Horticulture College crowned Youth Fest Champions

The College of Horticulture, Nauni, was crowned the overall winner of the Annual Inter-College Youth Festival which concluded at Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, on Friday evening. The festival, which ran for three days, featured spirited competition across various categories, including literary, theatre, fine arts, and performing arts, with all four university colleges participating.

Ajay Yadav, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Solan, was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony, where teams showcased their talents in the highly anticipated Group Folk Dance event. The performances, which included vibrant depictions of Nati and regional dances, brought the audience to their feet. Following a thrilling series of performances, the College of Horticulture was declared the overall winner, with Forestry College taking second place.

In other competitions, the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Thunag earned the top spot in the Group Dance, followed by Forestry College in second. The Group Song competition saw Forestry College take first place, with Horticulture College securing second. In Light Vocals, Mohit from the College of Horticulture won first place, while Deepak from Thunag College took second. The Patriotic Song category also saw Horticulture College claim first place, with Forestry College finishing second.

In the One-Act Play and Mime, Forestry College emerged victorious, while Horticulture College won the Skit event. Mono Acting saw Diksha from Forestry College claim first place, with Bharti from Horticulture College taking second. In the Extempore competition, Akanksha Koundal from Neri College won first, and Shaifali from Forestry College took second.

The Poster Making contest, themed on ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’, was won by Vanshika from Forestry College, with Sheetal Rana from Horticulture College finishing second. In Elocution, with the topic ‘Gender Sensitivity and Women Safety,’ Oshien and Siya from Horticulture College won first and second prizes, respectively. In the Painting competition on ‘Climate Change,’ Shlok from Horticulture College secured first, with Aditi from Forestry College in second.

The Debate competition on ‘Artificial Intelligence can replace Human Intelligence’ saw Anirudh and Sumita from Horticulture College win first and second place, while the Collage Making competition, themed ‘Sustainable Agriculture,’ was claimed by Yashvi and Rohini Mehta from Horticulture College. The Rangoli competition was won by Akhilesh from Thunag College, with Kritika Bhatia from Forestry College in second.

During the closing ceremony, Chief Guest Ajay Yadav praised the students' remarkable performances and their interest in extracurricular activities. He highlighted the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the region and raising awareness about societal issues through artistic expression. Yadav commended the students for their efforts in showcasing traditional dances and addressing social issues through their performances in different competitions.

Prof. Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice Chancellor of Dr. Y.S. Parmar University, congratulated the students and the event organizers for a successful Youth Festival, which offered a platform to celebrate the diverse talents of the university students. Dr. KK Raina, Dean of Students' Welfare, thanked the judges and students from all participating colleges for their engaging performances, which made the event a resounding success.