Panjab University youth fest cancelled this year amid surging Covid cases

PU youth welfare director Nirmal Jaura said If the situation improves in the next few months, small events with 50 students can be organised

The highly anticipated Panjab University Youth and Heritage festival will not be conducted this year amid surging Covid-19 cases.

Usually, a meeting is conducted with college principals in July every year so that dates and host college to hold the event can be selected. (HT FILE)

The four-day event features various cultural and academic competitions which are held in 12 zones of PU, following which winners participate in the inter-zonal youth festival.

PU youth welfare director Nirmal Jaura, said, “Due to the rising number of coronavirus cases, it is not possible to organise the youth festival this time. Maintaining social distance is important right now and there is a gathering of more than 3,000 people at the festival.”

“I am receiving a lot of calls from teachers, principals and students to know the dates for the festival. I have told them it is not possible to organise the event in colleges this year. If the situation improves in the next few months, we can organise small events with 50 students,” Jaura said.

“To keep students engaged during these tough times, we have conducted many online competitions including essay, story writing, debate competitions, poster making, cartooning and solo song and dance,” he added.

To conduct the youth festival, a meeting is conducted with college principals in July every year so that dates and host college to hold the event can be selected.

Students and teachers also start preparing for competitions and more time was devoted to practice sessions. The teachers who are involved in preparing students for various items for the youth festival stated that it is very disappointing for the talented students that the event will not be organised.

Inderjeet Kaur, principal of Ramgarhia Girls College, Miller Ganj, said, “Online competitions conducted by the youth welfare department has been a hit among students and participation in each competition was more than expected. Amid the pandemic, colleges are closed and students are stressed, but online competitions keep them occupied. Usually, by this time of the year, a meeting is held with all principals to decide the venue and dates for the youth festival. But this year, nothing has been discussed regarding the festival, and keeping in mind the situation, I think authorities will continue with online competitions.”

COMPETITIONS HELD DURING FEST

Competitions in different categories include group shabad, bhajans, classical music (vocal), classical dance, group dance, debate, hand writing, poem writing, short story writing, essay writing and rangoli .

Also, competitions are held in phulkari, bagh, dasuti or cross stitch, knitting, crochet work, pakhi designing, mehndi designing, bhangra, quiz , Gidha, skit, mimicry, miming, poem recitation and one-act play.