Students in traditional tribal costumes wait to welcome Governor Syed Ahmed ahead of the inauguration of the indoor stadium at Jamshedpur Women’s College in Bistupur on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad Our Correspondent

Governor Syed Ahmed inaugurated a swanky new indoor stadium at Jamshedpur Women’s College on Monday, making the institution the first in Jharkhand to boast such a facility on campus.

The stadium, set up by the college with the help of sports infrastructure grant from the University Grants Commission (UGC), has a seating capacity of 300 and was built by Ranchi’s Gautam Constructions at an estimated cost of Rs 78 lakh.

The facility primarily aims at promoting sports among women as a serious career option.

In his address, Ahmed — in his trademark black sherwani — underlined the need for youngsters not to restrict their learning to bookish knowledge.

Peppering his speech with a number of anecdotes, he also asked the students not to give up manners for the sake of becoming modern or misuse their liberty.

“We should always be cautious and make sure that our rights and responsibilities do not infringe upon those of our fellow citizens,” Ahmed said, admitting that youngsters seemed to be in the danger of forgetting their culture and values.

Underlining the importance of building one’s moral character, the governor stressed on the need of educational institutions imparting values of India’s ancient civilisation.

“A student should definitely be taught values practised by our ancient civilisations, especially related to the crucial role women have been playing down the ages. Their education is vital in our country,” Ahmed said.

Kolhan University vice-chancellor S.K. Roy, who also addressed the gathering, said that the indoor stadium would have facilities for playing table tennis and badminton to start with.

“However, principal Shukla Mohanty has assured me that she make the facility fully air conditioned and start a gymnasium and meditation center there,” Roy said.

Hinting at the plans of upgrading infrastructure at various constituent colleges under Kolhan University, the vice chancellor said that the government has cleared Rs 10 crore for setting up a model college at Kharsawan.

The proposed college would come up on a 10-acre plot.

“This apart, the state has cleared Rs 4 crore for construction of a science building at Seraikela College. The university will also set up its own two- storey administrative building at Chaibasa at an estimated cost of Rs 3.80 crore,” he said. He added that constructoion work on all the colleges were on in full swing.

Earlier, the governor had also graced the prize distribution ceremony of the Chancellor’s Trophy cricket match between Ranchi and Kolhan universities at Chaibasa’s Birsa Munda Stadium.

Both the men’s and the women’s matches were won by Ranchi University.

Later during the day, the governor also inaugurated the an international mushaira event, jointly hosted by Karim City, Tata Steel and New Delhi-based Urdu outfit Jashn-E-Bahar, at the city’s Tata Auditorium.

Around 15 poets from across the country and abroad are taking part in the event.