|
USTM Media Excellence Awards Conferred
USTM Adopts Holistic Approach for Social
Transformation
GUWAHATI, 5 July 2018:
The University of Science & Technology Meghalaya today
honoured media personalities from the region recognising
their contribution in the field of News Media giving
legitimacy to people’s voice and augmenting the role of
media as the “Fourth Estate”. The Awards were conferred
today on the occasion of USTM PR Day-2018 held in a glorious
function presided over by Prof Nirmal Kumar Chaudhury,
former Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University while the Chief
Guest of the event was former Meghalaya Governor Shri R S
Mooshahary. A galaxy of media persons and dignitaries from
the region, including Mr PJ Baruah, Executive Editor, The
Assam Tribune and Dr PK Goswami, Vice Chancellor, USTM has
graced the occasion.
This year’s USTM Media Excellence Award went to four media
stalwarts of the region:
Mr Zarir Hussain, Chief Managing Editor, News Live
Television; Mr Dileep Chandan, Editor, Asom Bani; Mr Samudra
Gupta Kashyap, veteran journalist & author and Ms Maini
Mahanta, Editor, Nandini. The USTM Media Achiever Award-2018
went to eight senior journalists from the region. They are:
Mr Sujit Chakraborty, Special Correspondent, IANS, Tripura;
Mr Satyanarayan Misra, Staff Reporter, Dainik Purvoday; Mr
Imtiaz Ahmed, Senior Reporter, The Telegraph, Guwahati; Ms
Monmoromi Mahanta, Journalist, Prag Channel; Mr Mridul Haloi,
Sub Editor, Dainik Janambhumi; Mr Aafaque Hussain, Staff
Reporter, The Shillong Times; Ms Tinakali Sumi, Senior Sub
Editor, Nagaland Post and Ms Evanjoplin Dkhar, Senior
Reporter, Meghalaya Guardian, Shillong. The awards were
handed over to the recipients by the eminent dignitaries.
Delivering his keynote address on “Role of Universities in
Outreach Activities”, Padma Shri Manas Chaudhuri, Managing
Director, The Shillong Times, said that universities have
immense responsibility in shaping the future of a generation
by community engagement, public service and knowledge
exchange, apart from its main areas of teaching and
research.Another keynote speaker on the occasion was, Shri
Prasanta Rajguru, Editor, Amar Asom. Delivering a lecture on
“Role of Universities in Socio-Political Awareness”, Shri
Rajguru said that educational institutions are temple of
knowledge and universities being the highest level of
educational institution, have a great deal of responsibility
in creating social and political awareness among the people.
Addressing the gathering, Shri RS Mooshahary, former
Governor of Meghalaya said that there are very few private
universities that have seen such level of growth within few
years of their establishment as USTM has experienced.
Delivering the media awards, Shri Mooshahary said that media
too has its social responsibilities and it can play a
positive or negative role in the society. He urged all media
persons to contribute positively to the society and the
country as a whole.
Shri Mahbubul Hoque, the Chancellor of USTM, stated that it
has been a challenging journey for USTM which began with
only six students in 2011 and now the University takes pride
to have more than 5,000 students. The University has adopted
a holistic approach for social development, besides its
consistent mission towards development of individuals and
the society in the field of education. The University’s
outreach programmes and activities are gradually being
expanded to reach those areas and people requiring support
and assistance. “We are placing the University Progress
Report in front of media and other dignitaries in this USTM
PR Day”, he said.
It must be mentioned here that USTM is the number one
private university in the region – the “people’s university”
as it is known—and has been putting its full efforts to
stand in its true sense. USTM has generously opened the door
for the poor and underprivileged meritorious students of the
society to continue higher studies in this University with
the provision of “Free Education” thus not letting poverty
to be a hindrance in education for the deserving candidates.
The provision is also applicable for the children of the
media fraternity as they hardly receive such support. The
University has adopted a “Pay Back Policy” to encourage the
students to qualify the prestigious competitive
examinations. USTM has also introduced Pay Back Policy to
return entire course fees to students who qualify the NET/SLET
examinations to encourage the students and to create the
competitive mood among the students.
Another significant outreach programme of the University is
that, each department of USTM is entrusted to adopt one
village and students/faculty help the villagers to help
themselves by linking them up with agencies, banks &
enabling them to articulate and solve their problems. The
programme has received good response so far. Again, USTM has
a Community Bank from which 50% of the profit goes to
emergency help from time to time.
In the health sector, USTM has been trying its best to reach
the society in its own capacity by establishing Help Desk in
Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute, by organizing numerous Blood
Donation and Free Health Check up Camps. In its effort to
help the differently abled people of the region, the
University has started work to establish an institution for
them where the physically challenged ones can avail free
academic and vocational education that would help them to
make a livelihood. The NSS cell of USTM has organized many
rural educational camps in different locations of the North
East.
USTM has always been in the front row whenever the subject
of women empowerment comes. One of such projects has been
the “USTM Driving School for Women” which aims at empowering
women, especially those who are economically weak, school
dropouts, widows, single mothers and the like by enabling
them to earn a living by taking driving as a profession.
USTM also announced several media fellowships for
journalists of the region. The call for the fellowships will
take place towards the end of this month. In 2011, the
University opened the International Centre for Gandhian
Studies (ICGS) with the purpose of conducting research
activities and nurturing the basic philosophy of Gandhiji.
The holistic nature of the approach of USTM is also
reflected in the University’s association with the Bachpan
Bachao Andolan of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi who was
given a platform to launch the Meghalaya lap of his Bharat
Yatra. For the benefit of the students from the region, the
University is engaged in regular interaction with media and
has been arranging interface of media with academia through
educational programmes like “Gyan Darshan” in Pratidin
Times, “Gyan Prabah” in Prag Channel and “Gyan Charcha” in
Doordarshan Kendra. Moreover, the University has signed
different MoUs with premier Universities and Institutions of
Eminence from within and outside the nation to encourage
faculty development and facilitate students to face real
life situation better.
Since its inception in 2011, the University has organized
several talks by nationally and internationally acclaimed
stalwarts. The annual academic memorial lecture in the
memory of APJ Abdul Kalam gives the students an opportunity
to listen to top personalities in significant fields. The
University has conducted more than 20 National Seminars
while more than 400 research papers have been published in
various national and international journals. Apart from
holding the North East College Principal’s Conclave, USTM
has provided career guidance to more than 10,000 students
from the North East during its annual flagship event for
youth called North East Graduate Congress. More than 10
national level counseling sessions on career opportunities
have been organized by USTM for the benefit of students. |
