Introduction
Hello all and welcome to the HuEl Insider.
Choosing your HuEls can be one of the most exciting and
daunting decisions of your college life. So here’s our meagre
attempt at making this decision slightly easier for you.
Every student, dualite or singleite, needs to take a minimum of 3
HuEls for completion of their degree. It is highly recommended
that you complete most of your Huels in your second
year(especially for dualites). The reason for this is that you most
probably won’t clear the pre-requisites needed for the
Dels(Disciplinary Electives) you might want to take in your
second year. So it’s better to just wrap up your HuEls in your 2nd
year and keep space for Dels later on.
Coming to the Huel selection, my suggestion would be to keep
two things in mind – what interests you, and what you already
know something about. If you find a course where you are good
in both those things, take it without giving it another thought.
Grading and everything else will sort itself out when you are
genuinely interested and attending classes.
Talk to your seniors who you share common interests with, they
are sure to give you excellent and accurate reviews about
courses and particular profs. But always keep in mind that every
person is very unique and every senior’s opinion will be tainted
and biased towards a particular side, so you need to do some
research on your own and figure out what’s right for you.
Keeping all this in mind, here’s a brief on almost all HuEls which
might be offered in either 2-1, 2-2 or both too help you
with this decision.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
For both single- and dual-degree undergraduate
programmes, you must take a minimum of three
humanities electives.
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 1
Index
Marxian Thoughts
Introduction to Psychology
Applied Philosophy
Dynamics Of Social Change
Introduction to Gender Studies
Critical Analysis of Literature and Cinema
Symbolic Logic
Effective Public Speaking
Contemporary Drama
Gandhian Thoughts
Contemporary India
Business Communications
Cinematic Arts
Introduction to Conflict Management
Introductory Philosophy
Soft Skills for Professionals
Public Administration
Applied Philosophy
Modern Political Concepts
Mass Media & Content Design
International Relations
Main Currents of Modern History
Short Film and Video Production
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Index
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
25
Appreciation of Indian Music
26
Current Affairs
27
Organization psychology
28
Environmental Development and Climate Change
29
Print and audio visual advertising
International Relations
30
31
32
33
Cross Cultural skills
34
Human Resource Development
35
Readings From Drama
Development Economics
MARXIAN THOUGHTS
The course is all about understanding the Marxist/Communist
view of the world from an economic perspective. The meat of
the course deals with analyzing Marx’s famous text called “Das
Capital”. We don’t deal with a very textual reading, rather the
absolutely brilliant and personable professor Paul Matthew
focuses on basic concepts and applications of the text.
You must be willing to give some time to the assigned readings
as they are often dense and tough to grasp quickly but the
course is very scoring if you are invested. The prof is incredible
and the classes are a treat to attend.
Toughness Level: Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Not required but helps a lot
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 2
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
This course is taken by Mrs. Tanu Shukla. I would recommend
taking it only if you have a vested interest in psychology and a good
command over english. The latter becomes especially useful in
classes as Mrs. Tanu Shukla has a tendency to go into the nitty
gritties of correct word usage. Initially a little boring, but becomes
really interesting after the first two modules.
Grading is not bad, av+25 ish is enough for A-. A quiz before mid
semester and an assignment after. The assignment after is slightly
technically demanding(not tech but the way of writing) so please
make notes for the second module.
Look at pyqs as questions are repeated every other year.
You will require a bit of memory for midsemester and
comprehensive exams but all in all its a good HuEl.
Toughness Level: Moderate to Tough
Grading: Good
Attendance: Must for Module 2. Rest is lite.
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 3
Applied Philosophy
The first part of the course deals with the thought processes
and thinking of various philosophers, along with the contrast
in their views. Attending classes is not a necessity, but helps
to understand the limits of the questions to be asked in the
exam (as philosophy can be a very vast domain). If not, then
one should definitely go through the ppt/study material
shared by prof at the end of each class. It is to be noted that
the prof is strict with checking of answer sheets and does
not tolerate students writing stuff outside the domains of
the reading material/class notes/ppt shared by him. Hence, it
is important to be parallel to the class as it would be difficult
to cover up at the last minute.
The second part of the course deals with various moral and
social dilemmas, for which attending classes is highly
recommended. The rules to be followed for the first part are
also applicable as the prof expects the students to write
about the points he shared in the class, apart from the ppt
and reading material.
The pattern of the questions remains the same always, so
doing any pyq would help a lot.
Toughness level : Tough but manageable
Grading : Descent
Attendance: Not required
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 4
Dynamics of Social Change
This course, taken by Dr, Madhurima Das, is all about the
fundamentals of Sociology, its origins, themes and the
famous contributors. It’s a wonderful course if you are
already interested in such things as Dr. Das navigates the
various sociological schools of thought from
Functionalism to Symbolic Interactionism in a very
precise and organized way. She expects you to
understand and remember a lot of concepts and then
apply them in a critical manner in the exams, all of which
are closed-book.
Only take this course if you are confident in your ability
to remember a lot and your writing skills. It is very likely
that the class size is going to be very small so getting a
high grade is bound to get challenging.
Toughness Level: Moderate
Grading: Tough
Attendance: It’s going to be a small class so your absence will be
noted
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 5
Intro to Gender Studies
The course deals with the major waves of feminism, and how
the situation relating to women became what it is now.
Topics like labour, caste, sexuality and marriage are taken up
and the whole course is taught with a lens of intersectionality.
Madhurima Das is a very sweet and engaging professor and
makes the lectures fun by including videos and
documentaries. She keeps the lectures open for safely
sharing any personal anecdotes.
Not a lot of people generally enroll for this course so to get an
A you need to attend lectures, complete all the readings and
videos that are assigned and make notes from them. The
readings may seem overwhelming and require a good grasp
on the English language. The questions in exams are asked
mostly from these research papers and the expected answers
are as per lecture discussions. Midsem and compre are
closed-book and there are two take-home research based
assignments. It is a doable course if you're regular and
interested in it.
Toughness Level: Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Important if targeting an A
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 6
Critical Analysis of Literature and
Cinema
The course "Critical Analysis of Literature and Cinema" is
fascinating. Professor Kumar Shankar Bhattacharya (KSB) is
dedicated and appreciates students who attend regularly, engage
in discussions, and show interest in the subject matter. KSB's
selection of literature and cinema is unique and distinct from
typical school material. He takes great pride in this approach and
encourages critical thinking among students. The chosen pieces
are designed to challenge and possibly reshape your perception of
reality, requiring significant effort, thought, and dedication.
Personally, I found KSB's philosophy of choosing transformative
material to be highly intriguing.
We had three short stories, a drama, a comic, a book, and four
movies throughout the course.
The course is called “Critical Analysis,” and that’s what he wants,
not a summary, not regurgitating what he says in the class; your
answers should use these as parts, as means, and not treat them
as ends in themselves. You will need to think about what is asked
in the question, form an analysis around it, and present it in a
structured way.
Toughness Level: Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Please attend all the classes, 10 marks out of 200 for attendance
and class participation
PR Number: Generally remains open for all PRs
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 7
All evals are open-book and consist of long essay-type questions which
test your critical thinking skills and your understanding of the text. You can
take whatever you want so keep all your personal notes and materials in
printed-out format. My suggestion for the course - read the material, go to
class, and make active class notes, these are very important. ATTEND
CLASSES, I cannot stress this enough. The prof is incredible and the classes
are a treat to attend.
Symbolic Logic
This course is dedicated to elementary first order logic and focuses
mainly on deductive logic.
The course starts by familiarizing the students with the basics of
traditional Aristotelian Logic also known as syllogistic logic which is
an approach to formal logic developed by Aristotle that is concerned
with deductive reasoning expressed in syllogisms and then moves on
to modern Symbolic Logic also known as Mathematical
logic.Symbolic logic uses a formal approach to study reasoning.It
replaces concrete expressions with abstract symbols to examine the
logical form of arguments independent of their concrete content.The
course also gives an introduction to Quantification Theory.It will really
be beneficial for A7 and B4 students as the symbolic logic part is
covered in Discrete Mathematics course of the respective disciplines.
It is an easy course and does not demand much effort. Following the
slides provided by the instructor is enough to get a good grade in this
course.The evaluation components include one report and one quiz
other than midsem and compre. It is one of the most sought after
electives thus getting a good pr number will prove to be helpful.
Toughness Level: Easy to Moderate
Grading: Decent
Attendance: Not Required
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 8
Effective Public Speaking
This course intends to make students more comfortable with
the activity of Public Speaking by taking a more activity-based
approach to learning the nuances of the activity. The instructor
is fairly energetic and passionate, however, lectures might
inherently seem less engaging than other HuEls.
The slides are uploaded and the questions asked in evaluatives
are often directly from these slides, especially in the midsem.
While compre requires slightly more applicative knowledge,
it's nothing a little bit of commonsense cannot solve ;). All in all,
I wholeheartedly recommend EPS if you want lesser workload
in order to get a better grade (and are confident in your ability
to be nice and noticeable to the prof and the TAs)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Grading: Generous
Attendance: Recommended
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 9
Contemporary Drama
The course is about understanding works of theatre and the
history behind them. The course covers multiple movements in
theatre, describing the socio-economic and political factors that
influenced playwrights. Often, two contrasting plays will be used
to analyse a subject or style of theatre. The professor, Prateek, is
incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about his subject.
You need to attend classes and participate actively to understand
the subject. There is no text that can substitute these lectures.
The exams are all open-book and consist of long essay type
questions which test your critical thinking skills and your
understanding of the text. Notes are useful because there is no
textbook as such. The Professor is academically brilliant and his
lectures are wonderful to participate in.
It is possible that the format of the course might change to
include performance of plays rather than just reading. This
depends on the number of people that register.
Toughness Level: Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Required
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 10
Gandhian Thoughts
Considered to be one of the best courses taught by Dr Hari
Nair, this course intends to walk students through Gandhi's
life and work. It starts from a study of his autobiography to
understand his formative years and follows up on his growth
as a lawyer and a freedom fighter. In this, we seek to
understand Gandhi's bent of mind, without casting a preexisting lens on the "good"ness of his character.
It doesn't involve as much memorisation and rote learning as
it does inherent understanding, for which going to classes
would be the best way forward. Dr Nair's incredible capability
to ensure that we view this course as a story as opposed to a
series of texts to "mug up" is undoubtedly the best thing
about this course. Keep in mind, however, that this course
has a Self-Study Assignment as part of its evaluation in place
of quizzes and the likes
Difficulty Level: Medium to Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Recommended
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 11
Contemporary India
Unlike Dr Nair's other courses, Contemporary India is very
modular in its design. That implies that the flow from module to
module is very limited, thus the course isn't one taught like a
story (unlike his other courses). With each module covering a
different aspect of India's growth story (Geography, Economy,
Polity, etc), missing attendance does not imply that you are at
risk of losing track of the course.
However, the reason attendance is still recommended in my
opinion is because this is also the most memorisation-heavy of
the courses Dr Nair offers. Thus, you run the risk of information
overload by the time midsems/compres arrive. For this reason,
it's always much better to go to classes in this course so that the
effort that you put in towards your exam preparation would be
reduced.
This becomes all the more important in the face of the fact that
like all his other courses, Contemporary India has a fully closedbook midsem and compre, thus, there is only so much one can
memorize
Difficulty Level: Medium to Challenging (the better you are at
memorisation/the more personal interest you have in the socioeconomic
evolution of India, the easier the course gets)
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Recommended
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 12
Business Communication
The topics which are usually covered are related to group
discussions, resume preparation, interview preparation, body
language, team presentations etc. The evaluative which usually
take place are team presentations(you will have to make a team
of 4-5 people and perform a presentation on the chosen topic for
15-20 min, Also ma'am grades students individually on the basis
of fluency, eye contact, body language, etc), group
discussion(ma'am will make a group of 10 prior to the GD day
and will also provide around 10-20 topics few days before the GD.
The topic will be chosen 10 mins before the GD and we can use
phone to make notes during those 10 mins(Better to note down
key points of each topic prior to GD day. During the GD its better
to say something atleast 3-4 times and also give others a chance
to speak) and also sometimes suprise evaluatives. For the
midsem and compre mugup the keywords and write about
them in your own words. Its prefered if you can mug up
everything in the slides.
Toughness: Easy
Grading: Easy
Attendance: Required regularly
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 13
Cinematic Arts
This course deals with the formal analysis and academic criticism
of film. We are taught in careful detail about aspects of film such
as narrative, cinematography, editing, etc, as well as exploring
some of the famous movements in film history such as the
French New Wave or the Indian Parallel Cinema. You will be
required to watch, and carefully analyze several excellent films
from all across the world and form technical as well as
sociological opinions.
The exams, which are mostly open book, will often require you to
analyze particular scenes in a movie using the various tools and
perspectives taught in class. This will be an incredibly enriching
and enjoyable experience if you are interested in “artsy” films and
keep up with the required watching and reading assigned but
will get boring and challenging if you don’t. Going to class is not
of the utmost importance(you need to keep track of what you
need to watch and read on a regular basis though) but can be
very enjoyable since the professor will normally show scenes from
a film and deconstruct/analyze it in front of you. This can be an
excellent opportunity to explore and learn about the colorfully
diverse world of global cinema, especially if it is taken by Dr. Paul
Mathew.
Toughness : Easy to Moderate
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Not essential
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 14
Introduction to Conflict Management
Introduction to Conflict Management, taught by Professor Madhurima
Das at BITS Pilani, is a captivating course that delves into Conflict
Theory and its evolution throughout history. This interdisciplinary
study encompasses sociological and psychological perspectives,
making it a thought-provoking and engaging learning experience.
Professor Das, well-known for her expertise in the field, consistently
enriches the course by assigning relevant readings and thoughtprovoking short films. These resources provide a comprehensive
understanding and critical evaluation of the subject matter.
The examinations in this course are closed book, demanding a
thorough grasp of the entire curriculum to address the questions
effectively. The nature of these assessments often requires students to
synthesize concepts and ideas from various social scientists and
thinkers, showcasing their ability to connect and apply theoretical
knowledge. Professor Das structures the course in a manner that
focuses on different social aspects in relation to conflict and the
various proponents of conflict management theories in those
domains/eras.
Moreover, the course comprises two well-structured assignments—
one before the mid-semester break and another following. The
generous time frame provided for submission allows students to
capitalize on these assignments and aim for a better grade.
Level of Challenge: Tough
Grading: Rigorous
Attendance: Highly Recommended
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 15
Introductory Philosophy
Introductory Philosophy, taught by Dr. Anupam Yadav at BITS Pilani,
offers an accessible entry point into the realm of philosophy. This course
comprises two main components: Western Philosophy, covering the
period before the midsems, and Indian Philosophy, beyond the midsems.
Dr Yadav commences the Western Philosophy segment with early Greek
philosophers, guiding students through the evolution of thought until
the emergence of Modern Philosophy in the 19th and 20th centuries. The
Indian Philosophy segment focuses on significant ideas from the Vedas,
Upanishads, Jainism, Buddhism, and more.
In terms of evaluation, this course employs closed-book assessments,
necessitating a thorough understanding of the extensive reading
material. The two prescribed textbooks, Frank Thilly and Chandradhar
Sharma, serve as valuable resources for achieving excellent grades,
provided they are diligently consulted throughout the course rather than
solely before exams. The readings are dense and may require multiple rereadings to grasp the content fully, enabling students to respond to the
evaluative questions effectively.
The course entails an assignment and a quiz, scheduled before and after
the midsems, respectively. While Dr Yadav does not place explicit
emphasis on class attendance, regular participation is strongly advised. It
is crucial to regularly engage with the corresponding textbook to ensure
a clear understanding and stay on track with the course. Last-minute
cramming is highly discouraged for optimal comprehension and
retention of the subject matter.
Level of Challenge: Challenging
Grading: Mild
Attendance: Highly Recommended
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 16
Soft Skills for Professionals
The course focuses on nurturing good personality, etiquette
and emotional intelligence.
Throughout the course there will be numerous activities such
as case studies, visual aids and group participation which
helps in becoming a better communicator, conscientious
presenter and an academic writer.
It’s one of the easiest Huels offered where all that's required is
attending the classes. It is important not to skip classes as
surprise quizzes are always around the corner. The midsems
and compre is closed book and consist of direct questions
from slides and topics discussed in class. To earn marks, it is
necessary to write down the exact points as discussed during
the lectures. Professor Sangeeta Sharma is brilliant in what
she teaches and the classes are highly enjoyable. Surely a lot
to learn from her!
Toughness Level:Easy
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Required and helps a lot
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 17
Public Administration
This course is considered to be relatively straightforward and
highly recommended for individuals aspiring to pursue a
career in the Civil Services. The course is instructed by Shailaja
Ma'am, and the curriculum for the semester will only
encompass a selection of 2-3 chapters. During the period in
which I attended this course, the enrollment was limited to a
modest number of 30-40 students.
Acquiring specialized knowledge is essential for
comprehending various subjects. Achieving satisfactory
academic performance can be accomplished through diligent
attendance and consistent engagement in classes, even with
a limited one-day preparation period. It is advisable to strive
for a high score in the midterm examinations, as they carry a
weightage of 30 marks.
Toughness Level:Easy
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Required and helps a lot
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 18
Applied Philosophy
The first part of the course deals with the thought processes and
thinking of various philosophers, along with the contrast in their
views. Attending classes is not a necessity, but helps to
understand the limits of the questions to be asked in the exam
(as philosophy can be a very vast domain). If not, then one
should definitely go through the ppt/study material shared by
prof at the end of each class. It is to be noted that the prof is
strict with checking of answer sheets and does not tolerate
students writing stuff outside the domains of the reading
material/class notes/ppt shared by him. Hence, it is important to
be parallel to the class as it would be difficult to cover up at the
last minute.
The second part of the course deals with various moral and
social dilemmas, for which attending classes is highly
recommended. The rules to be followed for the first part are also
applicable as the prof expects the students to write about the
points he shared in the class, apart from the ppt and reading
material.
The pattern of the questions remains the same always, so doing
any pyq would help a lot.
Toughness level : Tough but manageable
Grading : Descent
Attendance: Not required
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 19
Modern Political Concepts
This course derives its core from the ideas of various
philosophers and ancient politicians (first part) and political
concepts and terms in the modern world (second part) . It may
seem to be a very easy course if you are a bit interested in
politics beforehand. The instructor (Veena ma’am) makes sure
the course is not monotonous and textually boring, as she
brings in open discussions and shares her thoughts about the
topic in the current context too. Thus attending classes is a
must, which would help one to understand the concepts
thoroughly, by just listening to the instructor and taking down
small notes. The prof does not share the slides and the reading
material shared by the prof is very huge, and it would be
difficult to know the necessary portions if one does not attend
classes.
Grading is a bit tough, owing to the lesser number of students
in the course.
Doing pyqs helps a lot, as questions tend to repeat.
Toughness level: Moderate
Grading: Tough
Attendance: Not required, but very helpful
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 20
Mass Media & Content Design
The following are some of the topics that were discussed in
the course: media, methods of communication, newspaper
designs, web designs (including html and css frames using
the application Microsoft Web Expression), animations, and
making storyboards for videos. There will be two lab
evaluations, one before the midterm and one before the final
(you will receive good grades if you attend the labs).
It is necessary to memorise a large amount of information in
order to pass the midterm and comprehensive exams.
Additionally, the questions on these exams may occasionally
be related to design, so it is important to bring a colour pencil
set and a stationary kit with you just in case.
Toughness Level: Easy
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Not required but better to attend labs
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 21
International Relations
This course is about understanding how International
Relations came to be a professional study. What are the
different methods at approaching state relations and politics
is what the course revolves around. Prof Veena R focuses on
including current events in the course and relating to the
concepts we learn.
You don't need to spend a huge amount of time mugging up
anything, but general knowledge and a general idea of
subjects in the course can help you answer the questions in
the exam papers quite well. Focus on making sure that the
point you're trying to portray is clear and specific in your
answer and you're sure to score well.
Toughness Level: Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Would help, try to attend
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 22
Main Currents of Modern History
The course aims to answer the question "what are the
foundations of the modern world?" and hence deals with the
major historical events from the 1300s to the 1800s. Topics
like Renaissance, Reformation, discovery of America,
Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment and the French
Revolution are taken up. Hari Nair is a very good professor
and keeps lectures interactive and discussion based.
The readings, videos and movies assigned are key to
understanding the course. Some readings are dense but the
prof tries to make things easy by engaging in discussions.
Questions asked in exams are completely from the above
mentioned resources, supplemented with classroom
discussions. Midsem and compre are closed book and there
is one 2500 word self study assignment (SSA), which is
signature to any Hari Nair course. Overall a very interesting
course, but only suggested if you're genuinely interested in
history which makes it fun to study.
Toughness Level: Challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Important if targeting an A
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 23
Short Film and Video Production
The course deals with all aspects of making a short film
from preparing the script for the film, framing a shot,
using the proper camera angles, lighting, different styles
of camera movement, and editing as well. Those
interested in filmmaking and want to flex their creative
muscles should definitely try out the course. The final
assignment is a 6-8 minute short film with full creative
freedom to showcase everything one has learnt in the
course.
The course requires some effort though as there are
regular assignments that can be quite time consuming.
However if you are truly interested it will be an extremely
fun experience. It's a unique course which definitely
teaches a lot along the way. If you want a lightweight
course that doesn't require too much time and energy
then I wouldn't recommend this course though.
Toughness : medium
Grading: Easy
Attendance: Required regularly
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 24
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
The course titled "Srimad Bhagavad Gita" offers a comprehensive
exploration of the profound Indian text, the Bhagavad Gita.
Taken by Dr. Vinay Chamola, the course focuses on philosophical
concepts and practical applications alongside thorough textual
analysis. Students are encouraged to connect the Gita's ancient
wisdom to contemporary experiences, fostering personal
reflection and understanding. While he may seem to favour
students who align with his views, he prioritises critical thinking
and open-mindedness.
Examinations in this course assess students' comprehension
through closed-book, short answer questions based on both the
text and personal life. This format allows for concise and
thoughtful interpretations, evaluating overall understanding and
its impact on the student’s way of life and thinking.
Classes are quite engaging and rewarding to attend and the prof
expects students to attend every class. Dr. Chamola is an
amazing professor and is very kind and approachable regarding
any matter. He is very accommodating with respect to doubts in
exams since sometimes questions asked can get quite
subjective. If you are regular in attending classes, getting a good
grade is very easy. Trust me, attendance is absolutely key and
essential for this course.
Toughness level: Moderate
Grading: Fair to lenient
Attendance: ABSOLUTELY COMPULSORY
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 25
Appreciation of Indian Music
This course, taken by Dr. Anil Rai, is a fundamental course on
Hindustanj classical music. It begins with history of music which
involves a lot lot of theory out of which he asks eandome tidbits
so you need to look out. Latter half of the course involves Taals,
raag theory and practical side of music with 4-6 raags, as time
permits.
Evaluation component: the pas year papers can be found in the
library portal and the format (and some questions are also
repeated). The open book part in this paper are the quiz and
listen, identify & answer component. Without knowing basic of
Indian classical music, course will be quite tough.
Toughness Level: Moderate to High (depends on prior knowledge)
Grading: Easy(B at av)
Attendance: It’s going to be a small class so your absence will be noted,
moreso if you don't know the course content you'll miss out on the
course material which can barely viver otherwise.
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 26
Current Affairs
This course, taken by Dr. Sanjiv Chaudhary, is about the news topic
and current affairs he discusses in class. The course in itself if fairly
basic, where he initially breaks down how to read a newspaper and
which headlines to focus on. Then moves onto the various headlines
and columns that appear in the news. The discussion on each topic is
usually one class and sometime carries over the next class.
Although he says its must to read the newspaper daily, you can get by
without it too. All you need to do is read the news papers from a week
before the paper and cover the headlines done in class.
In our time Midsems were open book where you were allowed to
carry the newsppaer and compres were closed book. The paper
pattenr is fairly simple and almost constant, 20% questions from
recent headlines and 80% from topic discussed in class. So brownie
points if you actually read the newspaper. Aside from this, there are 2
take home assignment.
Marking is like how you'd expect from a standard writing course, a
small variation in the marks causing grades to change with 2-5 marks.
This takw every assignment seriously and yes there is an
attendance/class participation marks(for which even you show up or
speak 1-2 times you'll be set). In the end the evaluation is all about
how much you can write, how well you can weigh your arguments
and how many ways you can think about a thing.
Toughness Level: Easy to Moderate (depends on basic writing
skill)
Grading: moderate
Attendance: He particularly looks out for people who attend
regularly, so in a large class too you are being noticed
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 27
Organization Psychology
The course aims on understanding organisation psychology
from the start. It explains how this field came into existence, how
it's different from human resources and then ofcourse the actual
psychology part. With various topics from how to handle
conflicts to how to motivate employees it covers a broad range
which can be easily applied to your daily life.
The quizes and grading scheme is announced and will be
discussed in class to make it easier for the students. The
professor is very accommodating and will try to make the
pattern which suits the majority the best. The quizzes are usually
mcqs and the midsem and compres are long essay type
questions. It is here where your attendance helps for getting
grades.
Toughness level : medium to challenging
Grading: fair (better with attendance)
Attendance: is recorded, not compulsory but helps
with grade
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 28
Environmental Development and Climate
Change
The course is divided into roughly two parts. The first part outlines the first
ever climate treaty to be signed. It follows the growing awareness and
fear about climate change, the challenges faced by scientists and policy
makers and the pros and cons of the treaty finally signed.
The second half of the course outlines a more theoretical aspect of the
different ways in which the climate change crisis is perceived and
portrayed by the different sectors of society and encourages a perspective
that's more wholistic.
Grades wise, one thing to keep in mind is as part of the course is a 5000
word article. The teacher is very particular about plagiarism and if it's
detected as above 10% you don't get grades for the assignment. Although
sufficient time is given for this, nearly the whole semester, it's quite time
consuming and has a huge impact in your grade. On the other hand, if
you're interested in going for research it's a good experience as you have
to do a good amount of research, and it also gives you practice in writing
an article with proper sections and citations.
Apart from the project, exams are pure theory, the questions are quite
predictable and repetitive and the content is all shared over Google
classroom. She expects long essay type answers and all the details given
in the material so a decent amount of memorization is required. Overall,
the prof is very friendly and knowledgeable about the topic and apart
from the project not much regular effort is required.
Toughness level: Moderate
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Not required, but is a great experience if you're
genuinely interested in the topic
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 29
Print and Audio Visual Advertising
The course teaches almost everything about advertisements in two
parts i.e. printed advertisement and video advertisements. It does
have a little bit of history too but nothing major. The topics are
more or less intuitive and about things which we see everyday.
These include advertisements from newspapers to inside buses and
from televisions to movie theaters. The course tries to grab
attention on how much advertisements are a part of our life and
the significance they can hold on consumer decisions.
Going to class is recommended and actually easy because the
professor is usually very engaging. Professor Sangeeta Sharma tries
keeping the class maximum interaction based and 100 percent of
the exam is what she has taught in class and repeated 10 times. The
grading is not very tough and the evaluative components though
fun like poster making or ad making will mostly only be announced
in class.
Toughness level : medium
Grading: fair
Attendance: not compulsory but classes are more
effective than the book
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 30
Readings From Drama
Professor Kumar Shankar Bhattacharya (KSB) takes this course. You
will enjoy this course if you like reading dramas. If you have taken
calci or cil, or you love reading, this course is a no brainer. It's
masterfully designed so as to connect all six dramas the course goes
through in a linear manner, every drama is connected to the
preceding and succeeding dramas. Out of six dramas, four are
western and two are Indian.
The course is demanding. It requires you to go through every drama at
least a few times and create an analysis surrounding every theme and
motif in each drama. All evals are open book and consist of long essay
type questions that test your critical thinking skills and understanding of
the text. Attend all the classes religiously and engage in discussions, and
you are good to go
Toughness level: moderately challenging
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Please attend all the classes, 10 marks out of 200
for attendance and class participation
PR number: generally remains open for all PRs
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 31
Development Economics
This course delves into a wide range of aspects and theories pertaining to
the growth and development of nations. It goes beyond mere observation
and analysis by drawing insightful comparisons and contrasts between
the growth of the Western World and Asian countries. Furthermore, it
explores the development models put forth by influential thinkers such as
Marx, Ricardo, Harrod-Domar, Solow-Swan, and others.
The course adheres strictly to the textbook which presents the material in
an accessible manner. With its intuitive explanations and straightforward
language, most concepts are easily comprehensible, allowing students to
follow along effortlessly. While the course tends to omit complex
calculations, it focuses on illustrating trends and utilizing graphs to
elucidate the underlying ideas.
The course incorporates various evaluative components, such as quizzes, a
video-making assignment, a poster, and case studies, but they are
designed to be enjoyable and not burdensome. They are also highly
scoring.
Although the professor endeavors to make the classes captivating, many
students find them monotonous and opt to skip them, as the slides and
the textbook adequately cover the material.
Toughness Level: Easy
Grading: Lenient (B/B- at Ave)
Attendance: Not required
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 32
International Relations
The focus of this course revolves around exploring the interplay of
geopolitical relations among nations, as indicated by its name.
Participants will delve into various schools of thought such as
realism, liberalism, constructivism, among others. Additionally, the
curriculum delves into the philosophies of influential thinkers like
Machiavelli, Rousseau, and Emmanuel Kant. Delving into foreign
policies, their formulation, and execution proves to be highly
captivating.
The most enjoyable aspect lies in the Report writing segment,
which offers significant learning opportunities. Moreover, the wellcrafted exam papers feature intriguing questions that students
will appreciate. The professor is exceptional, making the classes an
absolute delight to attend.
Toughness Level: Medium
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Not necessary but in
class interaction is very helpful
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 33
Cross Cultural skills
This course focuses on diverse cultures and the
necessary etiquette for international business. It is
instructed by the esteemed Professor Pushp Lata, who
is highly regarded. The course encourages active
participation, so it is essential to engage in
interactions.
Attending lectures is crucial as exam questions are
based on the content, and establishing a personal
connection with Professor Pushp Lata can be
advantageous for students. Ensure not to overlook any
evaluations.
Toughness level: Easy
Grading: Fair
Attendance: Required, if you want to score well
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 34
Human Resource Development
This course is taken by Mr.Rajneesh Choubisa. His way of teaching is
very interactive and interesting. It is advisable to attend classes
regularly as they are not that boring either, they are worth it. The
content of the whole course might get boring with time, and topics
seem to be repetitive.
There are not many topics where you have to use logic or think a lot.
Most of the topics are intuitive, and you need to remember a lot of
content. So it is recommended to take this course if you have the
ability to remember a lot of content. Having a good command over
English also helps. If anyone is planning to go for an MBA in the future,
this course helps.
The grading is decent. You'll get B at av+20s. The problem here is that
the averages are generally high as the coursework is pretty easy. So try
to avoid making silly mistakes and attempt all the quizzes. In the
midsems and comprehensive exams, all the questions are descriptive,
and try to fill pages for each question. Elaborate as much as possible,
but avoid writing off topic things.
Going through the slides before exams helps, and if you have enough
time, you can also read the textbook. But slides and classes are
sufficient for scoring good enough marks. You can also go through
pyqs for getting an idea about the type of questions asked. Generally,
you need a good PR to get the course, but you can also get in
substitution if you miss in the initial allotment.
In short, if you put in the minimum effort, you'll get B easily, but if you
are aiming for A or A- you need to commit a good amount of time.
Toughness level: Moderate
Grading: Good
Attendance: Recommended
HUMANITIES ELECTIVES | PAGE 35