IIT-B dumps ‘dangerous’ birthday bumps

IIT-B dumps ‘dangerous’ birthday bumps

Mumbai: The tradition of giving birthday bumps to friends, practised in most students’ hostels, has been banned on the IIT-B’s Powai campus. Considered to be a source of great fun in the hostels, it is now seen as a potential danger to the physical well-being of the students. Though, the students’ version of it—spraying deodorant and lighting the back on fire, bathing the birthday boy with garbage bin full of ants, lifting a student to bash him up, hitting the student with slippers or belt—does sound scary. Following some cases of injuries caused due to the bumps —‘GPL’ in IIT-B lingo—the institute has called for a ban on the ‘custom’ followed religiously in the hostels. IIT-B students divided over ban on ‘violent’ birthday bumps
Mumbai: The IIT-B authorities have sent out a notice banning the practice of birthday bumps. In the notice officials have asked all students to refrain from such activities and also stated that birthday bumps will be treated on a par with ragging and the same norms will be applicable.
    In the institute’s circular, the officials have also threatened students of stringent action, without specifying the nature of punishment. General secretaries of the hostels have been made responsible for implementation of the ban.
    Even before the issuance of such a notice, the authorities did not have any reported cases in hand, as the birthday boys or rather ‘victims’ refused to complain against their own friends.
    So far, only informal complaints have been received, and after the notice, no fresh, even informal, cases have been reported.
    “A note against this practice was also issued by the student affairs’ office before. I just reiterated it as because of some reports that they go out of hand once in a while,” said U A Yajnik, dean, student affairs.
    Several students said it is the first time that such a stringent ban has been imposed. It also made hostel councils responsible for such activities.
    While some students on the campus are all for the ban, some said they have continued with the practice on campus and flouted the norms.
    The students’ magazine, Insight, recently carried an article that presented both sides of the ‘GPL’ practice on campus.
    “People would be ready to bear the brunt of a huge mob just because it shows that they have a large following and a good social circle’, argued a pro-GPL student in the article.

Tech that and score more

Tech that and score more

Your cell phone can facilitate studying regardless of wherever you are

From a scenario where the professors were considered as ‘gurus’, students now have access to a 24x7 educator; better known as the ‘Google guru’, which clarifies their doubts immediately and even predicts the next query occasionally. If used in a tech-savvy manner, smart phones are a boon and very helpful when it comes to studying. They are a godsend for those trying to manage their studies and work at the same time. You can go through college notes on your ‘smart’ phone while travelling to work and even during field assignments. Similarly, many colleges have students using yahoo groups for sending notes, weekly lecture schedule of lectures and the time table for their exams. Benefits galore One of the key benefits of using a smart phone is that, it eliminates the need for clutching printed notes in your hand while traveling in a crowded local train. Many students even work on their projects from their cell phone. In what appears to be a case of technology replacing technology, the 21 inch monitor and desktop computer are no longer an essential requirement for tackling college assignments.

Are you confused about your career?

Are you confused about your career?

Special Eduscope offer: Book an aptitude test and get a free counselling session

It is that time of the year when DNA Eduscope takes place. The two-day event taking place on June 8-9, 2013 at Nehru Centre, Worli, is about providing opportunities and selecting suitable careers. Recognising opportunities and choosing the right career will leave a huge impact on your life. Your choice today will affect the next 40-50 years of your life. It will determine the kind of friends you make and the lifestyle you lead. When you are a teenager or a parent of a teenager, this can be a difficult choice to make. This is why making an informed choice is important. One way to do so is by taking a career test that measures your aptitude and interests. You will get a set of careers based on the same. At DNA of Careerfundas, we understand that you may require guidance, which is why we have an aptitude test for class 8-12 students developed by leading psychologists from Mumbai University. As a special offer for DNA Eduscope, we are offering free personalized counselling to readers who book our aptitude test online. The counselling sessions will be offered at the Eduscope venue.

The Dummies guide to coaching classes

The Dummies guide to coaching classes

Don’t put your career ambitions at risk, attending the right institute can raise marks to the required level for post-grad courses

How do you define the difference between good and great? Well, for a final year (TY) student, it’s the difference between missing a post-grad course by just a few marks or scoring a high percentage and gaining admission. And what is it that helps you make the transition from good to great? Obviously, a coaching class. Now why is it that despite being in the best colleges with the best professors, students still need to attend a coaching class to realize their potential? Because the professor who is casual in the college classroom turns into a livewire while teaching at a coaching class afterwards. Logically, students also respond to these two variations. There is a tendency to be casual during college lectures and focused during the coaching classes because of the attitude and approach towards studies at both places. But how can you maximize the benefits of attending a coaching class during TY? For starters, while selecting a coaching class ensure it is convenient to commute from home or college. Moreover, when exams are around the corner, having your coaching class nearby will help you to clear your doubts without wasting time. Mind it Find out if college and classes timings clash, you can’t be in two places at the same time. In case you are working along with your studies, verify whether you can adjust the timings of the class when required. Ensure that the coaching class is located close to your college, office or home. No matter how wonderful the coaching class is, you cannot achieve your goal without proper concentration. Therefore, while choosing a class, make sure the infrastructure and environment in and around the class is conducive for achieving the same. Rate it A coaching class is preferred if it has highly qualified and experienced faculty. Don’t go by advertisements; ask students who have studied there about aspects like the standard of teaching, quality of faculty, etc. Check the percentage scored by students who topped for the past few years. Opt for a coaching class that specialises in the subjects you need to score high in. My view Marina Carvalho, who just appeared for her TY BCom exams, shares, “Location and timing are two of the important aspects to consider while joining a coaching class. Class timings should not clash with the college schedule. Also, those who are into sports or extracurricular activities should have the flexibility in timings to adjust studies whenever it becomes necessary. It is the professor, who makes students feel that subjects are interesting or boring. You start understanding a subject well only if the professor teaches it in an interesting manner. Also, having limited students in a batch enables them and the professor to focus on the topic at a deeper level.” 5 parameters to select your coaching class 1. Size of batches 2. Personal attention 3. Offline support 4. Flexible timings 5. Competitive environment