‘Re-visiting Abhijnana Shakuntalam of Kalidasa’ Activity
Department of English, Faculty of Media Studies and Humanities, MRIIRS organized an online activity for students- “Re-visiting Abhijnana Shakuntalam of Kalidasa”. The activity was a part of the department’s endeavor of encouraging a more practical and inclusive environment in the process of teaching and learning. The students, grouped in pairs, presented different aspects of the great Sanskrit play that they read as a part of the course.
Altogether, 17 pairs of students presented the different aspects of the play, including its storyline which ranges through 7 Acts. They also presented their views on two important themes of the play, that of love and the relationship between Nature and Civilization. Aside from this, the other topics of discussion were protagonists Dushyanta and Shakuntala, ideas like that of kingship, friendship, affection, and also the intricate topics like symbols and imageries used in the play. Most of the students had arranged their ideas through attractive PowerPoint presentations.
Dr. Shivani Vashist, HoD of the department shared valuable tips with the students on how to make their presentations more effective and distinct from others.
Dr. Swati Chauhan and Dr. Jayashree Hazarika were the judges, who also enriched the students with their valuable suggestions. The presentations were judged on the basis of content, clarity of idea, and presentation skills. Garima and Laxmi bagged the First position. Anirudh and Parul secured second place, whereas Aman and Sukriti were accorded with the 3rd position. Overall, it was a great learning exercise that enhanced the creative faculties of the students and also received enormous acclaim.