Nav Aakash

In the Festival Festoon...

2013-11-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

The festoon of festival began with Durga Puja, and will end with Chatth. Though India is a nation of festivals but the festive enthusiasm in this festive season is far distinguished. Diwali, the festival of light, couldn't be as festive for we fourth year students as it used to be so far because this time we were mostly occupied in our studies. TCS is coming for our campus drive on 8^th of this month, and the seriousness for preparation is immensely high.

Submissions for the upcoming issue of Nav-Aakash, ‘Festival Festoonery’ has already started, and my ringing phone most of the time proves the enthu level among my juniors. And this time its going to be much bigger, as we are inviting students of all colleges within SKS group of institutions to be a part of our E-Magazine, giving them opportunity to showcase their creativity.

If you haven’t started working for your post, sketches or photographs shot by you, then expedite and come up fast as the last date for submission is 15^th of November 2013.

Here is the link to know more about the theme.

Festival Festoonery

2013-10-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

India is a land of festivals. Our country houses tons of festivities related to various ethnicity, religions and regions throughout the year. Festivals are not only accompanied by lights and colours, but also it brings joy and happiness amongst the common people.

A festival is an event, usually and ordinary staged by a local community, which centres on and celebrates some unique aspect of the community and the festival. Festivals of many types, serve to meet specific needs, as well as to provide entertainment. These times of celebration after a sense of belonging for religious, social or geographical groups. Modern festivals that focus or cultural or ethnic topics seek to inform members of their tradition. There are numerous types of festivals in the world. Though many have religious origins, others involve seasonal change or have some cultural significance.

Currently, it is the season of festivals in our country. The pandals of Durga Puja are still alive in our memories while our common man is waiting to be rocked by firecrackers as Diwali knock our doors. As festivals comes, every folks of our country, save where they resides, flocks to their homes. An aroma of homecoming is in the air when people join hands, buying new clothes and dresses, variety of sweets and other delicacies. Small scale industries chalk out new plans to make huge profits.
The 'Land of Gods' never needs a particular reason to celebrate. Celebration is a fundamental part of every Indian's life. From January to December, every month comes with a particular fair or festival. Makar Sakranti, Basanti Panchami, Holi, Ram Navami, Janamashtami, Durga Puja, Diwali, Eid, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Guru Purv and Christmas; the festival of every religion has a significance and it is celebrated in a boisterous way.

Here people don't need a floor to dance. Celebrations on streets during Durga Puja, Ganesh Chathurthi, Janamashtmi and Holi show the real dancing talents of Indians.

Not only this, the country is famous everywhere for the handicrafts melas and fairs that it organizes during particular intervals. Surajkund Craft Mela that is held every year in February in Haryana attracts a large chunk of masses and foreign tourists. In such fairs and festivals, you can find the real India. Such theme melas and festivals unite the whole nation. People come to know about each other's cultures and traditions and their active participation shows how much they love to know about each other.

Post Written by:
Arindam Mishra
IT 2nd Year
BCET

Diwali to enlighten the young generation of India

2013-10-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

Deepawali or some may say Diwali, meaning an array of lights is a festival celebrated in the Hindu month of Karthik by the Hindus, the Sikhs, and the Jains all across the vast expanse of the earth. According to the epic the Ramayana, the people of Ayodhya lit diyas to welcome their king Rama after having returned home having spent fourteen long years in exile and also to mark the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana, who had abducted his wife Sita, out of lust. The death of Ravana did not only put down curtains on the hard fought battle between Lord Rama and Ravana but most importantly marked the victory of good over of evil. Since, then this festival is celebrated each year with great pomp and joy.

Every year, a sum of money is spent on decorating homes, preparing delicious dishes, purchasing expensive gifts for the near and dear ones. Preparations are made beforehand so, that nothing goes missing on this auspicious day. But, amidst these materialistic things what is most importantly acknowledged are the words ‘truth’, ‘good’, honour’, etc.

This auspicious occasion can act as a catalyst to rekindle the fire, the young generation of India possess. It can act as an agent of change, and clean the young souls in the flames of diyas. Because it is what we need most now. Especially when people ruling the country are ready to risk the lives of many just for personal gains.

In the light of its diyas the young generation of India can cultivate the ability to distinguish between what is wrong and what is right. They can begin their quest for magice and not be complacent with what little knowledge each have. For, it is said , ‘ one who searches for pearls must dive below’.

This Diwali, young minds should take a vow to grow stronger in their social aspect. They should always be ready to lands to the faltering brothers and give lift to the lame and the slow. Because these values will not only guide them today but will always act as a beacon light whenever they have to sail through difficult times.
It’s the young generation on whose strength the outlook of a nation depends. And, when we talk of our country , it is very much true since, the majority of our population belong to this category. So, we can hope that our young brigade, neath the light of this Diwali will inculcate the values, to get enlightened and make a higher living.

Image Courtesy : Google Images Search

Post Written by:
Ravikant Singh
EE, 4th year
BCET

Joys of festivals with Nav-Aakash

2013-10-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

Comes October to blow the bassoon of festivity along with the melodramatic pomp and the ambience of holiness. Joy of celebration amidst the mundane rejuvenates the spirits. A few days ago we celebrated Durga Puja and Eid al-Adha. Despite the nature’s fury which surged in the form of Phailin, the super cyclone, vigor of celebration wasn’t put down even for the slightest. Ahead is the festival of lights, Diwali and the great festival of North-Eastern India, Chhatt. Where in Durga Puja we worship the ‘woman power’, Eid al-Adha teaches us the value of sacrifice. Every festival bears a message for life, a light of wisdom, color for hearts and lots of smile. We unite, perform rituals, dance and sing together and then dismiss with a new hope for lives.The team Nav-Aakash hereby sprinkles joys of festivals by the means of our next issue coming up very soon, wishing everyone a merry time with family and friends. Stay happy, healthy, sound and tuned to our latest updates. :)

The Soliloquy of a Modest Administrator

2013-09-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

It was all calm inside the Principal’s room – an important file was being scrutinized – its content was to be abstracted and submitted to the University the next day and an innocent looking middle aged man-- sporting the east-Indian turban on as headgear, with stubbles of at least seven days appearing all over the unshaven cheeks--- peeped and a murmured ‘main aa sakte hun’ to reach the addressee--- this narrator. A typical modest veiled rural lady and a smart boy --- in BCET student-uniform were in company who followed the stranger.
        ‘Aaye baithieye kahiye’ was the natural response to make and then…
It   was the unfolding of a real life story—appalling and horrible!
The commentary of a drama, in which, this narrator was also an uncanny actor!

The boy-- the son of that man and the lady, a third year matured WBUTian   is examinee of his B. Tech class … he was due to get his university admit card for the 6th Semester as the University Exam due in the week to follow…..and, now he is not really to get it-- as the College has sent his class attendance to WBUT as twenty percent against his actual attendance of five percent approx.

And that, this was the fourth repeat of the same brave act by that boy at his class!!
The young man was spirited enough not to complete the sessionals even!!!
All concerned academically with him were disgusted and tired of him, had thrown their arms up---and thus … the outcome--- that ‘Shreeman X’ is not to sit in the end term exam due in next few days.
The real shocking part of the saga was a little more--- which brought a chill down the spine of the listener that day that time and that place ….the same was also unfolded by the fumbling parents.
        ‘There have been a peasant family… had mortgaged more than fifty percent of the whole family land possession to a local money lender
        …. took a staggered loan semester by semester and could pay the fees for the boy’s engineering education   so far.
The ‘year back’--as the inevitable consequence now, will ensure… first, the boy is not be at Durgapur anymore!
Not to nurture any dream to be an engineer!!
The family is to lose the land and the breads for the family in a short while as the repayment to the money lender will fail and… and…. And about the boy…?
That’s, what this College has made or making for the ‘boy’ and the ‘family’!

Say, what could the college Registrar do?
How the Principal could help?
There remain always the critics – ‘this Administration is not desirably firm’ in dealing with the habitual absentees!
During that day… those hours, there seemed nobody remaining anywhere to offer a solution… ‘to be, a savor from the catastrophe for an innocent rural family’!
A family which had seeded a dream—three years before --- as they left at that time ‘their fresh young boy at the precincts of a gorgeous college named B C E T ’ Durgapur!
A ‘d r e a m’ was born that day which got nurtured for more than two years
that…. in another two years’ time …. an ‘engineer was to go back from Durgapur’….and take the charge and it will be ‘all happiness from then on for the family’.
Alas, so far as the people here viz., --- the Principal and the Registrar, ‘the die was already cast’!
The College could not rewrite a ‘new percentage of attendance for that student and send that to the University’!
For some minutes… appearing like endless hours… ‘There was only sobs and silence in that room’.

Unbelievably to all our wonder, a rescue did come in a matter of days.
With the kindness of the University--- which had to see that family sitting in front of V.C.’s office for days…the boy could get an admit card!
Then what? This narrator was not made to know though years had passed meanwhile!
All these I make public for no other purpose than to strike the real-life point that     ‘how we… those in the administration’, are burdened with such ‘realities that make the actual and complete personal life’ for some, remaining in the College --- while in our effort to administer, the pains and discomfitures which are to be borne by us only and yet not to appear lackadaisical!
It is the administration---which is taken by many a people as   ‘it does not care to show firmness, throw proper light on fleeting events and ensure proportionate high-points for those who are ‘diligent and devoted’ and ‘those who are the opposite’ . As for such people who attend 100 percent of classes … appear as honest belabored examinees in the sessionals, submitting the assignments in time etc. etc. the ‘crediting’ make them same as the ‘others’---- who are ‘almost the opposite to all these’. The latter are   not properly dealt and proportionately punished!

Painfully at times, some of the bests of individuals at the ‘even’ side of this puzzle viz., ‘those bright conspicuous set of students’ feel ‘demoralized’ and -- may be, get de-motivated to learn hard and be habituated to be successful and excel .
The simplistic ‘summing up done’ is that the administration-- in its laxity and dis-care-- do not hold back those, who for one reason or the other, desist to rightly orientate and conduct themselves …. . In these matters …. ‘the authority that be’ seems to be behaving as machines – set to run a system in certain ways and manners as fixed!
Dear students, having been practically educated from several such real life and fiery experiences – which need not be added to make it a long one sided commentary – the kind of ‘acts’ now being perpetrated at this institution by ‘us’ the Director…. the Principal …… the Registrar … and the HoDs are driven only by honest and conscientious perceptions and logic ‘ to nurture the good and to straighten the others’.
In these--- ‘not an iota of repressing any one’…. a grain of ‘applying senseless officialdom to anybody’…or a pinch of ‘giving lessons to any entity’ remain.

All that we remind to ourselves is:
That all students who are here, are not from backgrounds of plenty. But, for some of them circumstances and young-heart propensities to caricature that ‘I don’t care’ at times–overwhelm. The attitude to damn ‘the routines and desired conducts’ over powers, and that ‘I must appear rebellious......come what may’ becomes the attitude. And for these people, the ‘consequences’--nobody can predict.
We at our end as managers of college-affairs cannot afford to be oblivious to our assigned role of ‘guardians for the time being for every single youngsters’ who have just come out of the ‘protective and watchful’ shields of family elders with a ‘world of hope and expectations’ as they become and remain ‘the student’.
Dear students, please don’t M I S U N D E R S T A N D us; we in the administration cannot contribute to the ‘killing of individual and collective family dreams’ for any one.

With best wishes to all.

Prof. (Dr.) S. K. Brahmachari
Principal
Bengal College of Engineering and Technology

'Monsoon Strokes' | Issue#2 August 2013

2013-08-21T10:28:00.002-07:00

Its the time when we are releasing the second issue of Nav Aakash. And wow, this time it has come in a new flavor; a theme based issue christened as 'Monsoon Strokes'. Each leaflet of this issue sends a tingling sensation into our nerves, because the fragrance it carries is something we closely cherish. Yes, it afloats the memories of yesteryears of we getting soaked in rain and pretending to be down with fever, to call the day a holiday. The memories of paper boats races, stamping our school shoes in puddles of water add only to our musings. But along with happiness it also draws in adversity, in the form of natural calamities which lingers in our mind for sometime and soon to be forgotten with fresh splashes of rain the following year.

Now, the monsoon is on its way to retreat. But it will definitely leave an imprint in the minds of our readers. The simple reason being, the inclusion of the vernacular section in this issue. We wish to get immense support from our readers and their valuable comments for the betterment of our E-Magazine.

With Regards

Team Nav Aakash

Details for Submissions | For Issue # 2

2013-07-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

Team Nav-Aakash has decided that we are going to release our next issue of the E-Magazine by the end of August 2013. This issue is going to be theme based. And the theme for this issue will be ‘Monsoon in India’.

Submit to us your artistic works by 12^th of August 2013. You can submit to us poetry/articles/short-stories/painting & sketches/photographs shot by you, which should depict some aspect of monsoon. Be it the beauty or let it be the adversity in a locality, the monsoon is all yours to play with its various fervor.

From this issue, you can not only write in English, but also in Hindi and Bengali. Just keep your submissions standard and elegant. And the magazine space is all yours. Our magazine editors are always there to help you out. :)

You can submit to us by uploading your works on our website. You can find the link for submission up there on the navigation bar. Links for submissions for students in campus and for our alumni have been provided separately.
Go through the instructions in the submission page and submit your works by 12^th of August 2013. Submissions made after this date won’t be entertained.

We wish that you get the right place for showcasing your talents.

ANSHUL GAUTAM

(On behalf of entire team of Nav-Aakash)

Into the Finals...

2013-07-26T23:23:00.002-07:00

Exams are over. And we, the founding team of Nav-Aakash, have stepped into our final years. We are in fourth year now, and with that there it has turned out to be peer pressure on us. Pressure to excel.

Keeping aside the pressure, we are also working to release the next issue of our E-Magazine. The previous issue set the glands blazing with excitement and that excitement has gone intensified. We wish to work even more and present an issue with all our best. The theme for the upcoming issue is ‘Monsoon Strokes’.

Keeping our fingers crossed we hope to achieve something more that we couldn't achieve before. :)

Nav-Aaksh | Issue # 1 | May 2013

2013-05-02T01:30:00.003-07:00

Here we release, the most awaited, the very first issue of our E-magazine 'Nav Aakash'.
Starting from scattered little ideas, we gathered them and molded into an objective to stage expression of art in its various forms. And then we evolved 'Nav-Aakash', to unbar doors of creativity and provide equal opportunities for each one of us who are connected with Bengal College of Engineering & Technology, Durgapur.

This first issue of our E-magazine marks the start of maturing creativity, which will grow better and even more better in days to come. We invite your reviews and will constantly look for your support.

Team Nav-Aakash

Gaining Momentum

2013-03-29T05:15:00.000-07:00

Now we have authors from fourth years also. Our seniors from fourth year were very much keen to know if they could contribute their posts for our E-magazine or not. And to me, it was like a surprise.

I can see the way responses have been coming, our E-Magazine is surely going to result into a huge success. We aim to grow each day, and learn something new. My involvement in the E-Magazine committee as the editor is turning out to be a learning experience. Each day I am discovering something new, and getting acquainted with it by incorporating them into my work.

I hope not only me, but the entire Nav-Aakash E-Magazine committee would be gaining something by working here.

Tweets on our Campus

2013-03-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

Well, if the magazine happens to be a college magazine, then why not include stories in it related to campus happenings and development stories?

This idea struck me while I was designing magazine pages today for story section. And consequently came the idea of ‘Campus Tweets’, which we will be including in the E-magazine where articles on currently happening movements in our campus will be portrayed.

With the areas we are trying to cover, our first issue of the magazine is surely going to be a remarkable issue. And we are desperate for the release.

Stay tuned with our developments here.

Keeping it 'Fresh'

2013-03-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

How does past affect you? Do you get involved in your memories and start overlooking the present? Or do you regret having missed doing several things which now you think you should have done then?

How do you take your past, this varies from people to people. For me, I look down the memory lane admiring what I had in past, and what I have now. How much improvement I have managed to reflect in my being at present as compared with what I used to be in past. And I think this is the proper way in which the past should be taken. Regret can bring nothing but the remorse.

Hey! There is something that I had to convey, and I haven’t turned philosophical right now as I turn out to be at my own blog. I have proposed the very first issue of our magazine to be themed upon ‘A new beginning’. This new beginning doesn’t represent the sole beginning of E-Magazine rather it signifies the new beginning each day we have to see. A new beginning with new zeal and energy in whatever we do so as to keep everything fresh, each day, every day.

So keep yourself fresh always, and stay tuned with the latest posts here.

An Initiating spark

2013-03-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

We have initiated to develop a website that would feature magazines for our college in digital form. Forgetting all the traditional ways to compile a magazine which were struck with several limitations, we have come up with an idea of E-Magazine. This idea I discussed with several faculty members of English Department from our college, BCET, and they reacted positively towards this initiative. The appreciation got even warmer when I explained them the surplus benefits which I targeted to achieve through the website. And yes, why not; if we have a dedicated website for our E-magazine, then why not extend the potentials of the website a little more and include sections like Blog, and Alumni as well?

The website will be featuring issues of our E-magazine, and along with that, we will be having a section called ‘Blog’, where members of E-Magazine committee as well as faculty members from our college can post their blogs. And with this, I started working on the website.

I suggested the name, ‘Nav-Aakash’, which is the substantive mixture of two independent Hindi words, ‘Nav’, which means new, and ‘Aakash’, which means sky. So together ‘Nav-Aakash’ means discovering a new sky, the sky where sprouts various creative instincts.

Other than the website I am also designing the layout and designing pages for the E-Magazine. Juniors have also started to show their positive responses and are willing to join our magazine committee.

We are expecting to release the first issue of the magazine at the earliest.

Just a starting post

2013-03-14T23:35:00.001-07:00

Here is me, Anshul Gautam, giving the first blog post on this website, which is soon going to transform into a college magazine. This post is just a test post to check if the posting feature of the website is working fine or not. This post is meant to be a categorized post, which means it will be reflecting in the student blog section.

So just to check if everything is fine, here was the first and the starting post on the website of Nav Aakash.

Cheers!