"College Festival brings Economics to life”

The 12th Annual Economics Festival, Arth-Manthan was organized by the staff and students of N. G. Acharya and D. K. Marathe College, Chembur.

The 12th Annual Economics Festival, Arth-Manthan was organized by the staff and students of N. G. Acharya and D. K. Marathe College, Chembur. The two day event held on the 6th and 7th of September saw the participation of over 45 colleges across Mumbai in various Economics oriented competitions. The Economics fest is the brainchild of.  Prof.Shashi Panikar, President of the Economics Club,  Mumbai and senior professor at the college. Arth-Manthan first began in 2001 to mark 10 years of liberalization, with the aim of’ creating leaders in Economics’. Arth-Manthan was inaugurated by Mr S. Ramann, Executive Director,SEBI while the Key-note address was delivered by Dr Rupa Rege Nitsure, Chief Economist,Bank of Baroda both spoke on the impact of Euro Crisis and worsening fiscal deficit on Indian economy.Dr Rupa Rege warned that the gross fiscal deficit of about ten percent in India  is similar to that of many European nations like Greece and Spain.The speakers urged the youth to understand various economic concepts and its relevance in day today life.They also spoke about the increasing employment opportunities for Economics students in corporate and financial sectors.

            The two day event was well organized, with students of the home college graciously helping participants with registrations and direction from one event venue to another. The fests main aim has been to bring a subject considered boring and irrelevant to life with various competitions that saw students from various colleges discuss and debate pressing issues and current events like the Sovereign Debt Crisis in Europe, Government policies on natural resources and the menace of corruption. The “Global Leaders Meet” had students posing as delegates from European countries discussing the roles of their governments in dousing the flames of the financial crisis and highlighting their country’s role and their expectations from the rest of the world. “It’s Rockin” was another competition that sought to make economics as a subject more appealing to the youth, where talented singers from various colleges across the city mixed economic theories with lyrics and music, much to the appreciation of a packed audience in the seminar hall of the college.

Another keenly watched event is the “Maha Debate”, where 10 of the best speakers from various colleges and University Departments were segregated into two teams to argue whether or not dynastic politics was the root cause of corruption. The debate was truly passionate and energizing with both sides making their cases in the presence of Judges and a packed audience. Instances of recent and past history were recalled, forgotten leaders and their contributions were remembered, accomplished men like the Mahatma, Shakespeare and Abraham Lincoln were quoted, to convince all about a question that has been at the forefront of public discourse. While the Judges tallied their marks, Prof. Panikar took a voice vote of the audience, strikingly similar to the voice vote in Parliament. Interestingly, the audience, most of whom were students from various colleges across the city, did not consider dynastic politics to be the root cause of corruption. The judges endorsed this sentiment by declaring the team opposed to the motion as winners.

Principal of the college Dr D. M. Muley stated that Arth-Manthan has been a trendsetter, with several colleges across the city now conducting separate Economics Festivals. Prof. Amita Lal ,one of the organizers said that perhaps events such as these are the key to turning theoretical  subjects like economics into a topic of interest among students. It was very encouraging to see participants from various colleges discussing and debating various socio-economic issues well after their events were over. Judges too were more than happy to give insights into their performance and tips on how to improve. The 2 day long economics festival truly succeeded in making learning fun and inspired visitors and participants alike.

Prof G.S. Panikar, Prof. Amita Lal, Prof. J.Khemnar , Prof .S More