Campus notes: Seminar on feminism

Amritsar: A seminar on ‘State of Feminism’ was organised at Khalsa College for Women (KCW) on Tuesday in which experts delved into the subject of equal and just rights of women. The keynote speaker, Dr Charu Sharma, Associate Professor, Government College of Teacher Education, Himachal Pradesh, highlighted the true essence of feminism, which is often misunderstood. She said feminism is not about creating a divide between women and men or promoting gender-based conflict. Rather, it is about challenging and dismantling the systemic inequalities and power structures that perpetuate gender-based discrimination, oppression and social injustice – collectively known as patriarchy. Dr Gurupdesh Singh, retired Professor of English from GNDU, said the reality of feminism is quite different as all categories of women are not recognised in society. There is need for various kinds of feminism to set things right. We even need to create a narrative of complementarity, he said. Dr Sumneet Kaur, Associate Professor and Dr Amandeep Kaur, Assistant Professor, GNDU, also read engaging paper presentations with active participation from both in-person and virtual attendees. The event commenced with a lamp-lighting ceremony. The principal of the college, Dr Surinder Kaur, formally welcomed the guests and congratulated the English Department for the programme. Earlier, Dr Gauri Handa, Associate Professor, Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, emphasised that social media continues to be a crucial space for promoting feminist thought but the negative portrayal of women in the media has been an issue of concern. Dr Ujjal Jeet, Assistant Professor from GNDU, elucidated the topic through a novel perspective, about how the mainstream media can affect the 21st century feminism.

Career counselling

Amritsar: The School of Computer Science and Applications, Khalsa College, Amritsar organised a seminar on “Career counselling”. Gaurav Khera, Director, BDS Knowledge Point, Amritsar, emphasised the importance of aligning academic choices with long-term career goals, particularly in the dynamic landscape of computer science and information technology. He discussed emerging career opportunities, key skills required in the modern job market and strategies for personal and professional development. He also provided insights into industry trends, emphasising the significance of continuous learning and adapting to new technologies to stay competitive. Dr Harbhajan Singh, Head, School of Computer Science and Applications and Dr Mani Arora, co-coordinator of the event, welcomed guest speakers and honoured them with mementos. The session concluded with an interactive question-answer session.

Governor’s visit

Amritsar: Gulab Chand Kataria, Punjab Governor, will visit Shri Ram Ashram Public School in the city on September 27 at 12 pm to attend a programme in the school.

NCC camp

Amritsar: Brig K S Bawa, Commander, Amritsar NCC Group, felicitated NCC cadets of Amritsar group who were part of Army and Navy wing teams that had lifted the prestigious All India Thal Sainik Camp 2024 trophy in boys’ category and bagged the historic 42 medals in various events in AITSC camp at Delhi. The Directorate team of 91 cadets was trained at Ropar under Brig KS Bawa, Chief Training Officer and a training team led by Col AK Sharma, VSM, CO, 7 Punjab NCC battalion, Gurdaspur. Rigorous training was imparted to the team at Ropar NCC Academy for two months, resulting in a remarkable victory at Delhi, defeating teams from 16 Directorates.

Employability skills workshop

Amritsar: The training and placement cell of DAV College, Amritsar, recently organised a transformative workshop aimed at enhancing employability skills exclusively for female students. Named the “Mahindra Pride Classroom —- Day Employability Skills Training Programme”, the two workshops were conducted in collaboration with Mahindra and Mahindra, reflecting a commitment to fostering personal and professional growth among young women.

Educational visit

Amritsar: The students of Paramedical Department of Global Group of Institutions paid an educational visit to Medical Laboratory Sciences of Government Medical College, Amritsar. The visit was part of the regular exercise undertaken with the primary objective of providing practical exposure to the students. The students went around various labs in the medical college and observed the essential and significant role of laboratory sciences in healthcare. The students were taken around laboratory facilities in different sections including biochemistry, haematology and histopathology. The students were informed about the functions of each laboratory and the tests conducted in these.