News from MRSM EMHS | “Utkranti”, a three-day workshop

With the objective of integrating art into education, experiential learning and interdisciplinary approach, and to prepare teachers to be resource persons, “Utkranti”, a three-day workshop for science teachers was held from 25th to 27 May 2023 at Dr MRSM English Medium High School. 36 science teachers from different schools of Mangalore and Udupi participated in this workshop.

Shri N Vinaya Hegde, Chancellor, Nitte University inaugurated the workshop. He congratulated the school for initiating steps to empower teachers of Dr. MRSM EMS & other institutions through workshops of this kind.

Prof. (Dr) Suryanarayana K, HoD, EEE, NMAMIT and the mentor of “Utkranti” guided the whole workshop. He appreciated the zeal of the teachers in taking up the challenge to make themselves resourceful.

Ms. Shreelatha Rao, Principal welcomed the gathering and opined that there is dire need for all the teachers to work out on new strategies to reach out to students as mere chalk & talk classrooms are not impactful.

The workshop concluded with the valedictory ceremony on 27th May 2023. Dr Surynarayana presided over the function and congratulated the staff for the success of “Utkranti”.

News from Dr NSAM PUC, Nitte | II PUC Results 2023

 

News from NICO | BLOOD DONATION CAMP ORGANISED TO MARK WORLD RED CROSS DAY

 

Nitte Institute of Communication in association with Youth Red Cross and the Blood Bank of Justice K S Hegde Charitable Hospital, organised a Blood Donation Camp on the occasion of World Red Cross Day on 8th May 2023. A total of 15 students accompanied by two teaching staff were the donors. 

Among the students some were first time donors and some others, seasoned donors. Once donation ended, refreshments were given to all students. 

News from ABSMIDS | FREE DENTAL TREATMENT CAMP AT HOLLARABAILU, BANTWAL TALUK

 

The Department of Public Health Dentistry, A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences in association with the International College of Dentists and Swasthika National School, Urwa Store conducted a free dental treatment camp at Hollarabailu, Bantwal Taluk on 20.5.2023. Oral health awareness was provided.

A total of 61 patients were screened during the camp. 

News from NIHS | KIDS COOKING CAMP

 

29 eager young bakers gathered at the Nitte Institute of Hospitality Services on 26th May 2023 for a day of baking fun. The kids aged between 8 & 14 were excited to learn how to make their favourite treats - cookies, cupcakes and pizza from scratch. The instructors were impressed with their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. 

It was a great opportunity for the kids to develop their culinary skills and learn about the joys of baking. Ms. Dhanya C Menon & Mr. Donald DSouza organized the event. 

News from NICO | WORKSHOP ON FEATURE WRITING

 

A one-day workshop on Feature Writing by Ruth Dsouza Prabhu, was held at the Institute on 12th May, 2023. The workshop was divided into two - the first focused on the life cycle of a story, the importance of telling stories - in journalism, public relations and marketing communications; finding a peg for your story; framing the right questions and the importance of research.

Part Two of the workshop focused on Lifestyle Writing, which is the forte of the resource person. The kind of stories related to food and travel that can be written; the importance of building a travel and food specific vocabulary; pointers when travelling to cover a food story or while meeting/eating with a food personality. 

Resource person, Ruth Dsouza Prabhu has been associated with the print medium for over two decades with specific interest in travel and lifestyle writing. Her bylines have appeared in almost all the leading publications internationally and also in India, the most recent being a feature for the New York Times. 

The workshop was open for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

News from NICO | AUTISM AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - AUTISM: BE AWARE, BE UNDERSTANDING

The students of Nitte Institute of Communication, in collaboration with the Nitte Special Child Care (N-SPECC), A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, organized a one-day program to observe World Autism Day, on 28th April 2023 at the Institute premises. The event was organized to raise financial aid for families and increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism. 

Dr Yashomathi, Associate Professor, Nitte Institute of Speech & Hearing delivered a keynote address on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which was highly informative and insightful for the audience. 

Prof (Dr) Amitha Hegde, Chairperson of N-SPECC and Guest of Honour, spoke at length on the activities of the Centre, appreciated the efforts of students and said with people getting to know of N-SPECC and its activities, there were more volunteers coming in to help these children and their families.  

A total of 10 children and a few adults with autism attended the event, accompanied by their families. A few families shared their personal stories and experiences with the audience and children were engaged in activities like drawing and colouring. Students of NICO assisted the children, joining them in playing and dancing. They were later presented with gift boxes as a token of affection. 

The event introduced the audience to the challenges faced by individuals with autism and their families. A few pledged their support by promising to volunteer, donate and spread the word to create a more inclusive and accepting world, resulting in the families who shared their stories & experiences feeling empowered and appreciated.

The event was planned and executed by a group of students of first year BA as part of their studies in Environment and Development Communication. The group included Ben, Gayathri, Nikitha, Thrisha, Aayush, Sathwik, Sinan and Hiba.

Prof Raviraj, Head, Nitte Institute of Communication, presided over the event. Faculty Coordinators Dr Anisha, Assoc. Professor, NICO and Ms Cynthia D’Souza from N-SPECC coordinated the event. 

 

News from NGSMIPS | DRUG DELIVERY SYMPOSIUM 2023

The Department of Pharmaceutics, NGSMIPS organized a Drug Delivery Symposium 2023 (DDS 2023) with the aim of bringing together an array of experienced speakers from the industry, to provide impactful insights of how breakthrough delivery technologies are transforming the pharmaceutical industry. 

The symposium was held across two days on 12th & 13th April 2023 at the Avishkar Auditorium, ABSMIDS.  

The inaugural event was followed by the release of an e-book of abstracts on the theme “Current Industrial Practices in Product Development and Drug Delivery Technology”. 

Fifty-seven abstracts were released, and 150 participants registered for the symposium. The participants were from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, JSS College of Pharmacy (Ooty & Mysore), GM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, SJM College of Pharmacy, Rani Chennamma College of Pharmacy, Yenepoya Pharmacy College & Research Centre and NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Dr. Vandana Patravale, Professor of Pharmaceutics, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Technology, ICT, Mumbai was as the keynote speaker.  Mr. Raghunandan Shurpali, Asst. General Manager, QA Department, Gland Pharma Limited, Hyderabad; Dr. Latha Damle, Founder, Atrimed Biotech and Chief Scientific Officer, Atrimed; Dr. V. Sanker, Vice Principal, PSG College of Pharmacy, Peelamedu, Coimbatore; Dr. Rakshith Shetty, Senior Manager, Formulations Development, Steerlife, Bengaluru; Dr. Vijay Kulkarni, Director, Formulation & Business Development, Swalava Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru; Dr. Prasanna Sagar, Director, Itaan Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad; Dr. Dinesh Kumar B, Head, Dept. of Pharmaceutics, St James College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chalakudy, Kerala and Ms. Sweety Mathew, Regulatory Professional, RA CMC Biotech & Rare Disease, Global Business Services (BGC) were the other speakers. 

The Drug Delivery Symposium (DDS) 2023 offered a unique opportunity for interaction and networking among attendees from academia and the pharmaceutical industry. 

News from NGSMIPS | GUEST LECTURE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) & CAREER IN IP

NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences along with the Institutional Innovation Council (IIC) Nitte DU organized a guest lecture on “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) & Career in IP” by Dr. Umesh Banakar on 12-05-2023.  

Dr. Umesh Banakar, President, Banakar Consulting Services, Westfield, USA and Prof G. Srinikethan, President, IIC & Director (Technical Research), Nitte DU were the guests of honor. 

    

The program began with a prayer song by Mr. Shreyas Upadhyaya. The welcome address was delivered by Dr C S Shastry, Principal, NGSMIPS followed by a floral welcome to the guests of honor and lamp-lighting ceremony to mark the auspicious beginning. Prof G. Srinikethan conveyed his goal of bringing engineers and doctors together to conduct more innovative research. 

Dr. Banakar spoke in detail about Intellectual Property (IP) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), the importance of patenting by illustrating its benefits and gave an idea about the patent scenario in India and a brief idea about the global IPR diaspora. He explained what a patent is, how to apply for a patent, the steps for applying for a patent in the USA and in India. He further talked about how patenting is beyond the concept of commercialization and said that the common myth about IPR is that many think IPR is the law whereas it is a facilitator of the law. Dr. Banakar emphasized the importance of IPR and patents and encouraged researchers to conduct secondary research after obtaining conclusions to their project to check for innovation and its scope for patentability.

In the next part of his talk, Dr. Banakar spoke in detail about IPR domains. He explained that scientists do not know the law and lawyers do not know technology. As both are essential in a patent process, both parties have an important role to play in the process of patenting. He further spoke at length about the patenting requirements, patent protection, and a scientist’s role in the IPR domain. The last part of Dr. Banakar’s talk was about considering IPR as a career for Pharma professionals. He educated the audience regarding the vast opportunities present in the IPR sector for Pharmacy graduates. He also briefly introduced Goa Center for Excellence in Intellectual Property (G-CEIP). The session ended with a Question & Answer session. 

The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. R Narayana Charyulu, Vice Principal, NGSMIPS. Dr. Manohar M, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Pharmaceutics was the Master of ceremony. Faculty members, research scholars and postgraduates actively participated in the session.

News from NUINS | Press news on Clinical Training program Improvement of Maternal and Neonatal Health Services

 

News from NGSMIPS | OPPORTUNITIES OF CLINICAL PHARMACY PRACTICE IN AUSTRALIA

A guest lecture on “Opportunities of Clinical Pharmacy Practice in Australia” was delivered by Dr. Ronald Castelino, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Australia on 6th February 2023.

Dr. Praneetha Jain, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice welcomed the dignitaries and the gathering to the guest lecture. Dr. Juno J. Joel, Head, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice introduced the speaker.

Dr. Ronald began the session with an interactive activity on dosage adjustment which involved the assessment of various cases, contributing to the skill development of pharmacy students. This part of the session saw active participation from both the students and faculty. He explained about the various opportunities available in Australia for pharmacy graduates in the areas of research, community / hospital / residential pharmacy services, academics as well as business management. This was followed by a Q&A session.

Mr. Nandakumar U.P., Asst. Professor, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice delivered the vote of thanks.

News from ABSMIDS | FREE DENTAL TREATMENT CAMP at PHC, NELYADI

The Department of Public Health Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences in association with the International College of Dentists and Primary Health Centre, Nelyadi conducted a free dental treatment camp at Primary Health Centre, Nelyadi on 17.05.2023. Oral health awareness was provided.

A total of 15 patients were screened during the camp. 4 patients underwent oral prophylaxis, 2 underwent primary impressions, 1 underwent fit in, 2 underwent GIC restorations, 6 underwent check-up and 9 patients were referred to Subrahmanya Rural Centre for further treatment.

News from NGSMIPS | GUEST LECTURE ON COMMUNITY PHARMACY PRACTICE

A guest lecture on “Community Pharmacy Practice” was organized by the Department of Pharmacy Practice, NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences on  14th February 2023. The resource person for the event was Dr. Anantha Naik Nagappa, Professor, Association of Community Pharmacists of India.

Prof. (Dr.) CS Shastry, Principal, NGSMIPS welcomed the dignitaries and the gathering and introduced the speaker. Dr. Nagappa began the session by explaining the transition of pharmacists from mere dispensers to primary healthcare experts of the modern society. He emphasized that community pharmacists are qualified and skilled to ensure  safe, effective and judicious use of drugs by the community. Community pharmacists extend their knowledge particularly with great precision in processing prescriptions, ensuring rational use of medications, quality patient counseling, spreading community awareness, organizing healthcare programs, etc. He expressed his concern over the non-optimal utilization of the services of community pharmacists in spite of their eminence. With this background he concluded on the relevance of professional organizations such as Association of Community Pharmacist of India (ACPI), aimed at elevating and establishing a standard of competence for community pharmacies. 

The talk was followed by an interactive session with the PharmD and MPharm students in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.

News from NGSMIPS | NANOTECHNOLOGY BASED APPROACHES IN THE TREATMENT OF AUTOIMMUNITY

A guest lecture on “Nanotechnology based approaches in the treatment of autoimmunity” was organized by the Department of Pharmaceutics, NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, on 28th January 2023. The resource person for the event was Dr. Prashant Sadanandan, Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi.

Dr. Jobin Jose, Asst. Professor delivered the welcome address. Opening remarks were given by Dr. CS Shastry, Principal. Dr. Narayana Charyulu, Vice Principal highlighted the importance of the guest lecture. Dr. Marina Koland, HoD, Pharmaceutics introduced the speaker with special mention of his academic journey and other accomplishments.

Dr. Prashant Sadanandan briefly explained about autoimmune disorders and specifically focused on multiple sclerosis. He mentioned the different types of multiple sclerosis, its current diagnosis and therapeutical strategies. He explained the study that focused on targeted delivery of nanoparticles into the spleen. He provided information regarding the screening of nanoparticles in mice during the full course of study. The session gave deep insights into different biological studies representing the exact tracking of nanoparticles to a specific part of body. The spleen targeted approach was programmed with the help of fluorescence study and showed targeted delivery of the prepared nanoparticles.

At the end there was a Q&A session with the staff and students. Dr. Jobin Jose delivered the vote of thanks.

News from NUINS | INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY CELEBRATION 2023

 INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY CELEBRATION 2023

The SNA council members (2022-23) of Nitte Usha Institute of Nursing Sciences

celebrated International Nurses Day at the University Auditorium, Paneer

campus on 12th May 2023 to recognise the significance of multifaceted roles

that nurses play in the healthcare system and in society at large. The day also

honors the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who is the founder of

modern nursing.

The celebration commenced with a prayer song by Ms. Suviksha and her team.

Ms. Cleeta Pinto, Principal, School of Nursing delivered the welcome address.

Chief Guest, Dr. Suba Sooria, Head of Nursing Services, Kasturba Hospital,

Manipal, addressed the budding nurses about the future of nursing profession.

She stressed the importance of both, the safety of nurses as well as that of the

patients in healthcare practice. She concluded her speech with a story of a

honeybee which reiterated that the basic lifesaving skill that a nurse possesses

cannot be stolen by anyone under any circumstance.

Prof. Dr. Sabita Nayak, Vice Principal, NUINS, delivered the presidential address.

She emphasized that devotion, determination and dedication are the crucial

traits one should possess as a nurse. Ms. Ajal Maria Mathew, SNA Vice President,

NUINS proposed the vote of thanks. Ms. Venisha and her team wished all the

nurses through a song. Ms. Sreelakshmi & Ms. Namitha, I BSc Nursing performed

a dance. Cultural events and games were conducted both for faculty and

students. A total of 210 students & 20 faculty members attended the program

which was organised under the guidance of SNA President Prof. (Dr) Fatima

Dsilva and SNA Advisor Mrs. Melba Drago.

Need for students to look back to basic branches of engineering - The road ahead

The increased interest among the student fraternity, parents and the society in general towards information technology related disciplines for pursuing their bachelor’s degree has been the trend these days. There are several factors, which are promoting this and include increased job opportunities in this domain, increased number of organizations dealing with them, increased salary packages, easier access to knowledge and skills required for these jobs, ready availability of resources for the same and acquiring them easily in either online or hybrid mode. The salary packages are a big draw among the student and parent community. This has led to an unbalanced growth in the requirement and demand for these disciplines. The policies of the government have also been one of the contributing factors.

The advancements in areas like artificial intelligence is also one of the other factors, which has led to growth in related areas like machine learning, block chain, internet of things, cyber security and further automation and robotics. The environment to facilitate the growth in these areas is conducive not only in the country but also world over. The policies of the government like Start up India, Digital India etc., has more and more students getting attracted to information technology. India has the third largest number of startups in the world as per the latest statistics, as many of them are in this domain. The increased need for manpower in this domain and the demand has made the engineering colleges in India start undergraduate programs related to information technology. Introducing these programs is very easy for the college managements, as it requires investment in infrastructure only in terms of computers, software and networking. The facilities are commonly utilized by different departments offering these programs, which is an added advantage. The increased attraction for the same and the demand for these programs was evident in a recently printed news item in a popular English daily, where a leading engineering college in Bengaluru had revealed the fee it charges for NRI and management category seats. This reflects the current trend.

However, the basic engineering disciplines be it mechanical, electrical or civil are essential for creating the necessary skilled manpower for the growth & development of the country - in manufacturing, construction, power generation, infrastructure etc. Though career opportunities in these sectors have reduced due to various reasons, these sectors are a must for the growth & development of any nation. Incorporation of information technology & artificial intelligence in all these sectors has provided students with diverse skills along with their core engineering skills. The policies of the government, the current market scenario, the global geopolitical situations etc., are some of the factors for the current state of affairs.

As responsible faculty of the engineering fraternity, it is our responsibility to drive home these basic points into the minds of students. Well-known industry bodies like FICCI, CII and also influential industrialists whose statements make an impact, need to propel this movement of creating the required awareness and make students & parents aware of the perils of over dependence on one particular sector or skills. The current situation in the USA and countries all over the world in the IT sector in terms of job cuts is a pointer to the developing situation. Coexistence of all streams of engineering and balanced growth in all sectors, with balanced application of these new ideas including artificial intelligence, can propel a proper growth of the economy and reduce this imbalance in the skill and job sector and help in overall development of the country and the world as a whole.

- Dr. Srinivasa Pai P, Dept. of Mechanical Engg., NMAMIT, Nitte

News from NUINS | Improvement of Maternal & Neonatal Health Services

A clinical training workshop sponsored by ICMR on “Improving Maternal & Neonatal Health Services” has been organised by NUINS from 15th to 20th May 2023 for BSc Nursing students.

The workshop was inaugurated on 15th May 2023 at Chintana Hall, Justice KS Hegde Charitable Hospital, Deralakatte. The Chief Guest Prof. (Dr) Supriya Rai, Dept. of OBG, KSHEMA, in her address, appreciated the crucial role of midwives in healthcare, in improving maternal and new-born care.

The program was presided over by Dr. Harsha Halahalli, Registrar, Nitte University. Dr. Harsha emphasized that training programs like these with hands-on skill development will improve the quality of healthcare delivery and help in decreasing the MMR and IMR in India.

Prof. (Dr) Fatima Dsilva, Principal, NUINS delivered the keynote address. Mrs. Reena Frank, Assoc. Professor, Fr. Muller College of Nursing was the KNC observer for the program.

120 students from various colleges in and around Dakshina Kannada District have registered for the program.

The resource persons for the training program include Dr. Sabitha Nayak, Dr. Neetha Kamath, Prof. Sujatha. R, Prof. Philomena Fernandes, Prof. Hemalatha and Ms. Timi Thomas.

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News from ABSMIDS | Work life balance for a practicing dentist

The Institutional Placement & Career Guidance Cell in association with the Interns Academic Club of ABSMIDS organized a Guest Lecture titled “Work life balance for a practicing dentist” on 9th May 2023 at Avishkar Auditorium for 1st year BDS students, interns, postgraduates and staff. Principal & Dean Prof (Dr.) US Krishna Nayak presided over the function.

Prof. (Dr). Darshana Devadiga, Member Secretary, Institutional Placement & Career Guidance Cell welcomed the gathering. Dr. Gopinath Thilak introduced the resource person Dr. U.S Arjun Nayak. Dr. Arjun Nayak spoke on the importance of work life balance as a dentist and discussed on having set working hours schedule with adequate breaks for rejuvenation with family and friends. In addition to upgradation in professional skills, he emphasised on the need to develop passion for recreational and creative pursuits for better quality of life.

The program was attended by 210 participants comprising of - 45 Interns, 81 BDS students, 24 postgraduate and 50 faculty members. Prof. (Dr). Subhas Babu, Chairperson, Interns Academic Club delivered the vote of thanks and Ms. Vaishnavi Naik & Ms. Divine Prato compered the program.

News from NUCSER | Dealing with Emotions: Know thyself and develop your EQ

Recognising the need for mental wellness, NUCSER, in association with the Nitte DU Student Wellness Centre organised a training program, ‘Dealing with Emotions: Know thyself and develop your EQ’ on 26th April 2023 to equip students with means to handle their psychological, emotional, interpersonal and behavioural issues. 

The chief guest, Prof (Dr) Shrinivasa Bhat, HoD, Psychiatry, KSHEMA highlighted the need for recognising emotions to overcome impulsive behaviour which can harm self and relationship with others. 

Prof. Anirban Chakraborty, Director, NUCSER presided over the event and encouraged the students to actively participate in the program and make the best use of it not only for individual development but also to strengthen peers. 

The training program consisted of three sessions of two hours each. The first year undergraduate & postgraduate students of NUCSER participated in the program. Dr. Shreevidya, Mr. Aditya Shetty and Ms. PR Priya, Counsellors, Nitte DU Student Wellness Centre facilitated this program. Dr. Juliet Mohan Raj, Asst. Professor, NUCSER coordinated the event.

Press release