@@ -19,17 +19,17 @@
{% for cat in site.data.categories %}
{% if cat.subcategories != nil %}
{% endif %}
{% endfor %}
diff --git a/_layouts/category.html b/_layouts/category.html
index 5d11788..a8a42eb 100644
--- a/_layouts/category.html
+++ b/_layouts/category.html
@@ -9,15 +9,17 @@ layout: layout
{% if post.image != nil %}
-
{{ post.title}}
+
{{ post.excerpt }}
{% else %}
-
{{ post.title}}
+
{{ post.excerpt }}
{% endif %}
diff --git a/_layouts/post.html b/_layouts/post.html
index af45708..50ad08c 100644
--- a/_layouts/post.html
+++ b/_layouts/post.html
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ layout: layout
{% include header.html %}
+
+
{{ page.date | date: "%B %e, %Y" }}
diff --git a/_posts/2013-08-01-the-starry-eyed-baba.md b/_posts/2013-08-01-the-starry-eyed-baba.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2491c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_posts/2013-08-01-the-starry-eyed-baba.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: The Starry Eyed Baba
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: almostfamous
+---
+
+For a long time the Astronomy section, officially recognized as Stargazing section, has lived in the shadows of the other arguably more technical sections. All that seems to have changed now with the section conducting some of the most popular events in the campus and the credit for this is given to the most soft spoken, well natured and non muscular sardar you will ever come across in R, Ashmeet Singh. He is known for his academic brilliance and intellect which landed him
+the prestigious DAAD summer intern, but he is most proud of his work in the ~~Stargazing~~ Astronomy section and he believes Astronomy is not a hobby, it’s a way of life!’ Now it’s time for his real test.
+
+**WONA**: Can you crack a joke?
+**Ashmeet**: You wouldn’t talk to me again if I did!
+
+**WONA:** Now that it’s settled, let’s begin the drill. First crush?
+**Ashmeet:** I thought this interview would be rather intellectual, but it doesn’t really seem to go that way. It was in my first semester. It never really came out. Her name was Priya. I just liked her entire demeanor and was very impressed. But now I am out of the game!
+(we bet the telescopes helped!)
+
+**WONA:** How did you get your nickname, Baba?
+**Ashmeet:** In first year we used to gather in the RJB lawn at 9PM for our attendance. I was talking to Kshitij Awadhya about spirituality and about right and wrong; I am a man of principles in that sense. I was explaining something to him, “Kshitij yeh galat hai yaar, aisa nahin hona chahiye, “ and I started giving some fundas about God. At that time someone overheard me, Animesh Mishra probably, and said, ”arey tum toh baba ho yaar!” So that’s the story behind ‘baba’! It became pretty
+popular among my friends, so much so that there was a time when my actual name was completely forgotten. Thankfully it’s back now!
+_(whatever happened to creativity in nicknames, sigh)_
+
+
+**WONA:** What got you into astronomy?
+**Ashmeet:** It started when I was in class ninth. It was more of a distraction offered by my mother to get my mind away from cricket as I was a sporty guy playing day and night. She wanted me to be focused towards something more academic and so I joined the astronomy club of my school.
+_(and rest, as they say, is history!)_
+
+
+**WONA:** So whats on your things-to-do-before-leaving-Roorkee List?
+**Ashmeet:** There are multiple tanks in the campus. I want to climb one some day! The Astronomy club is very close to me, so I would want to make it reach new heights. A few years ago people had this mindset that ‘star gazing toh chill hai’, but my year has worked a lot. I want that whenever people think of astronomy, they think of a very beautiful science and remember that I contributed to this section. I want to make this difference when I pass out.
+
+
+**WONA:** You have a very nerdy image. Have you ever done anything contrary to that?
+**Ashmeet:** I really can’t think of many, there is one instance though. There was a professor whom I liked very much, but he chucked me out of the class along with some of my friends because we were late. A few of us tried to deflate the tires of his bike with a guard on our side. I am not saying we actually did that.
+ _(yes, of course!)_
+
+
+**WONA:** Your thoughts about WONA?
+**Ashmeet:** I am not into buzz magazines but you are doing a good job. I like the way you spice up things and your interpretation of everything seems cool to me. Moreover, I am really impressed with the way you add wit to stuff. _(woot!)_
diff --git a/_posts/2013-08-02-placement-rules-iitr.md b/_posts/2013-08-02-placement-rules-iitr.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dcb45c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_posts/2013-08-02-placement-rules-iitr.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Where’s The Light At The End Of The Tunnel?
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: bigstory
+excerpt: A look at placement rules and regulations of IITR
+---
+_A look at placement rules and regulations of IITR_
+
+For its self effacing, almost nondescript exterior, the placement cell appears uncannily tall and imposing around this time of the year. Although the exact happenings within the walls of the placement cell remain elusive and delightfully subject to wide conjecture on part of the students, it has not gone unnoticed or unacknowledged that the last few months here have been particularly hectic, frenetic and bustling with activity. Several calls have been made and several mails dispatched.
+While those several companies are still scuffling amongst themselves to lay hands on the coveted train tickets to R land, WONA attempts to uncover the inside of the placement cell, its functioning, its flaws, its policies and the rationale behind them.
+
+## Expectations and beliefs
+Once upon a time, a B.Tech degree was deemed enough. Nowadays, it is considered the bare minimum qualification. For some this leads to Masters in the foreign lands. For some the B.Tech degree is an extra with the IIT tag as they move on to MBA. And for others this is it for now, as they dorn their best piece of suit in their quest to impress the other side of the table.
+
+IITR’s placement team is composed of students mainly with a professor in charge. So naturally, a lot of blame gets shifted on these students, be it a mishap with the letter sent to a company or in any of the numerous other steps needed, when some of the major companies decide to skip Roorkee. One of the most common demands of the students in R is to have a professional placement agency at the helm of affairs. Many students feel that a professional firm, unfettered by lack of either
+contacts or experience, would translate into a much higher turnout of companies.
+
+Surely if it were so logical then we should have had one a year ago itself. Dr. N.P. Padhy, professor in charge of the placement cell, says "Students are reluctant to pay Rs 500 for placement cell registration and Rs 100 for soft-skills training. Do you think they will shell-out Rs 20,000 for outsourcing the placement cell?" While the issue of spending 20k can be sorted out by spreading it over the 4 years period, what puts the final, irrevocable damper on the plan is the issue
+of sharing the database with a third party. Dr. Padhy raised a valid issue against outsourcing asking a rhetorical question, what happens when the contract expires with one agency? How will the institute guarantee that a proper database will be handed over to the next one? Turns out outsourcing placement agency’s work isn’t quite the silver bullet.
+
+## Rules and Regulations, and some more rules and regulations
+Even as we find ourselves begrudging the placement cell its very existence with its draconian rules on occasions of an inner conflict between attending the ppt and doing anything but spend two valuable hours on a PPT, the placement team finds it only reasonable that recruiters be offended at a tepid initial response from students. “When a team of recruiters travels all the way from say Bangalore to Roorkee, the least it expects is a good response from students and
+sizeable number of them at the pre placement talk,” says a senior member. While this may be a valid reason, the drastic response taken against offenders of being barred from the next three companies seems to be harsh. IITD uses monetary fines as the deterrent starting from Rs 500 and sum goes up as the number of defaults by a student increases. IITK also follows similar rules.
+
+PPT rules, while irksome, are not the most contentious ones either. Getting selected in multiple A list companies would be a dream come true for many. But with rules of R, this is simply impossible. In R, if two companies release the selection list on the same day and if a student gets selected by both, he is forced to accept the offer of the first one, regardless of the student’s priority. When compared with other IITs, this rule seems unexplainable. In IITD the student gets to choose
+in case of such a situation while in IITM a priority list is taken in advance. Surely we can have a similar model too?
+
+PPOs present another questionable rule. In case a student rejects a PPO offered to him, he is only eligible to sit for companies that offer a CTC greater than the one that offered him a PPO. What explains such rules as these and whose interests they cater to is rather difficult to fathom for an average student. The placement team, however, seems set unwavering on its stance as is clear from Dr. Padhy’s take on stringent rules- “I will opt for 0% leniency if it helps IITR get one more
+placement.” Rules and regulations, even ones greeted with skepticism and indignation, are crucial to ensuring a smooth placement climate for now as well as for posterity. “Rules are often flouted by people who are to be least affected by them, such as those set on pursuing higher studies. The brunt of a company’s displeasure is usually borne by an average student and would persist when you, your batch and I have left and while the system still remains.”
+
+
+## Unsatisfied Students, unsatisfied companies
+People outside the IIT system imagine it to be a place where companies are clamoring to find its new recruits. The situation turns out to be a little different on the inside. Apart from Computer Science, many branches do not see enough core companies turning up to cover majority of the batch. The companies that do turn up for recruitment often remark that the quality of students at R is not at par with other IITs. The apparent contrast in terms of number of jobs offered vs the number of
+students looking for a core job is often blamed on geographical location. This could have been the accepted reason if only IITKgp was facing similar problems. But by the looks of it, they don’t.
+
+Dr Padhy, does not deny that location may only be a small factor deterring companies from recruiting from a campus. It pays to have students trained well in soft skills so they are better armed to face the interviewers with all their fabled quirks and foibles. “Students here are emotional. They do not understand the psychology of the interviewer. They don’t know how to react (to certain situations in an interview). Top professionals in the field have therefore been recruited to
+train students. Efforts are being made to have training sessions every 15 days.” Initiatives like these coupled with initiatives taken by more aware student community could solve the issue of unsatisfied students.
+
+
+## At the end of the day
+Problems are in plenty and the culture in IITR is so that most of the first years are made aware of the situation right after their orientation program, and this maybe the reason behind a general negativity that persists. But on the brighter side, awareness of the problems is the first step in redressal. With Dr Padhy at the helm of affairs, we have heard a lot of reforms are going to announced for next year. Whether they will be enough and in time for our readers is a question
+that only patience can answer.
diff --git a/_posts/2013-09-24-kiran-bedi-visits-iitr.md b/_posts/2013-09-24-kiran-bedi-visits-iitr.md
index 3f63e13..22b02e1 100644
--- a/_posts/2013-09-24-kiran-bedi-visits-iitr.md
+++ b/_posts/2013-09-24-kiran-bedi-visits-iitr.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
title: Kiran Bedi Visits IIT Roorkee
image: news/kiranbedi.jpg
tags: [wona, news, cultural]
-category: news
+category: cultural
---
>I am simply an instrument. I don’t know what the design of this nature is, but I thank God for making me what I am today. -Dr. Kiran Bedi, on her achievements.
diff --git a/_posts/2013-10-9-arunima-sinha-guest-talk.md b/_posts/2013-10-9-arunima-sinha-guest-talk.md
index bdf8b61..32866ac 100644
--- a/_posts/2013-10-9-arunima-sinha-guest-talk.md
+++ b/_posts/2013-10-9-arunima-sinha-guest-talk.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
layout: post
title: Arunima Sinha's Guest Talk
tags: [wona, news, cultural]
-category: news
+category: cultural
image: news/arunimasinha.jpg
---
It is very easy to lose touch with the real world during our stay in the campus of R. Protected from the negative elements of real world, behind the walls of a national institute, many tend to forget about the evils still existing in the Indian society.
diff --git a/_posts/2013-11-01-inter-iit-aquatics-meet-2013.md b/_posts/2013-11-01-inter-iit-aquatics-meet-2013.md
index 4c8c8d6..29d1f46 100644
--- a/_posts/2013-11-01-inter-iit-aquatics-meet-2013.md
+++ b/_posts/2013-11-01-inter-iit-aquatics-meet-2013.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
layout: post
title: Inter IIT Aquatics meet
tags: [wona, news, sports]
-category: news
+category: sports
excerpt: IITR's performance in Inter IIT Aquatics meet, 2013
---
The Inter IIT Aquatics meet proved to be extremely rewarding for the women’s team as they bagged five gold medals and one silver contributing a lion’s share in the final points tally. Nivedita Sharma deserves a special mention for her terrific performance as she won all four strokes and 100m freestyle medals for which she was awarded the best swimmer’s trophy among the ladies. IITR managed to secure the women’s championship for the third time in a row with 32 points. Having won the trophy thrice now, IITR now owns the trophy making this victory a special one. IITB followed very closely with 29 points but the R’s better endurance and nerves prevailed over B.
diff --git a/_posts/2013-11-01-udhghosh.md b/_posts/2013-11-01-udhghosh.md
index 17c58ba..71f1dac 100644
--- a/_posts/2013-11-01-udhghosh.md
+++ b/_posts/2013-11-01-udhghosh.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
layout: post
title: Udhghosh 2013
tags: [wona, news, sports]
-category: news
+category: sports
excerpt: IITR's performance in Udhghosh 2013
---
diff --git a/_posts/2014-02-05-audegn.md b/_posts/2014-02-05-audegn.md
index fe5aa07..b4808dc 100644
--- a/_posts/2014-02-05-audegn.md
+++ b/_posts/2014-02-05-audegn.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
layout: post
title: The Story of Audegn
tags: [edc]
-category: editorial
+category: career
image: edc/audegn/cover.png
---
@@ -55,4 +55,4 @@ A. Dedicated client relationship, designing responsibly, designing from scratch,
*Q. What advice do you give for budding entrepreneurs?*
A. Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted. Money you enjoy wasting is wasted. Save your money and learn the art of Jugaad. Secondly, find time to call back at home or someone who loves you, for things you love and for yourself. It will give you the much needed spirit to carry on. Lastly, think big plus think all the time. I assure you that you will make it happen if your thoughts reflect in your work. Finally, I believe we should believe in what our heart believes.
-Audegn's story is indeed exemplary and Team EDC wishes Sonesh and his team a prosperous road ahead.
\ No newline at end of file
+Audegn's story is indeed exemplary and Team EDC wishes Sonesh and his team a prosperous road ahead.
diff --git a/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-alumni-talk.md b/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-alumni-talk.md
index 04d6bb7..d086cc6 100644
--- a/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-alumni-talk.md
+++ b/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-alumni-talk.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
layout: post
title: EDC Alumni Interactive Session
tags: [edc]
-category: editorial
+category: career
image: edc/alumni_talk.jpg
---
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ The session came to the final round of questions from the crowd, after Piyush Ma
The crowd laughed and the people cheered as the session finally approached to an end. Each of the invited pass-outs was presented with a small memento on behalf of EDC. Anshul Chauhan (B.Arch. 2nd year) hosted the event and delivered the vote of thanks to them.
-The event witnessed a very healthy turn-out from the students of IIT R.
\ No newline at end of file
+The event witnessed a very healthy turn-out from the students of IIT R.
diff --git a/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-bookshelf.md b/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-bookshelf.md
index aa366fe..1170536 100644
--- a/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-bookshelf.md
+++ b/_posts/2014-02-05-edc-bookshelf.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
layout: post
title: The Story of Bookshelf
tags: [edc]
-category: editorial
+category: career
image: edc/bookshelf.jpg
---
@@ -34,4 +34,4 @@ A) The idea of starting ‘Bookshelf’ struck me in the third semester. I love
A) It is more of an initiative than a start up. Currently, our team comprises of eight members and we circulate around 300 books per semester. We would like to explore more opportunities in the campus and also optimise the reading experience that we provide.
*Q) Any advice you would like to give to the budding entrepreneurs who wish to start a business venture?*
-A) It is necessary to have a clear idea of what you want in your mind. While planning a business structure, one must maximise consumer information and aim at developing a minimum viable product. This prevents chaos and eliminates uncertainty regarding the product. Coming up with an idea is extremely important, but putting your plan into action is what really helps to bring your entrepreneurial skills to the fore. The fundamental activity of a start-up is to turn ideas into products, measure how customers respond, and then learn to plan your further actions.
\ No newline at end of file
+A) It is necessary to have a clear idea of what you want in your mind. While planning a business structure, one must maximise consumer information and aim at developing a minimum viable product. This prevents chaos and eliminates uncertainty regarding the product. Coming up with an idea is extremely important, but putting your plan into action is what really helps to bring your entrepreneurial skills to the fore. The fundamental activity of a start-up is to turn ideas into products, measure how customers respond, and then learn to plan your further actions.
diff --git a/_posts/2014-10-22-taekwando-team-achievements.md b/_posts/2014-10-22-taekwando-team-achievements.md
index 6bdc35c..161d7d2 100644
--- a/_posts/2014-10-22-taekwando-team-achievements.md
+++ b/_posts/2014-10-22-taekwando-team-achievements.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
title: IITR's Taekwando Team Shines at National Level
excerpt: This year 2 students from IIT Roorkee Puneet Kumar – ECE 4th Year and Jyoti Chopra – Chemical 3rd Year, represented the Uttarakhand state team in National Taekwondo (Poomsae) Championship. The 7th Taekwondo nationals were held on 31st August at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. The duo made it to the quarterfinals of pair poomsae where they finished 6th out of 24 teams. Jyoti went on to the finals where after a tough fight she fell short. Kudos to the two as well as our Taekwondo coach Mr. Anand Krishna Yadav who himself is a Bronze medalist at the 2011 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championship.
tags: [wona, column, sports]
-category: news
+category: sports
---
This year 2 students from IIT Roorkee Puneet Kumar – ECE 4th Year and Jyoti Chopra - Chemiical 3rd Year represented the Uttarakhand state team in National Taekwondo (Poomsae) Championship, the 7th Senior National Poomsae Championship held at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. The students departed on 31st August for the tournament that was to commence on 2nd. “Competing with the players at national level. We got to see the defined and perfect tactics and beauty of Taekwondo in players from all the Indian states, services, defense etc.”, the winning players remarked. There were 3 rounds in each category: preliminary, semifinal and final. Out of all states and services teams, only top 12 are selected for semi-finals and then top 8 in semi-finals make it to the finals. Jyoti Chopra (B.Tech III yr, Chem.) participated in the senior girls (under 30) individual category and made it to the finals. Also, Puneet Kumar (B.Tech IV yr, ECE) and Jyoti Chopra participated in pair poomsae and finished 6th out of 24 state teams and some services teams like I.T.B.P. Though Uttarakhand could not get any medal in the nationals this year, but such a performance of Uttarakhand after a long time was highly appreciated. The team accredited the coach **Mr. Anand Krishna Yadav, Black belt (6th dan), International Refree and 2011 5th Commonwealth Taekwondo Championship Bronze medalist, for the remarkable performance.**
diff --git a/_posts/2014-11-1-eunoia-slam-poetry.md b/_posts/2014-11-1-eunoia-slam-poetry.md
index e6baa23..6152be6 100644
--- a/_posts/2014-11-1-eunoia-slam-poetry.md
+++ b/_posts/2014-11-1-eunoia-slam-poetry.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
title: "EUNOIA: Slam Poetry at Thomso 2014"
excerpt: “And now I write poems with spaces between them. Spaces, which I never intend to fill.”
tags: [wona, column, cultural]
-category: news
+category: cultural
---
“And now I write poems with spaces between them. Spaces, which I never intend to fill.”
diff --git a/_posts/2015-01-12-the-fourth-reich.md b/_posts/2015-01-12-the-fourth-reich.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f05be1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_posts/2015-01-12-the-fourth-reich.md
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Fourth Reich"
+image: fourth-reich.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: coverstory
+---
+
+_If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear_
+
+
+Any set of population, to survive in perfect harmony, needs its organizations to follow a democratic framework. This involves the guarantee of the basic fundamental rights so that every person gets a chance to reflect the individuality of their existence. In the context of R-Land, liberty predominantly filters down to the expression of thoughts and opinions of the young students who are in the continuous process of maturing and imbibing in themselves a distinct sense of identity. And
+hence, freedom of expression does play a crucial role.
+
+Moreover, for a population as big as that our institute, where each activity is done in strict accordance to the books, it is necessary than an active ground is provided for a two way communication between the students and the administrators. Failure in either direction of conveyance would do insidious damage to the growth rate of the institute and become a cause of unrest.
+
+In the recent wake of events, Watch Out! felt that a certain emphasis is needed on few of these occurrences where the freedom to express was denied. We bring to you the story of how the college authorities curbed the protest for the expulsion of students during the month of July. Read to know more about the time a chewed gum led to the ban on the cultural council to use the MAC facility. Not to forget the ridiculously infamous ‘Standing Orders for all the students’ which wouldn’t just let
+you keep a monkey in your rooms. And many more issues.
+
+It is an onerous task to swim with the heavy undercurrent at an IIT, and it only got more excruciating with the installment of the “5 CGPA rule”.
+There have been endless debates about the legitimacy of the mercy pleas of the 73 students, who were to be expelled, that was turned down multiple times before the administration and court of law before it was rescinded. As a result of the failing grip in the proceedings through the court, the students found themselves in the most unfortunate position. This adversity lead to a peaceful protest on 22nd July, 2015 which was then by far the last resort for the students to get their woes heeded by
+the administration.
+Note that, the protest was a peaceful one. The most aggressive atrocity, if at all there is a compulsion to name one, was the crying out of slogans by the students who marched past the main building in a single file. No hostility or loss of property was reported throughout the entire procession. Moved by apathy for their colleagues, many students of the college felt indignant with the expulsion and joined the protest for a cause. As the momentum grew, more followed and till noon the front porch
+of the LHC was packed with student demonstrators. The administration in an attempt to curb the involvement of the students resorted to a rather despotic move when they issued a notice to take disciplinary action, or even expel the students who bunked the classes in order to join the protests that day.
+
+The threat was not implemented but it does unveil the side of this institute where laws and rules are executed with austerity but the imposition is solely at the discretion of the administrators. Freedom to protest peacefully is indispensable for an institution this huge and this innocuous oppression is a threat to the democratic model on which the institute has based its functionality.
+
+
+Regarding the protests Associate Dean Prof. Inderdeep Singh commented,”Students have the right to conduct and participate in peaceful protests as long as no official work is disturbed. These measures are to protect the students from being manhandled and forced to participate in the protests by their peers against their will”.It is legitimate however, that the registration of the freshmen was affected by the demonstration but that transgression can be condoned in the gravity of
+the issue as they never bolstered any act of nuisance during the entire event.
+
+The Multi Activity Centre as it is called was supposed to be the center point of all cultural activities once it was up and functional. But just as the performing arts sector was rejoicing over the magnificent facility of the MAC auditorium, things took an unexpected turn of events when the cultural council itself was banned from the MAC auditorium. It all began tumbling down the hill during early September, after the Choreography section went recruiting. After the recruitments in the MAC, the
+ Dean initiated an inquiry regarding the condition of the MAC after the auditions were over. “What was supposed to be a generic comment on students leaving chewing gum and wrappers on the floor was upheld into a reason for banning the whole Cultural Section from the premises of the MAC, indefinitely”, says Aditya Ganeshan, Secretary, Music Section.
+
+This exhibits a clear dominance of the admin over any presiding committee (in this case, the Cultural Council) appointed by the administrators themselves. Due to communication gap between the authorities a simple problem evolved into a much larger logjam which ultimately led to the postponement of the event Crescendo, scheduled for mid-September by the Music section, to a much later date after the mid-terms.
+
+Although this issue was followed up in a meeting between the DoSW in order to hear out the difficulties faced by them and the issue was ultimately resolved, these austere measures and the sluggish pace of the administrative machinery led to the disregard of the efforts put in the by the Section.
+
+__THE CHAOS IN THE CAMPAIGN__
+
+This election, the first of its kind, was unprecedented in terms of numbers. The electorate consisted of a whopping 8000 for the institute level posts. Every candidate was expected to reach out to the entire campus within a span of a single week. That boils down to a 1000 people a day. From a layman’s perspective, each of us had 11 posts to vote for. Each post saw a turnout of 3 candidates on an average, and this translated to 33 candidates and manifestos to keep track of.
+
+The code of conduct provided by the institute forbids any form of debate amongst the contestants. Printed posters and campaign rallies are also prohibited. One week before the elections, the candidates were given a specific amount of time when they could go to each bhawan, and address the inmates through the ancient, if not nonexistent, public address systems. Even in the rare few bhawans with fully functional systems, only a handful of candidates showed up to deliver speeches, as they were
+ well aware of the fact that rambling declamations with no provision for interaction with the electorate would not win them too many votes. And indeed, the meetings saw a turnout of hardly 1% of the bhawan inmates.
+
+“It was a request from the students' side to get to know the agenda of the candidates at the central level but if the students themselves do not turn up for the bhawan level addressal, it becomes difficult for the candidates to spread their agenda. A decentralized public addressal was arranged only because a centralised public addressal was difficult. The candidates only got to interact less with the bhawan inmates was because the students did not use this opportunity properly to know the
+ candidates”, says M.L. Kansal, Chief Returning Officer for this year.
+
+This makeshift provison was made primarily because all channels of communication between the candidates and the electorate were cut off. The usage of social media and other online means for campaigning was banned. The administration also declined to upload the manifestos of candidates on any common platform where the electorate can read and deliberate upon them in their own time. In addition to this, all campus media was been denied access to the candidates.
+
+The only other official provision for reaching out to the electorate, apart from word of mouth, was a poster in each bhawan, which, again, most of the candidates did not bother with. The neutral voter who is supposedly the hero of these elections is characterized by his apathy towards the same. A notice board in one corner of the bhawan with 50 posters on it will attract no more than a few stray glances. This also tilts the balance unduly in favour of the boys. With the curfew and
+ restrictions on entry into the bhawans, it is impossible for a female candidate reach out to the electorate and emerge as a contender at the institute level.
+
+In IIT KGP and IITB where similar systems of elections are followed, central debates for every post are conducted right before the elections; a common platform within the span of a single evening where all the candidates are allowed to appear on stage, address the audience and be questioned. In addition to this, student media bodies in other IITs are allowed a fair amount of leeway to function, to fulfill the role of media in a full fledged democracy.
+ The administration cannot expect to curb regionalism and ask the electorate to make informed choices when it itself denies them of every mean to do so. The admin’s paranoia regarding possible misconduct does not come as a surprise, but in course of this the candidates’ voices as well as that of the electorate have been stifled.
+
+The Standing Orders of 2008 is a severe blow to individual freedom at IITR. The clause 1-3.8 prohibits any meeting of students other than those organized under the aegis of the various recognized student activities, without prior permission from the DOSW. This gives the administration absolute right to ban any student group or activity in the campus. The beginning of the academic year witnessed inconceivable orders from the administration including banning of any informal intro talks for
+ freshers. Even though the aim of these rules is to prevent any act of ragging in the institute, one cannot neglect the interaction gap created as a result of these hostile rules.
+
+The standing orders give the administration absolute power over the content in any program in the institute. The DOSW prescribes the terms and conditions for dance shows, theatrical performances. And indeed, as it happens, every performance, every publication on campus passes through the scrutinizing eyes of the administration, giving them perfect right to banish whatever suits their fancies, without being accountable to cogent logic. Challenging these decisions is a hassle no one
+ wants to take on.
+
+“We're still learning and we should be allowed to make mistakes. Authorities should guide us through it instead of stating the obvious ugly truth, and curbing the idea completely. Freedom is a tricky thing. It needs to be earned and given. Giving it is their responsibility and earning it is ours.”, says Sowmya Mishra, former General Secretary of the Cultural Council.
+ This takes us to the heart of a much broader debate. One involving censorship in art and media. Censorship strangles creativity. Objectionable content needs to be curbed, but censorship becomes harmful the second it impedes innovation and expression.
+
+__EPILOGUE__
+
+ Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights grants everyone the right to hold opinions without interference. It declares that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression,regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of choice.” Additionally, it states that the exercise of these rights carries “special duties and responsibilities and may therefore be subject to certain restrictions when necessary
+ for respect of rights or reputation of others or for the protection of national security or of public order, health or morals.”
+
+This covers both sides of the debate. In a closed society like our campus, there exists a need to establish a code of conduct to define the boundaries between method and mayhem. And this is where the administration’s right to keep a check on student activity is justified. But it should also be noted that in a society where the balance of power is as lopsided as in IITR, it is quite easy for the lines between surveillance and suppresion to be blurred. And there is a broken thread of trust
+between the administration and the students which has resulted in more than one single instance where they have been. And many a time, the culprits are either the students, implying that they should not be allowed express their opinion, or the administration, which obviously cannot be.
diff --git a/_posts/2015-03-16-revamped-academic-system.md b/_posts/2015-03-16-revamped-academic-system.md
index e957210..0f12646 100644
--- a/_posts/2015-03-16-revamped-academic-system.md
+++ b/_posts/2015-03-16-revamped-academic-system.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout: post
title: "A New Hope: Revamped Academic System in a Nutshell"
image: main-building.jpg
tags: [wona, news, acad]
-category: news
+category: academics
excerpt: After months of deliberation, long sessions of brainstorming by the Dean of Academics and the concerned committee, supplemented by remarks from the graduated batches, the new academic system came into action in 2013.
---
As the semester approaches towards its inevitable end, the students can undoubtedly be found indulging themselves (read: filling last minute preferences after asking their BFFs about their choices) into the list of in a plethora of institute electives offered by various departments, ranging from Humanities and Management to those by Maths and Earthquake. After months of deliberation, long sessions of brainstorming by the Dean of Academics and the concerned committee, supplemented by remarks from the graduated batches, the new academic system came into action in 2013. It must be noted that the change was introduced for the freshers batch of 2013-14. Through this article, Watch Out! intends to give the students of IITR an insight into the diversity and flexibility of the courses being offered by the institute, in case they happen to be in their sophomore year. In case you are a 3rd year student, you are welcome to share the pain of the editor of this article.
diff --git a/_posts/2015-07-24-student-expulsion.md b/_posts/2015-07-24-student-expulsion.md
index 7d2f992..81a79ff 100644
--- a/_posts/2015-07-24-student-expulsion.md
+++ b/_posts/2015-07-24-student-expulsion.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ layout : post
title : IITR Students protest against expulsion
image: protests.jpg
tags: [wona, news, acad]
-category: news
+category: academics
excerpt: As the campus simmers with protests, lots of questions remain unanswered regarding the authenticity of the arguments put forth by the administration and the rationality of such harsh decisions.
---
+
