With BOSM 2026 just around the corner, the BOSM English Press sat down with Devang Jain, the CoSSAcn for the Department of Publications and Correspondence (PCr), to discuss the department’s preparations and role in the upcoming fest.
Devang explained that the department operated through three main verticals: Correspondence, Reprography, and Design. He stated that the Correspondence vertical reached out to outstation participants from other colleges, sent them the brochure, and helped them reach campus on time. He relayed that the Reprography vertical handled the entire printing of the fest, including posters, standees, frames, and daily issues for BEP and BHP. He added that the Design vertical designed the BOSM logo, posters for all kernel events, passes, and access bands.
Devang pointed out that PCr had ‘a lot of work pre-fest’ rather than during the fest itself. He explained that their preparatory work usually began in August, when the department reached out to colleges along with the brochure and details regarding the possible prize pool. He stated that outreach was conducted by calling up previous points of contact (PoCs)—who had previously attended the fest—as well as their juniors from an internal database of colleges, handling inquiries received through BOSM’s Instagram page, and sending out emails.
He explained that once PoCs registered complete teams, PCr verified that the team met all requirements mentioned in the ‘rule book’ before finalising their participation and asking them to pay. He stated that the department coordinated with Firewallz and RecNAcc regarding arrival times for smooth crowd management at the gate and with BOSM Controls to adjust match fixtures for teams that had special arrival time requests. Devang noted that during the fest, PCr’s work was ‘a bit lite’ and mostly consisted of sorting out issues as they arose.
Regarding participating colleges, he highlighted that new colleges from Mumbai and Ahmedabad were coming in specifically for cricket. However, he noted that sports such as squash, frisbee, skating, lawn tennis, and certain formats of athletics could be challenging, often seeing lesser participation. To ensure these sports were not completely neglected, Devang explained that specific department members were assigned to look after them. If responses were insufficient, PCr coordinators reached out to BITS team captains for contacts gathered during outstation tournaments, calling it the ‘best source for fresh contacts’.
Addressing financial changes, Devang highlighted an increase in the outstation participant registration fee from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 1950. He explained that because the campus had limited common rooms for accommodation and physical constraints on court infrastructure, ‘supply could not be increased to match the demand of 2000-2500 people who register annually ‘. He pointed out that a good part of the increased fee would go towards a bigger prize pool, creating a ‘positive feedback loop’ to attract more teams next time.
Reflecting on his experience as CoSAAcn, Devang stated the internal environment had been collaborative and supportive, fostering a sense of ‘safety to take risks’ with the knowledge that he would have the support of the CoSSAc. He remarked that working with the department’s juniors had been both the most rewarding and challenging part of his journey as he balanced interpersonal relationships with getting work done.
On a final note, Devang described the lively environment in SAC with DC, Gurukul, ADP, SPD, Sponz, and RecNAcc all working together in the days leading up to the fest. He encouraged general body members, especially the ’26 Batch, to explore and experience the ‘banger artist line-up’ planned for BOSM.