Igniting Minds Lecture by Grandmaster Chef Imtiaz Qureshi

Kitchens are hard and they form incredibly strong characters.

The quote holds perfectly for the man who dedicated his life to preserving the art of dum pukht, an ancient tradition. He has numerous titles attached to his name, the most recent being a Padma Shri. However, his real pride lies in the appreciative hums of the people who taste his food, Grandmaster Chef Shri. Imtiaz Qureshi is the person who reintroduced royalty to Indian Cuisine.

Born in the year 1931 Shri. Imtiaz Qureshi is an ITC Grandmaster Chef. Coming from a family of chefs, he started his culinary career with his uncle before he went on to join the Krishna catering that served the Indian Army during the Sino-Indian war. He later went on to join the ITC chain in 1979 and served at their various locations including the Clark Hotel, Lucknow and Maurya Sheraton, Delhi eventually being appointed as their master chef. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 2016, the fourth highest civilian award making him the first chef to have ever received this honor.

3^rd December 2017 can be considered golden on all accounts when the Jagran Lakecity University School of Hospitality and Tourism had a chance to host him, the man who is single handedly responsible for the revival of Dum Pukht in India. The occasion was an Igniting Minds lecture graced by Shri. Imtiaz Qureshi along with his two equally talented sons Chef Ishtiyaque Qureshi and Chef Ashfaque Qureshi.

Every member of the audience sat spellbound as the Grandmaster delivered his lecture, sharing his experiences that he had gathered along his culinary journey with multiple brands. He gave various words of advice to the young chefs to help them succeed in life. The highlight of the event however was what happened post the lecture in the SoHT kitchen. The Qureshi masters worked together for 90 minutes to carve out their famous ‘Royal Dum Biryani’ for the JLU School of Hospitality and Tourism. The aroma that floated out of the Degh displayed decades of experience, passion and perfection, and the feast that followed was pure MAGIC!

Adieu class of 2017: Convocation ceremony at Jagran Lakecity University

It’s that time of the year again, when the once dreaded classroom benches suddenly become dear, when the canteen is no longer the bunk place. It’s that time of the year when realization hits. Somewhere during these awful days, teachers became friends, friends became family, distress became comfort and college became home.

It is time to honor the years of hard work put in by the students and teachers of Jagran Lakecity University, it’s time to bring out the robes and hats, its Convocation!

                                                  

The third Convocation ceremony at JLUBhopal for the class of 2017 held on 2^nd December was a bitter-sweet affair when the once newbies sat robe-clad for receiving their degrees. A total of 50 post graduate degrees and 325 undergraduate degrees were awarded to the students marking the onset of a new phase of life for them.

The University awarded Honoris Causa to Shri. Bibek Debroy, Chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Grandmaster Chef Shri Imtiaz Qureshi and Mr. Kapil Wadhawan, Chairman of Wadhawan Global Capital, three distinguished leaders for their meaningful & impactful work and contribution in their respective field. Eight marquee Chancellor’s Gold Medals, seven Rankers certificates, three freeships and sports scholarships were awarded to toppers & meritorious students.

Addressing the gathering at the University premises, Prof. (Dr.) Anoop Swarup, Vice Chancellor, Jagran LakecityUniversity shared the annual report with the audience and extended his wishes to the students saying “We are confident that our students will be able to meet all the challenges faced by them. Our convocation reflects JLU’s efforts in creating future professionals who will strive to bring about a positive change around them,” The graduation students pledged to uphold the noble cause of nation building, intellectual pursuits, ethics, honesty and hard work and the need to maintain equity, justice and the wealth of global natural resources.

The Chief Guest and Chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Shri Bibek Debroy congratulated the students on reaching another milestone in their lives. He emphasized on how important it is to look beyond what we have today and work towards building a better future, to look beyond personal goals and work towards the betterment of the nation, the dream of India lies in the small initiatives by ordinary individuals who work with persistence and vision. He concluded on the note that “Your real learning begins today.”

While accepting his Honoris Causa, Shri. Bibek Debroy expressed his deep gratitude towards the University for conferring him the doctorate. He also mentioned that the fine individuals hailing from the Jagran Lakecity University are a testimony to its meticulous learning environment and remarkable faculty members. Grandmaster Chef Shri. Imtiaz Qureshi while accepting the doctorate shared a touching story with the audience that was concluded at the thought that “Some awards aren’t materialistic, it is the acknowledgement and appreciation of one’s work that matters the most.”

Shri. Hari Mohan Gupta, Chancellor, Jagran Lakecity University congratulated the students and parents in his address. JLU Bhopal in a short span of five years is counted as one of the finest institutions of central India. It is the result of great team work and unmatched persistence shown by the members of the JLU family. He ended with a note to the graduating students saying “trustworthiness, honesty, integrity and loyalty are the only principles that would upgrade us as a nation”.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Kapil Wadhawan said, “At WGC, we believe education is the key to solving the inequality gap. It is with this in mind that I humbly accept this distinction. This recognition is an acknowledgement of our commitment to enable empowerment and social equity through our business and community efforts. I dedicate this distinction to my father as it inspires me to pursue his mission of universal financial inclusivity with greater belief and conviction.”

Placements 2017

Years of hard work done on the sturdy benches of college classrooms finally pays off in the form of placements. The year 2017 has been massive on all accounts for the students of Jagran Lakecity University, placements were no less. Gracefully navigating their way through the grueling tests, many of our brilliant students came out victorious with jobs in hand with the highest package going 4.8 LPA. Here is a detailed list of our successfully placed students.

Jaro Education, Mumbai

·         Devyani Saxena (Bachelor of Management Studies)

Certination Solution and Services, Noida

·         Chetna Dagar (B. Tech, Computer Science)

Ways2Capital, Indore

·         Anvid Dubey (Bachelor of Commerce (Honours))

·         Meghna Singh (Bachelor of Commerce (Banking & Finance))

·         Yashraj Khalko (Bachelor of Commerce (Banking & Finance))

·         Natasha Shrivastava (Bachelor of Business Administration)

·         Mohit Pandey (Bachelor of Business Administration)

·         Payal (Bachelor of Business Administration)

·         Jai Singh Verma (Bachelor of Business Administration)

The Leela, Goa

·         Akansha Gour (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Anshul Raghuvanshi (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Arun Thakur (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Baljeet Singh Bhogal (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Chakshu Maharshi (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Deeksha Shrivastav (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Harshal Mungre (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Himanshi Tomar (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Meghna Sharma (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Mohd. Sana Ullah Khan (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Paridhi Upadhyay (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Sharukh Hussain (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Shikha Motwani (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Shrenik Mehta (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Shreya Gupta (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Shubham Nagar (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Shubham Singh (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Vikram Singh Rajput (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Mohit Khantwal (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Somya Shabani (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

Courtyard by Marriot, Bhopal

·         Somya Shabani (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

·         Simran Bakshi (B.Sc. Hotel Management)

Congratulations….!!

Being good is not a destination, but a journey: Kapil Arora, President, Ogilvy

Advertising learnt from the journalistic world in purposeful advertising. But perhaps it’s time that journalism takes a leaf out of advertising and deploys the dynamics of storytelling. Journalism has always been the moral compass of the modern society. It has its very critical role in the way the world behaves, understands and comprehends reality. Its core objective of bringing the truth in front of people and questioning whatever is not right with the world but also lauding and sharing what’s right with the world.

Having said that I want to share how the world of advertising and communication is changing. So how do we sell or promote products to you. Primarily from two perspectives: functional or emotional. Either I tell you to buy a product or service as to why it is best for you, how it benefits you, or we tell you how it makes you feel how it makes your life better, simpler, easier and more fun.

If we answer these set of questions convincingly, we have a good chance of converting a large group of consumers who would say I would buy that product. For a good sixty to seventy years we have happily worked down on this principle. But there has been change. There has been a geo political change, social change, economic slowdown and all that. However, in the world of brands, I would say there have been two changes. The first being Access. The second being Accountability.

From consumers’ perspectives, they have access to brands, access to information, to everything we do. There is no place to hide. So as result brands are much more Accountable. This seems like a simple small thing. But for a brand that’s got commercial at heart, and whose perspective is to sell more, this has brought a big change.

Today, a brand is what a brand does. There is no place to hide because they are held accountable. This has led to a lot of changes in the way the brands and companies communicate. For example earlier if we were doing advertising for a bottled water, we would say “ here’s a bottled water that refreshes like no other brand does “.But now we would say “ The purest bottled water from a brand that is committed to keep lakes and rivers in the country clean”. The moment we do this, the consumer sees us differently. But the essence is not just in saying but doing. Or else consumers are extremely smart and aware and see through white lies.

This has given way to what experts call “ Responsible Consumption” The CMO of Unilever in 2015 said that the market for responsible consumption is $400 billion in 2015 alone and growing in high double digits.

So while from a journalistic world, being responsible is finding back your moral compass, from a brand world, it makes business sense to also be responsible. The big difference between the above bottled water example and regular advertising is the word “Purpose”. This has become a super strategic tool. Tesla has done it, and so has Coca-Cola and so has Dove. All in their unique style and belief. The golden rule is being genuine.

Like all top agencies, Ogilvy has a big model which we believe helps the brands find their best self, their inner greatness and we call this the Big Ideal. It taps into the cultural tensions that exist in consumers’ lives and marries it with brands best self and tells us what purpose the brand works for.

Communities: Student Services Cell, Jagran Lakecity University

Staying true to the motto Igniting minds; changing lives, the Jagran Lakecity University constantly ventures new avenues to give our students an edge over the crowd.

The student communities at JLU Bhopal have been introduced with the purpose of providing the students with the open space to pursue something of higher interest. The interests of a student other than academic often go unnoticed. These likings however can lead to the intellectual growth of an individual. Students at JLU Bhopal can choose to be a part of any of the ten student communities based on their interest. The communities are:

·       Adventure and Trekking – For the adrenaline junkies out there, this is the perfect community where fun activities like local trekking, adventure sports, in-house camps and activities and adventure tours are conducted. This is the perfect place for the students who live off the escapade.

·        Sports – Unlike a normal sports community, this group will enable the students to be a part of any sports tournament happening around the city with constant updates. There is a live blog and video section where students may post information about an upcoming event or their achievements. It is a great platform for the sport lovers in the campus.

·       Dance, Drama and Music– This group is an amazing opportunity for the dance and music lovers on campus. From having access to first-hand information about competitions and shows around the city to having the opportunity of being the cultural task force of the university, this group has it all.

·      Creative – The creative community gives its students a chance to pacify their artistic sides. Being a part of this community, a student gets the chance to be a part of the creative team in a university. From planning an event to its execution and the brainstorming in between, this community will serve to the imaginative side of you boundlessly.

·       Industry Interface – College life is the intermediate step between school and work, this is the place where people mature and build themselves up for the work life ahead. Industry interface is a great community for getting an exposure to the industry life while understanding the minutiae, dos, and don’ts of a corporate life.

·       Charcha Around – Keeping yourself updated about the University trends will now be easy thanks to the Charcha Around Community. From what is trending in the city to the latest places to hangout, every happening detail of the city can be posted onto this group. As the name suggests, this group will serve you with updates of all that is going around hot on the silver salver.

·        Social Volunteering – To attend to one’s social responsibility, this community is the apt place to be. Being a part of the social volunteering community, the students get a chance to be a part of the in house social initiatives, opportunities to collaborate with NGOs for events, space for raising social camps on personal level and a deep knowledge about the functioning of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

·    Careers – Just enrolling oneself in a course does not decide their destiny. The career community of student services cell fine tunes the students professionally by providing counseling and personality development classes. The art of resume writing, CV and cover letter preparations are also taught along with certified diploma programs.

·      Techno-Savvies – If gadgets are your forte, techno savvies is your place to be. Along with serving to the gamer in you, this community is also keeps a check on the latest gadgets available. It is a great opportunity for the gadget gurus in the campus to showcase their knowledge.

·      Readers and Writers – As the name suggests, the readers and writers community is a great platform for the literature lovers on campus. Being a part of this community will present numerous opportunities for the students to be a part of book launches, book fairs, and many more creative events. 

When you are as good as your next move: National West-Zone Chess Tournament 2017-18

The game of chess isn’t just about understanding your game well, but about reading your opponent better. The ancient game originated in India before the 7^th century. The game was designed as a way of determining battle tactics and being prepared for the possible next move of the enemy. The chess we know today is just limited to honing one’s strategy and far thinking capabilities. Out of all the board games ever designed, chess remains to be the trickiest of them all.

Research has proved that playing a game triggers logical thinking in an individual. The game of chess however has taken logical thinking to another level where chess players often are more analytical than non-chess players. It also improves one’s ability to memorize and solving a problem. Many ailments like the Alzheimer’s disease and Schizophrenia can be overcome to a large extent by playing chess.

In honor of the historical game, the National West-Zone Chess Tournament 2017-18 was organized at the JagranLakecity University, Bhopal. The tournament saw a participation of over 58 teams, men’s and 38 teams, women’s from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, the tournament proved to be a battle of minds in all magnitudes. The tournament was broken into two segments where the men mind combated each other from 27^th Oct to 31^st Oct and women from 4^thNov to 8^th Nov. The individual ceremonies were inaugurated by Shri. Hari Mohan Gupta, Chancellor, Jagran Lakecity University and the man who has ‘Olympian’ attached to his glorious name, Mr. Ashok Dhyan Chand.

Like every battle comes out with a champion, this one did too. The gold medal (Men’s) was bagged by Savitribai Phule University, Pune, silver medal by University of Mumbaiand bronze medal by RTM University, Nagpur. The gold medal (Women’s) was bagged by RTM Nagpur University, silver medal by Shivaji University, Kolhapur and bronze medal by RGPV, Bhopal. The medals and trophies were awarded to the contestants by Dr. Anoop Swarup, Vice Chancellor, JLU Bhopal, Dr. Vivek Khare, Dean Academics, Dr. C.A. Gurudath, Dean Academics, Mr. Pankaj Das, Deputy Registrar, and Chief Arbiter, Mr. Kapil Saxena.

Gold Medal (Men’s) – Savitribai Phule University, Pune

·         Shantanu Mirashi

·         Sourav Sahoo

·         Nikhil Dixit

·         Ranveer Mohite

·         Vedant Pimpalkhare

Silver Medal (Men’s) – University of Mumbai

·         Sudarshan Vaikund

·         Harsh Mangesh Ghag

·         Rahul Rajan Pawar

·         Chirag Sarkar

·         Sanjeev Nair

Bronze Medal (Men’s) – RTM University, Nagpur

·         Shubham Lakudkar

·         Saurabh Lokhande

·         Pujjam Bansod

·         Mayur Shelke

·         Prasad Aurangabadkar

Gold Medal (Women’s) – RTM Nagpur University

·         Amruta Amate

·         Shweta Gole

·         Aditi Patel

·         R Nagalakshmi

Silver Medal (Women’s) – Shivaji University, Kolhapur

·         Pornima Upalavikar

·         Shweta Bhandare

·         Vaishnavi Akhade

·         Shruti Gurav

Bronze Medal (Women’s) – RGPV, Bhopal

·         Mohita Singh

·         Deeksha Kasture

·         Aditi Shrivastava

           Nupur Goyal