Gymkhana 12.0 : A New Beginning
By: Ashfaq Ahmed, Shreshy Srivastava
The Students’ Gymkhana brings about a different picture in each student’s mind. Some find it their beacon of hope, some are reminded of disappointments, some are quite content with what they do and others are quite doubtful. But at the end of the day, the Students’ Gymkhana is the single most reckoning force in IIT Patna, that influences everything that happens on campus in one way or the other.
The 23rd of April was quite a significant date for the student fraternity of IIT Patna. It was the oath-taking ceremony of the 12th incoming batch of elected representatives of the Students’ Gymkhana, the final task assigned to the outgoing Gymkhana before they pass the baton to their successors. It was a day filled with heightened spirits and emotional adieus, bringing a new wave of change and possibilities to the entire campus.
Just as celebratory as it was for the incoming representatives, it was an emotional farewell for the outgoing batch headed by ex-VP Vijaya Gonugade. She gave a final heart-touching address to the student gathering, expressing her gratitude to the student fraternity and well-wishes to her successors.
All eyes are now on the fresh crop of reps in the Student Senate. As much as the students, even the administration is keen to see how the new Gymkhana functions. As Smriti Ma’am, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, who presided over the oath-taking ceremony told us:
"In Universities, elections are commonplace and carry a lot of relevance. In the IIT system, elections have a value, not in terms of being political or carrying political affiliations, but more so in the sense of developing the concept of responsibility among the students, developing a sense of onus towards their institute and in terms of planning what they would like to do ahead in their lives. So, the Gymkhana is one place where the students learn responsibility, discipline, duties, and an understanding of their rights."
She also sharply pointed out that communication is integral to a smooth functioning Gymkhana, and wished to see a Gymkhana that outperforms the previous one. This year has brought forward quite a many new names to the roster, fairly unheard of, which is a double-edged sword - both a point of concern and hope for the diverse student community. This could be the year when the Gymkhana unlocks its hidden potential or gradually its decline.
The newly-elected Vice President, Rahul Preetham Kandukuri, seems quite confident on taking this challenge, and was quite delighted to convey a message through us:
"The (opening) ceremony marks the beginning of my term as Vice President for the tenure 2022-23. Firstly I would like to extend my thanks to all for the love and support you have given, and I assure you that we will take IITP's works to new heights. The new student body has the vibrancy and desire to work for the community, and it will be my responsibility to direct their efforts in the right direction.”
The student fraternity will look up to this new set of promising faces for the subsequent tenure. Only time will tell how worthy they prove to be; nonetheless, there is quite open support for the new Gymkhana for their future endeavours and hope to see much change for good.
Lastly, Team Forthright would also like to send a message out to our readers: Integrity, Insight and Inclusiveness are the three most essential and all-encompassing qualities of leadership. Approach your torchbearers, support them, help them, and even dissent against them, not to put greatness into the system but to elicit the greatness that is already there within each one of us.