Online Teacher's Day Celebrations

The students of the Department celebrated the Teachers Day with great enthusiasm and zeal.

National Webinar on “Relevance of Philosophy in the Times of Pandemic”

The Department of Philosophy, Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh organized a national webinar on the theme “Relevance of Philosophy in the Times of Pandemic” on 30th July, 2020 on the Google Meet platform. The webinar was presided over by the College Principal Prof. (Dr.) Anita Kaushal. The Resource Person of the webinar was Prof. Bhagat Oinam, a distinguished scholar of Philosophy and faculty at the Centre for Philosophy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Prof. (Dr.) Anita Kaushal in her Presidential Address, while welcoming the resource person and the participants, shared her ideas on philosophy of education and ethical life. She said that “Education is a connect which binds us together and provides us opportunities to reflect on the relationship we share as human beings and with our society/environment. Philosophy provides us with questions of our larger goals of life and our initiatives and preparations in achieving them. Philosophy dwells on how to develop an understanding about the issues we engage in? How to see beauty in this life and make the most of it worth living?” She further said that “We do not have definite answers but we should deliberate on them” Prof. Kaushal while making a reference to Rabindra Nath Tagore’s teachings expressed her philosophical ideas on the concept of harmony as sine qua non for a good life. Prof. Bhagat Oinam in his presentation dwelled on the relevance of philosophy in the contemporary times. He said that, “In the times of crises philosophy or philosophical thinking gets a larger attention than the ordinary times”. Philosophy engages reflections on holistic understanding and perspectives on life and society which goes beyond the everyday pursuits of life. Talking about philosophy, he elaborated on the significance and richness of Indian Philosophical thought and highlighted contributions of great philosophers like Guru Nanak, Aurobindo, and Kabir. He reflected on the dichotomies and relations between western and Indian philosophy. He stressed upon exploring the philosophy of religion and philosophy of culture in Indian context as significant for having a holistic understanding of human self. The lecture was followed by thought provoking questions and observations raised by the participants and the ensuing creative philosophical discussion. The webinar was attended by the faculty and students from various colleges of Chandigarh, faculty from different departments of Panjab University as well as from across the country. The session was moderated by Ms Eashani Sharma, student of BA III and a vote of thanks was proposed by Ms Smriti Garg, student of BA II of the Department of Philosophy. Dr. Ambuj Sharma, Head, Department of Philosophy, P.G.G.C.G. 11, Chandigarh was the Coordinator of the Webinar.

Three Periodical Lectures in Association with Indian Council of Philosophical Research (I.C.P.R.), New Delhi

Department of Philosophy, Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh in association with Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), New Delhi organized three periodical Lectures on 14th March, 2020 at the College Campus On the occassion, Mr. Lallan Singh Baghel, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Panjab University delivered two lectures on the theme (i) Living Between Thought and Action: Reconceptualizing Social Justice Through the Lens of Human Rights (ii) Human Rights: Social Justice in the Age of Neo-Liberal Education. The third lecture was delivered by Dr. Shivani Sharma, Chairperson, Department of Philosophy, Panjab University, Chandigarh on the theme “Knowledge, Truth and Reality: A Reflection In the first session Ms Eashani Bhargav, President Philosophical Society of the college and faculty Dr. Ambuj Sharma, Department of Philosophy extended a warm welcome to the resource persons. Mr. Lallan Singh Baghel introduced the participants with the meaning and significance of philosophy in education and educational institutions. He said that philosophy is the subject of constant dialogue that evoke a sense of rationality and reflectiveness in individuals with regard to all concepts, ideas and phenomenons related to human self and society. In his deliberations, he engaged philosophy of Socrates and other western philosophers on concepts of equality and social justice. He said that it is essential to understand a relationship of an individual to the other and in making so we need to contemplate on the values with strengthen social justice and harmony. Mr. Baghel creatively discussed his views on how thoughts and actions are inseparable with intentions playing a big role in the whole course. The way in which he presented the examples not only captured the spirit of words in relation to reality but also left a deep impact on the minds of the audience. The second lecture was delivered by Dr. Shivani Sharma on the topic “ Knowledge, Truth And Reality: A Reflection.” She took into account a brief introduction to types of knowledge and how philosophy engages with the search of truth. She touched upon the ultimate truth and how our truths become a part of our reality. Audience showed a lot of enthusiasm with their inquisitive minds engaging into the discussion and asking exceptional questions to only stir up further debates. Indeed they showed that every student and faculty member who was a part of the discussion was a philosopher with their own philosophies. The event was attended by the students and faculty of the college. On the occasion Dr. Ambuj Sharma, Head of the Department of Philosophy, PGGCG-11, extended a vote of thanks to the College Principal, Dr. Anita Kaushal and the ICPR for their support in organizing the lectures. and the resource persons for their fruitful contribution through the deliberations.

Juvenescere: Annual Philosophy Fest (13th - 14th March, 2020)

The Department of Philosophy at PGGCG-11, Chandigarh organised JUVENESCERE: The Annual Philosophy Fest on 13th -14th March, 2020 at the College Campus. The literal meaning of the word "Juvenescere" is "the state or period of being young; the spirit of youth", which was beautifully encapsulated in the various events of the fest. The events included Group Singing (Indian/Western/Regional), Debate, Quiz, Photography, Poster making on day one and Poem Recitation on day two respectively. The topic for Debate, Photography and Poster Making were “Should Juvenile Be Treated as Adults in Criminal Cases?”, "Essence of College life" and "Freedom of Expression" respectively. They provided the participating students of the various colleges an opportunity to engage, learn and celebrate the spirit of youth, education, philosophy and culture. The moderators for the day were Ms. Eashani (BA III), Ms. Harleen (BA II), Ms. Ambika (BA II), Ms. Tanvi (BA I) and Ms. Shereen (BA I).The whole event was organized along with various cultural performances like Manipuri Dance, Ladakhi Dance, Group Songs in different languages etc by the students only. The Chief Guest for the day, Prof. (Dr.) Anita Kaushal, Principal, PGGCG-11, encouraged the students with her words of wisdom. We also witnessed a beautiful moment when the former faculty member of the Philosophy Department Professor Promila Chand (teaching tenure: 1956-1989) met her former student and another former faculty member of the Dept. Of Philosophy Professor Kirti Bakshi with a heart-warming embrace. Later Professor Anita Kaushal also felicitated Prof. Promila Chand and gave away the prizes to the winning candidates in each competition. The celebration was attended by students and faculty members of the campus as well as participants from other colleges. The fest was concluded on a progressive note with Dr Ambuj Sharma, Assistant Professor and Head, Department of Philosophy, and many other guests wrapping up the event with their thoughtful insights. The fest came to an end with a simple concert by the students which included some thoughtful songs. Courtesy: Harleen Kaur (BA II) Department of Philosophy, P.G.G.C.G.-11.