Page 2-3: In Conversation with the Candidates contesting for SU President

THE FINE PRINT SEMESTER I

ISSUE II

PILANI

AUGUST 2014

E N G L I S H P R E S S C L U B P R E S E N T S

Page 4-7: Interview with the Candidates Contesting for Gen Sec

Page 8: Food Review: Lazeez Rolls and New Culinary Delights in Pilani

Candidates’ manifesto points, proofs and attitudes speak much louder than long hours of campaigning. It isn’t unusual in an Auditorium Debate to come across a worthy candidate you hadn’t heard of before, or for a very popular one to lose face by slipping up badly on stage. Firm opinions are torn to bits and new, more informed ones and created. For those who missed the event, here’s as unbiased a report as we could come up with. Both candidates standing for President, Sagar Chourasia and V. V. Sai Praneeth gave the impression of having done substantial preparation and definitely cut a worthier figure than any of the General Secretary potentials. While Sai Praneeth defended the need and structure of a freelancers’ portal on campus, he was caught off guard when the panel grilled him on the implication of the word ‘collaborate’ with regards to the motor driving school. Sagar Chourasia was qestioned by the panel for having four of his manifesto points facilitated by the same local dealer. Both were questioned about the Laundromat service they proposed. While Praneeth had to draw parallels with Sodexo, Chourasia was faced with a land lease issue to sort out. Praneeth was further interrogated on the necessity and plausibility of the ‘annual’ PAN card and passport drive and Chourasia was asked about the necessity of a committee he proposed to form. Neither candidate was left absolutely speechless at any point of time, nor were the two questioned on gaping or embarrassing faults. That says a great deal about the quality of the presidential candidates. While Praneeth came across as confident and bold, albeit with a slight tinge of arrogance, Sagar Chourasia seemed soft-spoken and more respectful of the panel. The two worthy candidates make for a study in contrast – a rather variant choice for the BITSian crowd. To those unaware, we have four candidates for the post of General Secretary- Ashutosh Pandey, Ashutosh Mundhada, Naman Munot and Shubham Gupta. The election panel started off by asking Pandey, what he thought the purpose of the Audi Debate was. He asked for a clarification to whether they were talking about the current auditorium debate or the informational seminar. Then, he was tasked with clarifying the details regarding his manifestos point about revamping the cycle club. He pointed out repeatedly throughout the debate that the main agenda of his manifesto is to make the Union Council accountable at each level to restore the faith of

the GBM. Given the nature of his points and his demeanor, he was asked fewer questions than the others, and the panel quickly moved on. Shubham Gupta, on being asked his view on the role of the general secretary, came up with the popular political one liner on increasing the power in the hands of BITSians. He explained how he planned to do this using a referendum, which could be of online or offline nature. After a lot of debating and cross-questioning with the panel, he said the objective of his manifesto point was to change the majority requirement to initiate a referendum from 80% to a simple 50%. About the maintenance of the SU online portal, he argued that he intended to do things differently compared to the current plans of the SU Tech team. There were logistical issues regarding his point about the colour printing in S-9, but was not given enough time by the panel to explain his stand. Next, the Panel sought to clarify the manifesto point regarding the sports electives proposed by Naman Munot. He claimed to have talked to Dr. Geetha B., about the same, who according to him encouraged the idea. The panel, however, quipped that the idea lacked the backend planning owing to the limited availability of workforce. Munot stuck to his idea, suggesting that a new department could be created rather than going through the Humanities department. He was also interrogated for his proposal of holding workshops all year for dance, music etc. as departments like the Department of Theatre (DoT) felt it could cause a loss in their sponsorship from workshops. Mundhada was asked about the video conference based counseling which he plans on implementing. One of the biggest concerns was regarding the bandwidth, although he claimed that there were no issues during the testing phase. His further claim that the service will be available irrespective of who gets elected brought on some applause from the audience. He defended his other points like the tele-medical services and the APOGEE project being funded by NEN. Here, the tables were turned in terms of how the panel hadn’t checked one of the proof mails. While essential, the auditorium ragging, as it is more commonly known, was attended mainly by impressionable first years, easily swayed by meaningless hoots and cheers and many, being off campus, lost out on the opportunity to see the faults in their future stars.

A difficult man to get hold of for an interview, Sagar Chourasia, one of the two candidates for

the presidential elections, finally sat down with the EPC after multiple postponements. It was a difficult meeting to set up, but well worth it. The outgoing H-Rep of Shankar Bhawan had quite a few things to say about his campaign. Speaking diplomatically, he said that the Gen Sec and the President do have similar duties but after some thought, he felt that the post of President was more to his liking, as he considered it a more ‘serious’ post. He insists that the public’s perception of the posts did not bend his mind to the supposedly more glamorous option. On his manifesto, he says his most applicable and implementable idea is that of solar panels. “The idea of cost increasing per head is a common misconception” he claimed as he was questioned. The idea will also help BITS register in international rankings and help modernise us, he claimed. Sagar stands by his points, saying that the fruit van is something that would be able to provide fresh fruits for all bhawans at regular intervals. Any problems faced by students would to be addressed to the SU and the fruit company would be liable. He says that academics are very important, and that the decision would be a difficult one, but he would prefer choosing his Presidential

duties over his academic ones. The simple reason being that he prefers practical work as opposed to long hours of studying. No one likes slogging it out, do they? He also addresses the issues of technical teams like ROBOCON etc. having to fund their own projects by obtaining external sponsorship managed by a newly setup body. The Department of Sponsorship and Marketing has been left to manage the fests as he feels that is enough work for them and wouldn’t want to burden them with this. He feels that he has a strong manifesto, and elaborates by saying that Yoga, e-Student Union, Solar Panels, etc. are all innovative in ideation. His idea of a Campus Development Council, or CDC, is meant to be a platform for all candidates, winning or losing, to implement their ideas. He insisted here too, that he wouldn’t want his solar lighting idea to be wasted just because he didn’t get enough votes. A man can lose, but an idea must be immortal. Finally, he feels that medical facilities need to be improved in BITS Pilani, and that the present body isn’t satisfying the needs of the student body, something which needs to be addressed immediately. However, since the Chief Warden has put these points forward already, he felt it’s a moot point now, almost going against his previous statement. He stands by his manifesto like an oath and is

very clear that it addresses all the common

problems we have. We cannot have more. We

wish Sagar the very best for these elections!

Our meeting with V. V. Sai Praneeth took

place at his hostel room in Vyas Bhawan.

Opinionated, expressive and confident, he

seemed to be willing to answer every

question posed. Needless to say, we at EPC

had no qualms on deciding to give its

readers the skinny on this hopeful. Here are

excerpts from the interview.

Praneeth has been involved with the SU

since his first year as a student volunteer.

As a member of the Department of

Reception and Accommodation, he claims

to possess managerial knowhow. On being

asked why he decided to contest for the

student polls, Praneeth says he has always

wanted to change the SU from a fest-

oriented body to a student-oriented one.

He feels much is needed in terms of the

responsibility of the SU to turn its head

and focus towards more student welfare-

related activities. He speaks eagerly about

handling the finances of the Students’

Union as one of his main motivators

behind his contesting for the post.

One of his important manifesto points is

the Centre for Youth Leadership Program

which aims to give professional guidance

and leverage to the students on campus.

Another offering from his side is the

proposed creation of a driving school

facility in Pilani. The varied envisioned

fruits of this initiative might make it

beneficial for most residents of Pilani.

However, in the light of his tussle with the

EC Panel on the same issue, the credibility

of it was left unaccounted for.

The

Laundromat

service, the

establishment

of mess

convenience

stores and the

vending machines are purely pro-bono with

no undue pressure on students’ pockets

except for the service fee which is nominal.

For instance, he claims that the

Laundromat service will provide a cheaper

alternative to the existing dhobi system.

However, his plan to integrate the dhobi

community in Pilani with the private

service provider is easier said than done.

The vending machines will preferably be

handled by Sodexo, which presently handles

the student messes as well.

His manifesto point which promises the

setting up of a Presidential Review

Committee chaired by the Chief Warden

and people of similar stature on the lines

of the Audi Ragging modus operandi, is

presented as a step towards transparency.

He feels it makes the SU President and his

cohort all the more dutiful and diligent in

fulfilling his manifesto points.

Praneeth recounts the tale behind the

making of his manifesto and says it took

him about six months to construct it, and

he brought in changes to about sixty

percent of his initial draft. He signed off

saying that informed voters hold the key

and stresses on the importance of

recognizing the qualities of an able leader.

General Secretary candidate, Ashutosh Mundhada, took some time out of his busy schedule to

give an interview to the Press Club which lasted for a good 45 minutes. In the conversation that ensued, he emphasized that all of his manifesto points are aimed at bringing small, yet very helpful changes in the lives of BITSians. To counter the common belief that he came up with the thought of contesting and formulating the manifesto after coming back on campus, he reassured us that the planning had been taking place for quite some time. Starting off with his manifesto, the first issue that we touched upon was video-based counselling. To the reader who has not attended a campaigning session yet, this provides a direct link to a counsellor on a requirement basis via video-counselling. Currently, counsellors visit Pilani only once in a month for four days, resulting in delays for those who require immediate help. With the video-counselling system in place, an appointment would be all you need. One of the concerns regarding this is the bandwidth, which we, the residents of Pilani have to conserve judiciously and meticulously. Irrespective of the platform used, the bandwidth demand will be high. Moving on, Mundhada wishes to support APOGEE projects and feels that involving the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) can give these a much needed push. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) shall shortlist the projects based on attributes like feasibility, innovation and quality of research. The final decision to deem projects worthy of support will rest with the NEN. Not many first year students on campus are aware about the detailed functioning of clubs and departments. To solve

this, Ashutosh has plans to build a website by the name BITS Wiki. For those who are unaware, the previous Students’ Union website already had content similar to the wiki page proposed by him. To this claim, he answered that his webpage will have additional and exhaustive content, including academic opportunities apart from clubs and departments, which can be conveniently added and edited by BITSians. Moving on to the most talked about point in his manifesto, the tele-medical service. A paramedic trained by Apollo Hospital will implement the instructions given by a doctor on the other side of the video-link. The setup cost is high, but will be divided equally among those availing the service, reducing the cost that they have to incur. He highlights that this service will not only be limited to students but faculty members and support staff as well. When asked about the sustainability of this scheme, he says that they will try their best to cater to the people's needs and its future shall depend on the extent to which this service is utilized. The internship cell, the setting up of which is one of the points his manifesto hinges on, raises a lot of questions in terms of feasibility. He feels that the internship programs run by NSS, Nirmaan and CEL (Summer in a Start-up) are treated as secondary tasks by these organisations. To improve upon this, he hopes to build an independent body, whose sole purpose will be to provide internships for the people on campus. Since he realizes that there should be only one point of contact for a particular company from BITS, he intends to involve people from PU, CEL, NSS, and Nirmaan in the internship cell to ensure that various kinds of internships are provided and only one point of contact remains. Points like this and the tele-medical services are very ambitious in nature. However, he seems to have a well-structured plan for his tenure and claims to have fared well in the Audi Debate. One hopes that if elected he follows up with action. Here's wishing him the best of luck.

Over a plate of paneer noodles at FK, the EPC had a talk with Ashutosh Pandey, one of the candidates contesting for the coveted post of General Secretary. Passionate and eager to delineate his manifesto to the Fine Print-reading BITSian junta, he began a run-through of his points even before we could start with our questions. As he pointed out repeatedly throughout the interview, the main agenda of his manifesto is to make the Union Council accountable at each level to restore the faith of the GBM. Measures such as another Auditorium Debate at the end of the each semester, where the President/General Secretary will face the BITSian junta again on the basis of his or her performance and not just on the promises made as it happens in Audi Debate, he feels, can help bring about this change. A not-so-clichéd point we came across was the proposal to set up a manifesto reviewing committee to analyze previous years' manifestos to investigate the possible implementation of some manifesto points. Then there was talk of TT tables and a redi in MB, promises of revamping the cycle club (déjà vu, eh?) et al. Creating online portals is a point everyone has had in their manifesto and Ashutosh is no exception. He also wants to create a study group of people preparing for the Civil Services exams and to get students coached by trained professionals. And finally, he wants to conduct workshops like Art of Living & Yoga classes in SAC to improve the general health of the students. Manifesto and promises aside, throughout the conversation (and during the Audi debate as well) one could sense the undertones of a rebel (against the system, if you may) coming from this contender. Change and accountability in the existing system seemed to be the sigil of his manifesto. He opines (like many a cynical and

wizened BITSian does now), that fancy points are usually infeasible and meant, not for actual implementation, but only for attracting votes. To quote him, "I could promise that I would have a bullet train running from Pilani to Delhi, and that might interest some juniors, but it's not right!" The points on his manifesto arise from his personal experiences and therefore, he believes, that he is the right person to tackle these problems. When asked why he was contesting, he told us that he had three main motives - to improve the deteriorating culture of the elections, to show people the true value of a promise and the integrity it dictates and to make post-holders so accountable that even H-Reps can be made to step down if the majority feel that they are not keeping up their promise to the students. In response to a question about his campaigning strategies, he said his main strategy was talking to people himself (rather than have his campaigners do it for him) so he could build a better rapport with them. He thinks that his is the right way to go about it, a way which would eliminate regionalism and other such baseless biases that usually feature in the elections. The Informational Seminar was a good initiative, he feels, which provided an equal platform to every candidate for reaching out to all the students. He felt that he had had a good Seminar, and expressed confidence. In brief comments about the Audi debate, he said that it had gone well for him. And does he have a shout-out to the BITSian junta? "Do turn up to vote," he says.

Many knew General Secretarial candidate Naman Munot before they set foot in BITS Pilani. He claims he was

actively helping juniors out before the onset of this semester, and clarifying their various doubts about college. “Everyone I helped didn’t end up in BITS Pilani,” he says. When asked to weigh his chances for the position of General Secretary, Munot chose to make his stand clear by to kick-starting discussion on his manifesto points and their feasibility. When asked why he decided to stand for the post of General Secretary, he hinted at his interest in taking up leadership and leading the Students’ Union for the benefit of the BITSian junta. Certain speculations are understandable, especially after the Auditorium Debate, but Munot remains confident. “The Auditorium Debate went fairly well, I was thrilled to hear the support from the back seats, where the first years were seated.” Munot takes great pleasure in talking about his innovative, albeit somewhat ambitious manifesto. Firstly, the ‘biometric mess signings’, which he wants to bring in to avoid proxy signings for all mess signings in general, relies on using a finger print scanner. Though it appears that the final power still rests with the head of the club, department or association to forcibly sign people, Munot feels that the number of fake signings will be reduced. Another interesting proposition is his idea of having ‘XF’ in BITS Pilani, for people who want to learn a particular skill. He assures that he could pioneer teaching dance, photography and technical skills like coding etc. to students by seeking professionals who can come once in a

week and extend service at low costs. Though it appears to be a promising idea on the surface, this could ruffle some feathers in certain clubs and departments that conduct such workshops during Oasis and APOGEE. A few of his manifesto points proved to be better thought out, though they may require a little tweaking. His idea of having fruit stalls around campus seems to have garnered great support, as has his idea of having a career fair. This would help build relations with the vast BITSian alumni as well as an insight into the kind of studying required for exams like CAT, GRE, IAS, IES, UPSC and GATE. Furthermore, the proposal to bring the facility of medical check-ups for students, in collaboration with hospitals outside Pilani, is something Munot feels is the need of the hour in our campus. The Sports Elective offered in his manifesto needed better backend planning, though. Moreover, the grading for this course would have to be standardised in an adequate manner. “I’ve executed everything necessary from my side. I’ve submitted the proposal; if they accept it, they need to come up with the kinds of tests to be given. Moreover, it’s targeted at creating a healthier BITSian community rather producing athletes.” He suggests creating a separate department and recruiting more faculty for sports for this purpose. As a message to voters, Munot says that he isn’t

a political person, and doesn’t want to play by

the set norms and conventions of politics, unlike

the others. The same applies to his manifesto

points which are, he claims, fewer in number

and more realistic than those of others. He says

that he will make no empty promises and if

elected General Secretary, he will do his best to

lead the Students’ Union. Here’s wishing him

the very best for these elections!

Shubham Gupta was on time to meet us, complete with his campaigner and his sheaf of proofs. Pleasant, polite and friendly, he sticks to diplomacy as his modus operandi, and laughingly declares that he has no guesses as to who his strongest opponent for the upcoming General Secretary elections could be. We started off the interview by requesting clarification on a few points of the candidate’s manifesto. First among these was the issue of the vote percentage required to call for a referendum that the candidate wished to have modified from a hefty eighty percent of the Union Council to a simple majority of fifty. When there is a need to rethink a passed motion, a referendum is called, which currently requires eighty percent majority. Gupta defended his stand on the point by arguing that eighty percent was nearly impossible to achieve in actuality, and that fifty percent was a much more reasonable number. According to his proposed amendment, a referendum once called by the President or the General Secretary shall require fifty percent majority of the UC because they have been elected by the entire student populace and thus, can claim to have a holistic perspective. Shubham Gupta claims to have no pet projects, and asserts with enthusiasm, time and again, that every point on his manifesto is implementable. One may argue, however, that the prime spot is taken by the standardisation of auto fares in Pilani. He claims to have obtained the necessary permissions from the Traffic Police department, as well as the Nagar Palika of Jhunjhunu. He also claims that all auto wallahs have been instructed to wear a uniform, as well as a badge, proof of the fact that the process of standardisation has begun. From this, it is obvious that good days have come for all the lazy BITSians who loathe walking on their way to class or meets.

Another point of interest is the promised internship fair, which presents the image of a direct, easy-to-u s e l i n k between employers and likely candidates. However, what the candidate intends to do is to call private companies to Pilani that provide a link between students and employers. This might seem like something that can be achieved by any student with a laptop and an internet connection with access to EduInfo or Twenty19. However, the effort involved in the process would be considerably higher when compared to the manifesto proposition. This point also manages to avoid violation of PU regulations on a technicality, by calling the intermediaries instead of the employers directly. Another manifesto point declares that colour and glossy printing shall be made available during Oasis and APOGEE. However, the point faced tough questions from the EC Panel, who were unsure of its feasibility. Gupta argued that the machines already exist at S9 and were currently unused due to low customer response. According to him, these shall be put to use for all printing matters related to the fests if S9 manages to win the tender released by the CRC for printing. In the case of failure to win the tender, the colour printing shall only be an emergency alternative during fests. Still, for the believers in the age old adage, something is better than nothing, and this solution, incomplete as it is, may make us less dependent on options outside campus. Signing off, Gupta states that he is a down-to-

earth individual who will do his best to make life

better on campus and bring more power to the

electorate. Here’s wishing him the very best for

these elections!

IG, Angad, Pranita, Spriha,

Siddhant, Tanya;

Ajay Ramya, Debolina, Kruti, Neel,

Nithya, Passey, Prateek, Ritvik,

Sahil D, Sahil K, Shalaka,

Shashank, Shruti, Steffie, Viraj;

Ananth, Anish, Archit,

Madhusudan, Pratik, Rahul,

Rusheen, Soumya, Srishti, Tanay,

Tanmayee, Vijay;

Akhilesh, Danish, Deeksha,

Devina, Gayatri, Lasya, Sanket,

Shubham, Venu, Vishal;

Introducing: Prayaag, Rishabh,

Yimkum.

EPC brings you the latest from Pilani’s very own. A section by you, for you. Not necessarily about you however.

THE COOKIE JAR

Gastronomically speaking, now is a good time to be in Pilani. (Also astronomically speaking, what with last week's Perseid meteor shower and Pilani's perfect skies.) The last year and a half have seen our options for culinary outings go from the fairly sub-standard C'not, ANC, FK and Vatika+Sarla+Bunty+PD+Chicken Corner to an inclusion of the verging-on-gourmet Pizzeria, Cruncheez and Sandpiper. Read on for an update on the chow scene and an idea of what to expect in the coming months.…………………………………… . . ……………………First off, Lazeez Kathi Rolls. Fliers for this fine establishment announced its birth near BKBIET, declaring free home delivery for those calling +918607448833 with an order above Rs. 500. A single roll will set you back anywhere between Rs. 40 for an egg or a *snigger* potato roll, and Rs. 140 if you opt instead for the majestic Double Egg Double Mutton. What certainly seems to be working for Lazeez is their smorgasbord-like variety-- even the usually limited vegetarian section has options like aloo, mushroom, paneer and paneer bhurji rolls, each with an option to be embellished by malai (do ask for extra malai; the usual dollop seems to get lost in the ocean of flavours). Mutton has been quite the neglected middle child of Pilani's food family, but the goat-loving demographic now has good cause to rejoice. Lazeez serves mutton that does not taste like poorly disguised peacock-- a first for Pilani. The mutton roll is an explosion of flavour and a definite must-try, although it is also without doubt the more blessed of the lot, with both chicken and its vegetarian brothers registering complaints of being undercooked and half-baked. The chicken roll, while

deliciously spiced, featured a far-from-succulent main ingredient, while the paneer veg roll was described by one disgruntled customer as ‘rubber and goo wrapped carelessly in oily cardboard’. Still, intelligence reports from behind enemy lines say that their skewering abilities are now near perfect, and services will have begun by the time this article makes its way to your morning breakfast table. Thus, their menu will be further bolstered by mutton and chicken seekh kebab rolls.

Meanwhile, vegetarians have even more options,

with the newly-opened Café Blue Flame, also near BKBIET, which seeks to introduce the Pilani palette to Chinese food (noodles, momos, the works) and the usual burger-nuggets-fries fare. Call the proprietor, Akshay (+919001564065), for details and home delivery options.

A coup worthy of being mentioned here is the

recent acquisition of Vatika by Pizzeria. Pleased with having the run of the place, diligent Pizzeria elves are busy transforming the place to make it Pushkar-esque. The menu has expanded to include Israeli offerings such as pita bread and hummus. An air-conditioned eating area is under construction to help beat the Pilani heat, accompanied with an elaborate beverage section to choose from. Further implications of this merger are that Pizzeria will soon add chicken to its menu. Simplified: chicken quattro formaggio pizza, lasagna al fungi al chicken and so on, for approximately an extra 150 bucks per dish.

LAZEEZ ROLLS AND MORE CULINARY DELIGHTS IN PILANI

‘Elephant in the room’ is a metaphorical phrase for an apparent truth that is either being ignored or going unaddressed. This idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss. Ring any bells?

If your friendly election candidate were to pay a visit to your room with his band of campaigners and raise voice against your most pressing problems, one of your eyebrows might shift inadvertently upwards an inch or two in anticipation. If he were to state proofs to cement their feasibility, the other would surely join it. Big fat thumbs up, yes. But, if one points out that this is an antiquated deathtrap that’s been doing its rounds every second and third weeks of August, you might start to call him a cynic (you’re welcome). We’ve all heard politicians spouting wildly on subjects about which they know next to nothing. It is pretty evident that our candidates are stuck in a vicious circle of sorts

today. Manifestos of two contenders are increasingly hard to tell apart these days. Few dare to be ambitious (exceptions do exist) and even fewer are stoic to stand by their points. However, the irony is, there has been a general trend observed over the years: the more the number of manifesto points that go unaddressed every year, the more that are spawned and vice versa. Same old story. Chicken, egg, etc. Oh well. One hears about the days when elections were heralded by the arrival of candidates on their bandwagons carrying those resounding megaphones (however absurd this may sound today). These images may just appear to be inconsequential and trivial when we see the bigger picture. Very True. But they added to the whole buzz surrounding the elections. Shortened campaigning period and banners gone astray - aren’t we missing a bit of the fervor and aura of the elections here? You be the judge.