Jugaad (joo-gAAD) (n/v). Any work-around used by an individual (usually a student) to tackle unexpected conundrums, usually for immediate gains.
The day I got admitted into a fine Delhi University college, I did not imagine that the next 3 years would be spent fine tuning a skill that I had barely even heard had a name before that- ‘Jugaad’. DU students have, debatably, incepted and honed this very fine skill, and the legacy has been passed on to each incoming batch. And as plain as the aforementioned definition seems, this subtle science is not to be taken lightly. The term has gained such reach that it has sparked a debate in the West as to its ideological implications. Consider this entirely (not-) lame proposition of what this word could loosely be broken down into-
J- Junketeering
U- Undergradute
G- Goofs
A- Avoiding
A- Avalanching
D- Dilemmas
Here is a list of some of the aspects of everyday college life that are subjected to our jugaadu attitudes, and some oft heard statements that follow alongside-
Attendance- Being in a State-run institution, one would assume that attendance would be a non-issue, seeing as how even our Lok Sabha leaders prefer to have some chai in and around Ashok Road than attend the Question Hour. Unfortunately, we are required to have a minimum of 66.6% aggregate to be granted the elusive admit card. ECA waivers are common practices in this regard. Marking everyone present on the day of a teacher’s absence is also widely celebrated.
Frequented statement- “Bhai, proxy laga de.”
Medical Certificates– With the torrid mess of marks for attendance, even the chastest of underlings resort to fake medical certificates. Some of these might as well be signed by House or Dr. McSteamy, and we’d still sail through. These are an acclaimed, and foolproof method in gaining some attendance, and probably even sympathy when it comes to submissions.
Frequented statement (probably) – “Yes, ma’am. Jeetender Uncle is a legitimate doctor and not related to my family at all.”
Food Deals– This is the most common form of jugaad that students on a tight budget take on, especially after a joint or two. Cue All-You-Can-Eat at Pizza Hut, McDonald’s Value Meals and everything in between.
Frequented Statement- “50% off coupons are the bomb.”
Cab rides– Social butterflies often need safe rides back home after late-night parties. If we haven’t downloaded the Uber Cab app, just to make use of their initial free ride credit, we’d be lying. Bonus points to the studs that have ever combined their credits to book a ride, all the way from Gurgaon to Greater Noida, God bless those cheap rascals.
Frequented statement- “Dude, HKV scenes! Getting back home drunk? Ola Cabs, bruh.”
Night Out– Few things get our minds pacing as does a craving for intoxication. And the best part of being on campus is probably the fact that you can walk into any of the multiple unwitting college mates’ flats, whether directly or indirectly known, and settle in for a good evening.
Frequented statement-
“Hey, man! Oh, Camel phukta hai? Bade log. Old Monk bhi hai? Party tonight, bro!”
Fest passes– DU fests are both famous and infamous for hosting some of the best fests, with exciting artists, (albeit the likes of Mika Singh and his soul brothers being one of them can be contested). The scheming part of our hypothalamus goes into overdrive, especially when it comes to getting into girl’s colleges.
DEFINITELY frequented statement- “Yaar, Tarang ke passes ka jugaad kar de.”
These are just some of the many ways in which we as students deal with everyday situations. And the simplicity of being a jugaadu is part of the charm of our college lives, and maybe even teaches us some pretty neat street-smarts. To sign off with a little facetious reworking that might make Nehru turn over in his grave-
‘Jai Jawaan. Jai Jugaad.‘
Read: Top 10 Quirks of an Engineering Student
