Casuality : Millions of innocent lives. Cause : Drugs

If we traverse back to the 17^th century, childhood wasn’t seen as a phase in the lives of individuals – children were seen as mini adults. There were no elaborate differences in the way in which children behaved, dressed or involved themselves in various social obligations when compared to  adults. The normative social influence was such that they were socialised to become adults since the very beginning – so a five year old was expected to “act like an adult”. The French Revolution made major ideological contributions to the society and the thinkers belonging to this period produced grand and abstract systems of rational ideas. Philosophers such as John Locke expressed that children are born with a blank mind and if and only if they are provided with an environment conducive for their cognitive development and enrichment would they grow up to become rational adults, who would then contribute to the society in a positive way.

As we stepped into the modern world –where calculated utilitarian and forward-moving modes of personal and social life prevail – we aimed towards the creation of a utopian society where every need is addressed – but unfortunately that has not happened. Childhood did attain a definition and was seen as a distinct phase in the life of individuals. People started protecting the sanctity of children’s innocence and in certain religions they were seen as messengers of god. A demarcation was laid between what is appropriate or inappropriate for children – so as to channel their emotions in the right way. Similarly, lines were drawn between the expected behavior between children and adults with both being expected to adhere to the societal norms along with sanctions to curb any deviant acts.

In present times where there are several factors that act as deterrents in the path towards the holistic growth of children – substance abuse is one of the major concerns that needs to be addressed. Yes, although the social setups make it seem that it is the individual who is responsible for their own fate the story of the processes that shaped our world tell a different tale. As the global economy grew in leaps and bounds – so did the disparity amongst people. A few fortunate people who were already placed in privileged positions consolidated theirs and the ‘have nots’ gradually lost what they had. With industrialisation and urbanisation leading to an influx of rural population in cities along with an ever growing middle class – a plethora of individuals were rendered vulnerable to the strains of modern life. The people existing on the very peripheries of our society were left in extreme isolation and were inevitably pushed into a downward spiral of substance abuse – because they wanted something to live for – and sadly, that something is a temporary euphoria. A large segment of this population belongs to the age group of 4-15 years. The cost? Everything.

Does development mean nothing? India has witnessed a five-time increase in drug hauls over three years, from 2011 to 2013, and has become a major market for illicit opiates from South East and West Asia, according to the World Drug Report 2014. The following inforgraph classifies why children are being lured into substance abuse which not only makes them economically endangered but also has adverse effects on their mental and physical health. 

Enactus SRCC conducted an online poll, asking people what according to them is the cause of substance abuse. The results are as follows. 

There are many other factors that push children into using drugs – be it cultural influences, take for example the 70s ‘psychedelic’ era where the consumption of recreational drugs was seen as “hip” which made an enormous amount of youngsters smoke spliff just for fitting into an image or the lack of ambition due to improper guidance by adults during the formative years. Drug abuse is a severe problem and the existence of highly powerful drug-dealing cartels makes the war against it a very difficult one. Between the web of policies that curb the problem and the mafias that amplify it – we are losing something innocent and beautiful. We are not only losing out on our demographic dividend and the millions of aspirations that wither away – we are losing childhood, that silently rushes past – as a ghost – trying to get a fix for the night. On days when there isn’t any – it smothers silently. Why? Because we aren't listening.

Written by Ilakshi and Meghna Jayaraj
Edited by Rai Sengupta

Enactus SRCC Recruitment 2015

As we anxiously entered the campus on our first day of college, we could see an aura circumscribing some of our seniors. They wore grey polos with yellow collars that proudly said – Enactus, Shri Ram College of Commerce. A few others did tell us when we inquired – “Yes, these people, you know, the Enactus types”. This summer, as freshers started to flock the corridors and classrooms of our college, Enactus was the glorified students’ society that we wanted to be a part of. 

We followed what the poster on the college notice board said “Orientation. Date : 28 July 2015. Venue: Room -1, 2, 3”. The orientation was a perfect place to garner knowledge about the fundaments and functioning of this society. What stuck out the most in the presentation was not only the concept of social entrepreneurship but also the profound impact it had on the lives of the volunteers as well as of the targeted communities. The high magnitude of success attained by the projects undertaken by the college was inspiring as it is essentially student driven.

The recruitment process acted like a sieve with people being eliminated in every subsequent round. The online application form was followed by a very argumentative group discussion on various political and societal issues plaguing the nation.

After a long and nervous wait, the list of candidates who had qualified for the personal interview came out. We had to wait for around a fortnight for our personal interviews to commence. Most of us entered the tutorial rooms with bated breath and cold feet. The candidates then had to address a problem which is prevalent in the society and how their business models could help in combating that. This provided us with a good platform to put on our thinking caps and delve deeper in today's world – that isn’t as magical as it appears if viewed through the lens of corporate media. The personal interview was indeed a challenging one which tested multifarious skills such as pragmatic implementation of the theoretical knowledge, on the spot thinking and logical reasoning.

 Finally, the results were out and we checked the website with the heart of someone anticipating something important. We were elated as our eyes scanned the list of selected candidates followed by “Congratulations!” Some of us woke up to a message telling us that we had been inducted into the society, which indeed made it a morning worth calling good.

I believe the entire recruitment process was a fair one which provided an equal opportunity to everyone seeking to be a part of the society and our seniors worked really hard as they guided and encouraged us through the process.

One of us even wrote a verse to convey his thoughts on getting inducted:
“I had given my best,
Up to them was the rest.
A boiling mixture of professionalism,
Hard work and idealism
A trying test of our skill,
A grilling check on our will.
After a comprehensive analysis of integrity,
VeniVidi Vici!”

In the end

40 were chosen out of 700,


To be a part of the Enactus kindred!

Written by Arpit Khemka, Keshav Damani,Ilakshi and Meghna Jayaraj.
Edited by Rai Sengupta.

The Enactus India National Competition 2015 Marking an end to the academic year, the Enactus India National Competition 2015 provided Enactus teams from different parts of the country a platform to present their respective projects and analyse their social, economic and environmental impacts before a panel of esteemed judges. This was an experience which most of our seniors at Enactus SRCC spoke very fondly of. Their faces would light up with joy every time they spoke about some funny anecdote from the ‘Nationals’ in the previous year- their faces glowing with pride thinking about the kind of impact that they've been able to create with all the hard work that went into it. And as that time of the year drew near again, there was excitement in the air, as Enactus SRCC geared up to present Project Kayakalp and Project Sattva, and put forward the work of an entire academic year. Work started at the end of May with separate teams being formed to design the structure of the presentation and scripts for the two projects. Regular visits to our communities in Shadipur, West Delhi and Karnal, Haryana took place with the aim of collecting video testimonials of the community members, who were more than just willing to co-operate. The technical team began to burn the midnight oil and turned nocturnal by the end of nearly two months. Come July and auditions for speaking at the Nationals were in full swing, with the four selected speakers being subjected to numerous restrictions ranging from the consumption of aerated drinks and getting drenched in the rain to sleeping on time every night. Soon, rigorous practices began and a non-member would have been surprised to find the speakers in different parts of college, which was otherwise relatively deserted during the vacations, spouting out lines that spoke of ‘puppetry’ and ‘dairy supply chain’. The days followed a regular pattern that included speaking with the presentation, adding slides and removing content, feverish editing, cups of hot chai, brief breaks and emotional briefing sessions. And before we knew, the Nationals were upon us.  Wearing sharp suits, we were at the doorstep of The Leela Ambience, Gurgaon, brimming with excitement and slight nervousness. Once registered, we all got down to work. The speakers were conducting final practices, the technical team got busy sorting the audio and video, some of us got engrossed in deciding the league which we shall be in and others strategized to watch and analyse the presentations of the other Enactus teams. It was time for the competition to begin. Our faces glowed with pride on watching the flashback video of the Enactus World Cup 2014. The panel discussion among distinguished personalities was a learning curve. After a tantalizing wait of two hours, it was time for the speakers from Enactus Shri Ram College Commerce to present.  Our projects, the passion of our communities, being presented in front of eminent judges, filled our hearts with pride and our eyes with tears. We were thoroughly inspired by the path-breaking projects of our contemporaries from across the nation who displayed their projects with equal fervour and enthusiasm. At the end of an excruciating day, it was time to click photographs, savour the experience and head back to prepare for another challenging day ahead. On day 2, nervousness overpowered excitement as we anxiously waited for the results of our opening round. As soon as the name Shri Ram College of Commerce was called out, we leaped with joy and celebrated our achievement. However, we were back to work soon, strategizing our league selection, checking the audio and video and practicing for the final time. Our presentation in the final round was one of a kind; the words of the presenters reverberated in our hearts and enabled us to reflect upon our actions that have transformed lives of communities in need. We felt proud to have finished as semi-finalists of the competition. We were also awarded the ‘Walmart Women Economic Initiative’ this year. We hope to strengthen our endeavours in the correct direction incorporating the constructive feedback we gathered from eminent judges, faculty members and other team members. Those two days gave us memories and bonds to cherish for a lifetime. Every year, the entire Enactus family comes together to celebrate the spirit of Enactus and to take a pledge to alleviate and uplift more lives. We feel our victory lies in the happiness of our communities, our power in the strong ties between the team members and the motivation in the trust of our business partners. We all see opportunities in what others see problems; we all see entrepreneurs in what others see broken individuals; we all see progress in what others see retrogression and we all see victory in what others see competition because in the end #WeAllWin.

Written by Rai Sengupta, Komal Vaseer and Aayush Aggarwal.
Edited by Abhishek Naulakha.

In Retrospect: Takeaways, Memories and Learning

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

And sorry I could not travel both,

I took the one less traveled by

And that has made all the difference" ~ Robert Frost

Life is a long road they say, and every bend in the road, every turn holds meaning and transforms us for the better.

Being inducted into Enactus SRCC was one such milestone in my life that has transformed who I am, forever. It has given me a lifetime worth of experiences, packed into a year, and has taught me to push my limits, time and again.

If I were to list down some of the ways Enactus has transformed me, then the top five changes would be as follows -

1. Being a part of Enactus has definitely improved my eye for detail. (When one's seniors are such sticklers for perfection, one needs to maintain high standards!)

Whether it is proof reading a mail before sending it, or usage of correct punctuation, Enactus has definitely brought out the Grammar Nazi in most of us!

2. Enactus has helped me become more innovative. My friends from other colleges can scarcely believe that I have contributed to writing scripts in Hindi on topics ranging from open defecation to girl safety, for puppet shows. In this sense, Enactus not only sees possibilities in terms of income generation and well being for our communities, but also transforms student members like me, by making us push our limits and be part of things we'd never thought of. 

3. Enactus has made me a more sensitive person. It has provided me with certain implicit understanding of our communities that helps me empathise with their problems and merge with their social fabric. Sipping lassi with dairy farmers in Karnal, and sitting atop a rooftop in the slums of Shadipur while the puppeteers practice, are rare and beautiful experiences, each one of which has sensitised me about the great divide between the haves and the have nots.

4. I cannot stress enough on how much Enactus has taught me the importance of team work. From filling out competition write ups together to dividing parts for compering, from meetings fixed and attended to campaigns planned and executed, Enactus SRCC functions as a team and being part of it has made me a team player. 

5. Finally, Enactus has taught to never give up. Be it a third party follow up, or a campaign or a proposal to be approved, if one tries hard enough, the power of human agency is bound to come through, and then there's no stopping change. Nobody can stop anyone from making that difference. And I'm thankful to Enactus SRCC for giving me that optimistic outlook in life. 

When I look at my first year in college, I realise how big a part of it Enactus SRCC has been. 

In seeking to transform the lives of others, I never realised how immensely it would transform my own. 

And I'm glad for the difference.

- Written by Rai Sengupta

Edited by Jaideep Mann, Maya Bajaj & Vishal Aditya Sahoo

Project Sattva: A Nostalgic Recollection

Project Sattva, an initiative to refine and transform the dairy sector in Karnal, is yet another endeavor of Enactus SRCC to mould the lives of communities in need. The journey from shaping to launching the project has been an enriching and exhilarating experience. Find out more as Divyat Rungta and Manik Garg, Directors of Project Sattva, share their insights.

Q.1. When and why did you start researching for a new project?

Manik:

It all started after the Enactus India Nationals’ Competition 2014. We took great pride in our projects. At the same time, we were inspired after observing many wonderful projects of different teams across the country. The pride coupled with inspiration motivated us to contribute even more to our projects and the organisation as a whole. Thus we wanted to research about a new field, however at that point we didn’t even think of starting a new project.

Divyat:

As a matter of fact, we did not even have a formal Research team. Whatever research we undertook was independent. My father suggested we explore the field of dairy and agriculture, as this was completely different from anything that we had done in the past. We came across many engineers and entrepreneurs who had left their well-established jobs to venture into this booming sector.

Manik:

So we started looking at how this industry works and where it was prevalent. We came across NDRI as the pioneer institute in the sector, and its location was close to Delhi, in Karnal, Haryana. We fixed up a meeting with them on the 8^th of August, and a new project had begun taking shape in our minds. In retrospect however, we never thought we would partner with the NDRI for such a large scale project. However, the meeting went well and we were advised to get in touch with Arpana services, the NGO which would go on to be our second project partners.

Divyat: 

Yes, the meeting with Aparna was really fruitful. Infact they wanted maximum participation of the young lot in the dairy sector! They invited us to visit the dairy for a couple of days, observe the working, and give our inputs. We were very eager to go for this visit. On 7^th October, we met the women in Karnal, who would go on to be our community, for the first time.

Manik:

This was it. We were inspired by their sheer dedication and hard work. We knew we wanted to work with them and started brainstorming and researching even more passionately.

Divyat:

And then slowly and gradually, after months of hard work by every member of the team, SATTVA happened. The entire journey is really close to my heart. It is something which will be with me forever. It will define my college life.

Manik:

Absolutely.

Q.2. You carried out research in various fields and finally chose the dairy sector. What prompted you to make this decision?

Divyat:

In 2014-15, we constituted the Research Department of Enactus SRCC for the very first time. Extensive research was carried out in various fields ranging from water and waste to dairy and agriculture. We found out that India had the highest number of cattle, yet the dairy farmers were not empowered. There were several challenges faced by these dairy farmers as a result of which the productivity of cattle was marginal. Also, milk was a product that almost every household demanded, be it rich or poor, urban or rural. Thus we felt the need to step into the dairy sector and take initiative to solve the existing problems.

Manik:

Adding to that, two of the most important reasons for choosing the dairy sector were our project partners and the community. We successfully collaborated with NDRI and Arpana Services, and both the organisations have been of tremendous help. Also, the small community of women that we have is extremely dedicated and determined. We couldn’t have found better partners or community! 

Q.3. Were there any funny and light hearted moments during field visits to Karnal?

Manik:

During the field visits to Karnal, we used to joke that this project would surely take off. If we ever fail to sell the milk, Divyat would drink the unsold milk and hence, we would not need to worry about the demand! The amount of milk he drinks in a day is enough to get 4 women employed in a dairy and hence the project would always be successful. It is apt that he is the director of this project as he truly and honestly loves milk!

There is another incident that pops up in my mind whenever I see cows. When we hit a roadblock initially and started discussing it with our seniors, they often joked that we could name this new project “ C.O.W.” on similar lines as “L.O.W.” (Life on Wheels).

Divyat:

Another thing worth sharing is the “This is it” tradition. Whenever we found something useful or had a successful meeting, we came back home, looked at each other and exclaimed - “This is it”. Be it any positive meeting or any final decision, every time our reaction was “This is it !!” As a matter of fact the password for the research account was the same – “This is it”.

The rooms in the guest house in Karnal are awesome. The hospitality offered by Arpana services is beyond imagination. During our first visit, we were expecting hostel like atmosphere, but got a 5 star experience. Thus, one of the reasons why we look forward to Karnal visits is the king like treatment meted out to us there.

Q.4. How was the name “Sattva” zeroed in on?

Divyat:

Choice of the project name was a major decision that we, as a team had to take. The name had to completely relevant to the work done under the project. It had to be simple, easy to remember and such that it would sum up the entire project. We discussed several names in our meetings. When the name “Sattva” came up, there was a unanimous agreement amongst all of us in favour of the name. Later on, voting was conducted where each and every member of the team voted to choose the name. Most of us preferred “Sattva”, and hence it was chosen.

Manik:

“Sattva” is a Sanskrit word that means goodness and purity. It is the quality of spiritual goodness, manifested as intelligence, virtue, and joy, one of the three gunas (qualities of nature) of Hindu philosophy. Objects that are free from contamination and promote purity are regarded as “Sattvic Objects”. The milk of a cow which has grown in good surroundings, is healthy and has been obtained after the calf of the cow has been fed well, is considered to be pure and a “Sattvic Object”. Since, we are promoting and marketing pure milk through this endeavour, the name “Sattva” truly sums up the activities undertaken under the project, and is the most appropriate name.

Q.5. Share some striking moments from the first visit to Karnal.

Divyat: 

This was the first outstation trip after the recruitment of first year team. So, three second year members and three first year members went for the visit. I was sharing a room with two of my batch mates and one junior. We visited a whole lot of villages that morning and after a very hectic day finally went off to sleep. However, in the middle of the night Shubham, our junior, stood up and began shouting Arpana, Arpana, which was the name of the NGO we were visiting. All three of us got scared, tried to calm him down and put him to sleep. Next morning, he didn't remember a thing. So we tried to play a prank on him by convincing him that he was loud enough to wake the entire ashram up!

This was one of the first experiences which helped us bond with the juniors. Since then I have been for many Karnal visits, but none have been as epic as this one. 

Manik:

There were quite a few funny incidents that happened on the first trip. But on the whole, I was impressed with the hospitality with which members of Arpana Services treated us. They were a pretty old couple, and treated us like their own children. The food there was just like ghar ka khaana and I especially enjoyed the morning paranthas which were made out of the previous day’s leftover vegetables - a very interesting concept. Apart from this, they were so kind as to send six food packages along with us to the villages so that we would eat proper lunch while visiting the villages. Juice tetra packs, chapattis and vegetables were kept ready for us whenever we left the Ashram. The warmth with which we were received on the first visit was heart winning and will remain memorable.

Compiled by Jaideep Mann, Medha Verma, Vaibhav Chowdhury and Vishal Aditya Sahoo