Page 116 - VIT - Self Study Report

level unity. An atmosphere of a 'home away from home' is vital for students and faculty, for

nurturing a harmonious academic environment.

Festivals are a celebration not only of our beliefs, but also of our differences. At VIT, festivals like

Pongal,Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Navaratri, Durga Puja, Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Bihu, Baisakhi,
Ugadi, Sargam, Lohri, Holi and Gudi Padwa are celebrated with gusto.

VIT has a plethora of Literary Associations for various Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu,
Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali and Marathi. These students participate in inter-university

fests. They also conduct a dazzling array of events covering different aspects of the languages
through writing and speaking competitions, cultural events and festivals in the campus. These

activities give them an opportunity to portray their skill and command over their native languages,

alongside their curricular performance.

VIT every year organizes “Infusion”- a showcase of cultures around the world. This program by
students of various nationalities, is a magnificent display of the diverse international culture.

Another annual event “AIKYA” is a parade that showcases the vast heritage of India and its

various cultures. It is also a show of unity in diversity. In AIKYA, students from different states of

India parade in their traditional costume depicting the rich cultural heritage and diversity of
different states.

Furthermore, cultural festivals like Riviera, Vibrance, Garba Night (Navratri celebrations),

Bengali Night and Thanima (Onam celebrations), celebrate various aspects of our cultural heritage
like dance, music and food, all around the year. Events like Sangamam, hosted by the Tamil

Literary Association and Sahiti, hosted by the Telugu Literary Association, have dance, music,
plays and traditional games and help in fostering mutual respect for the rich regional heritage.

VIT offers STARS (Support The Advancement of Rural Students) Scheme to students from

socioeconomically weak backgrounds to help such students to overcome obstacles in their
educational progress and excel in their respective fields. As part of this scheme, top ranking male

and female students of every district in Tamil Nadu, are offered complete free education at VIT
including tuition, boarding, transport and all incidental expenses.

Apart from this, VIT hosts several agricultural expos in support of local farmers, and offers its
sports facilities for tournaments among local schools. Apart from these socioeconomic

programmes conducted by the Institute, the Institute also supports a large number of student-based

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