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PAU inter-college youth fest off to colourful start
Clad in traditional and stylish attires with placards in their hands, the students of five constituent colleges of the university and one outstation college of Ballowal Saunkhri gave an outstanding performance in cultural procession
Celebrating rich cultural legacy, the inter-college youth festival for the academic session 2024-25 kicked off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana on Tuesday. Organised by the directorate of students’ welfare, the colourful cultural procession marked the formal inauguration of the fest on Tuesday, which began on November 11. The fest will continue till November 21.
Clad in traditional and stylish attires with placards in their hands, the students of five constituent colleges of the university and one outstation college of Ballowal Saunkhri gave an outstanding performance in cultural procession highlighting themes, such as gender equality, drug menace, relishing the pleasantries of rural Punjab, discouraging migration to foreign lands, respect for mother tongue, ushering the agrarian state in Rangla Punjab, and promoting artificial intelligence (AI) in a highly competitive era. Additionally, students enthralled the audience through their vocal and dancing skills in solo dance, folk songs, duet songs, western group songs, light vocal solos and group songs Indian.
State minister for agriculture and farmers’ welfare Gurmeet Singh Khuddian was the chief guest, while PAU vice-chancellor (V-C) Dr Satbir Singh Gosal presided over the inaugural ceremony. MLA Madan Lal Bagga was the special guest on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering of youths, Khuddian said, “Together, we can give a new direction to Punjab’s future, while referring to the use of AI for solidifying the impact.” The agriculture minister also lauded the large-scale participation of the youths in the lined-up items of youth festival.
In his presidential address, Dr Gosal observed that leveraging off stage and on stage cultural events paved way for value addition to academics. Divulging that 500 students were participating in 48 youth fest items, the PAU V-C stated that enthusiastic participation was a gateway to the talent hunt as well as physical and mental well-being. “This university has produced noted theatre artists, actors and singers,” he said, while calling upon the youths “Jiyondhey raho, vasdey raho ate gaandhey raho (Stay lively, happy and keep singing).”
Surmeet Kaur (Agriculture-A), Vidhi Kashypal (Horticulture-H) and Punya Sood (Community Science -CS) secured the first three positions in on-the-spot painting respectively.
Ankita Dewangan (H), Alisha Thapa (A) and Arsheen Kaur (Agriculture Institute, Bathinda) secured the first three positions in Mehandi respectively.
Pragati (CS), Prabhjeet Kaur (H) and Ayush Pal (Agriculture College, Ballowal Saunkhri) secured top spots in Hindi calligraphy. Radhika Mittal (CS), Ishika Verma (basic sciences-BS) and Jaismeen Kaur (A) secured top spots in English calligraphy. Prabhjot Singh (BS), Jashanpreet Singh (H) and Arsheen Kaur (AI, Bathinda) in Punjabi calligraphy.
Colleges of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering (AE) and Basic Sciences earned the top three positions in the debate. Yashika (CS) and Tarun Kapoor (A) were adjudged as the best debaters for the motion and against the motion, respectively.
Harsimran Kaur (CS), Harmandeep Singh (A) and Muskan Paul (A) secured top spots in cartooning. Jaismeen Kaur (A), Chahak Jain (BS) and Chuniya Goyal (H) secured top spots in rangoli. Jasnoor Kaur (CS), Navpreet Kaur (H) and Shivangi (AE) secured top spots in solo dance.
