On the magnificent evening of 5th June 2024, the student council of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal acceded as the representatives of the student body for the term 2024-25. Members of the committee and representatives from each year’s class attended the elegant event in Dr. TMA Pai Hall 3, radiant in their suits and sarees. Using a prayer song, Chatrik Mittal opened the evening by asking God to bless everyone.
This was followed by the auspicious lamp lighting by Dean Dr. Padmaraj Hegde, Associate Deans, Dr. Anil Bhat, Dr. Naveen Salins, Dr. Krishnanand Prabhu and Dr. Kanthilatha Pai, Core Council Faculty Advisors, Dr. Vinod Nayak and Dr. Arvind Kumar Pandey, as well as the former student council president, Mr. Ayushman Kashyap, and the current council president, Ms. Arundhati Kulshreshtha.
The ceremony, which was moderated by Vikram Bellur and Shomaila Sarwer, had a number of moving remarks. The first one was given by the dean, Dr. Padmaraj Hegde, who praised the previous council for their unceasing efforts to make the year a success. He emphasized the value of extracurricular activities in shaping a person’s character and commended the current council for deserving of their positions and serving as a conduit between the students and the administration.
Next this was the oath-taking ceremony, during which all elected members vowed to uphold the obligations entrusted to them. Mr. Ayushaman Kashyap then passed on the symbolic scroll to Ms. Arundhati Kulshreshtha, the new council president, followed by distribution of the badges to the newly appointed, honored by Dr. Padmaraj Hegde. The previous president of the student council, Mr. Ayushman Kashyap, gave a moving speech on his time as president and his experiences, ending by expressing his gratitude to everyone who had supported him. He spoke about maintaining one’s morals no matter what happens and about always believing in them. Additionally, he addressed and congratulated the present council, who he now considers to be a second family. Heartfelt statements from the existing council members emphasized their resolve to fulfill their duty and added flair to the event. The determined president, Ms. Arundhati Kulshreshtha, opened the event by pledging to lead the council with grit and determination and expressing gratitude to everyone who had helped make her trip possible, including the Literary Committee, the previous council, her friends, and her family.
She was followed by the Vice President, Mr. Pranav Venugopal, taking over from Ms. Aditi Raghuram. He expressed his gratitude to the Editorial Board and Ms. Jasneet for encouraging him and for always being available to clear up any questions he had at any time of day. After Mr. Rakshak Raman, Ms. Bhargavi Arora assumed the role of General Secretary. She praised the Class Representatives for their excellent work in facilitating seamless communication between the administration and the student council. The Joint Secretary, Mr. Aashish Kalindi, taking over from Mr. Ayush Rana, emphasized on establishing easier flow of events during fests like Verve and Invictus. He also thanked SRF for making him realize his potential. He was followed by Judicial Secretary, Mr. Akshat Hasija taking over from Mr. Saurya Potluri. He expressed his determination to make sure everyone voice was equally represented and heard within the council members. He also thanked the finance committee and his seniors and friends for standing by his side during it all. Completing the executive council, Treasurer, Mr. Sanit Kumar, for this term of the council and will also be heading the finance committee as well. Then the committee heads took over, promising to lead their committees with robust enthusiasm.
Ms. Vanshita Kapoor took over from Ms. Sukriti Chugh as the Student Research Forum Secretary, expressing her thanks for the opportunity and excitement to work with the new recruits. The Sports Secretary, Mr. Shivam Mehra, taking over from Mr. Sahil Goel, pledged to lead the committee with passion, hard work and dedication. He thanked the previous heads, his friends and his roommate, Mr. Pranav for their continuous support. Ms. Vaishnavi Singh took over from Ms. Jasneet Kalra as the Editor-in-Chief. She conveyed gratitude to the team she’s built and how the Editorial Board was always the niche to express her feelings and interests. The Social Welfare Committee Secretary, Ms. Arundhati Iyer, taking over from Ms. Sneha Saxena, thanked the committee for motivating and changing her and how she will aim to increase the volunteering activity in KMC. Cultural Secretary, Mr. Saatwik Sharma, taking over from, Ms. Sanjana Nanda, expressed interest in increasing the reach of cultural events in Invictus, Verve and Utsav, including outstation fests. The Literary Secretary, Mr. Aseem Anand, taking over from Mr. Saad Khan, articulated his appreciation for his committee and expressed thanks to his peers, seniors and family for guiding and supporting him.
The speeches were concluded with mentioning all the committee members followed by photographs taken at the well-designed photobooth by LUMEN and on the stage filled with numerous cheerful smiles.
Vice President Mr. Pranav Venugopal gave a vote of thanks to round off the amazing evening, which was then followed by a delectable spread of food.
Photographers: Shivansh Singh, Pranav Bansal, Anusha Srivastava, Aditya Zutshi, Siddharth Garg, The Editorial Board, KMC Manipal
Writer: Ayeshani Mishra, The Editorial Board, KMC Manipal
Coverage: Tarunya Sashikanth, Vaishnavi Singh, The Editorial Board, KMC Manipal