Department of English, DAV PG College, Varanasi organized a ten-day Workshop Cum Training Program on “Writing Skills” from 30th August to 10thSeptember 2022 in order to improve the writing skills of the students on various level from paragraph writing to essay writing. In these ten days students are separately given training of application writing, report writing, paragraph writing and essay writing. In literature and in general writing is the most important skill and if power to write lacks it changes the entire meaning. Around fifty-five students of B.A Vth Semester participated in the workshop from the department of English, Hindi, and Psychology.
Department of English DAV PG College, Varanasi Organised a special lecture on 2nd September 2022 on the topic “Ecological Reading of Romantic Poetry”and the speaker was Prof. M.S. Pandey, Department of English, Banaras Hindu University. He said that nature, beasts, trees, bees and human beings all are integral aspects of uni verse but anthropocentric view of society from time to time separate them.He highlighted canonical texts of both east and west as a source to acknowledge the kind-heartedness and generosity of human beings towards nature. He defined theoretical and practical dimensions of eco-criticism and environmental studies. He cited examples of first Indian Poet Balmiki ji, Wordsworth, Keats, Coleridge and seminal Indian scriptures like Vedas and puranas as epitome to view the reciprocal relationship of man and nature as well as superiority of nature. Artistic imagination of Wordsworth is laced with eco-critical perspectives. Dr. Sangeeta Jain welcomed the guest, Dr. Indrajeet Mishra, Head, Department of English, delivered vote of thanks and the programme was conducted by Dr. Mahima Singh. On the occasion Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani , Dr. Najmul, Ms Puja Jha and around 70 students were present.
Department of English organized another lecture on 14th July, 2022,  the Seventh day of the workshop. The speaker Prof. Sunita Aggarwal, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur delved deeper on the topic
“Expounding the Intricacies of Research Methodology.” She raised the questions and answered appropriately: –
What is Research?
What kind of knowledge is essential to pursue research?
Research is based on re-exploring and re-structuring of existing knowledge. She used an acronym for explaining its meaning and relevance – S- significant, O – original, C-contribution, E- expansion of  the knowledge. She discussed the need of Research Methods and Research Methodologies. The Research Methods requires Research skills, IT skills, Bibliographical skills, Dissertation skills and Communication skills. Research methodology is application of
theory to literary texts. In her deliberation she said the students of English literature should have thorough knowledge of History of English Literature, Literary Criticism, Cultural Theories and Stylistics. It helps in producing better analytic research papers.  She discussed research skills needed for handling of Research materials. She also showcased by applying literary and critical theories like New Criticism, Deconstructive Approach, Gender Criticism, Afro-American Perspective, Postcolonial theories and Criticism, Feminist Theories and Criticism to some seminal texts like  Bama Faustina’s Sangati,  Mahesh Dattani’s Play Dance Like a Man,  Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Lastly she asks the researchers to follow the ethics of sincerely acknowledging the sources that have been used to avoid charges of plagiarism. . Dr. Sangeeta Jain, Head of the Department of English, welcomed the guest, Dr. Indrajeet Mishra introduced the   theme of the workshop and vote of thanks was given by Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani. Prof. Madhu Sisodiya, Coordinator Research Promotion Cell, Dr. Mishri Lal, Organizing Secretary of the Workshop, Dr. Punam, Dr. Najmul Hasan. Dr. Mahima Singh, Dr. Supriya Singh, Dr. Saumili from Vasant Kanya Mahavidylaya, Kamachha and Miss Puja were present at the event. All the Heads and teachers from Arts Faculty participated in the workshop.
The National Workshop aimed to explore the interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives and dimensions of the research domain in Arts and Humanities to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological and translational innovative networks and framework containing discipline-specific and discipline-beyond approaches to research. The objective of this workshop was to acquaint and train the prospective research scholars with the novel aspects and intricacies of research methodology in Arts and Humanities. Department of English organized the lecture  “Putting the Message Across: Making the Research Proposal” on  8th July, 2022 the first day of the workshop. The speaker Prof. R. P. Singh, department of English and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow, revealed that a research proposal is a document that outlines the research topic, objectives, methodology, literature review and research gap prepared by the candidate applying for a Ph.D. Degree or Project. It is a tool that helps the scholar structure and restructure his/her research outline. He advised the students to select a new topic or less explored one and more interdisciplinary oriented. He explained the difference between qualitative and quantitative methods, various approaches and methodologies used in humanities and the role of deciding on an approach before research. He asked the students to have a good idea of the theory that they want to apply. The various topics that he covered were – the planning, writing and editing of the proposal; the use of lucid, explicit and persuasive language;  recognizing the audience and the role of the five Cs – Cite, Compare, Contrast, Critique and Connect. There were approximately 50 students from DAV PG College and VKM, Kamchha, Varanasi who took part in the event. Dr. Sangeeta Jain, Head, of the Department of English, welcomed the guest and introduced the theme of the workshop. Prof. Madhu Susodiya, Coordinator Research Promotion Cell, Dr. Mishri Lal, Organizing Secretary of the Workshop, Dr. Punam,   Dr. Indrajeet Mishra, Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani, Dr. Najmul Hasan. Dr. Mahima Singh and Miss Puja were present at the event. All the Heads and teachers from Arts Faculty participated in the workshop.
Department of English and Hindi of DAV PG College, Varanasi jointly organized a special lecture on ‘V. S Naipaul and Bharat’ on 22nd March 2022. Ex. Prof. Ram Kirti Shukla, Department of English, Banaras Hindu University was the key speaker on the topic. In his lecture he focused on the triology of V. S. Naipaul which he wrote after visiting India. He remarked that V S Naipaul is an expatriate writer who constantly searches his identity, his visits to India are an attempt of self-discovery. His first visit to the land of his ancestors shocked him owing to the difference between the image he had of India out of his learning hearsay from his ancestors and the prevailing reality. He disapproves the views of Nehru regarding India and expresses his concern over child marriage, poverty, sanitation and the approach of government officers regarding these problems. However, he develops some positive ideas in his last visit to India. The program was conducted by Dr. Mahima Singh, Dr. Sangeeta Jain and Dr. Indrajeet Mishra Welcomed the guest and Vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Rakesh Kumar Ram, Head Department of Hindi. Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani, Dr. Najmul Hasan MS. Puja Jha and around 100 students were present in the program.
Department of English, DAVPG College, Varanasi, under the aegis of IQAC organized an insightful and engaging lecture on 04th March 2022, from 02:00 P.M. on the topic – “Re-presenting African Literature: Contribution of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o.” The Speaker Mr. Adelokun Adetunji Oluwapelumi, lecturer in the Department of English, Skyline University, Nigeria made the students acquainted with different genres of African Literature. In his presentation, Mr. Adelokun discussed that a vast continent in Africa has a long and rich cultural tradition. However, the failure to capture the historical experiences of African literary tradition has paved way for all sorts of misrepresentations. The three renowned African writers – Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s critique this negative, stereotypical and distorted imaging of Africa They have contributed to the cultural consciousness and identity formation of the African continent through their literary writings. They aimed at correcting some of the anomalies and confuting some of the erroneous and misguided claims about the African Literary tradition. Highlighting the differences in their approaches, the speaker said while Achebe explores the roots, Soyinka hybridizes Eurocentric and Afrocentric world views and Thiong’o lays stress on native, indigenous traditions only. He discussed their important texts, style, verbal variability, artistry and stylistic variations. He also highlighted some literary movements unique to the African milieu. The lecture with beautiful power point presentation gave the students an insight into newly emerging African literary tradition along with the peculiarities and uniqueness of African literature.  Dr. Sangeeta Jain, Head, Department of English, DAV PG college welcomed the guest. Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani conducted the programme. Dr. Indrajeet Mishra, Dr. Najmul Hasan, Dr. Mahima Singh and around 75 students were present in the online lecture / presentation. The students eagerly interacted with the speaker in Q & A session.
Department of English, DAV PG College, Varanasi organized a lecture under orientation programme  on 15-02-2022 at 02:00 pm in online mode. The lectureLiterature,Language, Culture - An Insight 3 englishwas delivered by Prof. Krishna Mohan Pandey, Head, Department of English, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Speaking on ” Literature, Language, Culture: An Insight” Prof. Pandey highlighted the role of literature in sustainingLiterature,Language, Culture - An Insight 2 englishhuman values. He pointed out that humanity is above power position and status. Literature widens the horizon of mind and teaches us that even the minimal object, role and position is meaningful and valuable in itself. Literature makes no distinction in terms of class, caste and gender. Through different geners of literature we learn about cultures. He said that a piece of literature having all-inclusive vision gives essence to human life. Dr. Indrajeet Mishra conducted the programme and welcomed Prof. Pandey. He said that literature written in any language must represent the best of culture. Vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Najmul Hasan. Dr. Sangeeta Jain, Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani, Dr. Mahima Singh and around 110 students were present in the programme.

Department of English, DAVPG College, Varanasi, under the aegis of IQAC , organized another insightful lecture on September 22, 2021 where students were acquainted with Dalit literature and its theoretical perspective and social practices. Dr. Bandana Bal Chandani from the English department of DAVPG College cordially welcomed the participants and the esteemed dignitaries. After a brief introduction by Head, English department Dr. Sangeeta Jain and a brief deliberation by Dr. Shardul Chaubey, Assistant Registrar, Banaras Hindu University, the guest of honour, Dr. Sunita Chandra Joint Registrar, Finance Section, Banaras Hindu University expressed her views regarding Dalit Literature. After her brief deliberation, the keynote speaker of the event, Professor N.D.R Chandra shared his views on the aforementioned topic. Ex Vice Chancellor of Bastar University, Professor Chandra has numerous books and research papers to his credit, teaches in Nagaland Central University, Kohima Campus and has consistently been a recipient of several esteemed awards, the most recent being Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Award (2020).

In his deliberation Prof. Chandra discussed that the genesis of the word ‘Dalit’ was traced to the medieval Bhakti poetry, precisely from the Sanskrit word ‘Dal’ which meant ‘scattered, or cut off from the mainstream.’ Dalits were also called “dasa”, “asura”, “shudra”, “mahari”, “bhangi” depending on the region they lived in. Their oppression which began with the emergence of the caste system, later escalated in the post-independence period, creating a dichotomy between their Constitutional representation and the actual social scenario. In resistance to the unjustified oppression, Dr B. R. Ambedkar converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in his later life, saying “Though I was born a Hindu, I solemnly assure you that I will not die as a Hindu.” The solution to the discrimination, according to Prof Chandra, lies not just in reservation, but also in liberal education and an equitable distribution of resources and rights. Light was shed on the modern problems of reservations as well and it was concluded that it should become a way of giving it back to the society instead of securing an easy access to employment. A brief discussion was held about figures who had been allies to Dalits, stalwarts like Jyotiba Phule, Arundhati Roy, Mulk raj Anand, Namdeo Dhasal, Shankar Rao and other participants of the Dalit Panther Movement. ‘Joothan’ by Om Prakash Valmiki was also analysed in a similar light, where he brought forth the constant struggle the

subaltern/minority class has to go through.

The last part of his lecture was concerned with Dalit aesthetics, and the difference between ‘Lalit’ and Dalit Aesthetics , the former being Art for Art’s sake, the latter being Art for Life’s sake. The highlights of this section were the features of the Dalit aesthetics, the spontaneous metaphors, the need for new rasas like that of a ‘cry rasa’ which emerge from their writings about the self-experience, survival amidst discrimination and their purpose to raise the moral consciousness of the readers.

The deliberation was then concluded successfully with questions from the participants and a vote of thanks from Dr. Najmul Hassan, DAVPG College, Varanasi. Dr. Indrajeet Mishra, Dr. Mahima Singh , Dr. Richa Rani , Dr. Punam Singh, Dr. Swati Sucharita Nanda, Dr, Sameer Pathak, Dr. Rakesh Kumar Dwivedi, Dr. Rakesh Kumar Ram and other faculty members were present in this enlightening online lecture. Dr. S. D. Singh, Principal, DAV PG College, congratulated English department for the successful culmination of the online lecture.

The Department of English, DAV PG College organized an online Talk on “Transformation of Consciousness and its Importance for Humanity”, on 19th, September 2021.

The Programme was started with a meditation on the Mother’s Organ Music. Ms Swetapadma from Orissa, Bramhansuku Ashram chanted few lines from the mantric poetry Savitri. Ms Lipika sang the devotional song and Mantra. The welcome address was presented by Dr Bandana Bal Chandnani, Assistant Professor in English from DAV PG College and a member of Sri Aurobindo Society Varanasi Centre.

The Guest Speaker for the session was Harikrishna Pradhan from Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Orissa. He is a dedicated Sadhak of Integral yoga for the last 16 years. Presently, he is staying at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Digisalfa, a village in Nabrangpur District of Odisha. He is also an instrument in spreading the message and vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Odisha and different parts of India.

In his talk he discussed some seminal books – Savitri, The Life Divine, Human Cycle, Letters on Yoga, Essays on the Gita and others and the importance of reading them in one’s lifetime.

Defining Transformation, he said the change by which all the elements and all the movements of the being become ready to manifest the supramental Truth. The transformation of consciousness is a radical change of our human nature into a Divine nature, a complete reversal of our ignorant life into the Divine life.  Transformation is not just a change of consciousness, but the bringing down of the higher, divine consciousness and nature into the lower nature of mind, life and body, and the replacement of the lower by the higher.

The speaker stressed upon that the transformation of nature always takes time and cannot be done at one stroke, in a moment. Mind, vital, physical are properly instruments for the soul and spirit; when they work for themselves then they produce ignorant and imperfect things – if they can be made into conscious instruments of the psychic and the spirit, then they get their Divine fulfilment; that is the idea contained in what we call transformation in Integral Yoga.

The talk was received with admiration by the students. They asked many questions. The vote of thanks was given by a student of BA V Semester, Abhishek Singh Pradyot. As per the feedback received from the participants, it was a very good learning experience. The interaction helped them in their understanding of the basic points of Integral Yoga.

The talk was attended by about 100 participants. The name of some guests are following –  Chairman of Sri Aurobindo Society Varanasi Centre, Prof. Akhilesh Kumar, Dept. of French Studies, BHU, the Secretary of Sri Aurobindo Society Varanasi Centre, Dr Brijbala Singh Singh, Head, Department of Hindi, Arya Mahila P.G.College, Varanasi, Dr Sangeeta Jain, HOD Department of English, DAV PG College, Dr Indrajeet, Dr Mahima, Dr Najmul, Dr Bindu Lahiry, Dr Manju Banik and others.

A Virtual Alumni Meet was organized on 18th July, 2021 by Alumni Committee DAV PG College, Varanasi. There were 50 alumni who joined the meet. Thestudents of English Department who shared their experiences were Mr Samrat  Bisai, (2010-12 batch), Assistant Professor, Ramkrishna Mission Brahmanand College of Education, Rahara, Kolkatta; Somsuvra Midya (2011 -13 batch), Assistant Professor, Calcutta Girls’ College Calcutta University;  Mr Amar Chakrabortty (2014-16 batch), Assistant Professor of English, Government PG College, Beohari,Shahdol, MP; Mr Chandra Prakash Tiwari, a PGT teacher in Navodya Kendriya Vidalaya, Aar Bhojipur; Tirthendu Ganguly  a poet and author, has penned the internationally published poetry book titled Firefly of Love which won the India Book of Records (2020) in the category: “Debut Poetry Book Sold in Maximum Countries;” Shivram K  aka Bipin (2011-13 batch)  a novelist, short-story writer and poet has authored books like ‘The Scorpion Grasses’ – a novel, and a poetry book The Room That I’ve Found; Ms Hemlata, Assistant Teacher in Basic Education Department U.P. T hey shared their success stories and appreciated the cooperation and motivation of their teachers. The other alumni who grace the occasion were Dr. Pratibha Patel, Abhishek Dubey, Vishav Bhushan, Hari Om,  Shubham Mishra, Ranbeer Trivedi, Praveen, Ganesh, Jyoti Nath Pandey, Vipin Kumar Rawat,  Ashish Dubey .

Program Detail :-

Lecture-1

Department of English, DAV PG College organized an online lecture entitled “Shakespeare in Our Times” on 5th July 2021. The invited speaker, Prof. L R Sharma, Department of English, University of Allahabad, Allahabad underlined the relevance of Shakespeare in our times. He deliberated on the various dimensions of Shakespeare’s writings which are illumining the hearts of readers in the current scenario. He pointed out the availability of the possible contexts in his texts such as phenomenology, New- Historicism, Cultural-Materialism etc. as the new avenues of research.

Lecture-2

On 5th July 2021, a lecture was organized by the Department of English, DAV PG College, Varanasi entitled “Shakespearean Comedy”. Prof. Susheel Kumar Sharma, the chief speaker from the Department of English, University of Allahabad, highlighted the distinguishing quality of Shakespeare’s comedy that is purely meant for delight. He compared Shakespeare with Greek dramatists like Aristophanes and Terence.

Lecture-3

On July 6th 2021, the Department of English, DAV PG College, Varanasi organized a lecture entitled “Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Reappraisal”. Prof. R N Rai, Former Head, Department of English, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi explained the underlying irony of human life and its exhibition in Hamlet and observed that Hamlet’s dilemma is of universal nature. He also threw light on critics of Shakespeare and distinguished between A. C. Bradley and G. Wilson Knight, T. S. Eliot and Dr Johnson. He also deliberated on these recent critical perspectives on Shakespeare like cultural materialism and existentialism.

An Orientation Programme was organized for the students of PG and UG on 19th November 2020. Prof. Krishna Mohan Pandey, Head, English Department, B.H.U. addressed the new entrants and oriented them about the values, relevance and career prospects of English Literature. He widened the perspectives of the students by telling them the subtle nuances and intricacies of language and literature by quoting lines from Sanskrit scriptures and canonical English texts. The students were spellbound by his enthralling style and engrossing communication.
The Department of English has organized an online National level e-Quiz on English Literature. It was open to the students and faculty members of all universities and colleges of India. Dr Najmul Hassan coordinated the programme. The Quiz consisted of multiple-choice questions based on English Literature. The certificates were provided to those candidates who scored 50% or above. Nearly 300 participants including Research Scholars, teachers and the students of UG and PG took part in the e- Quiz.
Department of English organized two days International Webinar on Cultural Stasis: Corona the Loss and Gain to Humanity on 2nd – 3rd June 2020. The schedule of the webinar consisted Inaugural and Valedictory, five Plenary sessions and a Technical session. From the field of literature, language and culture studies, nearly seventeen erudite scholars and academicians from all over the world expressed their views. Most of the speakers highlighted how creative imagination is ignited and world views were shaped in past in the phases of different ruptures that occurred in human civilization. (Many of them traced the history to show the formation of world views and creativity and the different phases of rupture that occurred in human civilization.) The luminaries of the inaugural function were the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Sudhir Kumar of Punjab University, Guest of Honour, Prof. K. M. Pandey, Head of English Department, BHU, Prof Dhananjay Singh, the Chairperson of the Centre for English Studies at JNU, Dr S. D. Singh the principal of DAV PG College.Besides Inaugural and Plenary sessions one technical session was held on the first day of the webinar in which 20 very good papers which were selected by a team of scholars were presented. Prof. Sudhir Kumar highlighted the portrayal of rupture in the literary history of both the East and the West. Citing the example of Aadikavi Valmiki, he mentioned how the creative spirit was kindled and ignited by disruptions. Quoting the verses of Kavitavali by Tulsidas, he mentioned the plague in Banaras and the havoc and miseries that it created. In his point of view ‘Culture’ is a commercial term that must be replaced by Sanskriti. He discussed the role of Vidya and Avidya to harmonize and integrate life and emphasised that both should be practised together. Prof. K. M. Pandey began his lecture with Shantipath from Yajurveda and highlighted Man’s relationship with Mother Earth and Nature in the Indian web of life. He said these ruptures are nothing but Maya in the canonical concepts of Advaita Vedanta. The entire Hindu pantheon is intrinsically associated with one aspect of nature or the other. Prof Dhananjay Singh spoke of individual narratives of the disabled and the frontline workers. In his views subjective and objective approaches are not distinctive in Indian thought. For him, history is a genre. Dr S. D. Singh highlighted the cosmic play of Maya. He favoured the humanitarian approach over the utilitarian principle.The speaker of the plenary session Prof. Susheel Sharma from Allahabad University spoke about disintegration of familial relationships in modern times. He emphasized that social capital is more important than economic capital for humanity to progress. Prof. Nidhi Tiwari from Bhopal pointed out the recycling of the ideas and their utilization during the Corona crisis. Dr Patricja Austin from Poland pointed out that hierarchization is rendering of mankind but Mother nature treats all equally. Dr Nistha Saxena contextualized the relevance of the Gandhian views very well, Prof. Yining Echeandia Montenegro from Peru mentioned an increasing number of cases in Latin America despite lockdown. She discussed various problems caused by this decision. Dr Nandini Sen, from the University of Delhi, presented her insightful ideas and her thoughtful presentation was a reflection from ethnocentric world to eco-centric world. Prof. Sivasish Biswas, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Assam University spoke primarily on the opportunities and obstacles created due to Corona. On 3rd June, the second day of the webinar In the 4th Plenary session Prof. Kona Prakash Reddy from IFLU Hyderabad said how literature and popular culture could shape our worldviews about pandemics in general and the Covid-19 in particular. Prof. Anita Singh from English Dept. BHU talked about performativity politics and the pandemic. She said performativity is a hereditary quality of the human. Prof. Ramaswami from Madurai Kamraj University talked about the social quest in Swami Vivekanand’s lecture especially in the context of the present crisis.The technical session was held on the first day of the webinar. Twenty scholars were allowed to present their scholarly and relevant papers which were selected by a team of scholars. There were nearly 200 participants from all over the world who took part in the webinar.The overall view about the Two Day International Webinar was a very optimistic and favourable one.  The keynote speaker remarked that Lord Vishwanath or Shiva, the presiding deity of Kashi is lord of the whole world – Vishvasy Naathah. Being compassionate and dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work, he would surely protect the world from this pandemic as he did by drinking all the poison The Webinar ended on the note – “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Mr. Vipin aka Shivram K, an alumnus (2011-13 batch) of DAV PG College is a novelist, short-story writer and poet. He authored a novel The Scorpion Grasseswherein he weaved a moving story blend with vivid description, h umour and romantic settingof a small city like Banaras. He has a collection of poems entitled The Room That I’ve Found. Headdressed the students and shared his traversing from a Hindi medium student to a creative writer in English Language. He thanked the teachers for their motivation and unconditional support. He shared the memorable andinteresting events that shaped the subject of his Novel – The Scorpion Grasses. He answered the queries of the students about creative writing and how to hone the skills of creative writing.
Continuing the lecture series, a lecture was delivered by Dr. Panchanan Dalai, BHU, on the topic “Understanding Countess Cathleen” for the students of M.A.Understanding Countess Cathleen Previous and Final Year. He discussed the subtle nuances and ethos of the text. He also discussed the history of Ireland and some tenets of Christianity referred in the text. The speaker’s deliberation became very comprehensible and interesting due to the vibrant style and PPT presentation.  The students asked many questions and enjoyed the lecture. There were about 40 students who participated in the lecture.
A Community Service Visit was organized in collaboration with Prakriti Foundation (NGO) and Arya Mahila PG College, Varansi on 14.10.2019 to    Bhullanpur  Village, Varanasi. This visit was intended to give exposure to the students in extending their valuable service to A Community Service Visit_1_englishmake the people aware of the importance of health issues and sanitation. A group of sixteen students from M.A. English has been selected for the visit. The feedback of the students was very positive. This visit along with exposure gave them an insight into the daily struggles of the villagers. The students prepared a  report of Community Service and submitted to the department.
Department of English, DAV PG College organized an International Symposium on the topic Philosophy and Literature. The Keynote Speaker of thePhilosophy and Literature Symposium was Dr. AsunLópez-Varela, Associate Professor at Facultad Filología, Universidad Philosophy and LiteratureComplutense de Madrid Spain. She highlighted the close affinity between philosophy and literature and observed that great literatures always have philosophical leaning. The Guest of Honour, Prof Susheel Kumar Sharma, Department of English, University of Allahabad, delivered his speech underlining the fact that both literature and philosophy search truth, the former through concrete examples where as the latter in abstraction. Professor Krishna Mohan Pandey, Head Department of English, BHU was the distinguished guest of the symposium, he remarked that Philosophy provides a basis for human life and human life is the basis of literature. It is the philosophy prevalent in an age that works as the foundation of literature produced in that age. For instance, Philosophy in the Indian tradition is the manifestation of the soul in the transparent body which is now equipped with the tools of sublimation and salvation. Dr SatyaPhilosophy and Literature Dev Singh, principal DAVPG College, presided over the programme in his presidential speech he mentioned that Philosophy is just not analytics nor a study of the categories of understanding. Philosophy is the reduction of time and the manifestation of eternity. He stated that philosophy provides vision for human life. Stating the subject of the symposium Dr Indrajeet Mishra stated that the true literature written in any linguistical and geographical contour is of ‘high mimetic mode’ because it flows from the peak of human consciousness. Human consciousness is heightened by meditational practices that are the state of up-righteousness born of detachment from the world. The purity of heart leads to the purity of soul and the over-soul gets active. So literature composed in such a state becomes a source of liberation (mokshdayni). Hence, an affiliation of literature with philosophy is natural and inseparable in any language and culture. Dr Mahima Singh, the convener of the programme , also conducted the programme and underlined the idea that it’s the philosophical dimension of  literature that brings true value to it. Dr. Sangeeta Jain, Head of the Department delivered the formal welcome speech and Dr. Najmul Hasan presented the vote of thanks. Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani and other faculty members of the different departments were present in the Symposium. Around 200 students participated in the symposium and presented their papers.
To orient the students specially the new comers about the course outcome of UG and PG curriculum, its career perspectives, and futuristic benefits a Two DayOrientation Programme Orientation Programme on 09.09.19 and on 12.09.19 was organized  by the Department of English. The speakers were for the Day -1 Prof. J S Jha, English Department, B.H.U. and for the Day-2 Prof.Orientation Programme Sanjay Kumar, B.H.U. They discussed the aesthetic, theoretical and practical aspects of Literature. They emphasized the role and relevance of literature in the holistic development of the students.  Nearly 80 students from PG and UG participated in the programme. The students responded enthusiastically during the interactive sessions. Many of them asked the relevance of literature in personal and career growth.
English Department DAV PG College celebrated Women’s Day in collaboration with Stree Vimarsh Women’s Cell on the discourse of “Gender Studies” on 9th March, 2019.Along with her crew, Dr. Lindsey Churchill, Associate Professor, Director of Women’s Research Center and BGLTQ+, University of Central Oklahoma, Unite States, discussed various current gender issues generally ignored by Indians. The session was very interactive and the students were eager to know the pattern of education in foreign countries and the marked differences that exist between the culture of the east and the west. Prof. Churchill and her scholars raised, elaborated and discussed various issues through PPT:
S.N.NameTopic
1Dr. Lindsey Churchill“Teaching Sex Ed in Higher Ed: A Global Approach”
2Dr. Diana Pardo“Feminism and Revolution: A Woman’s Right”
3Marco Salas“Emotional Intimacy in Relationships in Mexican and Mexican American male students “.
4Jacob Reavis” Judaism  and Gender and Sexuality in the United States “
5Joshua Mitchell Arbital“Gender, Inclusion and Medical Issues”.
6AnaMarie Lopez“Examining Gender Inclusion and Exclusion in the Medical Field  in the United States”
7Jennifer Phillips“History of Sex Trafficking in the United States”.
8Asheley Middleton“Teaching Sexual Ed and Collaboration with Religious

Entities”.

9Andrew Hedges“Fundamentalist Christianity and gender in Oklahoma”
A two-day International Conference on Debating the Post-truth Phenomenon: Indian Literature, Culture and Critical Discourse was organized by department of English, DAV PG College, Varanasi on 19th and 20th December 2018. It was a successful event in the academic journey of English Department. The inaugural session of the Conference began in the morning of 19 December, 2018 with the welcome address of honorable Principal DAV PG College, Dr. S.D. Singh and Dr. Indrajeet Mishra, Convener of the Seminar, introduced the subject. Keynote speaker of the seminar Dr. Tabish Khair equated Post-truth with falsity of news that has been dominating the political world especially due to digitalization.  Distinguishing Post-truth from Post-modernism and Post-colonialism, Dr. Khair stated that we have gone through Post-truth which might also mean choosing falsity. In an age where Politics has become a bad word, digitalization is only damaging its concept further. Prof. M. S. Pandey, Head, Department of English, BHU, thanked the college for organizing this seminar and said that Post-truth focuses on lies, propaganda, trolls which has changed political and social discourse of the contemporary time significantly. He gave examples of campaign narratives from recent American election where Post-truth phenomenon guided politics. Dr. Manisha Priyam, NEUPA, highlighted the education system and its falsities in the age of Post-truth and stressed on the need for the reformation of education system. Prof. A.K. Mohapatra from ICSSR appreciated the college for conducting conference on Post-truth. He wondered if Post-truth is a phenomenon or an ideology or an idea. He also appreciated the efforts of the present government in bringing back the concept of BHARAT to Indian knowledge systems. In his presidential address, Prof. T.N. Singh, Vice-chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, appreciated the effort of the college to organize the seminar on the topic. He agreed that we are living in Post-truth era where truth and lies are seen as one and the same. He felt that literature has a critical role to play in this age. The inaugural ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks by Dr. Sangeeta Jain, Head, Department of English.
There were Five Plenary sessions in the course of the seminar where almost twenty thoughtful deliberations were delivered by eminent national and international resource persons.  The first plenary session after the inaugural ceremony was chaired by Prof. R.N. Rai and Prof. Anita Singh was the presenter. Prof. Singh, in her presentation, discussed Draupadi’s performance during the vastraharan scene of The Mahabharata. In the second plenary session the reverend speakers were Dr. Manisha Priyam from NEUPA, New Delhi who stressed that the democracy is the world of ideas and ideas cannot be thrown away even if the state authority wants to do so. Prof. S K Sharma, Allahabad University, analysed socio-political phenomenon. How media and other institutions affect society and culture. Prof. Satish Kumar, University of Haryana, threw light on the subject and said that the seminal Indian scripture The Bhagwadgita contains the greatest truth that can never be annihilated.
On the second day of the International conference, in the third plenary session our speakers were Prof. P. K. Nair, from University of Hyderabad and Prof. L. R. Sharma from Allahabad University. Prof. P. K. Nair very interestingly connected two apparently unconnected phenomena: celebrity culture with its relevance on charisma, and Post-truth, with reference drawn primarily from Bollywood. He argued that how Bollywood stars’ charisma generates sensuous fidelity in the audience. Prof. L. R. Sharma raised a valid point, how literature tells the truth. Prof. R. K. Shukla chaired and Dr. Mahima Singh conducted the session.
In the IV plenary Dr. Shreya Bhattcharya, Dr. Holy Wise and Dr. Nimmi Nalika presented their illuminating views on the subject. Dr. Holly Wise threw light on the solution of journalism. The session was chaired by Dr. Anuradha Banerjee and it was conducted by Dr. Najmul Hasan. In the fifth plenary session Dr. Rahul Krishna Gairola, Murdoch University Australia, Dr. Alok Singh from DDU and Dr. Vandana Rajoria from Harisingh Gaur University delivered their lectures.  Dr Bandana Bal Chandnani conducted the session. There were 12 parallel technical sessions for research paper presentation wherein nearly 120 scholarly papers were presented. Participants came from different parts of India like Kolkata, Jharkhand, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Patna, Allahabad, Lucknow, Aligarh, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and Uttarakhand.
All in all the conference was proposed to discuss and bring forth multiple aspects and crises in contemporary society owing to the domination of Post-truth. It was hoped that seminar would bring awareness among academicians, researchers and students about the various mechanisms of Post-truth like fake news, propaganda, scandal-mongering, cheating and lies of media. The conference re-instated the value of truth and ended with Report reading by Dr Sanggeta Jain, Head, department of English, DAV PG College,Varanasi and Vote of Thanks by Dr Indrajeet Mishra, Convener of the International Seminar on Post-truth.

Day – I (19 December 2018)

Inaugural Speakers

  1. Keynote Speaker – Dr Tabish Khair, Associate Professor, Arhus University, Denmark
  2. Chief Guest – Prof. Ashwini K. Mohapatra, Chairperson ICCSR, JNU, New Delhi,
  3. Guest of Honour – Prof. M.S. Pandey, Head, Department of English, BHU
  4. Guest of Honour – Dr Manisha Priyam, Associate Professor, NUPEA, New Delhi.
  5. President – Prof. T N Singh, Vice-Chancellor, M G K V P, Varanasi.

 

Plenary  Speakers

 

  1. Anita Singh, Banaras Hindu University.
Topic – “Draupadi, Dharma, Performativity and Teejan Bai’s Pandavani”
  1. S K Sharma, Allahabad University.
Topic – “Sat, Satya, Sahitya: A Post-Truth Enquiry”
  1. Dr Manisha Priyam, Associate Professor, NUPEA, New Delhi.
Topic – “Truth, post-truth and Education: How do India’s Poor Engage with the New Debates.
  1. Satish Kumar, Central University of Haryana.
Topic – “Dynamics of Indian Foreign Policy and the world Politics”
  1. Pramod K Nayar, University of Hyderabad.
Topic – “Celebrity, Charisma and Post-truth Relations: Agnogenesis and the Crisis of Algorithmic Governance”
  1. L . R. Sharma, Allahabad University.
 Topic – “Post-Truth, Narratives and fiction”
  1. Dr Rahul Krishna Gairola, Murdoch University, Australia.
 Topic – “Postcolonial Digital Humanities”
  1. Dr Holy Wise, Texas University, U SA.
Topic – “Solutions Journalism: Equipping Journalists to Report on Social Change and Justice”
  1. Dr Nimmi Nalika, Sri Lanka.
 Topic –  “The Hungry Ghosts: A Question of Literature, Truth, and Responsibility”
  1. Alok Kumar, DDU, University.
Topic – “In the Shadow of Truth”
  1. Dr Shreya Bhattacharji, Central University of Jharkhand.
Topic – “Truth Regimes, Post Truth and Deflating the filter Bubble”
  1. Dr Vandana Rajoriya, Department of English and OEL, Dr H. S. Gour Vishwavidyalaya.
  2. Topic – “Truth in the World of Maya: Contemporary Science Fiction Films in Relation to sthe Principle Upaniṣads.”

Valedictory Speakers

  1. Chief Guest – Mr. Rathor Vichitra Mani Singh, Editor, Aaj Tak
  2. Speaker – Prof. K. M. Pandey, Department of English, Banaras Hindu University.
Conduction of the “Orientation Programme,” for new entrants, at the beginning of every academic session is an integral ritual to bring awareness about the subject,its career prospects and its subtle nuances and intricacies. For the benefit of the students,  following the tradition set by the college, an Orientation Programme was organized for the students of English Department on 20th of September2018. Prof. M.S. Pandey Head, English Department, B.H.U. oriented the students about the values, relevance and prospects of English Literature. He talked about the exceptional beauty and executive touch of English poetry due to the use of intonation and stress patterns referring to “Pied Beauty,” a poem by Hopkins.
The college organises In-house Lecture Series to create an academic aura among the teaching fraternity and enhance interdisciplinary approach. In this series, a lecture was organized on 1st of August 2018. Dr Bandana Bal Chandnani delivered a lecture on the topic “Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo.” She talked about two cardinal contributions of Sri Aurobindo. First is his “Synthesis” of various yogic disciplines. The second contribution of Sri Aurobindo is his expansion of the frontiers of Sanatana Dharma beyond what has been done so far, based on his original insights into Vedas and Upanishads. She also laid the importance of Integral Yoga in psychic and spiritual transformation. The convenor of the programme was Dr Poonam Singh and Dr Shiv Bahdur Singh. The venue was the Conference Room of Old Building.
The Mock Viva of linguistics for M.A. Previous was organized on 13. 04. 2018. The VIVA was conducted BY Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani and Mr. Najmul Hassan.
A National Workshop cum Training Programme on Phonetics, Phonology and Effective Communication was organized in January from 23rd to 30th January, 2018. The objective of this workshop was to enable the students of English Literature learn about phonetics, phonology and how these two are used for effective communication along with the key features of influential communication. Corresponding to our objective we invited Prof. Ramesh Chandra Sharma, Delhi University, Prof. Pradeep Kumar Das JNU, Dr. Saumya Sharma, English and Foreign Languages University, Lucknow Campus, Dr. Hemanga Dutta, English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, Dr. Abhinav Mishra and Dr. Praveen, B.H.U. Varanasi. All experts of Linguistics and Language Studies field dealt extensively with Phonetics, Phonology, Speech Production, Transmission and reception, Morphology and word formation i.e. the structural components of the language. Prof. Mayashanker Pandey, Prof. Krishna Mohan Pandey, Dr. Banibrata Mahanta, Dr. Dhriti Ray Dalai, Dr. Rahul Chaturvedi, Dr. Vivek Kumar Singh from department of English B.H.U. not only dealt with the linguistic componential segment of the Language but threw light on how language and linguistics is associated with Literature. How language operates in larger social arena, how semanticity is provided to lexicon through socio-cultural milieu, which perpetuates the positive and negative connotations of it for ages. Mr. Anurag Mohanti, Deputy Director, CATJEE elaborated very well the subtle nuances of Effective communication and how to be politically correct. There were fifteen erudite speakers and 150 around eager participants enrolled. Teachers, Research scholars and students who enrolled themselves for the workshop were from VKM, Kamachha, Arya Mahila College, Agrasen PG College, Harishchandra PG college, Kashi Institute of Technology, the department of English B.H.U., Education Faculty, B.H.U.
This workshop was very strategically planned to merge theory with practice. Theoretical explanation and ear-training exercises along with production practice in the language lab helped participants identify and reproduce the specific sounds used in English language. Through speech recordings in Language Lab, students listened to their own speech sounds. Pronunciation practice sessions, audio visual clips, handouts rhetoric and communication analysis all kinds of tools were used to explicate effective communication along with all biases of power dynamics present and operated through language in society.
  • The movie Pride and Prejudice was shown to the students of B.A. Second year on 11.09.2017. The movie helped the students in comprehending the issues embedded in the textual narrative – Appearance is deceptive, Reserved Exterior is often misunderstood etc. The two characters Darcy and Wickham and their traits are opposite of their looks and disposition. The movie helps us to understand this phenomenon well.
  • On 17.11.17, the movie Hamlet was shown to the teachers of DAV P.G. College. Thereafter, the text was explained to create literary awareness.
To bring awareness about women issues and the decline of traditional classical music a documentary film The Other Song by Saba Dewan was shown on the 13th of November 2017. The documentary is about the struggles of female singers in pursuing classical music, often a restricted domain for women. The movie highlights the unrecognized contribution of women in support of traditional classical music (Thumari) which used to be rendered by women. It was shown in collaboration with Stree Vimarsh Women’s Cell.
A lecture was delivered by Dr. Akhilesh Kumar, Associate Professor, Dept. of French Studies, BHU, Varanasi (UP) on the 10th of November 2017. The topic of deliberation was Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri. He said the epic Savitri is a poetical form of the mystical experience of Sri Aurobindo. He transmitted into English verse the Mantric sonority, cosmic tone and rhythm of Vedic hymn. Through imagery and symbolism, he rendered a concrete shape to his abstract philosophy. The speaker discussed the two early narrative poems of Sri Aurobindo – Uravashi 1896, Love and Death 1899. Love conquering death is the theme of all three works. The romantic tone was strong in his earlier poems which are works of a young man. This earthly love turned into divine love in SavitriSavitri affirms the necessity of the birth of a new power  – the Power of Divine Love, which alone can save man from the reign of ignorance, pain and suffering.
Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani and Dr. Najmul Hasan was invited to deliver lectures in the Workshop on Graduating Skills in Literature and Cultural studies held on 13-14 October 2017. It was organized by Mahadev PG College, Varanasi. Dr. Bandana Bal Chandnani delivered a lecture on the topic “Cultural (Distorted) Ambience of a Society with Special Reference to Indian English Literature.” Dr. Najmul Hasan delivered a lecture on the topic “Literature and its value in contemporary age”.
An Orientation Programme was organized for the students of P.G. and U.G. on 8.09.2017.  Prof. M.S. Pandey Head, English Department, B.H.U. oriented the
students. He provided the tips how to understand and develop the conceptual, ideological, philosophical, theoretical standpoints and perspectives in English literature. He emphasized the professional and personal benefits and utility of this course. He also discussed the significance of interdisciplinary approach.