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VAISHNAVI SOOD

Depleting levels of fossil fuels and air pollution are a major concern for environmentalists around the world and a lot of emphases is being put on biofuels and renewable resources. Biodiesel seems to be just the right solution for meeting the energy requirements of the future.

In their attempts to find a low cost and eco-friendly process for the production of biodiesel from biowaste, researchers in the School of Biotechnology are working on biodiesel derived from a microalgae species, Chlorella pyrenoidosa utilizing Dairy wastewater as natural feedstock for the algae.

Dr Sourabh Kulshreshtha, Dean, Research and Development said, “A lot of research is going on around the world on biodiesel and utilising waste for biodiesel production and it has been reported as a renewable, green fuel with better engine emission properties.”

He added that biodiesel is expensive as compared to conventional diesel but researchers are working towards reducing its pricing. Microalgae-derived biodiesel has also emerged as a sustainable third-generation biofuel accepted worldwide.

He said, “Microalgae derived biodiesel is a step towards the sustainable supply of liquid fuel to drive the world economies and our research is distinctive because we have obtained better yield utilising dairy wastewater as feedstock.”

He shared that the physicochemical properties of the biodiesel produced were also analysed and compared with the petrodiesel and biodiesel produced from microalgae grown in chemical fog’s medium using standard analytical methods. All the engine parameters were found to be well within the range of international standards.

The results demonstrated that the engine performance parameters and emission parameters of the biodiesel produced were better than the conventional petrodiesel with a significant reduction in emission of Carbon dioxide. Further, it was also found to be consistent with biodiesel produced from microalgae grown in chemical fog’s medium but the formation of Nitrogen oxide (NOx) for B100 biodiesel from microalgae grown in dairy wastewater medium was found to be in line with petrodiesel ~ 356 ppm as per one of the limiting factors of using biodiesel as a fuel.

A provisional patent entitled ‘Low cost and eco-friendly process for the production of biodiesel from biowaste’ was filed by Dr Saurabh Kulshreshtha and Sunny Bindra recently. Dr Kulshreshtha is working as a Professor in the School of Biotechnology while Sunny was one of his PhD students.

Dr Kulshreshtha also shared that the university is planning to set up a pilot-scale plant for biodiesel production and subsequent commercialization. But, he also noted that it is going to take time and they will be filing the complete application for the patent by the end of this month itself.

MANSI GUPTA

“I am not a woman, I am a super woman”. That’s what Mx Dhananjay Chauhan, who is the first ever transgender to get admission in Panjab University, Chandigarh, said while delivering a lecture in the campus.

Mx is a term used before the name of people who don’t want to specify their gender. She talked about her difficult journey after turning into a transgender. She is pursuing PhD from Panjab University and is university topper as well as a researcher. She has been working with different NGOs for transgender welfare.

She said she was just 4 to 5 years old when she found out she wasn’t living in her own body. It was just her soul that was trapped in a wrong body. She was 7 years old when she confessed to her parents that she needs to get her gender changed. Her parents got a shock and tried to talk her out. People started calling her mad and believed that she was possessed by some evil spirit.

There came a phase in her life when Dhananjay was even sexually abused not only by her friends, but even by her own cousins after which she developed suicidal tendencies and even attempted suicide twice. There also came a point when she got confused whether she was attracted more towards girls or boys but finally showed her attraction towards boys.

She said when everyone started avoiding her after she got converted into a transgender that she felt alive. With the help of books, she herself indulged in reading and made books her best friend, because they never laughed back at her as everyone else.

She pointed out that the transgenders had got no identity till 2014. She said: “When we were given equal importance and identity in the society during ancient time, why is it not happening now? Rather transgenders have been reduced to begging. We want back our respect, identity and place”, she added. The talk ended well with Dhananjay’s classical song performance.

SNL NEWS SERVICE

A 6-day workshop on new and innovative techniques in the field of Chemistry was held in Shoolini University campus. The workshop focused on High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), techniques with wide applications.

It was inaugurated by Shoolini University Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla. Scientists at the University have created an exciting new way to learn about these two most powerful techniques in the analytical laboratory. The workshop was organised by the School of Chemistry under the Chairmanship of Dr Neeraj Gupta.

About 150 delegates participated in the workshop were exposed to exciting science and innovative skills in the world of liquid phase separation science and analysis. Addressing the participants, Head of Research Dr. Saurabh Kulsherstha said the workshop was of great benefit to the scientific community.

Dr. Neeraj Gupta, Chairman of the workshop, said GC can be used for reaction monitoring and combined with mass spectrometry. The overall goal of the training programme would lead to a multitude of careers in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, life science, food science, forensic science and biotechnology, Dr Gupta added.

RONIKA ANGELINA

Ankit Dabral, an alumnus of Shoolini University, says that his stay in the University when he pursued B.Com (Hons) and MBA (Finance), helped “me to understand myself more” and gave him the strength to face the world with confidence.

Describing the University as his pillar of strength, Ankit said he has fond memories of the wonderful time spent in the campus. Besides being serious about his studies, he also got a chance to represent the University in an inter-University Table Tennis competition.

Ankit, who studied at St. Luke’s Solan, got placed from Shoolini University with ‘ICICI Securities’ as an Investment Advisor in Chandigarh for 2 years. He also worked with State Bank of India, Ludhiana as an Assistant Manager for 2 years with working with YES Bank as a Relationship Manager at Solan. He is also pursuing CFP i.e., Certified Financial Planner course.

His hobbies include singing, playing indoor and outdoor games and gardening, as he is very fond of greenery and the nature around him. He recalled the contributions of various teachers during his B.Com. and MBA who shaped his academic career. These included the then dean of Business Management department was Prof Bhushan Nidda and the faculty members Dr. Kesari Singh and Prof Nitin Gupta. “The University has always been a pillar of my success”, he added.

Mr Vipin Pubby, Director, External Communications, Shoolini University, who also heads the Journalism and Mass Communication Department of the University, has a wide experience of 40 years in the field of Journalism. He is a former Resident Editor of The Indian Express. In an interview, he spoke on various aspects of the field and University’s Journalism programme to VAISHNAVI SOOD. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Please tell me something about yourself and your professional background.

I am a practising journalist with around 40 years of experience. I have covered all the major news hotspots in the country including the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Punjab. Very few journalists get the opportunity to cover them all during their careers. I have worked for around 36 years with The Indian Express. For around 18 years I was Resident Editor of the newspaper in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Chandigarh.

After such an illustrious career, what prompted you to get into academics?

I had a good share of experience in journalism during my career but I was keen to give back to society. Thus, post-retirement I decided to join an academic institution and began to look out for the ones that were sincere and passionate about Education.

Shoolini seemed like just the right spot for mentoring young journalists. It is not a university that is being run for earning profits and the top management is passionate about quality education. They give a free hand to professionals like me to work and allow us to undertake various initiatives. I want to give the students more practical inputs and hands-on experience rather than confining them to theoretical knowledge.

How has been your experience of working with Shoolini so far and how different was it for you to work with an academic institution?

It has been two years since I joined Shoolini University. I am thoroughly loving the experience and it is professionally satisfying when I receive appreciation for the various initiatives that I have taken.

What are some of the major things that are being done at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication?

A fortnightly Newsletter and Shoolini Campus Radio was started during the last two years to provide hands-on training to the students. Shoolini Newsletter is being run majorly by the students of Journalism and Mass Communication while others are welcome to contribute. Our major objective is that after completing their graduation, the students would be ready to join the industry as full-fledged journalists. Moreover, because of my long career in the media industry, I have personal connections across the spectrum so we shall guide and assist them in getting jobs in the medium of their own interest.

What are your future plans for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication?

We have already launched the in-house campus radio this year where the students are being taught to draft scripts and how to speak on air. Students from other departments also come in a big way to Shoolini Radio and present programmes as Radio Jockeys. We plan to later convert it into community radio. We have also planned to start with our TV studio by the end of this month.

Further, the school is also planning to start a postgraduate diploma programme from the upcoming session and graduates from all the streams will be eligible to join the programme. It will include 11 months of training in the university and a month of internship with any of the media companies. It would be a comprehensive programme where students will be taught about various tools of Journalism from print and electronic media to the latest tools of digital media.

What do you think is the scope and job prospects in the field of Journalism?

The unregulated social media has led to a lot of fake news. Thus, objectivity in news is the need of a future for which professionally trained journalists will be required who shall be better equipped to authenticate their stories. The current scenario also shows that the media houses cannot have a great shelf life if they start losing credibility as the viewers tend to get put off by their clear bias and lack of objectivity.

What are the changes and evolution of the media industry in the last few decades?

I believe the biggest advantage for the new journalists is the availability of technology at such low costs and its accessibility to all. It has also brought in a lot of opportunities and has made their work a lot easier. In our times when I began, newsgathering was one thing and its dissemination and filing stories from various regions of the country was yet another task but now the technology has immensely improved. This also entails that the competition in the media industry that they have to face is huge. Moreover, one also needs to be more responsible. I personally believe that RTI is probably the biggest tool in the hands of the journalists of today but unfortunately very few of them are utilizing it.

Why do you think Journalism aspirants from across the country should join Shoolini and what makes the course offered here different from the curriculum of similar courses in other universities?

Being mentored by a practising journalist and strong emphasis on practical journalism is something that makes the journalism programme of Shoolini University unique. Further, we also look from an industry perspective and try to guide them accordingly.

During my time as a resident editor and being in a hiring position for many years, I always felt that there is a huge disconnect between journalism schools and media houses. The journalism students that came for internships usually had a lot of theoretical knowledge but often had no clues about the practical aspects of journalism. Many of them were very poor in current affairs which are crucial for being a journalist.

Thus, at Shoolini we have tried to design the curriculum in a way that helps in the overall development of the students including current affairs.

MBA student Karan Saini, a certified Nutritionist and Body Transformation expert, who has also launched his own fitness brand talked about his journey in an interview with SHAINA CHAUHAN. Excerpts:

What has motivated you the most towards fitness?

I have two reasons for that – I was very fat and people made fun of me. I wanted to change myself. Secondly, I wanted a hobby where I get a good return from what I invest in, so I went for bodybuilding.

Some insight about your transformation?

Initially, I just started with fat loss, but once I saw the results, it became an addiction for me. I started with 1-2 hours of workouts in the gym. Now my lifestyle is 2 hours’ work out in the morning and a similar workout in the evening. The bodybuilding lifestyle is the toughest one to follow, and I love to do tough things.

Tell me something about your diet?

My diet keeps changing, it depends upon my goal. It is a Calorie-surplus diet during size gaining season and calorie deficient diet during my fat shedding season. I do prefer wholesome foods like eggs, chicken, cheese, milk, curd, veggies, fruits, potatoes, bananas, soya beans etc. The supplements I use include whey protein which is made from milk.

What kind of struggles you faced during your transformation phase?

As I hail from a rural area where people are less aware of such things, my family also supported me very little in this. Among the sacrifices, I made include investing all of my pocket money, time, energy, tears, emotions into fitness for the last 4 years. I haven’t even celebrated my birthday for the last 4 years. I faced a lot of problems but by God’s grace now things are changing.

What are your achievements so far in fitness?

I had participated in Mr Himachal bodybuilding in 2k17. My position was in the top ten, besides a few powerlifting competitions as well. Now I’m preparing for Mr Himachal 2019.

What was the basic idea behind starting your own fitness brand?

Since I’m into fitness for the past 4 years, I have become a Certified Nutritionist and Body Transformation Expert. So I decided to open my own fitness brand. Rising Alphas( Opc) Private Limited which has been launched recently. My mission is to create Himachal into a fitness hub. I want to generate more awareness about fitness among people, which lacks in Himachal Pradesh.

Any message for students?

I want to say that youth should stop the use of drugs and alcohol. My mission is to create a drug-free environment in Himachal and convert Himachal into a fitness hub. So let’s join hands together in this mission. Eat good, stay fit, stay healthy

VIKRAM KUMAR

What are the expectations of the youth from political leaders contesting the ensuing elections? We find out by talking to a cross section of students at Shoolini University on the campus:

Nitika Sharma (B.Com (Hons) Sem-2)

The major problems such as unclean environment, exploitation of farmers and threat to women are not being paid enough attention. The nation can not be uplifted till we tackle the social evils existing in our society, as an economy is made by both males and females. So, I expect the future government to look into these matters and introduce new and reformed measures for the women in the society.

Sarthak Bhardwaj (BBA Sem-2)

Discrimination on the grounds of gender, caste, creed or any other criteria should be stopped. The punishment for rape should be severe. A strict check should be kept on bribery and under table acceptances. Pollution control programmes should be enforced. Free medicines and timely health checkups for the unprivileged people should be conducted and the staff supplying drugs to people should be monitored.

Sneha Singh (BSc Microbiology Sem-2)

We want development for ourselves and our future generations so that the scope for the improvement in our lifestyle increases. Hence for a better and happy future we must vote a deserving candidate as that would actually help us in fulfilling our dreams. The politicians should only make those promises which are realistic. They should focus on making better strategies rather than better salaries.

Vanshika Sharma (MSc Biotechnology Sem-2)

We all need a better and secure future. Just look back five years from now when really needed a leader who could make our country strong. Now see the change around us – the surgical strike, the Pulwama revenge and many other things are a proof of the “ache din” in our country. So I think this time too we need to elect a strong leader and expect the leader to meet all the expectations of the people for growth in the country.

Saurabh Sharma (B.Com (Hons) Sem-2)

We have seen a lot of development in the past few years. I just wish that whosoever our next prime minister might be, he or she would focus only on the development of our country. Initiatives should be taken to develop tourism and focus should be kept on economic growth. Unemployment is a major problem which we all are facing, so our future leader should provide job opportunities to the youth.

Vaishali Sharma (B.Sc. Biotechnology Sem-6)

The first thing that I want our leaders to be concerned with is unemployment among the youth. The economy has been less successful at creating jobs, so the government needs to provide better employment opportunities. Improving standards of education should also be a priority. Besides, the leaders should work on issues like public health instead of letting down each other.

SHAINA CHAUHAN

Pretty Baglat, a student in Master Degree in Computer Science, shares her experience abroad as an exchange student. Pretty, who belongs to Shimla, said she always dreamt to study abroad.

“During my graduation itself I started looking for opportunities abroad under the student exchange programme or short term internships. I got this opportunity now and luckily I was selected to study under student exchange programme at University of Naples, Federico II, Italy”.

It is the first time that she travelled outside the country and recalls how after landing in Naples, she had mixed emotions of being excited and nervous at the same time. She said it was a total cultural shock and very overwhelming as her dream had come true.

“I was awe struck with the first experience in Naples” she said and recounted how she felt handicapped due to complete lack of knowledge about the Italian language. Her next shock, or rather surprise, was the typical Italian food i.e Pizza and Pasta and many other dishes about which she had never heard earlier. Streets have open but covered sitting places outside cafe bars, pizzerias and restaurants which is not so common in India.

Asked how that country was different from India, she said the entire atmosphere was different. “Almost all European countries, but especially Italy, have preserved their ancient ruins, architectures, museums and other historical places as they were” she says but regretted that in India neither the government nor the people make sincere efforts to preserve our ancient historical architectures. “Then, first Sunday of every month is free to visit any historical museum or other places, which I have never seen in India”.

She described Italy as extremely beautiful, with stunning scenic beauty and a rich tradition of art and culture. Talking about the Education system, Pretty said that, it was very flexible in terms of exams schedule and few hours of lectures in a week which gives enormous amount of time for self-study. “Nice, kind and very helpful people around me have made my stay wonderful”, she added.

Her faculty in-charge is Professor Ettore Napoli. On being asked about the teaching style she said most professors teach via power-point presentations and each subject has some hours in a week whereas for the rest of the week students can either go for part time job or/and self- study based on their projects and courses. Among the places she has so far visited are Royal Palace of Naples Lungomare/Mergilina, Centro storico, Bagnioli, Castel del Nuovo, Vomero and National archeological museum of Naples.

Among her new friends there are Claudia, Pratibha and others. She said that apart from academics, such cultural exchange programmes make you more independent and self-reliant. These make you learn so many new things, face new challenges in terms of new language barrier and communication.

Vice-Chancellor Prof PK Khosla spoke on a wide variety of topics including the rankings and future plans of the Shoolini University in an interview with KHYAATI SHARMA. Excerpts from the interview:

How much is Shoolini University away from achieving its target of being among the top 200 Global Universities by 2022?

The vision for Shoolini was conceived when I heard former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam saying that none of the Indian Universities is in the top 200 list of the global rankings. We have a well-thought-of plan to follow in the next three years to achieve its target. It is achievable. We will do it for sure.

What is the importance of research for the university to be in the global rankings?

Shoolini is focusing on the Times Higher Education (THE) International system of rankings in which 60 per cent marks are for research. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, research influence, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

Any university that gets at least 50 per cent marks in the field of research will get on the list of top 200 global universities. In THE ranking system, there are two units of research viz. Citation Research and general research both contribute 30 per cent each to the criteria of rankings. With a 1.89 citation index, Shoolini is already the third-best in the country. For the global ranking system, the university requires a field index of 2.2 and we are not far from that.

What do you feel are the challenges for Shoolini to operate at the global level?

I believe there are four major challenges for Shoolini in terms of global rankings. The first is reputation. Since we are still a young university, it takes time to establish the name of the institution. Secondly, the industry-academia partnership is very important and we are developing this area for the better future of the students. Also, the international students and faculty studying and working in universities matter a lot.

We already have many international students and about two dozen international teachers working on the campus but I believe, we need to focus more on international relations. We need at least 40 teachers in the next three years. Lastly, getting extramural grants for the university remains a big challenge too and it is the main focus. The university has already been granted a fund of Rs 30 crore in the last three years.

Why are other Universities not doing it?

The first reason for this, I believe, is that the University is led by persons who are determined and passionate to make it. As the VC, I spend more than half of my time thinking of making it a better place to study, grow and live! In rankings, you compete with your own self. In the Indian system of rankings, there is more focus on quantity whereas, in the international ranking system, quality is what matters the most.

Talking about the new session, are there any new courses planned for this year?

Yes, we are starting some new programmes. Besides PhD in Yoga, we are adding Master’s and doctoral programmes to the Agricultural Sciences. We recently started the Hotel Management, Yoga, English and Law and plan to start a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism.

Which courses are the most popular among new students?

Pharmacy and MBA are two very popular and sought-after courses for the students seeking admissions. Also, biotech and other research-based courses gain much attention.

What is the current scenario of the placements of 2019?

Like every year, students are placed with good companies. This year we are doing even better. Various companies are queuing up to pick up students for jobs. Even Engineering students from our University are getting good placement offers. I believe that there are five parameters that are essential for any student to get a good job i.e. physical personality (grooming), communication skills both in Hindi and English, aptitude, managerial capabilities, and expertise in the subject concerned.

RONIKA ANGELINA

A two-day theatre workshop conducted by Ankur Saxena, a Yavanikan from Yavanika Theatre Society, National School of Drama in the University campus, proved to be a fun and learning exercise. It was a comprehensive workshop that covered physical body movements, voice connection, working with objects, props and sound.

The participants got to learn how to move the upper part of body while keeping the lower part still and vice versa. They were also assigned with a task of writing a poem and recite it in front of everyone present so as to boost their confidence and to overcome anxiety. Saxena said, “Physical warm-up is very essential so as to keep focus on what you are doing and experiencing”.

On being asked about the future of theatres from the perspective of electronic and social media influence he said, “Theatre is an institution at the heart of world cultures for millennia. It now confronts unmatched challenges in a rapidly evolving society.”

He added that, electronic and digital technologies have spawned an array of media, from 3D movies to crowd sourced videos like YouTube to smartphones to compete with stage. He along with his team would be analysing theatre productions with respect to theatre genres with electronic and social media.