75th Independence Day Celebrations

Hyderabad, 15th August 2021: Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Hyderabad, celebrated the 75th Independence Day virtually with great fervor and festivity. The event began with the flag hoisting ceremony where the fraternity of IMT Hyderabad stood in solidarity and patriotism as the national anthem was played. The national flag was hoisted at full mast. Following the inauguration of the ceremony, Prof (Dr.) Sriharsha Reddy, Director Designate & Dean - Academics, addressed the batch briefly with his few words on this occasion. He exemplified that Independence Day is "celebrated in the memory & remembrance of the struggles and sacrifices" of the Founding Fathers of the nation, which led to the end of foreign rule on 15th August 1947. He also accentuated that India has come a long way since independence. He elaborated that India overcame a food security challenge becoming self-sufficient in its agrarian requirements and being an exporter of food over the years. He highlighted that the contribution of the services sector has grown into a significant 60% of the economy. He spotlighted several key focus areas and developments in the field of science and space exploration technology. He also elucidated specific advantages of India, like being a leading exporter of grain owing to its sizeable agricultural infrastructure. The address concluded with a famous quote from Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore "the highest form of freedom is the freedom of thought, where the mind is free to think, talk, and act."

Following the address, Altius - the sports club of IMT Hyderabad, made a video presentation that featured a comprehensive journey of Indian independence. The video highlighted the sports achievements of India, having a total medal haul of 35 medals since Indian athletes contested in the Olympics in 1920. It also highlighted the current gold medal tally of nine by India at the Olympics, with a majority won by the Indian field hockey team from 1928 to 1980. It also provided us with significant insights into the achievements of the recent contingent to represent India at the Olympics. The eminent sportspersons highlighted included Mary Kom, Bajrang Punia, Mithali Raj, Ravi Kumar, and the recent Gold Medallist Neeraj Chopra.

The presentation followed a scintillating performance by Dhwani - The Music Society of Antragna, the cultural club of IMT Hyderabad. It included musical performances of various patriotic-themed songs. The melodious performances fuelled energy to the Independence Day celebrations and set up the stage for the next segment in the event's itinerary, the speech by the youngest student from the junior batch, Lepaxi Somit. She spoke about the struggle for the

liberation of the state. She concluded the speech by instilling a sense of value for the sovereignty amongst the youth.

Dhanak, the dance society of Antragna, followed it with a fabulous performance showcasing students' zeal at IMT Hyderabad. The performance included some traditional dance forms as a representation of the diverse, heterogeneous cultures of India. The event concluded with an enthralling performance by Navrang, the Drama society of Antragna, which gave a short and engaging play that demonstrated the changing aspirations of the youth, including various elements like the growing out datedness of stigmatic beliefs and how the changing times called for unconventional innovation from the youth of a modernizing India.