CRPF commandant Dijender Singh greets players from Northeast region at the NCC Inter-directorate Women’s Football Tournament in Rourkela. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal

Former Union minister Anil Shastri narrated a few anecdotes about his father and India’s second Prime Minister, the late Lal Bahadur Shastri, while addressing the 7th Foundation Day celebration of the SoA University in Bhubaneswar on July 17. He said his father’s integrity came to the fore during the freedom struggle when he was in jail. His family was living on a pension of Rs 50 provided by the Servants of People Society. Lal Bahadur Shastri wrote a letter to his wife from jail inquiring whether she was receiving the pension and whether it was enough to meet the requirements of the family. “My mother wrote back informing that she was getting the pension every month and she could meet the household expenses which came to Rs 40 and she was able to save Rs 10. Shastri-ji promptly wrote to the Servants of People Society requesting the organisation to send his family only Rs 40 as it was enough to meet the household expenses while suggesting that the Rs 10 should go to some needy family,” he said. Even after becoming the Prime Minister, Shastri-ji did not own a car though the family members had been pestering him for one. He wanted his secretary to find out how much a Fiat car cost. The price was found to be Rs 12,000, but he had only Rs 7,000 in the bank. He applied to a bank for loan, which was sanctioned in 90 minutes. Shastri-ji promptly summoned the bank officer who had sanctioned the loan to his office to inquire if the bank was as prompt in sanctioning loans to other people as well. “When my father became Prime Minister, I was studying in school and suggested that he should have a carpet in his bed room. But he turned it down saying he was the Prime Minister of a country where millions of people had no roof over their heads. So, he could not afford such a luxury and that he should be happy with whatever he had,” the former Union minister recalled. University vice-chancellor R.P. Mohanty, former Ipicol chairman Hara Prasanna Mishra, former director of Institute of Physics Trilochan Pradhan, gynaecologist Purna Chandra Mohapatra, and chief of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, New Delhi, G.L. Sharma addressed the students.

Right moves

The 9 Odisha Battalion NCC, Rourkela, is conducting the NCC Inter-directorate Women’s Football Tournament at Ispat Stadium that would continue till July 30. Six directorates — Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand, Punjab and Chandigarh, Karnataka and Goa, and North East region — are participating in this tournament. In the inaugural match on July 23, North East region defeated Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh 20-0.

Fresh deals

KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, signed MoUs with eight foreign universities while participating in the World Education Leaders’ Forum in Busan, South Korea, recently. The partner institutions include six Korean institutions and two African universities. As per the agreement, KIIT students would get an opportunity to visit the varsities in Korea and Africa. While the travelling expenses would be partially borne by KIIT, lodging and boarding would be taken care of by the host universities. KIIT students attended the three weeks Global Leadership Camp and won prizes in various events. Secretary general of the Forum, Prof Lee Hakchun expressed desire to establish a Korean Education Centre at KIIT University besides opening a Cyber University for long-distance learning. Representatives of the Liberia government have also shown willingness to send their students to the local university on an exchange programme.

Fight it out

A group of 54 young girls from different parts of the state completed basic training in self-defense techniques at a Master Trainer workshop in Bhubaneswar conducted by veteran powerlifter Hari Pattanayak. The provision for martial arts training for college students is mandated by the Odisha State Youth Policy-2013 to equip girls with the power and expertise to protect themselves in adverse situations. At present, a second batch of girls is undergoing similar training.

Recognition

Central University of Orissa (CUO) at Koraput was awarded as the “Emerging University of the Year in Tribal Areas” at the Study World Annual Excellency Awards organised by Study World in New Delhi on July 20. Varsity vice-chancellor Prof Surabhi Banerjee received the award from Union minister of state for human resource development Shashi Tharoor, who was the chief guest. CUO was formed in 2009 and runs master’s programmes in eight subjects. Courses in teacher education, education technology, healthcare and a school of law figure in the list of courses to be introduced this year.

Visual effects

Reliance Animation Infotainment and Media School opened its branch in Bhubaneswar on July 18 to equip local youths in specialised skills to pursue a successful career in animation and VFX filmmaking. The academy will offer B.Sc in digital animation filmmaking and B.Sc in digital VFX filmmaking along with certificate courses in advanced diploma in the two subjects. This apart, there will be courses in asset master, anim-actor, effects master.

Cancer help

Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital under SoA University, Bhubaneswar, conducted a workshop at the district headquarter hospital in Kendrapara on July 23 to educate peripheral doctors with the recent trends in cancer treatment. The workshop was conducted by surgical oncologist Dr Sunil Agrawala. He also apprised doctors about the cancer helpline (8280080712) instituted in the IMS and Sum Hospital.