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NIKITA SHAHI

Based on his rich and wide experience in sketching and caricatures, Patna-based eminent artist Sanjay Singh shared tips on how one can excel in the art with students of Shoolini University at a workshop organised on the campus on November23.

While speaking to students, he said that drawing is a language where you transfer your inner self with its consuming thoughts of inspiration and imagination. The art of drawing reflects a depth of expression and thus becomes another form of communication, he added.

He discussed how and why key elements and principles of art is used by artist to create meaning. He said wherever he visits any place, he makes sketches on the spot. He told students how drawing is divided in different partssuch as by measurement, axis, eye and movement, etc.

He then took students to Open Air Theatre and taught them how sketching is done and what skills are required. His work was spontaneous and technically perfect artwork. It was a great experience overall. His advice for budding artist is to work hard and stay inspired.

DEVANSHI SHARMA

The YouWeCan team from Shoolini University organised a cancer screening camp at Air Force station, Kasauli on November 23 to create awareness of common cancer like oral cavity, clinical breast examination, and early detection of cancer of the breast.

The camp was organised for the Air Force personnel and their families. The volunteers, with the help of medical personnel, helped those patients who were diagnosed positive. They informed them about the treatment and follow-ups so that this large-scale morbidity and mortality of cancer can easily be minimised. Air Force personnel were informed that it can be done through well-planned cancer education, time to time screening, and early detection programs.

Volunteers got a wonderful opportunity to work under the guidance of Dean Students Welfare Ms Poonam Nanda. Around 160 Air Force personnel and their family members above 25 years of age were examined in the camp.

All participants underwent OVI for oral cavity cancer, and all women participants underwent CBE for breast cancer screening and for the general checkup which was carried out by the Youwecan doctors’ team.

Volunteers give detailed information to women participants about breast cancer and its symptoms, preventive measures, treatment and self-examination and they would surely pass on this information to their family members and friends.

YouWeCan is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) backed by cancer survivor and former star Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. The organisation aims to spread cancer awareness and organise medical aid for those afflicted with cancer

You may have heard that in order to stay fit you should eat less. Well that would not be the correct way to reduce weight. Proper dieting entails eating food in a regulated way to decrease and maintain body weight. Dieting in a healthy way has always proved to be beneficial but at the same time following a diet without proper guidance leads to a negative impact on one’s health.

A restricted diet is often followed by those who are overweight, sometimes in combination with physical exercise, in order to reduce body weight. Dieting includes the removal of small portions of food or specific kind of food to lose weight, but they often get the bitter end of the stick as research has shown that 90 per cent of the diet plans in the market are either ineffective or potentially unhealthy over a long term period. Some are associated with great expenses, strange techniques, pills and hormones. Healthy diets can also contribute to adequate body weight. Vitamins and minerals in the diet are vital to boost immunity and healthy development.

Some common side effects of dieting include nutritional deficiencies such as deficiency of carbohydrates, minerals like calcium and sodium. Their absence in diet can be the root cause of numerous deficiency diseases. If there is a drastic decrease in calorie intake during dieting, then it can lead to slow metabolism. The body metabolism slows down to conserve energy, body will store fat and use muscle mass energy.

Constipation is another side effect of dieting, it is simply the state of having irregular bowel movements and is very common in severe dieting. There are many ways to lose weight but these may not be healthy and may lead to a lot of complications. Eating a healthy and balanced diet under the guidance of a nutritionist is key for healthy weight loss without any side effects.

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.