Campus notes: NSS volunteers visit old-age home

Youngsters should become the reason for spreading love, care and affection and this should be one’s prime duty. This was stated by Dr Karuna, the officiating principal of Maharaja Agrasen College, Jagadhri, while sending a group of NSS volunteers, led by Gourav Bareja and Dr Usha, for their monthly visit, to the old-age home in Jagadhri. It was important to sensitise students to take care of the elders, the principal added. She said visits to the old-age homes gave the inmates a chance to share their feelings and emotions with students and, at the same time, it gave students a chance to feel the pain of living alone. The inmates of the old-age home recited poems and songs along with the volunteers.

Research methodology field visit

Mahendragarh: A field visit was organised for the participants of the research methodology course for social science research organised by the Department of Psychology at the Central University of Haryana. Participants enriched their academic journey through immersive field-based learning. The workshop is sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi. Vice-Chancellor Tankeshwar Kumar exhorted the participants to “learn from the field, listen to people’s lived realities, and attempt to solve the pressing challenges of society through research”. Under the guidance of Vishnu Narayan Kucheria, course director, and Payal Kanwar Chandel, course co-director, the participants embarked on a field visit to Pilani, Rajasthan, a region known for its educational heritage, rural development initiatives and community engagement programmes. The visit included interactions with local NGOs, community workers and faculty at institutions such as BITS-Pilani and the Birla Rural Technology Centre. Participants also explored the traditional socio-cultural dynamics of rural Rajasthan and the impact of educational initiatives on local development. The day concluded with a group discussion session where participants shared insights gained from the field and connected their observations with methodological frameworks in social science research.

Ambedkar Jayanti celebrated

Mahendragarh: The Central University of Haryana commemorated Ambedkar Jayanti with a celebration on the theme “Dr BR Ambedkar’s Thoughts: A Beacon of Hope for India’s Youth”. The event highlighted the enduring relevance of Dr Ambedkar’s ideas and his vision for a just and equitable society. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Pawan Kumar Sharma shared his reflections on the educational journey and inspiring legacy of Dr Ambedkar. He emphasised the significance of Ambedkar’s life as a model of resilience, intellect and commitment to social justice. In her address, the chief guest, Kalpana Kannabiran from the Council for Social Development, Hyderabad, focused on Dr Ambedkar’s contributions across multiple disciplines, including social anthropology, economics, political science, law and public administration. She described Ambedkar’s sociological imagination and philosophical insights as “oceans within oceans”, capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges of society through the lens of intersectionality. Dr Krishnaswamy Dara, an expert speaker from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, offered insights into the concept of caste and highlighted how Dr Ambedkar utilised political theory and republicanism to articulate the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. His talk emphasised the transformative potential of Ambedkar’s political thought.

Teachers’ training programme

Mahendragarh: The Government of India and UGC launched the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme with a projection for developing and equipping university and college teachers with new work skills, domains and disciplinary advancements. The mission aims to align all teachers with new-age skills to improve capacity building in the light of NEP-2020. The outcome of this capacity-building training will be the metamorphosis of higher education in terms of Indian values, teaching, research, publication, patents and institutional development. In this regard, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, organised an orientation and sensitisation programme through the online mode under programme. Vice-Chancellor Tankeshwar Kumar inaugurated the programme. MMTTC Director Parmod Kumar welcomed the participants and briefed them about the sessions. Manisha Pandey and Tarun Kumar from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences were the programme coordinators.

Haryana Tribune