A student performs at a cultural event held on the occasion of 7th foundation day of Modern Engineering and Management Studies, Balasore and (below) students from Institute of Management and Information Sciences, Bhubaneswar, pose with underprivileged kids. Telegraph pictures

Utkal University has included women’s cricket and swimming for men and women in its sports calendar for the year 2014-15. This was decided in the executive meeting of the university sports council, held on the campus under the chairmanship of vice-chancellor Ashok Kumar Das last week. It was also decided to develop the university stadium and increase the allowance for student players and officials. Sports council director Jayanta Kumar Parida said that this year the varsity would conduct inter-college competitions in 27 disciplines. The season will start with the inter-college chess tournament at Madhu Sudan Law College in Cuttack on September 12 and conclude with the women’s inter-college netball tournament at SB Women’s College in Jagatsinghpur on January 13, 2015.

Vroom to victory

Society of automotive engineers (SAE) department, NIT, Rourkela, got second place among 100 teams across the country in engineering design category and won a cash prize of Rs 20,000 along with a trophy in an event organised at Madras Motor Sports Club in Chennai recently. A group of 25 students of the institute, who took part in the competition, had designed a formula car. Being the runners-up, the team has also qualified for the first ever Formula Student India event to be organised in January 2015 where teams from China and Ukraine along with top teams from India are expected to take part. The team spent about Rs 7.5 lakh to develop the vehicle.

When hats go flying

Sri Sri University (SSU) hosted the first convocation for its charter batch last week. Forty-seven students received their MBA degrees from spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as the graduating batch of the faculty of management studies. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also graced the ceremony with his presence. The Sri Sri University Awards for Overall Academic Excellence and Overall Community Sensitivity were presented on the occasion. The convocation also featured the launch of the postgraduate programme in financial markets, a collaborative programme offered by the varsity in association with the National Stock Exchange of India Limited. SSU vice-chancellor K.C. Mishra announced the addition of new courses such as BBA and bachelor of arts (yoga), master of good governance and public policy. “We are hopeful of getting approval for introduction of a course in osteopathy by October,” he added.

Students of Hidayatullah National Law University receive the award after winning KIIT University National Moot Court competition and (below) students of XIMB perform on Teachers’ Day. Telegraph pictures

Understanding Bharat

An interactive session with P. Sainath, a journalist-author known for his reportage on rural India discussed “Transformation of Rural India” at Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB), last week. The session stretched across topics covering the complex nature of Indian villages and their diversity. He threw light on dying Indian languages, the threat of extinction of various technical skills, the impact of migration, Indian agriculture and the very sensitive topic of farmer suicides. The session that was attended by students of rural management and faculty members concluded with an interactive question-answer round.

Holding court

The three-day second KIIT University National Moot Court Competition organised by School of Law, KIIT University, concluded last week. Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur, and Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, entered into final round. A five-member judge bench consisting of justice Altamas Kabir, former chief justice of India, justice Pinaki Ghose, judge Supreme Court of India, Narayan Chandra Sil, former judge Calcutta High Court, justice A.S. Naidu and justice B.P. Das of Orissa High Court presided over the final round of moot court. Hidayatullah National Law University pleading on behalf of petitioner won the championship trophy with Rs 1 lakh cash prize, while Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law pleading for respondent got the first runners-up trophy with Rs. 50,000. NLU, Odisha, became second runners-up with cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and a trophy. Another event meant for aspiring lawyers named ‘Legal Spectra’, also concluded at the SOA National Institute of Law (SNIL), Bhubaneswar last week. Besides, SNIL, eight other law schools from across the country participated in the meet. The contests included moot court, legal quiz, parliamentary debate, judgement writing, client counselling, poster designing, street play, dance competition and fashion show.

Children of lesser God

Budding managers from Institute of Management and Information Sciences (IMIS), Bhubaneswar, visited a city-based social service organisation with an objective to make a difference not by spending quality time with the kids, but also by creating awareness about their future, sanitation, social rights and duties. The programme named Dor–Umeed Ka Ek Dhaga was on social inclusion and educational motivation for the less privileged. The kids were given lessons in sanitation awareness, morality and life skills. Entertainment programmes such as musical chairs, dance session and drawing competitions were conducted.

Learn while you earn

International Management Institute (IMI), Bhubaneswar, has inaugurated its second batch of postgraduate diploma in management programme for working executives (PGDM-WE). The working professionals from various public and private sectors of the state have enrolled in the programme for which classes are held in the weekends. Inaugurating the programme, Ramesh Behl, director of the institute spoke on the importance of continued learning for professional growth.

Teachers’ Day

XIMB celebrated Teachers’ Day by organising a cultural evening where the students of the B-School performed for their beloved and respected faculties. A dance performance by the first-year students of business management course kick-started the evening followed by human resource management and the rural management students. Students of Mother’s Business School, Bhubaneswar, used the traditional way of paying tribute to their teachers. They washed the feet of the teachers as an act of reverence. A group of students of RD Women’s College, Bhubaneswar, organised an awareness rally on the occasion of World Literacy Day recently. Around 40 girls from the college took part in the road show that began at their college gate. They showcased placards expressing importance of education.