The Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Anantapur campus, SSSIHL, commemorated “World Diabetes Day” by conducting a series of events from 14 -19 November 2022.

Introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world, “World Diabetes Day” is observed world over on 14 November 2022.

To commemorate this year’s theme, “Education to protect tomorrow” the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, SSSIHL, conducted a series of events from 14-19 November 2022 to spread awareness about diabetes and its management.

The series of events aligned with the theme included poster campaigns, a walkathon, a run for diabetes, a photo campaign, a recipe concept contest, and educative talks. The events were conceptualized, organized, and coordinated by Prof. N. Srividya, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, SSSIHL.

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Prasanthi Nilayam, 15 January 2023:

The Prize Distribution Ceremony of the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2023 for the Sri Sathya Sai educational Institutions was held on 15 January 2023, on the auspicious occasion of Makara Sankranti, at the Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh.

The ceremony celebrated the excellent performances in sports, cultural and fine arts events during the academic year 2022-23 by students of the Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions by honoring them for their achievements.

The programme commenced at 8:20 a.m. with a grand procession comprising the University brass band, students chanting Vedam, and a flag-bearing squad.

Speaking about the auspiciousness of Makara Sankranti, the Master of Ceremonies Sri C R Santosh, Research Scholar, Dept. of Physics, welcomed the assembly to the Prize Distribution Ceremony. He spoke about the unity in diversity that exists in the varied ways the world celebrated the festival of harvest. The prize distribution ceremony he said is a grand culmination of all the efforts in the true spirit of sportsmanship for the honor of our country, the glory of sports, and our beloved Mother Sai as in the oath taken by students.

The first speaker Sri Sai Vinod, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Management and Commerce, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) spoke on how, by the grace of Bhagawan, the students overcame the varied challenges behind the scenes, like shorter practice window due to examinations, injuries and equipment breakdown and put up a grand display of courage, fearlessness, skillful dexterity, flexibility, majesty, valor, rhythm, melody, colors, and depiction of multi-ethnicity at the recently concluded sports meet.

His talk was followed by a series of brief talks by the students of both the School and the Institute. The speakers were Sri Divyansh Rathore of Class XII, of Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School (SSSHSS), Ms. Aiswarya Lakshminarayan, II M.B.A, of Anantapur Campus, Sri Ayush Jain, III BCom (Hons.) of Brindavan Campus, Sri Y Sai Tarun Mouli, III B.B.A. of Muddenahalli Campus, and Sri R Rama Subramanya Gargeya II M.B.A. of Prasanthi Nilayam Campus.

The students spoke about how all the efforts that go into the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet across campuses, be it school or the institute has just one single objective – that is to make Bhagawan happy, smile, and clap for them. And to achieve this, they were willing to push themselves out of their normal comfort zones to perform and participate in a manner that even surprised them with their capabilities. They saw the short practice and training period as a crash course that taught them through several tests, various life skills that they will cherish forever, most importantly tailor-made lessons the way their Master would want them to learn. It is during these tests that students gain the realisation that they are just instruments and the actual doer is Him. Unprompted, every effort, every activity is an expression and an offering of pure love for their Master who is the very embodiment of love.

The Prize distribution then began with the Founder Chancellor’s Cups of love being awarded by the Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Sri K Chakravarthi, IAS (Retd.), to the respective captains and vice-captains of each of the Institutions and campuses for the dedication and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by the students of each institution.

The Physical directors of each campus then came forward to submit their prize lists to Bhagawan and seek His blessings. Post which, the trophies, medals, and prizes for the House and Individual championships were awarded under various categories.

Sri R J Rathnakar, Managing Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT), awarded the House Championship trophies of both the Institute and the School, and also the Individual Championships of the School. The Individual Championships of the Institute was awarded by Prof. B Sai Giridhar, the Vice-Chancellor of SSSIHL.

The categories under sports comprised of 9 track events – 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 4 x 100m, and 4 x 400m relays, and 7 field events – shot put, discus, hammer, and javelin throwing events, high jump, long jump, and triple jump, along with over 11 team and individual games like basketball, football, cricket, volleyball, ball badminton, handball, lawn tennis, table-tennis, tennikoit, badminton, and kho-kho.

The categories under cultural comprised over 25 categories that included debate, drama, elocution, quiz, instrumental, light vocal, modelling, mono acting, mime, orchestra, painting, photography, poster making, short story writing, sketching, stotram and vedam chanting, yoga, classical dance, bhajan antakshari, Carnatic and Hindustani classical vocal, mehndi, cartooning, clay modelling, and more.

The Institute saw 1016 students from all four campuses participate in sports and cultural activities. Over 1278 prize winners (730 sports and 548 cultural), were awarded which included 113 Gold, 81 Silver, and 82 bronze medals for Athletics. 28 Championship trophies were awarded which included 12 each for Athletics and cultural, and 4 for Fine arts.

For participants from the School, the Individual Champion winners for both juniors and seniors were awarded, in addition to the Athletics House championship, Games cup, Talent search programme cup, and House championship to the respective Captains and Vice-captains of the winning houses. At the end of the prize distribution ceremony, to mark 40 glorious years of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, a commemorative issue titled “Dheemahi’ was offered to Bhagawan.

In the Divine benediction that followed, Bhagawan stressed the importance of gaining mastery over our own inner self and the heart than going after worldly knowledge or scholarship of the scriptures. This He said will help students develop their inner culture thus purifying and broadening their hearts along with intelligence. This quality, He said will help students develop compassion and humility, which is the hallmark of true education. Speaking about the Holy Makar Sankranti, Students, He said must emulate the qualities of the Sun – that works tirelessly without any rest in a selfless manner providing light and warmth to the world thus sustaining life, and without any traces of ego despite the enormous power it has. In the journey of life, He said students must carry the ticket of love and faith in God to reach their destination safely.

This was followed by Bhajans and a few pieces by the Brass bands of the Anantapur and Prasanthi Nilayam campuses, and Prasadam distribution. The ceremony concluded with Mangala Arati being offered to Bhagawan.

View recording here: https://youtu.be/S9cBHPOqdUE
View pictures here.

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact: Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Prasanthi Nilayam, 11 January 2023:

The Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions held the main event of the Annual Sports & Cultural Meet on Wednesday, 11 January 2023 at the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions include all four campuses of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed-to-be University), Sri Sathya Sai Primary and Higher Secondary School, Smt. Eswaramma High School and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.

The gala event is a culmination of various sports, cultural and fine arts competitions held at all the above campuses throughout the academic year.

The Morning Session

The morning session commenced at 8 a.m. with the ceremonial entry and procession of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba into the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium. Led by motorcycle escorts, Bhagawan’s car with a beautiful photograph of Him entered the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium and was welcomed by the women’s brass band of the Anantapur Campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL). This was followed by a flag salute by all the House and Institute Captains of the University, schools, and allied institutions and then escorted by the Slow March Squad, a special contingent that was led by the men’s brass band of the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus, SSSIHL.

The Veda Chanting group then ushered Bhagawan to the Shanti Vedika dais. The Chancellor, SSSIHL along with senior members of the Sai educational institutions, and students representing each Sai educational institution offered salutations to Bhagawan.

The March Past that followed included each of the three thousand Sai students marching in unison towards the dais at Shanti Vedika offering their salutations to their Revered Founder Chancellor. This was followed by the hoisting of the University flag which truly represents unity, and the promise to uphold the honour and glory of Sri Sathya Sai’s mission. Students then took the Sports Meet oath.

This year’s mascot Dhavala Kesari (a white lion), carried the torch flying to the top of the hill to light up the principle torch marking the commencement of the 2023 Annual Sports & Cultural Meet. The bands of all the campuses then beat the retreat with divine renditions setting the stage for the day’s presentations.

The morning presentations saw the students of the Anantapur Women’s College campus begin with the Sri Sathya Sai Anandhotsavam, to proclaim the resumption of the sports meet by way of offering traditional dance forms of India to their Master. This was followed by flag-bearing Sai Soldiers asserting the importance of ‘Dharma’ in today’s world through various eye-catching formations including the Dharma Chakra, Lord Rama’s Bow and finally coming together to create the form of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai. The highlight was the women daredevils, in the form of Sai’s 38 Fearless Falcons who came riding on 24 Hero Honda 125cc Glamour bikes performing breathtaking stunts, daring jumps, riding through a ring of fire, and spectacular formations leaving the audience enthralled and stunned with their sense of balance, timing and fearlessness, most importantly, their devotion to and love for their Divine Master. The students in the end came together to form the message ‘We Belong to you Sai’.

It was then the turn of the boys from the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and the Prasanthi Nilayam campus.

The young boys from the Higher Secondary School took centre stage displaying the tricolour and showcasing various waves and formations celebrating 75 glorious years of India’s Independence. It was followed by a few other dazzling acts that included power gymnastics and acrobatics, synchronized performances using basketballs and flags, and a short act that depicted the importance of conquering the enemies within as a quality that differentiated a superhero from a hero.

The boys from the Prasanthi Nilayam campus presented a short act that depicted events from the epic Ramayana celebrating the victory of good over evil. They then fascinated the audience with their flexibility, agility, and well-timed fearless gymnastics that included several daring dives, jumps and somersaults, the highlight of them all being their daredevil jumps over a car and through fire rods. The martial arts team later presented a series of dramatic breath-taking action-packed stunt sequences. Their final act was an impressive synchronized display of cricketing skills to mark 40 years of India’s world cup victory. The team of boys, both school and institute then took centre stage to form the number 98, signifying 98 years of the Advent of the Avatar.

Finally, it was the turn of the institute boys from the Muddenahalli campus who began with a captivating display of musically synced formations with umbrellas creating an exquisite mosaic of eye-catching patterns. The high energy scintillating presentations that kept the audience at the edges of their seat concluded with the final performance by the Jumpmen’s remarkable dribbling skills and trampoline acts showcasing their sense of balance and timing. Mangala Arati was then offered to Bhagawan, thus ending the morning session.

The Evening Session

The evening session began at 4.10 p.m. with the ceremonial procession welcoming Bhagawan Baba into the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium.

The students of Smt. Eswaramma High School began the session with a fascinating act depicting the oneness that exists through the three stages of life -childhood, adulthood, and youth. The children then mesmerized the audience with their fusion and butterfly dance performances. Their next act showcased kids balancing the hoops to the rhythm of the music and also gracefully using the skipping rope to display their skill. Right on their heels came riding little cycling champs performing enchanting stunts and synchronised formations. Next, the children presented a vibrant dance of Lord Shiva and concluded their act with a formation to commemorate 50 glorious years of the school.

The tiny tots from the Primary school then presented nine adorable acts. This included – a celestial rhythmic performance, little gymnasts and acrobats showcasing their flexibility and balance, spiritual warriors vanquishing the evil, pyramid formations that showcase their teamwork and endurance, a patriotic presentation by little Bharatiyas as the future of Bharat, the dance of the Gopikas and two colorful displays that reveal the beauty and abundance of mother nature.

Post delightful performances by the kids, the students from the SSSIHMS College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences presented ‘METANOIA’. The act with three stunning performances depicted changing one’s way of life through spirituality in the form of a Pyramid – that displays the emergence, spread, and impact of illness on Humans, Yoga – which depicts healing, and Krishna Rasaleela – portraying devotion as a tool for spiritual healing.

The students from the Brindavan campus then took center stage and began their presentation with an innovative game of Rugby by two teams, bubbles, and sumos. This was followed by an exciting display of balance on a slack line. At sunset, the highlight of the evening which also was the grand finale to the entire day’s proceedings was the LED-lit Lion and Dragon dance performance, a traditional Chinese dance that enthralled the audience, and a dazzling and synchronized sound and light show using different types of drums with sound sensor LEDs that lit up with every beat leaving the audience enthralled. The students in a final formation came together singing in unison to express their love and gratitude for their Divine Master Sri Sathya Sai.

The evening session concluded with Mangala Arati to Bhagawan, bringing to close the main event of the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2023.

View recording here:
Morning Session: https://youtu.be/GnPoS6z9ATs
Evening Session: https://youtu.be/-ejLnpt_hqQ
Event Photos

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact: Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Prasanthi Nilayam, 10 January 2023:

The Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions will host our Annual Sports & Cultural Meet on Wednesday, 11 January 2023 at the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions include all four campuses of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Sri Sathya Sai Primary and Higher Secondary School, Smt. Eswaramma High School and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS) College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.

The event on the 11th of January 2023, is a culmination of various sports, cultural and fine arts competitions held at all the above campuses throughout the academic year. It showcases an array of spectacular physical and cultural presentations by over 3000 students of the institutions, spread across two sessions, morning and evening. Most importantly, it is an offering of love encased in the three D’s – Duty, Discipline, and Dedication to our most Revered Master Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

From 12-15 January 2023, students from various campuses make several cultural presentations that include both drama and devotional music programmes at the Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam. The prize distribution ceremony of the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2023 for the Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions will be held on 15 January 2023, on the auspicious occasion of Makara Sankranti, at Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh.

The event on the 11 January 2023 will be telecast live on the SSSIHL YouTube channel
All cultural programmes from the 12-15 January, will be telecast live on Prasanthi Mandir Live channel

About the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) (Deemed-to-be-University), Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of the few institutions in the world offering values-based education to students at the University level. Ethics and morals form the undercurrent of every subject taught at the Deemed to be University, providing a holistic framework of inter-personal development for its students combined with academic excellence. SSSIHL follows a merit-based open admissions policy for all irrespective of income, religion, or region and provides quality education free for all students.

The Deemed-to-be university hosts students from across the country at its four campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India and provides free education to all programmes of study. The programmes offered include undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and research. It has a merit-based open admissions policy for all, irrespective of income, religion or social status.

SSSIHL also provides a strong research environment, with exceptional academic practices, that has resulted in the growth of national and international collaborations. The Central Research Instruments Facility (CRIF), based at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the SSSIHL, is one of the few facilities in the country that houses advanced Characterisation / Analytical Tools to carry out Translational Research in various areas of Science and Technology.

For further information, visit: sssihl.edu.in

Media contact: Registrar, SSSIHL, email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: +91 8555287239

Identifying the Issue

• As per WHO, water contamination by heavy metal ions, poses enormous threat to both the environment and human health as they are non-biodegradable and highly toxic by nature
• Their presence in high concentration in wastewater and in low concentration in ground waters of industrial regions demands efficient water remediation techniques

Objective of the Research

• Design and development of versatile Nano adsorbent, suitable for simultaneous removal of multiple cationic and anionic contaminants from water with rapid and high removal efficiency at various pH conditions of source water which makes it a viable solution for waste water and groundwater remediation
• The developed Nano adsorbent could simultaneously remove Pb(II), Hg(II), As(V), As(III) and Cr(VI) in less than two minutes of its contact in water with high efficiency at all pH conditions of source water

Who should read this?

• Global water treatment product manufacturers
• The industrial wastewater is a major source of a variety of highly toxic water contaminants, which includes heavy metal ionic contaminants. Therefore, these industries can use the material for treating the wastewater before releasing it into the water bodies
• Government bodies and NGOs concerned with providing safe water
• Researchers working on water remediation and nanomaterials for different applications

Solution

Presence of heavy metal ionic contaminants in water is a matter of global concern, owing to their disastrous impact on human health and environment. Cerium intercalated, ceria decorated titanate nanotubes (CCTNT) was developed for efficient adsorption of toxic heavy metal ions, lead, mercury, arsenate, arsenite and dichromate from water. The material properties of CCTNT were thoroughly studied using various characterization tools. CCTNT, is a nanocomposite of ceria and titanate nanotubes with a high specific surface area. The morphology is a blend of nanotubes of the titanate phase decorated with ceria nanoparticles. The results obtained from batch adsorption experiments indicated that CCTNT, with a wide pH window for adsorption of heavy metal ions, is applicable for both groundwater and wastewater remediation. In addition, it exhibited ultrafast adsorption of all five contaminants using a low adsorbent dosage. The maximum adsorption capacities of the adsorbent were calculated to be 66.76, 97.18, 189.59, 199.80, 288.23 mg/g respectively for the removal of Cr(VI),Pb(II),As(V), Hg(II) and As(III) from water. CCTNT is further suitable for highly efficient and simultaneous removal of all five heavy metal ions. These attractive properties make CCTNT a superior material for adsorption of heavy metal ions from water.

Key Features and Benefits

• CCTNT is mesoporous with high surface area, dense OH groups and multivalent cations
• CCTNT could simultaneously adsorb Pb(II), Hg(II), As(V), As(III) and Cr(VI) from water with high efficiency and ultrafast kinetics
• The wide pH window of adsorption in CCTNT makes it suitable for groundwater and wastewater
• Applicable for removal of both low and high concentrations of heavy metal ions

Impact

• The developed material is a viable solution for remediation of heavy metal ions from water
• Its attractive adsorption properties such as its high efficiency at all pH conditions makes it suitable for any kind of water source
• Simultaneous removal of contaminants to WHO permissible limits with dosage of as low as 1 g/L within two minutes of its contact with water enables it to be a suitable material for developing adsorption based water purification technology

Team

• Anjana Biswas
• B. P. Chandra
• Dr. (Mrs.) C Prathibha

Paper Published in: Applied Surface Science (Elsevier)

Title of paper: Highly efficient and simultaneous remediation of heavy metal ions (Pb(II), Hg(II), As(V), As(III) and Cr(VI)) from water using Ce intercalated and ceria decorated titanate nanotubes

Read Paper Here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.155841

Mrs. Akanksha Aggarwal and Dr. B Chandrasekhar, both Assistant Professors of the Department of Management and Commerce, SSSIHL, received the best paper award for their paper titled “Spirituality: An Attitudinal Variable Among the Other Factors That Drive Purchase Behavior of the Green Consumer Segment” presented at the 10th International Conference on Advances in Business and Management, held on November 11 & 12, 2022.

The paper is a part of Mrs. Akanksha’s doctoral research work, conducted under the guidance of Dr. B Chandrasekhar, and was co-authored by both.

The conference was organized by the Department of Management and Commerce, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi. The theme for the 2-day conference was ‘Business Practices in the Era of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and New Age Technologies‘.

The session at the conference was chaired by Prof. Nimit Chowdhary, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Dr. Pooja Mehta, Assistant Professor, Sri Aurobindo College of Commerce and Management, Ludhiana.