Vladimir Putin’s character reflects machismo, strong masculinity and narcissistic tendencies. His external motivation can be traced to his years in the KGB and a sustained quest for power. Driven by intense nationalism, he has long sought to reintegrate USSR.” This was no political rhetoric on the Ukraine war, but a psychological analysis presented by Vandith Srikar Mushunuri and Raima Mukherjee of Prithvi house at DPS Megacity.
The school had organised Critically Yours, a fest exclusively for the humanities section, featuring this fun-to-watch event on the psychology of world leaders. Jal House examined Xi Jinping. “Xi is a controlling, authoritarian leader but one who delivers results. He is ideologically clear and does not follow the Western mould of leadership,” said Sanchit Saraogi.
Vayu House analysed Barack Obama, while Red House presented on Kamala Harris. “We kept Donald Trump out of the fray to avoid controversy,” said student-organiser Yashika Chatterjee.
Another event, Evidentia, saw students research the role of media in historic conflicts such as the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis.“I worked on World War II and found out how both Axis and Allied powers used the media. Hitler relied heavily on posters, newspapers, films and speeches to mobilise public opinion. Propaganda of that scale would be difficult today with the UN watching,” said Avantika Roychoudhury.
The reel-making contest had teens make 90-second films on the topic “The quieter the media, the louder the climate crisis”. The videos explored how celebrity trivia often overshadows urgent environmental news. The event was judged by Rittika Sharma, an alumna currently pursuing animation and VFX. “Climate change does not usually feature on the social media feeds of the youth, so this project pushed them to explore a contest beyond their interests,” she said.
Learning to vote
A mock election added a lively dimension to the fest, with students forming political parties, drafting manifestos and campaigning for votes. “My party, YUVA — Young United Visionary Alliance — focuses on employment concerns amid fears of AI-driven job loss. We propose financial literacy in schools, mandatory coding classes, push for green technology and loans for start-ups,” said candidate Shrisha Ghosh.
“These students will soon become voters, and this event is meant to make them vote responsibly. We want them to read manifestos and make informed choices rather than follow crowds,” said a student organiser, Lakshya Jaiswal.
The poster-making competition too explored themes of voting and politics, among others. “An image can often express what words cannot,” said Arya Chakraborty, event in-charge and designer of the fest’s overall poster.
“I depicted ‘women breaking stereotypes’ through an image of Durga,” said participant Jayantan Kanjilal. “How can women be considered inferior in a society that worships a female deity?”
The moot court simulated a case about a student charged by the state of Karnataka after he led a protest that exceeded the permitted limit of 50 people, without prior approval. “I represented the state and argued that regulations exist for public safety. I have often thought about pursuing law later on, and researching the legal landscape for this case intrigued me even more,” said participant Ananya Davey.
“This fest has been around for several years, but we scaled it up after introducing mass media and communications as a subject this year,” said Somrita Mukherjee, who teaches the course along with political science, and conceptualised the event. “I only provided the framework — the students developed everything else themselves.”