CBIT goes Autonomous BY IQRA LODHI
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: HRUDAYA VEENA
Communicando This Year BY YASWANT ADIRAJU AND THANMAY KRISHNA Yet another year has come and gone. Though this year shall be remembered in India for Sachin’s retirement, we at Communicando have had a lot of reasons to cheer about. Exactly one year ago, Transcendent officially launched its first edition. What you’re holding in your hand now is the fourth edition. The editorial team under the leadership of Kirtana Bavanaka has been working hard in bringing out edition after edition and maintaining high standards while doing so. A year ago, when we started the newspaper, we were skeptical as to how it would be received. But you welcomed us with open hands and loved our newspapers. So to each and every one of you out there, thank you for being a part of the success of Transcendent. It is our newspaper and it shall remain so as long as CBIT survives. CBIT Model United Nations was held in the month of September 2013 and it was widely appreciated for upholding the quality of its predecessors and delivering better debate. Sreekar Reddy and his
team worked for over four months to pull off this international event. Now they are gearing up for CBIT MUN 2014 and as a part of this, CBIT ICC will be held in our college soon. Sign up if you wish to be a part of the MUN family. The club is also conducting LITERATI 4.O this year. Every year the fest tried to bring in new variety to our events and this year, we have outdone ourselves. Apart from the formal events, a photography workshop by Lona Logan is being conducted. Lona is an acclaimed photographer and having her on board has been an awesome experience for all of us. Register now if you wish to be a part of the workshop. You don’t have to own a DSLR or an SLR to be a photographer. All it takes is passion and an eye for detail. Attend the workshop and awaken that photographer in you. Ever played treasure hunt in our college? I vividly remember people running around in circles around the college looking for random stuff and taking photos. We
took that idea, played around with it and we created The Amazing Race. This race will start with a clue being handed over to the participants. Solve the clue and reach your next clue. You keep solving clues and move slowly towards the grand jackpot prize of 10,000 bucks! Register quickly because there is a limit on registrations. On a personal note, the last four years with the club has been a ride. We would like to take this opportunity to thank two people who have been instrumental in this club’s success. Dr. A. Sandhya Reddy and Mrs. A Vijayalakshmi. They have been the pillars of this club for the last six years and have nurtured many students like us. This is our final year in college and we will miss the club a lot. I speak for all the fourth year members of the club – Thank you CBIT for giving us a chance to express ourselves through Literati, MUN and Transcendent. You have been very kind to us. See you at the next Communicando event.
New Changes, Fresh Challenges
Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology gained autonomous status last year, making it into the list of few prestigious institutions deemed with the honor. The college had already been accredited twice in 1998 and once again in 2004 by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). CBIT also prides itself in being the first ISO 9001-2000 certified Engineering Institute of the state. And now the college also adds another accolade to its long list of achievements by getting awarded with the autonomous status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2013. With the college attaining this status, a lot of changes have taken place in the curriculum of the students; priority isn’t just being given to studies but also extracurricular activities. Going along the lines of the quote, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, a new sports complex with state of the art facilities is under construction and will be fully functional by the beginning of the new academic year. CBIT is home to a large number of students not only from across the country but also from
Extracts from the interview: Q: With CBIT having gained the autonomous status, can you share with our readers your journey here up till now and what more are you expecting in the coming years? Student 1: I am glad to be a CBITian. Frankly, when I heard that the college is becoming autonomous, I was tensed and a bit skeptical about the changes that we would have to face but as time went on I realized that it’s the best thing that happened. In the future, I expect activities and ideas that would make our student lives more interesting and result in extracting all our hidden talents. A college radio would be really excellent! Student 2: Life here has been awesome. I am happy to get a seat in CBIT as it matches all my personal interests like fun, freedom plus studies. It’s not a boring college and apart from studies we get a lot of opportunities to discover and prove ourselves. Q: The first year has now been divided into two semesters with core subjects being included in the syllabi unlike the previous years, your views on this. Student 1: All the courses have been restructured in a new way and that’s the semester system. Initially, the schedule was a bit hectic for us, but we realized later that the new system is actually really good. The pressure on the students has reduced to a certain extent and hopefully this will lead to better results too. Studetnt 2: I believe in the concept of learning with understanding, not caring about marks. Rote learning and gaining marks holds no value for me. With the introduction of core subjects in the first year itself, we are getting upgraded with latest developments in our respective fields and the more we study, the more knowledge we gain. I am not sure about the semester system and I am not experienced enough to judge either, I think I require a bit more time to understand it.
TEAM COMMUNINCANDO
Q: From your batch onwards extracurricular activities will be treated on par with academics, any changes you’ve experi-
many Asian and African countries. Keeping in mind the changing times and with the advances in modern sciences and mathematics, the college has been able to update the syllabi completely and from the first year itself, along with basic Physical Sciences, Math and Biology (For Biotechnology students), core subjects are being introduced so as to make it easier for the students to compete with their foreign counterparts if and when they go abroad for Post-Graduation. Previously, almost all branches shared the same course subjects in the first year but now a select few subjects have been added to the respective branches. The college year was previously divided into 6 semesters and the first year was kept as is, but starting from the 2013-2017 batches onwards, the UG course has been divided into a total of 8 semesters, with the intent of easing the burden of studies on the students. So as to find out what the freshmen think of these new progressive changes that have been brought about in the college, 2 first years from Biotechnology; Gudivada Jayanthlal and Rithika Pathi were asked a few questions. enced that make you glad? Student 1: This is something which has made me very happy. After our schooling, two years in a corporate college suppressed and almost killed all our talents. Seeing this new flavor of CBIT giving equal importance to studies and extracurricular activities made me feel very awesome, now my passion for singing and writing quotes will get a lot of opportunities and I am pretty sure not just me but the majority of the students must be ecstatic about this new change. Student 2: Extra-curriculars are one of the reasons why CBIT has become famous and it’s obvious that we get all these great breaks. I am participating in as many events as possible to become an allrounder and somethings need to be done for recognition rather than only academics and I am on it! Q: In terms of placements, a handful of our students have always bagged positions in top companies. Do you think these changes in the college would lead to a large flux of students getting offers unlike the previous years? Student 1: Students from our college, it’s well known, get recruited in some of the top companies in town; multinational as well as international tech giants, hence adding lots of brownie points to their futures. Now, with the current changes in the system, it’s quite expected that by the end of the 4th year, our students will be able to attract the best companies in town, IT sector being the majority’s personal preference, including mine. Student 2: One of the best parts of being a student of CBIT is getting a job as soon as you pass out of college. We have a lot of great IT companies coming up to our college and recruiting the best of the best. As a biotechnology student I hope more pharmaceutical agencies and research labs come for recruiting us. With the amount of training and the hard work that the Placement Cell coordinators put in, the students of CBIT are definitely a force to reckon with.
PAGE 2 MESSAGE FROMTHE PRINCIPAL
The
EDITORIAL BOARD
THE EDITORIAL BOARD,
COMMUNICANDO dr. B. ChEnnakESava rao
P rinCiPal, CBit ConvEnor: dr. a. Sandhya rEddy aSSoCiatE ProfESSor, dEPartmEnt of mathS and humanitiES I would like to congratulate Communicando and its Editorial Board on releasing the fourth edition of the Transcendent, CBIT’s very own college newspaper. The newspaper plays an important role in shedding light on the events happening around us both in college and across the world, covering major news like our college becoming autonomous. It is very important for students to have knowledge about the events happening around the globe as this plays a crucial role in the holistic development of a student. Also I am happy to see the Transcendent publishing articles on Internships and campus placements to educate everyone about these crucial aspects. I am also pleased to announce that starting this edition, there will be a technology section included, which will help in educating the students of this college about the various technological innovations around the world. As CBIT is a technical institute this knowledge is of paramount importance to the students and will play an important role in improving their career prospects. Finally I would like to congratulate the passing out Batch of 2014 and wish them luck for their future. -Dr B. Chennakesava Rao, Principal, CBIT
Staff Coordinator: a. viJaya lakShmi aSSiStant ProfESSor, dEPartmEnt of mathS and humanitiES Editor- in-ChiEf: kirtana Bavanaka
Photo CrEditS: niShank rEddy and SandEEP undi
From the Convenor’s Desk Transcendent has grown by leaps and bounds since it started a year ago and I would like to congratulate Kirtana and the entire editorial team for their remarkable job. It makes me really happy to see how Communicando, MUN and Transcendent provide an opportunity to students to hone their skills in the fields of writing, speaking and also in organizational aspects. These skills are very important as they help a person in all aspects of their life and are very important in this modern age. However, this doesn’t mean to undermine academics as it is equally important. It made me really happy to
find out that Aaditya Pai, Suraj Peri and Shravya Varma got into Carnegie Mellon University, Kirtana Bavanaka got into Columbia University and Sreekar Reddy got into Dartmouth College. This serves as an example as to how such skills only add on and help our students get into Ivy Leagues. I hope that students take this as an inspiration and work on mastering their soft skills. In addition, I would like to commend all the Communicando coordinators for the amount of work that has gone into organizing Literati this year and I am sure this year Literati will reach greater heights. Finally as the year is
Letter from the Editor As my final year of college is coming to end, waves of nostalgia pass over me while at the same time, nervous anticipation for life after college continues to grow. Without realizing it, time has flown by and we have all grown immensely from the people we were when we entered CBIT as freshmen. The multitude of expereinces that we have had are what shaped us into who we are today, and perhaps the most important ones are the experiences we’ve had in college. From sitting in class to writing exams, from last minute assignments to participating in college fests, from playing sports to hogging in the canteen, from hanging out in campus to bunking classes with friends, from running to catch the bus to dealing with attendance, from making new friends to dealing with lost
friendships, from learning to fail to realizing that’s what it takes to succeed, from preparing for higher studies to placements, and many more, we’ve done it all. They say the journey is more important than the destination, and I agree. I want to thank CBIT for giving us a memorable journey and for all the experiences that have only taught us to learn, grow, and come out wiser than we entered. And to cherish. College has taught me to cherish the time that we have right now. We hold on to the past or stress about the future too much. So for all you juniors out there, please recognize the value of the present moment. Most importanly, be openminded. We all come in with preconceived notions and tend to make fast judgments. Yet one of the most important aspects of college, interacting with people
coming to an end, I congratulate all the senior members of Communicando and the entire Batch of 2014 for all that they have achieved and contributed to our college. I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours. Meanwhile, for the rest of the college, another year is soon passing by. With the college becoming autonomous, observing the achievements of seniors, and the increase of student involvement everywhere, things are looking as bright as ever for CBIT and I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us. -Dr A. Sandhya Reddy Convenor, Communicando
- kirtana Bavanaka, Editor-in-ChiEf
from diverse backgrounds, soon teaches you to acknowledge that everyone has their own story and accept people and situations as they are. We are only in control of our story and sometimes it’s good to remember that it’s us who hold the pen. Coming to the Transcendent, I am extremely pleased and proud to say that what started off as a mere idea, a dream per se, has turned out to become a succesful reality. Transcendent began with nothing but raw passion and determination to create a voice among students and a way for us to represent ourselves and our college. This being my last edition, I can safely say that this newspaper has indeed broke through barriers and is entering a whole new level of excellence under a new team of dedicated, capable, and talented students whose passion
matches that of ours, the founding members. I sincerely hope you take it to new heights. Last but not least, I would like to thank Communicando for giving us the platform to express ourselves and for adding a new dimension to an already good education. I wholeheartedly believe that a well-rounded education will take you to far and great places in your career and life ahead. That is something I hope all students will take that into consideration in their coming years. Finally, to all my fellow seniors, the time has come for us to make the most of our last days here in college and leave our juniors with a legacy to look after and memories of us to look up to. I wish everyone the very best of luck and good spirit for your lives ahead!
dEPuty EditorS- in-ChiEf: S.a. kruthi mohan akShay kulkarni EditorialS Editor: PraSanna voruganti
nEwS Editor: Sumalika addagarla
SPortS Editor: anand guPta EntErtainmEnt Editor: harShal kuSuma tEChnology Editor: tEJa mariyada PhotograPhy managEr: niShitha malur viJaylakShmi k. layout tEam: lalitha dakShayani Pratik m. vEmuri anu radha Priyanka rEddy Sai Chaitanya
J ournaliStS: Priyanka J.k. Swathi Patnaik nikhil gopal krishna Sridula moduga meghna vadapalli nagaraju Poshaveni krishna harsha
Internships On the GO! Part 2 By Swathi Patnaik, JournaliSt In the previous edition of Transcendent, major summer internships have been covered. The internships which have been announced more recently are listed below. 1) Charpak Scholarships - The Internship Program: If we were asked about the ways of getting an internship, then we would answer that they are at least two ways of applying: one is the conventional way that is applying through the various internship programs like Mitacs Globalink, SURGE IIT Kanpur, Indian Academy of Sciences etc. And the second and the more tricky one is contacting the professors/HRs by email. Both have their pros and cons and we would suggest you to try both. Charpak Scholarships are different from the normal internship programs as they fund your research at a French institute.
Before applying, you need to contact the professor by email and get his approval. Only then you can apply for these scholarships.
above in all branches. 3) IISc Bangalore Summer Fellowships in Science and Engineering:
To apply, visit the site : http://www.inde.campusfrance.org/charp ak-internship-program
Who can apply? This program is applica ble for students pursuing their 2nd year or above in all branches.
Who can apply? This program is applicable for students pursuing their 2nd year or above in all branches.
4) Summer Program 2014 - Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, IISc Bangalore:
2) IISER Thiruvananthapuram Summer Visiting Students Program: IISER Thiruvananthapuram offers a two month visiting students program during summer 2014 to enable motivated students to work with IISER faculty.
To apply: http://www.cense.iisc.ernet.in
To apply visit the link : http://www.iisertvm.in/svp/ Who can apply? This program is applicable for students pursuing their 2nd year or
To apply visit : http://www.iisc.ernet.in
Who can apply? This program is applicable for students pursuing their 2nd year or above in ECE or EEE. 5) Summer Training at CSIR - Institute Of Minerals And Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT): To apply : http://www.immt.res.in Who can apply? This program is applica-
ble for students pursuing their 2nd year or above in Civil, Chemical, Production, Mechanical or Biotech. 6) Summer Internships 2014 at Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur: To apply: http://www.cmeri.res.in/Summer_Internship_Notice.pdf Who can apply? This program is applicable for students pursuing their 2nd year or above in MECHANICAL or PRODUCTION. 7) Summer Internships at School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad: This is meant for only highly motivated students of CHEMICAL department who want to persue research. To apply visit http://chemistry.uohyd.ernet.in
8) You just want to learn something new and not really research on a particular topic, then this would be the best choice! Internshala Online Summer Training Program 2014 on Web Development, Hacking, ASP.Net with C#, Java, Python, Robotics, VLSI Design, Windows 8 App Development etc. To apply visit: intershala.com To get more details of the internships which were offered in IITM, IITD, IITB, IITH, etc refer to our previous edition. It also covers details of competitions like Google Code of Jam, Google School of Code, Applits App Idea Competition, etc. Some other websites for reference: 1. www.internshala.com 2. www.letsintern.com 3. www.hellointern.com
PAGE 3 MOOCS : REVOLUTIONISING THE EDUCATION SECTOR By heMAnth AnD AKShAy KulKArni, Deputy eDitor-in-Chief Last year saw the invention of a new four letter word, MOOC. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses. Many organisations are offering online courses to students for free. These courses are from great universities like MIT, Harvard, UC Berkley, Stanford and many more. These courses can be taken for free by almost anyone in the world. All that is needed is an internet connection and you are good to go. You could also earn certifications for these courses if you managed to submit all the assignments and clear the tests with a minimum percentage. We should observe that our education system has pretty much remained the same for the last 500 years and the last biggest revolution this sector saw was that of printing press which led to introduction of textbooks. A need for innovation and advancement in the field of education was felt by students and educational institutions all across the world. Institutions re-
alized that they could widen the outreach of their courses by embracing modern technologies and making use of the inter-
ative and at his own pace rather than forcing everyone to stack up, like crops, in a
net. The idea was to let the student work at his own time, in a place he felt most cre-
room at 10 in the morning. So a student could sit where he is most comfortable, in
Why is a College Newspaper an integral part of Campus Life? By J.K.priyAnKA, JournAliSt A college newspaper is an integral part of campus life, providing breaking news, student spotlights and also a unique perspective on local and global news. It gives an opportunity for students to begin legitimate Journalism. There are college newspapers for many universities around the world like The Lantern Newspaper of The Ohio state university, The Oxford Student by University of Oxford. On the same lines, Our College Newspaper “Transcendent” has started its journey with an Enthusiastic Team of editors and writers a year ago, till now 3 editions have been published with an in-
creasingly positive response every edition. Our campus life is more enhancing and enriching with The Transcendent, as it improves communication between various departments and clubs. It also helps in Career guidance, giving an outlook on various on and off campus issues and cultivating the reading habit. Recently our college newspaper was digitalized, first online issue released on February 28th 2014 creating more impact and with a greater response.Come be a part of Transcendent as writers, readers and experience the flavor of the literary feast.
"Satyameva Jayete!"
-An impact on India, one step at a time... By prASAnnA vorugAnti, eDitor
A difference in thinking. An inspiration from a victim. A hopeful change in the minds of a society. A society comes with all kinds of people. Adaptive. Adamant. Bizarre. Humanistic. And every single person has their own story. Starting from the way they were brought up to what their ideologies have led to. "Through this show we understand the problem of the people" was Aamir Khan’s message about the television show when it started in 2012. Many people in our country go through dreadful and mediocre situations. Due to fear, people keep a lot of thoughts to themselves, and so their feelings are hidden from family and society.Satyameva Jayate has come forward in support and is here to give tremendous courage. That's really at the heart of Satyamev Jayate's appeal and popularity. Highlighting social issues prevalent in India such as female feticides, abuse, dowry, medical malpractice, honor killings, insensitivity towards the physically disabled, domestic violence, alcoholism, untouch-
ability, plight of senior citizens and water-crisis, etc. are the main topics this show covers. Such topics are ones every single person should be profoundly aware about. Understanding emotions. Listening intently. Sharing boldly. Showing integrity .Along with a proactive and responsive audience. What other platform would have been better? Sai Prasad Vishwanathan, an exCBIT’ian appeared on the show and motivated disabled people. Satyamev Jayate received an overwhelming positive response and feedback from both the critics as well as the public. The show was widely appreciated by several film and television personalities, politicians and social activists for its research, format, presentation and content. So let’s all continue to be a part of Satyameva jayete by supporting, understanding different perspectives and most importantly being more socially aware. Because no matter what, The truth alone prevails Jai Hind!
his bed or on a couch, at a suitable time and watch the lectures online. Last year MIT and Harvard came together to start an organisation called edx which is a MOOC platform. Courses where offered in many fields ranging from computer science to humanities, from the top universities of the world. Another major MOOC organisation is coursera. Coursera is a cornucopia of courses that range from simple Computer courses to professional courses. All the courses are framed in a manner that each and every aspect involved in it is demonstrated as video lesson/tutorials. The Courses are offered by Professors from reputed Universities all over the world, like Stanford, Duke and Princeton etc. One of the biggest discoveries during the early phases of these educational experiments was that of peer learning. Students all across the world where teaching each
other, were learning from each other without any help from any professor. So to what extent could this grow? Well the answer is it could pretty much change the entire education scenario. More and more universities around the world are shifting to online courses. We might reach a point where the idea of attending a college and sitting in classrooms might become obsolete and there are already institutes offering professional degrees completely online for a very low fee. A completely online university offering degrees for free is about to be launched this year. MOOCs have already revolutionised the education sector by providing quality education to millions of people without any restrictions to country, race or financial capability and many believe that we have only begun to understand the impact this could have on the education system around the world.
Satya Nadella- A wake up call for India By S. A. Kruthi MohAn, Deputy eDitor-in-Chief On the morning of February 4th the entire nation was proud; proud to know that one of our own proceeded to take over the biggest tech giant of the 21st century. Satya Nadella went down in history as the first Indian origin CEO of Microsoft. Newspapers were over the moon to cover this story, countless Indians updated their Facebook statuses congratulating Mr. Nadella on how he brought glory to our nation. But the more important question to be asked here is, what does it really mean for India? Sure it is a great deal for an Indian to fill the shoes of Bill Gates, but does it represent a victory for India? Nadella proceeds to join the likes of Indira Nooyi and Shantanu Narayen, both Indian born CEO’s of global companies, Pepsi Co and Adobe Systems. But why do most of India’s tech geniuses find glory in the Silicon Valley of US? They evolve to take over companies while most of us are left behind only to work mediocre jobs in MNC’s. Wouldn’t India’s tech map be shaped differently had they pursued their careers here? But this doesn’t even begin to cover the issue. Almost every Indian origin Nobel Prize winner is not an Indian Citizen anymore. Neither is Rakesh Khurana who is supposed to become the Dean of Harvard University, effective July 1st , 2014 nor is Anshuman Jain, the co- CEO of Deutsche Bank. Yet we still portray the achievement as a win for our country without asking ourselves why our system
doesn’t encourage talent while the US helps even ordinary citizens rise to iconic levels. There have been too many an article criticizing our system, how it is unfair and how there is only an illusion of equal opportunities when in reality we are light years away from realizing that goal. Completely clichéd, isn’t it? But that doesn’t change that fact that it is one of major contributing factors for this win (read loss) for India. Statistically speaking, it is easier to get an admission into an Ivy league University than an IIT or IIM. This is ironic seeing how none of the IIT’s made it in the world’s 100 top colleges this time. Not even the top 200. IIT- Delhi thankfully made it to 222nd position atleast. Their true value lies in their filtering expertise and not the curriculum. When the best of the best are admitted into the college, they will shine no matter what. But even the IIT grads prefer a position in Facebook, Google, Apple or Microsoft, simply put, foreign firms rather than staying behind because they know very well that there are better prospects there, better chances of finding success. Because staying behind ul-
timately means settling for a mediocre job. Our system encourages us to earn
fat paychecks and follow the boss’ orders instead of taking charge and being a leader. We are taught to play safe and avoid risks. We are taught to follow, not lead. Had Satya Nadella stayed in India he wouldn’t have made CEO. Chances are he wouldn’t even be close. He would most likely be coding in one of the Indian companies receiving his fat paycheck, no doubt, but not leading it, that’s for sure. By all means congratulate Mr. Nadella on his achievement but make no mistake, this is not a win for India. It is a win for the surrogate country that managed to draw our talent away by offering way better opportunities.
Don’t Let The Little Things Take Over Your Life By prASAnnA vorugAnti, eDitor
We often allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that, upon closer observation aren’t really that big of a deal. We focus on little problems and concerns and blow it up to bigger proportions,instead of keeping them small. For example, A rash, irresponsible driver may cut right in front of us when we are following the rules of the road. We imagine a confrontation in our mind, telling him that his way of driving is wrong. We sometimes go on and on telling people about the incident, instead of letting it go. But having compassion for the person and reminding yourself that maybe he was in a hurry or emergency is what makes us feel better, and so we can maintain our own sense of well-being.
There are many similar “little things” that occur everyday in our lives. Whether we have to wait in line, listen to unfair criticism or do the lions share of work,it gives a large amount of calmness if we learn not to take such situations seriously. When you commit to working towards a goal you will see that you will end up being more kinder and gentler, if such little things are left out.Question yourself “Will this matter a year from now?” Think of yourself to be in circumstance and imagine that whatever you are dealing with isn’t happening now but a year from now. Then, simply ask yourself “Is this situation really as important as it is?” Whether it’s an argument with a friend, a mistake,a sprained ankle. While this
simple way of questioning might not solve all your problems, it can give you a different perspective. Instead of taking things seriously and being overwhelmed, you can just ask yourself the question and laugh away. We need to understand that small things which happen in our daily life do not require such emotional feelings, they require patience and peace. Focusing on a long term goal and putting one hundred percent of commitment and focus, shows us what our realtime achievement is going to be. So, just be yourself. Stay openminded. And remember that its the overall big picture that counts, and not the small smudges that you might have made on the way!
PAGE 4 Privatization of the Education Sector BY TEJASWINI MARIYADA, EDITOR
Privatization is considerate to a particular level, I’d say. It improves the quality of education which is much needed for the society of India. It would mean an additional international standard incorporated in to our system of education. It would mean more quality knowledge, quality learning environment, quality teachers. Let us also not forget it would mean deprivation of education for more than half of the student population of India. It is very convenient to talk about privatization of the education sector in India, sitting in an AC room, having our fathers shell out money from their pockets for our high-priced education simply because we are in a state to afford it. But, I know for a fact that if India was privatized before my father graduated, I wouldn’t be in an AC room talking about privatization of the education sector of India. I would’ve succumbed to poverty just like more than 50% of India, if it weren’t for my father’s education, thanks to the government. Now, how many people are there in India, who are just like my father? Poor yet have the determination to improve their standard of living; do we have any rights to turn those dreams into disasters? Privatization would not only reduce the scope for educating the youth of the future, it also would eliminate any possibility for the poor
to overcome poverty through education. We are literally dragging the process of development in our nation, which is already in a developing state. We are setting back the development process. If there is anything that needs to be done, it should be setting up of more government schools for free primary education. I do agree, the quality of education might not be up to the mark, but it’s better than not getting education at all, also better because it would provide the youngsters the basic education for them to think about how to go on about their future. There are enough funds for the government to set up a decent number of schools but we are still facing a problem with the figure of schools because of the organization of the government. The funds are lost in the process of organizing the government schooling system, that’s what is deteriorating its quality. The funds should be used in introducing new technology, like maybe learning through recorded lectures in CDs given by eminent teachers across the world. It is cost effective and the quality of education can be increased this way. Also, the government schools should provide a platform for the old students associations of that particular school in funding for its development. Maybe there can be a law implemented that a government school must be collaborated with a private one, where the teachers can be shuffled between the two schools. Just because the government is slow in providing quality education, doesn’t mean we need to
speed things up by introducing private educational institutions for all. The future of the India lies in the hands of youth, for a fact we all know that most the families in India are struggling for basic necessities such as food and clothing, should education too be a burden for them? It’s the only mode by which they can help themselves overcome their living difficulties, the only hope for a brighter future for their kids and so forth, the ones who will develop India further. If not for the government, how else would people get education, privatization of the education sector? Would any parent with less income, which will barely suffice for their basic needs be willing to send their kids to a lavish private school? Very few. Plus there would be an increase in the amount of dropouts too. Education is a serious issue; it should NOT be made into a business. It is a right, just like how it is our right to live. That doesn’t mean education doesn’t have to be private at all, up to a certain level there should be free education for the underprivileged. The degree level should be strictly privatized under the supervision of the government. I would like to conclude by saying that there are more cons than pros in privatizing the education sector in India. If there is anything we should do about the education sector, it should be by supporting free education for all. I don’t mean we should let our kids join the government schools but let’s not be against it. Let affordable education in India be the epitome for all the other nations to follow.
Vote towards a better future BY AMULYA MIRIYALA
Sexual assaults on women, over population, politics, illiteracy, gender inequalities, corruption, scams, hypocrisy are what we tell when we’re asked about India today. Culture, heritage, democracy, motherland, freedom, safe, history were the answers until years ago but not anymore. What happened to the India that everyone praises? What happened to the selfless people and their great mindset? What happened to the freedom of every individual? 66 years have passed since India got freedom but are we really free? Do we really have the freedom of expression? Do we care for our own country? What happened to that society where women were treated as goddesses? Why does a girl always have her phone in her hand with her family on the speed dial when she steps out of the home; is it how secure she is in our country? What happened to the great Indian customs? Being selfish is what we call modernization? Are we so busy with our lives that we don’t have time to see what’s happening around us? Are we so blinded by hunger
for money and power? We go to foreign countries for vacations; have fun, enjoy the beauty and praise their advancements in technology, their government policies and what not. But do we feel the same way about our own country? We always tell ‘I am proud to be an Indian’, but are we really playing our role in developing our country? We Indians are known for our intelligence; is that making us better humans? Is there something we are lacking in? Are we helping in the development of our country? Blaming the government for the current situation in the country is all we can do? The answer will be a clear NO. We as individuals and proud citizens of our country play a key role in its development; all these problems are longing since the past but are brought into the spotlight by the media today. Media indeed plays a very important role in a country’s development as people believe whatever the media tells, not bothering if that’s true or not. But is the media really being the face of the country or are the news channels and papers just exaggerating everything? Making a peanut seem like a pumpkin? Is TRP all they need? What about them being unbiased and spilling the truth no matter how bitter it is. We blame everyone except ourselves for India still being
a developing country and live in a box telling ‘I am doing my part and you’re not’ where in we really are not. We have to take small steps in the positive direction because every small thing matters and IS the building block for anything and everything. So let’s all start it from the most simplest and important thing; the government is entirely in our hands; since we are in a democratic country, it’s us who rule the country indirectly choosing representatives who lay down a path for the development of our country.
So let’s VOTE in this general elections and do our part for the development and advancement of our own country. Let’s bring a change in the system; let’s take this first step which is going to help us in everything. Our country’s development is all in our hands, so let’s for a moment stop being consumed and take out some time from our busy lives and VOTE. VOTE WISE AND HELP THE COUNTRY RISE.
RATIONALISM BY NAGARAJU POSHAVENI, JOURNALIST A.P.J ABDUL KALAM will never be fulfilled. Remember his dream?? “LEAD INDIA 2020”. Many of our politicians during their rallies, students during national festivals give their speeches saying that India is a “developing” Rationalism, the word country. But when? Pose a queswhich is hidden in its true sense. tion to yourself. If this is the case, However not all but few of you the transformation of the word might be aware of this word. We from “developing” to “developed” are living in this world without un- will always be a dream. It is derstanding the meaning of our never going to happen. It is pity to life. What I exactly want to convey say that the rationalistic ardent is that reasons or proofs should be supporter Narendra Dabholkar known for the things that you do from Mumbai was shot because he in your life. Don’t live your life was a rationalistic person and just because you have to live it. wanted to pass the anti-superstiLet me be more vivid by tious bill. Should we feel proud for quoting an example. Many people what they have done or feel shame believe that there are demons, because he had tried to bring some when they observe flames in the change and was killed. I am still grave yard. No one wants to know shocked that in our country Babas the reason. Just like any other tra- are given more priority than sciendition in our country, they follow tists. it blindly. What is the actual sceThe Recent recipient of nario? The phosphorous in the Bharat Ratna in chemistry D.R. bones react with air to give flames. CNR RAO wants people to wake So there is science involved be- up from their dreams and realize hind every occurrence. Just be- themselves on how far they are cause we are ignorant, we can’t following their heart instead doing conclude that science is not in- everything blindly with no reason. volved. I just quoted one example, There is no proper support to scibut there are many more. entists either financially or moral Even the educated, are encouragement, but with no reason believing things blindly without Babas are given higher priorities. knowing their facts. So, imagine Don’t believe the things blindly. the illiterates then? Specifically Make sure you have a supporting the practice of superstitious beliefs statement for any question. Once are more in villages. And remem- everyone attains this, then for sure ber a significant amount of Indians India will rise in its place breaking live in villages. So how is our all the shackles that are obstructing country going to develop? The its path. dream of our ex-president DR.
Arnab Goswami BY NIKHIL GOPAL KRISHNA, JOURNALIST
All of us have our own priorities and everyday we plan the day accordingly. But, most of us end up doing the same thing at 9 in the night, i.e. we watch ‘The news hour debate’ on Times Now. To be precise, we watch Arnab on Times Now, who is now a talking point everywhere. He does inquiry into matters, analyses news & info. , breaks scams, questions the wrong policies. In short, he represents the common man’s views, wishes, issues, etc in a very dynamic way. He is indeed a ray of hope for India to progress in the right direction choosing the right manner. Each interview or a discussion is just another beginning, such are his focus levels and such is his concern for India’s future. He has certainly made a mark for himself. Just like a body dissection, he dissects the matter, analyses very well and a lot of thinking goes into his mind on how to get hold of the truth. It takes guts to instruct the person at the other end to give apt answers to the straight forward questions posed to him. And never does a question seem silly or inappropriate. The stand out quality is that he never raises a point unless he has the complete proof. He holds a discussion on every aspect keeping in mind the comprehensive growth which shows his flex-
ibility in dealing with all kinds of issues. Thereby, he is able to relate one aspect to another very well if and when necessary. His way of dealing with things has opened up the doors for young aspirants in this field. He knows exactly when to interrupt a speaker, how to bring a speaker back on to the track, when to showcase his sense of humor to keep the discussion lively. In addition, he takes the role of a patient listener when the discussion is making sense. With his serene approach, he wrecks havoc and creates panic at the other end. He has gained the respect of everyone as he is never partial to anyone. Thanks to the way he deals, people now have no other option than to attend his debate, otherwise they are found guilty of doing something wrong. He frames his questions in such an intense way that one could easily identify if the person is trying to cover up. Some had almost given up and wanted the interview to be put off fearing their true shade would be exposed. Many are thinking twice now to indulge in a scam, as the truth is prevailing more often than not. He is an absolute go-getter and has a very good questioning attitude,. He has directly inspired many to look forward and do something good for the country’s good. The youngsters are now more aware of everything happening around them and same is the case with people of all ages. Many can look to pursue a career in Journalism to take India forward and Journalism to a new level. His clarity in thought can be taken as the best example to succeed not just in journalism, but in any field.
PAGE 5 A ROLE REVERSAL LIKE NEVER BEFORE KNOW YOUR LAWS WOMAN! BY AKSHADHA BIRADER
BY JYOTHIRMAYI KATRAPALLI
Men rubbing their bodies against women, trying to touch them inappropriately or simply passing dirty comments. Be it trains, buses, autos or shopping malls, every girl reading this would have experienced at least one of these and if not, they would have at least been a witness to such an incident at some or the other point in their lives. The society has become so oblivious to the fact that women are being harassed on a daily basis that we have stopped questioning such disgusting behaviour from a few men of our very own society. So this International Women’s Day, we came up with a simple solution. Why not we women do the same to men? Why not show them how demoralised and disgusted men make women feel by harassing them just for fun? ‘Hyderabad for Feminism
‘came up with this wonderful idea of “Mirror Mob”. The Mirror Mob, is a combination of street play and a freeze mob, where men and women have a role reversal, i.e., women would try harassing men just to show the society how women actually feel. As many as almost 30 actors turned up. The idea was simple, the actors divided themselves into groups of few and enacted various different means and ways in which women are harassed. If one group enacted the passing of vulgar comments, another showed touching inappropriately, and so on. And then, they froze. This short play was enacted at almost 8 different public places in the city including Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and Nampally Railway Station along with many bus
CBIT is a college known for its wide range of extracurricular activities being on par with the academics of the students. A number of clubs and organisations within the college make this possible. Chaitanya Smruthi, (the student body organisation of CBIT ) is one of the most proactive organisations among these. Here is a jist of what we are up to this semester. Chaitanya Smruthi gives a great opportunity to the students of CBIT to be able to interact with those many children who are not getting enough. These specially-abled kids and the underprivileged who cannot be part of very good schools have a right to enjoy just as much.
Even with all the modernization and development of today’s society, many working women are still subjected to immense pressure to shoulder the dual responsibility of a housewife and a working woman simultaneously with little or no help from their husbands. They are also subjected to violence in one form or the other. One of the main reasons for violence against women is the mentality which deems women inferior to men and limits their importance merely to the maintenance of the household, the upbringing of children and pleasing their husbands. It is the same mentality which, some generations ago, used to think of women as mere objects of attaining sexual pleasure and a servant of the husband. Times have changed but the mentality still prevails in the mindsets of several narrow minded Indians. The actual need of the hour is a revolutionary change in the mindsets and conscience of Indian men so that they stop seeing women as inferior objects. The Constitution of India not only grants equality to women but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women for neutralizing the cumulative socio economic disadvantages faced by them.
EMAIL TO THE RESCUE
Chaitanya Smruthi presents BY PRAGNYA REDDY
stops en route. The prime objective of the Mirror Mob, according to the organisers, was to shock the spectators, and get them to think. Get them to think hard. When women are harassed every day, we do nothing to save them from this misery. But voila! When its men, we stop and stare. Was the objective of the Mirror Mob achieved? You bet! Spectators not only understood the trauma that women are made to go through, but also came and interacted with us, and few even shared their own experiences. On a closing note, all that I want to say is, let’s make the world a safer and a more comfortable place for women. Give her the respect she deserves, because after all, the days are not far when men would be at the receiving end! ;)
Tarang
Tarang is one such event that has been happening every year since 2009 to help provide a platform for these children to showcase their hidden talents in dance, art, music and many more. Also, the kids are given kits which contain the stationary items like sketches, pencils, etc. This provides us with an opportunity of actively participating in the organization of the events, and gathering as many people as we can to encourage these kids. This would not only make them very happy but also be a good learning experience as they communicate with our students. Every time, we invite a chief guest who is well known in his walk of
life. Last year, it was young hero Varun Sandesh who interacted with the kids and helped with the cause. Tarang, this year headed by Satyajit Reddy, along with Meghna and Vineela as Vice President and Head of Events respectively, is expected to be bigger and better than never before. A fun filled evening with CBITians performing for them promises to be a treat to all who come and is expected to take place towards the ending of March. Reaching out to over 200 kids by encouraging, supporting and teaching them, to add to their journey of being a better citizen of our nation is our goal. So let us put in our best and be a blessing!
According to the guidelines issued by the Delhi Police, a woman has the privilege of lodging a complaint via email or registered post. If, for some reason a woman can’t go to the police station, she can send a written complaint through an email or registered post addressed to a senior police officer of the level of Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. The complaint is verified and an FIR is lodged. The police can then come over to the residence of the victim to take her statement.
COPS CAN’T SAY NO A rape victim can register her police complaint from any police station irrespective of area of occurrence of the incident under the Zero FIR ruling by Supreme Court. Sometimes, the police, in order to keep clear of responsibility, try sending the victim to another police station. In such cases, the woman can cite her right.
YOU CAN’T BE CALLED TO THE POLICE STATION
Women cannot be called to the police station for interrogation under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code. This law provides Indian women the right of not being physically present at the police station for interrogation. The police can interrogate a woman at her residence in the presence of a woman constable and family members or friends.
YOU CANNOT BE STALKED It is a punishable offense to follow a woman and contact, or attempt to contact a woman via internet, email or any other form of electronic communication to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by the woman. The accused can be liable to imprisonment for up to 5 years.
FREE LEGAL AID Often, women go to the police station unaccompanied by a lawyer to get their statement recorded, and they stand the risk of being misquoted or their statement being tampered with. The police may also treat the entire episode lightly and not lodge an FIR. So, it is necessary to have a lawyer with you while you lodge the FIR. According to a Delhi High Court ruling, whenever a rape is reported, Delhi Legal Services Authority has to be informed about it. The legal body then arranges for a lawyer for the victim.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUCCUMB TO ANY CRUDE BEHAVIOR
Any activity which harms or injures or endangers the health, safety, life, or well-being, whether mental or physical, of a woman or tends to do so is considered a crime. The instances considered to be guilty include physical, sexual, verbal or emotional abuses. Repeated threats to harm any individual related to the aggrieved person are also considered an offense.
SHELTER HOMES There are government funded shelter homes in every district of India. If an aggrieved person requests the person in charge of a shelter home to ensconce her, the person in charge of the shelter home shall accede to her wish.
Jalian Wala Bagh: Remembering the Martyrs BY SUMALIKA ADDAGARLA, EDITOR
The Jallianwala Bagh lies in the heart of Amritsar and at the heart of our struggle for independence. In a narrow, congested street surrounded by crumbling buildings is a signboard‘Jallianwala Bagh Memorial- a landmark
in our struggle for independence’. Greeting the visitors at the entrance is a plaque that reads, “People were fired at from here.” It was here in the holiest city of the Sikhs, on April 13,1919, that a massacre involving the killing of hundreds of unarmed, defenceless Indians was ordered by Brigadier-General R E H Dyer. On that black day, a peaceful public meeting held in the Bagh turned into a bloodbath. Just after the meeting began, Dyer marched in at the head of 50 soldiers, and without any warning, fire
was opened on the helpless people assembled there. The stampede that ensued killed many and many more killed themselves by jumping into the well there. A total of 1650 bullets were fired. Hundreds of innocent Indians were killed. Though we learn of this incident at quite a young age, we understand the full significance and tragedy of that day’s events only at a later time. A time when we are mature enough to handle the much stronger reactions we feel in response to it. Anger, resentment, sadness, indignation, and more anger. As one walks through the now wellmaintained garden and reads the various plaques describing the events of that day, it is hard to not feel an overwhelming sense of sadness. The usually boisterous
tourists maintain a much more respectful silence within the Bagh. A memorial was constructed in the Bagh to perpetuate the memory of the martyrs. The monument, befittingly named the Flame of Liberty, was inaugurated in 1961. The central 30 foot high pylon, a four sided tapering structure of red stone stands tall and majestic in the garden. It has the words ‘ In memory of martyrs, 13 april,1919’ inscribed in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. Bullet holes are carefully preserved under the thick glass frames. The well, now enclosed holds no water, only coins tossed by those who come to pay homage. This diabolical event described by Winston Churchill as ‘an extraordinary
event, a monstrous event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation’ faced widespread condemnation and affected the direction of our freedom struggle as well. It prompted legendary Indian literary figure Rabindranath Tagore to renounce his Knighthood in protest of the mass killing. It is hard to imagine the desperation and chaos the hapless people there must have experienced or the agony of those who lost their loved ones that day. The incident at Jallianwala Bagh will undoubtedly remain one of the darkest and bloodiest chapters in the history of India. We can only hope that we shall never again have to witness such a barbaric act.
Summarizing 2013-2014 Placement Season in CBIT BY RAVI TEJA GAMINI AND BHAVANA YALLA, SENIOR PLACEMENT COORDINATORS A great first job can help a student shape his/her career in the right direction. The Placements season in CBIT brings joy to several people in their final years. This placement season has turned out to be a very good one for the batch of 2013-14.The number of placements in our college has always been the highest compared to any other private college in the state. The number of companies that have visited so far is more than 50 and this number is bound to increase with companies still visiting the campus. The credit goes to the placement office and espe-
cially our placement officer, Dr. NLN Reddy. This placement season, top firms have hired in bulk. The number of opportunities that CBIT offered was aplenty and those who utilized them got placed in reputed organizations. Microsoft hired 8 students for a package of 11 lakh per annum which is an all time record. Several top organizations like Wells Fargo, Deloitte, Pega and Oracle have recruited in good numbers. Additionally there have been companies visiting the campus for hiring interns. The reviews given by big cor-
porates about the quality of students at CBIT were positive and this drives these companies to visit us again for recruiting. However, they stressed that the students must work on their communication skills. Our students actively participated in many ‘Campus Connect’ programmes which were held by certain reputed companies so as to build a mutually rewarding relationship with CBIT. JPMorgan had conducted a programming contest before visiting our campus for recruitment. A few of our students belonging to Information Technology department had won this con-
test and in turn were offered jobs at JPMorgan without undergoing the usual recruitment process on the campus. CBIT placement cell along with the support of the college management has organized industry interaction meets during the placement season to keep students updated about the recent requirements of the recruiters in terms of student capabilities. The three big companies that recruit heavily every year, namely Cognizant, Infosys and Wipro have offered jobs to a large number of people this year
as well. Infosys has offered 242 jobs this year, which is the highest number of jobs offered by a single company. Where one placement season ends another has already begun. The new set of Placement Coordinators has already started conducting seminars and workshops for the students. Just recently, the Coordinators along with the MARCNS group organized seminars and mock placements for the Class of 2015 batch.
PAGE 6 India's Disability Bill Raises Hopes Highlights of an End to Discrimination
BY NISHITHA MALUR, JOURNALIST
BY MUKUND KS
How many times have we been guilty of shunning away from disabled human beings? I’m sure that many of us are left with a guilty conscience when it comes to answering that question. For the 40-60 million people with mental and physical disabilities in India, discrimination and stigma are daily occurrences. In a country where social standing – including in regards to marriage – is crucial, having a disability often means being relegated to the bottom of the pile. Up until now the Indian government has looked at disability from a very medical approach, that is to provide a certain type of disability with X,Y,Z facilities instead of making the environment more inclusive for persons with disabilities.Attitudes towards disabled people are entrenched, particularly
where families are struggling to make ends meet and social services are few. Their misery cannot be explained in mere words. A long-awaited bill introduced into parliament aims to give more disabled people equal rights – including access to education, employment and legal redress against discrimination. Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, has promised disabled groups the historic legislation will be passed, seven years after India signed the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities(UN CRPD). The fact that the bill has been classified as a ‘game changer’ is because it seeks to cover a plethora of newly-included disabilities, thereby expanding the definition of disability from the current seven categories to nineteen.Millions of peo-
Indians from the Northeast stand up against racial discrimination
ple are classified as disabled under the bill, including those with autism, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, muscular dystrophy, blindness and cerebral palsy, which entitles them to government benefits. Much to the relief of the deaf, the bill also includes making captions or sign-language interpreters available for electronic media. These groups can also use the bill to fight discrimination across all areas. Campaigners had hoped the bill would be passed in the previous session of parliament, but it failed to do so. Now it is unclear how long they will have to wait. Many fear that the well-meaning bill, even if it is passed, will make no difference to the way in which disabled people are treated, especially in a country
In the year 2012, India had witnessed a large-scale exodus of North Eastern people from Bangalore. They are migrating to other places in India because of being racially abused. There have been multiple cases of suspicious deaths, brutal murders, rapes and Northeast Indians being flogged in public around the country. Often being referred to as 'chinki', 'chini' and 'momos', some say there have been instances where the local police never took their pleas seriously. The people of Northeast India living in and around Delhi feel insecure as they think this issue doesn't show up in the news unless one of them is murdered or raped. There was a massive protest by the North Eastern commnuity against the murder of Nido. NidoTaniam was a 20 year old student from Arunachal Pradesh who died of his injuries the day after he was
CHANGES in our COLLEGE
One need not look any further than our own college CBIT when it comes to seeing that the disabled and elderly are provided with proper facilities. The elevator facility at the training and placement cell stands as a testimony to this. There are also plenty of ramps to be found around the campus. Apart from this brand new elevators are all set to creep up in every block of our campus thereby removing a significant burden. Facilities likean adjustable sliding ramp for entry into the college buses would also be welcome in the future.
2. India ended their Asia Cup campaign with a facile eight-wicket win over the bottom-ranked side of the tournament. 3.Yet again Leonardo DiCaprio may have been denied an Oscar statuette, but his reaction to losing the prize is still making waves on social media.FTW Leo! 4. Facebook stunned the technology industry by buying Whatsapp for $19B.The very next day Whatsapp suffered an outage for more than three hours. The famous meme doing rounds is that Mark Zuckerberg’s wife blocked him on Whatsapp, so he blocks Whatsapp! Funny much? 5. ‘2 States’, a movie based on the 2009 novel ‘Two states : The story of my Marriage’ written by Chetan Bhagat coming up in April. Teasers going viral on social networking sites. 6. Ellen DeGeneres Oscar Selfie: Preplanned Product Placement Plug For Samsung! Haha! 7. Father-Daughter workout video : This is a new workout craze that is going viral on YouTube. However, this one doesn't involve a 90-day routine or a six-month payment plan. 8. Flappy Bird is 'gone forever': Game creator pulled app because it is 'an addictive product'.
AT THE WEATHER’S MERCY BY ALEKHYA AKKUNURI
BY NAGARJUN REDLA
beaten up by eight people in Delhi on January 28, 2014. During the month of Nido's death, two women from Manipur were beaten up and thrashed publicly in Delhi. This bleak scenario that people from the Northeast have to live with is not limited a few places only. It is far more widespread and common than we would like to believe. They are apprehensive about trusting politicians as they wouldn't take a stand on the issue. How will this issue be resolved? The first step to eliminate this issue is to bring about the change in ourselves. You might crack a joke on a friend for fun, but do know when you're taking it too far. Most of us might feel we aren't being racist at all, but ask yourself the same question when you try to differentiate two 'Rohits' or 'Sanjanas' to your friend. In the end, the real question is, will racism ever end?
where many existing laws are poorly enforced and often flouted.In order to correct the injustice of exclusion, let us not create an equality of oppression.
1.Birth of Telangana : Creation of Telangana as India's 29th state was approved by Parliament on 2nd June. So 29 states in India. General knowledge people!
We hear about earthquakes destroying thousands of homes, cyclones disrupting the livelihood of people and tornadoes twisting around wildly, condemning everything in their path to face utter desolation. Because of the frequency of such headlines, we have become somewhat immune to the fact that millions of people are dying every year due to such natural disasters. Weather experts from around the world agree that climate changes have been more drastic than ever in the past decade. This can be attributed to the rising of the Earth’s temperature, commonly referred to as global warming. Global warming and climate change go hand in hand, with the terms some-
times being interchanged, as the distinction between both becomes less significant with each passing year. Although natural disasters are a product of Mother Nature, we cannot deny the fact that human development has adversely affected the Earth’s climate. Over the past few months, the world has seen the strongest tropical storm with unprecedented wind speeds make landfall-Typhoon Haiyan. The intensity and the damage caused by this have been linked to climate change. Heat waves in Australia and Argentina, floods caused by heavy rainfall in Brazil and the wettest winter the UK has ever faced are alarming signs that the climate is changing more rapidly than naturally possible. It is interesting to note that, although alarming, abrupt climate change is a normal state of affairs. It has occurred in the past and will most definitely occur in the future. However, global
warming is increasing the rate at which the climate is changing. If we keep releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the human species as a whole may not be able to survive for much longer. Scientists believe that half the human population, along with many other species of plants and animals will be wiped out in the near future unless we come up with a way to prevent anthropogenic climate change. Even in Hyderabad, all of us have noticed how the day starts off all cloudy and cold, which then becomes sunny and warm by midday. In the evenings, we have a continuous downpour of rain which goes on throughout the night. The days which are supposed to be hot and sunny are suddenly turning into those cold winter evenings where we want to do nothing but huddle up in a warm blanket with hot coffee. Climate change is not an issue of the future, it is happening now, and it requires our immediate and undivided attention.
PAGE 7 THE HISTORY, PROGRESS & VISION OF CBIT
BY SHIVANIREDDY
HISTORY
The history of Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT) traces back to 1979.It was established by the Chaitanya Bharathi Educational Society(CBES) consisting of 13 allied board members under the chief patron-ship of Dr. M. Channa Reddy, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. It was the exact time when there was a strong opposition against establishing private engineering colleges in the state. Against all odds, the institute began with a humble intake of 200 students into three departments of Civil Engg., Mechanical Engg. under the guidance of Dr.V. Malakonda Reddy as Principal and Secretary during 1979-80. The institute was first setup at A.V. college campus. Later the society acquired 120 acres of land near Hyderabad and shifted the campus to its present location in 1981. In the following years, there was an expansion of various undergraduate and post graduate courses including CSE, MCA, MBA, EEE, Chemical Engg., after which the college was accredited for the first time by the NBA AICTE. The institute was awarded ‘A’ grades to the department of CSE and ECE and Civil Engg. and ‘B’ to the depart-
ments of Mechanical Engg. and Production Engg. The second accreditation by NBA AICTE was done in 2004 and the college was awarded superior grades in all the branches. It is indeed a matter of pride for us that CBIT was the first and only engineering college to be accredited by AICTE’s National Board of Accreditation twice—in 1998 and 2004. Later in the year 2005, the institute celebrated its Silver Jubilee on 15th and 16th of September with great enthusiasm and pomp to commemorate the completion of 25 successful years since its inception. The occasion was no less than any big festival and was celebrated on a grand scale with widespread and eager participation from all. The chief guests of the celebrations included the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr.Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Dr. V. Malakonda Reddy, Dr. B. N. Reddy and other distinguished personalities. From the year 2006, under the stewardship of Dr. B. Chennakeshava Rao as Principal, the institute has achieved great accomplishments between the years 2006 and 2013 including a number of successful accreditations and the more recent autonomous status.
PRESENT With its keen commitment to offer quality education, CBIT has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 34 years and today it has emerged as the leading higher education provider in A.P with an intake of 960 regular and 156 lateral entry students into 9 Under Graduate (UG) streams and a total of 374 students into 11 Post Graduation (PG) courses. The total strength of students at present is approximately 4638. The institute provides a highly conducive environment with the best possible facilities made available to the students including excellent infrastructure and efficient labs which is quiet evident from the excellent performance of the students. Around 258 well qualified, highly committed and dedicated faculty members are employed, 73 of which are doctorate degree holders and 76 are pursuing the same. Apart from this, the institute also provides 234 experienced and supportive technical staff. The institute is well known for its placements credited to the placement cell, established in 1996. Under the guidance of Mr. NLN Reddy, our extremely capable Placement Officer, CBIT has successfully ensured that the future of a majority
INDIAN NAVY - BARELY STAYING AFLOAT BY SUMALIKA ADDAGARLA, EDITOR For any country to stay protected, it is of utmost importance that the people entrusted with the job of doing so are in a position to carry out their duties as meticulously possible. In our country, defence forces are synonymous with the Army. But in a country with as considerable a coastline as ours, it becomes imperative that we are capable of protecting ourselves from enemies lurking around on the high seas as well. It is thus obvious that the Indian Navy plays a crucial role in ensuring our safety. However in recent times, a series of accidents involving our vessels has left everyone wondering if we are equipped and capable enough to defend ourselves should the need ever arise. Over the last two years, as many as 11 mishaps involving a variety of vessels have taken place. There has been extensive loss to property and life and definitely to morale as well. Inquiries have been ordered. People have been blamed. Excuses have been made. Yet, the accidents couldn’t be stopped. Most recently, only a few days ago, a gas leak on board an under construction destroyer, INS Kolkata, resulted in the death of a naval officer and hospitalised others. This is not an isolated incident. On Feb 26th, 2014, a fire incident in the submerged INS Sindhuratna, a Russianorigin submarine commissioned in 1988, ended in the death of two officers and an emergency airlift of seven affected sailors. A day later, the navy chief Admiral D.K.Joshi resigned from his post taking moral responsibility for the incident. Taking a look at the accidents that have
happened over the past year, it can be observed that a variety of reasons have been cited for them. On January 30, 2014 amphibious ship INS Airavat suffered damages when its propellers hit the ground while returning to the harbour in Visakhapatnam. This apparently occurred on account of the dredging work going on in the channel. In the same month, INS Sindhughosh, Kiloclass submarine ran aground and in a separate incident, INS Vipul, a missile boat was detected with a hole in its pillar compartment while it was on an operational deployment off Mumbai. Just a few days before this, INS Betwa, an indigenously built friagate, reported a crack in its sonar dome, the bottom-most part of the ship. The year 2013 had its share of accidents and near-misses. In December, 3 incidents were reported. INS Konakan caught fire, destroying most of its interiors. A frigate, INS Talwar, collided with a fishing trawler, resulted in its sinking and also injured those on board the trawler. INS Taraksh damaged its hull when it hit the jetty while docking. In September, INS Viraat
also experienced a fire accident. Among them all, possibly the most disastrous accident occurred in August, 2013. INS Sindhurakshak, a Kilo-class submarine, exploded inside the Mumbai naval dockyard killing all 18 on board and later sank. It would not be wrong to say that a lot of these accidents could have been avoided, had a little care been taken. Considering the recent spate of accidents witnessed by the Indian navy, there has been a lot of unrest, especially among the retired naval officers. What they have to say is that the government is lethargic in responding to their requests to upgrade the fleet and modernise them. Whoever maybe blamed for this, the fact remains that the state of the Indian Navy is in disarray. Steps need to be taken to ensure the proper functioning of the vessels and the safety of those on board. Only when these accidents are curbed can we again believe in the ability of our Navy to operate its warships effectively and ensure our country’s safety.
NEW BLOCKS AROUND THE CORNER BY KRISHNA HARSHA, JOURNALIST There is no need of any proof to support the fact that CBIT is an ever growing institution. The way it never tires in the pursuit of excellence in the field of education speaks volumes about it. It believes that learning experience in a campus, and campus environment with good infrastructure are interrelated and it is focused on enhancing both. CBIT’s commitment to the same is obvious even to an untrained eye, as the regular technological updates of the equipment and ongoing construction of new facilities and buildings stand as live examples. For instance, construction of new block for ECE department is on the verge of completion. The new block of ECE certainly has the latest features and facilities. The design of the building is unique with a cellar and three floors; ground, first and
second. It has spacious corridors and good ventilation. The flooring in the entire building is exceptional with smooth granite. The cellar is allotted for a new book bank facility which offers academic books of the department to the students of BC, SC and ST category. The new block boasts of tinted glass windows used for all the rooms which controls the luminance factor thereby improving the visual experience of a student when a projector is used. The new seminar halls are upgraded and have already been used without any glitches for the ECE fest, Synapse. They are big enough to accommodate two sections at a time with a seating of chairs with flip pads. They have perforated false ceiling which suppresses the reverberation of sound, thus improving the listening experience. In addition to that, an advanced
audio system has been set up in the hall for an overall satisfying experience. Unlike the other seminar halls, the availability of projector connections near podium adds to the convenience of the presenter. The rest of the rooms are allotted for classes, labs and the staff. The ECE department uses about 140 computers. The new departmental building is expected to be equipped with all new systems. The new ECE departmental building is getting ready with the finishing touches happening at good pace and is expected to be inaugurated next semester. Following the custom of CBIT, this new block is already being addressed as N block going by the alphabetical order. But could we maybe have an inspiring title to this new block?
of its students is secured. It is considered one of the top placed colleges and boasts of amazing placement statistics, placing 918 students this year. It was indeed a proud moment when CBIT was: -Ranked 31st in the country and 1st in the state for placements among the top 100 engineering colleges. by Outlook, 2006. -Ranked 43rd in the top engineering colleges in country by Outlook, 2011 -Ranked 47th in top engineering colleges in country by The Week, 2012 In line with its motto “SWAYAM TEJASWIN BHAVA”, CBIT trains its students to become self-enlightened entrepreneurs in their respective walks of life. In the year 2013, CBIT had been granted autonomous status for a period of 6 years from the academic year 2013-2014 to 2018-2019. Adding to its excellence, an AUTONOMOUS CBIT today stands out as an institute of great repute in its selfless pursuit of offering academic excellence and of moulding professionals to face the challenges ahead.
VISION Though CBIT has long since proved itself to be a dream destination for aspiring engineering students in the state, the institute strives for further excellence in all departments and harbors a vision to do the same. -The prime objective of the institute is to attain Deemed to be University Status or Private University.Establishment of electronic classrooms. -Increase in the number of Distinctions and First Classes. -Construction of an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1500 at an estimated cost of ‘1.5 Cr. -Construction of an Outdoor Stadium with a seating capacity of 30,000 at an estimated cost of ‘5 Cr. -Improvement in research activity, consultancy, Industry-Institute activity, etc. -Construction of more Staff Quarters, Girls Hostels, and some more boys hostels etc.
UNDERSTANDING UKRAINE
BY MANAF ALI
Who hasn’t heard of the Ukrainian crisis? It’s in the newspapers , it’s on CNN ,it’s everywhere. To those who haven’t heard of it, simply put, Ukraine is facing a crisis which has led to dozens of civilians being beaten to death and could result in much worse. Understanding the unrest in Ukraine begins with an understanding of Russia’s past. Our story begins at the bloody aftermath of several wars which claimed more than a million Ukrainian lives. This was a little after the World War 1 in 1922, when Ukraine officially became a part of the Soviet Union, which was a massive Eurasian state governed as a single party state, i.e, the Communist party. This state existed between 1922 and 1991. We now jump to 1944 during which Joseph Stalin was in charge. It was at this time that mass deportation of an ethnic group called the Tatar’s occurred where the indigenous populace of Crimea was deported to Mid-Asia and Ethnic Russians inhabited Crimea. Let us now flash forward to December of 1991 when a nation-wide referendum was held in Ukraine regarding the question of independence from Russia in which 90% voted “yes”. In 2004, the first elections were held in Ukraine wherein Pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych ousted Viktor Yuschenko and was elected President. However, the elections were reported fraudulent by domestic and international observers and were claimed to be rigged. This led to The Orange Revolution , a series of protests and civil disobedience primarily in the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, which in turn led to a second election resulting in President Viktor Yuschenko emerging as the Head. Ironically, Viktor Yuschenko, despite being an economist
did not contribute much to growth, and increasing ties with European countries infuriated Russia resulting in cutting off of gas supply which was disastrous for Ukraine. These events lead to the election of Viktor Yanukovych as the President once again in an election that was fair and free as per international observers.So what could possibly be the problem? To answer this, we have to go to November 2013, when president Yanukovych decided to cut ties with the European Union and strengthen ties with Russia. This marks the beginning of a series of protests which began at the Independence Square in Kiev. These protests grew exponentially eventually leading to the killings of February 20, 2014 where peaceful protesters were beaten to death by the riot police following which President Yanukovych fled Ukraine. The protestors had won, a temporary government was being set up and Ukraine was gearing up for presidential elections, yet again. So I guess that’s that. Then again, maybe not. Recall that Ethnic Russians had inhabited Crimea in 1944. Russia, obligated by the responsibility of protecting its ethnic population, has around 30,000 Russian soldiers in the Crimean region readily stationed. This violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity is in diplomatic circles a very grave and serious matter. So the question that arises is what does Crimea want? Does it want to be a part of Russia? Each of these solutions has its own setbacks and especially considering the immense legal issues with both of the solutions, would any of these be practically viable? This is a question which only time will tell.
PAGE 8 IPL PREVIEW BY SREEKAR REDDY So the IPL auctions were the big story last month. Telling you which team got which player wouldn’t really help since most of you would know that already, instead here’s my opinion on how the teams have shaped up. The Sunrisers Hyderabad- Had to start with my (our) team. The notable entrants into the Sunrisers’ fold this year would have to be the Australian opening duo of Aaron finch and David Warner. Since Shikhar Dhawan is a permanent fixture at the opening slot, one of the two Aussies will have to come in at number 3. The first thing that hits you about the Hyderabad team is that the batting is top heavy. With no other notable Indian batsman apart from Dhawan , the Sunrisers will have to rely greatly on the explosive Darren Sammy or Brendon Taylor who could prove to be a surprise package. However if Venugopal rao and KL Rahul come good then this Sunrisers Side could be a favourite for the title. Irfan Pathan and Rasool would certainly be an asset with bat and ball. Naman Ojha should don the gloves and the bowling looks pretty settled. With Dale Steyn and Amit mishra the Sunrisers are all but assured of 8 good overs. However how Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Ishant , Irfan and Karn Sharma step up could determine the success of this side. Jason Holder unfortunately could find himself on the bench more often than not. Analysis- fantastic top order, the middle order is brittle but a well rounded bowling attack means the Sunrisers are better placed this year to bid for the title. Perhaps missed out on Badrinath. Chennai Superkings- Chennai retained Dhoni, Raina, Ashwin, Jadeja (perhaps the best Indian T20 players) and Dwayne bravo. This ensured that Chennai had a strong core even before the bidding began. With Faf Du’Plessis, Dwayne Smith and Brendon Mc Cullum in the mix Chennai has fearsome power in the batting department. Decent Indian players like Baba Aparitjith and the veteran Mithun Manhas add a little solidity to the line up so no problems there. Perhaps however Chennai realised they were short on bowlers and hence went for the incomprehensible and ridiculous bid of Rs 2 crore for the injury prone, over the hill Ashish Nehra. That bid however didn’t do much to help as the Superkings will be heavily reliant on Hilfenhaus , Ashwin and Jadeja. Ishwar Pandey and Mohit Sharma are promising but could certainly be sent to the stands against quality opposition. Analyisis-look well rounded but the lack of a match winning bowler could cost them. The batting might make up for it though and hence they are strong contenders for the title as usual. Mumbai Indians- The first question to Mumbai would be – What were you thinking when you let Mitchell Johnson go??. They retained Malinga, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh and Kieron Pollard hence retaining
their entire allowed quota. Mumbai went after Michael Hussey and the new sensation Corey Anderson. The batting looks good (perhaps not as good as last year) with a good Indian presence . The bowling is a worry since Malinga doesn’t seem like the lethal bowler he was and an ageing Zaheer Khan will not threaten too many batsman. Ojha and Harbhajan are quality spinners but there could be too much of a burden on them. Mumbai certainly seem like a weaker side from last year. AnalysisShould have retained Johnson and let go of Malinga. It will be tough for the defending champs to claim the title again. Kings XI Punjab - The Punjab outfit have Virender Sehwag who looks way past his prime at this stage. Manan Vohra and David Miller were retained by them. The batting is too dependant on foreigners Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey. Along with Miller that doesn’t leave space for a foreign bowler and this is where Punjab could really suffer since one of the three new recruits will have to be
dropped to accommodate Mitchell Johnson. Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha and Sehwag as the Indian batsman wont cause too many alarms in the opposition ranks. The bowling will rely on Johnson and Murali Karthik( got him with a last minute effort) with Parwinder Awana and Balaji for support. I can’t figure out how Thisara Perera will fit into this side. AnalysisCould beat anyone on their day since they have match winners but won’t have the consistency to see them win the title. Rajasthan Royals- By far the smartest franchise in the league and their reputation stands thanks to some great retentions. Watson, Binny, Samson, Rahane and Faulkner form a very good core. The batting is in good hands with Watson, Hodge, Rahane, Samson, Binny , Abhishek Nayar and Unmukt Chand. Add to it the explosiveness of Faulkner down the order and we find a great mix of Indian and foreign players. Rajat Bhatia is a very underrated allrounder and him along with Iqbal Abdullah could send down some quiet overs. Pravin Tambe , Faulkner and Dhawal Kulkarni
complete a well rounded bowling unit as well. It will be interesting to see how they shuffle Tim southee and Kevon Cooper into the team. Also look out for Ben Cutting, he can hit the ball a long long way. Analysis- Their vision and a cricketing mind like Dravid working with them could lead to glory for this side. Kolkata Knight Riders- Retained Gambhir and Sunil Narine. The batting looks good at the top with Utthappa, Kallis , Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla. If Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey succeed then Kolkata will have decent fire power in their ranks. Ryan Ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan are quality allrounders and will add depth in both departments. The bowling is a worry with Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar having been sent to the stands more often than not and Piyush Chawla will have to partner Narine well. It will be an interesting toss up between Andre Russell Chris Lynn and pat Cummins to see who makes it to the 11.Look out for Kuldeep Yadav, our own Indian Chinaman. Analysis- Look to be a side with a decent chance of making it to the playoffs. The bowling looks weak apart from Narine. Delhi Daredevils- Didn’t retain any player and the Delhi franchise has used their funds well. International batsmen like Quinton De Kock, Kevin Pietersen and Ross Taylor along with Indian Stars Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik , Manoj Tiwary, Saurabh Tiwary and Lakshmi rathan Shulka make sure Delhi has the flexibility to play more than one International bowler. In Mohammad Shami and Rahul Sharma Delhi have good Indian bowlers since Shami is perhaps the best Indian pacer right now and Rahul Sharma has proven to be successful in T20. Wayne Parnell and Coulter-Nile will form an effective new ball pairing if the tournament is played in South Africa. Analysis- A much better side than last time around and could have a change of fortune with a playoff appearance. Royal Challengers BangaloreThe big spenders, the superstars, they possess the most fearsome batting quartet in the world. Chris Gayle, AB Devilliers, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh will send a shiver down the spine of many opposition bowlers. Parthiv Patel, Vijay Zol and Albie Morkel should complete what is the best batting line up in the IPL. The bowling however is a different issue with Ravi Rampaul and Mitchell Starc being the international stars who wouldn’t cause sleepless nights to the batsmen. Varun Aaron and Ashok Dinda don’t inspire too much confidence. Shadab Jakati may be a surprise package. Analysis- Dream batting with 5 of the best T20 batsmen in the world. The bowling could fall apart from the pressure and could cost RCB dearly. But surely with the Batsmen they have betting against them going to the playoffs and beyond would be foolish.
TOP STARS CASH IN ON TENNIS PREMIER LEAGUE BY MUKUND KS
World number one Rafael Nadal will be in Mumbai! You heard it right folks, Nadal will be finally coming down here and to display his wide arsenal of shots, and thankfully not for some cameo in an overhyped Bollywood film (I’m sure they can get a stunt double for that). That’s not all, plenty of former tennis greats and other top players are to follow suit.The dream of seeing these top players continue their everlasting rivalry on Indian soil has finally become a reality thanks to our very own (and no doubt a modern tennis great in his own right) Mahesh Bhupathi, the impresario behind the launch of the International Premier Tennis League (ITPL). So naturally there must be lot of cash involved right? You can be rest assured that almost every single player who has made himself/herself available for this glitzy tournament will be getting paid a top dollar. Leading the payroll pack is Nadal himself who will reportedly get close to $2 million, while Murray and Djokovic can each expect to pocket a seven-figure sum for playing three matches in as many days. How high will the event fly? The sky literally is the limit here and the signs are positive, yet there are also significant gaps in the information coming out of the auction in Dubai – notably the identity of the four team owners who have reportedly bid a total of $24 million (well as things go these days we may know details of the Indo-US nuclear deal, but not the identity of the owners). The possibility of continuing the legendary rivalry between Sampras and Agassi, followed by a matchup between Nadal and Murray is sure to attract sponsors, broadcasters (and hopefully not bookmakers) to the multi-million dollar event. How the tournament works
The International Premier Tennis League has now come down to four teams in its first year, based in Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai-each of these four cities are favoured international destinations and do have a huge population of upwardly mobile youth. The chances are that Kuala Lumpur will also join if stadiums are available in December. That means each team will play six matches, and the season will run from Nov 28 to Dec 13. The format of each match involves five sets, each set played by a different combination of players, so that you can claim a point each in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and “legend’s” singles (which should arguably be the most exiting set!) WHERE THE STARS WILL LINE UP
Team Singapore: Playing November 28, 29, 30 Tomas Berdych, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter, Daniela Hantuchova, Nick Krygios. Team Bangkok: December 2, 3, 4 Andy Murray, Jo Wilfred Tsonga, Victoria Azarenka, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya, Kirsten Flipkens. Team Mumbai: December 7, 8, 9 Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Pete Sampras. Rohan Bopanna, Ana Ivanovic, SaniaMirza, Fabrice Santoro. Team Dubai: December 11, 12, 13 Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Goran Ivanisevic, JankoTipsarevic, NenadZimonic, MalekJaziri, Martina Hingis. The league, valued at over Rs 250 crores, is expected to add to the appeal of tennis in Asia and the Middle East. Against the backdrop of Asians doing better in Grand Slams, the talent pool for tennis in the continent is expected to expand.
CRICKET at a GLANCE! BY
NIKHIL GOPAL KRISHNA, JOURNALIST
Cricket is the game liked and enjoyed by billions, as every aspect related to it involves brilliance. It has enormous potential which unifies the entire nation, by which people of all kinds and ages follow it with great passion. The game has seen,is seeing,and needs many quality players by its side, who are hard working, skillful, selfless, always playing for pride. Players are not only mentally and physically tested in all the matches, but are also constantly examined under wide-varying conditions and pitches. Domestic tourneys have given proper directions and shown right paths, and their unending support has enabled cricket’s future in very good
hands. Women crickteters are to be credited and recognised for their crucial decision, and their hardwork is being paid off now and are able to do things with precision. Leagues like Ipl and Big Bash have been responsible for the game’s modernisation, and have tasted instant success due to greater levels of innovation and improvisation. Cricket has inspired many film makers in making a few classic films like Lagaan, and has now acquired cine stars into it who are fielding like acrobats even at the crucial longon! All the enthusiastic lovers of the game keep expecting a lot and hope, that this wonderful entity has a great future and an unimaginable scope.
PAGE 9 ...And Goaaaal! FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: BY SHREYA ANANTHARAMAN
Come 12th June and Brazil will play host to arguably the sporting worlds’ largest spectacle- The FIFA World Cup 2014. Though country football may not garner as much (to put it mildly, excessive) enthusiasm as club football, it cannot be denied that the fans wait with bated breaths for top players to kick off in their national jerseys. Be it Lionel Messi for Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal or Neymar and Kaka for Brazil, the line ups are a true spectacle. A total of 32 nations-divided into 8 groups of 4 teams eachare presently gearing up to face off in the land of samba and carnivals, on the footballing worlds’ greatest stage. There are the clichéd groups of death-Group G (Portugal, Germany, Ghana and USA), Group B(Spain, Netherlands, Chile and Australia) and Group D (Uruguay, Costa
Rica, England and Italy) there are nations like Argentina and Brazil almost guaranteed to go through and then there is also the debutante nation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
There’s a lot to be said for the fans of the game. Never before have play-offs and friendlies caught so much interest. Football is all about loyalties, and the fans are absolutely fierce and they are ready to get behind and cheer their champions for the win. Never
mind the brawls and abuses that are almost certain to be hurled. They make the game what it is, and the players have a show to offer. The statisticians and the astrologers have all begun to gather, to predict who would emerge on top (Remember Paul, the octopus?). Will it be the defending, world-beating champions Spain, or the perennial favourites Brazil? Is it France’s chance for a repetition of history, or will Germany walk away with the cake? Will the temperamental Balotelli inspire Italy or can the World Footballer of the year just turn the tide in his country’s favour? Or will it be someone else entirely? Your guess is as good as mine. All said and done, there’s history to be made at Manaus, Brazil. So buckle down. The countdown begins.
A Preview of T20 WC BY NIKHIL GOPAL KRISHNA , JOURNALIST One could not have asked for a better opening to the 5th edition of T20 WC to be held at Bangladesh, a mammoth cricket loving country. It is going to be a clash between two arch-rivals when India vies up with Pakistan, on the 21st of March for the tournament to kick off. For the first time the tournament will have 16 teams including all ten full members and six associate members who qualified through the 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. The top eight (full member) teams in the ICC T20I Championship rankings on 8 October 2012 enter the Super 10 stage. The remaining eight teams compete in the group stage, from which two teams advance to the Super 10 stage No team will have a clear advantage coming into a match, no
matter which team they would be facing. This is why the number of supporters are increasing for this format. It is all about performing to your strengths and not letting your nerves get the better of you in order to cross the line. The West Indies will step in as the defending champions with a whole lot of T20 stars, and is undoubtedly one of the teams to beat. Australia too are on course with the right mix of youth and veterans ideally suited to this version. Teams like New Zealand and South Africa will look to show their dominance to set the records straight. Sri Lanka being the current no.1 ranked T20I side will be itching to show why they are placed at the top. Former champions: India, Pakistan and England have their set of
game changers ready and will hope to be the 1st team to win the cup twice. The nail-biting finishes, head-to-head battles, unbelievable hitting, unorthodox shots, variations in bowling, super-over, bring beauty and add life even to a dead rubber match, just in case. Some phrases like ‘Is there any twist in the tale?’, ‘Couldn’t have written the script better’ are the ones each one of us would like to hear innumerable number of times till the tourney ends on the 6th of April. T20 is surely an exciting prospect and a WC in this format is like icing on a cake. However, all the enthusiastic followers will have to be patient for a few more weeks (very long indeed for an ardent fan) to enjoy the thrills and spills, this short & sweet format offers!
CHAK DE INDIA! BY KRISHNA HARSHA, JOURNALIST Who is the present captain of the Indian hockey team? To be honest, I couldn’t promptly answer when one of my friend’s posed the same question. As a matter of fact a large number of people may not recollect a hockey captain as quickly as they could, with ease, in the case of cricket. Irony though is that hockey is our national game. A national game, Flag or anthem are the national symbols which infuse a sense of pride and patriotism in every citizen’s heart. Contrary to common belief, unlike other national symbols, Hockey was not declared as a national game by the Indian Government, though it is generally addressed as such. Indian Hockey was at its best in the years from 1928 to 1956 when India won six Olympic gold medals in a row. In this span India had played 24 Olympic matches and won all of them scoring 178 goals while conceding only 7 goals. Hockey had become a matter of pride to every Indian, stirring up patriotism in the country and eventually it became our national game.
The astounding saga of a ball game that has become a sport of honour to our country can’t be separated from the life of a person who has become a legend for the same reason .He is Major Dhyan Chand, a star player who scored goals like runs in cricket. He scored goals as if he was performing magic on the field and was famously called as a black magician with a hockey stick in hand. He was a wizard on the field and an epitome of patriotism who preferred to be a lance Nayak in Indian army to a field marshal in Germany, when he was offered the latter post by Adolf Hitler who came to know about his magic on the field. In 1934, in a tour of 48 matches in New Zealand, India won all the matches scoring 584 goals of which Dhyan Chand alone scored 201 goals. That was the level of expertise he had in playing the game and that was the level of dominance India had in the world in that Golden period. We can’t be content with past glory. Our national game has lost its charm. The reason is not just the de-
grading standards of Indian Hockey, but also the transformation of hockey into a power game by Europeans out of vested interests. Physically strong European players are at an advantage on the fast paced artificial turfs. And artificial turfs are still very scarce in India. Lack of financial support is another reason, as issues regarding, dues in payments to players were exposed several times. Also unlike BCCI, Hockey federations are inactive. Misuse of power and frequent disputes between federations worsens the problem. Minimal coverage by media is also one of the reasons for lack of public support and interest whereas inconsistent performance of the team remains as the main factor deciding public interest. In the recent times people are showing up in stadiums in support of the team but the Zeal to win is still missing in our players. Major Dhyan Chand said, “You need not have really great players in team but you need to have a team ready to do or die.”
Sachin Sanil BY ANAND GUPTA, EDITOR
Our college, CBIT, is one of the best engineering colleges in the state. And it is so due to various reasons. One of them being, the tremendous amount of talent that many CBITians possess in the field of sports. And in this edition, we get up and personal with one such personality: Sachin Sanil. He is one of the best soccer players that CBIT has ever seen. Now, let’s get straight into the interview that we had with him. Q: What inspired you to play soccer? A: The game and everything about it has been my inspiration, the very fact that “what you can do with a football completely depends upon your own creativity and intelligence’’, makes me want to get back to it every day. Q: Where did you learn to play soccer? A: Most of my football today is thanks to hours and hours of “best friend ball” times, and also thanks to everyone I have always trained and played with. Q: What is your biggest achievement as a footballer? A: My biggest achievement is
something that’s yet to come. Each time you achieve something there is still room to get better in football. Q: Tell us how does it feel to be part of the CBIT soccer team? A: CBIT football has been fun up until now, and I’m sure it’s only going to get better. Q: Was there a time when you were completely out of form and felt soccer is not for you? A: Everybody has their bad days. If you don’t have them, then you just need to get a check for your weaknesses because you aren’t noticing them. Q: How do you come out of such situations? A: I brush it off and start each game as a new one. Q: Who is your favourite soccer player? A: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Enough said. Q: According to you what should be done to increase the popularity of soccer in India? A: Promoting Indian football will find its own way, especially once “talent” becomes the number one priority in the selection criteria.
Can India Regain Its Position Once Again? BY NAGARAJU POSHAVENI, JOURNALIST AND ANAND GUPTA, EDITOR The world cup which was a dream for crores of Indians has come true and from there on its glory has reached its peak. We were very proud of our Indian team, until the series with West Indies came to an end. There is a vacancy for the number 4 position in the team, and that position is yet to be done justice to. India had been at an advantage with several of its worshipped legends being a part of the team, however their time has come to bid adieu to our team. It’s very hard to imagine as to what will become of our team, but it’s a reality we must face. If we take a walk down memory lane, and look into the series that have gone by, we will note that it is us who are responsible for the sword hanging atop our head. Our rankings have dropped swiftly. Our rankings in the ODI’s have dropped from the first position to the second, while in the case of test matches, we have dropped to the third position. But the main question is, what is the reason behind the fall in our performance? What caused our empire, which we so carefully built, to come crumbling down? How did we – the kings of cricket – become the paupers?
I have many distinct ideas in my head, but none good enough to form a proper theory! Is the cause for this change the departure of Sachin Tendulkar from our team? Is it the over confidence ruling them? Are they not at the top of their game? There are countless questions. All these questions, are asked not only by me, but by people all around India. The game mainly depends on the mindset of the players. The mindset is the game changer, it’s what decides which team takes the trophy home. I agree that skills and sportsmanship are key factors but mindset does play a major role in this. The player needs to be strong, so that he can face the opposing team, not only physically, but also emotionally. When entering the field, the player has to put aside all his worries and stride in as though he is the king of the place, and the ball abides by his rules. Maybe that is what has changed, that is what has led to our downfall – the change in our mindset. If we can go back to being positive, without arrogance, ego and personal problems coming in the way, we will be all set to win the ICC World Cup 2015!
12 YEARS A SLAVE, GRAVITY WIN BIG, OSCAR ‘SELFIE’ BREAKS TWITTER RECORD By aditi PunEtHa All the diehard fans will unanimously agree - This time The Oscars were not a disappointment. With mostly high moments and barely any flaws, it was one of the best Oscar ceremonies we’ve seen in ages! Hollywood’s most awaited and biggest night, The 86th Academy Awards took place on 3rd March, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Second time host Ellen DeGeneres returned with more humor and wit, keeping the audience well entertained. Her celebrity-studded selfie was a stroke of genius which within no time became the most retweeted picture in twitter history. After mentioning The Hunger Games in her monologue,Ellen ordered pizza and handed it around among the audience. FYI, a real pizza, delivered by a real pizza delivery guy.She then passed around Pharell William’s hat and coughed up money from the stars! All poor Lupita had was a lip balm, which she gladly contributed. DeGeneres was scintillating as she wandered through the crowd, tapped ‘Marty’ (Martin Scorsese) and ‘Brad’ (Brad Pitt) on the shoulder and gifted Bradley Cooper lottery scratchers as a consolation prize. The musical performances were one of the many moments that made the night so magical.Pharell Williams performed his hit single ‘Happy’ and went into the audience tobreak a leg with stars like LupitaNyong’o, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. A few memorable speeches were delivered as well. First
time winner Jared Leto, took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto thanked his mother,brother and dedicated his award to the victims of AIDS. Leto’s female counterpart,LupitaNyong’o, delivered a sentimental speech by addressing the dreamers out there while accepting the award for her moving performance in ‘12 Years a Slave’. As widely predicted, Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett won Best Actor and Best Actress in a Leading Role respectively. Gravity took the lead, winning seven awards, including Best Director (Alfonso Cuaron), Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects followed by 12 Years a Slave which won three awards including the top trophy of Best Picture. Although it ran a little long, the Oscars featured Hollywood glamour, moving tributes, magical musical performances, memorable speeches and enthusiasm for young talent. Let’s take a look at few of the top awards and their winners… Best Picture -12 Years a Slave Best Actor in a Leading RoleMatthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) Best Actress in a Leading Role - Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) Best Actor in a Supporting Role Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) Best Actress in a Supporting Role LupitaNyong'o (12 Years a Slave) Best Director - Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)
PAGE 10 Two Different Worlds
By tEja mariyada, Editor
She was my best friend, despite what her status was. Her mother was working as a maid for us, long before I was born, or her daughter, Jasmine was born. Jasmine and I were the same age and were inseparable since the start. I never really mingled with anyone because I had a serious stammering problem, people always made fun of me and I decided to stay away from everyone. The only person whom I’d talk to without any hesitation was her. Her school used to get over by the time I came home and she’d always wait near my bus stop for me. She’d always say, “Meera, I have been waiting here since forever.” To this, I’d always laugh, grab her hand and walk back home. I even remember once, she had fallen totally sick but she insisted on waiting for me at the bus stop that day because I once told her that seeing her waiting for me at the bus stop was my favorite and exciting part of my day. Sometimes she used to skip eating her lunch for me at school and save her mother’s special tamarind rice for me because I loved it so much. Despite my stammering problem, I loved to talk. The only one who took my talking seriously and never laughed at it was Jasmine. Whenever I had a bad day at school because of this problem of mine, she’d tell me I have a power which nobody had. She told me that my brain works so fast that my speech couldn’t keep up with it. The best part was, she was selfless and very modest. I always tried to give her clothes or my toys to take home but she wouldn’t accept. She was happy with whatever little she had. She would get me
bangles from her side of the city and I had to take them, or she’d get mad. She was unfair like that and it made me love her more. Whenever I fell sick, which was quite often, she’d for sure stay back at my house and take care of me. She would never let me do the same for her and it was annoying. She’d say you will catch my fever and I’d have to take care of you again and it would be a cycle. I could’ve said the same thing to her but I loved her company when I was especially sick, so I let her win. At the age of 14, Jasmine dropped out of school. I found that very ridiculous because she told me that she wasn’t fond of going to school at all. As far as I knew she loved learning and she wanted to be a doctor someday, she was so smart that I knew for a fact that she could top in my class. She spoke way better English than I; she used to do my homework almost always. I remember having a huge fight with her that day about this and she got really mad at me too. We almost didn’t talk for a week. After a week, she came home, bawling helplessly. She said it was her dad. He didn’t want her to study any further. I was so enraged that I could’ve erupted like a volcano. I told mom about it and my mother was equally enraged about it. My mother told Jasmine’s mom that she would support Jasmine’s studies but both Jasmine and her mother refused profusely. Her mother quit working for us the next day, and I got to see Jasmine very rarely. There was no more Jasmine waiting for me at my bus stop, I felt rejected. I spoke to her normally like I did whenever
she used to come visit me at times. I could see she wasn’t the same old Jasmine I once knew, she looked depressed and lost. I regret not asking her why now. I regret it so much now that I feel I am responsible for whatever happened, even though it isn’t. The least I could’ve done was to be there for her. After I turned 16, Jasmine never visited. I went to her house and it was occupied by someone else. Nobody had a clue where they went. I literally had no “best friend” to talk to anymore. I started to maintain a diary, and then I realized every page read the same thing in the end,” I miss Jasmine.” A week ago, Jasmine’s mother paid us a visit. Her mother made my favorite tamarind rice and it tasted just as scrumptious. She showed me a picture of Jasmine, with her own family. She had two kids now already; I couldn’t stop my tears looking at the picture. I stared at in disbelief for quite some amount of time, lost. I kept the picture and gave her mother my diary for Jasmine to read. Jasmine didn’t have to stop her education, get married and have two kids at the age of twenty, all these kept repeating in my head that day forth. It’s just so unfair that I get to have the luxury to do whatever I want to because I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and my parents knew better than to get me married at a very early age while she’s probably succumbed to the pressure of being a perfect wife, mother and a daughter-in-law. I only hope the best for her now for she will always be conspicuous part of my life.
Pet Spotlight
Viraat and Aparna Reddy with his two dogs, Hoshi (Left) and Caramel (Right)
Anuhya Koduri with her dog, Google
Pooja Reddy with her dog, Bruno
The Best of Koffee with Karan By HarsHal Kusuma, Editor This mighty couch has never failed to create gossip or make it to the headlines. Wait, you know what I’m talking about! The show that is every celebrity’s dream-Koffee with Karan. After completing three amazingly rocking seasons, full of witty chitchat and fun, the show is now back with a bang for a fourth season, more sensational than ever. The best celebrities getting tangibly candid and showing their amusing side on a talk show with the man who rules Bollywood - how entertaining can that get! Well, the fourth season which is still airing has till date provided us with some of the
most hilarious moments of celebrities being quizzed by Karan about all the random things one can actually think of! From the fiery Rapid Fire round to the celebs spilling the beans; from the introduced newly Koffee Quiz to the exclusive celeb signed mugs-this season, I say, is brewing with a whole new fun load of confessions and gossip. Here we get to you, few of the best moments of this season. We had Kareena Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor on the show together and yes, it all came out! Kareena couldn’t stop pulling Ranbir’s leg about his rumored relationship with Katrina Kaif and that’s where the
entire buzz started! And we got a glimpse of Kiran Rao showing her possessive side about Aamir Khan in their episode, which made the occasion quite humorous for the show lovers! Then they came, the Gunday on the couch-Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor who, by the means, literally showcased their singing talent. When they talk, it is possible to silence even the usually loquacious Karan! And yeah, we had to see them breaking into duets at random moments and they are undoubtedly one of the funniest pairs we’ve seen on the show! We definitely cannot forget the lively little riot that the
“You haven’t made it if you haven’t been on Karan’s couch”
Students of the Year- Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, and Varun Dhawan, created on the show. The trio literally had the viewers cracking up in every single moment. The best being the answers they gave when asked who the President of Indiais? Well, Alia unmistakably answered Prithviraj Chavan while Varun said it is Manmohan Singh. And it was all done in a fraction of second. Quite impressive I say! Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone talking about the fact that “Actresses can never be friends”, laughing every single moment they spent on the show, was one of the most
entertaining episodes. We then had Nargis Fakhri and Freida Pinto open up about their connection to the fact they work in an industry away from their homeland. The duo jovially played around with Karan’s references, so much that they actually beat him at his own game making him go speechless. With all this entertainment and so much more, KWK is unquestionably one of the most loved talk shows we have seen. On that note, we take a break and yes, look forward to more reloaded seasons of the show-where it goes more than just BEHIND THE SCENES!
PAGE 11 Book Review- The Book Thief BY G. HAMSIKA
Once in a while a book comes along that is so soul stirring that it gives you goose bumps. Such is the case with Marcus Zusak’s phenomenal literary creation-The Book Thief. From the very first title page, you know you're in for something very special indeed. With The Book Thief, Markus Zusak has shown he's a writer of genius and a literary marvel. This is a book about the power of words and language, and it is fitting that Marcus Zusak managed to write it in just this way. One of the many things I love most about this book is Zusak’s brilliant choice of a narrator. By allowing Death to narrate the story and giving him the ability to wonder at his connection to Liesel, a young girl whose passion for books sustains her while death and war rage around her, Zusak brings to his story a haunting and heartbreaking quality. Death, as the narrator, becomes a being capable of emotion and who seems to know that we, the readers, need to become familiar with Liesel’s story. Death is rendered vividly, a lonely, haunted being that is drawn to children, who has had a lot of time to contemplate human nature and wonder at it. Liesel is very real, a child living a child's life of soccer in the street, stolen pleasures, sudden passions and a full heart. Death and Liesel cross each others path thrice. .First, when he (death) comes to claim her younger brother
BY HARSHAL KUSUMA, EDITOR
Werner on a train taking them to meet their foster parents. Second, when he comes to claim souls after a bomb is dropped on her town, and finally, he visits Liesel as an
older woman. Death finds the book Liesel was writing during the bomb raid and uses it to tell us her story. In 1939 Liesel arrives in the town of Molching Germany and is taken to the home of her foster parents, an elderly German couple named Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Hans Huberman finds Liesel's first stolen book and teaches her to read and write. Liesel's passion for books leads her to steal one book from the mayor’s wife and another one from a book burning. An emotional turning point in the book occurs when the Hubermanns take in Max, a Jew, and the son of the man who saved Han’s life during the Great War. Hiding Max in their basement is a dangerous undertaking for the Hubermanns.
MOVIE REVIEW:DE
Already in danger of hiding a Jew, Hans Hubermann risks punishment when he offers bread to a Jew. Now under suspicion, the Nazi police want to search the Hubermann home forcing Max to flee and Hans to join the German army. With both men, gone Liesel brings comfort to her neighbors by reading to them. She is in the basement of her home writing the story The Book Thief when the bombs begin to drop. Altogether the pages are full of lively humor, and the richness of the descriptions as well as the richness of the characters' hearts cannot fail to lift you up. It’s a beautiful story that lingers with you long after the final page is read. Every word, every character is created with purpose and there is nothing to spare. I’d say that if you want a fast read, this book is not for you. If you only like happy endings this book is not for you. If you don't like experimental fiction, this book is not for you. But, if you love to read, care about the characters involved, use words like they're ice cream and have your heart broken and mended on the same page, this book is definitely for you! It is a book to treasure, a new classic. If I were to make a list of books to read before you die, this book would make the top 5! Many books I like, a few I love and a very few I cry over. I absolutely loved ‘The Book Thief’ and yes, it did make me cry.
YEARS A SLAVE
BY RIYAZ SUNDRANI
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” –Abraham Lincoln Slavery is indeed a heinous crime against humanity that existed in the United States in the past. Directed by the British artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen, ‘12 Years a Slave’ takes an unflinching look at the shameful chapter in American History. This is slavery examined with searing honesty, far removed from the normal sugarcoating of ‘Gone with the Wind’ or ‘Django Unchained’. The interesting details which were new were those that depicted the abduction of free Northern
Bazinga! Could this BE any more Legen-wait for it-dary?
Afro-Americans to be forced into slavery in the South. It was also terrible to see the slave selling scenes featuring a sinister cameo
by Paul Giamatti. But these happen within the first hour of the film. The rest of the film already felt squeamishly familiar, but harder to watch because the flogging tended to approach high levels. It is never an easy watch. McQueen refuses to cut away as men
and women are lashed till the skin is peeled off their backs. If you are expecting anything lighter than Django Unchained, I’m sorry; you’d be highly disappointed since this is grave. Nicely shot and paced, this flick works because it whiffs with reality and the cumulative emotional effect is devastating. This movie has won the Academy Award for Best Picture and many other top categories; and is definitely something that cannot to be missed by serious movie-buffs and the ones who love parallel cinema.
How you doin’? For most of us, this would be a reminiscence of our favorite, Joey-the innocent and caring food-lover, from the timeless multi-camera comedy show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S! Popularly known as Sitcoms, situational comedies
are shows which, unlike standup comedy, generally involve a storyline plotted around a particular group of characters, with various situations of their lives. This popular genre of comedy dates back way earlier than we imagine and as years have passed, Sitcoms have come to be perceived as the most popular and celebrated shows of all time. We have the best evergreen sitcom, which everyone loves to watch even todayF.R.I.E.N.D.S! This show revolves around the lives of a circle of friends-Joey, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Ross and Phoebe. It premiered in 1994 and aired ten rocking seasons, the last one being aired in 2004. Though the show came to an end, it was a huge hit among all those who had become sitcom freaks by then! Being a more realistic depiction of twenty-something life, it still holds up as the quintessential favorite for all of us, even 20 years after its debut. It lacks any of the things which are usually a part of twenties life today, but I’d say it holds up as a sparkling story-of working hard, take a shot at success, having fun dinners with the people we love and care for no matter what, without having an overly dramatic blowout. Just when people were convinced that there would never be another show like this, where the actors were so in sync that the show seemed like a reality, How I Met Your Mother was born. In 2005, the new sit-
com How I Met Your Mother was introduced. It did not capture the hearts of many right away as there were many who weren’t ready to give it a chance because they did not want to cheat on their F.R.I.E.N.D.S! This sitcom, also set in New York, has its storyline around a dynamic group of people together.
Though many compared the show to F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and the characters were correlated along with the storyline, I think that HIMYM has its own essence of spirit in its story. Barney Stinson’s and Joey Tribianni’s characters are considered close cousins-both men charming, handsome and have one strong desire when it comes to women. But there is a striking difference-Barney’s demeanor is very Suit and Tie while Joey’s is more of jeans and t-shirt. And then we have Marshall and Chandler, both of them use humorous sarcasm and awkward stories to relieve a situation. In spite of such similarities, both the shows were greatly loved and watched, with HIMYM still going strong. And since then, we have had a gush of similar sitcoms based on friendship. Another sitcom The Big Bang Theory began in 2007 with its main plot again revolving around a similar concept. But it has different characters- Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Amy, Raj and Howard. Each one of the have their own interesting flaws which the people loved. The show has different settings and
also embraces the geek culture in a whole new different style. Sheldon Cooper’s personality is taken in a totally different direction-him being afraid of dirt and germs with a desperate need to be saved from them! Raj’s inability to talk to women, Sheldon and Amy’s strange relationship, Leonard and Penny’s on-again-off-again relation-all these interesting flaws and the fact that they are geeky geniuses make the show so good in spite of being based on the same base concept. We haven’t really seen characters like them before, so we’re all keen to watch out for all the hilarious situations their crazy personalities land them in! Though more number of sitcoms have come up, the classic ones are still being aired. Few of the new sitcoms currently being aired are New Girl, Two Broke Girls, etc. They all deliver great jokes and are fantastic shows to watch but I think there can’t be a more realistic portrayal of fun and life as in the all time favorite show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S. . Well folks, there you have it-Amazing shows, relatable concepts and fabulous casts. And they’re all Legenwait for it-dary!
PAGE 12 Kids Then & Now- TECH TEENS BITCOIN: The New Digital Currency BY AKSHAY KULKARNI, DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BY S. K. ANAGHA Ever imagined what would happen if all the electronic gadgets we use today stopped working for a day? It would be a greater disaster than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki isn’t it? We live in an era where almost every teen is affected with the technology bug. Studies show that 50% of the teens
sun. How many of us read the newspaper in the “newspaper”? The Screen based technology has taken over it too! We know all the features of the latest Samsung smart phone released in the market but have no clue what was the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu out of the ten. If it is true that
own a mobile phone but hardly 21 minutes is being spent making a real conversation. A post on the Facebook wall or a tiny tweet makes things real easy. Why teens? Even kids as tender as seven, are approaching Google to complete their assignment and Grand Theft Auto’s as refreshment rather than playing out in the
the advancement in technology is binding people around the world together with so called social media, it is also true that the same technology is creating barriers in the real world. If technological advancement is one aspect dominating today’s kids with those back then, the next one is peer pressure. In the tough race of getting a glittering life, today’s gen-
eration is under the pressure of their parents, teachers, and friends compelling their still tender minds. This pressure ultimately leads to bad habits like drugs and alcohol consumption. In the competition for a better life compared to our peers, we tend to go on the wrong track, deviating away from our own goals and passions. The people back then gave value to their passions and dreams than anything else which is why they are really happy today even if they aren’t connected to the world socially as much as we are. From Religion to relationships, the gen next has their very own ‘modernized version’. We are letting every tiny feeling within us to be liked, commented and shared upon not realizing the impact it will have up on us in the long run. From polluting the nature to polluting our mindsets in the most important phase of our life, today’s teen and kids are misleading themselves in every way possible curbing their abilities and creativity. Technological advancement is good when it is not ruining our traditional values. When we connect technology with nature and give more importance to real time world and move forward in achieving our goals we can be a motivation for the future kids because it is ultimately WE who build or break the nation!
We live in the age of internet. Almost every aspect of our life has been shifted to e-spaces, from socializing with friends to shopping for something, everything happens online. So it was almost imperative for us to have a form of digital currency for purpose of online trading. Credit card processing gateways was a major breakthrough in this field but it came with its security concerns. What if someone hijacked my session and got access to my credit card numbers? This is a fear that is faced by many users, even today. Another important aspect that needed to be addressed was that of online money transfer. Traditional approaches included making a request to your bank to transfer the money, either through Demand Drafts or Cheques. One of the main problems with this approach was, firstly, it took a lot of time, especially if the sender and receiver were in geographically distant locations, plus the logistics involved was not reliable every time. Also for international transfers customers were forced to pay pretty exorbitant processing fee percentages. This created opportunity for companies like PayPal and WePay, which greatly reduced the time required for international transfer but there was still a considerable processing fee and the processing had to still be done by a middle organization which creates a delay in the transfer. In general PayPal charges around 19% as processing fees and it takes around 7-
10 days for a transfer to complete. Bitcoin changes all that. So, what is Bitcoin, anyway? As I see it, it’s a cross between a stock and a form of payment. It’s a form of payment because you can use Bitcoins to pay for things. You can buy computers on Tigerdirect.com, you can buy pretty much anything on Overstock.com, and apparently, some enterprising young California girls are letting you buy cookies with them. You can also send small amounts of currency to people in other countries, without worrying about exchange rates or currency conversion fees. And lastly, the most important part is that there are no currency conversion or exchange rates. It’s a stock because there’s a fixed number of “Bitcoins” in the universe. The value of each Bitcoin fluctuates based on the law of supply and demand. The more people that want to use them, the higher their value. One user anecdotally reported Bitcoins bought in 2009-2010 for $1 (USD) each were recently sold for $1,200. That’s a lot of appreciation. But it’s not what Bitcoin’s evangelists focus on. The technology behind Bitcoin is open source, so developers from all over the world can contribute to the project but this also means that the potential hackers could exploit the vulnerabilities in the system. Nevertheless Bitcoin has definitely revolutionised online money trading and is definitely the new digital currency.
The Vigil idiot Nexus 5 vs iPhone 5S BY KARTHIK VARMA AND SANIT REDDY
BY SATWIK URL:https://www.thevigilidiot.com https://www.facebook.com/thevigilidiot
Hello, my lovelies! This is what the blog “The Vigil Idiot” greets you with. With its mission to make its writer filthy rich and famous, as the blog’s page on facebook says, The Vigil idiot is basically a Bollywood film review blog written in the form of a comic strip with stick figures depicting the characters and the different scenes in a film.”Just like any other blog, what is the difference anyway?” you may ask. Well, if the hilarious depiction of each character in the film doesn’t give you a laughing fit, then the drippingwith-pure-sarcasm review of every senseless scene in the film that insults everybody’s sane sense of imagination surely should. The brainchild of Sahil Rizwan-a sub-editor at the Amar Chitra Katha Studio, this blog is purely meant, according to the creator himself, for a few cheap laughs, and aims at World Peace, as the write says, but mostly the former stated mission! And undoubtedly, it gives you a lot more than that. Questioning every one of the director’s motives to give you your money’s worth with pointless storylines far fetched, idealistic characters and sometimes deliriously obscene and funny comical pictures, every review ends up being a mini laugh riot. The reviews are, in almost all cases, of films that
aren’t worth a watch, or simply put, bad films. Of course, just like any other review, the comic strip follows the story line as it is, and pops in a simple, yet subtly straight and logical question every now and then. To add to the irony, the senseless explanations are quoted as they are by the stick figure personalization of the characters, making the situation look extremely stupid, and in the process, outrageously funny. So, the next time you sit in a theatre and start cribbing about how bad the film is or how it isn’t worth a single penny spent on it, The Vigil Idiot gives you an incentive to somehow survive through the ordeal and make it out in one piece, cause rest assured, what awaits you at your home is a hotly served review, with all elements included to make sure you roll on the floor laughing. And basically, the title has nothing to do with the purpose. It was, by the writer’s admission, supposed to be The Village Idiot, but since the domain name wasn’t available, The Vigil Idiot was the closest he could come to pulling off the title. Quite interesting, isn’t it? So there you go, you have a blog to look out for, every time you watch a movie and start wondering why you even tried to watch it!
Apple began selling the iPhone 5s in october 2013.Google followed the same in the following month, selling the Nexus 5, manufactured by LG Electronics. Both the smart phones are extremely popular. Conventional wisdom holds that the iPhone has a cleaner, more easy to use interface, with a more premium hardware than its competitors. The same consider Android, a more complex yet easily customizable invention; while Apple more strict in protecting its user experience, Google allows the users to change the way its OS works by installing apps like Skype, without having to “jailbreak” the device. Google also allows hardware manufacturers to install their own user experience, or UX, which works in tandem with Android to stand out from their competitors or in other words to make the phone better. One of the most interesting hardware differences between these two flagships is the amount of random access memory, or RAM, allocated to each. While the iPhone 5S is surely the expensive of the two, it has half the RAM of the Nexus 5, which is one gigabyte versus two. The iPhone 5S is a capable device for multi-tasking in its own way, but the Nexus 5 has a distinct edge with double the RAM if you are a serial multi-tasker or a power-user. For smartphone photographers, the iPhone 5S may have the edge. Apple has included a dual-LED flash to the iPhone 5S, adding an amber bulb to the standard white in addition to a light sensor. This greatly improves low-light shots and offers more balanced, natural skin tones. In properly lit settings, the Nexus 5 and iPhone 5S are extremely comparable. Both offer 8-megapixel shots. The Nexus 5 offers true optical image stabilization or OIS, whereas the iPhone 5S has an inferior, digital counterpart, the results are hardly noticeable.
The iPhone 5S also features an exclusive fingerprint sensor, Touch ID. Touch ID offers a convenient way to unlock a smartphone that the Nexus 5 lacks. The Nexus 5, thanks to its plastic case, includes wireless charging, while the iPhone 5S does not contain the necessary hardware. This is not because Apple intentionally left the feature out — the iPhone’s aluminum body makes wireless charging impossible without an external case. Display: With a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which translates to 445ppi, the Nexus 5 display looks crisp and accurate. It has an impeccable IPS display. On the surface and in the specs, the iPhone 5s screen has not changed. It is still using the same 1136×640 pixels (727,040 pixels) resolution, while most of the smartphones in that price range have moved to 1080p:1920×1080 (2,073,600 pixels). This means that the competing devices have nearly 3X more pixels than the iPhone, but in terms of visual sharpness we have to take into account the pixel density (PPI or points per inch), and because the iPhone display is relatively small (4”), the overall iPhone 5s pixel density is pretty decent at 326ppi, but competitors still get higher PPI: 468ppi/HTC One (Feb 2013), 441ppi/Galaxy S4 (Apr 2013) and 423ppi/LG G2 (Aug 2013). Software: If you’ve ever heard complaints about Android phones’ software updates being inferior to those of iPhones, then remember that it doesn’t apply to Nexus phones. The Nexus 5 ships with the newest version of Android, 4.4 KitKat, and it should also receive future updates very soon after Google releases them. That’s the Nexus family: it’s Google’s vision of
Android, unhindered by OEM or carrier “improvements.” OS naturally gives you all of Apple’s popular services, like iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Siri, iWork, iTunes Radio, and so on. Apple’s services are designed by Apple, made by Apple, and they reflect Apple’s standards(simplicity, elegant design, “it just works,” etc.). They’re the company’s way of controlling your experience, presenting it the way they think it should be presented. Once you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem, the odds of keeping you there are pretty high. Hands-on experience: The Nexus 5 is one of the most comfortable phones I’ve ever used. It is comparably slow to heat up, so there are no issues holding it while watching movies or during extended gaming sessions but the battery drains out quickly which is 2300mAH comparably less for a 5”inch display device. The soft-touch finish, contrasts perfectly with the ceramic buttons, which makes them very easy to find and use without looking. At this price, the Nexus 5 is worthy of its price. -Sanit It’s fair to say that the iPhone 5S didn’t have any significant improvements over iPhone 5 in terms of quality, because its predecessor was so well made. In fact, it’s hard to see where Apple could improve. In our opinion, the iPhone 5S is still the best looking smartphone out there. Its precision cut aluminium rear sits absolutely flush with the glass panels covering the top and bottom. Overall, it gives a pleasant experience to own this phone. iOS is a pretty stable operating system and the apps for iOS have rarely crashed. The phone feels great in the hand, it feels solid. And the phone runs really smooth with barely any lag. -Karthik
PAGE 13 UPDATES oF a FEW LATEST TECHNOLOGIES 1. Apple announces CarPlay: in-vehicle voice and touch access to notifications, maps and music. Apple has officially announced CarPlay, its new in-car interface that'll be compatible with new Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo cars unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in the first week of march. Designed "from the ground up" to bridge the gap between your iPhone and your auto, it will offer touch and Siri-based voice navigation of your smartphone services, including contacts, voicemail, notifications, map directions and music cueing . Voice controls will be activated by a button on the steering wheel, while the in-car touchscreen is populated with those familiar iOS 7 icons for easy access. The service will launch as an iOS update for Lightning-enabled iPhones (that's iPhone 5 and up), with CarPlay-compatible vehicles launching later this year. And if any of the above aren't your preferred automaker, Apple says that you can expect compatible cars from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and several more in the near future. 2. Milk music...? Sound crazy? It’s Samsung's attempt to compete
Samsung debuts Milk Music, a streaming radio service that's free to download and listen to, without ads -- but it's only available on Galaxy devices. Milk Music, launched on March 7th and is available now in the Google Play store, it is Samsung's latest iteration of a streaming-music service. It has no ads, and it's free, but you have to be a Galaxy customer to use it. Samsung is taking on Apple's iTunes Radio, as well as Pandora, Spotify, and a host of other companies in the competitive streaming music business, but it picked an innocuous name to do it. And for now it's only available in the US, which was how Apple rolled out iTunes Radio too, but it is expected to expand soon. The interesting thing is that it does have the option of listening offline. You cache some music for uninterrupted listening when you head down to the subway or get stuck in a building with no signal or Wi-Fi.
awaited Windows 8.1 Update 1, ahead of its scheduled launch in April. Most of the changes found in the Windows 8.1 Update 1 are said to be focused on keyboard and mouse users, as we see a desktop taskbar placed above the Metro UI-style apps, and options that enable the user to minimize, close or snap Metro UI-style apps. The Redmond-based firm is also said to add a 'shut down' button on the Start screen for non-touch user machines. A new search button is also seen on the top-right corner. Further, some freshly leaked Windows Phone 8.1 SDK images suggest that the proposed 'Action Centre' or the notification centre in WP8.1 can support a maximum of 20 notifications for each app, messages that will be deleted after seven days. The users can tap on the notification navigating right to the particular application. The users can also clear the notifications one by one or altogether according to their needs.
3. Windows 8.1 Update 1 build was accidently leaked by Microsoft
4. Facebook revamps News Feed with mobile-inspired redesign
Microsoft generated much buzz online on 6th march when it mistakenly released a build of the much-
Facebook on Friday took the covers off a new News Feed design. The social network has faced a lot of
with Apple's iTunes Radio.
criticism from users in the past over even minor design changes to the News Feed, so it will be interesting to see how the users react to the latest set of tweaks. The new look of the News Feed focuses on photos, with large images, new fonts (Helvetica and Arial) and cards for stories. The look is very similar to its mobile apps, and will be rolled out to users around the world gradually over the next few weeks. One year ago, Facebook had redesigned the News Feed to make it feel more like a "personalized newspaper". Users were given a large amount of control over what they were seeing, and they could also have clicked on navigation links on the right side of the screen, to jump to topics like sports or music related content as well. Last year's redesign was rolled out to a fraction of the social network's users, but the feedback was apparently mixed. Facebook says people "liked the bigger photos and images, but found it more difficult to navigate Facebook overall." With the new layout, Facebook aims to combine the best of both worlds as it "keeps the layout and navigation people liked, but offers bigger images and photos, as well as a new font."
FIN: MADE BY AN INDIAN
BY PRANAV KONDALA
Past one year there has been a revolutionary innovation in the fields of wearable technology. While many in the tech world would agree that wearable devices are the natural next stage of computing, no one really cracked the code. As much as we love to talk about Google Glasses, Pebble watches, Samsung's Gear and Gear fit; no wearable device has breached the mainstream
and achieved any degree of ubiquity just yet. Well our very own Indian company, RHL Vision, a technology solutions company based in Cochin, started by a group of young engineers, think they have the answer. Fin: A simple Ring that turns all your fingers into buttons. Mr. Rohildev, CEO of RHL Vision, had already turned many big companies head by becoming the youngest competitor at Mobile World Congress, held at Barcelona with his prototype. They have successfully raised about 200,000$ in less than 15 days time. This is a simple example to prove two points, 1. That we are going to see more wearable tech in the market and people actually would want to
adapt them 2. Even a simple engineer can start up a multimillion Dollar company if he/she has a vision. How does Fin work? Fin is made up of optical sensors and uses biometrics to differentiate each finger. Each finger has its own finger prints and the optical sensors and biometrics, work together and make a 3 dimensional map of your hand. Fin is able to detect swipes and taps across your hand. When it detects a gesture, it sends commands to your connected devices via bluebook, let it be a smart TV, phone, tablet or a computer. Where and how can you use it? Imagine, you are jogging with your headphones on or you are driving with your phone in your pocket or
you are just too lazy to remove your phone out of your pocket when you are lying on the bed, you can simply touch your thumb against your index finger to answer or reject calls. By rubbing your thumb against your index finger you can scroll through music files and control volume . All these are possible by using a simple Ring on your thumb. It can further expand its grounds by making it compatible with latest technology smart phones and PDS for visually impaired people and make life simpler for them. Keeping in mind that this ring is going to be available in market in few months time, let's hope it will encourage young engineers like us to dream big.
Useful Android Apps
Dialer+ (Dialer app) Well-designed dialer app with an interface built upon tabs. It features integrated phone book and messages list as well as swipe gestures for easy and intuitive navigation. Dialer + can download contacts pictures from Facebook and Google+ as well as remind you about birthdays and other important events. Other features include built-in T9 for dynamic search predictions, two themes (dark and light), and a handy home screen widget.
GoBackup (data restoration) Backup and restore tool to help backup and restore user data, system settings, apk files, app data, etc. Professional, stable, and easy to use - GO Backup & Restore is always ready to help you from any dangers due to the loss of app and data from your phone! It is your best choice for recovering SMS messages from backups.
Dumpster (Recycle app) Dumpster is the first-ever recycle bin for your Android smartphone and tablet device! Analogous to the one on your desktop. Dumpster gives you the ability to change your mind in case you accidentally delete the wrong file. No need to backup your
data. No need to root your device. Internet connection absolutely not required!
QuickOffice (Productivity ) There are quite a few powerful office suites for Android and the GoogleOwned QuickOffice is among the best. The app allows you to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files as well as view PDF documents. Thanks to tight integration with Google services, Quick Office can also access files stored in the cloud to open them or share via Google Drive or e-mail message. All that is wrapped in a well-made interface that follows Android’s design language and is pretty smooth. What’s more, the app is completely free.
MXPlayer (Video Player) MX Player allows you to play video files in almost any format. Thanks to a number of codecs available for download in the Play Store, it supports all phones and tablets. It is the first player to support multi-core decoding and hardware acceleration to deliver the best performance and experience. Additionally, MX Player allows you to load various kinds of subtitles, pinch the screen to zoom the picture in, and control playback with swipes
Themer (Customization App ) Themer is a customisation app by Mycolorscreen, a site dedicated to customising Android devices. Themer is essentially a launcher that replaces your default launcher, you browse for themes, hit apply and they’re ready to go straight away. It’s been designed to help you customise your Android device as easily as possible.
Multitasking is one of Android’s greatest features and can really boost one’s productivity. In addition to the default implementation, there are several great applications available on the platform that provide simple and fluid app switching experience. One of the latest and the best of them is Loopr. The app uses a hotspot to display a halfcircle switcher with icons and names of apps running in the background. In order to launch it, all you need to do is hold your finger for a couple of seconds on either side of the screen. The position of the hotspot and hold delay can be configured to make sure you won’t activate Loopr by accident.
CardCloud (Business e-cards)
AD: I wouldn't know, I get all my news online... BC: How do you manage to keep track? There's such an overdose of news and articles on the net - it becomes so difficult to find your way through that maze, figure out which ones you want to read and... AD: I don’t think it’s all that complicated… BC: A newspaper has 20-odd pages and each page has a finite number of articles and news items - isn't it easier to follow them than have a million websites report the same incident in different ways? AD: You need to install a couple of filters to make your life easy - one is to your computer, to help you be selective about what you read. And the other is to your mind, to stay focused and not vacillate between various sites... BC: You’re underestimating the problem… AD: I don't understand why you're blaming technology for it. Hasn't information overload been bandied about as the bane of civilization ever since the printing press came into existence? BC: C'mon, you can't compare a few hundred books to an unending barrage of information online. Even social media has become a source of news - there are so many 'relevant' news items that are begging for your attention. And the ones that you miss out on are purposefully forwarded to you by friends and contacts – a host of sites like Twitter, Digg and Facebook are more than willing to bring it to your laptop or mobile. AD: You should learn to ignore most of them, especially those which move on gossip, casual talk, political debate, etc... BC: They're the ones that people just can't resist and so they end up loading themselves with the messed up information. AD: But there’s a positive side to all this… BC: The problem is that there is no balance. The pendulum has swung from a dearth of information to a surfeit of it…
AD: Isn't that why we have spam filters? And why are you harping on the disadvantages of technology? What about the fact that you don't have to wait for the latest news any longer? Everything you want to know is now available at your fingertips…
QuickPic (Gallery app)
Loopr (Multitasking Enhancement)
BC: Hi, did you get your newspaper this morning?
BC: And what about spam? Think of all the mail you get from dubious sources that clog your inbox - and think of the time you spend in clearing it, day after day.
No having to mess around with system files, no having to spend time and effort setting up a homescreen – it does it all for you in one tap. Arguably the best gallery app for Android. In addition to a price tag of free, it offers a good-looking user interface packed with smooth animations and a number of useful features. You can browse photos by folders and display them in three different ways: as a stack, grid or list. There’s also a built-in explorer view for direct access to files. Moreover, QuickPic allows you to hide or exclude folders you do not want to see, create new and rename existing folders, sort and move pictures as well put a shortcut to your favourite album on the home screen.
BC-AD is a conversation between two individuals from either side of the digital fence, one from the ‘Before Computers’ era and the other, from the ‘After Digital Era’.‘Technology has to be blamed for the fact that we’re suffering from information overload,’ claims an old-timer.
AD: It's about prioritizing...
BY AKSHAY KULKARNI
In the present android era there are a myriad of apps that are freely available for users throughout the world. This is indeed a needle in the hay stack situation when it comes to choosing the most appropriate app pertaining to the needs of an individual. Below is a list of apps which could prove extremely useful for everyone from casual users to developers.
BC-AD BY MONIKA PRIYANKA
BY SHIVANI REDDY
[im not sure wether to include this not so useful to students so check out the 3 optional replacements in the end ] With everything becoming digital, business cards are way last decade right? CardCloud is a utility which lets you create business e-cards in a professional and easy manner. You can create the e-cards on your phone or on their website, adding all sorts of information, such as where you work, Twitter and Facebook accounts, address, contact info, websites and more. It also lets you create an infinite amount of multiple e-cards so you can have one for every business you run or every place you work.
Action Launcher (Launcher App) Action Launcher is one of the best launchers available on the platform. Just like the others, it allows you to put icons and widgets on the home screen, but its functionality doesn’t end there. Action Launcher combines gorgeous visuals with a gesture-based user interface. Instead of a traditional drawer, there’s a list of all installed applications that slides out from the left side of the screen. If you swipe from right to left, a Quickpage appears. It is basically an additional page of the home screen, which remains conveniently hidden. You can place there your most favourite widgets or app shortcuts.
BC: But I don't need all of that. What'll I do with a million sites telling me about Facebook buying Whatsapp, for instance? I need just one source of news to explain the deal to me... AD: It's not about how much information you find - it's about knowing where to find information when you need it. That's the reason why search engines exist - and just because Google throws up a billion results doesn't mean you hare off checking out all of them... BC: What about the health problems associated with information overload? Haven't you read about the computer vision syndrome, which affects those who stare at their screen for long durations? AD: Scientists have come up with a brain scanner that can detect when an individual goes into information overload. Apparently, it's like a headband and is worn by the user... BC: Look what technology has reduced us to... AD: What do you mean? BC: Until recently, a scanner was a peripheral connected to a computer. Now, thanks to information overload, even human beings sit attached to scanners. Finally, everything depends on your de cisions at the right moment.
College Memories
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