The broom seemed to rule campuses this past few weeks as three institutions took up the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.’ The mission, a mass movement, launched by the Prime Minister on October 2, aims to create a clean India by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
At the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, students, staff and faculty took the cleanliness pledge administered by Professor N. Ananthakrishnan, Dean, Research and Postgraduate Studies.
The surrounding areas of the college and hospital in Pillaiyarkuppam were cleaned. The institute also conducted a public awareness programme with distribution of pamphlets and a rally in Kirumampakkam headed by Professor K.A. Narayan, Vice-Principal, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College. The cleanliness campaign would be sustained, said Registrar Professor A.R. Srinivasan.
At the Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, the inauguration of the National Service Scheme unit was accompanied by more than 100 NSS volunteers participating in the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ by cleaning the campus.
Inauguration of the Red Ribbon Club and a marathon to create awareness on blood donation and AIDS were other programmes for the day, organised by the Department of Public Health Dentistry. A blood grouping drive at Thavalakuppam and Ariyankuppam was also conducted in which 250 people participated.
Staff and students of the Pondicherry Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology also took an oath on cleanliness. They then cleaned the approach road in front of the institute in Murungapakkam. Principal S. Ganess said the campaign will be continued with the intention of creating awareness among students to keep their surroundings clean.
A synapse of industry-academia
At the two-day Synapse 2014, the flagship event of the Department of Management Studies, School of Management Studies, Pondicherry University, last month, industry leaders converged to give their insights.
Speaking at the inaugural function, Vice-Chancellor Chandra Krishnamurthy said that such industry-academia interaction programmes played an important role in enhancing the employability of students and had a positive effect on placements.
The Synapse magazine and placement brochure were also released at the programme. There were four panel discussions at the event, which included Communication-Window to the World, Strategy-King’s move, an endless endeavour, Entrepreneurship-Connecting the dots and Tech and Innovation-Stay Hungry, stay foolish.
The department’s alumni came in for praise from Vairamany, deputy general manager, Airtel when he mentioned their contribution to the organisation in the key note address during the valedictory programme.
Students turn good Samaritans
More than 200 students of the Bharathidasan Government College for Women, including NSS volunteers, donated blood at a camp organised by the NSS unit and Red Ribbon Club of the college in association with the Jipmer blood bank.
Social Welfare Minister P. Rajavelu who inaugurated the camp and Principal Dr. S.K. Dash appreciated the students’ gesture. About 66 units of blood were collected. The camp was organised under the leadership of Selvam Sreeramachandraraj, technical officer, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Jipmer.
