Public; Nobody's Business

Parliament House, New Delhi 

"Do you know what it takes to get into the Parliament? Whatever, but you will come out pocket full of money when exiting."

A bungalow at Lutyens', New Delhi 

As we embrace the activists like Anna Hazare and few realistic politicians for their welfare indulgence into the ombudsman's (lokpal's) swamp we take no considerations to the MPs who hold the dark intent as a principle of them. They make the ignorance of public to the level where they get the modest amount of salary shown and what that is unaccountable goes oblivion in the showcase. Our Parliamentarians extracts the most out of what we call Money accountable to Public. Most of the MPs live in or on the vicinity at Lutyens' Delhi which has the gross estimated value of real estate of Rs 300-400 crore depending on the size of the bungalow. In Delhi as a state we have 77 Ministers including those of state are so capable that they can even hire a servant for spoon feeding and cleaning their toilets (-literally, where it comes from). India as a country still counts 37.7% of population below poverty line (BPL) and we have more than 540 Lok Sabha Ministers and 250 Rajya Sabha Ministers playing all in multimillion currency and can be said perfectly capable of feeding those below poverty line till their death and still holds a tidy sum of a million.

The new statistics shows the increment of Government bureaucrats. Six lakhs per annum is the salary of an Indian MP which is in accounts and the bungalow which grows behind is what the money needs to be in accounts. There is no Parliamentary drawback or system limitations, all in all the corrupt Ministers grew up to behold this nature when an American bureaucrats draws an ample annual salary of $1,74,000 (Rs 93 lakhs) and yet lives at homes which cost almost third of the fractions Indian MPs' bungalows worthy of. Where actually the money is growing and how far will it reach to the corrupt standards? Questions never become an answer in parliament. An MP brings multi-ideological standards of his own to become so-and-so. He spends around 7-10 crores on elections to win it before whining and bragging of the same and a successful MLA spends around 2-3 crores all on a state assembly elections. By all procedure successfully passed giving these MPs right of expenditure in some other sense. Now when all the revenue is collected from Public funds, National Highway Authority of India, Airports, Railways, Transports and Municipal departments. The audited revenue on utilization lies in vain before the public and eaten by the corrupt society of MPs and Bureaucracies. 

Lokpal brought the debate of empowering of Election Commission to audit electoral expenses on a continuous basis and make all the funds of public accountable on the expense sheet. Should it provide the power to de-register and de-recognize the blunderer political parties which play seminal roles in digging the black money out. There must be a tough regulatory bodies which instigates the policies to investigate the profession of each and look into the matter deeply and not commiserate the deal with money.

"What we pay unwritten, goes unaccountable." 

Acknowledgement- 

How much does your Lutyens MP cost you? (Minhaz Merchant), 

Sunday Times Of India, New Delhi (dated 18 December, 2011).

Wikipedia (for accurate statistics on BPL and current census report)

Photo Credits-

The Times of India Travel (www.timesofindiatravel.com).

Ajit

***Please also read the repudiation or disclaimer for any content to be disparaged the credits and be put forward to the knowledge of the author of this blog.

FORMULA 1 & FASCINATION 2

At Buddh International Circuit, New Delhi

Just a day passed by after an inauguration of Formula 1 and a day waiting for scintillating, glamorous and fascinating parties to tag it a star. Lady Gaga sang to an after event party of Formula 1 with all the others in party songs. Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal also made the evening go Gaga.

We may have had difficulties in practice sessions when a Dog intervened and or Visa refutation for some attending this event from countries far. But that hardly made a difference as on for now this event has got heart of billionaires and famous personalities to spend Rs. 100 for a piece of Samosa when in famine. Thank God, it has not got worse for the people who cannot buy it giving an exorbitant high amount as an excuse.

There were not only fast cars and high profile scions and tycoons at Buddh International Circuit but also a hint of gorgeous and beautiful Grid Girls increasing an entertainment quotient for the visitors to high. 

Coming after what Formula 1 added to roaring engines were these exquisite Formula1 Grid Girls. People may have had difficulties in reaching the venue because of heavy Traffic Jams on the roads reading hoardings of Formula1 but that has not taken to make a bold thought to worry about when the visitors reached the venue and without much bustle, the Grid Girls made them pop their eyes out.

All went great after when these girls also found the speed scorchers on their way to practice and indulging booze later the Race with the classy Businessmen and their much-to-do high bucks.

The Podium Declaring Winners, Sebastian Vettel (First place),
Jenson Button (Second Place), Fernando Alonso (Third Place)
with Adrian Newey (Red Bull Racing's CTO)

The Race ended up declaring Sebastian Vettel as a winner of Indian Grand Prix, standing with the Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey of Red Bull Racing. The Second Place was taken by Jenson Button followed by the Third place winner, Fernando Alonso. (Pic On Right)

All the events were given a Scintillating After Event Party which had Lady Gaga Performing and this all appreciated as much of India and Bollywood as it can. Lady Gaga tweeted - "Screw Hollywood, It's all about Bollywood." Gaga also uploaded her picture with Arjun Rampal and Shah Rukh Khan while in Party.

13 Days For Nation

It had not been too long since India got it's Independence, not even a century has been passed. It's India's 65th Independent year, 2011. India got Independence from British rulers in 14 August, 1947. All in all Indians tried hard to heal up the country's contusions and is now been counted in the top lists of fastest developing countries. India is the second populous country in the world after China and has rose up it's literacy rate, development statistics, economic growth and also in entertainment industry. All couldn't have been possible without India's Government Bureaucrats and high aspired Indian people. We have had all the assimilated information for being counted in the lists of TOP Nations in the world. 

Unless we've gone spleen in corruption.

But here comes the dearth of possibilities when Indians tend to become selfish on their parts to earn money. India could have world's wealthiest persons' if money which rotates around the country gets reimbursed into a statistic and solemnly be put to development of the country, bustling. Not to forget, Vijay Mallya, Ratan Tata, Ambani Brothers and Azim premji (CEO of Wipro)

Commonwealth Games held at New Delhi in October, 2010 was the most ostentatious situation for the Government authorities to show up the world what it takes to build up a character. But our country has prodigiously blessed with the brilliance of the bureaucrats (sometimes egotistic) to hold up the winning cup on their hands, like A. Raja and Suresh Kalmadi. Corruption is a virus which regardless of emotions hollows the nation. It just need a corrupt mindset to grow and lives heaven. 

Amitabh Bachchan in support for Anna Hazare at a Mall in Mumbai

From Gandhian era to Anna's it went all in the pockets of corrupt governance and if the statistics are to be believed the major cause grows from it's very own citizens. India, and crusades are very commonly similar. We are soulfully responsible for the growth of country and are liable for charge if question demands what have you done for your country. Anna Hazare fasts 13 days just to raise India from corrupt and bribery quagmire. His demands were to be listened and pondered upon in the Parliament and people of India will give reverent homage to their mother land as the JAN LOKPAL BILL Passes at India Gate, New Delhi.

Corruption Escapism

India Against Corruption

An image of The Jan Lokpal Bill

Anna Hazare, an apostle of anti-corruption crusade. Corruption can never be called a disease to Indian law system or bureaucracies. We all are the initiator of corruption and then we talk how liable is to have a conversation about shunning the Government policies. It took broad minds to construct the complicated yet enhanced law, procedure and order in Government authorities. We are in no right situation to call it a culprit. "Our system needs a change, an advancement; Agreed!" For sure there had been flaws in our law and order sequential blueprint but then who doesn't have an inaccuracy? Corruption is deception or fraud-ship to a person who is either known or unknown to what causes illegal norms to be forsaken for a profit of either one person or in some cases, both. We, citizens of Modern India are well aware of what it takes to forbid unruly tentative laws. We know system needs a humongous change but then, we are the people who are misusing our legal rights for the welfare of our own kingdom of dreams. 

Anna Hazare at a Protest in New Delhi

An example follows, we tend to bribe half the amount to Government official for signing our file though we are known that this is against our laws and not to mention we are committing crime through the authorities' spectacle and to save half the original amount we already had unknowingly paid thrice of half the principal amount. Absurd! (Here we lack in our educational systems, or maybe mathematical approach). When is that people need to understand their policies and what they are actually in dearth of is their own conscience, who relentlessly makes them do unauthorized things first. 

These protests of Anna Hazare has gone miles to dissuade the anti-corruption conversations to the people. And yet again to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill (जन लोकपाल बिल) we need all the support from citizens of India. We now want Olympics to have a nice view of India and corruption lays bed-rest to the graveyard. 


Photo courtesy: Google
All rights reserved © Shashank Shrivastava since August, 2010. Under Google Affiliate Network.

Ban the Police, If you can't change them

Inspired from BLAAZE, ban the Police -dedicated to the victims of police injustice.


***end***


*This article has been deleted/masked due to contemptuous words which hurt people's sentiments with respected POLICE family background. If still, to read- a separate hard-copy of an article on demand is to be send via India Post. (Delivery charges Applicable)*

Tryst With Destiny by Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru

On this 65th Independent year of India, I as a citizen of her salutes to India and awake to pay reverent homage to our mother-land.

Mumbai's Yesterday, Today!

Picture taken from Yahoo! News

18:55 Hours IST, 13 July, 2011. Three head-to-head blasts in Mumbai, India. No wonder, 17 dead and more than 131 injured. I may not have the right statistics but these blasts in past few years were the utmost reign of terror. And now when we have incurred that blasts, we are yet again, too late, too little. Either we couldn't understand the government's policies for us to be very difficult or the government itself wouldn't work on it being too easy for them. These blasts were sharp terror instincts on which we failed to heed, every time. Remember 26/11, The Taj blasts, in Mumbai.

Hotel Taj, Mumbai

It was heart breaking moment for us as we just couldn't do anything except watching it online on youtube or in any TV Channel and how can we forget, Home Ministers are quadriplegic as they can only sit and read those statistics of dead & injured instead of acting up on it. No wonder the negligence of intelligence couldn't be disregarded as well. We need a deft scheme/blueprint competing all the terror attacks and related issues. 

"Unless we don't raise hands they don't  raise hands." 

And as where as public is concerned, we should shed ambivalence and not try to spread rumor/unknown thing in social media. End of the blame-game. 

Have we developed ourselves to just cope up with these situations and not fight against it. It's no more Gandhian-era. We cannot just let-go everything what's happening around. It's the whole new world and we are compelled against it sometimes to fight for our rights.

Sight Inspection, right after the blasts

Blast Victims

People Suffered and Survived

 People, at the same time in the vicinity shouldn't panic and shall help the nearby congestion without being choked as in by indulging in social media and providing required information in to it, like nearby hospitals and their phone numbers, Police stations and Fire stations. And Twitter had played a significant role in this blast helping people with the information they needed without being in chaos of mobile networks which often gets jammed in an emergency. People are requested and made cautious not to depend on these means of communications when in hazardous situation instead contact a nearby Police station or a person you believe would rescue.

Scene after 13/7 blasts took place in South Mumbai

After the victims were taken to the hospitals

What Makes You Dumb!

Like everybody, there is a child in you (mentally, if you take it!) and that makes us act childish more or less stupid. Many of us have entangled ourselves in the cobwebs of this busy life and the hectic schedule which hardly gives us the time even to piss. We always have some thing crashing inside our mind; same study time-table, daily work and many other things which keeps us almost busy everyday and the monotony of it all has become so crisp that even a slight change would make our commitments ruthless and we crack-a-head over every bit of a mistake. And the rest of the time gaps which is to be spend-in-peace is already filled by sitting in front of a computer screen and chatting to unknown.

Life in a day of us has almost become similar everyday and by this if we get-together to our friends after a long while it takes that stupid ideas which were ready-to-erupt while we were busy hectically tends to come out as DUMB IDEAS--making you DUMB. For this if we believe shouldn't happen, we must take a peaceful walk through our workaholic appointments and try not to indulge ourselves more often through online means. 

Is the media doing enough for cricket?

We are caretakers of the game and have the responsibility to communicate its magic to fans. Are we fulfilling our duties?

(Disclaimer- This articles solely belongs to Harsha Bhogle, and the content duplicator Shashank Shrivastava doesn't takes any right of claim whatsoever is mentioned in this blog. This has been copied just for mass exposure of the article and blogger solemnly refer each word belongs to HARSHA BHOGLE.)

While India and West Indies battle each other and the weather in the Caribbean, increasingly a forlorn part of the cricket world - columnists and Twitterati and erudite cricketers - sharpen their words and launch forth into battle on issues as wide as a highway. This is the lot of the modern media man. Where Cardus and Arlott could dream up the right word for the moment, and enjoy their wine, the journalist of today must scamper here and there, understand intrigue and the law, be at home with power struggles and rules that change half-yearly, and eventually have, or seem to have, an informed opinion on everything.

Many of us were drawn to this profession by the music of bat on ball, the photograph of the straight drive that we glued to our walls, by the joy of anticipation even as we waited in queues to enter the stadium. The squabbles and the intrigue, the pomposity of power and the timidity of those who accept it and complain later can leave some of us cold. But we are not allowed that. In the modern, connected world, not to have an opinion on certain matters, because you are not sufficiently informed, is to be timid; to wax eloquent with insufficient awareness, as with much of the DRS debate, is acceptable. As the game changes rapidly, as its finances wax and wane depending on where you live, so too has the role of the media person changed, not always for the better.

And so I believe it is time to start a debate on what the roles of the journalist and the commentator now are: one is increasingly expected to chase quotes and ignore the passages of play that could make the next day's paper interesting to those who missed the action; the other has to learn to condense thoughts and sharpen words before the commercial breaks take over. It seems grim times are upon the storyteller.

And yet our game is enlivened not by who voted for whom as the next president (that too is important, though it must remain subservient to the game itself) but by the thrill of short leg anticipating the next bat-pad chance, of the spinner playing on the vulnerability of the batsman who seeks to bully him, of the rampaging fast bowler and the counterattacking batsman. It is this that will draw the next generation in, but - certainly here in India - I read and hear so little of it. The prize catch for an editor is no longer the reporter with a feel for words that tell you what happened but the guy who knows which email went where it shouldn't have.

	The prize catch for an editor is no longer the reporter with a feel for words that tell you what happened but the guy who knows which email went where it shouldn't have

Increasingly, too, as a commentator enjoys the timing that takes a lofted drive into the stands, he is reminded of the commercial obligation he has missed. It is no longer his job only to share his joy with the viewers but to remind them whose benevolence brings them the game. The viewers dislike the intrusion enormously - I'm amazed that brands don't seem to worry about that - but still, far too often it is mostly commercials that you see, amid a sprinkling of cricket.

Admittedly it is the commercials that bring in the money that enables technically better telecasts, but the line between content and commerce, once determined by those in charge of content, has ceded ownership to those who control the finances.

So what legacy does our generation leave for the next? We have always been told we are mere tenants of the game, caretakers who nurture it till the time comes to hand it over. We in the media, who pass judgement on caretakers in other areas, must now ask if we can leave our part of the game in better shape than when we inherited it. We complain about the role of money power in administration, but do we not accept the role of money power in modern broadcast media?

Are we leaving behind oceans of excellence or mere rivulets? Are we spending more time on developments off the field than those on it? Are we telling enough stories to capture the imagination of the young? Are we enticing them with our words and pictures? Are we cold and analytical or are we warm and jovial, or indeed, have we found the right mix of both?

As editors and producers commission articles and programmes analysing those who run the sport and play it, they need occasionally to ask themselves the questions they ask of others: are they communicating the splendour of our beautiful game enough?

Harsha Bhogle is a commentator, television presenter and writer. His Twitter feed is here

 Feeds: Harsha Bhogle

Anti-socialists and their Remote

Maria Surairaj

It all had to happen, we crash, break up, momentarily land up into castigations but at last we need to patch up. Probably the words sound like I am talking about a relationship but somehow you need to learn something more important than relationships and love-melodrama first, if yourself worth loving another person? You are not living alone to decide if what you did wrong and  rue your day.

-There's something very uncool on social media and networks, because the thing youth is talking about is only about their selves, their lives, their beau, their parents and even their pet. They don't even know about what's the world is talking about. My point here is "dearth of social indulgence, or inappropriate use of social networks and media". Youth needs to  have an extremely exaggerated excretory endeavor with the society around.

Maria in Media

"Your online boyfriend/girlfriend won't come up if you've been raped/assaulted/molested/mauled/kidnapped/killed/crashed."

We all have inappropriate situations hard to cope up with in everyday scenario like in India, Government is turning and twisting with the Lokpal issues still incomplete. On the other bulletin we have Maria Surairaj convicted for indulgence in Neeraj Grover's body been chopped into 300 pieces in paranoid. (Gosh! ...sound like a news paper) I may not have sympathy to whoever dead or alive but isn't this all we need to cope up with? We cannot be that antisocial that we forsake what's happening around. World is crazy. You have to raise your opinion unless you see the white flag around (not in case if you can't stand your statement) On the positive side I see that few have been motivated and came up for the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans-gender) community to forecast their selves. Fight for your cause, become social and love yourself. Sign up on Facebook & Twitter to know what's happening in the world and indulgence is your pure love you are giving it to the community that's what is worth-living.

Remotely issues

-But all these things makes me come to a point that people seek other's attention before they come up with the helping hand. Giving something for free can make you feel lost it, but the respect you earn is worth giving. Hence forth being an anti socialist and pressing the TV remote's button can do nothing to improve your community. Stand up for a cause! Or you could be a next victim.

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Kashmir dispute (Disclaimer: The author of this blog doesn't take any rights of claiming whatsoever is mentioned in this blog. This is only for information purpose and does not resemble to people's persuasions. The credits of this article is given below.) Click for further more information about the author of this blog.

Shown in green is the Kashmiri region of Pakistan. The dark-brown region is a part ofIndian-administered Kashmir while the Aksai Chin was annexed by China, the Chinese control being tacitly accepted by Pakistan. Area in the North Kashmir region has been ceded by Pakistan to China.

Main article: Kashmir conflict

Kashmir was a princely state, ruled by a Hindu^[5] king, Maharaja Hari Singh. The Maharaja of Kashmir was equally hesitant to join either India–, because he knew his Muslim subjects would not like to join a Hindu-based and Hindu-majority nation^{[citation needed]}–, or Pakistan– which as a Hindu he was personally averse to^{[citation needed]}. Pakistan coveted the Himalayan kingdom, while Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi^{[citation needed]} and Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru hoped that the kingdom would join India. Hari Singh signed a Standstill Agreement(preserving status quo) with Pakistan, but did not make his decision by August 15, 1947.

Rumours spread in Pakistan that Hari Singh was trying to accede Kashmir to India. Alarmed by this threat, a team of Pakistani forces were dispatched into Kashmir, fearing an Indian invasion of the region. Backed by Pakistani paramilitary forces, Pashtuns invaded Kashmir in September 1947. Kashmir's security forces were too weak and ill-equipped to fight against Pakistan. Troubled by the deteriorating political pressure that was being applied to Hari Singh and his governance, the Maharaja asked for India's help. However, the Constitution of Indiabarred the Indian Armed Forces' intervention since Kashmir did not come under India's jurisdiction. Desperate to get India's help and get Kashmir back in his own control, the Maharaja acceded Kashmir to India (which was against the will of the majority of Kashmiris), and signed the Instrument of Accession.^[6] By this time the raiders were close to the capital, Srinagar. On October 27, 1947, the Indian Air Forceairdropped Indian troops into Srinagar and made an intervention. The Indian troops managed to seize parts of Kashmir which included Jammu,Srinagar and the Kashmir valley itself, but the strong and intense fighting, flagged with the onset of winter, made much of the state impassable. After weeks of intense fighting between Pakistan and India, Pakistani leaders and the Indian Prime Minister Nehru declared a ceasefire and sought U.N. arbitration with the promise of a plebiscite. Sardar Patel had argued against both, describing Kashmir as a bilateral dispute and its accession as justified by international law. In 1957, north-western Kashmir was fully integrated into Pakistan, becoming Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir), while the other portion was acceded to Indian control, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir(Indian-administered Kashmir) was created. In 1962, China occupied Aksai Chin, the northeastern region bordering Ladakh. In 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot and captured more than 80% of the Siachen Glacier.

Pakistan maintains Kashmiris' rights to self-determination through a plebiscite in accordance with an earlier Indian statement and a UN resolution. Pakistan also points to India's failure of not understanding its own political logic and applying it to Kashmir, by taking their opinion on the case of the accession of Junagadh as an example (that the Hindu majority state should have gone to India even though it had a Muslim ruler), that Kashmir should also rightfully and legally have become a part of Pakistan since majoirity of the people were Muslim, even though they had a Hindu ruler. Pakistan also states that at the very least, the promised plebiscite should be allowed to decide the fate of the Kashmiri people.

India on the other hand asserts that the Maharaja's decision, which was the norm for every other princely state at the time of independence, and subsequent elections, for over 40 years, on Kashmir has made it an integral part of India. This opinion has often become controversial, as Pakistan asserts that the decision of the ruler of Junagadh also adhered to Pakistan. Due to all such political differences, this dispute has also been the subject of wars between the two countries in 1947 and 1965, and a limited conflict in 1999. The state/province remains divided between the two countries by the Line of Control (LoC), which demarcates the ceasefire line agreed upon in the 1947 conflict.

-This article has been taken from Kashmir Dispute; Wikipedia and the author of this blog doesn't takes any right of claim.

Humanity Insanity

The Question We Should Ask

by Ricky and Aidan DiMartino

*Graphic images are included at the bottom of this post. 

"If you cannot bear to look, ask yourself why. If this were only tissue, rather than a dismembered child, it wouldn’t be hard to look at, would it?

The question we should ask is not “Why are pro-life people showing these pictures?” but “Why would anyone defend what’s shown in these pictures?” The real concern about pictures of unborn babies isn’t that they’re gory, but that they prove the accuracy of the pro-life position.

And if abortion isn’t killing babies... then why are these pictures so disturbing?

Was the solution to the Holocaust to ban the disgusting pictures? Or was the solution to end the killing?

Is the solution to abortion getting rid of pictures of dead babies? Or is it getting rid of what’s making the babies dead?"
~ taken from Randy Alcorn's blog

PHOTOS HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO SOME ISSUES REGARDING VIEWS. People still with brave hearts' can view them here -- Original, Di Martino's Blog.

This blog purely resembles the thoughts and perception of a bearer and does not mention any emotional hurts. Weak hearts are requested not to view images for long or can block them. Shashank shrivastava won't take any credit whatever this blog's mentioning.

No Good Thing

by Ricky and Aidan DiMartino

My prayer for the day --

Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.” 

I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” 

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.

LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the LORD.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16

CATE 2011, Delhi University

CATE 2011, Delhi University 2011-2012

Students appearing for the Combined Aptitude Test for English (CATE) on June 9 can now download their admit cards from the university’s website — www.du.ac.in. This year, the English department received 9,250 applications for the entrance test conducted for admission to the BA (honours) course in 17 colleges. DU has also uploaded the list of colleges on its website from where admit cards can be collected in person.

Facts:

• • CATE colleges: 17
• • Number of seats: 500-600 for general category
• • Last date: May 31, 2010
• • CATE test: June 9, 2010
• • Declaration of CATE score: June 21, 2010
• • Declaration of first cut-off list: June 22, 2010

Eight more colleges, including LSR and Miranda, to conduct CATE to select English undergrads.

A total of 47 colleges offer English (Honours) in DU.

CATE Syllabus:

There is no defined syllabus for CATE. We have a culture in our country to have a set syllabi for an entrance exam. Students are in the habit of rote-learning during their preparation. However, CATE as an exam will try to evaluate students on their aptitude for literature. Of course, some parts of the test will evaluate students on their knowledge but a larger section will consist of evaluating aptitude. Students do not need.

CATE Application Form:

Students need to get a demand draft of Rs 300 from the State Bank of India in favour of ‘Registrar, Delhi University’ to procure the form. It is a one-time payment, they don’t need to give any fee at the time of submission of the form.

FAQS

How many colleges are participating in Common Aptitude Test in English?
17 colleges will admit students in English (hons) through CATE. Among them six — Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House, Bharti College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and Deshbandhu College — have joined the test this year. CATE will have comprehensive questions and questions with multiple choices. Unlike previous years when the forms were only available at Arts Faculty, this time the forms will be sold in all colleges that are part of the test
What is eligibility criteria?
Any student with minimum 60% aggregate with at least 60% marks in English will be eligible
On filling up of forms
Do we need to submit the common admission form in person?
Admission form does not require any signature or a photograph of the candidate. Anyone can submit it between May 28 and June 11
Do we need to attach a copy of the marksheet with the admission form?
Documents are not required with the form. Original certificates and marksheets will be required at the time of admission
Is there any age bar for admission? Are compartmental candidates eligible for admission?
There is no age bar for admission to DU. Candidates with compartment in one subject can apply. If successful, these candidates will be given provisional admission and will be required to clear their compartmental exam
Do we need to apply for hostel at the time of submission of admission forms?
A separate form of the college has to be submitted for a hostel seat. Admission to a college does not ensure a seat in the hostel
Is there any deduction of marks if the student comes from a different state or a board other than CBSE?
DU does not deduct marks of students coming from outside Delhi
Are there any scholarships available for students?
The department of science and technology offers scholarship of about Rs 5,000 per month to the candidates who were among the top one percent in class X or XII board results and to those whose names appeared in the IIT-JEE extended list The scholarship is available only to those who are applying for BSc (hons) in physics, chemistry, zoology & botany

After its success last year, Delhi University’s (DU) common entrance lest for English (Honours) has now found more takers among affil­iated colleges.

Apart from the institutions from last year (Ramlal Anand evening has pulled out this time), another eight haw decided to join Combined Aptitude Test for English (CATE).

The department of English will be ready with the final list of new participating colleges by April 15.

Sought after colleges such as Lady Shri Ram College and Miranda House are among the new participants. A total of 47 coleges offer English (Honours) in DU. CATE provides students an opportunity to secure admis­sion in English (Honours) at some of the best colleges irre­spective of one’s Class XII per­formance.

The participating colleges give 70 per cent weight-age to CATE score and 30 percent to Boards Performance.

This, consequently, had led to a huge rush of applicants in the examination’s first year itself.

“Colleges, especially Hindu College, Shivaji College and IP College, were very happy with students who came in through CATE. Many had read the texts in the syllabus already. It was unprecedented,” said Sumanyu Sathpathy, head, English Department, DU.

“CBSE marks do not reflect one’s interest in literature. We are keen on admitting students through CATE.” said Saswati Sengupta, teacher-in-charge. English, Miranda House.

Unlike last year, the sale of forms and registration process will be decentralised.

“All 19 colleges associated with the examination will be selling common CATE forms t his year, which will be an OMR (Optical Mark reader) form,” added Sathpathy.

OMR sheets require students to mark their choices by coloring circles on the sheet which are scanned and read by a com­puter. The evaluation process too will see changes. “This time, examinees will mark their cor­rect choices for MCQs on an OMR sheet. We will evaluate subject answers of only those candidates who meet the MCQ cut-off.” added Sathpathy.

The CATE-2010 information bulletin states that “most teachers of English in colleges have come to believe that a candidate’s performance in the Class XII examinations is not necessarily indicative of his/her aptitude for studying literature in English”.

Though entrance tests were conducted by some colleges for admission to the B.A. English (Honours) course, the university administration felt that too many individual tests put a great deal of pressure on students.

Twelve colleges of the university began using CATE last year. More than 8,000 forms were sold and more than 6,000 students sat for the test. Most of the participating colleges are also believed to have experienced an improved student intake.

The colleges will also function as centres for sale and receipt of CATE application forms which will be available from May 20 to 31.

Since nearly 10,000 candidates are expected, some colleges which are not accepting CATE would also function as examination centres. There are 23 examination centres in all. The examination will be conducted on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 11-30 a.m. The results will be declared on the university website on June 19 and the first cut-off list would be declared soon after.

Students wanting to appear for CATE should have a minimum percentage of 60 per cent marks in English (Core, Elective, Functional) in the Class XII Board examination and a minimum of 60 per cent marks in the best four subjects aggregate.

CATE would test a student’s aptitude for taking up English Honours as a course of study and aims to evaluate language, grammar and writing skills. The paper would consist of two parts. While the first part will have multiple choice questions, the second part will consist of descriptive type questions.

While students will have to attempt both sections of the paper, only the scripts of students who qualify in the first part will have evaluation of their responses for the second part. There is no negative marking.

The final score will be determined by taking into consideration the best-of-four-subjects score of the student in the Class XII examinations and the CATE examination on a 30:70 basis.

The participating colleges will make their admissions to the course based on cut-offs points declared by them after the CATE scores are announced.

Students in the categories of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, physically handicapped, foreign students and those seeking admission through the sports or ECA quota do not have to appear for CATE. Such students will be admitted according to the relevant university rules.

Colleges not using CATE cannot conduct separate tests to admit students and will have to use Class XII marks as the criterion for admission.

Colleges which are not affiliat­ed with CATE will have to admit students on the basis on their Class XII Board marks.

The participating colleges give 70% weightage CATE score and 30% to Board performance

Participating Colleges

New Colleges:

1. Lady Shri Ram
2. Miranda House
3. Shaheed Bhagat Singh
4. Deshbandhu
5. Shyama Prasad Mukheriee

Old Colleges

1. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce
2. Kamla Nehru
3. Hindu
4. Indraprastha
5. Maharaja Agrasen
6. Shyamlal
7. Shivaji
8. Zakir Hussain
9. Zakir Hussain(E)
10. Swami Shraddhanand
11. Satyawati (E)

Important Figures

• Number of seats last year : 450 (approx)
• Number of Application last year: 10,000

Important Dates

• Form sales this year: LAST WEEK OF MAY (tentative)
• Last date for submission: JUNE 6 (tentative)
• Date of examination: JUNE 9 (tentative)

• CATE 2011 Admit Card
• CATE 2011 Eligibility
• CATE 2011 Forms
• CATE 2011 Pattern
• CATE 2011 Result
• CATE 2011 Schedule
• CATE 2011 Syllabus
• CATE Colleges
• CATE Cut Off
• CATE Sample Papers
• CATE Score