The 75th Independence Day of India was celebrated with great zest at Punjab Engineering College campus on the morning of 15th August. The event took place in the presence of the new Director- Prof. Baldev Setia, Deans, faculty and a limited number of students with complete adherence to strict Covid protocols. The event was also live-streamed on the official YouTube channel of PEC.
The day started off with the unfurling of the National Flag by the director, Prof Baldev Setia, accompanied by the National Anthem. Following it was a brief address by the Director where he congratulated everyone present on the 75 years of Independence. He emphasized how it is our duty as citizens to preserve the freedom, ethos and spirit of the nation that our forefathers, freedom fighters and martyrs sacrificed their lives for.
The day also marked Prof. Setia's first event in college premises since his appointment earlier this week and he expressed sincere gratitude that it coincided with the exceptional occasion of Independence Day. He shared his personal motto, "I invest in people.", while emphasizing how all of us, from students to the faculty and administrative staff, can do our duty well, and how these collective efforts will ensure the institute soaring to greater heights. Prof Setia also promised to work to the best of his ability in his tenure as the Director of PEC.
Soon the event commenced with symphonious renditions of patriotic songs, instilling a strong sense of glory among the listeners. This was followed by stellar speech and profound poetry presentations by the Editorial Boards. Further, the stunning dance performance by the Dramatics Society and the contagious energy of the Bhangra presented by the Punjabi Editorial Board completely enthralled the audience.
The Production and Design Club used the opportunity to present a video highlighting the recent remarkable accomplishments and the admirable display of grit by the Indian athletes at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo. The Rotaract Club also shared about its endeavors towards eliminating the widespread prevalence of child begging and illiteracy in the country by underlining how education is the most integral step that needs to be taken not only to eradicate these social issues, but also tap into the potential future assets of the nation.
In addition to the offline cultural celebrations held at the premises, various clubs organized events on their respective online platforms. These included debates, presentations by technical societies and a guest lecture by the Student Counseling Cell among many other things.
At the end of the program, Prof Setia congratulated the students and expressed his admiration for successfully organizing the event despite the hindrances posed by the pandemic.