By TCN News
Jamia Millia Islamia’s Debating Society ‘BOL’ has won 60 awards in various national-level inter-university competitions during this academic year. The announcement was made today at the inauguration of a two-day annual inter-faculty cultural extravaganza, ”MIRAAS”-2018 of the university.
The cultural festival includes a host of events that include street plays, trilingual debate and Indian classical dance competitions were inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor JMI, Prof Talat Ahmad amidst much enthusiasm and fanfare.
Highlighting the historical significance of JMI, Prof Ahmad asked students to participate in the festival in large numbers, saying that the purpose of education was not merely to earn a university degree but also to develop an all-round personality and a thinking mind.
Prof Ahmad said that JMI has produced outstanding personalities in the fields of filmmaking, acting and sports like Shahrukh Khan, Kiran Rao and Virendra Sehwag who should be the role models for the future generations of JMI students.
Dean of Students’ Welfare, Prof Naved Iqbal, whose office is the organiser of the festival, announced that JMI’s Debating Society, ‘BOL’, has won 17 first prizes, and more than 35 best speaker / best team awards in competitions all across India including the prestigious Sir Syed Debate at Aligarh Muslim University and National Law University, Lucknow besides being given second and third positions.
Prof Iqbal also informed that even the Drama Club, JOSH has won 6 prestigious prizes in the last one year, including the first position in one-act play in North zone inter-university cultural festival 2016-17 and 4th position in same act at National inter-University Cultural Festival 2016-17. Students of Music Society of JMI also represented the university at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Ajit Anjum, General Secretary of the Broadcast Editors’ Association who was the Guest of Honour on the occasion traced the changes in the profession of journalism and said that journalists should work on becoming good human beings before they aspire to be good scribes. He cautioned students against half-baked and de-contextualised information which is often being circulated on social media platforms and WhatsApp groups.
The function was attended by the Finance Officer JMI, Sanjay Kumar, Chief Proctor, Prof Haroon Sajjad, Deans of faculties, senior faculty members, members of the DSW office, teachers, staff and students.
The cultural fest will also showcase a business quiz competition, poetry writing and recitation competition, Indian Music (group and solo), book cover design competition among other events.
Dr Sheema Aleem, Convenor of Debating society and Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology proposed the vote of thanks.