Focus on social responsibility

The personnel management and industry relations department of the Utkal University organised an industry-academy interface on the campus on Saturday. The event saw industry experts sharing their knowledge with academicians and students. The students were told about corporate social responsibility (CSR) followed by industries to build goodwill and create better relationship with people. G.K. Panda, chairman of the PG council at the Utkal University, and S.C. Padhy, director, HR and administration at NALCO, threw light on the existing CSR practice in the country through their speeches. Padhy described it as an old concept in India, which began through charity. During the colonial rule it almost got faded away but gained prominence after Mahatma Gandhi's trusteeship theory. Gradually, the concept of CSR was extended to community development after Independence. 

Impetus on research 

National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, organised Research Scholars Week (RSW) from May 11 to 13. This is the first event of its kind in the history of NIT-R. It showcased how research was being carried out at the institute and facilitated knowledge sharing and seamless interactions among budding researchers of varied disciplines in the institute. Research scholars, who have completed three years, showcased their work through posters, software/hardware demonstrations and their list of achievements (publications/patents) certified by the supervisor in the Rajendra Mishra exhibition hall. The best posters selected from the first two days were displayed on the final day again, where a global selection was made and the best presentation was awarded the ‘Research Scholar of the Year’. The best presentation from each department was also given a ‘RSW Award’. Lalit Mohan Patnaik, professor emeritus of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and distinguished alumni of NIT, Rourkela, was the chief guest while Sunil Kumar Sarangi, the director of NIT-R, presided over the inaugural session.

Pharmacy seminar

A seminar on the role of pharmacists in health care titled ‘Drug monitoring and surveillance’ was organised by the University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UDSC), Utkal University, on Thursday on the varsity campus. Ashok Kumar Das, the vice-chancellor of the university, and G.K. Panda, chairman of the PG council, presided over the function while B.C. Dash, director, KIIT University, was the chief speaker and T.R. Swain, associate professor in the department of pharmacology at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, was the guest of honour. B. Jagdish, consultant diabetologist and chief medical officer of the health centre in the varsity, along with other consultant physicians, participated in the event. A free health check-up programme was also organised in the department in which more than 100 patients got their blood sugar, blood pressure and eye checked. The students, teachers and the non-teaching staff members of other departments also took part in the event.

Lupus awareness

A seminar titled ‘Living well with lupus’ was organised at the Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital (IMSSH) to mark the World Lupus Day on Sunday. “Lupus is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system attacks the cells and tissues resulting in inflammation and tissue damage and affect different organs such as kidneys, lungs, heart and the central nervous system,” said G. Narsimulu, the president of the Indian Rheumatology Association at the seminar. He also pointed out that most of the victims are women aged between 15 and 45 and the worldwide prevalence of the disease is 20 to 150 cases per 100,000 population. Earlier, he inaugurated the department of immunology and rheumatology at the IMSSH, saying it was the first private hospital in the country to open the facility. Ramanath Mishra, head of the department of immunology at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, who also graced the occasion, said there had been a dramatic decrease in mortality rates due to the advanced treatment methods. Alakendu Ghosh, head of the department of rheumatology at the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research, Calcutta, Bidyut Das of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack and D.K.Ray, medical director of IMSSH, also spoke on the occasion. Students and doctors of the institute said they learnt a lot about the disease.

Golden jubilee

The students of the Lajpat Rai Law College organised several cultural programmes during the two-day golden jubilee celebrations of the educational institution held on May 6 and 7. The students had invited eminent artistes from several parts of the state to perform at the ceremony. 
The students of the institution also took part in several cultural programmes. They staged a play titled Bel Thaun Thaun Sudhri Ja during the occasion. Around 30 cultural items were showcased at the event. Earlier, the students of the institution participated in debates, songs and essay writing competitions. Those who excelled in the competitions got certificates and prizes.

Summer camp

A week-long summer camp for children of Balasore was organised by the Art and Crafts College in association with Fakir Mohan Art and Crafts School last week. Around 100 children from different schools joined the camp to learn various forms of arts that included spot painting, glass painting, terracotta, clay modelling, colloid painting, flower making and soft toy making. “We have been giving extensive training during school vacations. This is the seventh year and the camp was organised on the institution campus near the ITI Square,” said Himansu Das, the president of the college. He said the objective of the camp was to promote art and craft among children along with identifying their hidden talents. Children were imparted training and provided guidance in drawing, watercolour paintings, terracotta, toy making, pencil painting and leaf painting. They were also briefed about modern art through experts. The students got certificates for participating at the event.

Internship programme

The students of Rourkela Institute of Management Studies (RIMS) underwent a summer internship programme (SIP). Titled ‘Defense’, it is a part of their curriculum. All the students underwent a 45-day internship programme at corporate houses to get themselves acquainted with the world of business. After the completion of the internship, they submitted a project report to the respective faculty guides. Later, an external faculty made evaluation of the students. Anil Swain from the department of commerce at the Utkal University was made the external who evaluated the students and graded them based on their performances in the viva, which was taken in the presence of the faculty of the institute. The internship ended their two-year MBA programme.

Celebrating service

Around 150 college students who were associated with the Bakul Foundation and volunteering for the organisation spent a day at old-age homes and orphanages in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. They were observing the International Day of Service on Sunday, which incidentally was also Mother’s Day. The organisation that promotes book reading and conducts other social activities arranged the programme by motivating the students. Around 28 children rescued from different brick kilns had fun with story telling sessions, art and crafts, games and reading picture books at the children's library of the foundation. The students who volunteered for the day were ecstatic after taking part in welfare activities.

SANDIP BAL