12th Dr. Shamarao Kalmadi Memorial State Level Elocution Competition 2022-23

The noteworthy event ‘12th Dr. Shamarao Kalmadi Memorial State Level Elocution Competition 2022-23’ was held with great enthusiasm at Kannada Sangha’s Kaveri College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, on 16th September 2022.

 

The event was presided by Mr. Kushal Hegde- President, Kannada Sangha Pune. The programme began with Deep Prajwalan at the hands of dignitaries. Principal Dr.Ashok Agrawal, welcomed everyone with great pride and said that the success and quality at Kaveri College has been proved by its students achieving all-round development and leaving their marks of success in various fields ranging from academics, sports, professional exams to cultural achievements. President Mr. Kushal Hegde briefed the audience about the immense contribution made by the Kannada Sangha in the field of education and the successful progress of the Institute through the years. He also shared the glorious life of Late. Dr. Shamarao Kalmadi, and his struggle in the formation and progress of Kannada Sangha. Vice President Indira Salian, Secretary Malati Kalmadi, Trustees Chandrahas Shetty and Radhika Sharma graced the occasion and shared the words of wisdom.

 

The organizing Head of the competition, Prof. Soniya Kumbhojkar-Head, Elocution and Debate Committee, welcomed everyone and briefed about the objectives of organizing the competition. She asserted that while celebrating the 75th year of independence, we should remember the sacrifices of our revolutionaries and soldiers and that all men and women have equal contribution in the progress of India. 

 

The topics for this speech competition were '75 years of India's independence', 'Contribution of Women in National Development', 'Change is Inevitable', 'Jananayak- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose', 'Contribution of Indian Explorers in the Last Two Centuries'. Students from many colleges of reputed Universities of Maharashtra participated in the competition. Around 40 students from various districts like Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Kolhapur, Solapur, Beed, Buldhana, Ratnagiri participated spontaneously in the competition.

 

The Prize Distribution and Valedictory Ceremony was held towards the end of the competition. Dr. Satish Desai- Founder of 'Punyabhushan Foundation' and 'Tridal' and former Deputy Mayor of Pune graced the occasion as a chief guest. Ms. Mrunalini Kale- Retd.Teacher, Sau. Vimalabai Garware High School, Dr. Samiksha Kulkarni- Professor, Modern College, and Dr. Supriya Sahasrabuddhe- Retired Reader and Head of English Department, Modern College served as the esteemed judges for the competition.

 

Judges, while sharing her reviews, appreciated students for participation and remarkable performances. She also guided them saying that one must strive to become a good speaker and shared some important tips with the students. She emphasized that change is indeed inevitable, but it must also be worth it. They also appreciated the participants in Impromptu Competition for their astounding performance with a touch of humor. She emphasized that knowledge must not get lost in information and that knowledge and wisdom are more important.

 

Chief Guest, Dr. Satish Desai, advised students to learn a skill of reading the minds of people while developing a habit of reading books. He added that every speaker, while addressing a crowd, should be audience centric, speak with patience, and must be aware of emphasizing the words where necessary in order to take hold of minds and hearts of the audience. He inspired the students saying that good elocution skills have their roots in ‘Kirtanas’ and hence we must preserve and practice the cultural and religious values ​​to be a good speaker. He also advised students to have a friendly competitive spirit in terms of winning or losing the competition. He guided everyone by giving examples of distinguished speakers like Acharya Atre, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ram Shewalkar, Pramod Mahajan, etc.

 

Ms. Malati Kalmadi, in her address, mentioned that the main objective of the competition is to enhance and inspire communication skills among the students and talked about the importance of communication with its elements like facial expressions and voice tone. She cited that it is satisfactory to see the popularity and vastness of the competition increasing with every passing year. Principal Dr. Ashok Agrawal, appreciated the students for their active participation and congratulated them for outstanding performances. 

 

The first prize for Elocution Competition- a Rolling Trophy and cash amount of Rs.5000/- was bagged by Ms. Shruti Borsate, Nashik. The second prize and a cash prize of Rs.3000/- and the third prize and a cash prize of Rs.2000/- were won by Mahesh Ushir and Ms. Sanika Kolhatkar respectively. 

 

For the Impromptu Elocution Competition, Prateek Raut bagged the first prize of Rs.500/- cash, whereas Mugdha Thorat and Parag Badirke won the second and third prize of Rs.300/- Rs.200/- cash respectively. At the end of the competition, the contestants expressed their thoughts and thanked the organizers of the competition. All the participants were given a certificate of appreciation.

 

Prof.Soniya Kumbhojkar, presented a competition review and proposed a Vote of Thanks. The compere for the event was Prof. Asmita Joshi. Teachers and students attended the program in huge numbers.