Copyright thehindu
Deputy Commissioner B. Fouzia Taranum has called upon students to actively take part in cultural programmes along with their academic pursuits, saying that preserving India’s rich cultural and traditional heritage is the responsibility of every citizen. “In a diverse country like India, unity lies in diversity. It is our collective duty to nurture and uphold our art, literature, traditions and cultural values. Students should not confine themselves to classroom learning alone. They must also participate in every cultural activity that fosters creativity and connection with our roots,” Ms. Taranum said. She was speaking after inaugurating a district-level Yuva Janotsava at the Government Degree College (Autonomous), Kalaburagi, on Tuesday. The event was jointly organised by the district administration, the Zilla Panchayat, the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Meri Yuva Bharat, NSS Unit, the District Science Centre and local youth associations. Ms. Taranum urged students to spend less time on mobile phones and focus more on meaningful engagement with India’s art, culture and traditions. “Your achievements should make your parents and teachers proud,” she told them. Presiding over the programme, Principal of Government College (Autonomous) Savita Tiwari said that cultural activities play an important role in strengthening students both mentally and physically. “The main purpose of felicitating State and National award winners is to inspire our students to excel in every field. Success and failure are both part of the learning process. Students must develop the mindset to accept both of them equally and use every opportunity to grow,” she said. Several award winners were honoured on the occasion, including State award winners Suresh Badiger, Basavaraj Totad, Veerabhadrappa Simpi, Prabhuling and national award winner P.R. Pandu. In the Group Folk Dance competition, Lakshmi and her team bagged the first prize of ₹10,000 and a certificate, Sanju and team won the second prize of ₹7,000 and Gayatri and team the third prize of ₹5,000. In the Folk Song category, the Shadakshari team secured the first prize of ₹10,000, Shwetha team won the second with ₹7,000 and Pratiksha team the third with ₹5,000. Assistant Director of the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports Somasekhar Y., Student Welfare Officer Shrimant Holkar, Dean of Undergraduate Arts Vijaykumar Salimani, undergraduate Science faculty member Davalappa, cultural coordinator Balabhim Sangli, staff secretary Ravindra Kumar Bhandari and other deans, professors and students attended the event.
