Fit India week at the BESC: A week-long holistic Approach to Health & Fitness

A long & healthy lifespan is primarily dependent on one’s level of fitness and with this point of view, the Government of India conceived the idea of “FIT India” in 2019. To create awareness about fitness among children, parents, and teachers in schools and higher institutions, a  4 to 6 days in week option was given to the Institutions to promote an active week by indulging in various activities such as running/races, cycling races, popular sports and fun games, etc. To make this vision a success The Bhawanipur Education Society College held a Fit India Week from the 9th of December to 15th December 2023. The first day of this campaign was held on 9th December 2023 to make the students more aware of the importance of their individual body fitness, for which the college had invited a dietician, Mr Soumyendu Ghosh, Clinical Dietician, Nutritionist and Lifestyle Counselor to impart his expertise in fitness and health. The event began at 9 in the morning and lasted for an hour, hosting more than 120 students in the Society Hall of the college.

The event was officially commemorated with the delivery of a welcome speech by the Rector and dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dilip Shah. He then welcomed members of the Management, Mr Umesh Thakkar and Mr. Jitendra Shah to the opening ceremony. He then thanked the Sports Officer of the college, Mr. Bhavin Parmar and the entire Sports Department for hosting this week-long initiative. Before the official start of the event, Mr.Parmar thanked the honorary guest for gracing the occasion and urged the attendees to value and prioritize physical fitness more. Further Prof. Shah along with the Management Representatives felicitated Mr. Soumyendu Ghosh who voiced his opinions on how being healthy is overlooked in contemporary times. He opined that the term ‘’lifestyle disease” is a fabrication of the individual. He and his team put forth a presentation outlining every dietary approach that is required to be absorbed to promote fitness to combat the diseases that are developing. His team displayed a few charts containing the daily diets that we could be adhering to prevent our health from adversities.

Continuing to encourage the students to look at fitness as something of utmost importance, the college hosted Day 2 of the Fit India Week on November 10th, 2023. Two parallel activities were held in the college to try and get students interested in athletics in general. To improve the general well-being of the students, a 3 km, 5 km, and 10-kilometer marathon was held in the morning at The Hindusthan Club which saw a participation of more than 190 students & teachers. Parallel, in the college students were motivated to try volleyball on the campus Turf. As part of Fit India Week’s third day, the college held a fitness assessment exam on Monday, December 11, 2023, to assist students in identifying their areas of weakness in their physical ability, in the areas of assessment like push-ups, sit-ups, Flamingo balance, V Sit & Reach test. The main objective of the event was to increase students’ knowledge of physical fitness and emphasize its importance. On the fourth day of Fit India Week, the students were first introduced to yoga. Regular yoga practice calms the mind, improves body awareness, sharpens concentration, builds attention, and breaks old stress patterns. The college held a yoga session on campus with the Trainer, Dr. Tushar Sil, President of the West Bengal Council of Yoga and Naturopathy. Karate is the ideal workout to reach your full potential on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. To encourage students to participate in martial arts, the college arranged a karate class at the college Turf on the fifth day of Fit India Week. To teach students the principles of karate, the college welcomed Mr. Shyamantak Ganguly, a 3rd Dan black belt in full contact karate. The focus of the class was on the many self-defense techniques that learners acquired to maintain physical fitness while improving their strength. Karate is great for improving one’s general health and welfare in addition to teaching self-defense.

Kabaddi is a high-contact sport that demands a certain set of physical skills, including strength and quickness. On December 14, 2023, the sixth day of Fit India Week, the college held a session to expose the students to the Indigenous Traditional Sport of kabaddi. The college’s kabaddi team trainer, Mr. Swarup Ghosh, who has helped the team win numerous trophies, was asked to lead the training on the sixth day. The meeting took place at the campus Turf.  On the final day of Fit India Week, the College held a table tennis session in the college’s Sports arena. Mr. Afnan Aslam, the session’s instructor, instructed the students in table tennis. Mr. Rupesh Gandhi, the College Sports Officer, urged the students to develop the habit of incorporating fitness into their daily lives. Playing the sport of kabaddi improves mental dexterity as well as focus and attentiveness.

The seven-day extended session, which aimed to motivate students to participate in maintaining their physical fitness, was most definitely an enormous accomplishment. The students received daily instruction from the best trainers in the industry, and this exposure undoubtedly encouraged them to be a part of the Fitness regime that the college has initiated for the students. With more than 80 students completing all 7 days of the Fit India Week, the college celebrated the student participation by awarding them a certificate of appreciation.

Reporter – Abjni D. Hindocha
Photographers – Paras Gupta, Nichay Alokit Lakra, Agrag Ghosh
Videographers – Aryan Nasim, Ayush Shukla, Dishanu Saha