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| Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University vice-chancellor Prof. RP Mohanty presents a memento to the contingent from IMS and Sum Hospital, who were adjudged the best at the Independence Day parade. (Above) Students perform a folk dance at KIIT on Independence Day. Telegraph pictures |
The 64th Independence Day was celebrated amid much fanfare on the various campuses of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar.
Social worker and Ramon Magsaysay award recipient Rajendra Singh hoisted the tricolour and graced the occasion as chief guest at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Addressing 15,000 tribal students of the institute, he focused on environmental protection.
During the second half of the celebrations, students presented a drill and colourful cultural programme.
I-Day spirit
nService to mankind is the first responsibility of a citizen and educational institutions have the responsibility to churn out good human beings who can render this service, says R.P. Mohanty, the vice-chancellor of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar.
Mohanty was delivering a speech after unfurling the tri-colour and taking the salute at the ceremonial parade at the university stadium on August 15.
On the occasion of the country’s 64th Independence Day, contingents of the NCC, security personnel from the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), Institute of Business and Computer Studies (IBCS), Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and Sum Hospital, Sum Nursing College, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS), SOA National Institute of Law (SNIL), School of Hotel Management (SHM) and Institute of Higher Secondary Education (IHSE) took part in the parade.
The contingent representing IMS and Sum Hospital were adjudged the best in the parade and received a memento from the vice-chancellor.
Placement success
The campus placement drive for the 2012 batch is on in full swing at the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), Bhubaneswar.
The recruitment process commenced with TVS Motor and Mahindra and Mahindra conducting written tests and interviews. Both companies recruited 15 B.Tech students of mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering streams, said Raj Kumar Hota, additional dean of ITER. He said that the highest annual pay package offered by Mahindra and Mahindra was around Rs 4.75 lakh.
A number of core companies and a few from the IT sector are currently visiting ITER for campus recruitment. Last year, 95 per cent of the 2011 batch students had been placed, Hota said.
Mahindra and Mahindra will also conduct an auto quiz at ITER on August 24 for engineering students in Orissa. The winner will get an all expenses paid trip to the Geneva Auto Show and the runners-up will get the opportunity to attend the Dune Bashing event in Dubai.
Talking energy
nA debate competition on ‘Future Aspects of Renewable Energy’ was organised at BJB (Autonomous) College, Bhubaneswar, by English department professors R.K. Mukherjee and Chittaranjan Mishra on behalf of the Orissa Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).
Only nine students had participated in the preliminary round of the competition where they were given a maximum time limit of five minutes to present their views. Other lecturers and professors from various departments of the college evaluated the participants on the basis of their language, subject matter and style of presentation.
Samrudhi Das, a final-year student of English and Monika Banerjee, a first year student of physics, were adjudged the best speakers. The duo will represent the college at a state-level debate competition to be held later this week.
Quiz champs
The first edition of Quizzicus Indica-2011 was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry-Young Indians and Orissa Quiz Association on August 14. More than 150 teams took part in the competition. Of them, six teams qualified for the final round.
Neeraj Bhadra and Geo Thomas from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) bagged the title award. They got a cash award of Rs 15,000. The first runners-up were Ankit Patnaik and Avinash Sahu of ITER who got Rs 10,000. The third prize of Rs 5,000 went to XIMB professors Rajiv Roy and Subashis Ray.
Reviewing education
A three-member delegation of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), USA, visited the Regional College of Management from July 31 to August 3 to study the academic and holistic standards of the Bhubaneswar-based institute. The delegation visited the existing departments, classrooms, library, computer laboratory, hostels and the Lord Jagannath Temple on the premises.
This three-member visiting team comprised Prof. Harpal S. Grewal, dean of Claflin University, Orangeburg, Prof. Freda Hartman, dean of Phoenix Central University and Prof. Nanda Gopal, director, PSG Group, Coimbatore, Kerala.
A review of the existing teaching methodologies was conducted at a meeting where RCM’s director, dean, faculty members, managing committee members, advisory body, leading educationalists, eminent figures from the state and country and state business houses were present.
Philosophy talk
Prof. Toshihiro Wada of Nagoya University in Japan delivered a talk on ‘Indian Philosophy and humanism’ at the Gangadhar Mehere College on August 16.
“A particular system of beliefs resulting from search for knowledge about life and the universe is philosophy. The human goal is not clear in any philosophy except in Indian philosophy,” he said.
Indian philosophy includes the religious human goal as the final and gives more scope to reason to analyse the universe. “Reason is inevitably associated with benevolence to others and Indian philosophy presents different interpretations of one fact, according to theories of Nyaya, Vaisesika, Mimansha, Vedanta and Vaiyakarana. We learn from these differences that we should have respect for others and their opinions,” added Prof. Toshihiro.
The objective of the programme was to let students know about Indian philosophy and Indian culture, said Subash Chandra Dash, reader in Sanskrit at the Utkal University, Bhubaneswar.
GM College principal Sulok Sundar Mohanty and other teachers were also present.
