Anantha Jyothi – Special Issue 

Anantha Jyothi: A Tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Astute Gandhian Arutchelvar Ayya 

The annual Remembrance Day of Arutchelvar Dr.N.Mahalingam coincides with the 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Kumaraguru Institutions slated weeklong activities and events from 02 October to 09 October 2020 under the aegis of Anantha Jyothi, as a mark of respect and tribute to these two statesmen. This special issue titled Anantha Jyothi captures the glimpses of events and activities organised during this week. 

Mahatma Gandhi Merit Scholarship Distribution 

The signature event of Anantha Jyothi hosted on the virtual mode is the distribution of Mahatma Gandhi Merit Scholarship to the deserving 1146 students to a tune of Rupees 1.146 crores. The scholarship winners include meritorious students from Kumaraguru College of Technology, KCT Business School, Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture and Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science. The virtual Mahatma Gandhi Merit Scholarship ceremony was streamed live on KCT YouTube Channel. The Presidential Address was delivered by Shri Shankar Vanavarayar, President, Kumaraguru Institutions and the special address was delivered by Dr. Stalin Gunasekaran. The Founder Chairman, Arutchelvar Ayya, was a pioneer in acknowledging and appreciating young talents and a true Gandhian that he was, constituted the Merit Scholarship in the name of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation in the year 2007 and every year the deserving meritorious students are bestowed with this prestigious scholarship. So far, scholarship to a tune of whopping 14 crores has been distributed and as many as 14000+ students have been benefited from this scholarship.  

Achievers Awards Ceremony 

The Achievers Awards ceremony is one of the most awaited events at the campus, which is an annual recognition of talents among the graduating batch of students since 2013 and so far, nearly 400 achievers have been applauded for their achievements. The awardees from Kumaraguru College of Technology who have proven their mettle in multiple arenas which include academics, sports, research, clubs & forums, Department Associations and Social service to name a few. The awards ceremony was streamed live on YouTube on Friday, 09 October 2020 from 6:00 PM onwards in the KCT channel. During the ceremony, Shri Shankar Vanavarayar, Joint Correspondent, Kumaraguru College of Technology, in his Presidential Address stated that the Kumaraguru Institutions has always celebrated excellence in the student community, not only in academics, but also in volunteerism, leadership, commitment and many more. He also added that these achievers should impact the lives of millions of people and make the institution proud of their self-less accomplishments. Following the announcement of awards, the event drew to a close with the awardees and their parents sharing their experience and gratitude in the acceptance speech.   

Launching of N.Mahalingam Tamil Research Centre Grant 

The N. Mahalingam Tamil Research Grant Scheme was launched as part of Anantha Jyothi Week on 02 October 2020 by N Mahalingam Tamil Research Centre (NMTRC) situated at Kumaraguru campus. NMTRC was instituted with profound objectives of creating a valuable hub for researches, publications, and facilitating with treasure trove of large and rare collection of books, palm leaf manuscripts, etc. The N Mahalingam Tamil Research Grant scheme is purported for facilitating the Tamil enthusiasts, students, scholars, researchers, etc. to explore in their respective fields of interest and to bring fulfilment of their aspirations and present imperative outputs to Tamil, its culture and attributes. The Grant shall be Rs.10 Lakhs for a tenure of year, which shall be given on the basis of various subjects, reach, quality, sequels and considerations. Interested enthusiasts, scholars, students, researchers can get information in the website. 

Agaval Parayanam  

Arutchelvar Dr.N.Mahalingam Ayya was an ardent follower of Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar Ramalinga Swamigal known as Vallalar and followed the philosophy of Vallalar throughout his life. An annual event scheduled during the Anantha Jyothi Week, as a tribute to Ayya on his Rememberance Day on 02 October 2020 is the recitation – ‘Agaval Parayanam’ to portray his legacy and devotion towards Vallalar. This year, due to the restriction in number and movement 5 Sanmargies from various nearby Sanmarga Sangam participated in the recitation of “Thiruvarutpa – Arutperunjothi Agaval”. 

Club Events 

Thrive 

The Rotaract Club and Gandhian Youth Movement of KCT conducted a three-day online webinar series titled “Thrive” from 02 to 04 October 2020 via Google Meet to discuss the importance of Khadi, the influence of Gandhian thoughts, simple living and high thinking.  A webinar on “Simple Living and High Thinking” was conducted on 02 October 2020.  Dr.S.R.Subramanian, Head, Sustainable Development and Mr.G.Vijayaragavan Gopal, Head, Youth Leadership Programme, Shanti Ashram, Coimbatore, explained about the Gandhian principles and the necessity for youth to get involved in social service.  It was informed that truth, simplicity, nonviolence and dignity of labour are the four fundamental principles to achieve simple living and high thinking.  The effect of Covid-19 on people was also substantiated during the session and the threats like domestic violence, stress and anxiety were also discussed.  Finally, the session concluded with a group discussion by the volunteers from Shanti Ashram.  There were around 75+ participants for the event. On day two, a webinar on “Role of Youth in Post Covid-19 Situation” was conducted via Google Meet.   Mr.Manesh Chandran, Director, Aadhis Entertainment, deliberated about the role of youth in increasing the GDP.  He also mentioned about the various opportunities available to regain the country’s economic strength.  The strategies to maintain mental health during this pandemic situation by involving in various activities were also discussed along with the need to improve the skills.  Other significant issues discussed during the session includes the pros and cons of privatization of government sectors, importance of using Indian products, and the importance of agriculture and organic farming.  There were around 50+ participants for the event. 

Thamizhum Thozhilnutpamum 

N.Mahalingam Tamil Research Centre in association with Tamil Mandram and Nithilam of KCT organized a discussion titled “Thamizhum Thozhilnutpamum” on 02 October 2020 via Zoom Meeting.  The forum concentrated on discussing about the vision of Tamil Computing in the next five years.  Mr.Maniyam, Chairperson, INFITT, Singapore, moderated the session.  Tamil, being the Classical Language of India, has always had the flexibility of adapting new words to rejuvenate itself for the digital era.  The role of Tamil keyboards, mobile applications related to Tamil language, and other software that are used for the purpose were discussed during the session.  It was also informed that the proposal for Tamil E-mail IDs is on its way, and it can be expected within a few years down the line. 

Experiments with Truth 

On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhiji’s 151st Birth Anniversary, the Matrix Club of KCT conducted a virtual quiz contest titled “Experiments with Truth” via Google Forms on 02 October 2020 to exemplify the words and convictions of the Father of our nation.  The quiz contained basic level questions about the life history of Mahatma Gandhi.  The quiz questions were circulated via Google Forms and the participants were given a time limit of 15 minutes to answer the questions.  The participants found this event to be very interesting.  Ms.Soubarnika and Mr.Nikil Venkatesh, II-year, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), KCT, bagged the first and the second places respectively.  Ms.Venkateshwari, II-year, Department of Textile Technology secured the third place. 

Mahatma Quiz 

In commemoration to the 151st Birth Anniversary of the Father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi, Qubate Forum of KCT conducted an online quiz titled “Mahatma Quiz” highlighting the ideologies and the principles of Gandhiji through Instagram from 01 to 04 October 2020.  The questions focused on the unknown facts about Gandhiji to make the students understand the eminence of his legacy.  The questions were posted as quizzes in the Insta handle @lifeatkct.  There was an overwhelming response for the event with an average of 300+ responses.  It served as the best platform to unveil the interesting facts about the great leader. 

Round Table Conference 

The interest of the youth in Gandhian Principles was well established in the online event titled “Round Table Conference” conducted by the Qubate Forum of KCT on 03 October 2020.  The participants shared various arguments related to the relevance of the Gandhian Principles in the modern society and engaged in fruitful discussions on the Mahatma and his way of life.  Interesting revelations and avid debates seemed to be the core ingredients of the event.  The discussions also focused on the hypothetical questions like “What would be the current political stance of Gandhiji?” to encourage diverse thinking.  There were around 15+ participants for the event from Kumaraguru Institutions and PSG Institutions, Coimbatore. 

Suvarotti 

The Road Safety Patrol (RSP) of KCT conducted an online poster competition titled “Suvarotti” from 07 to 09 October 2020 to create awareness on road safety and security.  The topics for the poster competition ranged from usage of seat belt, rash driving, drunk and drive, using mobile phones during driving and so on.  The event had an overwhelming response from the participants, and the various posters created by them made everyone to realize the significance of following road rules and created awareness to stay alert on the road. 

Announcements 

Department Events 

KCT Business School organizes four Guest Lectures titled “Taxation in Personal Financial Planning”, “Emerging Trends in Production Planning and Control Practices in the Foundry Industry”, “Google Analytics” and “Managing Stocks in Sales Channel at Colgate Palmolive” on 14, 15 and 17 October 2020 respectively.  The Guest Lectures are conducted to equip the students of Management Studies with the knowledge of financial planning and the knowledge of the present industrial requirements. 

Club Events