Author: blog

Akanksha Srivastava

A corrosive trend that is increasingly growing among people is body shaming. It is quite common among people be it our relatives, friends or most importantly the strangers who are not even known to us.

Celebrities on body shaming

Shockingly enough, some people do think or believe that making a person feel ashamed about his or her body is a potent way of motivating one to transform one’s body and of course work harder to achieve this ‘miracle’. Even celebrities get trolled for their bodies. One example is of American Singer Kelly Clarkson who was targeted by the British TV personality Katie Hopkins, who tweeted, “Jesus! What happened to Kelly Clarkson? Did she eat all of her backing singers? Happily, I have widescreen”. Such comments lead to reduced self-esteem and increased insecurities among people specifically amongst today’s youth. There are people who just wish to curb your vibes, those who have all the time to judge others and no work to do, so they’ll just utter anything.

Many of us have been through this body shaming and may have stopped eating less than our regular diet just to grab the attention of others. When someone condemns our looks, we withdraw ourselves in shells and we hardly stand up against bullying. ‘They say and we listen, sometimes we feel angry, hurt and even numb’.

Film actor Sonakshi Sinha, in a video against body shaming, said that she has nothing to hide neither her curves nor her weight because she is not a number on the scale. She is there for a reason not to impress someone and that’s what makes her unique.

Why it happens?

Why does this happen? Why do we remain silent? Is it because we lack self-confidence? So here arises a very prominent question. What is a perfect body? Is it a handsome hunk with six-pack abs or a woman with an enviable zero size figure? A perfect body is a myth superimposed on us by society.

It is so surprising to find a 10 years old girl being worried about her figure? We need to understand that no one chooses a body they have and especially an unfit one by oneself. Now it’s time we stand up against all this bullying. Body shaming does not only mean making someone feel bad about their body but also means criticising your own appearance and comparing it with others. And of course, it arises from our own insecurities.

Media also influences our perceptions to look slimmer or fairer. Does it really mean that only whites can create fairy tales? Slapping our faces with a variety of creams we often fail to realise that chocolate brown can also create fairy tales.

If you are willing to do something, nothing can stop you from touching the stars. Body shaming is a deplorable practice that must be avoided at all costs. Let’s practice it by being our own lovers.

Shaina Chauhan, Bandana Thakur, Komal Kashyap

For the student MBA volunteers associated with the NGO, YouWeCan, it has been a wonderful and unforgettable experience. Some of those actively involved with its philanthropic activities say it has been a turning point in their lives.

YouWeCan, a non-profit organisation was set up in 2009 by Cricket icon Yuvraj Singh, who is a cancer survivor and who had made a remarkable return to the Indian national cricket team after fighting cancer. Shoolini University’s YouWeCan team works under the guidance of Ms Poonam Nanda. She is the Dean Students Welfare at Shoolini University and is herself a cancer survivor.

Members of the team recall some memorable moments. For instance, at a camp organised in Kasauli Cantonment, they faced serious linguistic barriers as those attending the camp were families of army personnel from Tamil Nadu. They had to take the help of sign language to ‘converse’. Rajnish Modgil, who belongs to Amritsar and is pursuing a degree in Bachelors in Technology with a specialisation in Computer Science, was prompted to join the organisation after his uncle, who was just 28, succumbed to cancer. “It took the family a long time to recover from the huge loss,” he said. This led him to try and help others, particularly with the early detection of the disease. “My family is fully supporting my efforts”, he added. Rajnish said that his association with the NGO has brought numerous changes in his lifestyle and he has gained tremendous confidence.

Another volunteer with the organisation, Aastha Sahni, who is pursuing MBA in finance and marketing, lost her father to cancer. Aastha, who belongs to Solan, says she can feel the pain of those suffering from cancer and of their family members.

“Working for YouWeCan provides me inner peace. I feel great to be a part of such a great social effort and I feel great to be blessed by those whom we are able to help”, she said and added that it has helped her to evolve as a better human being.

Nitesh, Coordinator of YouWeCan who is pursuing his MBA degree, said that he was motivated by Poonam Nanda Ma’am who not only fought cancer but had been helping others, particularly the poor who are fighting the disease. I love it when people bless us. I remember visiting one such patient, Kamla aunty who said “Mere khud ke bache aa gaye”.  And when we help someone they bless us by saying “Hamesha Zindagi me Kamyab raho.”

Nitesh, who hails from Bilaspur but whose family has settled in Solan, said the future plans of the Shoolini unit of YouWeCan include working towards a “cancer-free Himachal Pradesh”. Priyanka Thakur, who has completed BTech and is now a student of MBA, says it has been a great learning experience. She was the coordinator of the camp organised at Zirakpur in Punjab which received a huge response. “It is an amazing feeling when you give someone hopes of living life again”.

To be able to serve society, and that too from such an early age, is a privilege and honour for Ravi Verma, a student of MBA in Marketing. Ravi, who is from Giripul, a village in district Sirmaur, has also earlier worked for an NGO named ‘Younglinks’. Asked if his involvement with YouWeCan has impacted his life, he said yes it had brought in many changes in his life. Besides, “I have emerged as a public speaker and my presentation skills have considerably improved”, he added.

Shoolini University’s founder vice-chancellor?Prof. P K Khosla?was today honored by Panjab University as its outstanding alumni.
He was feted for his outstanding contributions in the field of forestry and higher education.
The honour was conferred on him during the Global gala Alumni meet in the University campus.
Accepting the honour, Prof Khosla said he would like to dedicate the award to his teachers and also to the staff and students of?Shoolini University.
Prof. Khosla, who has completed his B.Sc. (Hons) School from?Panjab University?has earned?Gold Medal in M. Sc. (Hons)?from the same University. Subsequently, he had completed his Ph.D. from Panjab University in 1968.

He is a former Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh?Agricultural University?and a former
Advisor Biotech to the Himachal Pradesh government. He subsequently led the founding of Shoolini University which is now rubbing shoulders with global universities in the field of research.
Prof. Khosla has been awarded the?Seth Memorial Award?– Society of Tree Scientists for Outstanding Achievement in Forestry and Life Time Achievement Award, Indian Society of True Scientists.
He is a Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India, Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding, India and International Society of Tropical – Foresters, USA. He is also Founder Secretary, Indian Society of True Scientists, India.

Himachal-based Shoolini University today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Formosa University of Taiwan.

The agreement aims to facilitate collaborations in research and exchange of student and faculty on reciprocal basis.

The MoU was signed by Shoolini University Vice Chancellor Prof P K Khosla and president of National Formosa University Prof Wen-Yuh Jywe who was accompanied by coordinator international affairs, Ms Jiang Pei-Rong.

The two universities would collaborate in spheres of students exchange, faculty exchange and higher study opportunities for Shoolini University students in Taiwan.

As per the agreement, every semester six students and faculty members from each side can visit and study in the partner university.

Faculty members and students would engage in joint research activities.

Prof Khosla said that the agreement would initially focus on Faculty of Engineering and Technology.

Earlier five MOUs were signed between Shoolini University with five different universities in Taiwan for exchange of students and joint research last month during the visit of Director, International Affairs Dr R P Dwivedi and Dr Rozy Dhanta, Assistant Director, International Affairs of Shoolini University.

The five universities were Asia University, Meiho University, Kaohsiung Medical University, National Taichung University of Education and National Chiayi University.

The Government of Punjab and research-based Shoolini University today agreed on the establishment of an international standard research university in the State of Punjab.

Documents pertaining to the expression of interest were exchanged during the Progressive Punjab Investors’ summit on the campus of?Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali between Punjab Secretary Employment generation Rahul Tiwari and?Shoolini University?Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla.

Punjab had invited Shoolini University to set up a campus in the State keeping in view the highly successful research-based focus of the University which has been an innovative path breaker in its field.

Shoolini University would make an investment of Rs 750 crore over a period of ten years and would provide direct and indirect employment to about 1500 persons, as per the understanding.
It would provide an opportunity and platform for Punjabi NRI scientists to come back and contribute to their state. Among other prominent academicians on the Board of their proposed university would be former Delhi University VC Dr. Dinesh Singh and former Director-General of Indian Council for Agricultural Research Dr. Raj Paroda besides eminent educationist and?Shoolini University Vice-Chancellor Prof. P K Khosla.

Prof Khosla said the proposed campus would provide a world-class education to over 5000 students with proven career and opportunities.
Besides, the proposed campus would provide for an incubation ecosystem for food processing, biotechnology and other related startups. It shall also lead research and innovation in key areas of concern for Punjab including water, food and cancer.

The ten-year-old University has also been recognized as one of the foremost patent filing educational institutions in India. The special areas of focus for Shoolini include BioSciences, food technology, Pharma sciences and cutting edge technology which are its priorities for research and education.

The Vice-Chancellor said that Solan-based Shoolini University would like to replicate the Shoolini model in the neighboring state of Punjab and added that it aims to make a sizeable impact on the students from smaller towns and villages of Punjab through world-class education, he added.

“The proposed university will be truly world-class and will have alliances with top global universities and institutions”, he added.
Shoolini University, which is a not-for-profit institution founded by trustees of Foundation for Life Sciences and Business Management, has a student strength of 3,850 students and is multidisciplinary with six faculties running over 70 programmes. The University, run by academics, is fully compliant and accredited.

Kriti Kailashi*

Yoga and meditation include a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated in ancient India. Yoga is a holistic way of energising and integrating our mind, body and spirit.

This ancient knowledge made applicable for modern times can be easily added to our daily routine resulting in a lasting experience of our true inner power and overall well-being. Yoga and meditation is a complementary health practise that is often considered a natural form of medicine.

The art of practising yoga and meditation helps in controlling an individual’s mind, body and soul. It brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve a peaceful body and mind. It helps manage stress and anxiety and keeps you relaxed. It also helps in increasing flexibility, muscle strength and body tone. It improves respiration, energy and vitality.

Practising yoga might seem like just stretching, but it can do much more for our body from the way we feel, look and move. Man is a physical, mental and spiritual being; yoga and meditation help promote a balanced development of all three aspects.

Most people understand that meditation reduces stress and promotes peace of mind. As we allow our minds to settle on one continuous thought, instead of being pulled in all directions, our stress level reduces. Other health problems like high blood pressure, irregular or high heartbeat, high pulse rate, abnormal breathing patterns and anxiety are also regulated. It also helps in concentration. Meditation is a great aid in regulating our minds.

The mind’s tendency is to think a lot and to be easily pulled in different directions depending on our personal likes and dislikes. When we pay attention to every unnecessary thought, we are drawn away from what is truly important.

Practising meditation helps us to gently ignore what is unnecessary and focus more on what is important. This gives us greater clarity and makes us faster and more capable of anything that we do. If we have ever laid our head on a pillow and then struggled for hours to sleep because of thoughts racing through our minds, then meditation is ideal for us. Worries of the day and the future will not trouble us, allowing us to sleep soundly.

When we wake up the next morning, we’ll feel lighter and fresher. Maintaining a balanced sleep cycle can help to eliminate many health problems. During the meditation process, where we are constantly focusing our attention on one thing, we learn to let go of unnecessary thoughts.

Meditation is a process of spending time with self and is a journey of self-discovery. By understanding ourselves, we are able to build our emotional resilience and tap into our inner intuition. Daily struggles and irritations will no longer impact us, as we remain centred in ourselves and the present moment.

One who is committed to balancing their mental energies is also a lot more energised. The positivity that we develop in our minds will give us the zest and enthusiasm to maximise our productivity throughout the day. When we feel calmer and happier, our relationships with people around us grow stronger.

*The writer is an MBA (2nd year) student.

Mansi Gupta

Colour plays a vitally important role in our lives. We are surrounded by different colours which can soothe your eyes, even raise blood pressure or suppress your appetite. Everything from our food to our clothing has colour but most of these are made of artificial and harmful chemicals and can lead to various diseases and are not good for the environment.?

Keeping this in view, researchers from Himachal Pradesh based Shoolini University, Prof Kamal Dev and Prof Anuradha Sourirajan, along with research scholar Ms Garima Bisht, decided to perform experiments to replace chemical colours with natural eco and health-friendly colours. 

Their search for unique bacteria which could survive under extremely adverse circumstances led them to the high altitude Pangong Lake in the remote Ladakh region.

A group of students visited the 134-kilometre long lake, located at a height of over 14,000 feet from Mean Sea Level, and collected water samples to isolate unique bacteria when the lake was completely frozen. It was observed that different bacteria were surviving in the lake under extreme conditions which proved that these had strong characteristics of being helpful for the environment. 

Experiments on the samples collected led them to isolate novel bacteria named Rhodonellum psychrophilum, that produces red pigment and has diverse biotechnological potential. The red pigment showed properties to kill pathogenic bacteria and fungi, enhancing the nutritional value of food and serving as a food preservative, dyeing cotton fabric that could be used in developing biological antimicrobial bandages, masks, drapery, lab coats, inner garments, etc. 

Prof Kamal Dev said that the biological antimicrobial finishes promise protection against bacterial and fungal infections to provide freshness and extended product life. He said Nature produces many bio colourants from various resources including plants, animals, and microorganisms, which are possible alternatives to synthetic dyes and pigments currently employed, so as to provide safer and eco-friendly solutions. 

The textile industry, for instance, uses approximately 1.3 million tons of synthetic dyes and dye precursors.

Experiments are being conducted on red pigment obtained from the novel bacteria that has various applications in the health, food and textile industry. These included its properties as an antioxidant when added to food not only to colour but increase nutrients in food and can also be used as a food preservative. 

Another application of the pigment is in wound healing: The red colour pigment promotes skin cell growth and is useful in developing bio pigment ointments for wound healing. Red colour based bandages and other medicated textiles can be introduced where chemicals will be replaced by bio-pigment that would be human friendly. 

Bacterial infection is the external factor that can effectively delay the wound healing process. Hence protecting the wound from bacterial infection by any agent can promote and increase the healing rate. But in recent years, human pathogenic microorganisms have developed resistance mechanisms for commercially available antibiotics. Moreover, the production costs of these antibiotics are too high and also they cause adverse side effects when compared to naturally obtained bioactive drugs, Prof Kamal Dev added.

Experiments are also being conducted on the application of the red pigment for developing antimicrobials against fungal and bacterial pathogens, bio enhancer of antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics. 

Prof Kamal Dev stated that ‘Microbial pigments have been reported to possess anti-cancer activity in vitro against cancer cell lines as well”.’

Researchers from Shoolini University have already filed patents based upon these applications and extensive experiments are also being conducted in samples collected from Pangong lake. 

Who knows the novel bacteria from the crystal clear lake could one day help even in space exploration.

Shoolini Newsletter Team

Researchers from Solan-based Shoolini University and the United Kingdom (UK)-based Cranfield University shall collaborate on research and knowledge related activities for green synthesis of nano particles.

This was one of the major outcomes of the two day International Workshop on “Advanced Materials for Engineering and Solar Energy Applications” held last month. School of Physics and Materials Science and School of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, in association with Cranfield University, Bedfordshire (UK) conducted the workshop.

It was also resolved that dual degree programmes with Shoolini University and Cranfield University will be worked out.

In order to step up research it was decided to seek more funds from the agencies such as The Royal Society, London and The British Council along with Indian funding agencies such as Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and other relevant funding agencies.

The convener of the workshop Dr Rajesh Kumar Sharma said that the main objective of this workshop was to reveal the outcome of the project funded by Royal Academy of Engineering, London for helping Shoolini University to embed the developed technology in the curriculum of Engineering, Pharmacy and Sciences and to disseminate the knowledge to the neighboring Universities and Engineering Institutes. He told that delegates from 15 educational Institutions and Industries participated in the international event.

The Vice Chancellor of Shoolini University Prof PK Khosla said that these types of collaborative projects allow the researchers to best use the mutual resources and propagate the research activities at mutual convenience. Shoolini University researchers have already submitted couple of projects with Cranfield University and they are focusing on further projects like UK-India Educational and Research Initiative (UKIERI) and Horizon 2020.

In this workshop, the people from other universities, institutions and industries were engaged so that they can implement the novel academic curriculum practice in their organisations, he added.

The workshop also aimed to understand type and level of expected skill requirements in engineering and pharma students.

To understand futuristic scenario, experts proposed to carry out ‘Focus Group Study’ with experts from industry, academia and research and to redesign the curriculum for the Indian students in view of present scenario in manufacturing Industry, Dr Sharma said.

It also aimed to expand the use of traditional composite materials for multifunctional applications and to encourage Indian students for registration in M Sc by Research.

SNL Team

Shoolini University has announced participation in AWS Academy, a new Amazon Web Services (AWS) programme that provides higher education institutions with a ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum. This makes us the first Amazon certified campus located in Himachal Pradesh.

Beginning next semester, students can enroll in courses that will prepare them for careers in the rapidly-growing cloud computing space and help them pursue industry-recognised AWS Certifications.

The courses would be available, free of cost to the students, from the engineering and the management departments initially. Later, students from other departments will also be offered these courses. The courses will run for a full semester.

After successfully completing the programme, students who take and pass the AWS Certification examination will become AWS Certified. 

Vice Chancellor Prof P K Khosla said, “We are proud to make the AWS Academy curriculum available to our students.” He added that “cloud computing has become the new normal for organisations around the world, and the technical skills that students develop through this programme will position them well for their careers today and in the future.”

The AWS Academy curriculum is developed and maintained by AWS subject matter experts, ensuring that it reflects current services and up-to-date best practices. Courses are taught by AWS Academy-accredited educators who are trained by AWS to help students become proficient in AWS technology.

“We created AWS Academy to develop the next generation of cloud computing professionals by working collaboratively with higher education institutions and industry partners,” said Scott McKinley, AWS Academy Global Team Lead, Amazon Web Services, Inc. “Our goal is to build a pipeline of AWS-trained professionals who can help drive innovation as cloud computing becomes the new normal.”

AWS Academy courses help students develop in-demand cloud computing skills and gain hands-on experience in order to pursue employment as a cloud computing IT professional or earn industry-recognised AWS Certification.

Returns Rs 1 lakh help paid by VC for MBA fee

Vishakha Thakur

Success is not measured by wealth, but the trials and tribulations one encounters during the journey to triumph over all odds, and gratefully remember every person who contributed to the effort on the way.

One such successful person is our illustrious alumni, Mr Gopal Das, who rose from a humble background to attain success in his career. If it wasn’t for Vice-Chancellor Prof PK Khosla, Mr Das would never have been able to achieve his goals in a top multinational corporation. Brimming with gratitude, he fondly recalls the personal financial assistance provided by the philanthropist, Prof Khosla, during his hour of need.

He recently met Prof Khosla and expressed his desire to return the money, over Rs 1 lakh, given by him for his MBA fee. Prof Khosla was pleasantly surprised with the gesture as he had completely forgotten about it. He immediately announced that a revolving fund would be created from the money returned by Mr Das to help deserving and needy students. It was also decided to honour him at the next convocation.

Mr Gopal Das hails from Solan. His father, Late Pat Ram, passed away when he was in the 10th standard and his mother, Mrs Vidya Devi, did menial jobs to raise the family. He completed his schooling at Raja Delip Government Senior Secondary Boys School, Solan, in the non-medical stream and then moved on to pursue graduation and post-graduation diploma at the Government PG College, Solan. He used to take tuition to meet his financial needs.

After completing his diploma, it was impossible for him to bear the cost of a professional degree. “By God’s grace I chanced upon Prof Khosla and Mrs Saroj Khosla and divulged to them all about my passion for studies but my inability to afford it,” he recalls. Offering to personally bear all his expenses, Prof Khosla advised him to continue his education in management and join MBA. “The guidance and monetary support given by Prof Khosla at this critical juncture completely turned my life around as well as my way of thinking.”

This bright student then joined the Department of Management (MBA 2008-2010) batch. He said: “Now, I want to help others and spread the same message of humanitarianism to society.”

After a year, he got selected in B?yer, which ranks Number 3 in an international ranking of the best and strongest company brands.

“For the past nine years, I have been working as the senior area business manager, India, (North Zone) in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir for a world-leading and one of the oldest German multinational corporations, B?yer, for which most of the Nobel Prize scientists have worked,” he added.

When asked about his future plans, he shared, “I want to be the youngest manager to step into top management in India and I know I will achieve this with my performance in a competitive and challenging environment.”

Recalling his days in the University, he said “I really enjoyed my time in the department of management at Shoolini University under the expert guidance of Dr Khosla, Dr J B Nadda and other faculty members, including Dr Yasmin Jhanhua, Dr Sulochana Sayal and Dr Nisha Raghuvanshi. I would like to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart for their direct or indirect contribution to my career,” he smiled.

His message: Never give up!