Osmania Courier Celebrating 50 years as a registered campus newspaper
Monthly Laboratory Journal of the Department of Communication & Journalism, Osmania University, Hyderabad | Vol.58 No.1 | December 2012 | Pages 12 | Rs 4
Campus blooms in biodiversity
Inside Secret behind North Indians’ success in sport >> 2
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OU Prof develops power splitters
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Fatima Raheem and Syeda Zahara Jabeen
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‘Looking Back’ A Four-page Special Supplement
Yuva Tarang - 2012 >> 4-5
ake a look at a GIS image (Google satellite map) of Hyderabad city, and one mostly finds it a grey concrete jungle with only a few patches of green. Osmania University campus, part of one such green zone, has remained untouched by the ravages of growing urbanisation. The undisturbed part of the campus is virtually an island of micro habitats. Sixty percent of the 700 acres of campus land is today home to different kinds of flora and fauna. A 2007-11 study reveals that of the 1,300 species found in Hyderabad, 1,100-plus spe-cies of plants are found in the university, accounting for about 85 per cent of the city’s biodiversity. Also, the campus is home to 30 species of dragonflies and damselflies; about 65 species of butterflies; and 11 species of amphibians, of which three were recorded for the first time in Hyderabad. In addition to these, the campus hosts 21 species of reptiles including three poisonous and nine non-poisonous varieties
Lantana sps
Viper snake (Idaboia russelii) Asian pied starling along with five species of lizards, according to C. Srinivasulu, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, O.U.. “We have lots of species of insects and earth worms. We have a wonderful diversity of butterflies, dragonflies and varieties of micro organisms,” Prof. C. Srinivasulu revealed. “Forty species of spiders are reported from OU. Out of these, 12 are reported for
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Test your campus quotient >>7
On a cold winter’s >> 8 night...
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Educational institutions need wellness centres to tackle stress Syeda Zahara Jabeen
Life of Pi - a review
the first time from Andhra Pradesh and one species of spider recorded in India for the first time is also from OU.” While 137 different species of birds were found in the first scientific research done during 1993-1995, the present figure is about 112-114 species. “There is a decline in the birds because we have lost the aquatic habitats. All the duck species that have been
recorded earlier have totally vanished,” he said. It’s not just birds. “Earlier we used to have monkeys, langurs, jackals and foxes but because of urbanisation they have all disappeared,” he said. In terms of other life forms, the campus hosts 16 species of mammals including seven of bats, four of rats, one each of shrew and squirrel.
De-stressing sessions in the corporate world, yoga, meditation and counseling sessions have become commonplace among people groaning under the modernday urban pressures. Students pursing higher education are also not left untouched by these pressures but the higher education system is not adequately equipped to address the psychological upkeep of students which is as critical as their intellectual development. Osmania University is a case in point. There are very few colleges in the varsity which have a formal platform or body dedicated to mental wellness. A quick reality check in colleges reveals that very few colleges have groups of students and teachers who try to provide moral support and advice to students in terms of resolving their everyday challenges. But the problem is that the students and teachers who come together for this initiative are not professionally-trained. Hence, they cannot appropriately grapple with the multiple problems that plague the students who come for help.
Dealing with relationships, peer pressure, increased competition is challenging and complicated
Secondly, groups like these operate at a very informal level and not many people within the college know of their existence in the first place, says a faculty member in one of the local colleges. Several teachers of Osmania University feel that the need for formal institutional intervention in wellness has increased against the backdrop of the Telangana movement, students appearing for competitive exams, inadequate job opportunities and introduction of the semester
system. In this milieu, students have to accomplish their shortand long-term goals in a short time frame, with little scope for other self-development activities and hobbies. “Needless to say, stress levels are mounting. And academic pressures are just one side of the coin,” says a Professor. The youngsters of today are dealing with far more complex problems than their previous generations. Dealing with relationship issues, peer and social pressures and of course increased competition in every field of life is challenging and complicated — and in many cases youngsters need help from professionals to effectively deal and learn from these challenges,” adds Suchitra, a student. Taking cognizance of these factors, the Ministry of HRD has framed guidelines, particularly
calling for institutions to have some mechanism to counsel students. Can teachers be of some support in this direction. The answer is perhaps yes, provided teachers empathise with the students and spare some time trying to understand the concerns / fears and anxieties of students. The biggest problem facing youngsters is that spending so much time on social networking sites and electronic communication, does not allow them to meaningfully connect with people in their immediate physical environment. Also, not many have the ability to self-introspect and find peace and contentment in their given circum-stances and individual abilities, says a Clinical psychologist. Consequently, academicians can make a small beginning by initiating measures whereby students discover themselves, learn to appreciate their individual worth and connect with others better. This can be done in class room sessions, workshops in which students are encouraged to express what they like and don’t like about themselves and their friends.