"One afternoon, during a session, we heard our short film had won a national award. It took a moment to sink in… then the room filled with resounding applause… the intense effort we put into filming, interviewing, and editing had paid off!" A Pawan Kalyan, a semester 5 BAJMC student from the School of Media and Communications, couldn't contain his excitement as he recalled the joyful day.
The final-year BAJMC students won a national award for their short film, "Samej Se Sabak," on disaster management, along with a cash prize of ₹1 lakh. The national award was presented by Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The award ceremony was held on October 23, 2024, at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Director, School of Media and Communications, Prof Vipin Pubby, and Asst Prof Paarth Sharma received the award on behalf of the students.
The short film secured third place in the national competition organised by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).
The idea for the film took root when Asst Prof Paarth Sharma discovered the NIDM short film contest. Asst Prof Sharma is also the director of the film. Despite the upcoming Term 1 exam, he saw a dual opportunity: final-year students could create a short film for the competition, which would also count as their exam.
Special classes were held to brainstorm and discuss the project. A young team of filmmakers, including Aryan Thakur, Swarnim Suprakash, Antrisha Chauhan, Vanshika Thakur, Archan Sharma, Sakshi Kumari, Kunal, Kavya Choudhary, Niraj Sharma, Apurva, Misal, Adarsh Ghasta, Kashish Chandel, Anshul, Pawan Kalyan, and Sahil, worked together.
The students were divided into groups and assigned different locations to interview people who could provide insights into flood preparedness. Their journey began with researching the area in Himachal Pradesh most affected by floods.
One of the most impacted villages was Samej in Himachal Pradesh, which had suffered a cloudburst just weeks before they started filming. The devastation was unimaginable, and the fear among the people was heart-wrenching.
In Samej, the students interviewed two victims and a hydropower plant worker who had seen the disaster's effects first-hand. The award-winning film also includes an interview with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, gaining insight into the government's response to such crises.
They also interviewed Assistant Commandant Karam Singh from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who was on duty in Samej during the cloudburst, and Asst Prof Kanupriya, who teaches Geology at Solan Degree College.
"We didn't create this documentary to win; rather, we wanted to raise awareness. We also wanted to shed light on this remote village Samej and the resilience of its people," said Niraj Sharma, one of the students involved in the documentary.
Top universities like Mizoram University and SRM University (Andhra Pradesh) were also among the competitors. This accomplishment is a proud moment for Shoolini University Chancellor Prof PK Khosla, Pro Chancellor Vishal Anand, and Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla, who appreciated the students for their outstanding achievements. Winning this national award brings pride to the university and sets a strong example for future students.