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Clean India is a shared responsibility; every effort is important – Dr. Vijay Dhasmana

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Doiwala: Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) and Himalayan College of Nursing, organized a cleanliness and awareness program under the Clean India campaign. Faculty and students from HIMS and HCN cleaned various areas near the university campus, including hostels. During this, bleaching powder was also spread on the streets, and people were made aware of cleanliness through posters, banners, and pamphlets.

In his message, Dr. Vijay Dhasmana, Chancellor of Swami Ram Himalayan University (SRHU), stated that cleanliness is essential for the safe future of the younger generation. Campaigns like these make students aware of their social responsibilities. To succeed in their careers, it is crucial for them to become better citizens.

In this cleanliness series, on Sunday, under the leadership of Dr. Ruchi Juyal from the Community Medicine Department of HIMS, a special campaign called “One Date, One Hour, Together” was conducted as part of the “Cleanliness is Service” program. At 10 A.M., students from the Clinical Research and Epidemiology departments of HIMS gathered at the medical college campus. Students, along with staff, carried out cleanliness drives in the university campus, nearby areas, and roads. After cleaning, bleaching powder was also applied on the streets, and people were educated about cleanliness through posters, banners, and pamphlets.

Establishment of Plastic Bank in SRHU:

Dr. Vijay Dhsmna informed that to promote the elimination of single-use plastics, SRHU has established a Plastic Bank on its campus. Efforts to restrict the use of single-use plastic were already underway at the university. Staff and students are regularly educated on this issue at fixed intervals.

E-Waste Store Established at SRHU:

Dr. Vijay Dhsmna emphasized that electronic waste is becoming a significant problem worldwide. To address this issue, governments worldwide are enacting regulations. In this regard, an E-Waste Store has been established within the SRHU campus.

HCN organises Awareness Program on Cleanliness at Pen-India School

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Himalayan College of Nursing, Jollygrant, organized an awareness program on cleanliness.
As part of the program, students from the Nursing College provided information on Dental Hygiene, Physical Cleanliness, and Healthy Nutrition to the young students of the Pen-India School, Bhaniyawala, in commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday under the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” initiative.

On Friday, a team of students from Himalayan College of Nursing, under the direction of Principal Dr. Sanchita Pugazhendi, visited Pen-India School, Bhaniyawala, which operates under the supervision of Swami Ram Himalayan University (SRHU).

The Nursing students provided detailed information to the children through posters, models, and skits, covering topics such as proper brushing, hand hygiene, mouthwash, and also advised them not to consume excessive sweets.

They emphasized using trash bins for disposing off wrappers and waste from store-bought snacks. The nursing students also conducted demos with the school children on cleanliness. The children showed great enthusiasm.

Faculty members from the Nursing College, including Chandan Kumar, Krishna Mohan, John Davidson, and teachers from the school including Ritu Sharma, Deepalika Negi, Nirmala Gusai, Rajyashri Kathait, Seema Chauhan, were present during this socially relevant event.

And the winners of VoW Book Awards 2023 are…

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Winners of VoW 2023

Dehradun: Valley of Words|Shabdavali announced the winners of all eight categories of its Book Awards—celebrating the best of English Literature and Hindi Sahitya. The VoW Book Awards 2023 is currently in its seventh edition as the most comprehensive independent literary award programme in India.

Over 600 nominations were received in 2023 from  70 publishing houses across the country. The selection of the books involved a three-stage process, and is indeed a tough call as the quality of submissions have become more competitive each year. The critically-acclaimed longlist of ten books per category was brought down to a final five in the shortlist. The final winners were selected through an ongoing process which began in August this year, with the VoW secretariate and the esteemed Jury working in tandem, for each of the eight categories.

Commenting on the Book Awards, Festival Director Dr Sanjeev Chopra stated,  ‘The VoW book Awards are an iconic offering in the sense that each of the selected books tells a story .. of identity,  of imagination , of aspiration , of times that have gone by, of issues that are contemporary,  and of the future as well , including the world of Chat GPT.’

 

 

The VoW Book Award Winners for 2023 are…

ENGLISH FICTION No Way In by Udayan Mukherjee (Bloomsbury )

ENGLISH NON-FICTION:  The  Journey of Hindi Language Journalism in India by Mrinal Pande (OrientBlack Swan)

HINDI FICTION: Shahar Se Das Kilometer by Neelesh Raghuwanshi                (Rajkamal Publications)

HINDI NON- FICTION: Dinank kay Bina by Ushakiran Khan (Vani Publications)

WRITINGS FOR YOUNG ADULTS: Children of the Hidden Land by Mandira Shah (Speaking Tiger)

WRITINGS/PICTURE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN: Jhupli’s Honey Box by Achintyarup Ray (Tulika Publishers)

TRANSLATION INTO HINDI: Bhaaga Hua Ladka Translated by Amrita Bera  (Westland)

TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH:  The Bride : The Maithili Classic Kanyadan Translated by Lalit Kumar (HarperCollins)

The Valley of Words community extended warm congratulations to all the winners and look forward to a grand finale of its 7th Edition of Valley of Words|Shabdavali, on the 16th and 17th of December 2023, Dehradun.

Dr Dhasmana addresses trainees & students on ‘International Tourism Day’ 

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SHRU’S B.Vocational Culinary Management first semester trainees, and few faculty members, participated in the celebration of ‘International Tourism Day’

SHRU’S B.Vocational Culinary Management first semester trainees, and few faculty members, participated in the celebration of ‘International Tourism Day’ at Pilibit Tourism House, Haridwar.

The gathering learnt how SRHU is proactively working for the implementation of ‘Home Stay Projects’ in far flung areas, to enable rural youth to operate home stays and offer hospitality services to tourist visiting their villages or towns in Uttarakhand.

SHRU’S B.Vocational Culinary Management trainees and faculty participate in the celebration of ‘International Tourism Day’

Chancellor SHRU, Dr Vijay Dhasmana addressed the youngsters online and highlighted the significance not only of ‘Religious Tourism’ but also other forms of tourism, to bolster the state economic scenario. He especially focussed on ‘Wellness Tourism,’ and further explained how the University is already contributing through ‘Home Stay Projects’ and empowering the youth of Uttarakhand as a matter of social commitment.

Lauding the efforts of SRHU, Amit Kumar, GM-Taj, Pilibhit House,Haridwar stated that the chief focus was collaboration amongst academic institutions, universities, colleges ,industry and government agencies for development of skilled manpower and hospitality infrastructure in the state of Uttarakhand.

The participants at the event included Amit Kumar Thakur, GM,Taj; Kiran Bhatt – HR Manager Taj, Pilibhit House; Ramesh Petwal – State Head – Learnet Skills; Home Stay trainees being supported by SRHU University and B.Voc Trainees in exposure visit to the event.

Faculty members from SRHU that participated in the event included Sanjeev Binjola, Akshay Thapliyal and Shardul Thakur.

Swami Rama Himalayan University signs MoU with CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bio-Resource Technology

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Swami Rama Himalayan University and CSIR- Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology, Palampur, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh (Est. by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 

With view to further their common interests in the fields of ‘education’ and ‘research’, and buttress their energies to open the doors of cooperation for national interest, Swami Rama Himalayan University and CSIR- Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology, Palampur, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh (Est. by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding.

The course of action now will involve academic and R&D collaboration, including transfer of technology between the two organisations,” informed Vice Chancellor SRHU, Dr Rajendra Dobhal. “These areas are of great relevance to both. And we are happy that this joining of hands will help carve strong livelihood support systems in the hilly areas of our state through technology transfer from a national institute.”

Preparations are now underway in full swing to begin the process of exchange of faculty, research scholars, and research project leaders to undertake academic activities and research in areas of mutual interest.

Teamwork in research & development programs, and consultancy activities in mutually decided areas will be planned, including domains related to food and nutraceuticals, models for animal studies, ecology, medicinal aromatic plants, floriculture, tea, sciences and other areas. Importantly this will also include collaboration in the setting-up and upkeep of required infrastructure in both the institutions.

Congratulating the team for notching up an ace, Chancellor SRHU, Dr Vijay Dhasmana stated, “We are delighted that flood gates would open up for our students to participate in joint collaboration with government organizations, private entities, PSUs in significant areas, contributing to national development. We look forward to jointly organizing scientific events like seminars, conferences, workshops etc. Exchange of students for summer and winter internships would be a valuable part of our efforts. Outreach programmes for promoting science education and related technological advances for social benefit is
something that is of utmost value for us as per our vision.”

Director General Armed Forces Medical Services visits Swami Rama Himalayan University

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Lt Gen Daljit Singh, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, Ministry of Defence at Swami Rama Himalayan University

Lt Gen Daljit Singh, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, Ministry of Defence delivers inspiring talk at Swami Rama Himalayan University.

HIMS, Swami Rama Himalayan University hosted an important guest on 25th of September 2023. He was none other than Lt Gen Daljit Singh Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), at IHQ of Ministry of Defence (Army).

Lt General Daljit Singh, AVSM, VSM, PHS, is also Senior Colonel Commandant of Army Medical Corps since 26 Nov 2021.

At the onset he paid his obeisance before the portrait of Swami Rama at ‘Swami Rama Centre.’ Later Singh delivered a talk titled, “How do we inspire students for better learning and lessons I learnt along my way.’ He shared valuable insights from lessons that life taught him all through his life and career opportunities. He explained how the very fabric of life is woven from everyday life experiences.”

Admiring Singh’s ability to connect with his audience, Chancellor Dr Vijay Dhasmana stated, ”We took a moment to applaud his remarkable accomplishments and celebrate his journey. His talk was something that no student should have missed. He has been an academic guide to many postgraduate and super specialty students. I am sure his talk helped many of our students identify their academic passions.”

An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Singh was commissioned on 17 Dec 1983. He holds a Master Degree (MD) in Pediatrics from Pune University and Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Neonatology from PGIMER Chandigarh. He is a Diplomate of National
Board in Pediatrics and a Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, India. He has been awarded the prestigious Fellowship in National Neonatology Forum (FNNF), India. The General Officer is presently the senior most Paediatrician & Neonatologist in Armed Forces Medical Services.

Wanderings in the Land of Mist by Anmol Jain

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Wanderings in the Land of Mist, A complete story of Mussoorie by Anmol Jain

A galaxy of Mussoorie’s celebrities were present at the book launch of Anmol Jain’s latest book, “Wanderings in the Land of Mist,”  The Complete Story of Mussoorie published by Rupa Publications.  The 232 pages book has 16 chapters dedicated to the interesting facets of Mussoorie from 1808 to present day.

Padmabhusan Victor Banerjee, Author Stephen Alter; Author Bill Aitken, Historian Ganesh Saili, Author and former DGP Uttarakhand Anil Raturi, Chairman of Mussoorie, Anuj Gupta and the owner of Mussoorie’s iconic Savoy Hotel Kishore Kaya shared the dais for the launch of Anmol’s book.

Dignitaries at the launch of ‘Wanderings in the Land of Mist,’ by Anmol Jain

The author put in extensive research into his work of sweat and blood which took him close to five years to complete. He added footnotes to authenticate facts that he wrote about. What makes the book unique is the fact that it has 47 QR codes that double up as a travel guide and introduces the reader to offbeat trails and treks in and around his hometown.  The book has all the ingredients of humour, history, facts and hidden gems between its covers. Illustrated with hand-picked images, postcards and advertisements make it a fascinating read.

Everyone on the dais was of the unanimous view that Anmol’s lucid writing has once again brought to the forefront various facets that make Mussoorie, the Queen of Hills. The author has given a fresh account of Mussoorie’s history with an entire chapter dedicated to the history of the six cinema halls that once dotted the Mall Road; its schools; breweries, churches; Olympic heroes and of course everything else about a town ‘where stories never seem to end.”

The authors took pride in the fact that the baton of writing had been taken forward by the young author.

Anmol dedicated his book to the memory of his father and grandfather and the stories that he heard from them while growing up. These stories find mention in ‘Wanderings in the Land of Mist,’ a work of love and dedication by homegrown Anmol Jain who brings to life Mussoorie’s landmarks in a historical context.

SRHU admission team engages in Social Responsibility

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The admission cell of Swami Rama Himalayan University held an empowering session with youngsters at Government Inter College, (Khadri, Shayampur) Rishikesh

The admission cell of Swami Rama Himalayan University held an empowering session with youngsters at Government Inter College, Khadri, Shayampur, Rishikesh.

The University’s RDI (Rural Development Institute) members too joined forces and the resultant combined efforts sparked discussions on health, hygiene, menstrual care, women empowerment, and importantly the team offered career counseling to 9th to 12th graders.

Need was felt to impart lessons in ‘Good Touch Bad Touch’. The team explained to the students that they must learn to differentiate between the two. This knowledge can serve as a savior for our youngsters. It is common knowledge that our children can experience
various types of touches including traumatic ones.

The session was an effort on the part of SRHU to ensure that a brighter tomorrow awaits the future generations. The University is obligated to continue addressing crucial issues as a matter of social responsibility.

It needs to be mentioned here that RDI had its genesis in the early 90s, with focus on serving the hard to reach mountain areas. Guided by the philosophy of ‘Love, Serve, and Remember’ of the founder, the mission of the initiative is to develop integrated and cost effective approaches to healthcare and development addressing the local population, which can serve as a model for the country as a whole and for the underserved populations.

RDI uses a multi-dimensional approach to address locally defined needs and priorities, in order to serve the people at large. Special attention is given to the needs of women and children; to improve health status; provide opportunities for education and social development of children and adolescents. Quality of life is enhanced through health, water, education and skill development efforts.

World Ozone Day Observed at Himalayan School of Biosciences

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Himalayan School of Biosciences marked ‘World Ozone Day’ by raising awareness about ozone depletion and its environmental consequences. The event commenced with a tribute to Swami Rama, following upon the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Dr. C. S. Nautiyal and Professor Sanjay Gupta, alongside the faculty members. Dr. Sanjay Gupta delivered an inspiring speech underscoring the critical significance of preserving the ozone layer on a global scale, urging individuals to take action.

Dr. C.S. Nautiyal, Scientific Advisor, provided a comprehensive scientific perspective on ozone depletion.

World Ozone Day established by the United Nations, commemorates the acceptance of the Montreal Protocol 1987, signifying international collaboration in reducing ozone-depleting substances. The theme for 2023 is “Montreal Protocol: Fixing the Ozone layer and reducing climate change.”

The event featured engaging student competitions such as poster making, model building, and collage creation, aimed at fostering creativity and ozone protection awareness. Dr. Archna Dhasmana and Dr. Nupur Joshi organized the event, which was conducted by proactive student Ritika Wadhwa and attended by various faculty members, including Dr. Vivek Kumar, Dr. Vikash Jadon, Dr. Geeta Bhandari, and Dr. Vishal Singh Rajput.

Mussoorie Skating Rink reduced to Ashes

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Mussoorie Skating Rink reduced ashes

The Mussoorie Skating Rink, a symbol of the hill-stations rich architectural heritage went up in flames in the wee hours of today morning.

17th has proven to be the new 13th for Mussoorie- an unlucky day. 55 years ago, an inferno like this destroyed the Standard Skating Rink (which earlier was Stiffle’s Standard Restaurant) on the night of 17th April 1968.

Cut to present day, 17th September, 2023, the historical Mussoorie Skating Rink has been reduced to ashes. Unconfirmed sources say it was a short-circuit. The staff which was staying on the premises made their timely escape, but the building was ravaged and turned to ashes within hours. The Rink, now run as a hotel was under renovation and was set to have a grand opening next month. A few cars parked below the hotel were also engulfed in the fire.

Mussoorie Skating Rink in all its glory

Built in 1890, the Mussoorie Rink was given to a dental surgeon Dr. Miller as payment for dental services to the dentist. Perhaps the patient had no money to pay for a set of artificial dentures.

A company called the Mussoorie skating rink and amusement club ltd was formed. It was the first and largest skating hall in northern India, this company failed and was bought over by Charlie Wilson son of F.E Wilson (Pahadi Wilson) in 1894.

When built it was the first building in town to get acetylene lighting. But made of deodar and pine, it was a disaster waiting to happen. This Rink has seen many national and international skaters learning to take their first gangly steps. It is here where brief ‘summer romances’ bloomed on the wooden floor as skating enthusiasts jumped over the wooden bridge. Figure skating was at its peak and generations have been fortunate to make use of its springing wooden floor roller skating with gay abandon.

Unfortunately, the Mussoorie Fire Station is located at the western end of town. A message on WhatsApp groups appealed to residents in the vicinity to remove their cars that blocked  fire engines making their way to the Rink. It took over three hours to douse the inferno. 4500 rental two wheelers and cars parked all over town, choke the vital arteries of the hill station. If perchance, a similar disaster were to happen, fire engines will have to squeak past the choked narrow lanes of Mussoorie.

It is high time we woke up and identified Heritage structures in Mussoorie. We have to revisit our parking rules and fire safety regulations. And the time to act is now.