Group Spectra of Department of English, School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Interior Design, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), in collaboration with the Color of Grey Cells (CoGC) organized a two-day online therapeutic workshop titled As You Like It on May 20, 2021, and May 21, 2021. Ms. Anshuma Kshetrapal, a renowned drama, and movement psychotherapist is the founder of CoGC, which is dedicated to providing psychotherapy and creative arts therapy to various groups and individuals across the globe. The workshop was conducted under the guidance of Major Dr. Rekha Sinha – Director of School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Interior Design, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Dr. Mekhala Venkatesh - Head of English Department, and Ms. Shruti Garg from CoGC.

The workshop addressed the growing stress levels among students due to the increased screen-time in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the negative impact of rising Covid-19 cases on everyone’s mental health. It emphasized the importance of providing students various methods to relax and de-stress from their routine online life that allows little or no space for recreation and interaction. The key feature of this workshop was its characteristic rooting in drama and movement therapy that did not put the participants under the strain of continuous screen-timing. It included exercises focused on bodily movements and to de-stress the mind from routine life.

Ms. Garg trained the participants in breathing exercises, exercises to be conscious of one’s body and environment, and rituals to identify ideas related to different roles in one’s routine life. It was an atmosphere of continuous interaction and activities that engaged teachers and students alike. The responses from the students and teachers were positive and encouraging. In these times, such gatherings are helpful if done in the right spirit. The team could introduce such a workshop in the college space from their months of research and expert interviews on drama therapy and student counseling. Such initiatives, when encouraged by the academic spaces, allow individuals to come together and interact in a non-hierarchical and comfortable manner to make college a better space. Overall the event was a success and provided everyone the very-much-needed de-stress.

Department of Economics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) organized an international conference in collaboration with Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore, on the theme “Building Smart Villages for Sustainable Rural Development” on April 30, 2021. Dr. Richa Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), delivered the welcome speech. The inaugural address was given by Major Dr. Rekha Sinha, Director of SHSS, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University). The keynote speaker for the session was Prof. Dr. Muhammed Masood Ahmed from Hyderabad. The other prominent guests included Dr. Sharif Mohamad from Malaysia, Dr. Riyas Mohammed from Kuala Lumpur, and Dr. Kenneth from Zambia.

Dr. Xavier V K, Head of Department of Economics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), delivered the opening remarks with an in-depth study. The felicitation address was delivered by Dr. Mathew Chandrankunnel, Director of Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore. Prof. Dr. Muhammed Masood Ahmed shared significant insight into the topic, followed by valuable comments from Dr. Sharif Mohamad and Dr. Riyas Mohammed. Dr. Kenneth shared his knowledge on rural development in general and specific reference to Sub-Saharan Africa and focused on rural development in Zambia. The inaugural session winded up with Dr. Greema Michael’s vote of thanks.

The highlights of the event were its technical sessions. A total of 5 technical sessions took place during the conference, where more than 60 articles were presented by professors, research scholars, students, and academic professionals from various reputed educational institutions. The event was one of its kind and will be considered a milestone in the history of the department.

The fourth edition of ECOTHON, the flagship fest of the Department of Economics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), was held on April 28, 2021. The fest included a total of five events. The elimination rounds took place between April 22, 2021, and April 25, 2021, and the final round of each event came into being on April 28, 2021.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the fest took place virtually. The events tested the caliber of participants in areas like business, law, economics, writing, creativity, fashion, and art. The fest witnessed more than 200 participants from various institutions like Christ (Deemed-to-be University) - Bangalore, CMR University, Delhi University, St. Joseph’s College, St. Xavier’s College - Mumbai, Government Law College - Indore, National University Law College - Bangalore, Mount Carmel College - Bangalore, IIT Kharagpur, OP Jindal Global University, Mithibai College - Mumbai, and Narsee Monjee College - Bangalore. The events included Mock Stock, Young Economist, VogueWay, Moot, and the Ecothon Case Study Competition.

The fest began with the opening ceremony. The guest of honor for the ceremony was Major Dr. Rekha Sinha, Dean and Director, School of Humanities and Social Science and School of Interior Design, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University). Ms. Ranjana R Kamath, President of BEST Forum, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), delivered the presidential address. Ms.Ranjana thanked the participants, her team members, the Department of Economics, and faculty members for their respective contributions to the fest. Major Dr. Rekha Sinha also shared her thoughts with the attendees. She highlighted the importance of participating in such events as they provide an opportunity for students to interact with their peers, share their thoughts and ideas, and come up with creative solutions for various problems; particularly in the entrepreneurial sphere. She also congratulated the students and faculty members on successfully conducting their first virtual fest and thanked all the participants for their active participation. Then, Dr. Xavier VK, HOD, and Professor, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) addressed the participants. He encouraged the students to actively participate in the events and stressed the importance of participating wholeheartedly, rather than just focusing on winning. He appreciated the efforts of the organizing team and the support of the faculty members. Then Dr. Sinha declared ECOTHON 2K21 open.

The first event of the fest was Young Economist, designed to give absolute freedom of creativity and innovation to the best minds in the fields of economics and management. It aimed at testing the knowledge of economics and policy-making skills of the participants. The elimination round of the event required the participants to submit original research papers based on any economic topic of their choice, submitted under specific guidelines stated by the organizing team. With over ten responses, the top three research papers got selected for the final round. The event was judged by Dr. Xavier VK and Dr. Greema Michael. The winner was Ms. Prapthi, and the first runner-up was Ms. Pooja.

The next event was The Ecothon Case Study, a competitive event that provides a chance to practice case solving and be challenged by a panel of leading business professionals. The event was judged by Professor Utkarsh Majmudar and Ms. Bhanumati Ganesh. The teams that participated in the event were Team Hustlers, Team HawkEye, Genos, Team Vandal, and Team Game Changers. These five teams had to answer tough questions asked by the judges to prove their mettle. The first, second, and third positions were secured by Team Hustlers, Team HawkEye, and Genos respectively. Team Vandal secured the fourth position, and Team Game Changers secured the fifth position.

The next event was Mock Stock. It aimed at providing an opportunity to participants to experience the thrill, highs, and lows of the dynamic Indian stock market. The elimination round included an online business quiz, Dare2Comptete. With the overwhelming participation of over 120 people (60 teams), the event was true to its test, and the top 24 teams qualified for the next round. The finale was a thrilling livestock trading round, where the students were tested for their stock trading skills and made to trade on an online platform. The winners were Mr. Shreyansh Chandani and Mr. Mihir Kedia from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, and the runners-up were Ms. Uma Lohia and Ms. Amruta Das from CHRIST (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore.

The next event was Moot, aimed at testing the argumentative skills of the participants. It is a unique event where students of both law and non-law backgrounds compete against each other and showcase their skills. The event was judged by Adv. Kaarvannan B, Advocate at the Honourable High Court of Madras and Adv. Kavya Chintapalli, a practicing advocate. The event focused on a case provided to the participants where one team was the defendant, and the other was opposing counsel. Post a three-hour-long session, the winners were Mr. Chinmaya Prasanna and Mr. Vishnu Sudarshan, and the runners-up were Mr. Sujay Rao and Ms. Namitha RV.

The last event was VogueWay. This groundbreaking event brought together various ideas and opportunities to explore the talent, creativity, and innovation of the participants. With a three-round process, the event was fun, powerful, and epoch-making. Each round was judged by renowned influencers and tested the participants’ thrill, vigor, creativity, innovation, and the kind of personality they brought to the table. The gender-neutral event aimed to shatter all the glass ceilings and bring forth true talent and beauty in its purest and rawest form. The first round of the event tested the creativity and sustainable knowledge of the participants, where the participants were required to prepare their apparel using newspapers. In the next round, the participants had to dress up according to street style or block prints fashion, and this round was judged by fashion influencers, Mr. Gautam Mnchandani and Ms. Tanya Gupta. Three participants qualified for the final round. In the final round, the participants were required to showcase different seasons through makeup; self-makeup, or on a model. This round was judged by Ms. Vanshika Saluja and Mr. Shaurya Batra, well-known makeup influencers. The winner of this round was Ms. Dipti Agarwal, and the runner-up was Ms.Brinda Sridhar.

The fest concluded with a valedictory ceremony. Dr. Jennifer Fernandes, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), presented a thorough report of the event and congratulated all the participants. Following this, each event head was individually invited to declare the winners of their respective events. Then, Dr. Xavier V.K. was invited to share his thoughts. He congratulated all the winners and participants and encouraged them to participate in the forthcoming editions of ECOTHON. The valedictory ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks. Overall the fest was an immense success, due to the commendable efforts of the organizing team and the overwhelming participation of contestants from across the country. It was quite an eventful day and will be cherished for a long time.