The first International Yoga Day was observed by the Central University of Odisha on its campus at Landiguda in Koraput on Sunday. A massive yoga session was organised by the university and vice-chancellor Talat Ahmad spoke on the occasion. The event was organised under the guidance of Kishore Chandra Raut, dean of academics who also is a yoga expert. Registrar of the varsity, Rajive Singh Chauhan extended his thanks to Raut and all the staff members of the varsity for making the programme a success. 

Raut said yoga helps in controlling an individual’s mind, body and soul. It brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve a peaceful body and mind and is a stress buster. Raut demonstrated different asanas and pranayam in an absorbing session and made the day memorable. 

Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) also took part in the yoga day on Sunday. The celebration evoked a good response amongst the faculty, staff members and students of the varsity. The programme continued for more than an hour. 

The vice-chancellor of the varsity Shyam Sunder Pattnaik took keen interest in the whole programme and remained present during the entire event. Three yoga instructors from the Patanjali Yogapitha, Rourkela had come for the the event. 

Yoga day was also celebrated by the students as well the staff members of Dhaneswar Rath Institute of Engineering and Management Studies (DRIEMS) College in Cuttack. A special yoga camp was organised to mark the occasion with the students and faculty members to inculcate the habit of a healthy living. 
Yoga guru and trainer Girish Chandra Das performed different asanas and also demonstrated them through PowerPoint presentations for better understanding by the young students. Apart from Driems College, the staff members of the National Law University, Odisha, also celebrated the International Yoga Day. 

 

Skill development

The chairperson P. Venugopal and 15 members of the parliamentary standing committee on rural development visited Bhubaneswar-based Centurion University last week. The team studied the model of skills training and development adopted by the varsity in partnership with several government and private firms such as National Skill Development Council, Ashok Leyland and Godrej . The standing committee members commended the varsity for creating a unique, yet replicable model of employment-linked skill development programme.

Convocation

Berhampur University would organise its 20th annual convocation ceremony in August. It was decided in the syndicate meeting chaired by vice-chancellor Deepak Kumar Behera last week. Though no specific date has been fixed yet for the annual convocation, the university authorities are planning to invite Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India  as the chief guest, sources said. The authorities are in constant touch with the Rashtrapati Bhavan to fix a date. The President of India is scheduled to visit Odisha in August to inaugurate a statue of the former chief minister J.B. Patnaik.

 

Naturopathy

The North Orissa University (NOU) at Baripada is mooting an idea to introduce a new postgraduate course, yogic science and naturopathy from the current academic session. The university has already designed the syllabus for the two-year course after the approval of syndicate. There will be 30 seats for the course. Basic theories of yoga would be taught along with the Vedas, Upanishads and mud, water and colour therapies that is supposed to keep both the body and mind free from all kind of stresses. Vice-chancellor Prafulla Kumar Mishra said: “The course would be 40 per cent practical. There will be good opportunities for the students who enrol in this course and will help them get suitable jobs. Yoga has a tremendous potential in India and abroad.” 

This would be the only university in Odisha to have such a course. Few years' back, the Utkal University had a course in yoga but it was withdrawn since the management found it hard to sustain.

Admission rush

More number of students is evincing interest to pursue their higher studies in Sambalpur University. The number of application forms received by the university is reflecting this trend. Around 30,788 students have applied for admission in several postgraduation courses at the varsity. The university has received 617 application forms for the 28 seats of chemistry, 115 application forms for the 16 seats of the Earth science department, 134 application forms for the 40 seats in the economics department, 168 application forms for the 24 seats in the English department, 100 applications for the 10 seats of the environmental science department, 105 application forms for the 32 seats of the history department, 36 application forms for the 16 seats of the department of home science, 782 application forms for the 32 seats of the department of life science, 304 application for the 32 seats of the mathematics department,  636 application forms for the 32 seats of the department of physics and 131 students have applied for admission for the 32 seats of the department of political science and 33 application forms for the 16 seats of the anthropology department. 

There are a total of 578 seats in the 24 postgraduate departments of the university.

Disaster combat

A training programme to combat natural disasters was given to the students of Satyanidhi Mahila College located in the coastal belt in Bahanaga of Balasore district. Experts from the Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) conducted the entire training. Manoj Samantray, the principal of the college, inaugurated the programme.
The experts gave various tips and trainings including how to save self and others and rescuing and evacuating procedures. Extensive mock drills were also conducted.