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Moments of repartee with the Secretary General : SURYA RAJAPPAN

Describe your role as the Secretary General of the BlissMUN 2013. Its been tradition at BlissMUN that the Secretary General does the least amount of work. And this year too, weve stayed true to it. Im more like an agony aunt. I just had to wave my magic wand whenever things were not going right. But well, honestly, Im glad I had this Secretariat. Having worked with them for the past three years, I think we connect on a different level. And because theyre extremely efficient, there wasnt much for me to do. Just a little guidance, thats all. MUN, in itself is a stupendous erudition dais, hope you agree on that, kindly share one personal experience to support this statement. Actually, I dont agree with it entirely. It depends on the individual as to what they want to take away from it. However, for me, it has been a tremendous learning experience. From diplomacy to public speaking to techniques of researching, it has been a terrific learning curve. Mention one trend that MUN-ers have set over these years and you wish to change it. This is an easy one. The trend of turning MUNs into a place where you come

decked up with the sole aim of getting good photographs clicked by people whore good at their job. At the risk of sounding undiplomatic in an MUN newsletter (read, irony), I would have to say that this is a little more than just distasteful. Im not saying well dressed people dont debate well, but Ive seen the other kind too, quite unfortunately. Why did you, with your whole Organizing Committee choose these particular agendas? We at BlissMUN believe that since it is the Executive Board that needs to be thoroughly researched about the agenda and has to direct the committee, it is their prerogative to choose the agenda that theyre most comfortable with. And that is the policy that weve followed this time around too. Wed given them full liberty and as always, theyve come up with brilliant agendas. What was the most challenging part for you as the Secretary General? Like I said, there wasnt much to be done on my part. And whatever little was there could hardly be called challenging. If I had to pick one, itd be calming people down when tempers were flaring and tackling the college management. But that was more entertaining than challenging. Which cuisine can resemble BlissMUN 2013 and why? Wurzig Und bunt Italiensche (sounds difficult, but is not!). It is one of the most colorful cuisines and resembles BlissMUN 2013 because it has varied colors into it. If given a chance, which politician would you like to invite for the debate in UNHRC and why? I admire politicians, the most for their oratory skills. There are some politicians who make you admire them even if you disagree with their ideology. Having said that, I would like to have Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Mrs. Sushma Swaraj for the debate in UNHRC and maybe a little bit

of Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav. And given the wide ambit of the agenda, I dont think any one of these people would decline the offer.

Surya Rajappan

Which was the most nerve wracking moment for you as the Secretary General and which one was the most fanatical one? The most nerve wracking would have to be the time when we were contemplating a change of venue and the problems we faced with the administration. The most fanatical, well, watching one of my Deputy Secretary Generals (thats right, I have two *puts on shades*) almost rip someones head off. It was hilarious, I swear. A message of tenderness and promises to the MUN-ers awaiting BlissMUN 2013! Research is of paramount importance, delegates. Whatever you do, do NOT compromise on the quality of your research. Try and imbibe qualities that you think are worth valuing from your fellow delegates and from the Executive Board. We hope we can deliver on our promise of providing you with a qualitatively enriching experience and we sincerely hope that this would be a memorable conference for you all.

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Case of the Terra Incognita

G E N E R A L ASSEMBLY

Priya Kharbanda

Chair : GS Chaitanya

Co-Chair : Abinaswar Das

Co-Chair : Daksh Jaiswal

ntarctica, the frigid continent, the terra incognita has been a matter of speculation for a long time. It has been estimated, with geological and historical factors, that Antarctica is full of mineral riches and has abundance of resources in its lap. Through the years, various countries have tried to embed their dominion over the white continent, basing their legitimacy on factors such as discovery, inheritance, geological or geographical proximities. But in 1961, the ATS came in effect, which restricted any such territorial claims, and stressed that Antarctica only be used for peaceful purposes, such as research. It also prohibited nuclear explosions, disposal of radioactive wastes in the continent, and emphasized on wildlife and maritime protection. However, theres a huge difference between the IGY(International Geophysical Year) and the present.

The number of consultative and acceded nations has considerably increased. Also, the research work has unintentionally and inevitably raised public curiosity about the lesser-known continent, generating tourism to the same. The nations arent satisfied with just research opportunities at this time. Disputes are rising, territorial claims being put forward again, exploitation of resources being a major motivator in some minds. Every second country is posing a new claim to the Antarctic, some of them being Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Norway, France and Chile. Is Antarctica fast-becoming the newest terrain of worldwide discord? Is it construing to be the reason for dwindling foreign relations? What will be the future of this polar continent?

ECOSOC

Global Economic Problems of the 1970s

Ishana Singh

President : Hisham Ahmed Rizvi

Vice President : Aditya Pattanath

Rapporteur : Sharanya Bose

Today, the Historic UNECOSOC will be in session to discuss the numerous global economic problems hampering the progress of nations worldwide. UNECOSOC is a UN Charter body established in 1946 which acts upon a platform for countries to discuss and debate issues that concern the world economy, the society and the environment at large. As the Cold war eventually came to a halt, the United States and the Soviet Union entered a phase of Dtente, wherein the aim is to ease political tensions between these two countries. Since then, a number of treaties including the famous SALT (Strategic Limitation Arms Talks) Treaty have been negotiated between the power blocs; Richard Nixon being an instrumental part in this agreement. It is evident that political power yields economic power and vice versa, hence the interdependence affects the world economy as a whole. The refusal to lay

down weapons and the use of oil as leverage in the political wars has led to a situation in which even the slightest fluctuation in the US Dollar leads to complete havoc in the economic setup of other developed and developing countries. This is because Nixons policy of USs withdrawal from the Brettonwoods system of fixed exchange rates has shocked the world. All other currencies are fixed to the dollar; therefore the depreciation of the dollar leads to fall in income of oil exporters worldwide. Therefore, there are huge expectations from the committee to have a healthy interaction and resolution regarding this impending economic issue, prevention of further vested interests in commodities and balance of economy in the developing countries as well as economic growth of the developing countries.

Abolishment of

Capital Punishment

U N H R C

Aayushi Sinha

Chair : Nirjhar Dey Bhattarcharya

Co-Chair : Harshvardhan Yadav

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a subsidiary body to the UN General Assembly, and has addressed many conflicts and situations globally, with the primary objective of promotion and protection of human rights. The council is being convened on the 27th and 28th of September to discuss the issue of capital punishment, its efficacy, and its abolition. From the guillotine to the firing squad to the electric chair, capital punishment, or the death penalty, has always been a controversial existence in cultural and political consciousness. As the world advances towards the attainment of more civilised, democratic, and humanitarian societies, this practice has seen increasingly polemic debates arguing for and against it, with a variety of concerns ranging from human rights to economic efficiency being raised in discussions about capital punishment. While some argue that capital crimes (crimes so heinous that the perpetrator

must be killed in order to eradicate the threats posed to the moral fibre of society) in their very nature justify the need for capital punishment. On the other hand, abolitionist states believe that capital punishment is antithetical to the beliefs upon which any egalitarian society is built, and that it is translatable to murder and genocide. Those who oppose the death penalty argue that it is unevenly applied, creating the possibility of erroneous execution of innocent people. Opponents are also perturbed by differing standards in judicial practice; for example, some nations allow capital punishment for crimes such as drug trafficking, rape and murder, and in some nations, homosexuality is punishable by death. The questions that the UNHRC ought to address in this session are not new; what one does hope for is new answers and angles to the debate, that come within the pursuit of the greater good.

THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS

TA N M AY C H A K R A B O R T Y HEAD, PHOTOGRAPHY

M E N K A H

A H L A W A T

P A R I T O S H

A N A N D

HEAD, INTERNATIONAL PRESS

C R E AT I V E E D I TO R / D E S I G N E R

In the world full of photographs, I want to take photographs that matter.

And those who were seen dancing were

thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. - Friedrich Nietzsche

I believe good design is as little design as possible.

HARSHITA MURARKA
EDITOR

SANJEET SINGH
PHOTOGRAPHER

SAAHIL CUCCRIA
PHOTOGRAPHER

calculate the risks involved, estimate our ability to deal with them, and then make our plans with confidence.

The best we can do is size up the chances,

I click to spread Happiness! So I guess Im perfect for BLISS13!

If you cant convince them, confuse them - Harry S. Truman

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GARGICHAUDHARY I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world. Henry Luce

PRIYAKHARBANDA Theres nothing wrong with me, that I can fix. -David Levithan

AAROHINARAIN With a passion for the proverbial pen, Aarohi takes a deep interest in literature and creative writing, and aspires to be a journalist.

AAYUSHISINHA Creativity is intelligence having fun - Albert Einstein

PRACHIBHARDAWAJ Judge not unless you judge yourself.

ISHAANASINGH She is inordinately engrossed in wandering and trying not to lose her way.

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