All work and no play make Jack and Jill dullards.  That is why sports and cultural events are essential for providing a platform for students' talents.  While there can be no doubt that academics are the centrepiece, these extra-curricular activities are a must for well-rounded development.  However, for an alarming number of students, the extra-curricular activities have occupied centre-stage and pushed academic activities to the periphery, thanks to Shaastra and Saarang.

Saarang's predecessor Mardi Gras came about to provide a platform to showcase amateur talent.  After metamorphosing into Saarang, it grew unhealthily big and has now become a monster event: obscene amounts of sponsorship money, bringing in big names and bigger names, etc., etc.  They are demanding months and months of behind-the-scenes work from students, affecting academics (supposedly the centrepiece) in a big way.  Since Saarang happens a few days before an approaching quiz week, studying for the quizzes happens only after they are over.  As a result, an already bad attendance during quiz week has now become even worse.

"I want to make my Saarang better than your Saarang" really translates to "My Saarang will be bigger by X lakhs than your Saarang", and is quickly leading this out of control.  "Oh, don't worry, we've put a cap on the money involved" is an often heard response.  The budget for Saarang 2014 was Rs. 1.26 crores!  Clearly, we have lost our perspective completely.

Most of what I've said of Saarang applies to Shaastra too.

Saarang and Shaastra have to be scaled down sharply.  My suggestion is that Saarang and Shaastra should should come in alternate years, i.e., if it is Saarang this year, the next year it should be Shaastra, and so on.  Furthermore, it should be organized in the third week of December.  Only then will the tail (these festivals) not wag the dog (academics).  The objections to hosting them in December will be that these will clash with Inter-IIT Sports Meets.  A student has to make choices and participate in one or the other, for the price paid in the existing regime is unacceptably high.

Another aspect that simply does not appear to be acceptable is the roping in of first years as volunteers.  Even before they can settle down in a new place, calling first year students for volunteer meetings that go on late into the night is unconscionable.  

We need to take a step back and look at these two events, seriously rethink them, and put them in their proper place, i.e., make them the showcase that they were for amateur talent, fun, and enjoyable, on a scale that is healthy and normal.

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