Raphael Warjri

Every year on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar an endowment lecture is organised in Women's College Shillong.This year the 14th endowment lecture was presented by Professor Pradip Kumar Dutta, former Head Department of Political Science Delhi University and presently Chairperson Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, SIS, JNU at the college auditorium. The presentation was titled "Visva-Samaj of Rabindranath Tagore's Visva Bharati".

Professor Dutta while speaking on  Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar stated that he was free from all sectarian division and adopted a more human centric commitment to education and drew from traditional education system as well to disseminate education to all including women. 

While drawing parallels to the great contribution of Rabindranath Tagore's he stated that Visva Bharati and Striniketan were the outcome of Swadeshi and Atma Shakti. Tagore through these institutions tried to ruralise the urban and urbanise the rural. Nature in shantiniketan was part of Tagore's educational endeavour with classes being held in the shades of trees for the students to understand the moods of nature . This was part of the pedagogy. Inspired by swadeshi and make students independent minded and an effort to producing an educational society that could illuminate society and the world.

The programme was presided by Dr Debasish Choudhary Trustee, Education India in the presence of invited guests, Rector, Principal, Vice principal, faculties, students and other  members of the college.