First-year mass communication students of Patna University held a farewell programme for their seniors - third-year students - last week.

A cultural programme was organised with the students performing songs, dance and mimicry acts. A singing competition was also held, and first-year students Subhash and Srishti were adjudged the winners.

"Journalism can bring about changes in society. People in the field should not focus on yellow journalism because it can give nothing to society," said Mukesh Kumar, one of the outgoing batch students.

Learn to respect

"Gender sensitivity is not about pitting women against men. On the contrary, education that is gender sensitive benefits members of both sexes," said N. Vijaya Lakshmi, chairperson-cum-managing director of Women Development Corporation, Bihar, at a workshop organised at AN College in the city last Friday.

The gender resource centre of the Women Development Corporation organised the programme to spread awareness about gender equality in the education sector.

"It helps them (women) determine which assumptions in matters of gender are valid and which are stereotyped generalisations," said Vijaya Lakshmi at the event. "Gender awareness requires not only intellectual understanding and effort but also sensitivity and open-mindedness to change one's views and limited perspectives and values. It opens up the widest possible range of life options for both women and men and builds their capacities to be more wholesome and humane."

AN College students and faculty members attended the workshop.

"Education is a major force that will help trigger a positive gender equity ideology," said second-year BA student Vivek Kumar. "We talk about human rights but we deprive women of their rights. This kind of workshop is an encouraging and welcome step."

Shashi Pratap Sahi, AN College principal, said awareness was not a day's affair. "It's a long process. Until and unless we inculcate in ourselves the habit of respecting women, problem of inequality will not change."

The principal consultant of the gender resource centre, Anand Madhab, said the main aim for conducting such gender orientation workshops was to modify behaviour by raising awareness about gender equality, and teachers are one of the most important stakeholders to bring about that equality.

Voice for ayurveda

Voluntary organisation Citizen Care Foundation organised a health check-up camp and awareness session on ayurved medicine at JD Women's College on Monday.

Former director-general of police Abhayanand inaugurated the camp in the presence of the foundation's secretary Chandan Kumar and college principal Shashi Singh. Around 200 students attended the health camp. Doctors and paramedic staff extended their services to those who came for the camp.

The doctors showed the participants different medicinal plants that can help control diabetes and other diseases. Abhayanand told the students that diabetes, stroke, heart problems, acidity and other health issues can be treated through natural and ayurvedic treatments.

"The primary goal of ayurvedic medicine is to help people live long, healthy and balanced lives, without the need for prescription drugs, complicated surgeries or suffering," he said.

Principal Singh urged the students not to get addicted to any medicine and try avoid allopathic medicines.

Citizen Care Foundation secretary Chandan said: "The ayurvedic approach to illness is holistic and a patient will find an improvement in their mental, physical and psychological conditions. The ingredients utilised in ayurved medicines are mostly derived from plants, herbs, flowers, fruits."

Game point

A badminton doubles competition was hosted at Central University of South Bihar on January 19 at the indoor stadium of the Secretariat Sports Club. Boys and girls were divided into different teams for the league matches.

The doubles team of Samiksha Soni and Atiya Rahman from the mass communication and media studies department defeated Neha Mithilesh and Sneha of life sciences 15-14, 15-8. In the boys category, computer science students Raj Saurabh and Gaurav Kumar defeated Namit Raja and Mithilesh Kumar from the same department in three sets - 12-15, 15-8 and 15-7.

Registrar Gayathri Vishwanath Patil, the university's cultural activities committee co-ordinator Rajesh Kumar Ranjan and assistant professor of mass communication Ravi Suryavanshi among others attended the doubles championship.

Patil said sports boost competitive spirit among students and also helps them in their studies.

Want to report some event in your college? Tell ttbihar@abp.in