more-in Pondicherry University has been ranked sixth among the top universities in the country in the India Today – Nielsen Survey conducted between February and March 2017. The media group had engaged the internationally reputed Nielsen Company to rank the best universities of India among 70 participant universities and the report prepared a list of top 50 universities. Vice-Chancellor in charge Anisa Basheer Khan said Pondicherry University has been struggling to improve every aspect of the university despite great challenges. Pondicherry University has done extremely well in streamlining admission procedures through online during the academic year 2016-17, she said. The university will surge ahead in ranking with the implementation of its proposals submitted to the UGC Audit committee, which had undertaken a visit to the institution, the Vice-Chancellor said. The India Today-Nielsen study evaluated secondary data from among 500 Indian universities and the opinion of 600 experts in the country. The parameters included reputation of the university, quality of academic input, faculty, research publications/reports/projects, student care, infrastructure, innovation and governance, admission procedure, placement opportunities/enrolment for higher education, global exposure and security of the students. Yoga celebrations Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth Deemed University spearheaded various events in connection with the International Day of Yoga celebrations as per guidelines issued by UGC and Ministry of AYUSH. The week-long celebrations of IDY 2017 at SBV included local, regional and national events. A yoga awareness programme was conducted for 330 faculty and students of MGMCRI, KGNC and IGIDS along with 30 students and faculty from RGCET. SBV Vice-Chancellor Prof KR Sethuraman and Registrar Prof AR Srinivasan attended the event along with representatives of the constituent colleges. A mass awareness yoga programme was conducted for more than a hundred students and staff at Vanidasanar Higher Secondary School in Seliamedu as well as at the RHTC in collaboration with Community Medicine Department. Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Director CYTER, and the team from SBV led the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the Promenade. The mass demonstration of Common Yoga Protocol by nearly 3,000 students was attended by Union Minister of State for External Affairs M. J. Akbar and Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy. The Tourism, Health and Education departments of Puducherry Government supported the programme. A national seminar-cum-workshop on “Role of Yoga in prevention, management and rehabilitation of chronic diseases” was inaugurated by Ammaji Kalaimamani Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani. “Yoga must remain yoga and not get mutated through this churning that is happening in the process of the global scale celebration of International Day of Yoga” she said. Delivering the keynote via video-conferencing, Dr. KK Aggarwal, the National President of IMA from New Delhi, stressed the concept of yoga being essentially “parasympathetic” in nature. Hence, pranayama may be termed parasympathetic breathing and asanas, parasympathetic activity. The yama-niyama of yoga are a parasympathetic lifestyle and the combination of all these aspects of yoga produces relaxation facilitating healing of chronic diseases, he said. The organising chairman Prof K Jaiganesh, HOD of Physiology at MGMCRI and organising Secretary Dr Ananda participated. Teachers’ training event A five-day zonal level science teachers’ training event was organised by the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Department of Education Tamil Nadu in Cuddalore to inculcate scientific temper, hands-on experience in science and to empower science teachers. About 160 science teachers from Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, Perambalur and Ariyalur participated in the training. The programme hosted by the RMSA Cuddalore wing was supported by NLC India Limited. In a special address, R. Mohan, Chief General Manager HR, NLC India, stressed the importance of empowering teachers, as well as students in the education system. V. Chandrasekaran, Chief General Manager Finance, and technical secretary to NLC CMD, G. Kumarasamy DEO Cuddalore, Nedumaran, DGM, NLCIL education department and Shanmugasundaram, DGM, Learning and Development Centre, also spoke. The function was coordinated by district education coordinators Rajasekar, Balamurugan and RMSA State resource person Balagurunathan.

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