With the aim of promoting the virtues of fraternity, equality and mutual cooperation, not to forget leadership qualities among youngsters studying in north Indian universities, the University of Jammu organised “Udgosh”, its 30th Inter-University National Youth Festival 2015, from 15-19 January. Some 1,000 students from 25 universities across seven north Indian states participated, competing in 25 events that involved music, fine arts, dance, drama and literary activities.

Hosted in collaboration with the Association of Indian Universities and sponsored by the Union ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, this Unifest had activities designed to bring students closer to books as well cultural activities.
While inaugurating this five-day inter-university North Zone youth festival at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium, Jammu and Kashmir governor and Jammu University chancellor NN Vohra complimented Jammu University vice-chancellor RD Sharma and his colleagues for organising this significant event. He emphasised the importance of such festivals, saying these strengthened the bonds of unity and communal harmony by providing an opportunity to youth from different cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds to meet, interact, understand and appreciate the wonderful diversities that exist in India.
The show kicked off with a cultural procession of participating students passing through all of Jammu city that was welcomed by businessmen and commercial establishments en route. The participating establishments included the University of Kashmir; Himachal Pradesh University; HNB Garhwal University; Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Kurushetra University; Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak; GJU Hisar; BR Ambedakar University. Agral PAU Ludhianal Sharda University, Greater Noida; Punjab University, Chandigarh, etc, and the events included one-act plays, skits, mime, mimicry, classical and creative dance, folk/tribal dance, classical vocal music, semi-classical light vocal, Western solo and group, a quiz, elocution, debate, essay writing, short story writing and poetry recitation, painting, sketching, clay modeling, poster making, cartooning, rangoli, photography, installation and more.
Sampson David, joint secretary, Association of Indian Universities, said the AIU had been organising these inter-university youth festivals annually since 1985 and they were instrumental in bringing about cultural, emotional and national integration. “A large number of university youth participate and acquire a pride for Indian culture and an awareness of national identity,” he said.
The overall championship based on comprehensive results of individual/ group items was claimed by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, followed by Lovely Professional University, Jullundur. The first and second position holders of various events of Udgosh have qualified for the National Youth Festival to be held in Devi Ahiliya University, Indore, from 12-15 February.
Jammu University&’s performance was also praiseworthy as it lifted the runner-up trophy in the music section and finished third in literary activities and fine arts, which resulted in third position in the overall championship. Its participants in Western solo, Western group song, classical vocal, group song Indian, skit, debate and installation also qualified for the National Youth Competition, having secured first and second positions. The university also came third in elocution, poster making and the folk dance competition. The University of Kashmir bagged first position in the category of cultural possession followed by Jammu University and Hemvati Nandhan Bahuguna University, Garhwal.
Professor RD Sharma said the event provided a rare opportunity for students to interact and discover the world outside. “Many new talents were discovered and many old ones got refined further. Built on a healthty spirit of competition, the event was a saga of achievement,” he said, adding that this was not the end of Udgosh but beginning of new friendships discovered and new alliances forged.
Arun Patil, observer, AIU, who himself has remained dean, Students’ Welfare, for 22 years in Nagpur, praised Jammu University for organising holding the festival smoothly. He confessed not having seen an auditorium of this quality and magnitude in a university.
Indeed, the presence and active participation of more than 1,000 youth on the Jammu University campus made Udgosh a vibrant cultural festival that will be remembered for days to come.