14th Dr.Shamarao Kalmadi Memorial State Level Elocution Competition-2024-25 was conducted on 3rd September 2024. The competition started with the inauguration ceremony at the hands of Smt. Sumati Srinivasan, Administrative Head ,Kannada Sangha. Principal Incharge Dr. Muckta Karmarkar and Head of debate and Elocution committee Mrs Soniya Kumbhojkar were present on dias. Mrs Soniya Kumbhojkar, explained the topics and the rules of the competition. Dr. Karmarkar, while welcoming the participants, spoke about the importance of elocution. Student Ms.Aditi Pophale was the compere for the session.
The first part of the competition commenced shortly after the inauguration. The competition was judged by – Mrs. Vrushali Deodhar, Symbiosis College and Dr. Madhuri Gokhale, Fergusson College. Students were assigned the following topics-
- ‘Sports and Professional Opportunities’
- ‘Rabindranath Tagore- A Great Personality’
- ‘Dasbodh and Management’
- ‘Human Intelligence vs Artificial Intelligence’
- ‘Sustainability Challenges for India.’
Each Student was allotted seven minutes for their speech. Students were allowed to present in English or Marathi. The participants presented their views on the diverse topics, proving their potential. Participants presented their views with vigor and enthusiasm.
An Impromptu Competition was conducted after the main competition. 16 entries were registered on a first-come-first- serve basis. Participants were then provided with a bowl of chits consisting of a variety of zesty topics. Each participant was given a two-minute slot to contemplate and then a further two minute slot to present their views. This was a test of the student’s clarity of thought and oratorical skills and they performed exceedingly well. Students’ performances were received with praise and applause.
Dr. Ujjwala Barve, Dean, Modern Sciences and Professional Skills, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune was invited as a chief guest for the prize distribution Ceremony. Mr. Balajith Shetty, Trustee of Kannada Sangha,Pune along with the I/C Principal Dr. Muckta Karmarkar was present for the event. The judges gave the students some vital pointers to make their performance in the elocution more effective. Dr. Barve put forth her observations about finding the right tone and pitch during oratory and focused on the spirit of competition. She also spoke about the spirit of elocution, stating that participation was more important than winning.The dignitaries then presented the awards to the prize winners.
Following were the winners for Impromptu Competition:
Rank1-Mr. Parth Joshi (Fergusson College, Pune) won cash prize of 1000/-
Rank 2- Mr.Vaishnav Kale (College of Agriculture, Pune) won cash prize of 700/-
Rank 3- Ms. Dnyaneshwari Mahajan (D.Y.Patil ASC, Pimpri) won cash prize of 500/-
Following were the winners for Elocution Competition:
Rank1- Akshata Deshpande (Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj Law College, Nashik) Awarded with Trophy, memento and cash prize of 5,000/-
Rank 2-Parag Rajendra Badirke (Yashwantrao Chavan Law College, Pune) Awarded with Trophy, memento and cash prize of 3,000/-
Rank 3-Shrawanti Gawate (BMCC, Pune) Awarded with Trophy, memento and cash prize of 2,000/-
Mrs. Soniya Kumbhojkar presented the report of the competition. Aditi Pophale presented the vote of thanks. The programme ended with a photo session of the prize winners along with the dignitaries. The registration concluded with an overwhelming response of 45 participants from colleges across Maharashtra.
