day (and they were *many* of the them), I used to blare "[Move Along](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XleOkGsYgO8&list=RDGMEMQ1dJ7wXfLlqCjwV0xfSNbAVMXleOkGsYgO8)" by The All-American Rejects and "[Shake It Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM)" by Taylor Swift.  Finally, when I left Seattle after my PhD, Arcade Fire’s awesome song "[Reflektor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0fVfectDo)" was all over the city.  Before I left New York and joined IIT Roorkee, I saw Arcade Fire play, so this band has in a sense marked my migrations across the globe.  As I am leaving, my Arcade Fire anthems are "[Electric Blue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UymXRxJPOQo)" and "[Everything Now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC30BYR3CUk)".
+
+
+### Could you complete the joke "Professor Gairola walks into a bar"
+and no one can understand his English or Hindi due to his very heavy American accent.  So, he puts "[Despacito](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk)" on the jukebox since it’s entirely in Spanish!
+
+

_posts/2017-12-04-sac-mid-tenure-evaluation.md

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Mid-Tenure Evaluation Outline : SAC 2017-18"
+image: 
+tags: [wona]
+category: sac
+author: ""
+excerpt: ""
+---
+
+The Mid-Tenure Evaluation of the Students’ Affairs Council includes an objective assessment of the  pre-election commitments by the representatives in their manifestos, thereby helping the student community of IIT Roorkee keep a track of how they have progressed over the last semester. Through conversations with the representatives themselves, and taking feedback from the students, Watch Out has classified the promises made in the manifestos into four exhaustive categories, delineated hereon.
+
+__1) Completed:__ This section includes the points in the manifestos that have been executed and effectuated over the last semester by the responsible General Secretary, and are running fairly successfully.
+
+__2) In Progress:__ The commitments that have been put into action by the representatives by either passing the necessary regulations and obtaining the permissions through the relevant administrative committees, or by setting up trial runs over the last semester, are included in this category. These are expected to be completed over the next semester, or in the recent future, as the case may be.
+
+__3) Unsuccessful/Need Reassessment:__ These are the resolutions that have been implemented, but have not run as well as expected by the student community. These points invite a more thoughtful consideration by the relevant General Secretary, so as to ensure a more efficient solution to the problems they were trying to solve.
+
+__4) Uncommenced:__ This includes all the points that haven’t been initiated yet in the institute. 
+
+An additional section, titled _‘Approval Ratings’_, aims to empirically measure how the sentiments of the voters lie in favour of the current SAC representatives. Moreover, suggestions shared through an anonymous feedback form shall be shared with the General Secretaries, in order to help them incorporate these into their plans for the Spring Semester.
+
+_The Mid-Tenure Evaluation, which shall be published on our <span style="color:#0645AD">[Facebook page](www.facebook.com/watchoutiitr)</span>, serves as a foundation to a more robust review that Watch Out shall be conducting over the next semester, as the elected representatives conclude their term. Suggestions from the student community of the institute regarding the same are highly appreciated._

_posts/2017-12-12-ombudsman.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Appointment of Students' Ombudsman"
+image: ombudsman.JPG
+tags: [wona]
+category: sac
+author: ""
+excerpt: "Among the many problems faced by any student in the institute, one particularly sensitive issue is that of student-faculty conflicts. In an attempt to resolve these issues, the Senate has appointed Dr. Pradeep Kumar of the Civil Engineering Department as the first ‘Ombudsman’ of the institute.
+"
+---
+
+Among the many problems faced by any student in the institute, one particularly sensitive issue is that of student-faculty conflicts. In an attempt to resolve these issues, the Institute has appointed Dr. Pradeep Kumar of the Civil Engineering Department as the first ‘Ombudsman’ of the institute.
+<br>
+
+### Why was there a need for an Ombudsman?
+
+It came to the notice of the administration that students were wary of taking issues with the teaching faculty to higher authorities out of the fear of being the focus of undue repercussions. This was aggravated in the case of PhD students, whose life at the institute, and probably, after, hinges on cooperation from his/her advisor. Furthermore, those issues that did make their way up the chain were often lost in the complicate and often time consuming procedures of the Main Building, with issues getting resolved long after when they could have been said to have any relevance.
+<br>
+
+### What powers does an Ombudsman have?
+
+The Ombudsman is authorized to conduct inquiries as he deems appropriate. A directive has been issued asking all departments and faculty to cooperate with him. However, he only has advisory powers. Based on his inquiries, he submits a report to the Director, suggesting appropriate actions and/or policy changes, who then takes it into consideration. 
+
+<br>
+![pic2](/images/posts/ombudsman2.png){: style="width:90%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+
+### How is this post different from already existing bodies like Dean of Students’ Welfare or Counselling Cell?
+
+The Ombudsman despite being a formal point of contact, will not be subjected to the bureaucratic formalities by undertaking the grievance through informal channels and thereby, would increase the pace of the resolution. Also, he will confine himself to faculty-centric students’ problems only and not interfere in other issues. Wherever possible, it will be ensured that the identity of the student remains anonymous.
+
+
+<br>
+You can find the official Ombudsman document <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](http://people.iitr.ernet.in/media/notices/uploads/Registrar/estb_services/Ombudsperson.pdf)</span>.

_posts/2018-01-06-academic-reinforcement-program.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Academic Reinforcement Program"
+tags: [wona]
+category: academics
+image: acad-reinforcement.jpg
+excerpt: "The transition of students into the academic system after getting into the college might prove drastic enough to befuddle the most sincere of students."
+height: 300px
+---
+
+The transition of students into the academic system after getting into the college might prove drastic enough to befuddle the most sincere of students. Conventionally, a lot of freshmen face problems while understanding the profusion of topics for many reasons, the major one being their inability to establish a rapport with the professors. Hence, in an effort to connect the students to someone who can help in bridging the communication gap between them and the professors, the Academic Reinforcement Program was revamped and reinstituted in the campus.
+
+### How is the Academic Reinforcement Program structured?
+
+ARP consists of two units:
+
+1. Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UGTA): A cohort of students shall be designated to act as a bridge between the faculty coordinators and the freshmen as Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UGTAs) for a selected set of courses. It opens the door for the students to get hands-on experience in becoming a faculty’s teaching assistant and a chance to help the freshmen. 
+
+2. Open Sessions: It is a comprehensive platform for sharing knowledge, open to all the students in the campus, through which they can come up with presentations, talks or lectures on topics they are skilled at. 
+
+### How are UGTAs selected?
+
+The Academic Reinforcement Program aims to administer a platform to promulgate knowledge to the entire campus, and to provide chaperones to the freshmen. Therefore, adept seniors are required for the same. A UGTA applicant should have extensive knowledge about the topic he/she has applied for to be able to assist the students in a fine way. He/she should also be proficient at the basic soft skills required to make the students understand concepts comprehensively.
+
+For this session of ARP, an open form was floated, requesting the interested students from second, third, fourth or fifth year to apply for this position. Any student with a grade ‘B’ or above in the subject that he/she applied for, and with no active backlogs in any past subjects was then shortlisted for a further assessment of their soft skills. The faculty member concerned then designated TAs from the students on the basis of their knowledge of that particular subject.
+
+### How do the UGTAs benefit?
+
+The program promises a unique learning curve for the students chosen as UGTAs. They would get a hands-on experience in becoming a faculty's teaching assistant, thereby increasing their interaction with the professors, which in turn would make them more cognizant of the topics they are skilled at. This experience would be invaluable for them if they want to pursue higher studies in that particular subject. 
+
+In addition to this, the Dean of Students’ Welfare would also be awarding the UGTAs with a Certificate of Appreciation. Moreover, certain monetary and non-monetary bonuses for all UGTAs shall be rewarded, for fulfilling requisite criterion.
+
+### How do the freshmen benefit?
+
+The freshmen seldom interact with the professors, let alone discuss their doubts with them. As the doubts accumulate, the topics being taught become confusing, resulting into scanty performance during the examinations. The Academic Reinforcement Program provides the support the students need in the form of a UGTA. Students can share their doubts and problems of the subject with the respective UGTA, who would be assisting them to the best of their ability.
+
+The UGTAs would be providing targeted support to every student, who, in all probability, would feel more comfortable with their seniors as compared to the professors. Thus, the UGTAs would be able to resolve the doubts of the students, and hence help them obtain a better understanding of the subject they are being taught.  
+
+*The Academic Reinforcement Program, which is being run under the aegis of the Associate Dean of Students' Welfare (Students' Wellness), aims to offer the freshmen a constant underpin to bank on whenever needed for their academic doubts. For further details about the program, please visit <span style="color:#72C5EB">[here](http://arp.iitr.ac.in)</span> or contact Mr. Aryan Khaitan (+91-8449678393).*

_posts/2018-02-14-Entrepreneurship-at-R.md

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Entrepreneurship at R: In conversation with Azam Ali Khan (CEO, TIDES IIT Roorkee)"
+category: verbatim
+credits: "Dhruv Singh and Ekdeep Singh Lubana"
+image: entreatr.jpg
+excerpt: "It’s great to be back here, but I think being on the other side of the table brings with it tonnes of challenges. When I started my journey here in 1998, it was a completely different place. It wasn’t even an IIT"
+---
+
+### To begin with, welcome back to IIT Roorkee. How does it feel to be back as an alumnus and handle a job that might play a salient role in Roorkee’s prosperity as a top ranked institute?
+
+It’s great to be back here, but I think being on the other side of the table brings with it tonnes of challenges. When I started my journey here in 1998, it was a completely different place. It wasn’t even an IIT; however, by the time I graduated, the transition from UoR to IIT was in full swing.
+
+A plethora of things have changed; a plethora have not. I reckon we used to have much deeper interaction with seniors, back then. Probably the hostels’ condition and infrastructure has changed for better. In our case, they weren’t particularly apt for survival! Jokes apart, I think a lot of things have changed in regards to students and their perspective about college. Students have become far more ambitious and zealous. However, still, when I compare Roorkee with other major institutions, I think Roorkee is still lacking in growing out of its self-imposed shackles. I don't get the "we're still not a full fledged IIT" mindset and other sorts of frequent comments. These thoughts merely stop us from unleashing our full potential. Case in point, we had calls from IIMs, for the first time, in 2000 - one from Ahmedabad and two from Calcutta - but once we broke that glass ceiling, we started getting multiple calls from thereon. So, probably, all that was necessary was to let go of the self designed limitations and create some awareness.
+
+Thus, things have changed a lot over the last 15 years. I was surprised that this is the same Roorkee I left in 2002; however, if the change leads to progress, it is definitely welcome. For example, about the startup revolution, this is something which was lacking in Roorkee then. Now, with a place such as TIDES in motion, we can cater to and promote a lot more entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship enthusiasts. This will end up generating employment in and out of R.
+
+### Do you think that startups are a taboo at R? Unconventional paths, such as entrepreneurship, are considered alternatives than palpable career choices?
+
+I think taboo would be tad harsh a word; but, definitely, there is a limitation, and it is put by the society at large. Students, being at the receiving end of it, have just been following the unsaid laws. Parents uphold apprehensions and have a hard time accepting entrepreneurship as a way of life. Entrepreneurship is usually considered as akin to “Shylockism”, which is not at all the case You are convincing people to buy your products; not forcing them - it takes actual skills and efforts, and, alas, should be given its much deserved accreditation. However, I believe, with initiatives like "Startup India", this limitation is bound to change; and, more so, is something that has to change. Also, if we do not pass the message from the top-most branches of the chain, the message that students can - and should - take up their innovations and ideas as tangible career choices, not a lot will happen. While working for Scandinavian countries, which are known for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, I saw some important traits. The difference, as I am very vividly witnessing, is that they embrace failures, rather than brush them under the carpet. This culture is missing in general in India and more so in Roorkee, I think. Coming back to your question of startups being a "taboo", I must admit that most of my interactions have been with people who said that they couldn’t get a job, and, thus, opted to start-up. This mindset is totally a put-down for me. Believe me, getting a job is far, far easier than doing a startup. We really need to appreciate people who are taking a plunge into entrepreneurships. This appreciation should come from both - the society and the management of the institute - who should promote entrepreneurship as a leading activity. We need to ensure that students understand, "if you fail early, you learn early".
+
+### Do you think that the entrepreneurial culture has changed since your time here as a student?
+
+To be very frank, in those days, there was no entrepreneurial culture. We used to think about jobs and companies' schedule, only. From day 1, we were acquainted with the fact that we, the Chemical and Metallurgy folks, are not going to get a job in core; of course, because of minimal "core" companies showing up for placements. So, everybody was programming in C, C++, Java.
+
+### So we have this thing happening since 20 years now?
+
+Yeah. Unfortunately, may be we haven’t changed this culture in 20 years now. Probably, even the books you are reading today would be the same as we had. I mean, the world has gone leaps and bounds. If we are not making you employment ready, we are not making you entrepreneurship ready. These go hand-in-hand.If we are not teaching you Machine Learning, AI, and all the latest technology - believe it or not - you are not ready for the world.
+
+So, we do have a long way to go. I still see students from circuital branches refraining from entrepreneurship as a career, for, probably, they are acquainted with the fact that they have a better chance at scoring a placement offer. It's the non-circuital branches' students who indulge in such ventures, mostly. These trends say lengths about how much needs to be done.
+The thing is, whenever you think there is a safe option, the urge to succeed dies out. The cultural mindset needs to change and we have the potential to do it. A new mentality of "learning from failures" needs to be promoted.
+
+### Talking about TIDES, where do you (or an incubation center, in general) receive your funding to support startups from?
+
+We get our funding from various government agencies, like Department of Science & Technology (DST), NSTEDB, DEITY, etc. IIT Roorkee has been gracious to support us in our ventures, too. They have provided us with infrastructure and access to all the labs and faculty for mentorship. Frankly, the only reason TIDES is working as an independent entity is because we want to make the process faster for our incubatees and deliver according to their needs. Time is viciously crucial for startups, for they are in a make or break situation. We are also in the process of undergoing tie-ups with a few corporates, so that we can jointly access startups via a co-investment model. Further, a few PSUs are being approached, so that we can have sector focused startups under TIDES.
+
+### Could you tell us about the startups budding at TIDES?
+
+We have 10 startups, as of now, which are incubated; around 6-7 are in the pre-incubation phase; and 10-12, which we still need to access. They are from a variety of sectors - from IoT to FinTech. Fintech is a sector which has been explored a lot over the years, and, thus, you have to come up with a really innovative product/service to be incubated anywhere. We are trying to come up with more sector specific startups, too. We have been in talks with a few PSUs for a startup on smart construction activities, for we have a strong civil department. Venturing into biotech is also on the cards.
+
+### How would you categorize the startups at TIDES - product based, service oriented, etc.?
+
+We have startups which are mainly product based, as of yet. We have been promoting B2B startups, recently. Students are easily swayed by B2C, app-based startups; however, that model has gotten quite obsolete in terms of innovation. Thus, we promote B2B startups, all the while welcoming B2C startups too. We have the tinkering lab now in the same premises and are coming up with an IoT lab.
+
+### A "junta wants to know" question - do you consider Roorkee’s location to be ideal, at all, for a startup?
+
+An ideal location is highly relative and people really need to understand this. A location might be ideal for one startup, whilst not at all ideal for another.
+
+For an agritech or pharmaceutical startup, Roorkee is a highly apt location; same goes for a biotech startup. However, if we talk about an FMCG startup, Roorkee might not be an ideal location. So, it sorta depends.
+
+I accept that we struggle a bit because of transportation and the unavailability of a nearby airport, though. Even the government agencies and corporates we approach, they have to travel from Delhi to Roorkee; the nearest airport is in Dehradun, which, again, is 2-3 hours from here.
+This is one of the reasons why we are planning to open an extension arm in Greater Noida. It will be a feed for this center at Roorkee and gives us a uniqueness amongst IITs too, for we will have presence in 3 cities after Roorkee and Saharanpur.
+
+### How do you think the current academic curriculum can be changed by the administration for getting students industry-ready?
+
+If you want to improve student employability, I believe we must make it easy for the industries so that they don’t  have to spend on training fresh recruits. I think summer and winter internships are helping to support this model well, but it has to be more interesting to the students and industries alike. Like, a crazy, yet sane, idea would be to rope in some well known corporates and teach their actual manuals to some specific machines. Industries, thereby, will recruit with a mindset that these students are already well acquainted with our products, machines, and designs, and, thus, almost good-to-go.
+
+![tides](/images/posts/tides.png)
+
+### How accessible and supportive has the administration been? How can they help further?
+
+Oh, they have been extremely accessible. I can talk to the Director whenever I want to; all the Deans respond on mail, too. Accessibility is not an issue, at all. We have a lot of support and resources.
+
+However, TIDES cannot function in a silo. Things need to work in tandem. It is the joint responsibility of TIDES and the institute management to create an ecosystem supporting entrepreneurial ventures for students. 
+
+I reckon a curriculum centered around entrepreneurship will help loads. Innovative thinking needs to be promoted, only then entrepreneurship will become sustainable. As per my knowledge, there is no dedicated place to guide the students about the design part of product development, etc. To run a company, an overall understanding needs to be inculcated. TIDES rests at the end of this pipeline; wherein, when a person is ready with an idea, we provide him/her the platform and mentorship for getting to the consumers. 
+
+I also believe that administration - especially, faculty - should look into the humongous communication gap amongst B.Tech, M.Tech., and Ph.D. students. Whilst B.Tech. students are full of energy and creativity, PhDs have actual experience with technology. Marry these two together, and you shall have fantastic startups in the campus. And only the faculty can do that, for they are the bridge. Alas, I reckon TIDES, indeed, is a synergistic initiative - both, for the management as well as the students.
+
+### Where do you see TIDES 3-4 years from now?
+
+We want to make TIDES one of the top 5 incubators in India, and, in this regard, we need to go very fast. We are looking for great startups from across the country, and are intent on providing a nurturing ground to the incubatees - where they can cultivate their ideas and think/target globally. Hopefully, in the time span of 3-4 years, we can have 10-15 good startups. One must understand that getting a couple of good startups from a bunch of 50-100 is an achievement of highest orders.

_posts/2018-02-22-unnat-bharat-abhiyan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Unnat Bharat Abhiyan"
+category: verbatim
+image: unnatbharat.jpeg
+excerpt: "Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, a program running under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, was launched in November 2014 with an aim to use the skills of the students of the premier"
+---
+
+*Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, a program running under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, was launched in November 2014 with an aim to use the skills of the students of the premier colleges in the country for innovative ideas to tackle the problems at the grassroots and work towards other aspects of development in villages. Under the same, the student chapter of UBA IIT Roorkee has adopted 8 villages of Dehradun, and Haridwar district. We speak to Sagar Gupta, the Student Coordinator of UBA IIT Roorkee, to understand the mechanics behind this initiative.*
+
+### What is the major work that UBA targets?
+
+Over the course of three years that UBA has functioned, the work done has mostly contributed significantly to the socio-economic upliftment of the villages. Some of the other major initiatives have been the cleaning of a local pond, an attempt to tackle education problems and the reconstruction of a vital trade route bridge. 
+
+### How does your team structure look like currently?
+
+Our team structure has two levels, currently, a ‘village’ level and a central team.
+We have five teams working in eight villages, and each team has two village coordinators one documentation coordinator and a finance coordinator. In the central team, we have six members, one each for documentation and finance, and three theme leaders for ‘Technology Intervention’, ‘Education’, and ‘Outreach’, and one overall team leader.
+
+### Could you give us an example of any one of your important initiatives?
+
+An initiative that heavily changed the daily facets of the residents’ of village Meerpur was the Biogas initiative. To encourage the use of renewable energy amongst the villagers, an awareness and registration drive of Biogas plant was organised by UBA in the village Meerpur-Muwazarpur in October 2015. Almost every household here is involved in animal husbandry and farming, hence producing cow-dung and other wastes that rot in open. These then become breeding grounds for pathogens, and add to the waste disposal problem. With the help of the biogas plants, these wastes have now been turned into viable sources of renewable energy. I’m proud to mention that this event for registration witnessed amazing participation, resulting in the installation of 33 biogas plants over time.
+
+### What has been the overall impact of this initiative?
+
+The consumption of LPG has gone down to one-fourth of what was used earlier, and many houses have found a sustainable alternative to firewood. The slurry produced as a by-product is a nutritious manure for the farms. The money invested has been recovered, saving Rs. 4000 per month of each household, achieving the economic break-even point in less than 14 months. In addition to this, there have been many positive impacts on health and household economy.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/unnatbharat2.jpeg){: style="width:90%;height:auto"}
+
+### Couple of years ago, you also initiated the ‘Polyhouse’ initiative that has garnered a lot of praise, including a feature in recent headlines. Could you tell us about that?
+
+A polyhouse is a structure providing a protective environment for the crops to grow. It incorporates the modern farming ideas and uses the concept of varying heat and moisture input to control the crop production. The protective environment helps specific types of plants to grow faster and increase the yield. The farms have seen multi-fold rise in production. The lower requirement of labour, electricity and fertilizers has been observed. This has been one of the first steps for modernising the farming industry. The Uttarakhand state government encourages the use of Polyhouses by providing a high amount of subsidy to farmers for installation of Polyhouses. 
+
+On observing the interest of the farmers in polyhouses, an awareness campaign was organised somewhere in April 2016, which resulted in the installation of 3 polyhouses with 6 more in the pipeline in Meerpur village. The turnover has been Rs. 4 Lacs per annum per 1000 sq. feet. The farmers will be able to break-even in just 4 years!
+
+### What do you have in mind for the immediate future?
+
+We are focusing on the technical interventions that our students can take up, to solve the basic problems and needs of the people of the village. We are putting in work towards building a water filter for iron removal, and we have started the ecological restoration of a nearby pond. We’re also helping the village’s Pradhan to make an effective Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

_posts/2018-02-25-spoilt-with-choice.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Spoilt with Choice
+category: editorial
+image: spoilt-choice.png
+author: "Sanjana Srivastava, Sanat Bhargava, Manan Jain, Utkarsh Mujumdar, Agrim Patodia"
+excerpt: "That classmate you have been crushing on for the longest of times has finally agreed to go out with you. You know you have one shot at this. You also know that they like Chinese food, but if you picked an Italian place, you wouldn’t have to risk embarrassing yourself by trying to use chopsticks. What would you do?"
+
+---
+
+While it might be impudent of us to declare that the control humans seem to hold over the ‘choices’ they face is more of a handicap than a power, our claim might not be completely unfounded. Our life is littered with choices, and while we don’t seem to mind some of them, a majority of these choices find a way to annoy us by creeping into our daily decision-making, just when they’re uncalled for. 
+
+Surely enough, all the choices you’re going to have to face won’t always be plagued by an inherent difficulty in judging the merits of the alternatives offered. For instance, it probably wouldn’t be a burden to choose between two not-so-equal alternatives, like if boiled eggs were pitted against a slice of pizza, or if you had to choose between an hour of reading your favourite book, or an hour of talking to one of your relatives about what you (don’t) have planned for your future. These choices don’t seem to demand a lot of attention from you, probably because they bring with them a more favourable and a more obvious selection. 
+
+However, consider these three cases.
+
+
+- It’s 8:00 a.m. You’ve pulled an all-nighter ~~studying for the big quiz you have in a couple of days~~ trying to finish that TV series everyone has been talking about so that you can fit in. Now that you’re done with the series finale, you can finally tend to your hunger, which you had been shrugging off as the plot thickened. Additionally, you’re too sleep-deprived to walk too far. Consequently, the only option you have left is to drag yourself to the mess and eat whatever is offered to you, or just go to bed hungry. _**What do you do?**_
+
+
+- That classmate you have been crushing on for the longest of times has finally agreed to go out with you. You know you have one shot at this. You also know that they like Chinese food, but if you picked an Italian place, you wouldn’t have to risk embarrassing yourself by trying to use chopsticks. _**What do you do?**_
+
+
+- You have to vote for one of the two students contesting for the college elections. One of them cut in front of you a month ago while you were obediently waiting in line for taking sweets in the mess. The other did not post a message on your timeline on your birthday. _**What do you do?**_
+
+
+While all three of the aforementioned hypotheticals represent a choice, they’re all not the same. The first is a classic case of what is referred to as a _Hobson’s Choice_. In this situation, you are in a ‘take it or leave it’ situation, where you either have to settle for the only alternative available, which, for all you know, is not worth taking a shot at; or just end up empty-handed. The latter two situations, on the other hand, are each an example of a _Morton’s Fork_. Often used interchangeably with the concept of a _dilemma_, a Morton’s Fork is a case where you have two or more equally appealing (or unappealing) choices to pick from, which is where it gets tricky. All of these situations highlight how perceived luxury of having choices becomes too rich for our blood. Weighing the pros and cons and delving into quick mental analyses for these choices in terms of the implications they may have is too tedious an exercise to consider, mostly because the circumstances are too trivial to demand your attention.
+
+But what if we raise the stakes here, just enough to make you worry? What if you were to choose between two college majors, or you were at the point in your life where you had to decide a career?
+
+Our brain tends to attach gravity to every choice it faces by ruminating on the possible repercussions of a bad choice. It plays out all the probable outcomes, considering them, and agonizing you enough to keep you up at night, maybe even frustrating you to a point where you resign yourself to a belief that you’d be better off constricted in an alternate dimension, devoid of choice. To add to our misery, our ever-so-sadistic brain appends some kind of responsibility with every choice it faces. It bestows upon us an authority to take a call, an authority that amplifies mutually with the perceived importance of a decision. 
+
+What is this authority, really? 
+
+Given that one doesn’t control the consequences in the aftermath of a decision, it would be safe to assume that the power we speak of is merely apparent, imminent to be rendered worthless in the grander scheme of things. You could never know what the other paths would have been like, because you didn’t get a chance to experience them. One of the physical models of the universe (or the multiverse, to be precise) makes an attempt at explaining this notion through the collapse of the wave function in quantum mechanics. It proposes that every possible alternate timeline for the universe is real and they all happen in an ever-larger, ever-branching way. To put it in simpler words, it means that at whichever point we have to make a choice among the possible options, our life splits into multiple universes, entailing the path we choose. So theoretically, all the possible stories do take place, but we happen to experience only one of them. Life is the best simulation video game there is, where your choices form your story. No matter what you choose, the other options quickly evanesce as you don't know what they had to offer. Hence, there is no right or wrong in choice, and that explains the power we talked about earlier. The fact that you _have a_ choice, therein lies this apparent power.
+ 
+This romanticised delineation, however, pokes fun at the human emotion of regret. If no one knows where the other path would have taken oneself, then why does one lament his decision? Sure, the other path might have suited someone else, but that does not really mean that it would have turned out to be the same way for you. Maybe the outcome isn't what we thought it would be, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we made the inapt decision. Maybe the outcome in the other situation might have been worse. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, since now, it’s something that you just can't change. Every choice, whether tiny or huge, is immensely important at the moment you face it, and it loses all of its importance the second you make it. 
+
+The feigned presence of meaning to our decisions is perplexing enough to lead us to a futile search for a scapegoat, which finds its distressing comfort in regret. The powerlessness over the circumstances we might face unsettles us. And this, unfortunately, is enough to send us into a cycle of self-reproach and ‘what-ifs’.

_posts/2018-03-06-iitr-at-nasa.md

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "IITR's Exploits at NASA"
+category: bigstory
+image: nasa-cover.jpg
+excerpt: "The National Association of Students of Architecture (abbreviated as NASA) is a student organization with over 200 member colleges from India and neighbouring countries."
+---
+
+The **National Association of Students of Architecture** (abbreviated as **NASA**) is a student organization with over 200 member colleges from India and neighbouring countries. It was established in 1957 by seven colleges (one of which was IIT Roorkee), with the “common aim and objective to provide the students a platform for interaction, a platform where students from varied cultural backgrounds would learn and share their knowledge”. 
+
+To this effect, NASA India holds the Annual NASA Convention where the work of the students is displayed and evaluated, mostly through the medium of competitions. This year, IIT Roorkee (with a team of 46 students) took part in 7 competitions:
+
+<ol start="1">
+<li> <b>The Louis I Kahn Trophy</b> : The LIK trophy aims to “improve the quality of architectural education in the context of the historic environment, and the legacy of knowledge, skills and training required to better protect and conserve this heritage”.</li>
+</ol>
+
+This year, IIT Roorkee documented the **District Collectorate, Nainital** for the same. They stood amongst the **Top 10** colleges within the competition.
+
+<ol start="2">
+<li> <b>HUDCO Trophy</b> : This trophy aims at “designing for the informal sector and give design alternatives for the issues pertaining to the solutions to Sustainable Urban Development”.</li>
+</ol>
+
+The brief called for “affordable housing using green and emerging technology” into an otherwise standard housing project (with a specified ratio of EWS/LIG/MIG). The IIT Roorkee team chose a site in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, and proposed a design within the specified parameters. They finished in the **Top 4** colleges within the competition.
+
+![IITR's Showcase](/images/posts/nasa-showcase.jpg)
+
+<ol start="3">
+ <li> <b>Laurie Baker Trophy</b> : The trophy “gives attention towards the cost effective building techniques, materials and execution of the same”.</li>
+</ol>
+
+The problem posed in this years’ brief was to devise a Master Plan for a Government Primary School (meeting a list of certain specified criteria). The IIT Roorkee team chose a school in the nearby village of Safarpur, and – through a participatory process – synthesized a plan for a period of 10 years. The team finished in the **Top 11** out of 56 colleges.
+
+<ol start="4">
+<li> <b>Writing Architecture Trophy</b> : The aim of the trophy is to “inculcate the intrinsic observation capabilities of students to be aware of the real World around them, and make propositions and express their thoughts in the form of written matter in line with a particular theme”.</li>
+</ol>
+
+This year’s brief called for a revaluation of “heritage” (in light of the demolition of The Hall of Nations), and posed a few other pertinent questions regarding India’s “modern heritage”. The IIT Roorkee team finished **1<sup>st</sup>** in a pool of about 150 entries.
+
+<ol start="5">
+<li> <b>GRIHA Trophy</b> : The trophy is a collaborative initiative between NASA India and GRIHA, aiming “to expose students to Green and Sustainable Architecture.”</li>
+</ol>
+
+This year’s problem was to propose a design for the “Milestone Experion Centre” in Gurgaon, comprising an office complex, a banquet hall, and multi-cuisine restaurants, in line with the GRIHA rating system. The IIT Roorkee team could not, unfortunately, make the shortlist.
+
+<ol start="6">
+<li> <b>DesTech Challenge</b> : The trophy aims to be “a unique design competition that brings together creative thinking and digital advancements in the built environment sector. It challenges creative thinkers to explore opportunities within ‘Smart City’ systems, processes and engagement strategies.”</li>
+</ol>
+
+The brief encouraged the participants to envision a smart city which satisfied a set of “scenarios”, asking them, also, to explain their thought process behind this envisioned future. The team stood 1st in the competition.
+
+
+The team was also shortlisted **(Top 10)** for the **Le Corbusier Trophy**, awarded for overall performance across all trophies held by NASA India. This marks IIT Roorkee’s best ever performance in the Annual NASA Convention thus far, and is – in good hope – indicative of better things to come.

_posts/2018-03-08-entrepreneurship-at-r.md

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Entrepreneurship at R: In conversation with EDC and Enactus"
+category: verbatim
+image: enactus.jpg
+excerpt: "Following up on our conversation with Azam Ali Khan, the CEO of TIDES business Incubator, we caught up with Ankit Bagaria, the head of Enactus, and Aayush Gupta, a member of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell of IIT Roorkee to chat about the role of student bodies in fostering and encouraging the entrepreneurial culture at R. Here are some excerpts from our conversation."
+---
+
+_Following up on our conversation with Mr. Azam Ali Khan, the CEO of TIDES business Incubator, we caught up with Ankit Bagaria, the head of Enactus, and Aayush Gupta, a member of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell of IIT Roorkee to chat about the role of student bodies in fostering and encouraging the entrepreneurial culture at R. Here are some excerpts from our conversation._
+
+### As students, what do you think the importance of a culture of entrepreneurship is at IIT Roorkee? 
+
+_**Aayush:**_ When it comes to students of an IIT, I have a belief that we are expected to generate jobs instead of following other people or joining other companies. We want to use this opportunity of studying at a premier institute to make lives easier by coming up with new and better products and services, and entrepreneurship is an exciting way of doing just that. The role of EDC, in any campus, is to generally promote entrepreneurship  and to make people aware of what entrepreneurship exactly is. In essence, we want to develop an environment where innovation and new ideas are celebrated.  
+
+### How exactly does EDC promote the ‘spirit of entrepreneurship’ as you say?
+
+_**Aayush:**_ So basically, we organise a couple of major events in the campus, like TEDx, or the upcoming eSummit; apart from which we have initiatives like the Startup Internship Program. I believe that bringing in more and more people working in startups to our campus to tell us how a startup actually works will encourage students here to start their own thing in the future. Apart from the events we are also working on a portal through which we want people to engage in fruitful networking. Through these events and initiatives we create a huge amount of resources for people to rely on. We have a huge network of experts, too, so that whenever a student needs any kind of help, you know, if he wants to connect to some alumni or someone else, to talk about his questions related to entrepreneurship, he can openly come to EDC, and we'll get him connected! 
+
+### So how does Enactus come into the picture?
+
+_**Ankit:**_ So basically when you talk about entrepreneurship in general, there is no set way of learning the concepts, you know? There has to be a certain practice, in a way, of dealing with and actually ‘doing’ what entrepreneurship entails. Enactus, which is short for ‘Entrepreneurial Action for Us’, is a global organization that promotes social entrepreneurship among students all over the world, by giving the students the opportunity to perform in live projects.  That, I believe, is where Enactus has a huge role to play. 
+
+### About that, how would you define social entrepreneurship?
+
+_**Ankit:**_ Social entrepreneurship, in a general sense, includes the business-oriented or entrepreneurial activities that focus on the impact on the sustainability of the commercial ecosystem, before revenues or profits. 
+
+_**Aayush:**_ One important example that comes to my mind is of Tesla. Tesla made its first car- an electric car- and they had this vision that they wanted more and electric cars in the world. Now they could've easily made a lot more money out of being a monopoly, but they openly shared their design so that they could have this ‘movement’ on a big scale so that people from other companies can also start building electric cars!
+
+_**Ankit:**_ Exactly! We don't want to compromise the chance of having a healthy competition for our own profits.
+
+### We recently had an interview with the CEO of TIDES and I understand that TIDES, EDC, Enactus and all of these similar campus organisations have to maintain a certain synergy for entrepreneurship to thrive in a campus like ours. As a student, how exactly do you think TIDES can help in this dynamic?
+
+_**Aayush:**_ Entrepreneurship, to be frank, is basically a journey. I think the role of EDC is to get a person from zero to one, and that of TIDES is to get him from one to a hundred! For example, if a person is interested in starting up but is, for the lack of a better word, clueless, EDC's role is to tell him about entrepreneurship, to help him realise his ideas, to connect him to potential mentors, and to help him build a team. Once he has an idea and wants to legitimately materialize it, he can then go to TIDES, because TIDES has a tremendous amount of resources. They can get funds, a great office space, and subsequent mentorship from TIDES, while we supplement their role by making the initial rudimentary steps a little easier. 
+
+_**Ankit:**_ In addition to what Aayush says, campus groups like ours are catering to a different idea altogether. Say I have an idea but I don't know how that idea needs to be developed, EDC needs to come into the picture when someone is trying to develop on that idea. In addition to this, even if students don’t have ideas, groups like Enactus, or even ShARE, for that matter, can help them by giving them live projects and case studies to try their hand at real life problems.
+
+### What kind of real-life problems?
+
+_**Ankit:**_ Currently, we at Enactus have a few live projects, one of which is to empower the farmers, another deals with waste paper management and creating employment out of it, yet another deals with the social inclusion of the specially-abled, and so on. So as you can see the horizon for a social entrepreneurship venture is huge and Enactus gives the students that horizon to explore, along with a chance to actually see how actual problems can be solved. Enactus also hosts a national and an international competition each year for its University chapters, giving students a chance to showcase their projects to business leaders and investors.
+
+### And about the working spaces, how big of an issue is it?
+
+_**Ankit:**_ Actually, very recently, while we were working for one of our flagship projects: ‘Kaagaz’, we faced the same issue. In the ideation phase and the prototyping phase, we had to do everything from our rooms and that creates a lot of mess because you cannot work with a huge team in small rooms. A coworking space definitely helps.
+
+_**Aayush:**_ Yeah, in the absence of good facilities, people generally work from their rooms or other random places they find, which is a huge reason why I really believe we need coworking spaces. We have a lot of spaces in terms of TV Rooms or Common Rooms in hostels which are heavily underutilised. Converting them to coworking spaces would certainly help our cause. Additionally, the highly diminished female involvement due to this dorm-room work culture is an issue that we really should be considering!
+
+### In order for you to thrive as a student body, how do you think EDC or Enactus needs to evolve, and where do you see yourselves fitting into the campus setups?
+
+_**Aayush:**_ We envision EDC turning into something like the eCells in our sister IITs. As an eCell, we could ensure our promotion among the faculty, too, since the name is actually very well known. We are merely a student group right now, and we are trying to be a ‘program’ or an ‘organisation’.
+
+_**Ankit:**_ On similar lines, Enactus is based on social entrepreneurship. We are not doing things for profit, and being a campus group and under the given organization guidelines, we have regulations that we need to follow. We cannot be a profitable venture inside the campus so we believe that the CSR funds that our institute and the alumni funds might have could help us in tremendous ways. Also, speaking of our global guidelines, we cannot be a part of any other group. Hence, wherever we come in, we must function independently and effectively.
+
+### Closing notes, then. I’m pretty sure that as parts of EDC and Enactus, you must have compared and contrasted the similar organizations in various other institutes. Where do you see a chance for us to grow?
+
+_**Aayush:**_ I have been talking to a couple of people on IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur, and the one thing I observed was that they have a more open culture for working on their initiatives. They have fifty-odd people from different years, and even from the M. Tech and PhD community, volunteering for their projects and initiatives. I really want IIT Roorkee to focus on this as well. We have this big event, eSummit, coming up, and organising eSummit only with a bunch of core team members from EDC is not possible. Apart from that IITs hold a responsibility of fostering entrepreneurship not only inside our own institutes but also in the state, and I look forward to taking up such mentoring initiatives as a part of IIT Roorkee!
+
+_**Ankit:**_ Enactus has got 1800 chapters around the world, and out of those 160 are in India. However, most of these chapters are in commerce colleges. One thing that we as a technical institute can bring in to Enactus is the technical penetration into a social venture. Until now, I believe that we’re on the right track, and we’re trying to go as deep as we can here. Another thing about which my views resonate with Aayush’s is that the number of students volunteering for such activities and ventures is quite high in other colleges and in other Enactus chapters. That, I guess, would be my appeal to the students at IIT Roorkee. We’re sure that through this, it’ll be easier for entrepreneurial culture to develop in our institute!

_posts/2018-03-09-funding-extracurriculars.md

@@ -0,0 +1,635 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Funding Your Extracurriculars
+category: bigstory
+image: funding.jpg
+author: "Uday Shinghal, Yash Singh, Muskaan Bhambri"
+excerpt: "Every semester, every student of IIT Roorkee each pays a certain amount towards the ‘Gymkhana Activities’ of the institute. This amount, which sums up to Rs. 6000 every academic year (Rs. 3000 every semester), is meant to cover the expenditure of all the extracurricular activities in the campus. With an approximate strength of students at IIT Roorkee being close to seven thousand, an amount of Rs. 6000 per student translates to an annual budget of over Rs. 4 crores."
+
+---
+Every semester, every student of IIT Roorkee each pays a certain amount towards the ‘Gymkhana Activities’ of the institute. This amount, which sums up to Rs. 6000 every academic year (Rs. 3000 every semester), is meant to cover the expenditure of all the extracurricular activities in the campus. With an approximate strength of students at IIT Roorkee being close to seven thousand, an amount of Rs. 6000 per student translates to an annual budget of over Rs. 4 crores. 
+
+As substantial as the amount might seem, a perfect testimony to the importance of such an extensive budget was given by the former Director of IIT Roorkee, Dr. Pradipta Banerjee. During the orientation ceremony of the batch of 2016-17, he said, “Students, when you go out in public, you wear a suit to create an impression. Similarly, your academics might be your trousers and your shirt, but your extracurriculars play the role of your blazer and your tie.” 
+
+With the dissolution of the Hobbies Club in the previous academic year, a Students’ Technical Council (organized along the lines of the Cultural Council and the Sports Council) emerged to cater to the demands of students involved in multiple technical clubs and groups. The Gymkhana fees, apart from the needs of the cultural, sports, and technical councils, also fulfils the requirements of various other campus activities that are pivotal to students’ everyday lives. For the very first time, a well-structured breakdown of the Gymkhana fees was released publicly last year by the former Convenor of SAC, Mr. Apurwa Sarwajit. While there have been some changes to the erstwhile allocation, the breakdown, in our belief, is still immensely convoluted and volatile in nature.
+
+<!--- graph 1-->
+<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/Chart.js/2.7.2/Chart.min.js"></script>
+
+
+<canvas id="myChart1" width="400" height="200"></canvas>
+<script>
+var ctx1 = document.getElementById("myChart1").getContext('2d');
+var myChart1 = new Chart(ctx1, {
+   	
+   		type: 'horizontalBar',
+        data: {
+        	
+        	labels: ["BRP", "DOSW (Misc. Students' Activities)", "Sports Council", "Students' Club", "Students' Technical Council (STC)", "Bhawan (Bachelor's/Married)","Cultural Council","Cinema Club","HEC","SPIC MACAY","SAC","ADOSW (Students' Wellness)", "ADOSW (Students' Activites","N.S.S"],
+        	
+        	datasets: [{
+                label: '₹ per student',
+            	data: [1700,1200,850,450,400,400,350,150,150,100,90,80,50,30],
+            	backgroundColor:'#C4C4C4',
+               	hoverBackgroundColor:'#00CF21',
+            	borderWidth: 2,
+            	barThickness: .2
+        	}]
+    	},
+        options:{
+   		 	layout: {
+        		padding: {
+            		left: 120,
+            		right: 0,
+            		top: 0,
+            		bottom: 0
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+           	},
+        	scales: {
+            	yAxes: [{	
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+					},
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+    					fontFamily:'Open Sans',
+    					fontStyle:'SemiBold',
+    					fontcolor:"#4F4F4F",
+                	}
+            	}],
+            	xAxes: [{
+                    gridLines: {
+        				display:true,
+        				zeroLineColor:"white",
+        				color:"white",	
+        			},
+                	ticks: {
+                  		beginAtZero:true,
+                   		display: true,
+    					fontFamily: "Open Sans",
+    					fontStyle:"SemiBold",
+    					fontcolor:"#BDBDBD",
+                		
+                		callback: function(value, index, values) {
+                       	return '₹' + value;
+                        }
+                	}
+            	}]
+            }
+    }
+});
+</script>
+
+![pic1](/images/posts/gymkhana1.png){: style="width:45%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+
+###  Bhawans
+
+**Bhawan Replacement & Purchase (BRP): ₹1700/- per student per year**
+
+**All Bachelors’ Bhawans: ₹400/- per student per year**
+
+_Note: A majority of our gymkhana fees (28%) goes to the DOSW for Bhawan Replacement & Purchase (BRP) Fund. In addition to the BRP fund, an amount of ₹400/- is also paid to the respective bhawans for promoting cultural activities, paying salaries to temporary employees, and taking care of all miscellaneous activities in the bhawans._
+
+A conversation with Mr. Aniket Jaiswal, the Cultural Secretary of Rajiv Bhawan, brought to the forefront that a major chunk of the allocated fund is consistently spent on the salaries of the temporary staff, and hence, little is left for bhawan activities. In addition to this, exorbitant expenses were incurred for Rajiv Bhawan’s last bhawan day, with food costing ₹650/- per plate (paid through the CCB account) and approximately ₹1,00,000 spent on decorations, tents, etc. Apart from bhawan inmates, only deans, institute guests, and the student senators are invited to such days.
+
+Upon being asked about the significance of bhawan days, which usually prove to be quite an expense to the institute, Ms. Pragya Choudhary, the current Technical Secretary of Kasturba Bhawan, said, _“It is a way to make unresponsive people responsive and imbibe a sense of belongingness in the bhawan inmates.” She further termed the usage of the bhawan funds as “confidential”._
+
+When asked about the usage of the BRP fund, Mr. Sambhav Jain (GS: Hostel Affairs), responded, _“The BRP funds are being used judiciously—but not uniformly—by the various bhawans, because the funds are controlled centrally and are allocated to a particular bhawan only on the request of the concerned council. This, in a sense, means that if a bhawan council is sufficiently proactive, they can access a huge portion of the funds and use it as per the bhawan’s needs.”_
+
+<!--- graph 2-->
+<canvas id="myChart2" width="400" height="200"></canvas>
+<script>
+var ctx2 = document.getElementById("myChart2").getContext('2d');
+var myChart2 = new Chart(ctx2, {
+   	
+   		type: 'horizontalBar',
+    	data: {	
+        	labels: ["Sarojini", "Rajendra", "Jawahar", "Cautley", "Govind", "Azad","Ravindra","Kasturba","RKB","Ganga","Rajiv", "Others"],
+        	
+        	datasets: [{
+                label: '₹',
+            	data: [644918,562493,533725,526504,459337,448443,365540,235481,233481,200675,186588,250000],
+            	backgroundColor:'#C4C4C4',
+               	hoverBackgroundColor:'#00CF21',
+            	borderWidth: 2,
+            	barThickness: .2
+        	}]
+    	},
+        options: {
+   		 	layout: {
+        		padding: {
+                	left: 245,
+                	right: 0,
+                	top: 0,
+                	bottom: 0
+            	}
+        	},
+        	scales: {
+            	yAxes: [{
+            		gridLines: {
+        		  	   display:true,
+        		       color:"white",
+					},
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+             		    beginAtZero:true,
+                        display: true,
+    				    fontFamily:'Open Sans',
+    				    fontStyle:'SemiBold',
+    				    fontcolor:"#4F4F4F",
+                	}
+            	}],
+            		
+            	xAxes: [{
+            		gridLines: {
+        				display:true,
+        				zeroLineColor:"white",
+        				color:"white",			
+        				},
+                	ticks: {
+                    	beginAtZero:true,
+                    	display: true,
+    					fontFamily: "Open Sans",
+    					fontStyle:"SemiBold",
+    					fontcolor:"#BDBDBD",
+                		
+            			callback: function(value, index, values) {
+                        	return '₹' + value;
+                        }
+                	}
+            	}]
+        	}
+    }
+});
+</script>
+
+![pic1](/images/posts/gymkhana2.png){: style="width:45%;height:auto"}
+
+
+On the condition of anonymity, one of the current senators clearly vouched for the need of an alternate channel for the distribution of BRP funds since the current mode (through the DOSW office) usually ‘causes delays’.
+<br>
+
+
+###  Students’ Activities
+
+**Misc. Students’ Activities (DOSW): ₹1200/- per student per year<br>
+Students’ Activities (ADOSW): ₹50/-  per student per year** 
+
+The funds act as buffer in cases where unanticipated disbursement has to be made. The activities falling under this section remain very motley and unpredictable. For instance, the fee for YourDost, the online counselling and emotional wellness platform, was paid from these funds. Also, in case a student seeks monetary help from college, if deemed worthy, these funds are used. If RFID-enabled cards, for example, are ever issued to the students, they shall be paid for through this channel.  
+<br>
+
+
+###  Sports Council
+
+**Sports Council: ₹850/- per student per year**
+
+While IITR boasts of one of the best sports facilities in the country, that there is a ‘preference’ for the NSO-registered students and those selected for institute teams is the complaint of a majority of the students. To counter this, Mr. Shubham Vij (GS: Sports Affairs) has promised the establishment of ‘beginners’ camps’ for every student, as each student pays the sports fee. He also urges students to participate in the intra-bhawan and inter-bhawan sports competitions and contribute to developing a healthy sporting culture at IITR. However, for students who want to try their hands at a new sport, lack of adequate equipment and support infrastructure still remain a major concern.
+
+
+_Note: The breakdown varies with time and from sport to sport; therefore, we were unable to get a more detailed deconstruction of the funds. This will be covered in greater detail in a Watch Out article in the works, which will assess the intricacies of the sports culture at IITR._
+<br>
+
+
+###  Students’ Club
+
+**Students’ Club: ₹450/- per student per year**
+
+The Students’ Club accounts for 7.5% of the gymkhana fees. This is used in its entirety for the functioning and maintenance of the three units of the Students’ Club, namely, the Main Unit, the Alaknanda Unit and the Jawahar Unit, (which is soon to be transferred under Jawahar Bhawan Council’s jurisdiction as per Mr. Arpit Agrawal, the current Technical Secretary of Jawahar Bhawan). It has ample infrastructure in all its units, with the maximum obviously being in the Main Unit.
+
+The Students’ Club has a total of 5 permanent employees, 6 temporary employees, and 1 part-time accountant. The permanent employees, of which 2 will be retiring soon, have _‘pretty high salaries’_, as stated by Mr. Suyash Vishnoi (Secretary: Students’ Club). The data obtained from the Annual Account Statement seems to support his claims, revealing that nearly 72% of the allocated funds go into paying salaries to the employees. Even after said retirement of personnel, this will remain the single largest guzzler of Students’ Club’s funds.
+                   
+The second largest chunk of the expenditure is on billiard games, comprising maintenance of the pool and snooker tables, and all other related equipment. It accounts for a mere 7.5%, however, in monetary terms, this translates to Rs. 3,17,000. At the same time, these games contribute to the income of the Students’ Club through the _‘coupons and bookings’_ which bring in about Rs. 3,75,000, and hence, they comfortably compensate for their expenditures.
+
+The previous year saw the first time that the Students’ Club ran in deficit. Therefore, corpus funds from the last ten years were used to compensate for the same. This put pressure on these coffers and in the words of the Secretary, they will soon be exhausted. Mr. Vishnoi adds that the Club has been advised by the SAC to exhaust these before an increase in the share of Students’ Club in the Gymkhana fees can be considered. Additionally, there has been a consistent decrease in the said share from Rs. 550 to Rs. 500, and finally to Rs. 450 in the past 3 years. With the Chess team now regularly representing (and bringing in laurels) in various competitions like the Inter-IIT Sports Meet, we believe that the reconsideration of this fund is imminent. 
+
+
+The Students’ Club has been proactive in increasing the usage of its paraphernalia by the student community. It has organised snooker workshops to increase participation by non-players as well as hired a chess coach to help the teams with their Inter-IIT sports meet preparations. The club also spends approximately Rs. 4,50,000 on the Annual Club Day and other activities, including the tournaments it holds round the year.
+
+<!--- graph 3-->
+<canvas id="myChart3" width="400" height="100"></canvas>
+<script>
+var ctx3 = document.getElementById("myChart3").getContext('2d');
+var myChart3 = new Chart(ctx3, {
+   	
+   		type: 'horizontalBar',
+    	data: {
+        	labels: ["Club Contribution (Gymkhana)", "Coupons Sales, Bookings etc.", "Interest by Bank", "Others"],
+        	
+        	datasets: [{
+                label: '₹',
+            	data: [3607000,375240,111690,6410],
+            	backgroundColor:'#C4C4C4',
+               	hoverBackgroundColor:'#00CF21',
+            	borderWidth: 2,
+            	barThickness: .2
+        	}]
+    	},
+        options: {
+            title: {
+                display: true,
+                text: 'INFLOW'
+            },
+   		 	layout: {
+        	    padding: {
+               		left: 138,
+               		right: 0,
+               		top: 0,
+               		bottom: 0
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+    					fontStyle:'SemiBold',
+    					fontcolor:"#4F4F4F",
+                	}
+            	}],
+            		
+            	xAxes: [{
+            		gridLines: {
+        			display:true,
+        			zeroLineColor:"white",
+        			color:"white",
+        			},
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+                   		display: true,
+    					fontFamily: "Open Sans",
+    					fontStyle:"SemiBold",
+    					fontcolor:"#BDBDBD",
+                		
+               			callback: function(value, index, values) {
+                        	return '₹' + value;
+                            }
+                		}
+            		}]
+        	}
+        }
+});
+</script>
+
+<br>
+
+
+
+<canvas id="myChart3b" width="400" height="150"></canvas>
+<script>
+var ctx3b = document.getElementById("myChart3b").getContext('2d');
+var myChart3b = new Chart(ctx3b, {
+   	
+   		type: 'horizontalBar',
+    
+    	data: {
+        	
+        	labels: ["Establishment (Salaries etc.)", "Furniture & Electrical Items", "Indoor Game Items", "Billiard Game Items", "News Paper & Magazine", "Music & Gardening","Computer Peripherals","Club Day & Any other"],
+        	
+        	datasets: [{
+                label: '₹',
+            	data: [3061492,92573,162656,316986,18955,61750,37795,479546],
+            	backgroundColor:'#C4C4C4',
+               	hoverBackgroundColor:'#00CF21',
+            	borderWidth: 2,
+            	barThickness: .2
+        	}]
+    	},
+        options: {
+   		 	layout: {
+        		    padding: {
+                		left: 145,
+                		right: 0,
+                		top: 0,
+                		bottom: 0
+            		},
+            },
+            title: {
+                        display: true,
+                        text: 'EXPENDITURES',
+            },
+        	scales: {
+            		yAxes: [{
+            			gridLines: {
+        					display:true,
+        					color:"white",
+						},
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+                    		display: true,
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+    						fontStyle:'SemiBold',
+    						fontcolor:"#4F4F4F",
+                		}
+            		}],
+            		
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+            			gridLines: {
+        					display:true,
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+        					color:"white",
+        				},
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+                    		display: true,
+    						fontFamily: "Open Sans",
+    						fontStyle:"SemiBold",
+    						fontcolor:"#BDBDBD",
+                		
+                			callback: function(value, index, values) {
+                        	return '₹' + value;
+                           	}
+                		}
+            		}]
+        	}
+        }
+});
+</script>
+<br>
+![pic3](/images/posts/gymkhana3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+<br>
+
+###  Students’ Technical Council
+
+**Students’ Technical Council**: ₹400/- per student per year
+
+<!--- graph 4-->
+<canvas id="myChart4" width="400" height="150"></canvas>
+<script>
+var ctx4 = document.getElementById("myChart4").getContext('2d');
+var myChart4	 = new Chart(ctx4, {
+   	
+   		type: 'horizontalBar',   
+    	data: {
+        	labels: ["Software Development Section", "Models and Robotics Section", "Inter IIT Tech Meet", "Artificial Intelligence and Electronics Section", "Entrepreneurship Development Cell", "SAE","Astronomy and Physics Club","Design Studio","ShARE"],
+        	
+        	datasets: [{
+                label: '₹',
+            	data: [500000,417000,400000,355000,290000,220000,200000,125000,100000],
+            	backgroundColor:'#C4C4C4',
+               	hoverBackgroundColor:'#00CF21',
+            	borderWidth: 2,
+            	barThickness: .2
+        	}]
+    	},
+        options: {
+   		 	layout: {
+        		    padding: {
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+                		right: 0,
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+					},
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+                    	display: true,
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+    					fontStyle:'SemiBold',
+    					fontcolor:"#4F4F4F",
+                	}
+            	}],	
+            	xAxes: [{
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+        				display:true,
+        				zeroLineColor:"white",				
+        				color:"white",
+                    },
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+                		display: true,
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+    					fontStyle:"SemiBold",
+						fontcolor:"#BDBDBD",
+
+                		callback: function(value, index, values) {
+                        	return '₹' + value;
+                
+                        }
+                	}
+            	}]
+        	}
+    }
+});
+</script>
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/gymkhana4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+
+_“STC currently gets Rs. 400 per student of the total gymkhana fees. In the past years, the Council has had a splendid record, winning national and international competitions, and organizing workshops/lectures which have been a great source of technical knowledge in the campus. Given the promising potential of the Council, there is still scope for more efficient usage of increased funds, if provided. Also, in an effort to make groups more open, and for students to be able to bear the fruits of their gymkhana fees, the STC [had] launched an initiative that [sic] all STC groups will be listing all the resources/equipment purchased by them through STC Funds publicly. Any student can issue that resource/equipment just by writing an application to the respective group's secretary [sic]. If available, that resource or equipment can be issued to her/him.”_
+
+**_-Mr. Punit Dhoot, (GS: Technical Affairs)_**
+
+(Footnote: <span style="color:#0645AD">[Resources of STC](https://www.facebook.com/stciitr/posts/1580009178747703)</span>)
+
+<br>
+While Tinkering Lab and TIDES do not receive finances from the Gymkhana fees, SAE—in addition to the funds allocated from the gymkhana fees—receives monetary help from the Director’s Endowment Funds. The funds (shown in the graph above) were allocated at the request of the respective groups based on their judgements and needs. The breakdown, clearly, does not represent the institute’s or SAC’s perspective on the requirement of council groups.
+<br><br><br>
+
+
+###  Cultural Council 
+
+**Cultural Council**: ₹350/- per student per year
+
+<br>
+
+<!--- graph 5-->
+<canvas id="myChart5" width="500" height="300"></canvas>
+
+
+<script>     
+var barChartData = {
+            labels: ['Music', 'Salary', 'Choreo', 'Audio', 'Office', 'Dramatics', 'Kshitij','Photog','CineSec','Promotions + Booking Venues','Last Semester Pending','Know-the-Cult Workshop','DebSoc','Fine Arts','Quizzing','Lights'],
+            datasets: [{
+                label: 'Repairs',
+                backgroundColor: "#5DADE2",
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+
+                ]
+            },]
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+    
+var ctx5 = document.getElementById('myChart5').getContext('2d');
+var myChart5 = new Chart(ctx5, {
+                type: 'horizontalBar',
+                data: barChartData,
+                options: {
+                    layout: {
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+                                fontFamily: "Open Sans",
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+<br>
+![pic5](/images/posts/gymkhana5.png){: style="width:65%;height:auto"}
+
+
+_Note: Inter-IIT funds (₹8,50,000) have been removed from the complete budget to get a better visualisation of the graph._ 
+
+
+The debate of making groups under the Cultural Council open to the entire campus populace has gained much momentum since its initiation; and has been able to garner the SAC’s attention as well. This is meant to make the resources purchased by the Cultural Council available to every campus resident fair and square.
+
+This year, the SAC took multiple initiatives to increase the participation of the student community in cultural activities. All the groups came together to recruit again in the spring semester to provide another chance to students who might have missed it. The participation for the Inter-IIT Cultural Meet too was made open and transparent, and not limited to the respective groups. 
+
+Despite all the steps taken, the analysis made by Watch Out clearly shows that the money spent on open house activities remains a mere fraction (< 4%) of the total expenditure till date. Also, with over 30% of the fund being outlaid through disbursements for the Inter-IIT Cultural Meet, little is left for professional workshops and in-house events, says Mr. Prajwal Bhatt, (GS: Cultural Affairs). He added that in the autumn semester, a large share of the funds spent were spent on repairs and purchases as a lot of the requirements of the Music Section, in terms of instruments and others, had been pending for quite some time and were promptly approved in the previous semester. All leftover funds, for the spring semester, will be used on 50-50 basis for purchases/repairs and open house events.
+
+<br>
+_“Budget is not really the constraint behind organising workshops for helping people perform better in FoS; building a personal bond is something which is extremely important. Like, people who performed in FoS brought gifts for the people in choreo section who helped them. That was a beautiful gesture, and moreover, building a personal bond helps pull off a better performance.”_ <br>
+**_–Mr. Siddhant Bharadwaj, Dramatics Society_**  
+<br><br>
+
+Traditionally, the clubs/groups tend to spend a disproportionately large amount on in-house events but are reluctant to spend on open house events, such as the FoS, and this has continued into the current academic year. However, opening up of the sections’ resources to the campus junta was a bold move. Now, any student can use any resource of the Cultural Council by following the official channel and writing an application to the Faculty Advisor.
+
+
+<br>
+_“Music Section organised JAM-DAY a couple of weeks ago to see how many people actually show up; participation was approximately null. The issue being [that] on providing help and support, not everyone comes forward. When it comes to making instruments available to 8000 students, it’s a matter of concern when a student is a newbie. For example, repairing of a synthesizer key costs ₹3,000 approximately, so, at least some prior knowledge is extremely necessary. Maybe, the classes arranged by SAC will be useful. Also, IIT Bombay has got its own music room in every hostel—this is a great initiative which the bhawan councils should look forward to implementing.”_ <br>
+**_–Mr. Rutuj Bhayani, Ad. Secretary, Music Section_** 
+<br><br>
+
+The efforts of the current council should not go unrecognised as it has taken a number of initiatives to promote the “cult” in the campus, including initiation of music and dance classes; and due to significant participation, it seems that there is a requirement of additional instructors with the monthly salary of each being Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000 respectively. The groups have opened recruitments in both the semesters and resources have been made available to the masses. The open selections for the Inter-IIT Cultural Meet, we believe, was another bold move that was appreciated by the IITR community.
+<br><br>
+
+
+###  SAC
+
+**SAC: ₹90/- per student per year**
+
+The SAC fund is meant to pay for the celebrations of various festivals (Diwali, Holi, to name a few), as well as other activities under its prerogative—such as the organisation of the Freshers’ Week (and ensuing activities)—and the organisation of certain lectures by the SAC. Any added cost such as the publicity of the aforementioned activities through posters and flex printing is also included in this. Miscellaneous expenses under this comprise setting up water pots for the dogs in the campus to, in a way, avert them from drinking from water coolers meant for students. In simpler terms, it is upto the SAC to judiciously use the allocated funds as per their discretion.
+<br><br>
+
+
+###  Students’ Wellness
+
+**Students’ Wellness: ₹80/- per student per year**
+
+To ensure that the stay at IITR be a pleasant one, a specific office for issues related to the ‘wellness’ of students was established at the end of the last academic year. This, in essence, was a huge step taken to address issues of mental health at an institute like ours. SMP, SSP, and the Counselling Cell fall under the jurisdiction of this office, the one of ADOSW: Students’ Wellness. The office also takes care of the orientation ceremony of the freshman batch every year; and a separate budget for the ceremony is to be approved by an ‘adequate’ authority. With the establishment of this new office, we certainly expect some bold renovation and refinement of the existing system. 
+<br><br>
+
+
+###  Others
+
+**Cinema Club:** ₹150/- per student per year<br>
+**HEC:** ₹150/- per student per year<br>
+**SPIC MACAY:** ₹100/- per student per year<br>
+**NSS:** ₹30/- per student per year<br>
+
+Individual initiatives like these take up the leftover fraction of the gymkhana fund for their own activities. Cinema Club, for example, uses its fund to showcase movies in the convocation hall for the students, while SPIC MACAY uses the money to organise events like Virasat to promote classical performing arts. Mr. Adarsh Goyal, a member of SPIC MACAY, says that these funds help them invite with a minimum recognition of Sangeet Natak Academy Award, preferably recipients of Padma Awards, and various international awards, for periodic events and workshops in IIT Campus and nearby education centres. He adds, _“Most of our money goes in the arrangement of these events and workshops, like artist payments, travel, accommodation, logistics, venue setup and audience outreach. All this is done to make students more aware about Indian and world heritage. This initiative is making education more holistic and meaningful as it is highlighting all that is abstract, subtle, inspiring and mystical in the world teaching one to look within oneself.”_
+
+Speaking for the Himalayan Explorers’ Club, Mr. Manish Gupta, the secretary, says, _“HEC organises close to 30 short and long treks throughout the year with an average participation of 40 students. Registration of these treks is open-to-all, and a subsidy of around 500/- is given to each of the participants. Some expeditions are more extensive than the others, the recent one to Kalindikhal (at a height of 6000 metres) being an example, and take up more funds than the others. HEC also organises two skating camps in a year, along with a cycle-race, CAT (Confidence Assault Training) course, certain guest lectures and an annual Plantation Day. Winners of the cycle-race, the CAT course and for different adventurous categories are awarded during the Annual Club Day of the group. Funds are also used in buying and repairing the trekking equipments like tents, sleeping bags, mats, torches, cooking equipments, and skates. Other expenditures include refreshments for on-campus events, hospitality costs for the guests, and the printing costs of an annual magazine of the group. HEC also has three salaried-employees to look after the funds, the park, and the store of the club, and they are also being paid from the same funds.”_ He also cited the need for additional money, mentioning that HEC has taken a social initiative under rural development cell of ‘Mountain Cleaning Drive’, and it is looking for more funds to make this initiative successful.
+
+ As far as NSS is concerned, Mr. Tejas Khadilkar, the current Secretary, mentions that most of their budget goes into the organisation of events like National Social Summit and Blood Donation Camps. In addition to these, he says that initiatives like cloth distribution drives, cleanliness drives, teaching classes, and various guest lectures take up a major chunk of their budget. He further adds, _“The constraint of budget keeps us from inviting high profile guests as we are barely able to fund their correspondingly high travel and hospitality expenses.”_
+<br><br>
+
+
+###  Our Two Cents
+
+The gymkhana funds shape the direction in which our institute performs in the extracurricular vertical, and is a central piece in determining the overall character development and the completeness that the students graduating from here possess. With a few much-needed changes to the allocation of these funds, the gymkhana funds can adequately and appropriately address the needs of the upcoming batches of students. After careful consideration and elaborate conversations with a lot of people involved in the process, we’d humbly like to suggest the following improvements to the allocation.
+
+First things first, we all are living in an era where justifying a virtual platform would be nothing but naive, and the Institute Gymkhana should definitely have a website of its own where all the activities centric to campus should be updated. Also, to ensure accountability and credibility, a more ‘human friendly’ annual report should be published by the SAC every academic year. 
+
+Using the extracurricular fee to promote new technological advancements and a thriving culture of performing arts and fine arts should be the foremost priority of the institute. The current breakdown, however, does not reflect this notion. With 35% of the gymkhana fees being contributed to the repairs, purchases and operational activities of bhawan, aspiring for major reforms seems justified. Though a provision of making use of the cultural sections' resources is put into effect, the process seems latent because of the protocol involved. Also, with only handful students being the members of the performing sections, a large fraction of students who are willing to get involved in cultural activities is neglected; and to cater to their aspirations and interests, facilities shall (and need to) be setup in individual bhawans under the jurisdiction of the Cultural Secretary of that bhawan (Cautley Bhawan, for example, has set up their own Music Room recently).
+
+Another major issue was that 35% of the Cultural Council Budget and 14% of the Technical Council Budget went into reimbursements of respective Inter IIT Meets. While expenditures of this nature are extremely necessary, whether these be done at the expense of the gymkhana funds allocated to these societies is a question worth considering. The Inter IIT Sports Meet, in contrast, is funded by the MHRD completely. While it is still early days to expect the same for the former two, steps in this direction shall certainly free up funds for promotion of better facilities in-house for these councils.
+
+As a closing note, we also firmly believe that hiring an expert who could analyse the needs of the various sections and societies in the campus would help us allocate the extracurricular fees more effectively. Unarguably, this breakdown is extremely important to the student community, and a judicious use of this amount shall certainly help our cause.
+
+<br>
+_Notes:_ <br>
+1. _Watch Out gathered all the data and statements after meeting the respective secretaries of various bhawans or the councils involved. In case of any discrepancies, please reach out to us so that we can rectify the same._ <br>
+2. _The official notice for the gymkhana fee breakdown can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D3VWG2uFI7B6GwqIR9GCRukuFenuQxOY/view)</span>._
+
+

_posts/2018-03-12-span-meet-2.md

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: The 2nd IIT SPAN Meeting
+category: sac
+image: span-meet-2.jpg
+author: "Agrim Patodia, Uday Shinghal, Nikhil Arora"
+excerpt: "The second IIT SPAN meet of 2017-18 session was held at IIT Roorkee on 2nd-3rd March 2018 which was attended by the student senate representatives of IIT Roorkee, Bilai, BHU, Delhi, Indore, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Palakkad, Patna, and Ropar. Watch Out covered the events that unfolded at the same."
+
+---
+
+The IIT SPAN, or Indian Institutes of Technology Students’ Presence Across Nation, is a self governed body composed of the elected student representatives of the respective IITs, with the intent to serve as an advisory body and as a platform to hear and address the various grievances of its members. The IIT SPAN constitution was adopted in April 2016, citing its various responsibilities, sub-committees and bylaws. The second IIT SPAN meet of 2017-18 session was held at IIT Roorkee on 2nd-3rd March 2018 which was attended by the student senate representatives of IIT Roorkee, Bilai, BHU, Delhi, Indore, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Palakkad, Patna, and Ropar. Watch Out covered the events that unfolded at the same.
+<br><br>
+
+The agendas for the second IIT SPAN meet were decided beforehand and submitted by the member IITs’ representatives. The first few agendas looked at confirming and ratifying the resolutions passed in the first meet held at IIT Kanpur. These included resolutions passed for IIT BHU and IIT Indore after the IIT Kanpur SPAN meet vide proper channels. In IIT Indore, the Student Gymkhana was dissolved and disciplinary action taken against protesting students. In IIT BHU, several students faced harassment and threats. It was suggested that the IIT SPAN would forward a letter to the MHRD through the directors of the respective institutes, to address the issues.
+
+Another decision was made regarding the Inter IIT Cultural Meet. IIT Kanpur, the host of the 2017 Cultural Meet briefly summarised the happenings, the expenses incurred and suggestions for the future. This was followed by the house initiating a bid for deciding the next host. IIT Roorkee proposed holding the next Cultural Meet. According to Prajwal Bhatt (General Secretary: Cultural Affairs), since IIT Roorkee is trying to reduce its closed group culture, this will be a wonderful opportunity to encourage the students to participate in cultural activities. Moreover, with the construction of the new Students’ Activity Center, IITR has the required venues for hosting the events. 
+
+The penultimate agenda of the meet aimed at getting official recognition for the IIT SPAN organisation. Currently, it is not officially recognised by the MHRD or the IIT Council. Thus, it was suggested that the they send a letter to the MHRD and a short document on the functioning and scope of IIT SPAN through the directors of the respective institutes. It is important that the organisation receives formal recognition if its decisions are to be recognised across the pan IIT community.
+<br><br>
+
+In conclusion, it was decided that IIT Delhi will host the next IIT SPAN meet, with an overall consensus to increase the frequency of meetings to at least twice a year. 
+
+As we go forward, an increased interaction between the student communities of various IITs shall certainly go a long way. The IIT SPAN serves as an important platform to bring the issues of the student community forwards in a formal, democratically elected way.
+<br><br>
+
+_The detailed minutes of the meeting, as compiled by Watch Out, can be found on this <span style="color:#0645AD">[link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dQks8HCgGtiigDm1rYO6eVmkluzF-_04/view)</span>. You can also find the constitution of IIT SPAN <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TCU_ncbKKBQE83cY03aMtB3dvETWfgcO/view)</span>._
+

_posts/2018-03-26-students-senate-meet.md

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Highlights of the Students’ Senate Meeting (held on 17/3/18)
+category: sac
+image: students_senate_meet.jpg
+author: 
+excerpt: "The Students’ Senate is the most important instrument for the dissemination of students’ opinion to the administration and to allow the senators to collectively reach a consensus on essential developments affecting students’ campus experience. However, on March 17th 2018, a mockery of this entire system could be witnessed in the Senate Hall with ruckus and confusion ruling the hall."
+---
+
+The Students’ Senate is the most important instrument for the dissemination of students’ opinion to the administration and to allow the senators to collectively reach a consensus on essential developments affecting students’ campus experience. However, on March 17th 2018, a mockery of this entire system could be witnessed in the Senate Hall with ruckus and confusion ruling the hall. In the words of the DOSW himself, the senators were unable to maintain ‘decorum’, while the senators claimed that the SAC was trying to impose its agendas on the Senate, by resorting to ‘yelling into the mic’. The fact that things even got to this point explains the sheer absurdity with which the discussions were being conducted. 
+
+This particular Senate Meeting was conducted with the express purpose of discussing the regulations for the annual student elections for the 2018-19 session. The electoral procedure involved in the selection of the Students’ Affairs Council (SAC) is an extremely integral decision that the student community takes, and the state of the student-administration relations, along with the progress made by the institute depends heavily on this process. As you might have correctly inferred, all the agendas are potentially crucial changes to the election setup, and hence, invited a healthy discussion before being passed in the Students’ Senate. While there was a discussion alright, we would not, however, in any sense of the word, term it as ‘healthy’. 
+
+Prof. Joshi (the Dean of Students’ Welfare) emphasized multiple times in the Senate that as students, our main motive is to study here in college and not mimic the Indian democracy. Although Prof. Joshi is extremely right in his concerns and we respect his opinion, but if the changes that are going to impact the entire student community and their progress are being discussed, we expect at least a quorum to be present in the senate. Additionally, it was disheartening to witness arguments by the senators which were heavily injected with personal bias, and had no substantial arguments to back their stance in most cases.
+
+
+As attendees of the Senate Meeting, we made some observations and had some views on the agendas that we’d be remiss not to share with our audience. 
+
+_Note:_
+
+1. _The ‘SAC’ here means the General Secretaries._
+
+2. _The ‘Bench’ refers to the representatives of the Main Building, i.e. DOSW, ADOSW (B&M), ADOSW (SA) and ADOSW (International Relations)_
+
+3. _The Students’ Senate is attended by the elected representatives of every bhawan (referred henceforth as ‘senators’), along with the elected representatives of the SAC, among other people (as relevant)._
+
+4. _All the decisions have been passed by the Students’ Senate in the presence of the bench. However, final decisions will be incorporated in the regulations which shall be released soon, prior to the elections, post some more due diligence by relevant authorities._
+
+| Agenda                                                                                                                                                                    | Highlights                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Our Two Cents                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
+|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| A General Secretary shall resign from all other positions of responsibility once elected.                                                                                 | Questions raised regarding the vacuum that would be created by such resignation. GS Technical Affairs suggested that reappointments to those posts would be done post resignation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Watch Out suggests it be left at the discretion of the group/sections/clubs involved to decide judiciously and also, at the discretion of person who takes charge of the office. If, at all, there are any concerns with his performance in either of his capacities, decisions with respect to his leftover tenure can be taken up as the case may be.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
+| In case of a single candidate contesting for an institute level position, the candidate shall be voted for ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.                                                 | This was suggested as a validation by public vote so that in case of an undeserving candidate, an alternative could be chosen by nomination. On nominations being opposed by the senators, the SAC agreed to discuss re-elections. However, it was pointed out that this could be tedious and taxing. A ‘neutral’ option was suggested which could be used to demand more option for the post. Prof. Barua stated that they weren’t the election committee and shouldn’t overcomplicate procedures.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Watch Out agrees to the point, but doesn’t support re-elections over nominations, as conducting elections again would be tedious and taxing as mentioned in the highlights. If, however, there is a possibility of conducting elections for the unelected posts along with the bhawan level elections in the Autumn Semester (as discussed over Agenda 6), this can be thought of as an alternative.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
+| Any candidate for the position of General Secretary Cultural Affairs should be a part of Cultural Council.                                                                | The SAC wanted to institute this agenda so as to ensure a smoother transition to an open group culture which would be made possible by a representative who understands the ins and outs of the council. The senators were not in agreement as this would mean a loss of opportunity for a large number of students and they pointed out that managerial proficiency should not be confused with the possession of a particular skill set. The bench advised the senators to not to look at a post as an opportunity but a responsibility and a compromise was finally reached wherein the rule is applicable only for a certain period of time. There was also a parallel discussion initiated by the SAC about how the decision to have an elected GS Cultural Affairs was ‘unconstitutional’, as it wasn’t discussed in the appropriate channels last year. Hence, to actually make the prior decision, it would be necessary to first resolve this matter. No conclusion, however, was made about this particular point. Additionally, certain students vouched for the inclusion of the members of the team behind Thomso in the eligibility criteria, which was opposed by the SAC. | With over seven thousand students paying the Gymkhana Fees, out of which, only a fraction of students make into the Cultural Council including only a handful of PG students, limiting candidature to Council Members seems unjust to an extremely large section of the student community. Competency in a particular cultural section isn’t necessarily a proof of someone’s leadership and management skills which are the key requirements to represent the entire student populace. Watch Out suggests that the position of the GS be contested by anyone irrespective of his/her membership in the Cultural Council, and to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Cultural Council’s activities, the Deputy GS shall be nominated/elected from the council. Also, to cater the larger section of the student community, Bhawan Secy shall be given responsibility to promote cultural activities at Bhawan Level (as advocated by us in the earlier article, ‘Funding Your Extracurriculars’). GS Cultural Affairs shall have a council comprising of Bhawan Secy (Cultural Affairs) to ensure the same. |
+| Any candidate for the position of General Secretary Technical Affairs should be a part of Students’ Technical Council.                                                    | No discussion took place in this particular regard, since the debate was similar to that of the previous point.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Same as above.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
+| The post ‘General Secretary Alumni Affairs’ shall be changed to ‘General Secretary Professional Development’, with modified roles and responsibilities for this position. | The point was put forward to ensure that the synergies of the TPO and the newly allotted post would match. The main responsibility of the elected representative would be to make sure that the students become technically competent to sit for placements, in a way helping in terms of career development. A large number of concerns regarding the minute details were raised, which the convenor assured would be raised and cleared in a later discussion after the establishment of the CDC. The CGPA criteria for this post is still unclear. The administration has, however, made it clear that they would vouch for a higher bar for this particular post, with Prof. Barua suggesting a CGPA cutoff of 8.5 for this post.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | This agenda envisions a Career Development Cell, which shall act as an umbrella organisation for sections like a finance club, a consulting club, etc, and shall have a student representative at the helm. This, ideally, should give our campus a huge boost in terms of our placements. This idea is in an incredibly nascent stage, and invites lot of questions. For example: “Who is eligible to run for this post?”. Or: “What roles and responsibilities should be given to the person in this office?”. Or, most importantly: “Isn’t it very hasty to have such an office without a legitimate finance club or a consulting club even present in the campus?” The suggestions for this agenda from the senators were extremely sarcastic and borderline insincere. The stance of some of the senators compelled one of the members of the SAC to claim that an attempt was being made to make a mockery of the proceedings.                                                                                                                                                                             |
+| To report the senate that institute-level elections and bhawan-level election shall be conducted on different timelines this year.                                        | No discussion took place.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Conducting bhawan-level elections (start of the autumn semester) and institute-level elections (end of the spring semester) at two different times seems like the only way to address the fact that students in their first year, for example, find it difficult to contest the elections currently. Additionally, there still is a certain level of obscurity with the bhawan allotment policies, which shall only be resolved later in the semester. While we understand that elections at two different timelines are extremely necessary, we hope that IITR doesn’t get stuck in a vicious cycle of elections, which can prove to be extremely time-consuming.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
+| Only one position of Maintenance Secretary shall be elected, and the Bhawan Secretary shall now be a (separately) elected position.                                       | The discussion deviated entirely from the agenda and unrelated (albeit important) points such as the responsibilities of technical and cultural secretary (at the bhawan-level) were deliberated upon.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | There has been a question about the relevance of two maintenance secretaries for a bhawan, which, we believe, would be addressed to a great extent now that this decision has been taken. Additionally, nominating a Bhawan Secretary out of the elected 7 students merely meant that additional tasks were given on the nominated student. A separate Bhawan Secretary can now deal with administrative functions, while one Maintenance Secretary is more than sufficient to handle the tasks for one bhawan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
+| The three Deputy General Secretaries under GS Hostel Affairs shall now be elected instead of being nominated.                                                             | The SAC suggested that the three secretaries be divided as follows: UG Boys, PG Boys and Girls. This would ensure more PG representation and elimination of the communication discomfort between the General Secretary and the girl-community. The post for UG: Boys would be elected among UG students and similar eligibilities would be applicable for the other two posts. No prior experience would be required for this post. Upon being asked as to why the Deputy GSs were not being nominated from amongst the senators, it was clearly stated that multiple responsibilities would not be suitable for a single senator and elected representatives are more approachable than nominated ones. Mr. Karan Desai requested that it be ensured by the SAC that the position of the General Secretary is not diluted to which assurance of proper allocation of responsibilities was given.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | The very idea of having Deputy General Secretary under any domain, is to offload the unmountable work from the shoulders of the General Secretary and to increase efficiency of outputs. To ensure the same, General Secretary, chooses people with whom he/she is compatible with and he relies on for getting the work done. Because of the aforementioned reason, Watch Out, with its unfortunate and humble lack of knowledge in this domain, believes that the mentioned posts should be nominated by the General Secretary himself.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
+| To relax the CGPA criteria to 6.5 for institute level position except General Secretary Academics (UG/PG both).                                                           | The senators as well as some members of SAC were in agreement that the CG criteria be relaxed to 6.5. Senators put up the reason that students are involved in multiple activities and CG isn’t an exhaustive measure to decide the calibre of a representative. This was further supported by the SAC which stated that in the transition phase, the criteria should be relaxed. While the bench agreed that imposing such a restriction on GS Tech, GS Cult and GS Sports was unnecessary, considering the pre-existing restrictions on eligible candidates, it found itself in a difficult position for GSHA. The amount of workload for this particular post was, in the view of the DOSW, too high to not affect a student’s grade adversely, which is a problem if they have someone with a low CGPA to begin with. Finally a compromise was reached wherein the criteria is applicable only for a period of 1 year. The bench strictly mentioned that if there is a further drop in the elected GSHA’s CGPA, this rule shall be reconsidered next year.                                                                                                                            | In an institute where CGPA is (fortunately or unfortunately) a measure of excellence, we firmly believe that the students who represent the institute and its students should have at least the grades offered at average scores (i.e. 7). Also, reiterating what the bench said in this matter, the workload shall certainly adversely affect the students’ grades, which is a concern of the administration. Additionally, the final conclusion, we believe, is in no way sustainable. We must mention here that there was an extremely indecent uproar when the rule to allow the students with a grade of more than 6.5 (and not only more than 7) to run for office. Students who wanted this agenda to be passed got up from the seats as soon as they had their way, and did not even wait for the Senate to be officially dispersed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
+{:.mbtablestyle}
+
+### Closing Notes 
+
+Please vote sincerely and seriously. The representatives you send, even through your bhawans, have a huge role to play in the Senate. Look at their credentials. Look at their manifestos. Look at how credible they seem. Take an informed decision. 
+
+Also, ‘hope’ is best of all the things. Imposing restrictions on candidatures is a mere proof of lack of hope among the senate that neither the voters, nor the contestants are wise enough to make an informed choice. Progress is gradual but it only happens when people trust in the system and try to change it by taking wise choices. These closing notes might seem utopian and extremely idealistic, but we believe moving in the right direction is extremely crucial for an institute like ours.
+

_posts/2018-03-28-phalbee.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: The Story of Phalbee
+category: career
+image: phalbee2.jpg
+author: "Dhawal Pagay"
+excerpt: "At Phalbee, we lay emphasis on the taste, cleanliness and the quality of smoothies and juices we put forward to our customers. We are trying to create a brand that specifically caters to providing smoothies and juices, effectively becoming household names in the market. We are not categorically seeking out to gain customers, rather, we are trying to introduce the culture of smoothies and juices into our society, thereby revolutionizing it"
+---
+
+### Before any further questions, can you tell us more about Phalbee and what drove you to its conceptualisation? 
+**Yashwant Singh**: At Phalbee, we are essentially trying to capture the culture of smoothies and juices that is already prevalent in the West, by adapting it to the Indian context. The shift in the mindsets of the society to adopt a healthier lifestyle is trying to be harnessed by the whole concept of Phalbee. <br>
+**Ashish Kaushik**: As a first yearite at college, I used to miss various meals which had repercussions like ill-health, fatigue and a drastic loss in weight. Since the canteens weren’t up to the mark, the only option I was left with was to head outside campus and eat at the roadside vendors. During this process, I realised that not only was it unhealthy, it was unhygienic as well, and that was the driving force behind Phalbee- to create a brand that catered healthy alternatives, particularly fruit smoothies and juices to the public.
+
+<br>
+
+###  Having measured the initial responses, what is going to be Phalbee’s further methodology of working? Is this venture going to be localised to Roorkee or will we see Phalbee branching out in the coming months?
+
+**Yashwant Singh**: The initial responses have been tremendous, surpassing everyone’s expectations. Initially, we will try to cater the students at IITR, and if everything pans out as per schedule, the first Phalbee outlet will be set up here in the campus itself in the following weeks and in the longer run, we hope to establish a chain of outlets pan-India. <br>
+**Ashish Kaushik**: Our major focus is to build the brand of Phalbee initially, so that it becomes a part of people’s daily life. Another aspect that we’re focusing on is that we want to ensure that quality is not compromised for quantity, which we lay emphasis on. Acting on this philosophy, we procure fruits from various fruit capitals of the country, so as to provide a wider array of the best products that are available from the different parts of the country. 
+
+![Phalbee2](/images/posts/phalbee1.png)
+
+<br>
+
+### What is the USP that sets Phalbee apart from its competitors?
+
+**Rajat Jain**: We are building the Café Coffee Day of fruit juices and smoothies, a brand which people can trust. Our USPs are freshly made juices and smoothies, sourcing fruits from fruit capitals of the country, and building the culture of juices and smoothies through hundreds of varieties. We are not categorically seeking out to gain customers, rather, we are trying to introduce the culture of smoothies and juices into our society, thereby revolutionizing it.   
+
+<br>
+
+### In this field, there are already various companies that have gained a lot of name and reputation. How do you plan to hold fort against these giants? 
+
+**Bibhudatta Sa**: Actually, there are only 3-4 startups in this fresh juices and smoothies industry. This industry is 75% unorganized and there lies huge potential of growth. India is a developing country and more and more people are becoming health conscious. So, there is need of a brand which can cater to the demand of these people, who would enjoy such smoothies and juices. 
+
+**Rajat Jain**: I personally think that the diversity and flexibility in the menu that we have to offer shall eventually be positively received by the customer, which in turn would stimulate the ingress of others into our doors. 
+
+![Phalbee3](/images/posts/phalbee3.jpg)
+
+<br>
+
+### What advice would you like to give other aspiring entrepreneurs on campus? 
+
+**Yashwant Singh**: I feel that as a student one should try and question everything, not only that, one should constantly try and come up with both rational and innovative solutions. Once this habit is developed, the student will naturally incline towards an analytical solution, ultimately reaching the ‘sweet spot’. <br>
+**Rajat Jain**: One misconception that I would like to clear is that the chances of the occurrence of an ‘Eureka’ moment are slim and as aspiring entrepreneurs, we should definitely refrain from indulging in such follies. The development of the idea is gradual, building upon continual trial and errors and input from real life scenarios. 
+Bibhudatta Sa: So to sum up, the student must not be disheartened by the initial failure of his idea and should keep in mind that the best startups arise from the most number of interventions and refining measures.
+
+<br>
+
+### How do you think that the administration can help promote entrepreneurship on campus?
+
+**Ashish Kaushik**: The major problem that we faced was to receive funding from the various business incubators on campus, particularly Tides, since it majorly supports startups that have their roots in the technological or software industry. However, student based communities like EDC helped us a lot in connecting to various people. We are now operational at Sattviko Idea Cafe only with the help of our alumni, Mr. Prasoon Gupta. <br>
+**Yashwant Singh**: A suggestion which I would like to pitch in is that there should be a central fund allocated towards startups of all kinds. The funds which are now reserved towards the development of technologies like the ‘Tinkering Lab’ or the 3-D printers, which aren’t excessively used by the students on campus, those can be redirected towards this cause and in the future I feel that this could benefit students who are aspiring entrepreneurs. 
+

_posts/2018-04-17-alumni-effect.md

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Alumni Effect"
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Agrim Patodia, Manya Singh, Muskaan Bhambri, Jeyashree Venkatesan"
+image: alumni-effect-1.png 
+category: coverstory
+excerpt: " An institute’s alumni help shape the current students of an institute, nurturing their juniors towards even bigger dreams, and guiding them to reach greater heights. This is done via career counseling sessions, or via funds that they donate to the institute for the setting up of new labs and facilities."
+---
+
+It is no secret that an institute’s alumni are the key to its growth. They represent the guiding philosophies and mindset with which the institute’s founders intended their protegees to flourish. They raise the bar of the achievement with their extraordinary accomplishments, and with it the prestige of the institute. An institute’s alumni also help shape the current students of an institute, nurturing their juniors towards even bigger dreams, and guiding them to reach greater heights. This is done via career counseling sessions, or via funds that they donate to the institute for the setting up of new labs and facilities.
+
+The current state of the alumni relations at IIT Roorkee shows great scope for improvement.  A few of the issues that we will deliberate on in the following paragraphs are the limited transparency in the usage of the donations that various alumni have donated to our institute, and the arduous process one has to go through in order to connect with an alumnus. We will also cover recent developments, like the initiation of the student alumni mentorship program (SAMP) and the creation of an online portal, geared towards solving these problems.
+
+
+### MoUs
+
+Universities and educational institutions sign Memorandums of Understanding (or MoUs) with other universities in order to exchange students, ensure mutual curriculum development, as well as provide research grants. Having MoUs with reputed universities around the globe exposes students to a plethora of exclusive opportunities. In terms of quality and quantity of formalised MoUs, however, IIT Roorkee lags behind many other IITs.
+
+![Alumni-effect](/images/posts/alumni-effect-2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+Most of IIT Roorkee’s MoUs are relatively new, since the earlier administrative setups did not prioritise maintaining university connects using alumni relations. The official procedure of establishing an MoU involves the presence of at least two nodal officers, one in each university. Any professor, dean, or even the director can act as a nodal officer. While it is easier to identify a nodal officer here, it is much more difficult to contact a professor who would be interested in being a nodal officer at the institute with which the MoU is to be signed. To overcome this problem, the Institute Alumni Relations Cell (IARC) is assimilating information from students who have gone for foreign internships under a professor as well as contacting Roorkee alumni currently studying in foreign universities. This will enable the DoRA office to establish contact with university professors who would be familiar with IITR and willing to become a nodal officer for that university. In this manner, IARC aims to become the missing channel between students and the administration. 
+
+Our current administration recognises these issues and is continuously working to improve IITR’s international image. According to the Dean of Resources and Alumni Affairs, Dr. B.R. Gurjar,  IIT Roorkee has many informal MoUs with international universities with an active exchange of students taking place, but these are not formalised yet. The documentation of these MoUs is in process. 
+
+### Alumni Donations
+
+Hitherto, there was an incomplete transparency in the usage and channelising of funds that were being donated by the alumni, due to improper documentation. In the view of dealing with this, initiatives such as an online payment gateway and crowdfunding platforms are in progress. Once the donations are made online, displaying the amount of money, mode of donations and utilization of the donated funds would be plain sailing. There also are plans to set up a committee in order to monitor the donations, and to ensure proper utilization. These initiatives also have the potential of resolving the difficulties faced by campus groups such as MARS/Robocon, etc., in obtaining these donations to represent IITR at competitions held worldwide. It seems that IITR is  witnessing burgeoning donations this year, including, Rs. 1.1 crore donated by the 1982 pass out batch in their recent silver jubilee meet. “Within the last six months, one huge individual donation came from an alumnus who donated USD 92,000. He would also be donating USD 8,000 this January. So, a sum total of USD 100,000 will have been donated by him alone,” quoted the Dean of Resources and Alumni Affairs.
+
+![Alumni-effect](/images/posts/alumni-effect-3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### External Alumni Bodies and Chapters
+
+IITR has many active national as well as international alumni chapters. These, in the past, have tended to perform activities only within themselves, and now have been trying contact with the current students in campus. They make donations to the institution, but do not have much knowledge about the happenings back at their alma mater. IARC, being a fairly recent student initiative, suffers from a different problem: the fact that it does not have sufficient data of the older alumni. On the other hand, IARC’s alumni counterpart, the IIT Roorkee Alumni Association, is an established body that includes many older alumni as its members, but have little or no active student involvement. The IIT Roorkee Alumni Association, in collaboration with the Dean of Resources and Alumni Affairs (DoRA), organises commemorative jubilee meets of batches and chapters. Apart from these bodies, an umbrella organisation called the Students’ Pan-IIT Alumni Relations Cell (SPARC) exists to keep track of the initiatives and accomplishments of the alumni relations bodies in different IITs. This body has a limited role, and it organises an annual meet for alumni as well as student representatives of the IITs. SPARC includes representatives from IIT Madras, Bombay, Kharagpur, and Guwahati, with IIT Roorkee and IIT BHU joining the cell in 2017.
+
+![Alumni-effect](/images/posts/alumni-effect-4.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+
+### IARC's Structure
+
+![Alumni-effect](/images/posts/alumni-effect-5.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+IARC, a student body under the Dean Of Resources and Alumni Affairs, has around thirty student members, with Manik Verma, (General Secretary, Alumni Affairs) as its student representative. The body is headed by its Secretary, Arpit Mishra. However, the role of both these positions seems consubstantial without any substratal difference. Owing to an inchoate IARC, the post of student secretary had to be appended to preside over the group activities alongside alumni activities and administration. Eventually, as IARC becomes entrenched, the post of GS Alumni Affairs would become superfluous. Manik, when asked for, regarding the same, remarked, _“In future it (the existence of both posts) is redundant. Only a person who has worked in IARC and who shares such a vision with all other members should lead IARC. GS Alumni Affairs serves as a point of contact for Alumni and the institute and therefore a new person can’t come and simply take over.” “However, in case the GS Alumni Affairs does not get removed, then whosoever gets nominated for GS Alumni Affairs should be a member of IARC or should have worked in coordination with IARC so as to have some prior experience,”_ added Arpit.
+
+### Our Two Cents
+
+IIT Roorkee has an honorable heritage, spanning almost 200 years, and we have come a long way since our establishment. Ranging from the times of Shri Ganga Ram, the founder of modern Lahore, to the more recent Amit Singhal, Jaiprakash Gaur, and Sanjiv Singh, our alumni have played a very important role in shaping our reputation. Having a strong alumni network does not only lead to the development of an institute in terms of donations and grants, but it also leads to the advancement of the students studying there. IIT Roorkee alumni are everywhere- managing senior roles of multinational companies, building successful startups, and even occupying the most exclusive positions in the Indian Government. 
+
+We have, however, realised how a strong and a positive relationship with alumni can benefit us socially, academically and professionally. Now, a cooperative administration, along with a hard-working student body are actively reaching out to alumni, contacting them for support as well as helping them with all their campus-related issues. Despite a few organisational flaws, failures, and setbacks, the overall impact is positive. We are seeing an unprecedented growth in alumni involvement. In the words of Dr. B.R. Gurjar, “Our condition is improving by leaps and bounds, and in the time to come, we will have more alumni involvement in campus activities, higher donations, and most importantly, better networking among all the IIT-R alumni in the world.”
+
+<hr>
+### In conversation with Dr. B.R. Gurjar
+
+Dr. Gurjar, Dean of Resources and Alumni Affairs, took out some time to talk to us about the state of alumni relations at our institute. Here is an excerpt of our interview with Dr. Gurjar.
+
+
+__Watch Out:__ Why is the number of MoUs that IIT Roorkee has much less in comparison to the other IITs?<br>
+__DoRA:__ There are many informal MoUs which aren’t signed yet. They are collaborations of the faculty members for supervision of PhD students, thesis studies, exchange of faculty and students. The only problem is that they haven’t been documented yet like the other IITs have.  The documentation is still in process, and it is being done with the help of IARC members and the other staff members hired for the same.  So, collaborations of IITR are no less than the other IITs. There is just a lack of proper documentation, which is under process.
+
+__Watch Out:__ Do you think there is a lack of transparency in alumni donations? Why is it difficult to get donations from the alumni?<br>
+__DoRA:__ The Online donation portal wasn’t present earlier but now it has been established. The alumni connections exist and they are coming forward to donate more and more. We are now accelerating the donation process, so more donations are coming up. Another issue is that the older Roorkee alumni are usually doing administrative jobs in the public or the private sectors and are not well-established industrialists. However, the recent graduates are more into entrepreneurship. So when they are financially strong themselves, only then they can afford to donate. Organisations like the IIT Roorkee Heritage foundation, situated in the USA, help us receive donations from international donors.
+
+__Watch Out:__ What are the connections we have established with the different alumni chapters? Also, what responsibilities and activities does the alumni association have that differentiates it from the IARC?<br>
+__DoRA:__ Basically, the IARC is not that well established as of now and they are trying to connect with the recent alumni, whereas, the IITR Alumni Association is very old and hence has a larger database of the older alumni. They keep on organizing various activities and jubilee meets for our older alumni. 
+
+__Watch Out:__ What are your views on the apparent redundancy of two separate posts, i.e. GS Alumni Affairs, and the head of the IARC? Aren’t their functions the same?<br>
+__DoRA:__ It is better if a member of the group itself takes the post of secretary. Having a nominated, competent final-year member of the IARC handling all the responsibilities of alumni relations will be much more conducive than having someone from open elections, since alumni connections is a specialized activity that needs years of experience. Doing justice to these responsibilities is not everyone’s cup of tea.
+<hr>

_posts/2018-04-20-Why-are-you?.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Why are you?"
+image: whyareyou.jpg 
+category: editorial
+excerpt: "“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is”. The predominant intention behind writing this editorial was its being read; to gain appreciation from as many people as possible. Because that is what defines the success of an article."
+author: "Komal Maheshwari, Vishal Goddu"
+---
+
+#### **_“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.”_** - Albert Camus
+
+
+The predominant intention behind writing this editorial was its being read; to gain appreciation from as many people as possible. Because that is what defines the *“success”* of an article.
+
+Success: A rather familiar concept, isn’t it?
+
+But consider this: The average human being is a 1.75 m tall living organism with an expected life span of about 80 years, probably sitting on a chair somewhere on a planet that is over 4.6 billion years old and has a radius of approximately 6371 km in a “solar system”. This solar system is organized around the “sun” – an entity 1.3 million times larger than our planet – which is basically just an average sized star among more than a 100 billion stars in a galaxy that’s just one among 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe.
+
+Just the *observable* universe.
+
+In the (literally) larger picture, anyone – including you, dear reader – is just like a speck of dust that crosses one's path in life for but a fraction of  a second and doesn’t alter anything.
+
+*“How does this even matter?”* you may ask. It is here on earth that there is life. All life is tiny. All life is short-lived. Should being able to make a difference in the cosmic scheme of things really be our concern? Should we not aspire to create a more immediate, localized difference, which is far more plausible?
+
+Thousands of species have walked our planet through time; they have come and gone, in a manner similar to the passing of each day. We scarcely remember the people responsible for the progress of our civilization; fire is an indispensable phenomenon that sustains our civilization – electricity, a majority of chemical processes and vehicles, all involve the use of fire. But do we really care enough to enquire who discovered it?
+
+After – or perhaps even before – the human race is wiped out, no one will know about what you did, or how exceptionally talented you were. The chronicle of your life – however magnificent – will be lost in the sands of time.
+
+A billion years from now, the Earth may stay where it is, governed by another species, circling the sun in a galaxy among a lot of galaxies, and no one would care about how many Jews Hitler had killed.
+
+*Change is permanent*, they say; *transience, the unwritten law of the universe.* Why then, should we bother at all? Why should we even care to make a difference sitting on this tiny little rock in the universe? What does success come to mean, given that we know the entire logistics of how the world works may change a few hundred thousand years down the line?
+
+There are a lot of erroneous assumptions underlying these quiet musings, primarily that the question of life can be condensed and objectified into a given combination of words: It cannot be.
+
+What if one doesn’t mind the transience at all? What if they simply want to live in the now? And what if they don't?
+
+The answers to this eternal question of life can be many. They can all be correct and they can all be wrong. The relevance of the answers – and of the question itself – depends solely on your perspective. There can be as many perspectives as there have been humans; perhaps more.
+
+Figuring out yours is a battle that you have to fight alone.
+
+
+
+

_posts/2018-04-23-whither-do-we-go.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Whither Do We Go?"
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Surya Raman, Sudhang Varshney"
+image: dowego.png 
+category: editorial
+excerpt: " In the dystopian world of George Orwell’s classic 1984, the readers are introduced to a fictitious language christened ‘Newspeak’, an ingenious mechanism to curb the proliferation of rebellious thought by meticulously eliminating the essence of language: words"
+---
+
+In the dystopian world of George Orwell’s classic 1984, the readers are introduced to a fictitious language christened ‘Newspeak’, an ingenious mechanism to curb the proliferation of rebellious thought by meticulously eliminating the essence of language: words; words that could potentially serve as petri dishes to culture and transmit/communicate mutinous thoughts.
+
+If thought about for a bit longer than usual, the effects of imposing such a curb on words are far-reaching and enormous; a world without words like “love” and “joy” would be incredibly sullen and morbid. Like the drowning man - hastily beating about, looking for a straw to clutch at - humans would flutter in vain. This gives birth to a bigger, more disturbing question: would people even be able to perceive a particular feeling as _jubilation_ or _grief_?
+
+Similarly, the people of Oceania couldn’t _feel_ mutinous, thus illustrating that limited resources lead to limited scope of thought. Aren’t we being exceedingly ambitious, then, when we attempt to comprehend the biggest infinities of all – the universe - with our limited scope of rational thought?
+ 
+In his short work on melancholia and philosophy -  A Confession - Tolstoy comes to the very same conclusion. Stricken by a deep existential crisis, he sought to answer the same question that this editorial poses: what do we do once we’ve discovered that there is no profound meaning to life? Why should we continue to live?  He found that people within his social circle dealt with this in one out of these four ways : 
+
+1. Choosing not to think about the question (ignorance)
+2. Choosing to enjoy the small things in life whilst acknowledging the absurdity of it all (epicureanism)
+3. Choosing to kill oneself (“strength”) - and 
+4. Choosing to labour on, petrified by the thought of death (“weakness”).
+
+After pacing up and down for a while (in a figurative sense), he realizes that he had unwittingly excluded another category of people: the ones who had faith. Despite being a staunch advocate of rational thought, Tolstoy realizes its confining nature.
+
+The question we have been dealing with is : what is the purpose of our finite existence in this ever expanding, infinite universe? Therein lies our mistake, Tolstoy says.
+
+To answer a question that deals with the infinite, one must have an answer armed with reasoning that encompasses the infinite. Rational thought is largely limited by factors like starvation and death; they are characteristics of the finite, mortal world we live in. Tolstoy admits that while faith is irrational, the answers it gives always possess the ability to connect the finite with the infinite - which is the essence of what we are looking for. No one captures this better than Tolstoy : _“For man to be able to live he must either not see the infinite, or have such an explanation of the meaning of life as will connect the finite with the infinite.”_
+
+The pioneer of Absurdism, Albert Camus, was Epicurean at heart. In his masterpiece, The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus discusses at length the underlying concepts of absurdism. Like Tolstoy, he acknowledges the insignificance of human life in the grander scheme of things, but unlike Tolstoy, doesn’t find solace in faith. He calls the act of giving into faith (i.e. ceasing to be skeptical) “philosophical suicide”. However, he does not disregard human life completely and submit to Nihilism; Camus presents us with a third option rooted in reality, which is largely Epicurean at heart. To illustrate his outlook on life, he mentions the mythological story of Sisyphus.
+
+Sisyphus was a king cursed by the Gods to roll a boulder on to the top of a mountain, only to watch it roll down again - in perpetuity. Camus draws a parallel between our finite, inconsequential existence and Sisyphus’ curse and asks us to “think of Sisyphus as happy”. Camus writes _“If there is a sin against this life, it consists perhaps not so much into sparing of life, as in hoping for another life and eluding the quiet grandeurs of this one”._
+
+Camus, as is clear, was an emphatic advocate of living in the moment and enjoying the everyday pleasures of life. It is these pleasures that Camus cites as reasons for enduring life.
+
+Over the years, countless philosophers have put forth innumerable theories trying to answer the same question that this editorial has been dealing with. It seems logical, then, to believe in the subjectivity of the meaning of life. A preordained meaning will perhaps never be found, but all of us may (or may not) have our own reasons for enduring life. Perhaps ignorance truly is bliss. Perhaps it is best to believe in these supposedly “inconsequential” perceptions of the meaning of human life.
+
+Or - perhaps - all life is inconsequential, much like this editorial.
+<br>
+
+Illustration Credits: <span style="color:#0645AD">[Kiril Gornishki](https://dribbble.com/KirilGornishki)</span>
+

_posts/2018-04-25-feedback-for-feedback-forms.md

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Feedback For Feedback Forms"
+tags: [wona]
+category: academics
+author: "Aman Nayak, Nikhil Arora, Sudhang Varshney"
+image: feedback.jpg
+excerpt: "For the average student, the course feedback form is something that connotes rapid, indiscriminate clicking of arbitrarily chosen checkboxes, arising out of the impending deadline that looms over a his/her head."
+---
+
+For the average student, the course feedback form is something that connotes rapid, indiscriminate clicking of arbitrarily chosen checkboxes, arising out of the impending deadline that looms over a his/her head. It gives rise to some creative patterns of filling in the MCQ reminiscent of an academically-broke student randomly attempting a subject he doesn’t know anything about. This casual attitude exhibited by a majority of the Roorkee populus is indicative of the ineffectiveness of the feedback system, and how it doesn’t have the required impact.
+ 
+Given how the system isn’t high on transparency and has a lot of uncertainties associated with it, we spoke to Professor B. K. Mishra, Dean of Faculty Affairs, to gain insight on how it functions and how its inadequacies can be rectified.
+
+### The current picture
+
+Before the existence of the college intranet, the feedback exercise was carried out by the professors in the class itself, at the end of the semester. Several years ago, the form moved online with a revised set of questions and categories. From the vantage point of a student, the feedback form consists of two parts: a course evaluation form and a professor/instructor evaluation form. The two sections contain a set of related statements with the student having to align with them, along various degrees, via selecting the appropriate response. An optional text box is provided for additional comments for the same. The format remains consistent across all courses and the respective professors. Submission of the form is mandatory as the subject registration portal becomes available only after its completion. While being an important mechanism for the professor to get the occasional, valuable feedback and ways in which he can improve, a cross sectional analysis of the system reveals several inadequacies and areas in which the process can improve in. 
+
+### Situation in other institutes
+
+From the information we could gather, the tedious nature of the feedback form in common in several other IITs. However, significant professor accountability is associated with the feedback. In IIT Delhi, the feedback form is very comprehensive and can take upto two hours to fill, for all courses. Some professors use a mid semester evaluation too. There have been cases in the past where a professor has been forced to drop a course as a result of negative feedback. This results in both the students and the professor taking the entire mechanism extremely seriously. In IIT Bombay too, the form is lengthy and time consuming. 
+
+_(Insight IITB, the student media body of IIT Bombay, wrote an article on the same issue, which can be found on this <span style="color:#72C5EB">[link](http://www.insightiitb.org/some-feedback-on-course-feedback/)</span>.)_
+
+### Where does the feedback go?
+
+Due to the absence of any information regarding the fate of these forms, the hazy situation poses a lot of questions. Where does the data end up? Who scrutinizes it? Are our feedbacks incognito? The answer to the question “What impact does my feedback have?” is the paramount metric governing the attitude of a student during the process. 
+
+Once the form is filled in by the students, it is sent to the professor teaching the course. The forms and reviews are also accessible by the HoD and the Dean of Academics, but the system is currently only intended as a means for the professor to assess themselves, which means that there is no carrot or stick involved in the process. Until last year, The Institute Best Teacher Award was given to the professor with the highest rating on these forms, but this practice has now been discontinued.
+
+Suggestions such as making the form responses public or having a minimum rating requirement to teach courses are unlikely to be accepted.
+
+> **It is worth emphasising that the anonymity of the forms is maintained throughout; no authority can find out who has filled any particular form.**
+
+After our conversation with Prof. Mishra, it was evident that without any ramifications of a positive or negative response of the process, the utility of the current structure is debatable. A concrete process to measure a professor’s teaching performance in some quantifiable way is non-existent, preventing them for being held accountable for their teaching. Any instructor is not accountable for overwhelmingly negative responses in the absence of any negative ramifications put in place by the administration. It is a common observance that many professors who are rated poorly year after year, continue teaching the course. This lack of incentivisation to improve performance anulls any significance of a student’s submission and practically renders the feedback system obsolete. 
+
+However, another aspect that needs to be addressed is the fact that students who don’t attend the classes are also compulsorily asked to fill the feedback forms. These responses, in all probability, do not hold the same merit as the ones which come from students who are fairly regular in their attendance, and might skew the results in an unfair manner. 
+
+### Ambit of the questions is questionable-
+
+The questionnaire itself has some inherent weaknesses and flaws, the most glaring of which is the complete omission of the evaluation of the practical labs and the lab instructors associated with a course. Practical aspects of a course are where a student exercises the knowledge they gain from it, and hence should be incorporated in the feedback mechanism. For example, in a course like Engineering Drawing, which is a compulsory course for most students, a majority of the contact hours are spent in the Drawing Hall. These omissions result in the stagnation of the course components which go unevaluated by the students in the feedback form. 
+
+The courses a student undertakes vary a lot, from the Communication Skills and department-specific Introductory courses in the first year to core departmental courses in later years. Yet the feedback form does not reflect this, instead barraging the student with the same questions for all courses. While it is necessary to keep some questions the same for the purpose of assessing different courses, and statistical analysis of all student responses; the current format induces a sense of monotony in a student who has to fill several such forms all at once.
+
+### Authenticity of data
+
+A major chunk of students delay the submission until the very last days of the deadline. In a majority of the cases, the response is a set of rapid clicks on a computer without any real thought on their part. This dwindles the credibility of their input and greatly decreases the overall validity of the data so collected. The anonymity of responses grant the student free will to approach the form without the trepidation of any backlash. Although this sounds reasonable, in principle, a sizeable number of responders take advantage of it to vent frustrations which pollute the database. The unreliable responses somewhat invalidate the entire dataset and it is difficult to evaluate the course or the professor on the basis of these responses. In view of this, professors not taking these comments seriously is not surprising.
+
+### Our two cents
+
+While the feedback form is certainly facing some issues, it is an irreplaceable asset to both the student community as well as the professors. With a few improvements to the form and the procedure, we are optimistic about the results this improved procedure brings about. 
+
+We hereby suggest the following changes towards helping these forms actualize their potential : 
+
+*	**Overhauling the form**
+
+	The first line of reform should be of the form itself. Omission of vague questions and admission of specific and clear questions would not only enhance the readability of the form, it would also be conducive to genuine responses. A collection of questions in different formats-some eliciting a score, some MCQ’s and some demanding subjective responses can contribute to the same. Analysis of these forms can unearth revealing data about the cause of negative feedback(if any): an ineffective teaching mechanism or a flawed course structure. 
+
+	While some common questions are required to grade the professor statistically, perhaps some personalised questions, specific to the course, need to be included. Not only will this elicit greater engagement from the student, it will also provide more effective feedback.
+
+*	**Statistically differentiating individual feedback** 
+
+	In our discussion we came up with a way to validate the authenticity of the feedback from different students, based on their GPA or attendance in the particular course. Although the formula for the same might involve whimsical approaches, this method or other statistical models could be used to weed out the extreme responses, both positive and negative.
+
+*	**Introducing a mid-semester feedback**
+
+	Apart from an End-Term feedback, a post mid-term feedback should also be introduced. Slightly less comprehensive than the final questionnaire, it can contain suggestions and criticisms of the flow of the course without any impact on the final score an instructor gets. What this would do is provide wiggle room to the professor to make amends if required and get critical information about how their delivery is perceived. Students would also be able to see tangible impacts of their submissions during the span of the course, indicating that their responses did indeed carry weight. Consequential increase in the authenticity of their replies and decrease in the volume of retorts would follow.
+
+*	**Making some feedback for elective courses public**
+
+	While making course feedback public is not considered appropriate, the institute may find it more palatable to make elective course feedback public. If this feedback is taken over several years, so that course feedback cannot be inferred from it. This will prove helpful to students making deciding which course to pick.
+
+
+### Epilogue
+
+There shall be a committee meeting in the Main Building soon to discuss the future of the response form and the appropriate way to select the ‘Best Teacher’ award. However, from our talk with Prof. B. K. Mishra, we realised that the best suggestions could only come from the student populace. We encourage the reader to send us their suggestions to <span style="color:#72C5EB">_watchout.iitr@gmail.com_</span> so we could forward the same to the concerned authorities. 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

_posts/2018-05-31-guide-to-branches.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Watch Out's Guide to the Branches at IIT Roorkee"
+tags: [wona]
+category: academics
+image: branch-guide.jpg
+---
+
+It is pretty difficult to choose a field of study that you might have to stick with for four (or five) years. We know because we've all been there. Hence, to make the process a little bit easier, we came up with this rather elaborate and painstakingly devised guide to the various branches at IIT Roorkee. With an analysis of the various specialisations available, including an overview of the syllabus, future prospects, and some inside information from IIT Roorkee, we hope to give you a perspective of what you might be getting into!
+
+<a href="/WatchOutsGuidetoBranches-IITR-18.pdf" style="text-align: center"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-block btn-lg">Download the Guide Here!</button></a>

_posts/2018-06-06-architecture-at-iit-roorkee.md

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Architecture at IIT Roorkee"
+tags: [wona]
+category: academics
+image: archi-q2_p2.jpg
+excerpt: "What is architecture? This question shall haunt you like a stubborn ghost for the initial 3 semesters of study – asked by professors to gauge your understanding of it – so it pays to know."
+height: 540px
+---
+
+# ARCHITECTURE @ IITR
+
+### THE OBJECTIVE
+<br>
+When each of us chose to pursue architecture at IITR, we lacked adequate information about all that the course would entail. This article is an attempt to consolidate and present relevant information in the interest of the incoming freshmen.
+
+This piece shall answer two important questions:
+
+How to get into the Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) program? <br>
+What to expect once you’re here?
+
+### GETTING IN
+<br>
+In order to be eligible for the B. Arch program, one has to <br>
+
+(i) Have obtained a rank in the JEE Advanced (no other rank is considered for admission).<br>
+(ii) Appear for the Architectural Aptitude Test (AAT).
+
+One may appear for the AAT at any of the 7 “zonal” IITs (Delhi, Kanpur, Bombay, Roorkee, Kharagpur, Madras or Guwahati). The test will be held on 14th June 2018. The syllabus can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z09E3uiEIVi6Ilt8ImqIbT_hMyTP6uTU)</span>.
+
+**Things you need**: JEE Advanced Admit card, Pencils (2H, HB, 2B), Eraser, Pen, Colours (crayons, colour pencils).
+
+**Disclaimer**: Allotment of seats is done purely on the basis of one's AIR in the JEE Advanced; one is only required to “pass” the AAT. Your score in the AAT has no bearing whatsoever.
+<br>
+
+### WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE?
+<br>
+The standard definition – offered by a number of dictionaries – proclaims architecture as “the art and science of designing buildings, open spaces and physical structures”; however, to fully appreciate the definition, one needs to understand the keywords better.
+
+**Art**: Space is the central aesthetic consideration in architecture. Although an abstract concept, it can be understood as the enclosure within which one is positioned. The architect’s duty is to design this void to make it beautiful (the best he/she can), for external beauty is the surest way of establishing a connect with the layman. 
+
+**Science**: The scientific component of architecture comprises a combination of principles and quantitative problems (numericals), with the former predominating. Architecture has several logical considerations, some of which are climate, cost (of construction, of running), making sure the structure/ building does not collapse and constructing whatever has been designed.
+ 
+**Design**: Design consists of juggling aesthetic, practical and several other parallel considerations to arrive at the best possible solution. To design is to solve a problem by reaching an optimum trade-off between conflicting factors.
+For example, in architecture, one has to consider the sequence of spaces/rooms (their connectivity with each other), the climate, the cost, the materials that ought to be employed, the quality of spaces, etc. and produce a design that pacifies each need sufficiently.
+
+Note: The question itself is subjective. Perhaps when you are further along in your journey of becoming an architect, you shall have formed your own unique opinions about it; the definition offered above is (intended to be) a very crude one.
+
+**MYTHBUSTER**
+<br>
+Contrary to popular belief, architecture is not all about drawing, painting, and the like; although these are helpful skills during the course, they play a very preliminary role in design, and can nevertheless be picked up after joining the course. One does not need to be creative in the visual sense to take up architecture as a profession.
+
+![archi 0](/images/posts/archi-q1.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+ 
+### ARCHITECTURE AS A COURSE
+<br>
+The study of architecture requires one to be a skilled generalist; a jack of all trades, who can combine knowledge from diverse fields and translate it into thoughtful spaces which speak to the people. The course is therefore designed in a manner to expose us to a vast variety of topics.
+ 
+The constituent courses of the bachelor degree (as ascribed by the Council of Architecture) are centred around “Architectural Design”, which will be found in all semesters except 1.1, 4.2 and 5.2. In the fifth year, one works on their Thesis, a culmination of all skills acquired during the last four years, where he/she designs a building from start to finish, just as one would for an actual project. Other courses impart necessary skills and information required in order to design and actually construct a building. A full list of courses – and details about them – can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BwI7Ki_XnyhmcURVd3FULW10azg)</span>.
+
+Architectural Design has the highest number of credits in any given semester. Designing - in general - involves solving the biggest of problems while paying attention to the minutest of details. A design needs to work and serve its purpose, preferably having an edge over conventional designs. An attempt to arrive at such a solution entails a great deal of thought. While thinking, brainstorming and conceptualising are extremely pleasurable, there will often be problems in each design, resulting in patches of frustration; in architecture, passion and frustration are inseparable.
+
+Designs are evaluated through/by a jury, where professors – and sometimes peers – criticize each design while the designer attempts to justify his decisions. Juries may severely damage egos or ignorance, depending on how one takes the criticism. Juries are the primary means of progress for any architectural design course.
+ 
+The course as a whole is rather challenging. It involves the longest contact hours of all courses and a great load of assignments (resulting in a number of late nights), both of which eventually decrease. Good grades call for a great deal of consistency in submissions above anything else.
+
+For people who have studied the sciences all their lives – presumably with much interest and love – this shall be a very different ball game. While this transition may make for a refreshing change, it does pose its fair share of challenges in its initial stages.
+
+
+![archi 2](/images/posts/archi-q2_p5.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### TRIVIA
+
+1. 	**The “Family” system:** All first years are inducted into one or more families within the initial two weeks of joining IITR. A family consists (mostly) of one student from each year. One can be adopted on any number of criteria, or even at random (by chit-picking). Your family is your first point of contact should you fall into any kind of trouble. It is a “baap’s” duty to give chaapos and advice on things from career options and dating tips to surviving architecture and life in general .
+ 
+2. 	**The Studio:** Each year has its own studio which is essentially a large room where they do their drafting and other classwork. This room (and the Department of Architecture and Planning) is open 24x7, and it steadily becomes a second home for the class. This where we host midnight birthday parties and work for hours at an end.
+ 
+3. 	**Curious Columns:** The spring semester of 2018 saw the birth of “Curious Columns”, a department group that aims to bring passionate students together for discussions and workshops, and aims to provide a platform to share knowledge, ideas and opportunities to work with each other. A detailed manifesto can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ika5se3POBtjh1uJgI57GetLqxOyLiVr)</span>.
+
+4.  **Togetherness:** Each batch is a closely knit unit. This can be attributed to their small size, as well as numerous, recurring group assignments. Archi waale are almost always seen together at different spots on the campus; by the end of the second year or so, one establishes a deep familiarity with the rest of the batch, something that is peculiar only to Architecture.
+
+### PROS: REASONS TO BE PROUD
+<br>
+Architecture at IITR has many unique advantages. These are:
+ 
+1. 	**A chance to make another field/skill your profession**: Even if one discovers that architecture isn’t their cup of tea, many alternate options present themselves. Related fields include product design, graphic design and industrial design exist; those bearing little resemblance to architecture include coding, finance, consultancy and start-ups, to name a few. Self-interest and effort are primary requirements in such an undertaking, but campus groups and seniors help greatly. One can build his CV by interning in capacities closely related to the profession he/she wishes to pursue. Interns are much easier to come by with the help of the IIT tag. This is a good point in time to reiterate that very few people in any given batch choose architecture as their profession; the rest go into non-core jobs (we even happen to know people who want to pursue filmmaking after they graduate).
+ 
+2. 	**Societies, groups and sports**: Although architecture constitutes a very small number of the total intake, archi waale log can be found in most groups on campus. The reasons behind joining societies and groups stand as two polar opposites: some see them as opportunities to counter frustration, while others see them as opportunities to learn relevant skills, having discovered their disinterest in architecture. Either way, the number of groups and societies on campus is astronomical, with new ones cropping up every year. Chances are there is a group for each interest or intrigue you possess (an exhaustive list with brief information can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](http://guide.wona.co.in/section/campus-groups)</span>). Similarly, facilities for all major sports are available, along with exceptional coaching staff that bring out the best in you. More information can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](http://guide.wona.co.in/section/sports)</span>.
+ 
+3.  **A diverse friend circle and chances to collaborate**: By virtue of having a wide array of departments, IITR will bestow upon you a phenomenally diverse set of friends and acquaintances over the course of five years, resulting in interesting, insightful conversations. One has the opportunity to meet and interact with people involved in pursuits ranging from artificial intelligence to music to research to finance to consultancy. There is, therefore, a chance to collaborate with any of the above people for interdisciplinary projects.
+ 
+4.  **Tinkering Lab**: The tinkering lab, as the name suggests, is a lab where students can work on projects. it is equipped with state of the art tools, for example, industrial 3d printers. More information is available <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](https://www.iitr.ac.in/tinkeringlab/#home)</span>.
+ 
+5.  **The TIDES Business Incubator**:  The tides business incubator aims to help young start-ups grow. If you have a business idea,  you can go to these guys and they’ll provide you with a workspace, mentorship and even help you get funds. More information is available <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](http://tides.iitr.ac.in/)</span>.
+ 
+6. 	**Semester Exchange**:  A semester exchange is available for students having a decent CGPA (>7.5) with Hochschule Luzern (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts), Switzerland, in their 7th semester (4.1). This is an opportunity to learn how our western counterparts perceive and approach architecture, as well as to travel Europe and experiencing what it has to offer. <span style="color:#0645AD">[Here](http://wona.co.in/2017/03/exchange-diaries-switzerland)</span> is an account of the experience, as recalled by a senior who visited Hochschule Luzern the year before last.
+ 
+7. 	**Research opportunities**: Perhaps one characteristic that sets IITR apart from all other colleges is the emphasis it lays on research. Any student interested in research may approach a professor, consult him/her about the area/matter he wishes to investigate (not necessarily architecture) – and once he/she has the blessing of the professor – pursue it. A program called SURA (Summer Undergraduate Research Awards) is also in place (which has a somewhat drawn-out application process). For students of architecture, an additional opportunity lies in the form of the CBRI (Central Building Research Institute), which, although an autonomous body, abuts our campus, and is very welcoming of IITR students wishing to undertake research; three seniors to our knowledge have written research papers under the CBRI.
+ 
+8. 	**On-campus placements**: Reportedly (that is, with questionable certainty), other architectural colleges do not have placements, or any sort of arrangements wherein graduates can find firms to employ them. At IITR, such a system does exist, but the number of firms and companies that recruit architects are just sufficient. However, when it comes to other fields such as the ones mentioned earlier, it is a level playing field, and architecture graduates can get non-core jobs provided they are meritorious. More information can be found <span style="color:#0645AD">[here](http://guide.wona.co.in/section/placements)</span>.
+
+![archi 3](/images/posts/archi-q4.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+ 
+### CONS: WHY WE AREN’T ALL THAT PROUD
+<br>
+If pure, unadulterated architecture is what you are interested in, IITR is perhaps not the best place to pursue it. A list of reasons are given below:
+ 
+1. 	**Lack of competition**: Out of the thirty-something classmates that will constitute your class (most colleges have at least 70), very few will actually be interested in architecture. A great number of them shall turn in a very poor quality of assignments – if they do – aiming at just keeping their heads above the water. There is a tendency for the “good students” to become too self-sure and become mediocre.
+ 
+2. 	**Focus of the professors**: Unlike other colleges of architecture, the primary focus of professors in IITR is their body of research. All professors are highly qualified (holding at least a M. Arch degree; most have a PhD), albeit in their specific fields of interest. Only a handful of professors actually put in effort to keep the class interesting and impart relevant and sufficient knowledge. At present, there are only two visiting professors (practicing architects), who are infrequent with their visits. At top architecture schools such as SPA Delhi, this ratio is almost reversed; the design studio and juries are held and evaluated by practicing architects, who have an idea of the real world, of what really works and what doesn’t.
+  
+3. 	**Not enough emphasis on design**: Architectural design, as stated earlier, is central to the entire curriculum. However, there are only 9 hours allotted to it per week (less than any top architecture school in the country). Such a setup requires that the designing be done after class-hours, keeping the 9 hours only for discussions (on ongoing design iterations). This is hardly the case; most students procrastinate, resulting in collective underachievement.
+
+![archi 3](/images/posts/archi-q3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+ 
+### CONTACT DETAILS
+<br>
+In case you have any doubts regarding the course that you wish to get clarified, feel free to call any of the people listed below:
+ 
+**Komal Maheshwari (2nd year)**: +91 9330949212<br>
+**Divyang Purrkayastha (3rd year)**: +91 9560588732<br>
+**Ramachandra Reddy (4th year)**: +91 9557902784<br>
+**Lanka Adarsh (4th year)**: +91 9410577752<br>
+**Anshul Rathore (5th year)**: +91 9917026076<br>
+
+Illustration Credits: Leewardists

_posts/2018-07-07-summer-diaries-technical-university-of-munich.md

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Technical University of Munich"
+image: arpitSummerDiaries1.jpg
+tags: [wona]
+author: "Arpit Agrawal"
+excerpt: "The Technical University of Munich (TUM) combines top-class facilities for cutting-edge research with unique learning opportunities for students."
+category: summer2018
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+To be frank, I was not sure about my area of interest until the start of the internship season, which typically happens at the start of the third year. Having secured a decent CGPA and gained some lab experience in my department, I planned to apply for a research internship. Although there are many programs for research internships and scholarships like DAAD, Mitacs, NTU-India Connect et cetera, I restricted myself to DAAD and Mitacs Program. However, the two scholarship/internship programs have a completely different application process. 
+
+In Mitacs, you are asked to select projects that are offered by different universities of Canada and assign them a priority number. You are also asked to submit transcripts, Curriculum Vitae and the Statement of Purpose. While there is ambiguity in the selection criteria, to the best of my understanding it all depends on the Professor who offered the project. Interviews are held in December and the final list of selected candidates is announced in January.
+
+DAAD chiefly is a scholarship program funded by the German government. Therefore you’ll need to get an offer letter from a German institute. The application requires you to upload your offer letter, the Statement of Purpose, transcripts, NOC from your parent institute along with general personal information. Selection is mostly on the basis of CGPA and your past projects. The most difficult part of DAAD application is to get an offer letter from a German institute. The result of this program is also announced in the month of January.
+
+With luck on my side, I got selected in both the programs. This, however, tossed me into a dilemma. It was tough, but I chose the German university, the Technical University of Munich, as it’s ranked among the best in the world. Moreover, the offered project suited me more.
+
+ 
+Few tips and tricks that I would like to share:
+
+
+1. The new semester usually starts from September in Germany so that’s when the professors are looking for kick-starting new and interesting research projects. Start mailing immediately so that you get time for replies and follow-ups.
+
+
+2. Avoid mailing more than two professors who are from the same chair or department as there are chair meetings fortnightly and they often discuss these things. 
+
+
+3. SOP (Statement of Purpose) is the most important part of the application. Make your SOP short and to the point i.e. related to your research area. Make it interesting but not dramatic.
+
+4. Cover letter (in case of DAAD) plays a crucial role in your selection process. Avoid spamming and always edit to be more professor interest specific while writing it. Mention your past projects and lab experience, preferably in one or two short paragraphs.
+
+5. Collect a few good SOPs and cover letters from your seniors for reference.
+
+6. Be careful while writing a CV, it is not a resume. Avoid mentioning extra-curricular activities and awards unrelated to academics.
+
+7. Prepare a few frequently asked HR questions (about your motivation for research, etc.) for your confidence.
+
+8. When applying for a foreign internship, always keep your passport ready. You need to apply for VISA after getting selected, which takes time.
+
+
+### Exploring the country(s)
+![pic3](/images/posts/arpitSummerDiaries3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+**Life in Munich**
+<br>
+Obviously, this is the most interesting part of a foreign internship. Talking particularly about Munich, it is the most expensive city in Germany and finding an affordable accommodation is almost impossible. There are some websites like WG.de, where you can search but you need to be cautious: frauds and scams are pretty common. A good way to stay away from such scams is to never pay anything in advance. The best accommodation there is studentenwerk hostels. Many students go on vacations during this period, so they sublet their rooms and luckily I found one. It was similar to a hostel and students from almost every part of the globe resided there. The initial days were troublesome as getting vegetarian food at cheap rates was a herculean task. So I resorted to cooking myself. There were a few Indian students who helped me with it. A piece of advice for all: carry Indian spices from home, it’s very expensive in Germany for obvious reasons. We used to have parties on weekends and looking at Chinese people dancing to Bollywood songs was so much fun. When you are in Europe, you can’t be untouched by football and especially when the World Cup is going on. I stayed at Olympiapark and it is considered the party destination of Munich. Unfortunately, Germany was eliminated at the first round of World Cup and the excitement ended in a few days and so did the parties.
+
+**Travelling around**
+<br>
+The best part of living in Europe is its free borders and you can visit most of the countries on a single visa. There was no work on weekends so it was the best time to explore a new world. Connectivity and public transport in Europe are second to none and you can easily move from one country to another by bus/train. Trekking in the Alps, drinking wine at the top of the Eiffel Tower and roaming in the streets of Amsterdam made some lifetime memories for me. You will see the effect of war if you visit Germany or Vienna whereas you will see an entirely different world in Prague. When you are in Europe, always try the local dishes, especially waffles in Brussels and chocolates in Switzerland. The only problem you will face there is drinking water. You need to fill bottles from bathrooms. Though the water is clean and potable but at times it’s weird to do so, yet way better than spend two euros for a half litre bottle of water. 
+![pic3](/images/posts/arpitSummerDiaries4.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+**About the people**
+<br>
+People there are very polite and helpful. You will always find someone to help you to find ways or addresses. Walking through the streets of Paris (considered one of the least safe cities in western Europe) felt safer than walking in Delhi. Most of the time, you won’t face any language problem as people living in the cities can speak or understand English but if you are living far from the city center, where you’d find cheaper apartments, communication becomes difficult. However, Google translate will help you a lot there. Always keep an offline version of a German and French dictionary in your phones and buy a local sim as soon as you settle there. 
+Another common problem for interns is about bank accounts. You will need a German account to get your stipend and most of the banks there don’t open accounts for such a short period. Around 5-6 banks refused to open an account for me. Eventually, I had to lie to open an account: I told the bank that I was considering pursuing a masters there. Overall, it was a great experience for me and I would definitely like to revisit.
+
+
+ 
+### Work
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/arpitSummerDiaries2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+The work culture in Germany is remarkably different from that in India. 
+People there take research professionally, and readily detest any childish behaviour during the working hours. The attitude is quite the opposite on weekends when they have parties and night outs. Since I was in a university as an intern, there were no fixed work hours. I worked variably, ranging from 6 to 10 hours. TUM is one of the best universities for research because of the fantastic work culture there. There was no work pressure, and I was primarily observed and graded on the level of dedication and enthusiasm for the work I did. One thing that I liked the most about the place was the interaction between students and professors. I used to have lunch with my guide who also took me to bars and restaurants. These type of informal meetings ultimately helped me in getting familiar with the system, and had a good impact on my work. They also organise biweekly chair meetings, where every professor, lecturer, and research scholar meet and discuss their ongoing work. In short, it was a pleasant and comfortable environment to work in.
+My project was a part of the HiOS project of TUM, which is related to the flood modeling of southern Germany. I was asked to prepare a model to correlate the surface run-off with different factors like roughness, slope, elevation etc. First, I had to collect all the data and prepare maps and land use charts for the cities involved and then use python programming in ArcGIS to automate the entire process and run it for 2-D Dynamic wave model. Although I was not expected to run the model but seeing my progress at work, they upgraded my work. Collectively it was a great learning experience. I had to give a presentation at the end which got approved by the chair of TUM. 
+
+
+
+
+ 
+### Summing up and Key Takeaways
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/arpitSummerDiaries5.jpeg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+So if you are interested in research and want to go for a fully paid foreign internship, start mailing right after mid-term examinations of the autumn semester and be ready with all documents like NOC, SOP etc. Put maximum effort into writing the SOP and cover letter. Refrain from mass mailing and always send edited and personalised cover letters to different professors. It is a great experience to improve yourself academically and develop a better personality. You will witness a new culture, meet new people and learn a lot. These programs also help you obtain scholarships for masters or Ph.D. in future, so don’t miss the chance. The last piece of advice, if you are selected, remember that when you visit a foreign land, you are not only representing your institute but also your country. Always keep a balance between amusement and work, and while you are there get praise for yourself and for India.

_posts/2018-07-10-summer-diaries-schlumberger.md

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger Asia Services Ltd."
+image: PrateekJha1.jpg
+tags: [wona]
+author: "Prateek Jha"
+excerpt: "Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield service company. It is spread all over the world, with employees representing more than 140 nationalities working in more than 85 countries. Today Schlumberger provides services to the petroleum industry, such as seismic acquisition and processing, formation evaluation, drilling, cementing, well completions, and software and information management."
+category: summer2018
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+Schlumberger selects interns annually through on-campus recruitments. The recruitment process for my batch ended up getting delayed due to some technical difficulties, following which the process was reduced to only two rounds. The first round was that of resume shortlisting. Students from the Earth Science department (Geophysical Technology and Geological Technology) are eligible for the Petro-Technical Engineer (PTE) profile and are shortlisted based on their resume. The second round was that of Personal Interview which was held later in the month of January. 
+
+The interview is quite rigorous and tests your subject knowledge as well as who you are as an individual. The questions asked are very specific so one should not beat around the bush with the answers. I was asked numerous questions to test my understanding of the subject and each of these questions, although simple, was extremely concept based and required in-depth knowledge of the subject. 
+If your previous internships are relevant to the profile you are applying for, you must be completely thorough with the entire work which you had done over there otherwise it could reflect poorly on you.
+
+A lot of questions were also asked about my activities around the campus, my roles of responsibility and my general daily lifestyle. Apart from these, one should be prepared with the classic interview questions (‘about yourself’, ‘strengths and weaknesses’, ‘why should we choose you?’, ‘why Schlumberger?’).
+
+
+
+ 
+### Workplace
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/PrateekJha3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+All interns are introduced to the company, its policies and safety measures through a 3-days induction program after which each intern is sent to their allotted locations and segments. I was allotted segment Data Services (DS) Hub at Schlumberger’s Nerul base in Navi Mumbai. DS Hub is further divided into teams such as Geophysics, Petrophysics, Geology, Production and Reservoir. I was introduced to my team which was Petrophysics, met with my mentor and was briefed about my project.
+
+DS Hub Navi Mumbai serves as the headquarters of data servicing for Schlumberger and hence receives data from all across the globe. For Earth Science enthusiasts, my project was focused around NMR Logging data. To interpret NMR data, an accurate T2 cutoff is required to be obtained from core but in my case, core was not present and I was to devise a method and verify whether an accurate T2 cutoff could be obtained through it, without core. 
+
+My project was planned very efficiently through discussions with my mentor as we decided on short goals for each day of the entire internship period, in the beginning itself. This allowed me to keep a good pace and complete my project on time in a period of 3 weeks. In the final week, I was to present my work through a presentation in front of all of the managers and my colleagues, where I was assessed on my presentation skills as well as my work. 
+
+### Work culture
+
+
+Schlumberger functions like a relentless well-oiled machine. The job is not restricted to a traditional 9 to 5 scenario and employees work around the clock as and when a task is assigned. There is little room for slack and error. However, the entire segment working as a whole gives a very positive vibe to the workplace. The atmosphere is very collaborative where everyone takes care and guides each fellow employee. The teams also go out regularly for meals and parties which is always a fun experience!
+
+Apart from work, there are ample facilities for leisure activities such as table tennis, gym, video games or just bean bags for those like me who are willing to relax! Accommodation, meals and travel are all taken care of very efficiently and as per requirements. Navi Mumbai has a pleasant weather at all times and makes for a good stay.
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+### Key Takeaways
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/PrateekJha2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+My experience remained amazing throughout. I was especially excited to be surrounded by people who were actually working on techniques and concepts I had only studied on paper in classrooms. As an intern, I was guided at each step and I gained further confidence when I realized that my project was not going to be restricted to my internship but would be beneficial to the company in the future.
+
+Despite the seemingly short duration of a one-month internship, it is an intensive learning process. It gives interns a lot of scope for professional and personal growth as it demands work at a regular pace along with excellent communication skills. Getting here is tough and persisting here is tougher but making the ride fun is all up to you. 
+
+For interviews, my only advice is that you be thorough with the subject matter and your resume. Be calm and confident and always remember that it is you who drives the interview and not the interviewer. 
+Feel free to contact me for any further questions!
+

_posts/2018-07-11-summer-diaries-sorbonne-university-paris.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Sorbonne University, Paris"
+image: yash1.jpg
+tags: [wona]
+author: "Yash Trivedi"
+excerpt: "The intern season is definitely not something to be scared of. In fact, it is a rather enjoyable experience and a good precursor to the placement season. I’ll try to share my experience in the best way I can and I hope that you take something away from this."
+category: summer2018
+---
+
+The intern season is definitely not something to be scared of. In fact, it is a rather enjoyable experience and a good precursor to the placement season. I’ll try to share my experience in the best way I can and I hope that you take something away from this.
+
+### Making it there
+
+Like many others, I too didn’t have any specific job profile in mind. I was sure of one thing though - not wanting a coding-related intern, in part because I didn’t like it but also because the scope of my coding knowledge was restricted to a “Hello World” only. Hence, I was looking for an intern related to a core subject - either in an industry or a research intern. 
+
+I applied for almost all the core companies for my branch (Mechanical) that visited our campus - ITC, Bajaj, Tata Steel, Jindal. Most companies have a test, followed by GDs and interviews. I reached the interview stage of ITC and Tata but didn’t get selected. And all this while, I had also been trying to land a research intern abroad. I didn’t try for DAAD (my CG didn’t allow me to). I tried for other research programs - MITACS (Canada), NTU India-Connect (Singapore), CHARPAK (France) and NUS. I even had the audacity to apply for an internship in the R&D cell of Boeing and Airbus, only to be rejected later. I didn’t have any luck here either - I got only 4 replies from professors out of the 35-odd mails I sent - all in the negative. The perfect time to start mailing depends on the deadlines of the respective programs. If you are aiming for DAAD, you will have to start pretty soon - I think around August-September should be good. For Charpak, you can start mailing professors by November-December. There is no limit to the number of mails you can send. I have known friends who have sent more than a hundred before getting a positive response.Care must be taken to not spam each and every professor you find out about with the same mail. Take some time to select a professor and write him a personalised mail.
+
+The generally accepted format for your mails is something like this - your cover letter (the mail you write), and with it attached your resume (with a detailed description of your projects), a report on the project(s) you have done (this really increases your chances), and a letter of recommendation (optional). No need to use your IITR resume. You can easily create one on LaTeX. 
+
+I finally had my breakthrough when Reliance visited our campus in March. It recruited solely on the basis of my test performance (core + aptitude). I was happy. I gave chapos. And exactly 9 days later, one of the professors I had mailed, replied - offering me an internship at Sorbonne University, Paris. This was my 37th mail. Although I had missed the deadline for Charpak (hence, start mailing early!), the professor agreed to fund my intern almost completely (thanks to the labour laws in France). I spent the next three weeks deciding whether or not to leave Reliance. Eventually, I did leave Reliance and decided to go to Paris. (and thank God I did!)
+
+### WORK
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/yash3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+#### What I had to do
+My internship lasted for about two and a half months. I was to work on the experimental (and subsequent analysis) part of a project related to fracture mechanics. After the first day, they gave me complete freedom to carry out the work in whichever way I deemed fit. I didn’t have any fixed work hours as such. But usually, I used to come at 10 in the morning and leave at 6:30-7 in the evening. I was expected to report to my professor and his PhD student with the summaries of my experiments. There was lots of work to be done, and lots for me to learn. Thankfully, the work was interesting and it felt good to collaborate with someone on a thesis. 
+
+#### What I learned there
+
+Over the course of the internship, I realized the importance of coding in research. I ended up learning a lot of Python (the kind that is useful in research). Now, after the internship, I know exactly how the field of  research functions, what it takes to complete a thesis, how professors collaborate with other professors and why experiments are so tough to perform, amongst other things. It is a daunting task! I have realized that 3D printers are so much more than the toy-printing machines we know them to be, and I saw (first hand) what sort of problems they pose when used for scientific research. I also had to read a lot of literature related to fracture mechanics & fractography, since it was not a part of my curriculum. I learnt to use fancy machines like the 3D printer, UTM and profilometer. My professor and his PhD students were very cooperative and helpful throughout. I also got lots of guidance with regards to pursuing a Masters degree abroad. All-in-all, I would say I have come back with a significant enhancement of my knowledge. Not to mention I got the chance to live in Paris and see Europe for 2.5 months (Oh! I will miss the greenery).
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/yash4.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+#### Culture
+
+In France, a so-called “lab” culture  exists. So I was not part of the university as such, but the laboratory where I was working. Hence, I couldn't interact  with many undergrad students but only the PhDs working in the same lab. I was really inspired by the research culture there - which I found very different from ours. People seemed to take research much more seriously. The topics people there were working on were also extremely interesting. At least in the lab I worked in, the topics were all related to pure science, as opposed to industrial applications of research - another aspect where IITR differs from them, I think.
+
+Coming to the location - no words are enough to describe the beauty! Paris is definitely one of those cities that is always on the run, and summers is the perfect time to enjoy Paris. There is lots to do and see in Paris. But, it is an expensive city to live in. So be prepared to shell out some money from your pocket too. Since we(two others from Roorkee) were here for two and a half months, we could explore Paris thoroughly, perhaps in a way no other tourist can. France gives amazing benefits to students - reduced fares for every attraction, free entry at museums, a part of your travel expenses are covered, and much more. It is very easy to visit nearby countries (one Visa works for almost all countries in the EU) and there are plenty of deals you get for Bus/Train journeys. Apart from the usual things/places one visits in and around France, I went to see Roland Garros, attended a concert, visited the winery of the world's most famous champagne and of course, tasted it. Like any other European nation, the French are really passionate about football and living in Paris during the World Cup, with France now in the finals - you can only imagine what it would have been like. French people are quite lazy and they love partying, so weekends in Paris are literally lit, with plenty of party places around. The city of lights, love, art - Paris is definitely a dream destination.
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/yash2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### TAKEAWAYS
+
+As I end this, I would like to say that if you ever have to choose between a core intern like Reliance and a research intern in Paris - don’t hesitate for a second. Just choose the latter. This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity. You will definitely learn a lot and also get good recommendations if you wish to apply for Masters. Keeping aside the immense amount of knowledge you will gain from the experience, how often does one get to live for 2 months in Europe, that too off of someone else’s money?
+
+For any queries or additional information regarding how to apply, feel free to contact me! All the Best!!!
+
+P.S : Your CGPA does matter, so take care of it.
+

_posts/2018-07-13-summer-diaries-JP-morgan-chase.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: J.P Morgan Chase"
+image: rajendra1.jpg
+tags: [wona]
+author: "Rajendra Thottempudi"
+excerpt: "J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. is a leading global financial services firm and one of the largest banking institutions in the United States with operations spread over 60 countries."
+category: summer2018
+---
+
+J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. is a leading global financial services firm and one of the largest banking institutions in the United States with operations spread over 60 countries.
+
+### Making it There :
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/rajendra2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+<br>
+
+This was the first time JPMC visited our campus for recruitment. Their recruitment process is pretty similar to that of other tech firms.The first step is the shortlisting of resumes, for which a minimum CG criterion is specified. It then consists of a preliminary round followed by two interviews.
+<br>
+
+1. The preliminary test consists of two sections, aptitude and programming. Make sure you give importance to aptitude as well.
+2. __Interviews:__ There are two rounds of technical interviews, followed by an HR round. Standard questions of Data Structures and Algorithms are asked in the technical round so go through them, preferably from geeksforgeeks. Apart from DS, JPMC is keen on various concepts of Object Oriented Programming, so you can expect a few questions based on OOP in interviews. Finally, they ask specifics of some of the projects from your resume. 
+The HR interview is pretty easy as they just try to know you better. Communication skills play a key role in this round. Express yourself clearly and that’s pretty much all it takes to get into JPMC.
+
+<br>
+
+### Life At JPMC :
+
+The initial days consisted of an induction programme, where they give you a brief introduction of the organisation, which frankly gets a bit boring after a while. At the end of the induction, every intern is assigned a Manager and a Buddy, who helps you with most of the things in the beginning. 
+
+Speaking of myself, I was a part of the Performance and Monitoring team, which monitors various services and continuously strives to improve the performance of the applications so as to make them easier for the end customer to use. The best thing about the culture here is that once you are in a team, there is no difference between an intern and an employee. In fact my team members (other than my manager) didn’t know that I was an intern until I mentioned it to them. I was given two projects primarily, one of which was related to research wherein I had to understand several concepts of machine learning and their use cases for the organisation through a tool named Splunk, which is basically used for log monitoring. The second project comprised of creating an interactive chatbot for a specific purpose (now this is confidential :) ).
+
+Coming to the culture at the organisation, the people around are extremely friendly, and there are several activities which the employees can be a part of. These include sports, representing the organisation at an NGO etc. Regular hackathons are also conducted to harvest new ideas, and the project can be related to any area of your interest. The work hours vary from team to team, but from what I observed they are very flexible and all that matters is getting the job done on time. The manager guides us a lot throughout the tenure, not just technically but in a career perspective as well. My stay was in Hyderabad and it’s a beautiful city to live in. 
+
+<br>
+![pic3](/images/posts/rajendra3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+
+### Summing it Up! 
+
+The two month experience in JPMC has taught me a ton of things. I used to think that life at a corporate organisation would get monotonous with time, but now after interacting with a lot of people I believe that it gets monotonous only if we stop taking the impetus to make things interesting. So, if you keep yourselves motivated and enthusiastic, it’s fun to be at JPMC!
+
+Your summer internship has the potential to give you a lot of exposure related to various things in the industry, so interact with as many people as possible, know the way they have structured their careers and ensure that you have a vivid path in front of you.
+
+Finally, I believe that every one of us has got the skills that are required to get an internship in the fields of our interest, we just have to work to hone our skills and make them better. All the best!