IIT Kanpur hosts 4th Gaatha Mahotsav amidst much fanfare

The event was inaugurated by Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur by lighting the lamp. He said that Gaatha is doing unprecedented work in taking Indian literature to every corner of the country.

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), under the joint aegis of Rajbhasha Prakoshtha (Hindi Cell), Shivani Centre for the Nurture and Re-Integration of Hindi and Other Indian Languages, and popular audio hosting platform Gaatha, hosted the fourth anniversary edition of the Gaatha Mahotsav a literary festival, on July 23, 2023. A host of eminent personalities from the field of arts, film, and literature were part of the event.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur stressed upon IIT Kanpur having a long-term association with Gaatha. Prof. Kantesh Balani, Dean of Resources & Alumni; Prof. Braj Bhushan, Dean of Administration; and Prof. Ark Verma, Professor in charge, Rajbhasha Prakoshth & Co-PIC Shivani Centre shared similar sentiments.

In the first session, Dr. Pradeep Dixit, Director of Utkarsh Academy, discussed the intellectual and social challenges in the age of social media, emphasizing the importance of determining our priorities in this digital era. Following that, renowned actor Akhilendra Mishra, during his session, said that India is a land of stories and they are scattered everywhere. Film makers shall do some more research and get connected to their roots. He further highlighted the need for exploring and connecting with Indian stories to elevate the level of cinema through incorporating human values.

The third session witnessed discussions on women’s empowerment in the present Indian context by eminent litterateurs Anamika, Lata Kadambari, and Kanpur's poet and educator Kamal Musaddi. They stressed that true empowerment is achieved when awareness reaches every last woman in rural areas, and education spreads far and wide.

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