SLS Mirror July Issue

7/31/2019 SLS Mirror July Issue

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Just like in a plant blossoms a bud new

The message of new arrival was spread as winds blew

A mass shelved; in them zeal, gusto and fire delve

Full of varying talents is our batch of 2012.

Taking this journey in PDPU one step at a time

A lot of learning awaits, itll help you shine

Life is a voyage, the sea as time is erratic

Keeping changing sails, all will guide you to your benefit

Do not get too serious, dont even take things for granted

SLS is all about learning for your mind

And satisfaction for your heart we have chanted.

And the SLS familys complete! Inside this Issue

Monthly Newsletter from School of Liberal Studies, PDPU

VOL I | ISSUE 05

July 2012

-Interview: Dr. N. R. Dave

-Message from the

Editorial Team-Plethora of Activities

-Induction Week Experiences

-Plethora of Activities

-Know Your Major workshop

-Creati-witty

-SLS reaches out to Academia

-Upcoming Events


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Interview of Education Advisor

Dr. N. R. Dave

The School of Liberal Studies has beengraced with the presence of a visionary in technical

ducation, a man who has given his life in service to

humanity. With more than fifty years of being in

ducation, and three decades in administration, Dr.

N. R. Dave has played a key role in the formation of

he School of Liberal Studies. Despite his venerable

tatus as a veteran of education, his ideas are fresh,

nnovative and relevant to the need of the hour.

We, the Editorial Team were fortunate

nough to spend some time with the EducationalAdvisor and Former Director General of Pandit

Deendayal Petroleum University to ask about his

perspective on the pursuit of Liberal Education.

Recalling the inception of SLS, he told us of

how the idea of creating the School of Liberal Stud-

es in an Energy University took shape.

With Colleges such as Schools of Petroleum

Technology, Petroleum Management, Technology,

olar and Nuclear Energy, the University would be

very limited in nature, the education becoming

olely job-oriented. But, we need people possessing

eadership and thinking qualities. And for this we

need a different set of skills. The world cannot con-

ist simply of doctors and engineers. We need those

with have literary skills and who can be opinion

makers. When such people are sought in our coun-

ry, Jawaharlal Nehru University is the only empha-ized source. We look forward to creating a group

of people of such qualities, who are aware, con-

erned, well-read, and have acquired the right kind

of knowledge to provide an outlook to issues, be it

orruption, international issues or other societal

problems.

It is essential to have a wide view of things, a

multi-dimensional approach. An emotional connec-

ion with society is also necessary. To inculcate this

n the youth, School of Liberal Studies was founded.

Not only do Liberal Studies students think, they

give a new direction to thinking. Every issue in this

world needs to be re-viewed. And the youth has to

provide this new vision. The thinkers now are the

trend setters. Let the youth think for themselves

and prepare their own world.

In the entire conversation that we had with

him, Mr. Dave combined humour and wit with the

serious issues of the present education system. At

one instance he recalled an event from his days as a

Principal where his students protested as they

wished to be free to study for the approaching ex-

ams. He replied with saying he have given them the

freedom to learn from the start. He considers

teaching a noble profession, as it includes changing

a persons life, guiding them to the right path. He

finds it unfortunate that not many students wish to

take up teaching as a profession, but he feels happy

when students respect the life a teacher lives.

As this light mood continued in the office,

we asked him if he wished to give a message to the

new, 2012 batch, to which he said that his message

is generally too long, and let out a moment of

laughter. Life is a very serious matter to be taken

seriously, he said. Spread smiles everywhere, stayhappy and radiate happiness, he advised us all,

Even the teachers.


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Message from the Editorial Team

Leaving High School for College is a tumultuous

time. Frightening and exciting at the same time, we allget caught up in the storm of emotion and frantic activ-

ity that marks the application and admission process.

Sometimes, the actual beginning can even take

us by surprise.

We all have our own notions and ideas of what

it's going to be like, irrespective of what research we've

done, or the opinions we've solicited. But, as our newest

batch can probably attest to, the reality is utterly unlike

anything we could come up with.

Even so, the whirlwind that is the SLS Induction

cannot be properly conveyed to any that have not been

a part of it. The enormity of the implications of that first

make-or-break-week, that often defines your stay on

campus, the rush of all the introductions, the press of

information, all of which you're soaking up as fast as

you possibly can. Words will never be enough.

For most of us, it was affirmation we're in the

right place, the pace and the environment. It eased us

into the identity of SLS work till you can't any more,

and have a blast along the way. In that sense, we're a

curiously self-contained lot; we draw affirmation out of

the experience itself, and need or want little from out-

side or outsiders. New though we are as a college and

philosophy, the Induction Week embodies our foremost

strategy tackle everything head-on, and let the

nay-sayers fall to the sides and the rewards speak for

themselves.

And yet, here we are. Finally with a full rotation

of students First through Fourth Year, academics and

co-curricular activities alike progressing in full swingalready, the very walls of the classrooms we use brim-

ming over with a desire to prove ourselves.

Sitting back and looking at this drive, all that

comes to mind is, 'Look out, World. We're growing in

leaps and bounds, and we're here to take everyone by

storm.'

Not to forget, SLS Mirror wishes all its readers a

very happy Independence Day! Jai Hind.


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The first day of college for everyperson, be it a boy or a girl, is

one of the days he or she longs to

see and experience. It is that oneday, which tells them what the

institution they have entered is

like, lets them see and explore

the gateway to a new world, with

expectations of freedom and a

new life.

SLS organized an Induc-

tion Week for all first year stu-

dents. The week consisted of

various activities for the stu-

dents like interaction with pro-

fessors, seniors and the course-

mates alike. It helped us know

everyone around us better, and

gain familiarity with everything

around us.

Day One started with all

us fresh new students register-

ing and running around paying

the college and hostel fees. After

this we were all made to sit in

the lecture theatre, and intro-

duced to some professors, those

for English, Ms. Neeta Khurana

and Economics, Dr. Himani Joshi.

Soon enough, we were asked to

get back on our feet and rush tothe grounds, not knowing what

was in store for us... In the

grounds we were instructed to

form groups based on our Zodiac

signs and describe ourselves as a

group, but also individually.

We were then allowed to

rest in the lecture theatre for

some time and later introduced

to the subject of English Commu-nication. Then we were thrown

out again, this time, to perform

the activity 'The Great Wall of

China' which had us running

around the campus looking for

stuff to connect into continuous

lines - some found steel rods,

some made do with shoe laces.

After this heavy-duty exercise,

we were again allowed to settle

back in the theatre and asked tosketch our 'Buddy', the person

sitting next to us, without look-

ing at him or her, and to know

them better. It was great fun, be-

cause instead of faces there were

often caricatures, and we all had

a gala time bonding.

Day Two began with the

Introduction to International Re-

lations, by Dr. Rupakjyoti Borah,

followed by Public Administra-

tion, which was introduced by

Dr. Santosh Kumar and Mr.

Anurag Srivastava.

We were next shown pic-

tures from Day One, us having

fun in candid shots and asked to

list two of our strengths andwrite them on two chart paper

cut-outs, but we never did find

out what happened to them.

Then came division into groups

of 10 and activities of bursting

balloons, followed by carrying

the feather-light tea cups on our

heads and racing each other

(which saw people picking up

the cups and tying the cups to

their hair, in an effort to makethem stick). Just when we

thought the bag of tricks was

over, we were asked to volunteer,

for an unknown task - the hand-

picked, and now doomed boys

were made to wear saris, and

girls asked to tie, well, ties. This

was followed by a chilli hot-dog

eating activity, after which we all

broke off for lunch. When we

seated ourselves back in the lec-

ture theatre we were introduced

to the entire faculty for the first

time.

Induction Week at SLS: My Experiences


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The Editorial Team interacted with Dr. Nagendra S, Director (Sales & Strategy), Media and Entertain-

ment, Ignis Technology Solutions, a firm in the United States. Here are the highlights of the interaction:

Q. What do you think of the Liberal Studies concept introduced in India?

A. It is a fantastic concept; the real idea of education is liberal arts. We say it is more prevalent in foreign

countries, but I think its a concept that has been adopted from the ancient Indian education system - itsa very Indian form of education. But difficult part is that it takes a lot of effort to understand this kind of

concept, to create a dialog between masses and eventually make it work like main-stream courses. We

need to first educate the stakeholders about Liberal Education. This can be done in various ways like cre-

ating marketing tools stating how Liberal Studies will help the stakeholders.

Q. What do you think is the scope of Liberal Arts in India, and outside India as well?

A. It is massive. People with Liberal Arts background are absorbed in almost all the main streams. Liberal

Arts student like you all, need to make conscious efforts to explore the avenues for yourself. In India, the

concept would be alien to almost all the organisations, it is you students who need to go out there and let

the whole corporate world know about this course and the uniqueness of it.

If you want to work in the US, you dont need a degree. What I mean is that more than a degree, you needinnovation and the ability to think individually. But yes, you need to check your ability to compete with

students who have been pursuing the same course in countries where it has been established for years.How much does your knowledge and exposure match theirs? Accordingly, you need to prepare your-

selves to compete. Apart from all this, you should talk to as many people as you can and begin network-

ing.

Q. How did the US happen for you?

I am a seeker, at least I call myself one. I have seen myself evolve over a period of time. If a person wants

to succeed, he shouldnt run behind brands. Instead he should experiment with smaller organisations and

firms and opt for work that would give him experience. The same thing happened with me. Smaller firms

gave me more space to nurture my skills and helped me pave the path for where I am today. Moreover, I

belong to a profession where I need to be closer to my customers and a large number of them is in North

America, and thus I moved to the US.

(With inputs from Nupur Saraswat)

Plethora of Activities

Industry professional from US visits SLS


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The US Consul General Mr. Peter Haas ac-

companied by his political specialist visited Pandit

Deendayal Petroleum University on 12th July,

2012. He delivered a lecture on Indo-US Strategic

Relations. Mr. Haas showed a keen interest in inter-

acting specifically with first year students of both

liberal studies and engineering. In his lecture, hepointed out some of the very important and con-

temporary aspects of Indo-US relations which have

grown in the last few decades. He also talked about

how the United States, India and the world have

been working together to revive the world econ-

omy, post recession.

This session was highly interactive and our

esteemed guest addressed the questions asked by

students covering the areas of United States Sub-

Prime crisis, bilateral trade relations, fight against

terrorism and maintaining relations with the

United Nations. He was also asked about his views

on Indias Foreign Direct Investment policy , par-

ticularly with respect to the retail sector.

Mr. Haas appreciated the idea of liberal

studies education in India and applauded PDPU for

the same, as he too has been a student of liberal

studies.

(With input from Foram Patel)

US Consul General Mr. Peter Haas interacts with PDPU students

Plethora of Activities


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Know-Your-Major workshop

organized for Batch 2010

The School of Liberal Studies organized aweek long workshop for its semester five studentsfrom 10th to 16th of July, 2012 at the PDPU prem-

ises. These workshops focused on the scope of the

various subjects offered as Majors and Minors as a

part of the course curriculum. The main aim of the

workshops was to help the students streamline

their area of specialization.

The workshop was specially designed to

help students resolve the dilemma of choosing an

appropriate Major and Minor as their field of spe-

cialization. The in-house faculty held introductory

seminars on the seven major subjects being offered

at SLS, clearly defining the opportunities that came

along with them. To give students a better under-

standing of the current workforce scenario, spokes-

persons from various industries were invited to de-

liver guest lectures on their current endeavours,

requirements of the market, the job opportunities

that await fresh graduates and the skills required to

make a career in the students area of interest come

out successfully.Some of the speakers included Mr. Shekhar

Pandey, Associate Vice President at Mudra Commu-

nications Ahmedabad; Mr. Dipesh Shah, VP Corp.

Services & Bus. Development, GIFT City, Gandhina-

gar; Mr. Vipul Dave, HR Circle Head, Tata Docomo

(Gujarat); Prof. Falguni Vasavada Oza, Assoc. Pro-

fessor, MICA; Mr. Hitesh Budhbhatti, Business/

Marketing Head, Times of India (Gujarat) and Mr.

Jagat Shah, Founder, Cluster Pulse.

These sessions helped students in under-

standing their inclination towards various subjects

and enhance their knowledge of diverse fields.

These professionals and speakers in a way did not

just speak about the industry and subjects but

more about their own background and struggle

which helped students learn much more than just

about the concerned subjects. The guests and stu-

dents also interacted in question-answer sessions,

thus clarifying many of the doubts and confusions

that prevail among students before taking such a

major decision.

- Nupur Saraswat


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Juhi Sharma (SLS09)

Siddharth Mishra (SLS10)

Kajal Dungerwal (SLS09)

Jinal Mevada (SLS09)

Janki Gandhi (SLS10)

Janki Gandhi (SLS12)


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I opened the door and sat in the car,

To reach my college, some place afar.

My tummy was churning,

As that day was a different morning.

It was my first-day to my college,

I set out with dreams and aspirations in my baggage.

Wandering how will be my new day,

As strangers had arrived to become known to me

from far away.

I entered the gate as a shy girl,

Hoping to see a known face among unknown people.

In my class there were students hundred and six,

Me being unknown that with whom my friendship

would fix!

Someone came to me and said me hello

Someone else smiled at me with

some fear in heart below.

Slowly slowly with span of time ,

These all strangers became great friends of mine.

Now I feel relief in my heart,

Because all of them are now my lifes part

- Shivani Shah (SLS12)

For My College-mates

Gloomy mist impaired my vision,

Icy wind froze my entrails with great precision

I shivered in anxiety and fright,

Beneath a dark sky, during twilight.

I want to flee, I want to flee,

To seek refuge in the depths

of the Hills of Tranquility.

Impending doom towered upon me,

My limbs betrayed my urge to flee.

The rush of adrenaline within me dissipated,

This ill fate! dearly hated.




What a dreary life I lead in the city,

Among me and my acquaintances

exists great animosity.

Much to my shame and embarrassment,

My nose sniffing at betrayals sickening scent.




Society mocks upon those with no money,

There exist those with no time to be funny!

Is such a life worth living?

A life dictated by cigars, beer and thieving!I want to flee, I want to flee,






The Hills of Tranquility beckon

to you to hasten forth!

The Hills of Tranquility

- Shashank Sreedharan (SLS12)

Riya Ramani (SLS12)


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Dr. Himani Baxi

Durva Vyas | Gayatri Chauhan | Harpalsinh Vaghela

Kruti Nair | Parthvi Choksi | Shinjali Divanji | Yash Modi

The Editorial Team:

PANDIT DEENDAYAL PETROLEUM UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL STUDIES

Off KobaGandhinagar Highway

Raisan, Gandhinagar, 382007

Gujarat, India

Phone: +91 79 23275231 Fax: +91 79 23275030

Visit us at: www.sls.pdpu.ac.in

Upcoming Events at SLS

Independence Day celebrations at University grounds on 15th August, 2012.

SLS Foundation Day celebrations on 24th August, 2012.

Global Village Phase II organized by AIESEC Ahmedabad and PDPU on 4th and 5th

August, 2012.

Human Resource Conclave at PDPU on 9th August, 2012.

Documents

SLS Mirror July Issue