Celebrated the World Book and Copyright Day
24 April 2021
BITS Pilani Library in collaboration with Birla Balika Vidyapeeth and Birla Shishu Vihar, celebrated the World Book and Copyright Day on 23rd April 2021 by organising a webinar on: “5 Best Things I Learnt During Covid 19 Pandemic”. Mr Giridhar Kunkur, Librarian, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, formally commenced the event by stating the importance of World Book day and how BITS Pilani library, over the years, has encouraged the practice of reading and writing through multiple events. The Chief Guest, Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai, Director BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus encouraged and appreciated the 10 invited speakers who are students in the age group 9-12 years from Birla Balika Vidyapeeth and Birla Shishu Vihar. Prof. Barai’s valuable address highlighted the importance of books, reading and inculcating “discipline” within ourselves, especially during such a pandemic situation. The panelists for the webinar included Prof. Pushp Lata, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani, Dr Seema Sinha Bursar from Birla Balika Vidyapeeth (BBVP) and Mrs Jyotsana Sharma from Birla Shishu Vihar (BSV). While Dr Sinha brilliantly moderated the session, she also emphasised how we as human beings are responsible to care for nature and our planet, and how one must always imbibe the attribute of kindness towards others.
The ten exceptional speakers (children) shared their experiences during the pandemic and how they have used the opportunity to hone their skills and engage in activities that could help society.
Aarush Datta from Class 5, BSV, discussed how one should be sensitised towards mental wellbeing and combat loneliness by developing a “human connection”. He also paid his respects to the frontline workers, relentlessly working during this pandemic, such as the doctors, nurses, teachers, garbage collectors among others. Aranya Pareek and Shifa Zafar from Class 7, BBVP, realised that this is a dire period not just for people but also for animals. They made sure that they feed the animals and birds and care for their natural surroundings. While Abhuday Bandi from Class 7, BSV, made sure that he helps his family in the household chores and learn more about Indian mythology, drawing and Music. Karthik Kumar also from BSV, highlighted that one must develop good immunity by inculcating healthy food habits. Both Shreya Taliyan and Namya Gupta from BSV, in Class 5 and Class 8 respectively, enhanced their cooking skills by learning how to organise their time and schedule. Therefore, despite their online classes, these talented speakers mastered time management by using this opportunity to develop their personalities. Aarohi Rana, from Class 7, BBVP, informed that sports helped her to be physically and mentally fit. Using beautifully drawn flashcards, Vihan Vaidya from Class 5, BSV, emphasised how he adopted the practice of yoga and meditation and maintaining a humble minimalistic living. Although all the students missed going to school and interacting with their friends, they were not disheartened and made sure they spend their time productively. Some of the speakers learnt coding languages, while others engaged in the creative arts. Almost all enjoyed reading and thanked Mr Giridhar Kunkur, Librarian of BITS Pilani for his support and providing all of them the ease of access to the library and library resources. As a result, Shristhti Mishra from Class 7, BBVP, said that she was so motivated and inspired that she worked on writing her own book. She also mentioned her passion for learning new languages.
As everyone else, Prof. Pushp Lata from BITS Pilani, was spellbound with the talks given by these inspiring young speakers and appreciated each speaker with kind and encouraging words. Mrs Jyotsana Sharma from BSV, said that during these testing times, one must show resilience and promote the advancement of digital infrastructure. The webinar successfully ended with the vote of thanks by Dr Ishappa Bandi, Deputy Librarian, BITS Pilani and with Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai and Mr Kunkur agreeing that this webinar will be documented digitally and shall be made accessible on the virtual space.