The Hindu : Honing their communication skill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Honing their communication skill

Quite often, employability rather than unemployment is said to be the problem among the educated youth. Even many post-graduates are found to be wanting when it comes to communication and presentation skills.

In an effort to provide a platform for the students to hone their skills in these areas, the Centre for Youth Development and Studies (CYDS) of the Bharathidasan University organised a university-level inter-collegiate competition recently. Hundreds of students from affiliate colleges in seven districts participated in the elocution, essay writing and poetry competitions held in Tamil and English.

The following were the prize-winners in the contests: Elocution (Tamil) - I prize: P. Velayutha Raja, Bharathidasan University; II prize: K.Syed Ahamed Kabir, Jamal Mohammed College; III prize: R. S. Muthukumar, Thiru Vi. Ka. Government Arts College, Thiruvarur, and T. Elavarasi, Enathi Rajappa College, Pattukottai.

Elocution (English) - I prize: Darakshan Takmeel, Aiman College of Arts and Science; II prize: A. Durga Devi, Kunthavai Nachiyar College, Thanjavur, III prize: V. P. Sukanya, Chidambaram Pillai College, and B. Sharmila Praveen, Aiman College of Arts and Science.

Essay writing (Tamil) - I prize - J. Nalini and A. Ali Akbar, both MIET College; II prize: P. Renitta Gnana Sathya, TBML College and A. Haseena Banu, Cauvery College for Women; III prize: M. Dhanasekaran, Rajah's College, Pudukottai, E. Veerasakthivel, Periyar E. V. R. College and K.Gomathy, Tharumai Atheenam Arts College, Mayiladuthurai.

Essay writing (English) - I prize: S.Aishwarya, Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College and G.Janani, Shrimathi Indira Gandhi College; II prize - Manju Lavanya, Shrimathi Indira Gandhi College, B. Deepavathi Bai, Kurinji College of Arts and Science and M. S. Pradeepa, Cauvery College; III prize: Cecilia Edel Priya, Cauvery College.

Poetry (Tamil) - I prize: A. Kumaran, TBML College; II prize: K.Gomathi, Tharumai Atheenam Arts College and E. Arivazhagan, Periyar E. V. R. College; III prize: S.Sangeetha, M.R.Government Arts College, Mannargudi and R.S.Muthukumar, Thiru Vi.Ka.Government Arts College, Thiruvarur.

Poetry (English) - I prize: S.Marie Josephine Veena, Cauvery College; II prize: S.Aparna, Shrimathi Indira Gandhi College; III prize: G.Sivagami, Aiman College.

The CYDS has planned to organise special follow-up programmes for the participants in these events, according to its coordinator, S.Iyyampillai.

* * *

A 10-member folk dance team from the Bharathidasan University has lived up to its reputation once again by bagging the second position in the all India inter-university youth festival held at the Jiwaji Univerity, Gwalior, earlier this month. Fifty-three universities participated in the festival. It also bagged a special prize in the cultural rally at the festival.

The team comprising M. Gopuru, K. Suresh, A. Suresh Peter, K. Dhasthageer, P. Suja (all from Thanthai Hans Roever College, Perambalur), R. Saravanan (Bishop Heber College), J. Umarani, S. Seema (Chidambaram Pillai College), S. Ramya and K. Sangeetha (Cauvery College for Women), enthralled the audience.

The presentation was a collage of `Karagam,' `Poikal Kuthirai,' `Thapattam,' `Mayilattam,' `Oyilattam,' Rope Dance and Ladder Dance. The cultural rally was a three-km long march when the teams display their talents. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharathi, and cine actor, Ashudosh Rana, witnessed the event. The team would be honoured at a function to be held in Tiruchi in March, according to the NSS coordinator of the university, R.Veerasekaran, who accompanied the team.

* * *

A training programme on `marketing and sale of banking products,' under the auspices of the Department of Management Studies of the Thanthai Hans Roever College in Perambalur was organised at the ICICI bank's main branch and three branches in Tiruchi.

Students were trained in savings, insurance, current account, fixed deposits and retail institutions group, says the Head of the Department, N.S.Shibu.

The ICICI bank executives explained various banking strategies including `front office' and `back office' functions to the students. They narrated the techniques to be followed for outreaching the customers and attracting new customers to the ambit of banking products.

* * *

A 10-day inter-collegiate NSS camp was held under the joint auspices of the St. Joseph's College and the District Rural Development Agency, Tiruchi at Gauthanayakkanpatti.

Students from different colleges, affiliated to the Bharathidasan University, participated in the camp. The focus was on total sanitation for rural pockets. Lectures on advantages of individual household toilets and awareness programmes on personal hygiene were highlights of the camp.

The rector of the college, Rev. Fr. S. Lazer, and the principal, Rev. Fr. A. G. Leonard, underline the role of youth in shaping the future of rural India.

* * *

Students of the Department of Social Work of the Bishop Heber College in Tiruchi conducted a programme on `women and mental health' for the women self-help groups of Kajapettai, in collaboration with the People's Development Initiative (PDI).

V. Sujatha, psychiatrist, spoke on importance of mental health, mental illness, genetic psychological and social causes for mental illness, symptoms, duration and treatment etc.

An interactive session followed when SHG members raised several questions regarding anger management, need for ventilating their feelings and identification of mental illness.

The Director of PDI, I. Ambalavanan, and fieldwork trainee of the Social Work Department, S. Vijaya Lavanya, spoke.

* * *

G. Balakrishnan, former head, Department of English, St. Joseph's College, unravelled the essential elements of effective communication clearly and convincingly when commerce students the National College in Tiruchi invited him to deliver a lecture on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the department.

D. Sivasubramanian, head, Department of Commerce, who presided, highlighted the importance of effective communication. A judicious mixture of commerce, computer and communication skills can help students to achieve success. But theoretical learning is not enough. There is a need for practical training to improve communication skills. He also underlined the importance of cultivating the habit of reading newspapers to improve communication skills.

R. Ramachandran welcomed the gathering and R. Srinivasan proposed a vote of thanks.

* * *

To promote a clean and green environment, students of the Shrimathi Indira Gandhi College in Tiruchi have floated a Nature Club in their campus. The club's first priority is to establish an herbal garden. It has also planned various other activities to create an awareness and a slogan writing competition for students.

S.Kalavathy, Coordinator, Department of Environmental Studies, Bishop Heber College, inaugurated the club and called upon the members to take steps to preserve the country's rich medicinal plant resource.

K. Meena, principal, in her presidential address, exhorted the students to follow healthy practices for protecting the fragile eco system.

A. Ganapathy, Professor, Department of the BioTechnology, Bharathidasan University, highlighted the emerging importance of transgenic plants in improving productivity.

* * *

(Contributed by S. Ganesan,

M. Balaganessin and Syed

Muthahar in Tiruchi)

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