Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande inaugurated a three-day workshop on a unique ‘Live Life Curriculum’ organised by Chennai-based Live Life Foundation at the Acharya Institute of Management Studies (AIMS) on Monday.
On the occasion, the minister said, “Personality and skills development programmes, like this, enrich students. Earlier, we had moral education spread across school levels, but there is more commercialisation now and students have many diversions.”
Deshpande added that students are at the risk of becoming a liability for themselves, their families and the nation. “To prevent this, we need more such courses and training,” he remarked.
Executive Director of Express Network Private Limited Siddharth Sonthalia and AIMS Chief Executive Officer Kerron G Reddy, who was the guest of honour at the inauguration, stressed on why students need to undergo a course like Live Life Curriculum. The minister lauded the efforts of The New Indian Express. “That a media house has come forward to do this is good and I appreciate the efforts of Siddharth to participate,” Deshpande said.
“My great grandfather Ramnath Goenka made this (Express) newspaper a symbol of courage. For him, the future of the country was important and so it is for us. It is only students who can make this world a better place,” he said.
The workshop is being conducted by noted psychiatrist Dr Kannan Gireesh, who is the founder and CEO of the Live Life Foundation.
In his inimitable mix of humour and staidness, Dr Gireesh addressed students from the bachelor of business management, postgraduate diploma in management and masters of business administration courses. The objective of the Live Life curriculum is to empower the students to live life to their fullest in the context of love, joy and happiness.
“A lot of young students come to us with frustration, anger and depression. From our research, we find that the biggest problem faced by them is procrastination. This is followed by disinterest and boredom. We will not teach you how to prepare for exams or how to score well. All we do is make you understand the value of life, get you to accept the way you are and the rest would automatically follow,” Dr Gireesh told students.