Orientation – The activities for the year 2018-’19 commenced with an Orientation session during the 1st week of August 2018 for F.Y.B.A. / F.Y.B.COM. students. Along with a warm welcome, a brief introduction was given to familiarize them with the activities of the Chair and ways to contribute towards it.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE – On 13 August 2018 there was a critical analysis of the movie ‘Raazi’ by Fiona Phillips and Ronica Sequeira of S.Y.B.A. The movie was a bold step showcasing Indo-Pak relations and terrorism and various issues were discussed. Various clippings were shown and discussed with the first year students.

The Strings of Peace – On 27 August 2018, on account of Raksha Bandhan Day, The Strings of Peace Annual event was conducted to promote peace and harmony. The students tied colorful strings symbolizing peace on each other’s wrists, which signified the need for all of humanity to treat one another as friends and well wishers.

Opening ceremony of the Activity Week – The Opening ceremony of the Activity Week that was organized as a precursor to the Annual International Symposium was held on 14 January 2019. This included Dance, Poetry and Singing Contests related to the theme of the symposium.

Colors of God – The Colors of God contest was held on 15 January 2019, on the theme ‘Best Out Of Waste’. Different groups of 40 students prepared different models showcasing the concept of Sustainability from their own individualistic perspective.

Debate competition – Debate competition on 16 January 2019 wherein 15 student participants debated on various topics related to ‘Sustainability and Environment’. The debate was moderated by Aaron Lanong (T.Y.B.A.).

Workshop on ‘Sustainability & Environment’ – On 17 January 2019, a Workshop on ‘Sustainability & Environment’ was conducted by Mr. Ramesh Kallidai, the former Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, the largest umbrella body representing British Hindus. The workshop was held in two batches of 25 students each.

Presentation Competition – This was followed by a PowerPoint Presentation Competition 18th September with 8 teams participating with the theme ‘Sustainable Development’.

Quiz competition – On 19 January 2019, a Quiz competition was held with various rounds such as audio visual, multiple choice questions etc., based on the theme Religion and Culture.

Prize Distribution Ceremony –  The Activity week concluded on 19 January 2019 itself with the Prize Distribution Ceremony to felicitate the student winners of the various activities.

On 22 January 2019, The International Symposium with the theme ‘A New Utopia: Promoting Dialogue for A Humane and Sustainable Society’ was held in the 47St. Andrew’s College Auditorium which provided a platform for discussing modern day issues with religious significance. Various speakers like Mr. Tushar Gandhi, (Managing Trustee of Mahatma Gandhi Foundation), our Keynote Speaker , Ms. Stephania Costanza, (Consul General of Italy in Mumbai), our Chief Guest, Mr. Sumeet Mullick, (Chief Information Commissioner of Maharashtra), the Guest of Honor, Prof. Nicholas Gravel, (Director of the Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities , Delhi), Dr. A r m i d a Fernandez, (Founder trustee of Sneha NGO), Mr. Sidney Gonsalves, (Team Teach India, an established businessman) and Dr. Av inash De Sousa, (Eminent Psychiatrist), shared their thoughts and experiences with the audience. The yearly Journal Ethics & Society: An International Journal, Religion & Culture for Peace and Harmony, Vol VIII was also released during the sessions. This was followed by a Panel Discussion on ‘Consumerism and Sustainability’ which was moderated by Dea Ivan Fernandes, (Coordinator at the Diocesean Youth Center). The student panelists were Mr. Susheel Varghese, (T.Y.B.A.), Ms. Almas Shaikh, (T.Y.B.A.), and Mr. Pranav Dubey, (S.Y.B.M.S.). The symposium concluded with a Fashion Ensemble with the theme ‘Jewels of Indian Textiles and Costumes’ which was presented by the Department of Textiles and Fashion Technology, College of Home Science, Nirmala Niketan, which was conceptualized, directed, scripted and choreographed by Dr. Ela Dedhia, Head Of Department and her team.