SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Frazer Andrade
Visionary Youth for Developed Bharat: - Ideas, Innovations and Institutions as Enablers”, a two-day Youth Centric Convention, was held at the Pilar Pilgrim Centre, Pilar on March 22nd and 23rd.. The convention aimed to bring youth from institutions of higher learning across India and their educators and mentors to explore ideas on how institutions of higher learning can be stepping stones for visionary youth who can play an important role in empowering India into an advanced country in the years to come. This was a program organized jointly by the Carmel College of Arts, Science and Commerce for Women and the Fr. Agnel College of Arts & Commerce, Pilar along with the Xavier Board of Higher Education, (XBHEI) Bangalore and was powered by Herald as the media partner and Herald Universe of Creativity as the knowledge partner. In total, 18 colleges namely Mount Carmel College Autonomous Bangalore; College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan -Mumbai; Holy Cross College (Autonomous) Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu; Carmel College of Arts Science and Commerce for Women Nuvem-Goa; College of Social Work (Autonomous) Nirmala Niketan – Mumbai; Dayanad Sagar Academy of Technology and Management – Bangalore; St Joseph's University – Bangalore; St Aloysius Deemed to be University- Mangalore; St. Teresa's College – Ernakulam; St. Claret College, Bangalore; M.E.S Vasant Joshi College of Arts and Commerce -Zuarinagar; Don Bosco College- Panjim, St. Agnes College Autonomous Mangalore; Providence Women's College, Calicut; Rosary College of Commerce and Arts, Navelim; Christ University, Banglore; Fr. Agnel College of Arts & Commerce, Pilar- Goa and Nirmala Institute of Education – Panjim, participated in the said convention. Christ University, St. Joseph's University, and St. Aloysius deemed to be University were among the institutions which participated.
The convention began with a welcome address by Rev Fr Fredrick Rodrigues which was followed by a prayer and a symbolic gesture of watering a budding plant by the dignitaries. Dr. Sr. Teresa CSST, Secretary General of the Xavier Board of Higher Education in India, Bangalore spoke about the concept of Ideas, Innovations and Institutions as Enablers of students. The students of the Carmel College of Arts, Science and Commerce for Women, then performed a thematic dance appreciated by all. The chief guest Mangirish Salelkar, CEO and Co. founder of the Umang Group, then addressed the gathering who among other things, mentioned that ‘our educational system teaches our students to rattofy i.e. by heart what they learn’. Prof. Dr. R.Venkata Rao, Vice Chancellor, India International University of Legal Education and Research, Sancoale-Goa, delivered the keynote address.
Three interactive guest lectures were then conducted. Dr. Vishnu Tunuguntla, Professor, Operations and Information Technology at Goa Institute of Management spoke on ‘Digitalization of Higher Education and AI- Benefits, Pitfalls and the Road Ahead.’ Prof. Clement D’Souza, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, St. Joseph’s University, Bangalore, enlightened those gathered on the topic “Critical Thinkers or Passive Learners? What are we producing in our educational institutions?”. He ended his session with a question that left everyone thinking. He said, ‘If not me, who? And if not now, when?’. Mr. Manoj Louis, Assistant Professor at the Government First Grade College, Mangalore, gave a stakeholders’ perspective on NEP-2020 and its role in spurring innovation and entrepreneurship. He said, ‘Teachers need to pick up the skill of presenting their teaching to students’. Further he also stressed on the need to celebrate life and time irrespective of whether it is a Monday or a Saturday and that every student needs to keep the process of thinking differently going on.
Post lunch, the students of Fr. Agnel College, Pilar pulled off a breathtaking musical instrumental performance. The participating youth representing various colleges competed in “Sparklers: Brighten Tomorrow with Great Ideas Today” which was an innovative idea presentation competition. Some of the topics touched by the participants were innovative tourism, pet adoption using a mobile app and so on. For the Sparklers competition, the first place was begged by the Mount Carmel, the second place was awarded to the College of Social work Nirmala Niketan and the third place was bagged by the Christ University “Trailblazers: Leading with Innovation” was a campus innovation presentation competition which showcased innovations of the participating educational institutions, individually. In this, each team was given a chance to present their topic for five minutes which was followed by a Q&A session. For Trailblazers, The College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan, The College of Social work Nirmala Niketan and The Rosary College of Arts and Commerce secured the first, second and third place respectively.
Day two of the convention began with a brilliant cultural dance performance by the students of Fr. Agnel College, Pilar. A panel discussion on the theme, Institutional Transition from Degree Producers to Visionary Youth Enablers-Plans and Strategies”, was then held under the moderation of Prof. Manoj Kamat, Principal of DCT’s SS Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Panjim-Goa. The panel consisted of six panellists namely Sudeep Faldesai, Project Officer, Goa State Innovation Council; Hemant Madegowda, CSR Head of Bangalore International Airport; Dr Kunal Korgaonkar, Asst. Professor, BITS Pilani, Goa Campus; Dr. Radhika Nayak, former principal of Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Mr. Ashutosh Kharangate, Founder and Managing Director of MARC and Prof. Joy Chowdury, Vice President, Herald group, New initiatives. The discussion was based on the effects of technology on the thinking process of youth, facts such as one’s score in examinations is not the sole determinant of employment, the need to conduct an aptitude test for students in the very beginning, and finally the need to be a good human being.
Prof. Joy Chowdury then had an interactive session with the youth about the role of skill based dynamic certificate courses and overall holistic skill building. Critical thinking is one of the many topics that Mr. Joy touched upon. ‘There is a need to create holistically developed students’, he said, expressing his concern. Dr. Anna Rovina Fernandes, Convention Convenor, then proposed the final vote of thanks, after which in the afternoon half, Experiential learning sessions at the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory of Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC) and at the Forum of Innovation, Incubation, Research and Entrepreneurship (FIIRE), Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fátorda, were an add-on to the experience of the participants engaging in the two-day convention which was well received and had a participation of over 200 participants inclusive of students and faculty from different colleges and Universities across the nation.
