BYGOD, There’s more to college than lectures
Beginning September 5, city colleges that are busy round
the year with lectures and examinations will start their day with a prayer session
in the assembly hall.
The higher education department has asked arts, science and commerce colleges to
hold sarva dharma prayers every day. Students will be asked to compulsorily attend
the session. The idea is to inculcate a spirit of togetherness and begin the day
on a positive note.
After the 3 to10 minute prayer, students will read out news headlines in English
and Gujarati. This will be followed by general knowledge quiz and discussion/debate
on current affairs.
The initiative is part of the higher education departments Chalo College campaign.
For the first 15 days, teachers, principals and Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat
will also make students aware of the departments projects like saptadhara (extracurricular
activities), choice-based credit system, Udisha (placement programme ) and SCOPE
(English- proficiency course).
We have asked the colleges to make the assembly session mandatory. It will begin
with a sarva dharma prayer, respecting the religious sentiments of all the students.
Remembering God at the start of the day is a good practice. Reciting a prayer together
fosters a feeling of unity and team spirit, said a higher education department official
seeking anonymity.
The students committee in the colleges will be made in charge of running the assembly
which will witness news reading, debates, discussions, quiz programmes, career guidance
and celebration of colleges achievements. The objective behind having an assembly
is to instill good values among students and encourage all round development. We
will review the assembly sessions in January, he added.
Subhash Brahmbhatt, principal of HK Arts College, said, We always start our day
in the college with prayers. Remembering God before taking up any work is a good
thing. A prayer generates an aura of positivity and peace. It also makes one feel
better psychologically; ready to tackle any hardship in life. I think making prayers
mandatory in colleges is a good idea. What should attract students is the idea of
debate and discussion after the prayers.
B K Jain, principal of M G Science Institute said, As per Indian culture, a prayer
holds an important place in our daily life. However, it is out of fashion for many
youngsters today to offer prayers on a daily basis. But if they make it an everyday
practice, it will do them a lot of good psychologically. Though, initially the assembly
session might not attract many students, once students start attending they'll never
want to miss it.
Ghanshyam Shukla, a student of Saraspur College said, The assembly was part of our
school life. I miss it in college and am glad to know that that the higher education
department is introducing the practice. It is unlikely that every student will attend
the assembly initially, but it will eventually be a huge hit. It provides a great
platform to the students to interact, showcase their skills and hone leadership
qualities.
Courtesy: Times of India
