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R E A D . W R I T E . C R E AT E . EVOLV E
This issue is the first of its kind in terms of diversity of themes; it is an issue of issues: social, environmental, political and, more importantly for the final year batch, a farewell. We hope that through the topics we touched upon, you’ll be empowered to question, to think and to understand a tad more how the world works.
As Renesa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams it found itself transformed in its bed into a smaller and thicker version of itself. It was different, and in more ways than one, and yet, at its essence still the same. The issue you currently hold in your hand, beloved reader, is what it transformed into.
Oil is worth more than time in this age, but as we pass the peak oil mark, humanity must turn to new technology to keep the cogs of our economy running and so we present you with articles on green architecture, a cover story on a leading company in the renewable energy industry and a debate on the ethics of using geoengineering to mitigate catastrophic climate change.
A standard Renesa issue has all of its articles connected by a single underlying theme. But because the overlords who decide the goings-on have spoken, this is no ordinary Renesa issue. The themes within are threefold. One of the taglines for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar was “Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to die here”. While that could in all probability turn out to be true, until it does, Earth is the one and only home we have. And so, the first and the major theme is ‘Sustainability’. The reader will find articles on the environmental impact of the meat industry, and that of suburban housing. There’s also a satirical take on politicians in denial, and an article along with a map of the college’s electrical grid. Come writers and critics
In light of recent events, we invite you to discern between the truth and the official truth, to question the importance of being politically correct, and to identify the problems that are now in our generation’s hands to fix. We must use that one right that no one speaks about, the right to thought, to prevent an Orwellian nightmare from unfolding on our doorsteps. As the future leaders and thinkers of our time, it is in your hands, dear reader, to make the right decisions and to always take everything you hear with a pinch of salt and common sense. Lastly, your early college years are the ones that mould the clay of your character and the later ones harden it. In that time, do the most and the best that you can because once you are not a student anymore, nothing becomes excusable and second chances become a privilege. As time in this college draws to a close for some of us, we pass on the reins to the new team and hope that they shall rise to the occasion. Good luck and goodbye!
Anjana Aravind Chief Editor
The second theme is ‘Rebels’. We have an article on the novel cryptocurrency being used by investigative journalists – ‘Presscoin’ and a review of Mr. John Pilger’s documentaries. There’s also a rather brilliant article on net neutrality and its importance, outlining the recent efforts by the US to repeal its own laws on the subject. And lastly, this issue shall also serve as the farewell issue. It’s that time of the year once again. Time for a few of us – the oldies on the campus – to look back on the ups and downs, for nostalgia to start taking its toll, and to begin new journeys on our own to make our place in this world. As the age-old adage goes, time waits for none, and it certainly hasn’t for us. This issue has tried to capture, in some small part, the 4 years – near enough, considering we still have just a little more time – that have gone by in a blur. Memories ranging from those awkward first hellos when we met for the very first time, to those late-night conversations even in the absence of a local watering hole, to the countless hours spent in the company of friends. As the articles and the photographs shall show, these 4 years, if nothing were certainly eventful. It’s always difficult letting go, but knowing the capabilities of the people who shall take over from us certainly makes it easier. A new guard shall take over, and the cycle shall repeat. But for now, sit back, relax, maybe sip some of that new fresh fruit juice Shekhar Bhai’s introduced at the canteen, and read on, beloved reader. From the final year Renesa team, Au Revoir!
Anagha Bhat Chief Editor
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INSIDE GOLDI GREEN SOLAR -pg 16
C O N T E N T S
THE GORAI PROJECT -pg 5
URBANISATION THE GOOD AND THE BAD -pg 8
INNOVATIVE WATER PURIFICATION METHODS -pg 6
GREEN ARCHITECHTURE -pg 13
VCV on GEOENGINEERING -pg 10
TESLA’S GIGAFACTORY -pg 12 THE INTERNET AND US -pg 14
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MEET YOUR MEAT!
For centuries, a meal consisting of meat has been considered superior and even appropriate in most occasions wto one lacking it. The vegetarian friend has been tormented constantly being told “paneer samajh ke khaaja”. This blind faith and pointless vanity that meat eaters hold has caused many animals their life and humans might soon join the list.
paneer sama jh ke khaa ja No, I’m not talking about cannibalism, but rather the harmful effects that the meat industry is having on human life contrary to popular belief. Global warming, deforestation, droughts, water shortages, food shortages, can all be traced back to something as simple as the steak at your dinner table. Not only that, the antibiotics used on animals to make them healthy and fit for slaughtering make viruses immune to them. As these antibiotics are the same ones used by humans, new diseases incurable by the present tech are generated. Politicians and greedy meat farmers take all the credit for the vacuous data in our flesh eating census. The meat industry is filled with corruption and deceit. When the guidelines for correct food consumption was attempted to be published by the congress, these people fought to increase the shown required consumption of meat and shut down the whole project, thus successfully fooling their consumers. Consequently, this led to a further increase in obesity caused due to overconsumption. So the next time you want to change the humdrum of your life by choosing a grilled carcass over paneer, just remember the years of harm this moment of savoury pleasure could cause or as Rachel’s sister said, “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.” ■ Tanisha Tambi B.tech. I | Comps
Dying to be Green Ashka Trivedi B.Tech II | Comps
We are all going to die. Thats it That’s the Universe’s grand enigma. Inevitable death. And by the looks of it, an astonishing number of people seem to belong to the mindset that if we are dying anyway, we might as well take the planet along with us. Yet there are still a few of us, the pesky tree-huggers, who actually care about this lovable (and, sadly, dying) big blue marble. But regardless of our differences while living, we will eventually die. And in our death, lies a somewhat interesting debate for environmentalists.
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with natural cast concrete. This method of “reef burial” has been made popular by companies such as Eternal Reefs and The Neptune Society, which place these Reef Balls into artificially made coral reefs. Due to the vented and round structure of these balls, along with its low center of gravity, these are extremely stable in underwater conditions, and are perfect for cultivating and sustaining a marine ecosystem.
Many people have begun to opt for cremation as opposed to burial after demise, and with this increasing trend, a variety of ways to dispose of the remains have been discovered.
The pH-neutral concrete allows a perfect place for aquatic microorganisms to land, mature and propagate. Fish, algae and other forms of sea life also migrate onto the Reef Balls, which, after maturing, continue to support and develop marine life. With a 60% increase of marine life at burial sites, this method is an extremely effective way of restoring coral reefs and cultivating new marine ecosystems, while parting with the remnants of deceased loved ones.
One of the most ecofriendly ways is by sinking these ashes into the ocean, after incorporating it
So, for those of you who would rather die than go green, this may just be your chance! ■
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THE GORAI PROJECT
Kashyap Patel B.Tech I | Chemie
The Gorai dumpsite, located near the Gorai creek and habitation, has been operational since 1972 where about 2.34 million tons of waste was dumped, rising to a height of 26 metres. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) shut this 19.6 Ha dumpsite in 2007 along with its partnering agency, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial services (IL&FS), which simply capped the waste with an impermeable layer of gravel, silt and high density polythene without considering the adverse effects on the environment. The leachate mixed with the groundwater, contaminating the Gorai creek, posing threat to the aquatic life; while the decomposition of waste in the absence of air led to the formation of hydrogen sulphide, capable of causing fatal respiratory and skin problems. The residents of Gorai also complained about the foul odours originating from the beautiful lawns. An approach for waste clearance was proposed, for which a pilot experiment was carried out by Mumbai-based Vini-Agro Pvt. Ltd., known as the Gorai Experiment, in which, the gigantic waste-heap was brought down to ground level in just 40 days using the windrow method. The windrow method involves the segregation of wet waste, which is then
put into cells and allowed to decompose aerobically, resulting into compost. The gases emitted can be used for electricity production. The MCGM refused to show these decentralized ideas the green signal and chose to cover the dump with lawns, which led to several problems, as predicted by Almitra Patel, a member of the Committee for Solid Waste Management, and also drained MCGM’s finances. The MCGM should now make amendments to collect the leachate sedimented beneath the waste and for collection of the produced gases, prohibiting their exposure to the environment and the residents. The dumping site could be walled before covering it up with lawns, ensuring that the leachate never comes in contact with groundwater. Locating buildings/localities away from the site would also help in keeping people away from the contaminated environment. The comfort and safety of citizens should be hence, prioritized over the economy by the government, which is the mere reason for its existence. ■| Renesa 5
Innovative Purification 1.2 billion people in this developing world are denied adequate access to clean drinking water. 85 percent of the water available is used by 12 percent of the world’s population. Thus, 1.2 billion people in this developing world are denied adequate access to clean drinking water. Fortunately, there have been some innovations in water purification techniques which are affordable and easily accessible to the people.
WATER FILTRATIOM USING CORNCOBS An eleventh class girl from Delhi Public School founded that waste corncobs are able to remove the contaminants by the principle of adsorption. She took corncobs in five separate, used plastic bottles of two litre capacity each containing 400gm of dried longitudinal corncob sections, powdered corncobs and activated charcoal layered one above the other. It was found that water containing colored dyes, suspended particles, gasoline waste and other metal salts was perfectly cleaned and all the waste could be found adsorbed on the corncobs.
Denial is better than cure Nikita Prabhu B.Tech IV | Civil
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Yukta Malik B. Tech. I | Chemie
CYCLOCLEAN A Japanese designed bike, which uses pedal power to clean and store water from pretty much any source. It has a simple working mechanism where we just need to lower a hose into water and start pedaling to power a pump.Water is forced upwards to get cleaned by three successive filters including a primary filter, activated carbon filter and a micro filtration membrane. The Cycloclean can process five litres of water per minute and the filters last for up to two years.
LIFESTRAW This award winning technology, developed by the company Vestergaard involves a plastic tube with hollow fibres which filter water particles down to 0.2 micrometers across using only physical filtration methods and no chemicals. It removes almost all waterborne bacteria and parasites and can filter up to 1000 litres of water, enough for one person for a year. ■
“Ignorance is bliss,” said the age-old proverb. However, in today’s age where media outlets are constantly stating the obvious in more ways than one, it’s hard for certain facts to not be engrained in your mind. Here’s a fact for you: The Earth is dying. Right now, she is in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and what we as human beings are doing to her is the equivalent of ‘pulling the plug’. But alas, Trump did what Nazi soldiers on trial after World War-II did- denied the whole thing ever happened! Climate Change is a hoax perpetuated by China according to POTUS. You may have heard that one, unless you were living under a rock which, honestly speaking, is an amazing idea, considering we won’t have any home to live in when Doomsday comes knocking! But I’m deviatingfrom the main issue, much like his tweets.
Since time immemorial, politicians have always been in denial about environmental catastrophes. Throwing it back (hashtag millennial), the Great Smog of 1952 in London was a period of cold weather, combined with an anticyclone and windless conditions. The whole city was covered in thick smog and it lasted for five whole days. The casualties were said to be over 12,000.
seems our politicians have been circumcised the wrong way!
The smog was primarily due to the burning of coal which was very prevalent at the time. The obvious was stated, and it was vehemently denied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill who dismissed it as a “weather event”.
Here are the facts – It is getting hotter and heatwaves are getting more common. Rainfall is getting more intense. Sea levels are rising, with oceans getting warmer and becoming more acidic, affecting fish stocks and undermining good nutrition. Ice sheets are shrinking, affecting trade winds and creating unusual weather bubbles. Essentially, the wealth of the richest nations has been built on fossil fuel emissions that cause warming. Ten per cent of people in the world are causing almost halfof all emissions.
When you are a politician, you are in a position of power. The power to bring about change, to act upon your promises and to embrace the truth. While the first two can be understandably difficult, the third one is turning out to be every politician’s pet peeve. The cerebral cortex of the brain is largely responsible for all logical thinking so it
“A beheading is a far greater threat to an American than a sunburn.” From making shallow tweets to withdrawing from the Paris Agreement which works towards finding solutions for Climate Change, Trump has proved doctors wrong – faecal matter doesn’t necessarily come from the derriere. ■
E WASTE Kevin James B.Tech II | Comps
Seen those boxes with ‘e-Waste” written on them? Ever wondered why they’re being kept?
Sorting and shredding of raw materials are required other than normal means of recycling. In the sorting process, ferrous and non-ferrous materials are separated, while shredding converts these separated materials to smaller units. These units can be utilised to make new electronics. On the brighter side, e-Waste is a rich source of raw materials. Precious metals like gold, copper, silver, iron can be recovered. This becomes a business opportunity for some companies.
E-waste’ refers to unwanted gadgets that pose an environmental burden unless recycled. One of the main factors in increase of e-Waste is the rapid development in technology, i.e., devices are getting outdated every minute. The reason this is a very worrying concern is that 70% of landfill dumped in the environment consists of e-Waste.
Currently, India has 150 e-Waste recyclers that are authorized. Not many individuals know about e-Waste programs and most of the waste ends up being dumped in the landfill. Companies need to implement strict recycling procedures. Awareness campaigns are the key factor to ensuring that everyone is well informed of how their old electronics should be discarded. Not only that, a lot of job opportunities can be created in this field.
Proper processing of e-Waste is required to ensure that toxic materials like Nickel, Cadmium and Lead are not released into the environment. In India, many unorganized sectors taking the initiative to clear e-Waste have their employees exposed to these toxic pollutants.
“Attero” is India’s leading recycler in e-Waste. If you want to repair your electronic items on your own then “iFixit” is the right answer. They have a DIY repair manuals and you can contribute as well. You can check them out on their facebook pages “AtteroIndia” and “iFixit”. ■ | Renesa 7
UR BA NI S AT I ON striking a delicate balance
White picket fences, well-manicured lawns and large backyards have been the aspirations for many a man
Amidst the chaos of our times, with polarising country leaders engaging in Twitter battles, and terrorist groups constantly finding new ways to push their principles, there’s another massive change occurring, albeit way more subtly, but with the power to truly alter the face of the planet - urbanisation. In the year 2008, for the first time ever, there were more people living in cities and towns across the globe than in rural landscapes. The pace of urbanisation has only been accelerating, along with the scale of its effects. Urbanisation has far reaching consequences on the state of the biodiversity in a region, no doubt, but also on climate change. There’s two ways in which people leaving villages and farms and moving into dense urban centres can affect the environment. The good happens when urbanisation leads to dense cities, and it is this density alone that differentiates between the good and the bad. The denser a city, the more strain on the immediate environment, no doubt, but digging deeper, it is this density that causes tools such as public transport to become viable, reducing emissions. This increased density also causes individual residences to become smaller and hence use less energy and resources to maintain. Further, the service sector depends on a dense population, and thus in cities and towns, they flourish, reducing the importance of manufacturing jobs that pollute more. 8|
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The bad however, is what one needs to concentrate on. White picket fences, well-manicured lawns and large backyards have been the aspirations for many a man, but it is this dream of suburban utopia that has caused the most havoc to our environment. When people move from rural areas to urban areas, and settle in the suburbs, the result is more strain on the environment than before. The benefits mentioned above are lost, as suburban areas just aren’t dense enough to properly sustain pollution reducing elements. Since distances are larger, walking too, is out of the option. The end result is a collection of large, spread out homes by roads that do nothing other than promote individual vehicle ownership, amongst other things that negatively affect the environment. There is no doubt that the way we deal with urbanisation is going to greatly affect the environment around us. In India, for the most part, urbanisation has been of the former kind. Not many Indian cities have large parcels of land solely devoted to single family homes. However, the recent past has seen an increase in the number of single family homes becoming available in the marketing, signifying the start of a worrying trend. The next 30 or so years will truly define India’s push for urbanisation, with over 50% of the population expected to live in an urban setting by 2050. Only time will tell whether or not we managed to do it the right way. ■ Mir Bhatia B.Tech II | Comps
The Campus Grid Whenever you go someplace new, you’re bound to wander around and find new and interesting places around you. One of the few interesting things you observe in the SVNIT campus is the huge power station right next to Gajjar Bhavan. Being an(sort of) electrical engineer, I was curious to investigate this so called power station, so I had a chat with Professor P.B. Darjee, who explained concept of the electrical grid in SVNIT.
SS-5 and SS-3. Each substation covers a particular section of the campus, usually the area near the substation. Like SS-1 supplies power to the mechanical and electrical department, along with the New CRC. Feeling bored in life, with nothing to do, just because your friends are sky high? Try figuring out which substation covers which buildings. At least you’ll kill some time while your squad hits the night canteen.
So, the power station next to Gajjar is the main power station of SVNIT. The power received there is rated at 66kW and is supplied by the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited, or simply GETCO. This 66kW input in then transformed to a lower 22kW output which is then supplied to the whole campus. Now the important part here is that because our campus is spread over 617 acres, one single power station is not deemed enough to cover the whole campus. The main reason behind this is that installing power cables from one centre to the whole campus is quite a tedious task. Because of this particular reason, we have 5 substations which fulfil the electrical needs of our campus.
There is one interesting fact in all this. According to the 2003 Electricity Act, the initial supply to every part of South Gujarat is supposed to be 11kW. Our college is one of the few centres which uses the 22kW supply simply because it is too expensive and would basically require the college to tear apart the whole campus. We do save a lot of money by still using the 22kW supply but what do we do with that money? I’m not the guy who’s going to answer that. Because we are one of the few places which still uses the 22kW supply, the power cables used are imported from different places as the standard cables available are only suitable for the 11kW supply.
Substation-1 or SS-1 is located right behind the mechanical engineering department, SS-2 is situated next to the main power station and is considered to be the main substation, SS-3 is near Swami Bhavan, SS-4 is placed close to the Mother Teresa Bhavan, and SS-5 is between the Estate Section and dispensary. Every substation in one way or another is connected to each other. SS-1 is connected to SS-4 and SS-2 whereas SS-2 itself is connected to
Now that this mystery is managed, you can move on to bigger and better things. Like why the abandoned building is abandoned, or why aren’t students allowed to sit at the Old Library stairs post 8PM? If you thought you’d come to college to solve Sherlock Holmes level mysteries, we’re sorry to disappoint you. Welcome to SVNIT, where the biggest mystery is why aren’t there any benches in the campus. ■
Tharun Balaji B.Tech II | Trical
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G E O E N G I N E E R I N G
There was a time when life on Earth was simple. Man only had to worry about finding a den, hunting food, not getting trampled by a mammoth. 50,000 years down the line and things have certainly changed. Caves have been replaced by megastructures, raw food with delicacies and mammoths with low self-esteem. As time passed, our problems became larger and more unpredictable, but the solutions kept coming faster and better. That has been the trend of evolution. We adapt to the way the earth changes and it has worked for us so far, but for how long can it last? One of the biggest problems we face today is global warming. With the amount of carbon being thrown around, the earth can naturally sustain life forms for the next four years only. The increase in CO2 in the atmosphere at an average is 1.03 ppm per year. The average rise in sea level is 3.4 mm per year, and these numbers will only get worse over time. But, we have always found answers for our problems because somewhere, somehow, a light bulb clicks.
Geoengineering is one of those lightbulbs. It is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change. It mainly consists of two parts: prevention and cure. The former strives towards reducing the amount of solar radiation present in the stratosphere and methods of directly removing carbon. Some ways to reduce radiation are Albedo enhancement, Space reflectors and Stratospheric aerosols. Carbon capture ideas that have been proposed are artificial trees, ambient air capture, and enhanced weathering, among others. A few other methods are creating artificial volcanoes and biochar. Although this idea is not at its prime, it does have a few plus points. It is one of the only ways to control the rapid change in climate. Some of the processes can be done during day to day activities. In time, geoengineering will become essential for Earth’s survival because at its very core, it strives towards controlling the climate changes that occur around us. Yes, these are all just concepts and ideas but it has to start somewhere. So why not by redesigning our climate. Sanskar Panda B.Tech I | Comps
S U P E R H E R O S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y Superhero: Noun. A fictional hero, usually possessing supernatural powers, dedicated to fighting crime and protecting the public. Superheroes are kind of a big deal right now. But a matter which arguably requires more attention than the whole Marvel versus DC debate is sustainability, or rather, the lack thereof. While we marvel at heroes saving the world, as fellow inhabitants of a dying planet, what should really draw our attention is how they rank at saving the environment. Which begs the question – how (un)sustainable is it to be a superhero? Lucky for us, Miles Traer – scientist, educator, and self-proclaimed ‘pop scientist’ – crunched the numbers and calculated the carbon footprint of some popular superheroes. (For those of you who slept through Environmental Engineering class, carbon footprints quantitatively tell us the amount 10|
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COUNT E R VI E W Geoengineering has been gaining momentum among certain scientific circles as the quick-fix solution to reversing global warming. What is often overlooked when SRM (Solar radiation management) technologies are discussed is the fact that it can, and will, alter weather patterns and cause even more extreme and unexpected natural disasters. Mimicking the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, one of SRM’s most popular methods aims to increase planetary albedo by injecting reflective sulfates into the atmosphere. While this is the most practical out of all the SRM techniques, it can cause entire regions to face droughts and alter natural precipitation and evaporation patterns. Major disadvantages of SRM include the uncontrolled breakdown of stratospheric ozone, alteration of ecosystems and the continued acidification of oceans. The latter brings us to a CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) practice called ocean fertilization which consists of dumping tonnes of iron-rich compounds into the ocean in order to stimulate plankton growth which will in turn absorb the continually increasing carbon dioxide content in our atmosphere. The practicality of this
of greenhouse gas we release into the environment each year). Topping the list of unsustainable superheroes is Batman, whose enormous carbon footprint arises from the impressive array of high-tech gadgets he employs to safeguard the city of Gotham. Traer estimates that the Batmobile alone is pumping around 22,000 kilos of CO2 into the atmosphere (The average American produces around 20,000 kilos overall). Surprisingly, the largest source of CO2 emissions are computers – the Batcomputer uses enough power to emit 40 million kilos of CO2 each year, and you don’t need to be the world’s greatest detective to see the problem here. RDJ’s Tony Stark’s alter-ego has a paradoxical carbon footprint – it’s simultaneously huge (it
method has not been proven and its benefits are dubious at best. This philosophy of forcefully removing carbon dioxide from the air, one shared by the most expensive and least efficient technologies, CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), is one that reflects the fundamental flaw of our current socio-economic system. We are led by a vision of ‘infinite growth’, where each individual is encouraged to emit as much carbon as they need in order to reach a certain standard of living that has been prescribed to us by a portmanteau of western imperialism and free-market fundamentalism. Geoengineering is a band-aid solution to a cancer that’s grown beyond our control. Instead of feverishly trying to cover our tracks, shouldn’t we be trying to address the root cause of the problem, the emissions themselves? This implies a dramatic shift in lifestyles, conventional trade, and most of all, in the way private industries, especially in the fossil fuel sector, are held accountable for their geological impacts. But for this to happen, we need social revolutions on a global scale, not just technological ones. ■ Anjana Aravind M.Sc. IV | Physics
takes almost 45 kilos of CO2 to make a single Iron Man suit), but impressively small considering how much energy his tech requires. Superman’s carbon footprint, however, is practically zero – he gets his powers by absorbing energy from the sun, technically making him a living, breathing solar cell. So yeah, let’s trust our supers to swoop in with background scores blazing and save the day. But given the global environmental crisis that is underway, maybe it’s not us mere mortals that need saving, but the planet itself. Let’s go back to our definition of a superhero. If our planet is really what needs protecting, then you don’t need to be a superhero to save it. ■ Anya Trivedi B.Tech II | Comps
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Sloths of the technical world The WWI killed around twenty-two million people while the WWII swanks of a sixty-five. Familiar, right? Well, between these two events, a flu killed almost the same number of people as the Second World War. This was the Spanish flu. If you deem it was titled so, because it initiated in Spain, then let me burst your bubble. The Spanish press was the most unrestricted press at the time and were the first to openly talk about it; hence the name. When asked in an interview about his utmost fear, Bill Gates revealed very ominous but factual insights into the band of technology we must be focusing on. He said that if a similar disease were to spread in the modern era it might result in a casualty of over 10 million people in a year; since the spread of the virus would be abetted by modern transport which has advanced over 50 times since the 1920s. Mass production of vaccines is another subject that technology needs to address. If the virus of a particular disease is known, professionals can prepare the theoretical vaccine in a short span of time. However, distribution of these vaccines to the concerned areas poses a major problem. Even though 3-D bio-printers have come into the scene, they still have a long way to go before becoming a household unit. It takes less than a billion dollars a year for proper R&D of medical surveillance and implementation of the same; compared to 560 billion dollars spent by the US Department of Defence in the financial year of 2015. While technology can get you food at 3 AM and can even boast of super-fast gaming laptops, it cannot ensure whether the end user will be alive to avail these luxurious subsidies. For once, let us ask the correct questions. I presume the ice cream can wait. ■
Mrityunjay Mohan Borah B.Tech-II | Mechanical
The Gigafactory – Tesla’s way to combat fossil-fuels Around 37 kilometres east of Reno, in Nevada, lies one of the biggest industrial buildings in the world. Estimated to have a footprint of 15 million square feet upon completion in 2020, Tesla’s first Gigafactory is planned to have a 35-Gigawatt-hours annual lithium-ion battery production by 2018. To give some perspective, that is approximately the combined battery production of the world. Aided by partnerships with suppliers like Panasonic, an investment of $2 billion & an estimated cost of $5 billion, Tesla aims to achieve its production rate of 500,000 battery-powered cars by 2018. Albeit the idea of Gigafactories was introduced in November 2013 by the Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, construction has been rapid & in phases, allowing Tesla to kickstart production in the finished sections while expanding simultaneously. Musk expects the factory to be driven by unexhaustive fuel sources, release no harmful emissions & even house a recycling facility, optimising and reducing the emission of E-waste. The factory first produced high performance cylindrical ‘2170’ cells which will be used in Tesla’s Powerwall. In 2018, the factory will also churn out Tesla’s Model 3 batteries. To Musk, the Gigafactories are products, more important than the cars themselves. In a recent talk with Leonardo DiCaprio, Musk explained how several Gigafactories could energise the world, drastically reduce fossil-fuel use by driving the lithium-ion battery costs down, increasing the production of electric vehicles, & extending them to the common commuter. Bloomberg, an energy research organisation, expects the price of lithium-ion batteries to drop from $273 per kilowatt-hour in 2016, to $73 per kilowatt-hour by 2030 12| Renesa
Musk also believes that Gigafactories are even capable of producing photovoltaic cells by diminishing the need of expansive high-voltage cables, benefitting remote villages. The Gigafactory 2, in Buffalo, New York will be a 1 million square foot manufacturing giant, able to produce 1-Gigawatts of PV cells by 2019. The Gigafactories to follow, are claimed to be in Europe, and China. However, the move to sustainable energy is not possible by Tesla alone. Other companies would have to unite to make the difference. In several parts of the world, companies are setting the groundwork for lithium-ion battery production factories. In Germany, Accumotive has laid the foundation for a $550 million plant to spurt the battery production of 80,000 units by a multiple of 4, & Energy Absolute, a Thailand based company has plans for a $2.9 billion battery factory with a production capacity of 1-Gigawatt-hour per year, which will increase to 50-Gigawatt-hours per year by 2020. With such speedy advancements in technology & broadening awareness, Gigafactories are bringing us leaps closer to sustainable energy resources. ■ Saparishi Pandey B.Tech I | Mechanical
MAKE GREEN ARCHITECTURE MAINSTREAM! I won’t start off by telling you that our planet is in danger. You already know that (I hope!). But what irks me is the need to explain why we need to save our planet. We always think of environmental issues as something detached from our personal lives. We think of the environment and humans as two separate beings. In reality, we are one. Environmental issues are ‘our’ issues. We caused it and we need to fix it. It’s time we stop thinking of environmentalists as overreacting ‘rebels’ and the concept of ‘going green’ as an avant-garde concept. It’s time we normalize it. One such concept that needs to be normalized, especially in a country like ours, is that of ‘Green Architecture’. In India, the building construction industry produces the second largest amount of demolition waste and greenhouse gases (35-40%). This is excluding the solid and liquid waste generated by the occupants. Green architecture involves the construction of buildings that are environmentally efficient and result in minimum or zero pollution, from the beginning stages of site-selection, up until demolition at the end of its life-cycle. There are five principles of Green Architecture- First is ‘Sustainable Site Design’ where a site is selected such that destruction of land and open space is minimum and the local environment is preserved. Second is ‘Water Quality and Conservation’ where instead of constructing an artificial system, the site’s natural hydrological system is used. Reuse and recycling of water along with retention of storm water, rainwater harvesting and on-site infiltration is given importance. Third is ‘Energy and Environment’ where renewable energy sources are maximised. Fourth is ‘Indoor Environmental Quality’ which emphasises on creating comfortable and efficient indoors. The main focus is on natural ventilation, lighting and indoor air quality. The last principle is ‘Materials and Resources’ where locally available building materials, recycled construction debris and biomass are used for construction. Fortunately for us, in the past ten years we have seen a rise in many firms that promote and execute sustainable architecture. One such firm is the Bangalore-based Biome Environmental Solutions Pvt Ltd. whose main services include architectural design, water sustainability solutions and environmental planning. Human development should never hinder the environment. Both must coexist. Only then can the Earth survive.
Nikita Prabhu B. Tech IV | Civil
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Would you go “Slower, Slower, Slower...”
Yours unapologetically ISP
rather than “Faster, Faster, Faster!!!”?
The Internet Belongs to US -as of 14th December, 2017 “The loss of liberty to a generous mind is worse than death.” –Alexander Hamilton
Net neutrality – at this point in time, you’ve more
than likely heard of it. You’ve probably learned what it is, and if you have, you know what’s at stake. You must also be aware of India’s stance on net neutrality – thankfully our country has some of the strongest net neutrality laws in the world. If you do know all this, you must understand that not everyone shares your knowledge of what this is, how it works, and what would be lost, should it be taken away, and as of today, the 14th of December, it is dangerously close to being taken away, at least in the United States of America. Isolation – there’s no better word that could be used to more accurately describe modern American policy. Isolation has defined American policy well before the age of Donald Trump. One look at the healthcare system, or the sheer amount of capital America has been utilizing for defense, or the ethics of Wall Street, and you can clearly observe that their economic policies are vastly different not just to that of India, but to that of other nations as well, that usher in the modern age – Scandinavia, Canada and Japan come to mind. What Trump has done so far in his tenure as the President of the United States is, with all the life left in him, to try and further that notion of isolation, and inject it 14|
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into the country’s social, foreign and technological policies. Whether it’s his staunch stance on global warming, or the conflict between Israel and Palestine, or his approach towards the crisis in Syria, or the way he deals with the Supreme Leader of North Korea. Every step this man takes is a step closer to isolation for the United States of America. Ironically, it’s this very isolation that will rescue the open and free Internet from the clutches of corporations around the world if America takes the next step towards its journey of disagreeing with the rest of the planet, which is to dissolve net neutrality once and for all. The real question is – who’s willing to bet against the rest of the planet following their footsteps? Net neutrality is the assumption that all websites are equal – that your telecommunications provider has no right in declaring that a site through their network should load or appear differently than others, which starts with zero differential pricing, meaning that basic access to all websites costs the same. Differential pricing clearly violates net neutrality, and is something that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) rejected over a year ago.
India is somewhat of a role model when it comes to net neutrality in recent history. Consistently, the Indian people have fought to preserve this tenet of the free Internet, and TRAI has listened. Together, we’ve defeated internet service providers like Airtel as well as large conglomerates like Facebook, in their efforts to dismantle this freedom It very clearly has not been the same for the United States. Like every other telecom company, corporations such as Verizon and Comcast have been trying to end net neutrality, but unfortunately, the Federal Communications Center (FCC), led by Chairman Ajit Pai, is looking to grant their wishes on this tumultuous day. Pai has indeed proposed to end the long-existing net neutrality regulations in America, and the FCC is to cast a vote on this proposal today. Time has all but run out, and doomsday has approached for the openness of the American internet. If net neutrality is destroyed, corporations can tax the internet and capitalize it however they wish. This would enable these companies to enforce data packs that restrict access to certain websites unless you pay up. But that isn’t the least of anyone’s worries. American ISPs are notorious. Comcast has the track record of consistently being one of the most hated companies on Earth, and companies like Verizon and AT&T aren’t far behind. Consumer friendliness is a concept these corporations despise, and they will stop at nothing to make the internet worse for anyone and everyone who’s unable to pay up. And this is the United States- the divide between the wealthy and the poor in this country is one of the largest in the world. The internet at large will become an unequal place, not just for website owners, who can guarantee faster access through a certain corporation’s network by financially lobbying them for it, but for internet users too, who’ll have to pay differently to access different websites or even specific web services. And what’s to stop the telecom companies from carrying out the machinations of the political parties they lobby themselves? They could easily do this by blocking websites that their benefactors don’t agree with politically. It deeply saddens me that though the chairman of the FCC is of Indian descent, he is unable to see the good in India’s decisions regarding net neutrality. Ajit Pai, whose parents are Konkani, has succeeded in turning a blind eye to not only India’s position regarding this matter, but that of the majority of
the developed world – the European Union, for example, continues their effort to uphold these regulations. Removing them is an anticonsumer decision of such a large scale that one can only hope that the FCC vote will be in favor of the people, not corporations. This is not a political issue – it is much, much more that. It transcends the left, right and center of traditional politics as a decision that affects all consumers, no matter their standing on socio-economic issues. The end of net neutrality would be a technological disaster of the highest order that could forever alter the future of the World Wide Web. As mentioned before, who’s willing to bet against telecommunication companies and governments around the world aping America’s actions, and colluding against their consumers? Especially since, with regards to technological policies, the world has consistently looked up to the United States. We are already witnessing some world leaders condone the shortcomings of President Trump, as well as show solidarity with some of his more extreme stances and policies – President Putin comes to mind. If net neutrality comes to an end in America, there will exist an ever-present danger of the end of these regulations spreading across the globe, which would culminate in a dystopian internet, the likes of which are worse than you could possibly imagine. The internet would lose its freedom, hindering or even preventing millions of people from achieving feats they could have if they could afford an open internet connection, ranging from incredible discoveries of science and technology to works of artistic grandeur. By the time this article’s published, regardless of the decision the FCC makes today, it will have forever affected the future of the internet. There is little hope on this consequential day, as many of the bureaucrats on this council are on the payroll of the opponents of net neutrality, having accepted outrageous donations from corporations like Comcast. But if the American consumers succeed in defending their freedom, and the FCC votes against repealing the rules that permit it, then this incident will forever be a reminder of what’s at stake for the Internet, and why its openness must be preserved. If they do not, we are all at risk of suffering the consequences ahead. ■
Captain Antilles
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GOLDI GREEN SOLAR Q1) Tell us a little about your company and when it started. Ans. Goldi Green is a solar PV module manufacturing company. We manufacture modules in the range of 3Wp to 365Wp using mono & poly crystalline solar cells. We have a state-of-the-art, robotic, fully automatic and dust free, 500MW manufacturing facility at Surat, with an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 & OHSAS 18001:2007 certification. We are also a leading OEM PV module manufacturer for many reputed Indian and international brands. Besides PV module manufacturing, we also provide EPC services. We are one of the best solar design & installation companies offering turnkey solutions for off-grid and grid connected solar power plants for rooftops as well as across various geographical locations all over India. We guarantee clean and professional installations lasting for many years with optimal performance, giving value to our customers. Q2) What are your capacity expansion plans in the near future?
Bharat Bhut, Director
Ans. We have increased our manufacturing capacity to 500MW, and plan to increase it to 1GW by next year. | Renesa 17
Q3) How conducive has the socio-political environment in India been with regard to the promotion of the renewable energy sector? Do you feel you receive enough support from the people? Ans. In 2010, as part of its plan of implementing clean energy solutions, the Government of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched the National Solar Mission to promote grid-connected and off-grid solar energy targeting the deployment of 20GW of solar power by 2022 which was later increased to 100GW by the Narendra Modi government in the 2015 Union budget with an aim to establish India as a global leader in solar energy. To reach this target, there have been many initiatives introduced by the government to encourage participation by the big players as well as common individuals. There has been a lot of awareness among the people as well. This can be proved by the number of residents installing solar power plants on their roof tops. Our company, Goldi Green has completed more than 1MW of residential roof top installations in Surat city itself.
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Q4) Have you seen a growth in competition in this sector in the recent years with the rising popularity of renewable energy technologies? Ans. Of course, the competition will always be there but it has never affected our company. Goldi Green has always focused on delivering a quality product and we have never focused on pricing. Our modules are tested by SGS-TUV-SAAR and UL and we have our own in-house reliability tests and we use the best quality raw materials from reputed international suppliers and hence we can afford to command a premium on our products. Besides we have always stayed ahead of the technology curve by introducing new technologies and new products. Q5) Have you already considered or will you consider expanding beyond photovoltaics and moving on to, for example, wind or hydro power? Ans. Apart from solar photovoltaic, we plan to foray in other solar related equipment and storage systems.
Q6) How feasible do you think a complete switch to renewables would be for a country like ours considering the size and scattered nature of the population?
Q7) How do you assure the quality and reliability of your PV modules and do you have any advice for engineering students looking to join this sector?
Ans. Our country is blessed with abundance of sunshine for almost throughout the entire year. The government has also set a target of 175GW of renewable energy by 2022 out of which 100GW alone would be from solar power. By giving out subsidies to resident owners who have installed solar plants on their roof tops, the government is ensuring participation at the individual level. Besides, the government has also announced total convergence to EVs by 2030 which promises a tremendous potential for solar. Just imagine; every fuel station will be replaced by charging stations which would be powered by solar PV. Solar micro-grids are excellent options in remote places where grid connectivity is non-existent due to technical or other reasons. Electrification of villages which have been in the dark for so many years is now a possibility and has begun happening across the country. Also, with mediums like internet and smart phones which have seen penetration even in the most primitive places, awareness and knowledge regarding renewable energy has increased and India will see a disruption in the power sector which will bring abundant benefits to all.
Ans. The process of manufacturing a quality PV module at Goldi Green starts right from the time when raw materials are introduced onto the production line. Various quality controls are implemented before, during and after the production process. Our quality control team monitors each step of the production process, ensuring each module to adhere to Goldi Green’s strict quality standards. This results in consistent delivery of rated power of our modules even under severe climatic conditions. We are the first Indian company to be audited by SolarBuyer U.S.A., a leading risk management and quality assurance provider for solar products with 23GW of factories assessed for quality. Solar energy being a long term investment (more than 25 years), solar module reliability is one of the most important factors. Besides being tested by third parties (SGS-TUV-SAAR) & (UL), Goldi Green modules are also integrated for reliability testing as part of the design process, and the test results are used to fine-tune module quality during mass production. All these efforts, backed by zero tolerance for any compromise on quality help us maintain and deliver excellence in our products and manufacturing. â–
Advice to engineering students:
Solar PV is recognized as creating more jobs per unit of energy produced than any other energy source. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and engineers are one of the most sought- after occupations by employers in the solar power industry. The industry requires various types of engineers having different skill sets and training. Engineers in the field of electrical, mechanical, civil and even chemical can make their career in solar. Those students who are interested in sales and marketing and have completed their engineering could go for an MBA. This will give them an edge over other MBA pass outs in the solar industry as they will be armed with a technical background. The students can decide as to which department they would want to work in. There are engineers working in EPC projects, in quality department, in PV module production and also in sales. Solar industry offers a vast array of jobs. Besides, working in a renewable energy company is something to feel proud of as you would be part of the revolution in fighting climate change and doing something good for the environment. | Renesa 19
Preview to the
WORLD CUP For a lot of people, 2018 will be the year that their devotion to anything and everything that has so far come out of the creative house of Marvel Studios pays off, as the epic conclusion that all of the movies so far have built up to – Infinity Wars will be released. However, football fans across the globe would probably be looking forward to something else. 2018 will also see arguably the greatest spectacle in the world of sports – the FIFA World Cup – being hosted in Russia from the 14th of June to the 15th of July. This edition of the World Cup will have some notable absentees, as traditional heavy-weights Italy and Netherlands have failed to qualify. While on the other hand, Egypt has managed to qualify for the first time in 28 years. And you could probably split the 32 participant nations into three categories: 1. Favourites – Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, France. The teams most people would be backing to lift the title, come July 15th. 2. The Dark Horses – England, Belgium, Portugal, Uruguay. The teams with an outside chance, hoping to make it into the knockout stages, and then taking it from there. 3. The others – The ones who are just looking to enjoy the spectacle, and have as long a run as possible. France, Spain, and Brazil will probably be safe bets to book their places in the knockout stages. And one could ostensibly see any one of them going the distance as each is, in its own right, in a good vein of form. The La Roja were disappointing in the previous edition, and will look to rectify it this time around, while Brazil, under new coach Tite, increasingly look like potential champions. And France has perhaps arguably the second strongest squad man for man on paper after Germany. Germany and Argentina, meanwhile, have both been thrown into what would be called groups of death. While one could probably back the Germans to come out on top, could they do the same for Argentina? Probably not, considering their troubles in qualifying. However, they do have Lionel Messi, and if he really decides to be in form for the event, well, defenders have been trying to stop him for years, and everyone knows how that’s turned out. England and Belgium will be fancying their chances of making it to the knockout stages, having been handed what could be considered as a relatively easy draw. But one supposes that one never really can be sure when talking about the English. If ever there were a way to muck it up, they would probably take it. Portugal have real substance in their attack, although their defence does look suspect and with the addition of Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva, they probably wouldn’t rely on their talisman, as much as they used to. Uruguay will hope that Luis Suarez gets his goal-scoring boots on, and strike partner Edinson Cavani keeps his on, till the World Cup comes around. So will this finally be Lionel Messi’s world cup, as it surely has to be his and Argentina’s golden generation’s last? Or could Germany go on to prove Gary Lineker’s famous quote once again. Even in the absence of some of world football’s greatest teams, FIFA 2018 promises to be an exciting event. ■ The Maverick
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How is changing the beautiful game Most of you reading this article must have come across fancy graphs and numbers that pop up during the pre-match shows and even as the match is being played. While we are mostly interested in the action on the pitch, these hieroglyphical numbers mean a lot to the support staff sitting on the bench. These numbers and graphs dictate the manager’s next move and his decision to withhold De Bruyne and send Sterling instead. The role of data and stats has been rapidly growing in football. What once used to be a sporadic set of numbers via a twitter account has now become a multimillion dollar company providing stats for 16 different sports covering 25,000 matches every year. The company in question is the data analyst company Opta, that has changed the face of the Premier League and to an extent the way even players play their games. It has been noticed that players tend to make measured moves when under constant surveillance and when they know that each of their moves would be analysed after the match. Opta achieves all this by placing numerous cameras across the sidelines recording each shot, pass and tackle being made. This information is then analysed by a tewam of analysts and the results are provided to the coaching staff for in-depth analysis. All this number-crunching brings the coaches a better understanding of the form of a single player or the team as a whole. He can now distinguish between a player fit for the game and a player who needs a rest. Opta has not only changed the no-field experience but has also changed the off-field experience in terms of fans playing fantasy football. Now the players make more informed choices about the players to be included in their fantasy team, looking at a particular player’s form and historical stats against a specific opponent. The next step for Opta is to figure out the expected assists and the expected goals from a player’s pass or shot. This means they calculate the chances of a particular shot taken from a particular position going in the goal based on the accuracy, power and other factors. These kinds of stats and analysis is surely going to change the way the game is played. Opta is going to bring in some major changes as to the way managers make their decisions. We can just hope that all these numbers and stats don’t change the essence of this beautiful game. ■ Abhirup Panja B. Tech IV | Tronix
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The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of people who are evil, but because of people who dont do anything about it -albert einstein
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PressCoin Our Faithful Comrade in the War against Information Sergey Brin, during the early development stage of Google, had received seed-funding from the NSA and the CIA. Yup. The intelligence wings of the very same Great Bald Eagle who aggressively pursues global mass surveillance programs under a guise of peace and democracy.
algorithms decide the value of an interaction based on factors like complexity of the action or time taken, and all interactions are recorded on an Ethereum-based blockchain. Finally, the amount and the quality of interactions generated across a platform adds to the value of that platform.
But why was no one aware of this?
With increased interactions, the increase in revenue will be shared by all the stakeholders (journalists, editors, readers, even coders) based on their contributions – the value of each contribution being determined, again, by those algorithms. That is, even readers can earn PressCoins by taking a poll, say, or by writing a meaningful comment. This is in stark contrast to Facebook and Google who basically monetise the data we generate by selling it to third-party clients. Now, taking a poll, for example, helps both the readers ($$$) as well as the entire PressCoin system, because the sentiments of the public can be gauged through it (something like this in 2016 may have saved a few poor souls from the awful ‘surprise’ of a Trump victory). An interaction by you can also be in the form of an insight gleaned from various articles, which may give a wider perspective on a social issue. Moreover, any secondary interactions triggered by your interaction also get added to your wallet in the form of a ‘residual value’ of the transaction.
Because, my gentle reader, we are in the midst of a war, and this is a war waged against information. Trusted news sources are swiftly dwindling and every sincere piece of journalism gets lost in a barrage of Kim Kardashian selfies and nuggets of ‘Fake News’ garbed in spicy, eye-grabbing headlines. Enter PressCoin. PressCoin is a cryptocurrency platform that aims to revolutionize the way we, the snug sheeple of the world, consume and interact with information. It has, under its wing, a number of independent media houses, along with journalists like John Pilger and Barkha Dutt. Initially, the news sites may depend on subscriptions, premium content or crowdfunding from a base of passionate readers. However, all transactions will be carried out in PressCoins, which, being a type of cryptocurrency, will be free from outside influences, both political and financial. The value of each news site will be generated from each individual revenue stream. The PressCoin blockchain will then compound this into a total value against which the value of the PressCoin currency will be derived. When you own a PressCoin token, you own an equity share in the PressCoin company, which is the aggregate of all the media companies under it. However, there is something else that generates revenue in this economy and that is where the most interesting bit comes into play. In the PressCoin economy, interactions count as transactions. Interactions include everything, from the initial article to the comments on it by readers. Activities like taking a poll or a quiz can also qualify. A set of
Journalists will instead be rewarded for the engagement they create, not the attention they grab But would existing journalists be drawn to this system? Well, in the near future, they might have no choice. Under the current ad-revenue system, news sites are rapidly losing money because advertisers can easily gain more traffic on social platforms like Facebook and Google instead. By doing away with the ad-revenue system, metrics like view counts and time-spent will no longer judge the profitability of a news-piece. With PressCoin, journalists will instead be rewarded for the engagement they create, not the attention they grab. | Renesa 23
Moreover, by distancing journalism from giant media conglomerates, the PressCoin platform will ensure the independence of media. This is crucial because currently, 90% of what we read, view and listen is owned by just six media corporations. The issue of corporate ownership seems sinister when we consider facts like how both the Walt Disney Company and the New York Times have had board members who had also served as defense contractors. PressCoin is an open platform where the various entities can share technological resources (all the AI, blockchain, audience-capturing strategy,
The Woman behind the Façade When the Aung San Suu Kyi led National Democratic Party(NLD) swept the 2015 Myanmar elections, the whole world believed the prodigal daughter finally stepped up to the pedestal that was deservingly hers. The constitution barred her from being the president, but it would only take a fool to not realise she would be the de-facto leader of the nation. But I believe the pedestal that the western world gave her has finally broken apart. When the military crackdown of the military on the Rohingya Muslims in the state of Rankine came to public knowledge in mid-2017, people were appalled by the fact that the de-facto leader did not condemn the issue. Let alone condemn, she did not take any counter measures to prevent the so called ethnic cleansing done by the military. The United Nations, in a report said that a set of rules was established against the Rohingyas by the military in order to eliminate them. To put the last sentence in context, this is like the Jews being eliminated during WWII. There have been calls to take back the Peace Prize awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi, and some distinctions awarded to her such as ‘Freedom of the City of Oxford’ have already been 24|
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management knowhow, et al, to keep the sites up and running). This will encourage new, smaller sites to join the club with minimal investment on tech infrastructure. The economy also aims to allocate a part of its total revenue to fund an accelerator program that would incubate up and coming media startups. Having already managed to draw in journalists like John Pilger, the PressCoin economy can perhaps wage a successful offensive in the war against information. Democracy might have a fighting chance, after all, and just maybe, we won’t all die of mass-starvation and nuclear Armageddon. • Rhishabh Goswami B Tech II | Chemie
rescinded. But for some reason, can we not have seen something like this? It is one thing being a saint. It is completely another thing being a politician. Clearly, Aung San Suu Kyi has failed at the latter. The issue of the killings of Rohingya Muslims had already come up in the year 2013, when no one knew about it. When Aung San Suu Kyi was questioned about it, she said Buddhists had also been displaced and no one side could be blamed as there was violence from both ends. Such straight faced answers to a seemingly one sided conflict at that time should’ve served as a warning sign. When you consider the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi had lived most of her life abroad, and when she did come back eventually was placed under house arrest for 15 years, you are bound to ask the question should a person so inept at being a politician be allowed to lead a country. Aung San Suu Kyi didn’t give up her protest against the military to meet her dying husband in Britain. She didn’t meet her children for 15 long years. But the fact that she can turn a blind eye to such an alarming issue does damage her credibility, both as a leader and a human being. It is difficult when you’re the leader of a state as fragile as Myanmar, but as Harvey Dent once said- “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. I guess we can all see what is happening here. • Tharun Balaji B. Tech II | Trical
John Pilger
and Why We Need Documentaries
There are two truths: the truth and the official truth Under Augusto Pinochet’s CIA-backed regime, Jorge Muller-Silva, the cameraman behind ‘The Battle of Chile’, was arrested, tortured and found dead several years later. In his latest article titled ‘Why the Documentary Must Not be Allowed to Die’, John Pilger mentions this incident as a prime example of governments, quite literally, shooting the messenger. In our world today, there are two truths: the truth and the official truth. Most mainstream media have been weeding out the former and wholly embracing the latter. It seems that as the avenues of information increase in number, its access is increasingly filtered and regulated. The pillars of trickle-down economics have been remoulded and put to use in the dissemination of information. We’ve been increasingly fed a diet of “reality” TV shows and fantasized dialogues of imaginary families living imaginary lives while being told that we should not worry about policies and such, that’s for the big dogs to take care of. But this was not the case in the Baby Boomer’s generation. TV channels used to host documentaries often, showing actual reality, in parts of the world that people couldn’t as easily access as they can now. Nowadays, you only find good documentaries if you go hunting for them behind the layers of aggressively advertised romance, horror and trivial humdrum that weave the tapestry of the internet. This is where revolutionary filmmakers like John Pilger come into play, with a website where you can watch all of his documentaries for free
Anjana Aravind M.Sc. IV | Physics
and read all his published articles. Each one of his almost sixty documentaries focuses on a part of the past or the present that has been erased from texts. From the exploitation of East Timor, to a series of films on Cambodia; from the jungles of Vietnam to the coast of Bangladesh and the second-class treatment of citizens in Palestine to the silenced aboriginals of his native country, Australia- there is almost no rock that Pilger has left unturned in his path to bring the truth to light. Personal favourites include ‘The War You Don’t See’, which is an investigation about the media’s role in war, namely, how ‘embedded’ reporting aided and abetted the bloodshed in the Middle East and Afghanistan and ‘The Coming War on China’, which gives critical insight into America’s current military expansionism in retaliation to China’s business expansionism. He also has a series called ‘The Outsiders’ where he interviews whistleblowers, writers, activists and others who have been exiled from their countries for upsetting local governments. The list includes interviews with Sean MacBride, Salman Rushdie and Julian Assange, among others. With his almost vehement distaste for the mass media, it is easy to see why the feeling is mutual. The golden era of Pilger-esque documentaries seems to be drawing wearily to a close and I sincerely hope there are more of his kind out there, if not for the sake of journalism, at least for the sake of humanity. •
The Truth, According to Arundhati Roy Arundhati Roy has been called everything from a ‘terrorist’ to an ‘anti-development Naxalite lover’. Most Indians love to hate her, but maybe that’s because she’s one of the rare truth-seekers in our country who has the actual gall to face up to the leaders of our country and expose them for what they really are.
Roy doesn’t base her arguments on moralistic appeals or cottony philosophies; | Renesa 25
Sonia Gandhi, Modi, Ambani, the Maoists: in her essays, she has held up a mirror to every one of them and has portrayed them in a rather unflattering light. At times, it’s rather hard not to call her coverage of politics and social issues somewhat pessimistic; hers is a brand of truth that verges on paranoia. But maybe that’s because of the times we live in- Democracy is a farce and most politicians play second fiddle to giant corporations, both Indian and foreign. The millions of tribal forest-dwellers, landless peasants, and homeless squatters are remorselessly bulldozed over by a brand of development that cares not for the common citizen. The best part about her essays? Roy doesn’t base her arguments on moralistic appeals or cottony philosophies; rather, she deals in cold, hard data. She doesn’t peddle sentiments, she doesn’t preach: she bombards you with accurate historical and economic facts. At the same time, it’s quite difficult sometimes to not want to go up to her and say, “Behen, thoda lite lo.” The only shortcoming she has, I suppose, is that she reveals everything that is wrong without really offering a solution. But then to start, to make a change, I suppose you need to at least be aware of the problems in the first place. Readers may begin with her book The Algebra of Infinite Justice and then move on to Broken Republic, Listening to Grasshoppers, and the rest of her essay collections. • Rhishabh Goswami B Tech II | Chemie
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at everything she does. She is at once, the diligent wife, the caring mother, and the doting daughter who visits her parents at least once a day. But all good (?) things come to an end, and after a particularly difficult night on the stage, her husband confesses to having an affair, and leaves her. And out of the depths of her misery and frustration at having lost what seemed to be the perfect life along with a liberal helping of alcohol induced bravado, a new star is born. The drunk and disorderly Mrs. Maisel takes the stage at The Gaslight and discovers that she has a penchant for stand-up. The show just like its protagonist, is a perfect blend of charm, wit, and substance, and it isn’t a show offering insights into the world of stand-up, although it does do that. It’s more the story of a woman stepping out of her comfort zone, finding her voice and calling. It’s the story of a woman, quite literally, standing up for herself. Add to the mix a very talented cast – Tony Shelhoub in particular is brilliant as the upstanding Jewish father, and so is Alexandra Borstein as Susie – and you begin to understand why it’s an absolute treat to watch. •
The Maverick
REBEL MUSICIANS Kevin James B. Tech II | Comps
“Only love with its science makes us so innocent.” Known as the mother of the New Chilean Song Movement, Violeta Parra had to fight through poverty at a very young age. To support her family, she became a street busker and composed her own versions of Chilean folk tunes. She was named as the best folkloric artist in 1954. Violetta played a big role in Latin America by supporting the working class as they did not receive their daily wages fairly. It was commonplace at that time for musicians who sang messages unfavorable to the government to have their tongues cut off or their families tortured. Fearing that this would happen to her too, she composed one of her best songs, “Gracias A La Vida”, a song about her gratitude for all that life gave her, before committing suicide. Her music inspired several revolutionary movements across Chile against the dictatorial governance.
JOHN LENNON
VIOLETTA PARRA
“If you want peace, you won’t get it with violence. The people have the power, all we have to do is awaken that power in the people.” Co-founder and my favorite band member of “The Beatles”, John Lennon, was a big help for the mass movement in the Vietnam war. “Imagine” was his best selling single of his career. The song was about a peaceful world where divisions such as race, religion or caste ceased to exist. Little did he know, that his music would become a powerful weapon that stood for the people. He was a person who stood for and by the truth.“Power to the People”, was the single which explained the oppression faced by the people against the US government. Before long, the FBI caught on to his “anti-national” messages and filed dozens of cases against him although they were unable to prosecute him. His assassination was said to have been done by a CIA agent hired by the government. The loss of Lennon was one of the greatest downfalls of the music industry.
“What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” The “rebel rebelling against the rebellion” a.k.a. Bob Dylan, was a simple and an honest man who made music in different genres. He played a huge role in Civil Rights movement and the Counterculture movement of the 1960s, redefining music in America. “Hurricane” was a song that Bob explained about a boxer, Rubin Carter, who was wrongly accused of a murder at a bar just because he was black. He was a witness around the incident and one of the real suspects, who was white, told the police that he just came to steal the money from the cash register. “Masters of War” was one of the greatest protest songs ever made during the Counterculture movement. It was made for the youth who cried out that war was unnecessary. Protest songs like these opened eyes to other artists to create music in the form of social and political views. He fought against racism and inequality and wanted the next generation to realize that peace can be achieved. To this day, he tours around the world, playing his music, inspiring the people to bring a change for the better. • BOB DYLAN | Renesa 27
The Varmint Kid The Phantom Thief
I am James Blake, a wildlife conservationist, working in the Masai Mara. It may not be much, but then how many of us get our dream jobs? My job consists of keeping an eye on the life of the animals here. We try to keep our interference to the minimum, but recently we noticed an abrupt increase in animal carcasses found in this region. We studied the corpses, all of them had the same kind of bite marks, but there wasn’t much that could help us track down the killer. We kept hunting for the creature responsible for this but to no avail. It was around this time that we came across Lava. We were out on our early morning round up, when we stumbled across a mammal, a new species. That was Lava, with red fur, large eyes, a small nose and spiky small teeth, it was the most adorable animal in the entirety of Masai Mara. Having no idea about its nature we used to keep a close eye on it. During the day, it fed on plants and small insects and by night it would mysteriously disappear. Two days went by, when we were overcome by curiosity and decided to follow it. On the eventuality that we would come across the killer, we took guns along. We started out just before sun down. We searched high and low, for Lava or the killer, whichever came first. It was night 4 a.m. when we decided to head back. A sudden rustling sound caught our attention. The sound came from a bush not more than four meters away. The peeking lion’s mane told us it was just having its meal, and led us to proceed with caution. Something felt off. It just did not feel like a lion feeding on its prey. A few steps ahead and the creature looked up at us. It was Lava, yet it could not be. The large eyes were pitch black, emanating pure evil, the small spiky teeth were now grown and placed in a jagged manner. The glowing red mane only added more to the supernatural effect we were presented with. Looking at us, it stopped its previous activity and started slowly moving towards us. My colleagues couldn’t take this anymore and opened fire. The bullets hit Lava, but did not seem to have any effect, other than enraging it. Lava darted towards us and all hell broke loose. We ran for our lives, but Lava managed to get to us. It jumped on both of my colleagues at the same time. Having restrained them, it took its sweet time dismembering their bodies; while I stood there. Being paralysed with fear took a new meaning for me. I could almost feel my heart stop when Lava looked at me. Something seemed to change, it looked at me a long while before hurrying back to its meal. That was the last day I did any kind of field work. I can’t go back there knowing there is a creature like that on loose. Creatures of deception, roaming this earth in broad daylight looking for their next prey. •
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The Peasants v. WTO Rebellion is easy. All you need is a group of slightly determined people risking much more than their peace of minds to fight against Power itself, where their odds of winning are smaller than my self-esteem. As I said, piece of cake. While we commonly associate rebellions to the war cries of history, modern acts of rebellion are equally defiant, with La Via Campesina being a movement of prime importance. Founded in 1993 in Mons, Belgium, La Via Campesina, literally translating to the peasants’ way, is arguably the world’s largest social movement, made up of over 200 million peasants- small-scale farmers, indigenous people and migrants. With strongholds in over 70 countries spanning across Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, LVC boasts of a worldwide unity probably second only to the universal love of Nutella. So, what turns a group of ‘peasants’ into rebels? The answer- Food. While LVC promotes the protection of eco-resources and biodiversity, gender equality and human rights of international migrants, it is at the forefront of the fight against corporate takeover of food and resources. Rather than dealing with food security- ensuring
that people have enough to eat, LVC concerns itself with ‘food sovereignty’- the right of people to healthy food produced through sustainable methods, while putting those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food policies, rather than the profit-hungry demands of corporations. LVC’s non-neoliberal sentiments are the root cause of their beef (intended) with the World Trade Organisation, arguing that the WTO’s encouragement of international free trade agreements jeopardises the socio-economic growth of indigenous farmers. LCV has found a stronghold in India as well; helping Indian farmers defend India’s food security as well as protect them from corporate-controlled WTO interventions that are attributed to the increasing trend of suicides in their community. One of the most striking things about the movement is simply the fact that it exists. While analysts have predicted the demise of peasantry as a result of the influence of capitalism in agriculture, LVC has not only survived, but has thrived worldwide. Before you disregard LVC’s impact in the agrarian community, it would do well to remember that the last time a bunch of ‘peasants’ rebelled against food prices, a certain Dr Guillotine of France made the fortune of a lifetime. • Anya Trivedi B. Tech II | Comps
Case for Separation Anjana Aravind M.Sc. IV | Physics
Separation does not equal collapse, as is it is often painted, but it could mean progress and more importantly, peace. From the birth of America to the collapse of the Soviet Union, history is rife with tales of settlement and separation; fundamentally different acts bound by the commonality of a desire for belonging. With the most recent referendum held in Catalonia, utterly dismissed by the Spanish government, we find a plurality across the world in communities wanting to dissociate from nations or states. In most cases, it is the difference in culture, tradition and beliefs that drives this but in some cases, disparities in economic growth between one region of the country and another can trigger retaliation in the form of separation. | Renesa 29
Separation does not equal collapse, as is it is often painted, but it could mean progress and more importantly, peace. We’ve seen that in the breakdown of Yugoslavia, in the separation of Singapore from Malaysia and in the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. History has shown us that it is never a wise idea to control large territories and that decentralization is key to any sort of growth. With smaller populations, it is easier to build stronger societies and more transparent governing bodies, governments that can be held accountable by, and understand, their people. When a community stands justified on all fronts in their demand for separation from the central entity, be it a country or a state, they deserve to be granted that right. What often stands in the way of this are purely economic reasons. The central entity is afraid of losing out on regions that contribute to their overall GDP and impact trade, as is the case with Catalonia. In India, the formation of Telangana was not, and will probably not, be the only one of its kind. In a country with a multitude of cultures, languages, scripts and beliefs, had British colonialism not intervened, we would have more likely formed something akin to the European Union. In retrospect, it is questionable whether a union would have engendered development but it stands to reason that well-governed small populations are much better for the planet and its people than the economic and military goliaths of our time. •
Dollarcalypse: A new age currency war
Today, the ever-increasing demand for oil and consequently the USD has given America the means to enforce its foreign policies on nations, wage wars and maintain its hegemony. For example, it sanctioned Iran for developing nuclear weapons and banned Russian trade for invading Crimea. Of late, China, the largest importer of oil, is preparing to dethrone the American dollars by introducing ‘Petroyuan’ (yuan for oil) and thus end the greenFor several decades, all international transactions back’s primacy as the Global reserve currency. have been priced in dollars and Big Brother AmerChina will provide financial security by making ica’s dominance has seen remarkable consistency. Yuan fully convertible to gold. Major oil exportSo, when did the world agree upon the acceptance ing countries like Russia and Iran are supporting of the greenback as the ‘World reserve currency’? China’s move in an attempt to end their dependency on the USD. In the past, when Saddam Hussein Let us retrace our footsteps to the 1940s when the announced that Iraq would use Euros for oil based WWII had just ended and delegates of the allied transactions, America replied by invading Iraq and nations came to a common conclusion of what is instilling fear in the minds of all those who wanted known as the Bretton Woods Agreement - mainto seclude themselves from petrodollars. In short, taining fixed exchange rates between their curren- China’s dauntless move might create the possibilicies and the US Dollars. This created an artificial ty of violence and mass destruction by the US forcdemand for the greenback which led to higher es. As predicted by chief economist Carl Weinberg, standards of living in the US. However, after the if Chinese action constrains Saudi Arabia to use breakdown of this agreement in the 1970s, America Petroyuan then slowly all nations will pave their in its pursuit of power and to preserve the artificial way out of the current system of demand for dollars, struck a deal with Saudi Arabia petrodollars. asking it to use dollars for all oil contracts and in return provided military muscle to Saudi Arabia Can America immunize its currency against these for protection of oil fields. Over time, all nations currency wars or is this the beginning of agreed to this manner of oil export and import. ‘De-Dollarization’? • This is how the ‘Petrodollar’ (dollars for oil) was Ria Bohidar born. B-Tech I | Tronics 30|
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Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You’ll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth saving Then you better start swimmin' or you’ll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin' Come writers and critics Who prophesize with your pen And keep your eyes wide The chance won’t come again And don’t speak too soon For the wheel’s still in spin And there’s no tellin' who that it’s namin' For the loser now will be later to win For the times they are a-changin' Come senators, congressmen Please heed the call Don’t stand in the doorway Don’t block up the hall For he that gets hurt Will be he who has stalled The battle outside ragin' Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls For the times they are a-changin' Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don’t criticize What you can’t understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is rapidly aging Please get outta' the new one if you can’t lend your hand For the times they are a-changin' The line it is drawn The curse it is cast The slow one now Will later be fast As the present now Will later be past The order is rapidly fading And the first one now will later be last For the times they are a-changin'
Adios!
Batch of 2018
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Dear Mom Yes, I have been receiving your letters, even though I may be replying late. Honestly I don’t understand why you don’t use email anymore, or just call like a normal person. Neither do I understand why you worry so much about me mom, it isn’t like I am in Grade School anymore. Perhaps it would interest you to know about the enhanced security methods adopted. Lately, for some reason, the rise in the number of security guards on campus has been Exponential. Obviously, I feel so much safer now! The administration has also adopted an Advanced Surveillance Method, scanning all forms of communications across the now “ Secure Premises” of our beloved college. Everyone is ecstatic. Security personnel is now religiously reading every letter, text, thought bubble and E-mail going in and out of the campus. Not complaining, it is for our own safety, after all. Deepest respect to the security guard assigned to read this letter. Health-wise I am doing okay. I got a minor stomach bug last week, but that’s routine now. Everybody is talking about how the mess food has improved. They’ve started a “Home-Like Lunch” program. I eat there each time I crave potatoes, and they never seem to disappoint. Perhaps my standards have dropped lower than my grades, but who’s counting? Although college has taught me many things, I have come a long way from simply Noting the first letters of the first words of every sentence, to understanding the Depth and underlying message of the text. You should try it too, mom. My apologies if you find any unusual grammatical mistakes in this letter. Blame texting. Or circumstance. Never stop writing to me, I miss you. Ever hungry, Your child.
Aashka Trivedi B.Tech II | Comps Anya Trivedi B.Tech II | Comps
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It was my final year of college and I was in desperate need of a solution. I have always been bogged down by sloth – that chill, fuzzy, vice – arguably the least aggressive of the seven deadly sins. It hadn’t ever been a major thorn in my path but I was in my final year now. The point in life when there are certain ‘expectations’ of you, and I, for sure, wasn’t close to fulfilling any one of them. But even though I was too lazy to do anything about it, I did not want people to think of me as a loser for not getting placed or being admitted into a decent grad school. I became anxious – which is to say that between playing Dota and scrolling through meme pages, I spent a few tense seconds every day imagining the faces of my friends, twisted in mockery, as they held out their offer letters for 10 LPA jobs. Now, I have always prided myself on having quite an extravagant flair for the dramatic. From faking fainting spells back in school to convincing one of my friends that I’m Polish, I have managed to act myself out of a number of sticky situations. But which garb did I put on this time around? It was a poster of Che Guevara in the room opposite to me (the owner of the room referred to it as a poster of Bob Marley because that was just the kind of college I went to) that cued me to the course I ought to take. I stared at the iconic revolutionary, the most generic pop culture symbol of rebellion, and I thought of the countless young hearts that he had set to the tune of revolution. Oh, do not get me wrong. I did not decide to ditch college and, like Guevara, travel cross-country on a single cylinder 1939 Norton 500cc motorcycle. Oh no, the amount of effort involved in that bars me from even considering it. Instead, I see myself as an intellectual, someone in touch with the more delicate of the human efforts. So what did I do? Well, I became a Marxist. “I am not lazy,” I imagined telling everyone. “I simply do not want to make profit for capitalists. I will not sit for placements because it goes against my ideals.” First, like any actor worth his two cents, I did my homework. I began with Marx and read all the way
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How communism kept my dignity intact
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through Chomsky, Zizek and Foucault. I joined communist groups on Facebook, befriended a few of those impassioned oddballs, and watched hourlong tutorials on YouTube. I familiarized myself with the jargon, learnt all the theories by heart. Then I began posting fervent essays on Facebook, declaiming all that was wrong with the world economy. I posted Marxist jokes (I don’t always start a revolution, but when I do . . . I do it with class), shared video lectures of Noam Chomsky, and infuriated all my right-wing relatives by mocking their pro-BJP posts. I had never attended lectures but now I did it as a sign of protest. I waxed eloquent on how education itself was a capitalist ploy, a globally sanctified system of mass indoctrination of the young. Once I even stood in front of the canteen and handed out pamphlets that said things like ‘Workers of the world unite’, ‘the streets will bleed with the blood of the decapitated bourgeoisie’. (This was too much work though, and I never did it again). Also, I tried to explain to my friends how the current global wars were driven by the greed of oil and defense companies. Mentioned “starving Yemeni kids, those poor things,” every time anyone so much as dared to waste a bite of food in my sight. Most people grew to hate me, perceive me as especially annoying, but that was not the point. Instead of a feckless bum, I was perceived now as an intellectual, a poet radicalized by the sorry state of the world economy. “He’s a little touched,” I heard one of my friends say. “But at least he has his ideals.” Exactly. And what are we, indeed, without our ideals? Overall, it has all seemed to work out perfectly and I’m moving back with my parents after college. Ghar ka khana and all that joy. Still, there are certain loose ends that I need to tie up. For example, just to keep the ball rolling, I have decided to start a communist podcast. (No matter what, I will not compromise on my act – I have read enough about verisimilitude to appreciate it and follow it through. I must not let the mask slip, not now, not after all this.) • Rhishabh Goswami B Tech II | Chemie
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Prank gone wrong
First of April, universally known as April fool’s Day, the day when you can prank anyone without worrying about the consequences. Who would have known that someone’s wish for a harmless prank would turn their life upside down? This is what happened to me when I decided to prank one of my classmates. John transferred to our school two weeks ago. He was extremely introverted and liked to keep to himself most of the time. So, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to help him open up. I decided to dress up as a clown and have him believe that I was after him. It was easy to get his address from the teacher’s register. So, on 1st April, I followed the plan and dressed up as a clown and hid in his backyard. I kept waiting for two hours before I felt something fishy going on. I moved to main door and tried the knob. To my surprise it moved! The door was open, which raised many red flags. I should have called the cops, but being the adventure thirsty person that I am, I moved into the house. The entire house was enveloped in darkness and rotting stench. There was garbage thrown all over the floor. Every step I took, led me to a new heap. I silently inched forward through all the obstacles as silently as possible in order to avoid alerting anyone in the house, in case there was a criminal present, and also not to jump scare myself. Soon, I reached the stairs that led to the first floor. There was a humanoid figure standing at the top most stair, looking down at me. We maintained eye contact for several minutes before I could pluck my courage and speak. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” “Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? What business do you have in my house?” It was John! Seeing John flooded me with relief and I flew up the stairs to hold him in a bear tight hug. I held him for a few seconds before he pushed me away with a disgusted look on his face and ran away. Confused and bewildered I decided to follow him. Running through the corridor I came across a room where the stench was particularly strong. Covering my nose, I moved in to investigate. The room was pitch black but one could make out two spherical objects on the floor and a few irregular shapes. I started searching for a switch, and in the process stepped on some sticky fluid in the room. I quickly found the switches and flipped them on. The sight that awaited me was one of pure horror. The two spherical shapes were human heads with their faces cleanly cut. The irregular shapes on the floor were the horrifyingly mutilated bodies. The sticky fluid? It was blood! The contents of my stomach quickly made their way out through my mouth. At this point of time, my friend decided to pop out of nowhere, with a butcher knife in his hand, dripping blood all over the floor. “You should not be here. You have made a mistake and now you will pay for it.” He started moving towards me slowly. “Please tell me it’s a prank, there is no way you could have done something like this. Tell me what is happening here John?” John ignored me and kept closing in on me. I ran downstairs hoping to leave the house the same way I entered it, alas that was not going to happen. To my dismay the front door was now locked, no matter how hard I tried, I could not open it. I turned around and was left face to face with John. “Fare thee well.” With these three words, he thrust the knife into my stomach. Kid The Phantom Thief
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Honest Menu Review
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Rs. 7
TEA Herb and spice infused broth with milk. Served Hot. Maybe.
Rs. 12
CHILLED CHAAS Gujarat.
Rs. 14
SAMOSA Stuffed brown-ish pyramids filled with suspicious half cooked vegetables. Complementary generous serving of oil. Served with sweet red liquid and regret. PANEER CHILLY Cottage cheese cubes fried in triglycerides of the highest quality. Served with an assortment of vegetables. Health guaranteed.
Rs. 10
ASSORTED CARBONATED BEVERAGES Colder than your ex’s heart.
Rs. 40
CHINESE BHEL Abundance of Soy Sauce. Bhel is probably a misnomer. Served with Manchurian. On the house. We’re nice that way.
Rs. 30
CHEESE GRILLED SANDWICH Low in cheese content. Grilled very slowly. Will test your patience.
Rs. 40
IDLI SAMBHAR Liquid rice batter steamed until firm. Left outdoors to cool until rock-hard. Slight risk of broken teeth with excess consumption. Served with masala water that smells funny.
Rs. 10
MYSORE MASALA DOSA Rs. 40 Crisp rice batter stuffed with deliciousness. Served with semi-liquid grated coconut. Somebody’s probably ordering one right now. CHOLE BHATURE Rs. 45 Masala chick peas served with bhature fried with more heat than your entire love life. A real chick-pleaser (Pun intended). ICECREAM Rs.** Large variety (Subject to imagination). Out of Stock. **Insert according to PayTm balance
Anya Trivedi B.Tech II | Comps
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Dear Juniors
Renesa Juniors, You guys are the best. I love you all. Apart from the amazing work y’all do for Renesa, you all are such smart & talented individuals. I hope you guys take it to the next level real soon! Ciao. Nikita
Siddharth Joshi Siddy, you are my little love. Your sweet laughter will always remain with me. Always keep the spark of curiosity alive in you. Yes, we don’t need dollars bills to have fun. Cheers to our cheap thrills! Rutvi Choksi
Upcoming 4th year students “Owing to ur desperation, don’t fill in the companies that u will regret in future for getting selected.... That might limit ur further chances of getting through any other good company. For those who want to join companies just for one year or two.....plz don’t sit in the companies that does matter a lot to others...... Just because u r capable of getting selected in any company u want....dont spoil the chances of other students to get good companies.....” Fatty Marcus
All the juniors First of all, best of luck to everyone for your future endeavours. Be focused for your aims but at the same time enjoy your time in college as this carefree life is not going to come back. Live to the fullest and bhulna mat hame. Amey Mishra
Hridya MS, Really had a awesome time interacting with you. Wish we had met earlier. I’ll just say that keep yourself focused, hungry and aim for the craziest of goals never settling for less. Hast du gerade versucht das zu übersetzen? Shreyash Garg
Malang juniors Hey guys, So over the past few years some really talented and promising dancers have shown up. Just keep up that enthusiasm and show up for meetings. Have a great time!” Khyati
Juniors, I know you are going through so many ups and downs in your life and I also know you are worried about your present as well as future. But I just want to tell you that worrying about it wont help your cause . So be brave and fight all odds, just remember what do you want in your life and how will you achieve it and let just other things go away. Be patient , practical and persistent. Do watch GoT, suits and gangs of Wasseypur.. All the best for your future and do enjoy your college life especially GALLE KI CHAI. Cheers !” Kashyap CHRD juniors Will miss you people Satya Raviteja All juniors Interect with seniors as well as your juniors , and live your college life fully . and be happy! Seema 36|
Keya parida Dont let the lucrative packages of placements distract you. Afterall what matters is ones passion.. if we’ll keep following it, money will follow not pretty soon but for sure.. and that is where true happiness lies.. :) Kartik nighania
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Suyog Glad to have Junior like you. Keep the good work with same sincerity amd humbleness. Siddhanth All Padh lo Varna yahi rah jaoge !! Mr.X Beloved juniors You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Your friend needs all you can give and stay unite Maloo All the juniors Keep calm and become an Engineer Hardik raval
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Prem sinwar I have always been an admirer of you.. though we never had a very good interaction but still you are an inspiration for me.. all the best for your future.. May Allah bless you always Tarannum
Akshat Ghiya Thanks for helping me whenever I required. Your advices and guidance were extremely fruitful. Working with you on Siphon was one of the best experiences. Have a wonderful life ahead. Maurya Dave
Nikita Prabhu Hey, you have always been the senior I looked up to. A strong, independent, courageous and charming lady all at once. Continue to inspire more people! :) Tanu Tomar
Pradeep Ch Thanks for making drama alive and teaching us how to make it happen. You’ve been a wonderful senior. All the best! Rohit Ramesh
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Jayvir gadhvi Well it is our honour to have such seniors like u sir. You are not like others who show rudeness to their junior. Thanks for everything u did for us.Hope u will help us in future too Ra j Rutvik Divya Jeganathan Best of luck Divya! I wish we could’ve spent more time this year. Will miss you loads, and thank you so much for being the best senior ever. Pallavi Adusumalli
PINKAL RATHWA THANK YOU SO MUCH ...BADHI HELP MATE.... AND APDO DINNER PAR JAVA MATE NO PLAN BAKI J RAY GAYO ... BY THE WAY U LOOK SUPER CUTE AND BEAUTIFUL ..LOVE YOU N AGAIN THANK YOU MAITRI DALAL
Kishan naik I will never say thank you to u bcoz your that much special to me ,I definitely miss u next year enjoy ur life as much as possible in Mumbai n be happy ....n don’t forget me n yaka luv u loads bro stay unique n model to our society. Swapna bhattu
COED department You guys are literally the best seniors we could have asked for! Thank you so much for helping us out in so many ways!! All the best :) Anonymous
Everyone Acha kamoooe aur svnit kaa naam roshan karo Radha
Sreejesh sir Hello sir. Got to know that you are from Palakkad. Coincidentally I’m from there too. I had met you during one of our senior meetings. It was a pleasure. All the best for your future sir. Nikhil Santosh
Deep Ga jjar Deep Bhai! .Senior kam Bhai jyada Bas dua mein yaad rakhna Anonymous
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CHIEF EDITORS Anagha Bhat Anjana Aravind EDITOR – AT – LARGE Supriya Murdiya
Amey Kulkarni Anya Trivedi Aaskha Trivedi Rhisabh Goswami
Shraddha Prasanth Abhishek Thomas
Haider Sultan Kashyap Patel Nisarg Desai
CHIEF DESIGNER Sandeep Thiruvalluvan
EDITORS Amrita Mohanty Surya Bhushan Tripathi
JUNIOR EDITORS Kevin James Mrityunjay Borah Mir Bhatia
DESIGNERS Derik Spencer
CORRESPONDENTS Ria Botidar Saptarishi Pandey
SECRETARIES Abhirup Panja Nikita Prabhu
Tharun Bala ji Tanu Tomar Tanushri Jain V Aarthi
Shikhar Priyadarshi Nitin Kumar Mengana
Sanskar Panda Tanisha Tambi Yukta Malik