Campus Watch
Obedient HPU administration on ‘National Unity Day’
SHIMLA- Today, for the first time, 31 October was celebrated as the birth anniversary of less known accomplice of Mahatma Gandhi – Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel- the ‘Iron Man of India’. Earlier, for 29 years, it was Indira Gandhi who was remembered on this day. Also, the date goes back to anti-sikh riots of 1984 in which over 3,000 people were killed (mostly sikhs). The families of the victims are still wandering for justice.
As directed by the PM, like every institute or office, Himachal Pradesh University employees and students, who appeared to have been dragged to the VC office, read a text on a paper written under the title, “Rashtriya Ekta diwas Pledge’ (National Unity Oath). Not more than 100 people gathered including teaching, non-teaching staff and students.
It’s almost two months that HPU students are suffocating due to the strict police vigilance under section 144. The democratic values and principles were torn apart by the Govt. by misusing the state police. Even the dignity of female students was literally abused by Shimla Police under the command of Shimla Police SP DW Negi. What kind of unity pledge going to change the things when the Govt. is turning our own police against us?
However, as BJP leaders claimed, the purpose was to remind of the need to revive, reaffirm the strength and resilience of India. Although, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was a less known INC leader, but still the congress leaders aren’t happy with the ignorance towards the day when the first and only female PM of India was assassinated.
Media, as always, lingered to the one in power and obeyed the directions. They pushed Indira Gandhi to back- pages. With plane faces, devoid of any intrinsic desire to do so, almost everywhere the day was projected to have been dedicated to the Iron Man of India. Narendra Modi is desperate to replace the predators feeding on Gandhian name with his own. He had announced a budget of 2 billion rupees to build a colossal statute of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. We would consider it a waste in a nation where one-third of children and their mothers are victims of malnutrition. Statues always tempted politicians more than the suffering of the people.
Hypocrisy is the irony of our nation. It’s a political legacy. For example, the new Govt. is claiming to cut down the wastage of money on Govt. officials, political leaders, and their lavishness using public money, and on the same time, today, 100-crore were spent on the oath ceremony of Maharashtra’s new CM, Devendra Fadnavis, at Wankhede Stadium. The PM himself attended the ceremony with other 30,000 present at the stadium. When the opposition criticized this step, BJP justified it by mocking at how Congress looted the state of decades, like it’s their turn now.
Remembrance of the dead with a holiday is commonplace in India. One is reverence of ancestors long after they are dead, but there are some names which are highlighted for their contribution to the struggle against British colonial rule. Some of them are being exploited, squeezed to extreme to juice up political carriers.
However, this year, the trend is set in motion for a change. More than respect and honoring the idols, it’s more a psychological game of association of these idols with specific group of people.
No doubt, the freedom fighters must be remembered for what they gave us – freedom from slavery to the British, but we must not let politicians exploit them for their party or personal interests.
The comprehension of the concept behind celebrating the days after great names has always and is still missing among Indian folks. We are quite sure that no political party, especially the one in power, would actually ever mean to inspire people to unite, because if it happens, then it’ll be a great trouble for corrupt politicians. So, the ‘Nation Unity Day’ or National Unity Run, or the pledge isn’t going to change anything unless and until we wake up from the illusionary world of political dramas.
More than following ceremonies, we need to peep deep into the abyss and try to figure out how to best use the life -experiences of these great leaders.
Photo Credits: Tarun Sharma
Solan: Naincy Sagar, an alumna of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni has bagged a fellowship for pursuing PhD from France. Nancy has reached France and will be pursuing PhD in Forest Genetics from the University of Orléans under INRAE fellowship. INRAE is France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Naincy has completed her BSc Forestry from College of Horticulture and Forestry (COH&F), Neri in 2018 and MSc Forest Biology and Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources from UAS, Dharwad, under ICAR’s National Talent Scheme. Before leaving for France last week, Naincy was working as a Junior Research Fellow in a research project at COH&F, Neri.
She had applied for a PhD with a scholarship in Forest Genetics which was advertised by INRAE. Naincy was successful in the interview and was awarded a fellowship for three years for pursuing PhD at the University of Orléans. During the course of the PhD, she will receive a total scholarship of around Rs 70 lakh along with medical reimbursement. Naincy will be working on forest tree larch species in the Project titled ‘Vigour at what cost? ‘Trade-off’ of hybrid vigour in Larch-Phenological, morphological and physiological determinants of hybrid superiority in Larix X eurolepis’ with a team of 20 scientists of Joint Integrated Biology Research Unit having expertise in genetics, genomics and physiology for the enhancement of tree and forest diversity
Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of the university spoke to Naincy via web conferencing and congratulated her. Dr. Kaushal, who has also done his doctorate from France, shared some tips and suggestions. He asked Naincy to explore this opportunity to learn about new cultures along with doing research that could help to enhance and conserve forest wealth in the future.
Naincy expressed gratitude towards her father Satya Prakash Sagar (Retd. SDO BSNL) and mother Monika Sagar, who is working as SDO in BSNL for their continuous support for higher studies. She also thanked Vice-Chancellor Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Dean Dr. Kamal Sharma and Dr. Dushyant Sharma, Project Investigator and all the university staff for their support and guidance. The university administration, Dean of COH&F Neri congratulated Naincy and wished her success.
Shimla-Dates for admissions to undergraduate courses for the session 2021-22 in colleges affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University has been extended, which has come as a relief to not only those students who were seeking fresh enrollments in the first year but also to the students of the second and third year.
The varsity informed that the decision was taken after considering requests received from various students regarding the same.
Now, willing students can apply for enrollment in both government and private colleges till 5 PM, October 25, 2021.
This extension of date would benefit students who recently passed supplementary exams or those students of the second and third-year who had missed admission due to delay in declaration of their previous results.
Solan– Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has extended the last date for applying to various Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral programmes in Horticulture, Forestry, Biotechnology, Agribusiness and Business Management. Applicants can submit their complete online application on the university’s admission portal till 18th October.
The normal seats of BSc (Hons) Horticulture, BSc (Hons) Forestry and B Tech Biotechnology will be filled on the basis of scorecard of ICAR-AIEEA (UG) 2021.
Admissions to MSc, MBA (Agribusiness) and PhD (for normal and self-financing seats) will also be conducted on the scorecard of ICAR AIEEA (PG) and AICE-JRF/SRF respectively. Students who have appeared in the ICAR-AIEEA 2021 for UG and PG, or AICE-JRF/SRF examination and are interested in seeking admission, such students must fill the university online application form before 18th October. Undergraduate aspirants who have not appeared in the ICAR test can however apply for the self-financing seats for B Sc and B Tech Biotechnology programmes run by the university by filling the online application on the university website.
The university has also advised the registered candidates to submit complete online application forms along with online payment acknowledgement slip before the due date. The schedule for online counselling will be announced by the University on the website after the declaration of the ICAR examination result. Application forms other than online mode will not be accepted.
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