Academics Activities

NATIONAL LEVEL ACADEMIC OLYMPIAD WINNERS 2022

Click me    to see the winners of National Level Academic Olympiad

ACADEMIC OLYMPIAD 2.0 ‘A NATIONAL LEVEL ACCOUNTING & COMMERCE TALENT SEARCH’

Date: 13^th March,2022 and 10^th April,2022

Our institute organised an Academic Olympiad 2.0 – A National  level Inter School Accounts and Management Quiz contest for 11^th  and 12^th standard  commerce students from across the country.This is a National level competition which received an overwhelming response from various states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nādu, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi. Around 2000 students from across the country enthusiastically registered for the Mega Event.A mock round was organized on 10^th March, 2022  and Olympiad was organized in two phases the First Phase was on 13^th March on Sunday 2022  & Second Phase was on 10^th  April 2022 followed by Final merit round of selected students in a form of Personal VIVA.Exciting cash Prizes, Trophies and Certificates were awarded to Winners and all the participants.The Institute believes that this kind of competitions will keep the thirst for knowledge and competitive spirits high amongst the students.

FAREWELL FUNCTION & CONVOCATION FOR GRADUATING BATCH 2021

Date: 16^th March,2022.

Our institute organised a dual celebration, in which, the students graduated in 2021 were given a warm farewell in a fun filled function. The Best Student (Male & Female) as well as the gold and silver medalist students in B.Com. Hons. & M.Com. were felicitated on the occasion. The felicitation was followed by an inspiring speech by Dean Dr. M.E. Jokhi. The award-winning Dances and Skit were showcased before the students after that. The fun filled evening ended with a few games and Refreshments. The degree certificates and convocation scarves were also distributed to the students.

SESSION ON ‘BEING A BANKER, BEING FUTURE READY’  

Date: 26^th February, 2022

Our institute under Academics and Beyond lecture series organized a lecture on ‘Being a Banker, Being Future Ready’ by Ms. Monaz Daruwala Deputy General Manager, IDBI Bank Ltd  a very well experienced banker. She explained in detail about how the word Bank has evolved from the Italian word Banco meaning a Bench. Banking profession, apart from basic degree the student also must possess excellent communication skills, analytical skills, Resilience and interpersonal skills. She added that banking is a lucrative profession in a way that the pay scales are really good, there is the possibility to work abroad as well in various parts of the country. She emphasized upon Trust and Honesty being the most important traits for a good banker. Further, she discussed how today’s consumer is smarter, savvier, and more informed than ever before and expects a high degree of personalization and convenience and customer experience even though hard to quantify, customer retention is of utmost importance for any banker. The session was coordinated by Dr. Aashal Bhatt.

CHANGES ARE FAST AND FURIOUS…EVOLVING MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Date: 22^nd February,2022.

Our institute under ‘Academics and Beyond’ series organized an interesting question answer session by  Monaz Vakil, an Asst. Manager at IIM-A. She delivered an expert talk on the Evolution of Management Education. Talking about the evolution in management education, right from critical thinking, developing communication skills, learning the working pattern in groups, innovative pedagogies ultimately lead to leadership qualities amongst students. She talked about a very innovative pedagogy of a classroom wherein a huge investment is made post pandemic in the leading universities of the world where in a hybrid mode of teaching – learning where a moving camera follows the teacher and a huge screen where all the students are visible with their names which gives a very unique experience for a teacher as well as a student in this world of digitalization. At the end by giving a special suggestion to the students, she urged them to be one’s own self and no matter how much this technology advances, human efforts are irreplaceable. The session was coordinated by Dr. Aashal Bhatt.

CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS OF TODAY IS A RESULT OF AN ACT OF LAW FRAMED 150 YEARS AGO

Date: 23^rd February,2022.

Our institute organized a session on “The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881” by Mr. Nisarg Trivedi a very well known lawyer and SMPIC Alumni. He started by saying that there are very few laws which have been amended and changed since India was ruled by the superior authority and Negotiable Instruments act is one of them. According to him, the customary law also has to be preserved while framing any legal enactment and this Act is one of the centuries old laws. Way back in 1881 Negotiable Instruments Act was enacted after four successful amendments. This Act forecasted the today’s cashless transactions way back in 1800 some 140 years ago. He added that it is based on the First law of the land, the most famous  – Magna Carta which was in Latin language. All laws are based on the fact that the most important principle of Nemo Dat Quad Non Habet –  a person cannot transfer a better title than what he has – all laws are based on that. Core concept of this Act is based on the fact of negotiability and flexibility and hence this Act was introduced. He further explained definitions of Promissory Note, Bill of Exchange and Cheques. Further, he discussed the legal aspects of Clearing house and digital signature. Also, the RBI Guidelines as to Dishonour of cheque, whereby bank refuses to honour and bank can stop- insufficiency of funds-reasons. Once the complaint is filed, he has to appear in the witness box and the accused is summoned by the court where the non-bailable warrant is issued. While ending the session, he discussed the cases of Dalmia cements which held that Negotiable Instruments are easily transferable and law approves of it. This session was coordinated by Dr. Bimal Solanki.

માતૃભાષાગૌરવદિવસ

Date: 21^st February, 2022

Our institute celebrated “માતૃભાષા ગૌરવ દિવસ”. Dr. Bhalchandra Joshi, Provost of GLS University was the Chief Guest and RJ Harshil from Radio City was the Speaker of the session organized for this celebration. Dr. B. H. Joshi explained that from birth to the age of 7 years a child can understand mother tongue reasonably. Our mother tongue helps us to understand and express our feelings. Further he said that even in foreign countries many Guajarati prefer to make their children understand routine use of mother tongue. Guajarati Language has many cultural expressions too. In case of any festive occasion if we talk in Guajarati in social gatherings that programme will be more effective. Gujarati novels, poems and traditions are always versatile. Speaker of the session RJ Harshil shared his experience of appearing for an interview for RJ wherein the command over mother tongue is quite essential. It is easy to switch from Guajarati to English but difficult to switch from English to Gujarati. He answered various questions asked by students like  how to improve vocabulary, role of language in various career options etc. The event was co ordinated by Dr. Krupa Bhatt and Dr. Jaimin Patel.

AN EXPERT SESSION ON “INPUT TAX CREDIT UNDER GST”

Date: 19^th February,2022.

Our institute organized an interactive session on virtual platform to make the students Industry ready on the topic “Input Tax Credit under GST” under the auspice of Academics and Beyond – A Lecture Series. The session was conducted by an eminent speaker CA Sonal Jain, an alumnus of the Institute and a practicing Chartered Accountant. According to her, Commerce students must have a better understanding and knowledge about the current pattern of GST. She highlighted four main concepts of Input Tax Credit which includes:

• Basics of Input Tax Credit – Starting with the fundamental definition and what all is covered in the Input Tax Credit
• Conditions of Availing Input Tax Credit – if one is availing ITC, the provisions applicable to Input Tax Credit should be taken into consideration
• Understanding Block Credits – It includes the list of those who are not eligible to claim Input Tax Credit and how it is helpful in making certain business decisions. By giving rational examples, the speaker made it easy for the younger generation of students to understand its practical implication.
• Proposed change in the concept of Input Tax Credit in the recent budget 2022 whereby she discussed the variations the recent budget had on GST and changes that are impacting ITC.

CA Sonal explained how important it is to choose a GST compliant supplier to get GST Credit. She emphasized ‘Choose your vendor carefully’. She further explained IGST, SGST and CGST in a very lucid and comprehensive manner. In addition, she showed the comparison of SEC 16 (Before and after amendment) with the help of hypothecated examples to make the entire concept easy for students to grasp. The session was successfully coordinated by Dr. Bhavna Parwani, Dr. Bhavin Bhatt and CA Dr. Sneha Master.

PREPARING FOR THE CORPORATE WORLD

Date: 18^th February, 2022.

Our institute organised a webinar on YouTube Platform on a topic preparing for the Corporate world by CA Harit Dhriwal , Chairman , Ahmedabad Branch , ICAI.  CA Harit Dhariwal started his session with a short story about a boy who took a gun shot first and then drew circle to make it a bull’s eye shot. He said in real life we don’t have this liberty , we are given circles and limits where we need to give our best shot. He shared Four “C” to succeed in the corporate world- Communication, Commitment, Compassion & Confidence. As per his opinion students have to gain certain basic skills before entering into this job segment. They need to learn Different software, MS office during their graduation and post-graduation level so future journey can be smooth for them. He conveyed that people believe Corporate Sector means challenges , deadlines , pressure and politics , but it is not always true. With clear vision and choice of your work profile you want to opt we can grow faster in corporate sector. As per his guidance we need to be street smart , only domain knowledge and reading won’t help . Today’s student is expected to know a lot more about other aspects of management and other areas of business. He gave a very good example of a Chartered Accountant who reinvented himself in order to become the head of production at one of the world’s largest mineral processing firms. Mr. Dhariwal also shared his valuable insights with the students on the need of constantly upgrading one’s skills to ensure that one always has the competitive edge. With this, he also talked about the importance of teamwork, building connections and forming bonds with people around you. He termed this to be vital to growth because after all, all corporates are run by humans and all performance indexes are just a way to see how you worked on your own as well as with others. He rightly mentioned that Nothing is Impossible, it’s only the conviction you need to develop that You can do it. He said Opportunities don’t happen, you have to Create them. Answering questions of Students about importance of Artificial intelligence, Block chain & Cloud Computing in Corporate world he said its New ABCD which students are expected to learn to achieve the success. The session was coordinated by CA Dr. Sneha Master.

AN EXPERT SESSION ‘CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN ECONOMICS’

Date: 15^th February, 2022.

Our institute organized an expert session by Dr. Dhruv Brahmbhatt, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management, GLS University on ‘Contemporary Issues in Economics’. In his session, he mentioned various issues related to current Economic situations and discussed the relationship between Internet and International Trade. He explained the role of digital currency, trend of Crypto Currency, use of Econometrics to understand important economic terms and to apply them in the calculation of financial trends, econometric modelling, importance of innovation and sustainable development with the start-up scenario, green technology, new business models, social entrepreneurship, economic reforms etc. He had also given key highlights of Indian Budget 2022 and broadened the discussion till the current economic status of the Indian Economy. This session proved to be fruitful for the students as they gained knowledge regarding the important contemporary issues in Economics as well as in the context of Indian Economy. The session was co-ordinated by Dr. Anjali Trivedi and Dr. Beena Patel.

SESSION ON DEMYSTIFYING PUBLIC SPEAKING

Date: 14^th February,2022

Our institute organized a session on ‘Demystifying Public Speaking’ by an eminent speaker Dr. Nitin Pillai, Language and Communication Expert.  Communication is the back bone where public speaking is the most decoded form of communication. We need to eliminate the public speaking anxiety. John Powell has rightly said that “Communication works for those who work for it”.  Great speakers are not born they are trained. Public speaking is not rocket science. What is it at the core? – one doesn’t get it from books. It happens naturally. By giving practical examples of a barber, Uber driver and vegetable vendor, the speaker in a very humorous way involved the students in a bit typical topic of public speaking. The speaker rightly pointed out that Public Speaking happens at unknown places. It happens in open doors. Public speaking is a Fire Speech. We generally believe Politicians, CEOs, Actors, Orators are great public speakers whereas according to the speaker, Security guards, Uber drivers, Barbers are also good public speakers. Story telling is the core of Public Speaking.  The key ingredients of public speaking are Courage, Confidence, Progress, and the Audience. He talked about the secrets related to building stage courage and right attitude to deliver a speech in an effective manner. At the end Dr. Nitin Pillai answered a few questions from students and cleared their doubts related to the topic. This session was coordinated by Dr. Keyur Vohra.

TIMING – A MOST CRUCIAL FACTOR OF A STARTUP

 Date: 12^th February, 2022. 

Our institute organized a session on the ‘Start up’ by Mr. Bhaumik Shah, an alumnus of the institute to talk about his very successful corporate journey across various segments to the current students under the auspice of Academics and beyond the lecture series. Mr. Bhaumik informed the students about the startups initiated by Government of India and how one should have a strong passion or drive for beginning a startup business. He talked on Why Start-ups are required?  He said that the basic outlook for start ups has changed now. The analysis shows a different statistic whereby in 2021 Corporate Giants like Reliance, TATA, HUL, HDFC, ITC have started investing in the start-ups and celebrities like Virat Kohli, Katrina Kaif and M.S. Dhoni have reaped huge benefits by investing in startups like Dream 11 and Nyka. India after 2005 has become the world’s biggest software hub. Some Unicorns in India have brought a sea change where companies like Byjus who brought revolutionary changes in Education sector, OYO – buying B Class and C Class Hotel, Zomato – grown big because of the eating habits of the people. He further, bifurcated the Richest sector which are technology driven – Health care sector 15%, Finance – 17% and Ecommerce 14%. He in a very lucid and interesting manner gave the mantra for the factors affecting success of a startup: Idea, Team, Business Model, Funding and Timing where Timing plays the most significant role in the success of a startup and many startups in fact fail if they are ahead of time. It’s important to realize whether you are a problem creator or problem solver Lastly, he encouraged students by quoting that ‘If you are young you have to take more risk and you should not be a calculated one, just go all out and follow your gut instinct.’  This session was successfully coordinated by Dr. Bimal Solanki.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 

Date: 11^th February,2022.

Our institute organized a session on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ by CS Karan Gupta, a renowned academician. According to CS Karan Gupta, in today’s industrial revolutionary world Corporate Social Responsibility holds a very special place in society and it becomes our responsibility to fulfill our duties towards environment. In the present scenario three bottom lines are of utmost importance and the 3P’s comprise of Profit, People and Planet. The companies do not take into consideration the only motive of profit but also, they have to take care of the employees and the environment as well. He said that Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a TEAM of people. He further added that the advancement of business is not reliant on one person but it is a teamwork of the entire team. Big Companies TATA, Infosys, ITC, L&T etc. have contributed a great deal to educational services infrastructure and environment by its CSR activities. A good business is a business which amalgamates Passion, Profit and Purpose. He added that without the sense of caring there cannot be sense of community. He emphasized on lots of different aspects of CSR and made the students aware about the nuances of CSR in the era of cut-throat competition, globalization and digitalization. This session was coordinated by Dr. Bhavin Bhatt.

SESSION ON ‘HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUP DISCUSSION’

Date: 11^th February, 2022.

Under the auspice of ‘Kshitij’ – a career carving cell of our institute as a part of Career Enrichment Workshop, Mr. Hitesh Devalia conducted a session on “How to participate in Group Discussion”. He started with the importance of communication skills, body language, facial expressions and hand movements while taking part in group discussion rounds. He stressed upon reading in depth, practicing formal discussion in small groups, usage of formal language, learning of general knowledge as well as conducting research at a global level. At the end of the session, he gave tips where students have to be alert as to not to shout, not to be indifferent, not to mention about culture at any point of time and not to try to prove anyone wrong. Using interesting examples from Bollywood movies, he suggested the various roles a student can play in group discussion. The session was coordinated by Dr. Aashal Bhatt and Dr. Kruti Shah.

DIGITAL MARKETING

Date: 10^th February, 2022

Our institute organized an online session on “Digital Marketing” by Mr. Vatsal Shah, CEO Coach, ecommerce evangelist and Speaker, Pragmatic Consultancy. He explained trends before, during and after the pandemic in the digital world. Further, he explained the need for online business to be accessible to remote customers. Now a days digital marketing has open access to businesses which are developing and technology oriented.  He guided students about ecommerce, marketing and search engine optimization. He said that  now a days many new concepts came in India like podcast, D2C, digital  catalogue, mobile commerce etc. Further he said that content marketing is one of the very growth-oriented careers for students pursuing digital marketing. Vendor management is also one type of growing jobs and web designing opportunities are   rapidly increasing in India. The session was coordinated by Dr. Krupa   Bhatt and Dr. Jaimin Patel.

FUTURE OF FINANCE INDUSTRY

Date: 10^th February, 2022

Our institute organized an online session on “Future of Finance Industry” on 10^th February, 2022 for students by Mr. Nishant Bali, Renowned CMT (Chartered Market Technician) from NSE. He explained trend in bullish and bearish market and said not to panic during stock market crash. Further he explained need for savings, value of money over time and reasons why financial market will be next big wave. He said that whenever you see any panic time in stock market as an intelligent investor you should invest. They also guided about Gold ETF and EV ETF. The session was very interactive and informative. It was coordinated by Dr. Krupa Bhatt and Dr. Jaimin Patel.

CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

Date:  9^th February,2022.

Our institute organized an online session on ‘Consumer Protection Act’ by  Dr. Deva Prasad M, faculty member at IIM – Kozhikode on 9^th  February, 2022. Mr. Deva Prasad talked about various aspects of Consumer Protection Act like Unfair Trade Practices, Misleading advertisements, surrogated and disparaging advertisements in this session. He also mentioned about the fall-back liability of celebrities while endorsing commercials. By giving interesting examples, he discussed the legal provisions in a lucid way. This session was coordinated by Dr. Aashal Bhatt.

A SESSION ON DECODING BUDGET

Date: 5^th February, 2022

Our institute organised a session on ‘Decoding Budget’ for the students. Institute believes in making students future ready. Students should not only rely on discussion going on different opinions of Expectations and offerings of budget. To give them clear insight about Budget 2022 an eminent speaker CA Palak Pavagadhi was invited. He stated that legalization of digital currency will have good impact on future economy. He explained how the income of crypto will be taxed. He guided taxability of amount received for covid related illnesses. The disallowance of offensive expenses as deduction was explained very lucidly by him to students. Provisions related to borrowed money and stamp duty were conveyed the with example to give clear understanding of amendments given by Budget 2022 to students. Many students asked questions related to digital assets and 5G auction and coming up IPO of LIC which he answered lucidly. The event was coordinated by CA Dr. Sneha Master.

TWO DAYS VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON RECENT ADVANCES IN ACCOUNTING, MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Date:  29th and 30th January, 2022

GLS University, Faculty of Commerce- SMPIC and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Ahmedabad Branch of WIRC organized a Virtual Two Days International Colloquium on Recent Advances in Accounting, Management, Communication and Technology on 29^th and 30^th January, 2022.The aim behind choosing the theme of this conference is to involve the academicians, professionals, research scholars and students into deliberating various aspects of Accounting, Management, Communication and Technology areas and create a conducive research atmosphere which would further serve the academic arena as well as the society at large. The prime objective of the International Colloquium was to provide a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the related fields.The inaugural function was graced by Dr. Sudhir Nanavati , President GLS University, Dr. Chandni Kapadia, Executive Director GLS University, CA Aniket Talati, CCM ICAI, CA Harit Dhariwal , Chairman Ahmedabad Branch, ICAI & CA Dr. Anjali Choksi, Secretary Ahmedabad Branch ICAI.The keynote speech was delivered by CA Khushroo Panthaky. According to him, we should embrace the sea-change brought by technology in the accounting and auditing world. In today’s world, technology is the backbone of auditing and data-analytical tools have given higher assurances to the stakeholders, have given modelling and visualizations, brought out the blind spots left by human efforts. In his address, CA Jatin Kalra discussed one of the most recent concerns, How investors are reacting to social responsibility?The International Colloquium concluded on 30^th January, 2022, with the valedictory function. Dr. Dharmesh Shah, Registrar, GLS University was the Chief Guest of the valedictory function. He congratulated the organizing team for the meticulous planning and execution. He applauded the delegates for the scholarly presentations and announced the Best Research Paper Awards in different categories and themes.There were 14 technical sessions spread across   29^th and 30^th January, wherein more than 300 delegates across the Globe from countries like  India, USA, Canada, Singapore, Dubai, Sri Lanka deliberated on the theme of the conference through their 176 research paper presentations.

ONLINE INTER SCHOOL & INTER-COLLEGIATE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA COMPETITIONS 2022 Date: 12^th January, 2022To promote the values and teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda Study Circle of SMPIC college organizes different events like Quiz, Elocution, Expert Lectures etc. throughout the year. To celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and to pay tribute to this great sage and thinker, an Online Inter- school & Inter-collegiate Swami Vivekananda Elocution Competition was organized on 12^th  January, 2022 for the students of different schools and colleges. The college has been organizing inter collegiate elocution competition and inter-school competitions like poster-making, quiz, essay-writing, patriotic singing and elocution competitions since many years. More than 200 participants from schools and colleges enthusiastically took part in various competitions and spoke on the topic ‘SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AND HIS MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH’ in the elocution competition. The participants beautifully presented their views on the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda in their speech. One of the participant talked about Swami Vivekananda’s Faith in youth and the power and spark of youth which can bring the required change in the world. They also said that Swamiji firmly believed that ‘You will be what you think’, ‘Every soul is potentially divine and the goal of life is to manifest the divinity’, ‘the greatest religion is to be true to your own nature’ ‘Chintan karo Chinta mat karo’ and thus stressed on the importance of inner dialogue, discipline and dignity of labour.The winners were awarded rotating trophy, certificate and cash prizes. The competitions were coordinated by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria and Dr. Gitanjali Rampal.

Winners of Inter-Collegiate Elocution

CompetitionWinners of Inter-School Elocution

CompetitionWinners of Inter-School Poster-Making

CompetitionWinners of Inter-School Patriotic/Devotional Singing Competition

Winners of Inter-School Essay Writing Competition

Winners of Inter-School Quiz Competition

REPORT ON ENDOGENOUS: AN ARTHSHASTRA (ECONOMICS CLUB) EVENT

Date: 18^th December,2021.

Our institute has celebrated Endogenous under the auspices of Arthshastra: The Economics Club. This event is celebrated to provide an opportunity to our students for grooming their knowledge and skills regarding the economics subject.Under ‘Endogenous’, there were two events organized: ECO-ECHO and PORTFOLIO HUNT. Under Eco-Echo Event, any Bollywood or Hollywood song is provided with a few related Economic Terms to our participant teams. They have to correlate that given song and its lyrics with any current practical economic situation. Under Second Event i.e. Portfolio Hunt, one economic crisis and few economic problem questions were given to our participant teams. Each Participant team have been also allotted with one portfolio of any business tycoon or political leader, or Governing body person etc. Every participant team has to make a power point presentation by keeping allotted portfolio in a centre and answer the given economic problems. The winners of the both the events are Shivansh & Mansi (1^st in Protfolio Hunt); Muskan & Vrunda(2^nd in Portfolio Hunt); Siddhi & Priyanshi (3^rd in Portfolio Hunt and 2^nd in Eco-Echo); Yashvi & Siya (1^st in Eco-Echo); Summit, Yashvi & Priyam (3^rd in Eco-Echo). The ‘Endogenous’ Event was planned and organized by our volunteer students under the guidance of Dr. Anjali Trivedi and Dr. Beena Patel.

INTRODUCTION TO SECURITIES MARKET

Date: 23^rd November,2021

Under the auspice of Management Club, an online session was organized by our institute on “Introduction to Securities Market” for students by  Ms. Sapana Kalal, Assistant Manager in Metropolitan Exchange Limited. She explained the basic essentials to understand Indian stock market. She explained the importance of Investor Grievance Redressal Process in detail and how to file complaint as an investor. Further the session was carried on by Mr. Himanshu Khatri Deputy Manager Central Depository Services Ltd. who explained the trend in bullish and bearish market and said not to panic during stock market crash. It was followed by the question answer session in which different questions were answered by Ms. Sonia Shah Assistant General Manager, SEBI,  Ms. Sapana Kalal and Mr. Himanshu Khatri like what is the right time for beginners to invest, reviewing the IPOs like Paytm and Nykaa and how to save ourselves from fraud operations. They also guided about gold market and stock market connection. The session was coordinated by Dr. Krupa  Bhatt and Dr. Jaimin Patel.

WEBINAR ON CHOICE OR CONFUSION – SPEND OR SAVE & INVEST

Date: 25th September,2021

Our institute in association with ICAI , Ahmedabad Branch  organized a webinar on “ Saving is the key to Wealth creation “ for the students of B.com.[Hons]. The objective behind organizing this webinar was to guide the students to learn how to keep balance between Savings and Spending.  An eminent speaker CA Samir Chaudhry shared his expert knowledge on various nuances of the topic. He discussed about active sources of income like salary, income from activities of business and profession. He talked about passive sources of income like rental income, dividend etc. The event was coordinated by CA Dr. Sneha Master , Dr. Krupa Bhatt & Dr. Jaimin Patel.

AN EXPERT SESSION ON “FROM CIVILIAN TO CIVIL SERVICES- STEP INTO THE WORLD OF BUREAUCRACY”

Date: 20^th September,2021

Our institute under the auspice of lecture series Academics and Beyond organized  an expert session on “From Civilian to Civil Services- Step into the World of Bureaucracy” for its UG and PG students. A renowned academician Dr. Parth Bhatt was invited to speak on civil services exam. His talk was focused on GPSC, UPSC, IAS, IPS, IFS exams.  Dr.  Parth opined that the students have become increasingly aware and more focused on these competitive exams to build a lucrative career. He stated that the passing ratio has drastically come down to 0.18 % in the year 2010 and 0.08% in the year 2018. Earlier the trend was that the students appearing in these exams belonged to a particular region and a particular part of India but nowadays the students from across India are preparing for these exams along with pursuing their under graduate studies. He said, “Badi Soch, Badi mehnat aur pakka Irada” means “Think Big, Work Hard and keep a Strong Determination.” These are the three key ingredients to crack this hard nut. The entire event was successfully conducted by Dr. Bhavin Bhatt.

SESSION ON ‘PRACTICAL TIPS TO APPLY FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREER’

Date:15^th September,2021.

Our institute under the auspice of Bridge Course organized an expert session on ‘Practical Tips to Apply for Successful Career’ by Mr. Jitendra Lakhwani, co-founder, Mantras2Success Consultants. In his session Mr. Jitendra talked about some of the common mistakes that students commit in their careers.  Due to such mistakes the students cannot realize the true potential of their talent as well as fall short of achieving a satisfying and successful career. He said that due to lack of proper guidance and exposure, students commit mistakes that cost them heavily in their careers.  Our education system, Universities and colleges can impart knowledge but the onus is on students and society as a whole to change the thinking when it comes to a career. Just as one plans towards other areas of life like finances, marriage, relationships, one has to plan towards his/ her career. Some of the career tips he shared with the students are as follows:Don’t follow the herd mentality.Choose the career on the basis of your strengths and weaknesses not because someone else has asked you to pursue something.Chase skills not degrees.Create a crisp resume.Develop Social Media Etiquettes.Forget Society & EGO.Keep yourself updated about the trends in the industry and the current affairs.Be Coachable.Setbacks come to make you strong. Failures will happen.Don’t follow “scope” mentality follow Excellence mentality. Scope is everywhere but you must develop excellent skill set.Mr. Jitendra concluded the session by expressing his hope that career guidance tips provided by him to the students will prove to be beneficial to make a successful career. The session was coordinated by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria.

CELEBRATION OF UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD DAY 2021

Date: 11^th September, 2021

Swami Vivekananda Study Circle of our institute organized different events like An Expert Talk, Quiz and Speech Competitions conducted online to celebrate Universal Brotherhood Day on 11^th September, 2021. Universal Brotherhood Day is observed to commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s famous speech delivered on September 11, 1893 in Chicago to the delegates of the World Parliament of Religions. It was on this day that Swamiji introduced to the world the greatness of Hindu religion and Hindu culture and he spoke about Universal Brotherhood. Swami Vivekananda belonged to the 19th century, yet his message and his life are more relevant with the contemporary world than in the past and perhaps, will be more relevant in future. An expert talk was delivered by CA Pradip Modi on Life Lessons of Swami Vivekananda.  In his speech he motivated the students to accept life as a challenge and not as a problem. He advised to do everything in life that gives them eternal happiness. He asked the students to set the goal in life and work hard using all their time, energy and efforts to realize that goal. He shared the anecdotes from the life of Swami Vivekananda and explained that we should respect different languages of the world  but we must cherish, value and retain our national language, culture and traditions. He also advised the students to read on regular basis. He emphasized focusing on one thing at a time rather than multi-tasking, and to learn to concentrate on important things, to utilize every moment of life for the betterment of not only their own self but also for society and nation. This was followed by an online Quiz Competition on the ‘Life and Teachings of Swami Vivekananda’ and a Speech Competition on the topic ‘My Nation, My Culture’ in which students participated enthusiastically. The event was coordinated by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria.

WINNERS OF QUIZ COMPETITION

1^st Mahima Durgeshkumar Sharma

1^st Juhi  Shitalbhai Shah

2^nd Pratham Harish Kumar Maheshwari

3^rd Kajal  Bhajanbhai Kokwani

3^rd Aman Vikram  Khanna

WINNERS OF SPEECH COMPETITION

1^st Gayatri Sharma

2^nd Padmanabh Chavda

2^nd Jigna Juvad

3^rd Anakha Pillai

3^rd Bhoomi Thakkar

EXPERT SESSION ‘DEVELOPING READING SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION’

Date: 7^th September,2021

Out institute organized an expert session on the topic ‘Developing Reading Skills for Effective Communication’ under The Word Wizards – English and Reading Club by Dr. Shubha Nigam. Dr. Shubha Nigam is an academician by vocation and an Author, a Youtuber, a theatre artist and a stand-up comedian by passion. She has her own you tube channel known as ‘The Story Café: Shades of Life’. She began her session on an interesting note wherein she told students that if you sit on a kitli probably you will be able to meet 100 people and know them, but when you read a book, you meet 1000s of people and know about them. She very rightly said that to be successful means being a good observer and managing people and situations in appropriate manner. Reading helps you to achieve both in a wonderful manner. She exemplified this with the example of the character of Jeffry Archer’s novel. She ended her session with a wonderful message to the students that, if you want to sharpen some of the most important Business skills, such as the ability to analyse complex human relationships and gain insight into the motivation of others, then the best way to do it is to read books. After the session, Readathon competition 2021 was launched. The three winners of Readathon Competition 2020, Pratham Maheshwari, Maryam Pariyani and Nidhi Gandhi shared their experience of participating in the competition. The session was co-ordinated by Dr. Gitanjali Rampal.

ACCA – Career Guidance Seminar

Date : 24^th August,2021

Our institute organized a webinar on the benefits of pursuing the B.Com. (Hons.) +ACCA, UK dual degree program that is offered by the Faculty of Commerce ( SMPIC) B.Com. ( HONS).The Speakers for the day, Ms. Teena Rawal & Mr. Vikas Khosala shared with the students their vast experience of ACCA and its potential to improve the professional standing of the students. They discussed opportunities ACCA Course offers as well as gaining first-hand knowledge from industry experts. The event was coordinated by CA Dr. Sneha Master.

READATHON FINALE 2021

Date: 21th August, 2021

Under the auspices of The Word Wizards – English & Reading Club, our institute every year organizes READATHON – Read, Lead, Succeed Competition. The Readathon Competition inspires students to read most number of books and utilize other library resources and services in the most effective manner, with certain rules and regulations. It is a year long competition which is followed by a Viva. The online viva was taken by Dr. Nirja Vasavda, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business Administration (NRBBA), GLS University. She not only conducted the viva but also motivated the students to read variety of genres and even suggested few books as per their choice and taste. The winner of the competition is awarded Best Reader of the Year Award.In academic year 2020-21, 85 students competed for the award. The winners wereBest Reader Of the Year (FY) –  Pratham MaheshwariBest Reader Of the Year (SY)  –  Maryam PariyaniBest Reader Of the Year (TY)  – Nidhi GandhiThe competition was co-ordinated by Dr. Gitanjali Rampal.

“ZARA YAAD KARO KURBANI”- SMPIC CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE

Date:15^th August, 2021

Our institute celebrated the ‘Amrut Mahotsav’- 75 years of Indian independence with a variety of events under the auspice of the ‘Forum for Gandhian Philosophy’ which aims at instilling the values like patriotism and Gandhian principles in the young students through different interesting events. The celebration under the title, “ Zara Yaad Karo Kurbani”, started with an interesting virtual talk by Dr. Rajendra Khimani, Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapith, on the topic, “Significance of Gandhian Principles in Modern Era” which was followed by various online competitions like Patriotic Singing, Poetry Recitation and Rangoli Making. Dr. B.H. Joshi, Provost, GLS University, was also present at the event to share his views on the topic. He explained the value of independence to the youngsters and said that the concept of mere individual freedom make us intolerant and bring chaos in the society. Dr. Rajendra Khimani, the main speaker for the day presented his thoughts on the given topic in a very systematic and lucid manner so that the young students find it easy to connect themselves with him and understand his thoughts easily. Dr. Khimani, while explaining various values held dear by Gandhiji, explained their modern day context to establish its significance. He threw light on the true meaning and philosophy behind the concepts of Truth, Non-violence, Swadeshi movement, Brahmacharya etc. in an interesting manner. He explained that truth and intolerance are interconnected as everyone can have his own truth according his or her point of view. It is necessary for us to accept this reality to save the society from intolerance and its catastrophic effects. Dr. Khimani also discussed the relevance of the famous 11 vows of Gandhiji and tried to clear certain doubts and misconceptions that revolve around them. At the end, Dr. Khimani asserted that the principles given by Mahatma Gandhi are timeless and shall remain relevant and significant forever with slight change in their context. The event was coordinated by Dr. Keyur Vohra.

CELEBRATION OF WORLD POPULATION DAY

Date: 11^th to 17^th July, 2021

Our institute celebrated World Population Day under the auspices of Arthshastra: The Economics Club to spread awareness regarding population issues, family planning and impact of population on environment. World Population Day, 11^th July is celebrated basically to reiterate the human right formulated for family planning. To celebrate this day, three events were organized.  On 11^th July, 2021, an expert lecture by renowned speaker Dr. Siddharth Thaker, an Environmental Economist was organised. It was followed by Online Population Quiz Contest on 13^th July, 2021 focussing on population based current affair topics with reference to Indian Economy. Population Extempore was organized on 17^th July, 2021 in which finalists of round 1 delivered a short live speech on the spot given topic. All the events on this occasion were co-ordinated by Dr. Anjali Trivedi and Dr. Beena Patel.

CA DAY & 4TH GST DAY CELEBRATION

Date:  1^st July, 2021.

Our institute organised the celebration of CA day and 4^th GST day to acquaint our students with the technological changes taking place in the field of Accounting through the medium of expert Chartered Accountants on the subject of “Evolution of Technology for Accounting Profession” through YouTube Live on 1^st July, 2021. It also aimed at keeping the students connected with globally developed technologies like Cloud Accounting and Block chain and keeping abreast of the changes taking place in the field of Accounting in the current Covid Pandemic situation. The Keynote address at this event was delivered by CA Shri Aniket Talati, Central Council Member, ICAI. CA Fenil Shah and CA Rinkesh Shah gave the benefit of their extensive experience and knowledge to the students pertaining to the above subject. CA Harshit Dhariwal, Chairman, ICAI, Ahmedabad Branch and CA Rahul Maliwal, Chairman, WICASA Ahmedabad Branch and Mr. Jayaprakash Motwani, Vice Chairman shared interesting insights with the students regarding various activities related to it. An Essay Writing Competition  was also organized on this occasion in which large number of students from various schools and colleges participated. Merit Certificate will be awarded to the best performing student. CA DAY Celebration was coordinated by CA Dr. Sneha Master.

NATIONAL STATISTICS DAY

Date: 29^th June, 2021

STATSTORM – The Statistics Club of SMPIC organised a one-day celebration of National Statistics Day on 29^th June, 2021 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Padma Bhushan awardee, Father of Modern Statistics in India and the founder of the Indian Statistical Institute Dr. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (1893 to 1972) for his notable contribution in the fields of economic planning and statistical development in the post independent era propelling India’s development. This year the theme of the National Statistics Day was “End Hunger, Achieve Food Security, Improve Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture.” Three events were organised: An Expert Lecture on “SIGNIFICANCE OF STATISTICS IN THE ERA OF BIG DATA”  by Dr. Sameer Rohadia, Inter Collegiate and Inter School Quiz Competition on “Statistics” and Poster Making Competition with the theme “Qualitative and Quantitative Statistics” in which many school and college students from all over Gujarat had participated.Dr. Sameer Rohadia, IT Trainer and Data Analyst from Hannover, Germany started his session with the quote “Information is the oil of 21^st century and Analytics is the combustion engine.” He explained Big Data as extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions, Big Data types, Sources of Big Data like IoT, also in one internet minute trillions of data is generated through various social media platforms and e – commerce websites etc. Role of Statistics in Big Data Analytics,  Application areas of Big Data in Banking and Financial Services, Communication, Media and Entertainment, Healthcare etc., and Job Opportunities of Big Data Analytics as a Data Analyst, Data Engineer and Data Scientist. More than 250 students participated in the event. The event was coordinated by Dr. Devyani Chatterji.

WINNERS OF NATIONAL STATISTICS DAY COMPETITIONS

INTER COLLEGIATE QUIZ COMPETITION

INTER SCHOOL QUIZ COMPETITION

INTER COLLEGIATE POSTER MAKING COMPETITION

INTER SCHOOL POSTER MAKING COMPETITION

Dhruv Agrawal from Navkar Public School secured First Position in Inter School Poster Making Competition.

GUEST LECTURE SESSION ON ‘EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ) FOR STUDENT’S WELL- BEING’

Date: 22^nd June, 2021.

An online guest lecture session was organized for our students on the topic ‘Emotional Intelligence for students well-being’ by Ms. Mansi Dholakia, CEO- Founder of Global Mental Health Foundation and UN ECOSOC Speaker. The session included essential elements of emotions to ponder upon for developing a smart personality with a higher level of Emotional Quotient (EQ). The speaker started with an interaction on feelings and its impact on one’s behavioural traits. She also insisted upon expressing gratitude on a daily basis to overcome stress and to uplift one’s self. While explaining the connection between relationship management with EQ, she pointed out that “Your education in life arms you with skill for career but EQ enables a person to take decisions of professional and personal life”. She also signified the balance of EQ and IQ in one’s career by highlighting few examples of MNCs nowadays considering EQ equally important like IQ in higher post recruitments. The session was followed by question-answers session. Students raised questions on topics like Pandemic and Stress Management, mood swings, anger management, Level of EQ with IQ and emotional balance during tough situations.

CELEBRATION OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

DATE: 5^th  June,2021.

To celebrate the World Environment Day, our institute organised a guest session by Mr. Hiren Patel, a well-known environmentalist. He shared his personal experiences with students whereby he  walked down the Ganges for fifty-one thousand kilometers. His adventurous ride on motor bike by road from Ahmedabad to London is truly remarkable. He successfully climbed Mount Everest at 19800ht Everest camp and Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak of the Himalayas and Chadar Trek. His message for students was to establish the spirit of “vasudev kutumbkam” thereby preaching social unity.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES 2020-2021

ACADEMIC OLYMPIAD 2021

Date: 04^th April, 2021.

Highlights: Amidst Chaos and Uncertainties in the Covid Times Faculty Of Commerce(SMPIC) came up with the Novel Idea of Academic Olympiad 2021- A State level Inter School Accounts and Management Quiz contest for std 11 and 12  commerce students from across the state of Gujarat .

This is a State level competition but it received overwhelming response not only from Gujarat state but also far off states like Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi. Around 1300 students from across the state and country enthusiastically registered for the Mega Event.

A mock round was organized on Friday 2^nd of April and Final Round of the Olympiad was organized on Sunday 4^th of April 2021.Exciting cash Prizes, Trophies and Certificates will be awarded to Winners and all the participants. The Institute believes that these kind of competitions will keep the hunger for knowledge and competitive spirits high among the students.

TOPIC: TALK SHOW ON DYNAMICS OF CAPITAL MARKET AND INVESTOR AWARENESS

Date:  26^thMarch, 2021.

Speaker: Mr. Utpal Shah, CDSL.

Highlights: Mr. Utpal Shah started the session explaining the basic requirements for opening a Demat Account. He also explained the fundamentals of Security Markets. He explained the instruments like equity, warrant, ETF etc. He discussed Due Diligence of Investing.  He said that Mutual fund is the most common and moderate way of small investment.  He suggested and motivated students to take active part in Capital Market. He explained the importance of understanding the basics of stock market and right time investment opportunities.

TOPIC: A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Date: 27^th February, 2021.

Speaker: Dr. Megha Bhatt, Founder-SciKnowTech

Highlights: Dr. Megha Bhatt in a very interesting manner explained scientific approach to entrepreneurship. With the help of practical examples, she demonstrated how a beginner can initiate a start-up. She explained the difference between the terms, idea and innovation. According to her, the two most important things to develop an idea are observation and commitment towards work ethics. With lucid illustrations, she generated interest amongst commerce students for a technical subject like science on the ‘World Science Day’.

TOPIC: THE IMPACT OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ON INDIAN ECONOMY

Date: 19^th February, 2021.

Speaker: Dr. Shefali Dani, Director of Faculty of Business Administration, GLS BBA

Highlights: Dr. Shefali Dani has shared deep rooted knowledge on the positive and negative impacts of Business Economic Environment on Indian Economy. She has ingrained acquaintances with a crystal clear understanding for the various factors affecting to Business Environment of Indian Economy such as economic conditions, competitions, economic policies, suppliers, technical, political, demographic and socio-cultural etc. She threw light on these factors by citing practical examples of Patanjali, Johnson and Johnson, TATA etc.

TOPIC: AN OVERVIEW OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION

Date: 18^th February, 2021.

Speaker: Dr. Mayuri H. Pandya, Director, GLS Law College

Highlights: As a part of curriculum of B.Com. Hons. Program, a session on an overview of Indian Constitution was organized. Along with being a longest written constitution, Dr. Mayuri explained the importance of Indian judicial system which is one of the most organized and unified. She described Indian constitution as rigid as well as dynamic in nature. She discussed the fundamental rights and duties of an Indian citizen by sharing the provisions in a very rational manner. Normally it is difficult to explain the provisions of Indian Constitution, but by very practical and simple examples, she made sure that commerce students understand the nuances very well.

TOPIC: COMPARISON OF TAXATION STRUCTURE OF INDIA AND USA

Date: 15^th  February, 2021.

Speaker: CA Rinkesh Shah, Prominent Chartered Accountant

Highlights: CA Rinkesh Shah started his talk by making a comparison between the US tax structure and Indian tax structure. He explained the types of standardized forms required to be filed for salaried employees -Form 16 and corporate entity both in India as well as in US. He explained the progressive tax system applicable in US including tax rates for an individual as well as corporate entity. He discussed that in India, the tax slabs are different as per the age of individual but in US a single return will be filed for unmarried or divorced person. In US, a married person can file jointly with social security number (SSN) or separately as well. As per his varied experience of practically working in the US, he interestingly involved students in the discussion of calendar years to be taken into consideration for India as well as US where double tax avoidance agreement will be taken into consideration for global taxable income.

TOPIC: AN OVERVIEW OF INDIAN CONTRACT AND CONSUMER LAW

Date: 10^th February, 2021.

Speaker: Dr. Deva Prasad M, Faculty Member, IIM Kozhikode

Highlights: Dr. Deva Prasad emphasized on e-commerce contracts whereby where there is no written or oral agreement but still the contract is valid. For example, the contract  with websites like Amazon and Flipkart. Even simple cab booking with Ola and Uber come under the purview of e-commerce contract. He cited the example of Taj Group of Hotels incident where in 2019 a car was stolen from a valet parking at Taj Delhi and they were sued by the customer. It was held that where the Taj group has provided the services, they are responsible for the custody of the car. He further discussed about misleading advertisements where companies use Tag lines of zero sugar and low-calorie products to increase the sales. When further questioned by students as to how to prove deficiency in services, he gave the ongoing example of call drops in cellular services. Further he clarified in education sector, only coaching classes come under the purview of consumer law.

“MANTHAN: A Thought Provoking Mission”– An Online Elocution Competition 2021

Date : 9^th February, 2021

Highlights: Under the auspices of Word Wizards-The English and Reading Club, Faculty of Commerce (SMPIC), GLS University organized “Manthan: A Thought Provoking Mission”, an Online Elocution competition for B.Com.(Hons.) students with an aim to remove stage fear and improve oratory skills. It is an event which is “For The Students, Of The Students, By The Students”.

The Primary level online competition was conducted on 26th August 2020 wherein 178 students participated enthusiastically. 36 Winners of Primary Round participated in an Online Intermediate Round on 19^th January 2021. Finale of Manthan was held on 9th February 2021 in which 11 winners of Intermediate Round participated. Students expressed their views in English, Hindi and Gujarati language.  Dr.Nitin Pillai, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business Administration judged the Finale of an Online Elocution Competition.

We have been organizing this competition since 2015. This is for the first time it was organized virtually. Students and Parents appreciated the competition immensely. The Event was coordinated by Dr. Rupa A. Pariyani.

The topics were:

1. Will India become a Superpower in coming decades?
2. Women Empowerment & Gender Justice: Addressing the Equality Challenges
3. Individual’s Data Privacy: Protection is More Important than Before

Manthan Finale Round Winners 2020-2021

1. Vedant Parekh (Sem 4)
2. Bhakti Parwani (Sem 2)
3. Sneha T.S.(Sem 6)

The winners of Intermediate and Finale rounds were awarded with certificates. The winners of the Finale were also awarded with trophies.

WORKSHOP ON CREATING FAVOURABLE IMPRESSION

Date : 8^th February, 2021.

Highlights: With the motive to groom and train the students for corporate world, a series of workshops are conducted by the Institute throughout the year. Under the auspice of Placement Cell ‘Kshitij’ – a career carving cell of Faculty of Commerce (SMPIC), GLS University organized a workshop on “Creating Favourable Impression” on 8^th February, 2021 by CA Aditi Gupta, an alumni of the Institute.

CA Aditi Gupta emphasized on the making the resume strong for pursuing a successful professional career ahead. She stressed upon having long-term as well as short-term goals. Daily goals too are of vital importance be it simply reading a newspaper. She guided students for making an impressive resume to build favourable image by having clarity in content, beautiful classification of skills and use of appropriate words and grammar.

She suggested to avoid any false statements, graphical and vibrant presentation while making a resume. She told to portray one’s own image tactfully by incorporating academics, social, curricular and extra-curricular achievements. She added that there has to be crystal clear introduction in the interview where the introduction should be precise and the candidate should be confident in presenting their skills and qualities in brief. The session was concluded by question answer sessions whereby the students put up the query as to how to project the areas of interests and hobbies in the resume.

TOPIC: ‘HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUP DISCUSSION’

Date: 5th February, 2021.

Speaker: Mr. Hitesh Devaliya

Highlights: As a part of Career Enrichment Workshop, Mr. Hitesh Devaliya conducted a session on “How to participate in Group Discussion” on 5th February, 2021. He started with the importance of communication skills, body language, facial expressions and hand movements while taking part in group discussion rounds.

Especially while appearing for online group discussions, he also suggested how vital it is to position the angle of camera in an appropriate manner. He explained how to categorize the probable topics of group discussion into fact based, abstract, case study as well general.

While explaining the significance as to why Group Discussion is required, he emphasized the point of diversity in the group, team skills, decision taking ability, the ease of one’s own self presentation. With interesting examples from Bollywood movies, he suggested the various roles a student can play in group discussion.

Lastly, he stressed upon reading in depth, practicing formal discussion in small groups, usage of formal language, learning of general knowledge as well as conducting research at a global level. Also, he ended by giving tips where students have to be alert as to not to shout, not to be indifferent, not to mention about culture at any point of time and not to try to prove anyone wrong.

TOPIC: DECODING BUDGET 2021-2022

Date: 3rd February, 2021.

Speaker: CA Palak Pavagadhi, Prominent Chartered Accountant

Highlights: In the opinion of CA Palak Pavagadhi, ‘This is the most unique budget amidst the most difficult time the world has ever faced. Amidst all the insecurities, struggles and difficult times Government has not levied any new taxes and that’s the most Positive thing about this Budget.’ Government has laid a lot of emphasis on making seven new textile parks and in a way given boost to ‘Atmanirbharta’. He also added that a lot is given to the education sector in this budget and University is being set up in the Ladakh Region. He added that the government is not going to collect any direct money from the public and added that the foreign direct investment will indirectly boost the Indian Economy.

TOPIC: “BASICS OF STOCK MARKET”

Date:  1^st February, 2021.

Speaker: Mr. Sachin Pimple

Highlights: Mr. Sachin Pimple acquainted the students with current market IPO operations of financial year 2021-22.  He explained the details of various types of caps- Large cap, Mid cap and small cap. He explained the importance of KYC and Demat account. He stated that Mutual fund is the most common and moderate way for small investments.  He suggested and motivated students to take active part in Capital Market. He explained the importance of understanding the basics of stock market and right time investment opportunities.

PLACEMENT 2021

Date: 30^th January, 2021; 11^th February 2021; 02^nd March 2021

Highlights: Under the banner of ‘Kshitij’ – A career carving Cell of Faculty of Commerce (SMPIC), on 30^th January, 2021 a placement drive was arranged by ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

The session started with the Online Pre-Placement Talk by the representative of the company covering a detailed explanation about the Company, Job Role, Career Graph, Compensation and Benefits to be offered to the candidates. Total 19 students were selected for the required post by the Company.

Further, on 11^th February, 2021; online interviews were conducted by Aviate Immigration Services for the designation of Counsellor. Total 2 students were selected for the same post.

In addition, on 2^nd March, 2021; a pre-placement session was conducted by Tradebulls Company followed by preliminary round of personal interviews on 3^rd March in the areas of Banking and Finance as well as Marketing. Overall 15 students were selected for the second round of interviews.

ONLINE INTER SCHOOL & INTER COLLEGIATE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ELOCUTION COMPETITION 2021

Date: 12^th January, 2021.

Highlights: To promote the values and teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda Study Circle of our college organizes different events like Quiz, Elocution, Expert Lectures etc. throughout the year. Even during these difficult times of pandemic, GLS University and its management are committed to its mission of providing quality education to its students by organizing curricular and co-curricular activities. To celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and to pay tribute to this great sage and thinker, an Online Inter school & Inter collegiate Swami Vivekananda Elocution Competition was organized on 12^th January, 2021 for the students of different schools and colleges. The college has been organizing inter collegiate elocution competition since last nine years. This year, Inter school elocution competition was introduced and conducted which was a huge success.  Twenty three participants from schools and colleges each enthusiastically took part in this competition and spoke on the topics “Swami Vivekananda: A Great Visionary” and “Swami Vivekananda: A Role Model for Youth of India”. The Inter collegiate elocution competition was judged by Dr. Manroop Dhingra, a skillful academician and a poet at heart. The inter school competition was judged by Dr. Jayesh Mandanka, Professor, L & C Mehta Arts college. The winners were awarded rotating trophy, certificate and cash prizes. The competitions were coordinated by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria and Dr. Gitanjali Rampal.

Winners of Inter-Collegiate Elocution Competition

Winners of Inter-School Elocution Competition

TOPIC: KNOW YOUR CONSTITUTION-CELEBRATION OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION DAY

Date: 26^th November, 2020.

Speaker: Mr. Nisarg Trivedi, a renowned lawyer and SMPIC alumni

Highlights: Indian Constitution day is celebrated on 26^th November which is known as National Law Day. The session was conducted by renowned lawyer and SMPIC alumni Mr. Nisarg Trivedi. He stated that the constitution day was first celebrated in 2015 as a mark of tribute to India’s first law minister Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who played a pivotal role in the drafting of the Indian constitution. He gave a detailed overview of Indian constitution. He explained the formulation of Constitution in India and   its role  in our country. He made the students aware about the rights and duties of Indian citizen and he motivated students to become a smart and responsible citizen. Being an alumni, he mentioned that college played a great role in grooming his personality and developing his career. He suggested and motivated students to take active part in college activities and guest lectures for the overall development. He explained the importance of democracy in India and how far it is associated with strong Indian constitution.

TOPIC: ‘ALUMNI CONVERSE – HOW TO PREPARE FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS AND CRACK INTERVIEWS FOR PURSUING CAREER IN MBA’

Date: 6^th November, 2021.

Speaker: Ms. Shweta Shah and Mr. Vishal Chitlangya(FOC-SMPIC, Alumnus)

Highlights: To make the students ready to face the competitive world of Management studies, at FOC – SMPIC, a conversation with Alumnus of the Institute was arranged on a virtual platform. Two alumni namely Ms. Shweta Shah, a student of IIM Ahmedabad and Mr. Vishal Chitlangya, a student of IIM Bengaluru were invited to share their academic journeys from SMPIC to IIMs.

They started their talk reminiscing their participation in various college activities like Management Club and Intercollegiate Competitions which helped them to lay the foundation stone in taking admissions at B-Schools. According to them by choosing any particular activity in which the student is interested in can help to strike a balance along with academic achievements. They also shared their on-campus life at IIMs where they had a very conducive environment and informal interactions with the faculty members. Overall, it was a win-win conversation on the part of alumnus as well as the participating undergraduate students of B.Com. Hons. SMPIC as a gateway for admission in B-Schools.

TOPIC: A TALK SHOW ON BUSINESS PLAN DURING COVID 19 ERA

Date: 4^th November, 2020.

Speaker: Mr. Shivang Mehta, digital transformation expert, graduated from IIM Kolkata.

Highlights: Mr. Shivang Mehta gave a brief overview on the business plan ideas. He   explained about business model and important factors like team building, idea generation as well the essential aspect of funding. He also explained that the right time implementation is equally essential. He also discussed the real success example of AIR BNB business model, time utilizing by UBER. He explained the importance of face masks, sanitizer business needs in covid 19 era. He urged to create a goal with clear vision and to take timely action along with smart marketing strategy. At last he discussed about business plan formats to be formulated after idea adoption. He concluded with the importance of common business sense during crisis time in market.

“ENVIROMICS”

Date: 24^th October, 2020.

Highlights: Faculty of Commerce (SMPIC) has organized in house event named as “ENVIROMICS 2020” on 24^th October, 2020. ‘ENVIROMICS’ word has been emerged from a combination of two terms: Environment and Economics. This both terms are playing critical role in our life. Environment is a medium of survival, while Economics is a way to survive. Environment is a pathway to walk, where Economics is giving direction to walk. Environment is providing natural resources, while Economics is managing those scarce natural resources in multiple ways. So, Environment and Economics – both are complimentary to each other. There is no meaning of having Environmental resources without knowing its utilization method and said utilization method is being provided by Economics. Economics is giving an implication method to utilize Environmental resources optimally. Economics Club and ECO (Environment) Club focus on implementing subject practically. Through this initiative, FOC- SMPIC is trying to spread awareness about the Environment and methods to utilize Economics by different techniques among youth. Youth is the future generation of the Earth. The main objective of this event is to make our youth generation aware about the significance of Environment and how to implement Economical strategies for sustainable development. Under ENVIROMICS 2020, two events are organized that Enviromics Visuals and Enviromics Crosswordon Webex online platform. Our college students have prepared environmental awareness videos with different objects and competitions have taken place in Enviromics Visuals. Our college students were given a Sudoku to solve interesting and implemented Economic Terms or Strategies in Enviromics Crossword. Our students have learned the practical lessons of Environmental Awareness and Economics as well.

TOPIC: ‘CGMA -FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD’

Date: 21^st October, 2020.

Speaker: Ms. Tasneem Kapasi, National Manager, CIMA.

Highlights: Ms. Tasneem Kapasi gave a brief overview on CIMA qualification. Being a global profession, CIMA is one of the popular courses with global recognition. She explained the structure of exam and related criteria. The session was very interactive and informative.

CELEBRATION OF WORLD STATISTICS DAY

Date: 20^th October, 2020.

Highlights: Under the auspices of Statistics Club, we organised a one-day celebration of World Statistics Day on 20^th October 2020. Three online Inter-College events were organized wherein an expert lecture on “Statistics and its applications in real world” was given by Shri Shailesh Suthar, Director, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Intercollegiate Quiz Competition and Poster Making Competition with the theme “Facts and Figures of Statistics” were conducted.

Director,Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Gandhinagar, Shri. Shailesh Suthar had given an Expert Lecture on “Statistics and its applications in real world” in which he explained the applications of Statistics in various fields in detail. More than 200 students participated in the celebrations.

Winners of Quiz Competition of World Statistics Day

Winners of Poster Making Competition of World Statistics Day

CAREER ENRICHMENT WORKSHOP – “YOUR IMAGE MATTERS”

Date: 19^th October, 2020

Highlights: As a part of Career Enrichment Workshop, a session was organized on the topic “Your Image Matters” on 19^th October, 2020 at Faculty of Commerce – B.Com. Honours by Ms. Vama Rajpal, an Image Consultant and Etiquette Coach.

She started with visual presentations of a variety of food dishes and involved students by asking a question as to which one appeals them the most? Further, she discussed Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s Communication Model including the distinct traits of verbal and non-verbal communication, body language as well as the significance of physical appearances.

The relevance of various gestures, facial expressions as well as different postures were also explained to students by showing various photographs of do’s and don’ts while appearing for online interviews. Finally, she ended the session by giving tips for virtual interviews. She stressed how well managed the entire ambience and lighting of the background should be, from where the participant is sitting for appearing for the interview. She gave a very relevant example as to how important it is to properly dress even when the participant is sitting at home. According to her, ‘What if water spills on the dress and suddenly you have to get up and if not properly dressed, it will create a very bad impression in front of interviewers.’

TOPIC: INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR ON “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDUCATION- THE NEW NORMAL.”

Date: 17^th October, 2020.

Speakers: Shri Sudhir Nanavati, president, GLS University, Miss Chandani Kapadia, COO, GLS University, Bhaskar Ranjan Das, Associate Director, CIMA-South Asia, Ms. Anju De Alwis, FCMA, CIMA, UK

Highlights: GLS UNIVERSITY Faculty of Commerce, SMPIC in association with CIMA, UK organized an International Webinar on “Digital Transformation in Education- The New Normal.” The Webinar opened on an auspicious note by a prayer rendered to the Almighty by Dr. Keyur Vohra. Dr. Marzun Jokhi, Director, SMPIC, emphasized on the uncertain future due to Covid-19 and said that the time has arrived to widen the horizons beyond the four walls of class rooms. Shri Sudhir Nanavati, President, GLS University, said the academic fraternity must go on when the whole world is affected. When God closes one window, he opens another. Covid-19 has changed the approach to life. He rightly mentioned that blackboard teaching will now become a history. He further added that the mistakes in the classroom can be rectified but they stay on virtual platform. The Government of India has stressed on the same in the New Education Policy 2020.

Bhaskar Ranjan Das, Associate Director, CIMA-South Asia, talked about how disruption works. Universities across the world have taken a leap forward and GLS University is leading the way in India. He further added that today we don’t need a visa to work for US but it can be done from home. Though we are divided by geographical boundaries but we are in a borderless world.

Ms. Anju De Alwis, FCMA, CIMA, UK, based in Dubai, said that the pandemic has given an opportunity for educators to rethink on the approach of learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged and changed the traditional classroom learning pattern and pushed the seekers as well as imparters to engage in drastic digital transformation.  GLS is doing a great job by developing the students with 21^st century skill sets which is the need of the hour. She said that the role of faculty today is not to teach but facilitate the learners. The technology will help in reducing the gap between the employee’s ability and employer’s expectation. More than 500 delegates participated in this webinar from various parts of the globe participated actively nullifying the time zone.

TOPIC: ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE: A KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY

Date:  14^th October, 2020.

Speaker: Mr. Karan Shah

Highlights:  Mr. Karan Shah, a Climate Change and Sustainability Professional and an SMPIC Alumni delivered an informative session with an objective to spread awareness about environmental ethics and environmental degradation. Due to human activities, environmental pollution is increasing day by day and climate changes are really unexpected. Through Modern generation, we can spread awareness to protect environment, which can lead to the Sustainability. Environmental awareness means being aware of the natural environment and making choices that benefit the earth, rather than hurt it. Environmental Awareness can be raised by using safe and non-toxic building supplies, conserving energy and water, recycling, activism, increasing literacy among population and others. Protecting the environment starts with pollution control and young generation can help to reduce waste by paying attention to minor details in their daily lives. Youth have significant role to play in environmental and conservation efforts that will improve livelihoods. Mr. Karan Shah shared his professional experiences with the students and encouraged them to protect our environment and also explained environmental ethics to follow.

TOPIC: ‘ADDING WINGS TO YOUR DREAMS’

Date: 10^th October, 2020.

Speaker: Mr. Sazeal Shah, Renowned Motivational Speaker

Highlights:  Mr. Shah gave a brief overview on the importance of dreams in the life of youngsters. The interaction was based on the reality and dreams with reference to goal achievement. He also explained the concept of self motivation and the parameters of the goal achievement which include interest, hobbies, smart work, right attitude at right time and the importance of dedication towards work life. The formula of success resides in strength, weakness and identifying opportunities. People don’t dream big due to their faulty perception and negative thinking syndrome.  He guided students to think positive and act positive.

TOPIC: ‘CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES OF LITIGATION’

Date: 26^th September, 2020.

Speaker: Mr. Paras Sukhwani, Practising Advocate at Gujarat High Court

Highlights: He started the session on a very interesting note that there is a general impression about the lawyers that they scream ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ but in the court of law a lawyer is a draftsman who crusades with his knowledge to secure the ends of justice. He further added that the courts are the temple of justice and it is the moral responsibility of everyone to keep its sanctity. The speaker highlighted the fact that the new generation wants to be rich overnight and therefore he said that if the ‘Cash is king, the bribery is Prince’. He also emphasized that every time winning is not important and one should commit mistakes and learn. We should remember ‘Kanun andha hotahai, judge nahi’. He suggested students not to commit anything which we cannot fulfil and never to go overboard while dealing with any legal matter. Lawyers must always remember justice demands integrity.  ‘Friends are bound to appreciate you but it’s important when your rivals appreciate you’. Carrying the legacy of his family ahead he encouraged the students to take up law as a profession by discussing the nuances of this field.

CAREER ENRICHMENT WORKSHOP – RESUME BUILDING – FOR FINAL YEAR STUDENTS

Date: 22^nd September, 2021.

Highlights: Under the banner of Kshitij – Career Carving Cell of GLS University’s Faculty of Commerce – SMPIC B.Com. Honours, a Career Enrichment Workshop was organized on 22^nd September, 2020 for the final year students. The topic of Resume Building was selected to make the students ready to face the corporate world as creating first impression is so very important for any prospective candidate. The session on ‘Resume Building’ was conducted by Mr. Sazeal Shah, an expert in delivering value sessions on various topics.

He started the session by giving the students a very modern view of preparing a resume because there are certain things which are absolutely outdated for instance, inclusion of personal information like religion, gender, photograph, political inclination, etc. The speaker highlighted the common mistakes students make while preparing a Resume by mentioning the name of a role model or future vision of next 5 -10 years. He guided the students that it’s not necessary to mention the gender as the organization these days are not gender biased. Also, Mr. Sazeal suggested to start the resume with writing career objectives wherein everyone should mention their own unique objectives, however simple it may be. He further suggested few essential steps to build a resume starting from typing a draft copy to making it fit in one single page as far as possible.

He also laid emphasis on following the reverse chronological order in mentioning the academic qualification. He summarized that a resume should be properly formatted and should include only those details which are relevant for a particular job profile only. By sharing his personal experiences, he made the session very interesting and at the same time interactive. Further, in the coming days, Career Enrichment Workshop will include other topics like How to appear for Group Discussion, Building up your Image and How to face personal interview. The workshop was coordinated by Dr. Aashal Bhatt.

TOPIC: ‘DIVERSITY IN CULTURE AND CRITICAL THINKING’

Date: 17^th September, 2020.

Speaker: Ms. Vishwaveda Joshi, Research Scholar, York University, Toronto, Vice Chair for World University Services, Canada.

Highlights: Ms. Vishwaveda Joshi gave a brief overview on anthropology, its various types like Linguistic, Social/Cultural, Biological/Evolutionary, Archaeology/Physical Anthropology and Applied/Public Anthropology. The interaction was based on cross culture values and opinions of students regarding critical thinking as well as the usage in career enhancement. She stressed upon the fact that we as Indians do not have the habit of appreciating our own Indian culture. Though she told that everything in our culture is not correct, but at the same time we should not forget to appreciate the core values of our cultural diversity. She explained the difference between the Indian and Canadian culture. She opined that Canadians are more individualistic in their actions, behaviour and values whereas Indians are more family oriented and can live with shortage of resources.

EXPERT TALK ON “SWAMI VIVEKANAND WITHIN ME” BY DR. AMI U. UPADHYAY AND ONLINE QUIZ & SPEECH COMPETITIONS

Date: 14^th September, 2020.

Highlights: We, under the auspices of Swami Vivekananda Study Circle organized different online events to celebrate Universal Brotherhood Day on 14^th September, 2020. The celebration was graced by Dr. Ami U. Upadhyay, the Vice Chancellor of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad, Prof. Janki Vaidya, Professor, C.U. Shah Science College, Ahmedabad and many volunteers from Swami Vivekananda Kendra. Dr. Ami delivered an enlightening talk on ‘Swami Vivekananda within me’ and emphasized upon the values and preachings of Swami Vivekananda. She emphasized on not to focus on trivial things, learn to concentrate on important things, utilize every moment of life for the betterment of not only yourself but also for society and nation. She also asked the students to be fearless and imbibe spiritual intelligence in life emphasized by Swami Vivekananda. This was followed by an online Quiz Competition on the life and works of Swami Vivekananda and a Speech Competition on the famous quotes of Swami Vivekananda in which more than 150 students participated enthusiastically.

AN ONLINE QUIZ COMPETITION 2020 WINNERS

AN ONLINE SPEECH COMPETITION 2020 WINNERS

TOPIC: ‘SUCCESS MANTRAS’

Date: 8^th September, 2020.

Speaker: Dr. Rajani Suthar, Lecturer at University of Regina, Instructor at Saskpolytech & Zonal Coodinator, IRCC(federal govt.),Canada

Highlights: Dr.Rajani talked about how to be successful in every area of our life, how to identify, challenge and overcome our self-limiting beliefs and how to enjoy a life of unlimited success. She discussed the key points discussed in ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity’ by David Allen elaborately. She also told the students to learn how to feel happier and healthier and how to manage time effectively.

TOPIC: ‘WRITING: PASSION TO CAREER’

Date: 31^st August, 2020.

Speaker: Vishwesh Desai, a Young Author of International repute

Highlights: He guided the students regarding how to develop and enhance Reading and Writing skills. He talked about his journey from being a vivacious reader to a young author of ‘Shadows of Northland’ which was published when he was 14. He informed the students about his creative journey of writing a novel and also showed the students how good reading skills can finally be steered towards writing. He discussed various aspects of reading and writing like choice of books, influence of authors, writer’s block, writing daily without fail etc.

READATHON

Date: 20^th and 21^st August, 2020.

Highlights : Under the auspices of Word Wizards-The English and Reading Club, we organized READATHON COMPETITION 2019-20, a yearlong competition wherein the participants read various books and material as per the rules. A Viva is conducted at the end of the year and the winner is awarded with ‘Best Reader of The Year Award’. The Online Viva of the 37 participants of Readathon was conducted by Dr. Nirja Vasavda Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, GLS University and Dr. Tejal Jani Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business Management, GLS University.

READATHON 2019-20 RESULT

BEST READER OF THE YEAR AWARD – FY – MARYAM PARIYANI

BEST READER OF THE YEAR AWARD – SY – ZANKHANA PATEL

BEST READER OF THE YEAR AWARD – TY – HEMANG PRAJAPATI

TOPIC: PUBLIC SPEAKING

Date: 17^thAugust, 2020.

Speaker: Mr. Mangesh Parelkar, a language and communication expert

Highlights: Mr. Mangesh Parelkar discussed various aspects of Public Speaking, right from writing the speech to rehearsing the speech, body language and intonations while delivering the speech. He also talked about audience connect and dressing and grooming while speaking. Through various real life examples, Mr. Parelkar delivered a very informative lecture to students and helped them overcome the fear of speaking in public.

TOPIC: A CAREER GUIDANCE (ACCA) SEMINAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH ISDC, UK

Date: 10^thAugust, 2020.

Speaker: Ms. Teresa Jacob (Executive Director of learning and recipient of the prestigious Queens Award for enterprise), Ms. Naina VG and Mr. Vikas Khosla

Highlights: Enlightening students about the career opportunities available after the ACCA course. ACCA stands for ‘Association of Certified Accountants’, a global body of Professionals in the field of Finance & Accounting recognized in 170 Countries around the world. ACCA course proves to be an invaluable asset for the students pursuing this course which increases the value of academic profile and lends tremendous weight to their CV by the virtue of being an international course with worldwide acceptance and have a wide variety of career options available to them both in India as well as abroad.

TOPIC: ‘TWO FACETS OF COMMUNICATION: LISTENING AND SPEAKING’

Date: 6^th August, 2020.

Speaker: Dr.  Indira Nityanandam, Communication Expert and Author

Highlights: She talked about the channels, aspects, differences, organisation and types of effective technical communication. She discussed the types, benefits, barriers and active as well as interactive listening skills. All the participants learnt the nuances of Listening skills and Technical Communication.

TOPIC: ‘ADVERTISING IN SOCIAL MEDIA’

Date: 29th July, 2020.

Speaker: Dr. Falguni Vasavada, Strategic Marketing Area, Professor and Chair, MICA and TEDx speaker

Highlights: Dr. Vasavada gave a brief overview of digital marketing and its benefits to various sectors. She explained quoting corporate examples the idea of online interface through which a business can be expanded to overseas. She also discussed various brands widespread in Indian market and prevailing   brand equity with reference to Indian public mindsets. She also interacted with the students on the usage of web media and product sales increments.

TOPIC: ‘RECENT TRENDS IN COMPANY LAW’

Date: 28th July, 2020.

Speaker:  CA Fenil Shah, Chairman of ICAI, Ahmedabad

Highlights: The session started with the discussion on various amendments as per the provisions of Company Law 2013. Mr. Shah talked about the newly introduced classification of companies like Small Companies, Section 8 Companies, Dormant Companies etc. and explained the difference between the terminologies of Global Depository Receipts (GDR) and American Depository Receipts (ADR). He mentioned that the most confusing legal expressions, amongst students, in Company law are that of Winding up, Liquidation and Dissolution. Lastly, he encouraged students to take up Insolvency Professional Degree after completing their graduation as it is a very upcoming and promising field in Commerce.

TOPIC: ‘ADAPTING TO ONLINE EDUCATION’

Date: 28^th July, 2020.

Speaker: Dr. Harshal Arolkar, Professor and Head, FCAIT, GLS University

Highlights: Dr. Arolkar started his session by giving an idea of what students would have experienced in the offline system and what they should expect in the online system. He involved the students by making them comfortable as he started asking questions through polling on Webex. He talked about the netiquettes that students need to follow in the online classes to stay focused and non-distracted. He also mentioned the various factors which may result into distractions for students and how to overcome the online fatigue. He suggested students to do Pranayams in between the sessions to overcome stress and increase the concentration power.

SMPIC WELCOMES FRESH BATCH OF 2020 WITH A VIRTUAL ORIENTATION PROGRAMME

Date: 7^th July, 2020.

Speakers: Popular youth icon, RJ Dhvanit, Dr.Keyur Vohra

Highlights: GLS University, Faculty of Commerce SMPIC B.Com. (Hons) welcomed the new batch students with a virtual Orientation Programme in which more than 600 students and parents participated.  Director Dr. M.E.Jokhi welcomed the students and congratulated them for joining SMPIC, GLS University. The students were made aware about various academic and co-curricular activities and achievements through an Audio Video presentation. They were also given information regarding syllabus and evaluation system. The students were also taken on a campus tour virtually. As a special surprise, students were addressed by the popular youth icon, RJ Dhvanit. He talked with them on the topic “Unlock Positivity”.

Academic Activities 2019-2020

• WEBINAR ON ROBOTICS AND PROCESS AUTOMATION INTO ACCOUNTANCY AND FINANCE

GLS University, Faculty of Commerce (SMPIC B.Com. Hons.) in association with Financial Planning Academy, Mumbai organized a webinar on 30th May, 2020, Saturday for faculties on ‘ Robotics and Process Automation into Accountancy and Finance’. The webinar was conducted by Zaher Sayed, a qualified Chartered Accountant and Faculty of Financial Planning Academy, Mumbai. The webinar was inaugurated by Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit who said that the purpose of this webinar was enhancement of subject skills of teachers of Accountancy and Commerce.

Mr Sayed, in a lucid manner explained how Robotic process automation (RPA) is rapidly changing the accounting and finance operations and is arguably faster than any other piece of modern technology.

RPA in finance and accounting is not confined to one part of a process – it can be applied to multiple processes at one time; accounts payable, accounts receivable, financial close, controller work, financial planning and analysis, expense management and tax.By using RPA, company can use the surplus man-hours in Value Added operations. The webinar was attended by 750 participants all over India.

• COMPREHENSIVE BANKING & INSURANCE PROGRAM

• BRIDGE COURSE

• “READERS ARE LEADERS”: ‘FOR THE STUDENTS, OF THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS’

• FINANCIAL PLANNER WORKSHOP BY NSE

• PLACEMENT 2020

• ARTHSHASTROTSAV (ECOFEST) 2020

• WORKSHOP ON GROUP DISCUSSION AND PERSONAL INTERVIEW

• INTER-COLLEGIATE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ELOCUTION COMPETITION 2020

• A LIFE MANAGEMENT SESSION BY SADHU VIVEKJEEVANDAS

• A ONE DAY SEMINAR ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP: “MEET THE ENTREPRENEUR”

• NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “CREATIVITY, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN ECONOMY”

• GUEST SESSION AT PLACEMENT CELL

• “MANTHAN: A THOUGHT PROVOKING MISSION”–AN INTER-CLASS ELOCUTION COMPETITION 2019

Under the auspices of English and Reading Club, “Manthan: A Thought Provoking Mission”, an Inter – class Elocution competition was organised with an aim to remove stage fear and improve oratory skills of the students. It is an event which is “For The Students, Of The Students, By The Students”. The Primary level competition was conducted on 7th August 2019 in their respective classes wherein 154 students participated enthusiastically. 30 Winners of Primary Round participated in the Intermediate Round on 20th August 2019. Finale of Manthan was held on 9th December 2019. Dr. Kavita Patel, Head of the Department English, GLS(Sadguna & B.D.Arts College) and Dr. Jayesh Mandanka, Assistant Professor, Smt. L & C Mehta Arts College judged the Finale of an Inter-class Elocution Competition. The topics were:
1. Globalization: An Opportunity or a Threat?
2. Intelligence is not enough in Skills based world.
3. Celebrity Endorsement and Brand Value

Manthan Finale Round Winners 2019
1. Bhavya Kamder (Sem 4)
2. Ipsita Panda (Sem 2)
3. Khushboo Dhankani (Sem 4)
The winners of Intermediate and Finale rounds were awarded with certificates. The winners of the Finale were also awarded with trophies.

• INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

• OPEN BOOK EXAM (SANSKRUTIK SWADHYAY KASAUTI)

• STUDY ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP AT AMA

• READATHON COMPETITION

• WORKSHOPS ON GDPI & VOCAB

• ROCK-O-NOMICS 2019-20

• STATSTORM 2019

• CIMA SEMINAR

• GST SEMINAR

• PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP

• ORIENTATION PROGRAMME

Academic Activities

• COMPREHENSIVE BANKING AND INSURANCE PROGRAMME

Faculty of Commerce B.Com.(Hons.) offers a one-year Comprehensive Banking and Insurance Programme, for the last 5 years, to make the student industry ready for the job market in the Banking and Insurance sector as soon as a student completes graduation. This course is designed in such a manner so as to create a balance between theoretical and practical aspects of modern Banking and Insurance services. It also prepares the student to appear in all the arenas of competitive exams (IBPS and IRDA). In the current year 2018-19, 42 students have completed the course successfully.

• BRIDGE COURSE

Faculty of Commerce B.Com.(Hons.) successfully conducted Bridge Course to develop English Proficiency skills for the Semester 1 students. 60 students enrolled for the course and were given training of English Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills. They also appeared for the BULATS examination at the end of the course.

•  “READERS ARE LEADERS”: ‘FOR THE STUDENTS, OF THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS’

“READERS ARE LEADERS” presents a motivating thought and a new word to everyone on the campus through White Board placed outside of G1 Classroom. This Whiteboard communicates to the masses and spreads the knowledge. A well said thought churns the mind of every reader and a new word is added to the vocabulary of every passerby everyday. Students with full dedication and enthusiasm write a new thought and a new word on the board and other students eagerly await the new arrivals. This entire activity is coordinated by Prof. Rupa A. Pariyani.

•  NISM WORKSHOP

Faculty of Commerce B. Com. (Hons.) has organized training program for graduate and post graduate Girl Students in association with ICICI Direct for Mutual Fund training from 11th to 13th March 2018. Exam was conducted by NISM (National Institute of Security Management) on 16th March 2018. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Bhargav Dave who is a Capital Market Trainer empanelled with NISM. He provided precise understanding of Mutual funds with their real life advantages and disadvantages with detailed explanation of each scheme and its requirements to assess capacity to invest. He focused on the need for investment keeping factors such as Risk, need of liquidity, capital growth etc. in mind to procure tax benefitting schemes. The students were made aware of importance of Systematic investment in this workshop.

•  RESEARCH PAPERS

To inculcate research aptitude and skill among students, under Statistics Club, Faculty of Commerce B. Com.(Hons.) students were given various small research projects. Arhan Shah (Sem 6 B. Com.) and Pinal Bhagat (Sem 4 M. Com.) had prepared research papers on ‘Analysis of Selected Profitability Ratios of ONGC’ and ‘A Study on Petrol and Diesel Prices in India using Moving average Method and OLS Method’ respectively under the guidance of Dr. Devyani Chatterji. Arhan Shah’s research paper was selected for International Conference on Advances in Theory, Research and Practices in Management (GLSU-ATRPM 2019) organized by Faculty of Management, GLS University and was presented by him on 23rd February 2019, in the International Conference.

• GANDHIAN QUIZ BY FORUM FOR GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY

To commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and to promote Gandhian values and ideals amongst the students, Forum for Gandhian Philosophy of Faculty of Commerce B. Com. (Hons.) organized the preliminary round of “Gandhian Quiz” on 17th January 2019 in which 60 students had participated. Students were provided with books titled “Gandhiji’s Autobiography” to prepare for the Quiz. From 60 students, 12 students were selected for the finals. The finale was conducted on 13th February 2019 by the Quiz Master Dr. Alpesh Upadhyay, Associate Professor of Saraspur Arts and Science College, Ahmedabad.

The winners of the Gandhian Quiz finale are:
First Position: Aliasgar Rahi and Saniya Memon; Girish Kataria and Juhi Meghani
Second Position: Hemang Prajapati and Sparsh Patel

The event was coordinated by Dr. Devyani Chatterji and Prof. Anjali Trivedi.

• ENIGMA: THE QUIZ COMPETITION

The Quiz Club of Faculty of Commerce B.Com.(Hons.), GLS University is designed as an innovative and interactive programme to facilitate a copious flow of knowledge and ideas among the students packaged in exciting rounds. ENIGMA: The Quiz Competition 2018-19 organised a Preliminary Round on 11th September 2018 in which 39 students participated from them the first 15 students were selected for the Finale. Finale was held on 13th February 2019 which was conducted by the Quiz Master Dr. Alpesh Upadhyay who has rendered his services as a Quiz Master in many Youth Festivals in Inter-College Saptadhara Quizzes, Inter-District College Quizzes at BISAG etc. The whole event was coordinated by Dr. Devyani Chatterji.

The winners of the Finale are:
First Position: Aliasgar Rahi, Harsh Desai and Jaydev Khadse
Second Position: Pratik Periwal, Arhum Sancheti and Kavan Pandya

• BLOCK CHAIN TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR

To enhance practical knowledge about financial markets and emerging technology of Block Chain in India, a seminar on Block Chain Technology and its future scope in Indian Commerce Sector was organized on 8th February, 2019. It was conducted by BSE regional office followed by individual Aptitude Test. 91 students participated in the seminar.It was coordinated by Dr.Krupa Bhatt and supported by Dr.Jaimin Patel.

• DIGITAL MARKETING SEMINAR

Faculty of Commerce B.Com (Hons.) organized a seminar on Digital Marketing and its future scope in Indian Commerce sector on 7th February 2019.It was organized to inculcate practical knowledge about new foundation course subject Digital Marketing to B.Com(Hon.) semester 4 students. It was conducted by Mr.Niral Modi from tops technologies pvt.ltd.330 students from semester 4 participated in the seminar. It was coordinated by Dr.Krupa Bhatt and supported by Dr.Jaimin Patel.

• INTER-COLLEGIATE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ELOCUTION COMPETITION 2019

To celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and to pay tribute to this great sage and thinker, Swami Vivekananda Study Circle of our college organized an Inter-collegiate Swami Vivekananda Elocution Competition for undergraduate students of different colleges of Ahmedabad on 12th January, 2019. Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit delivered the welcome address and explained the importance of Vivekananda’s thought-provoking lectures, quotes and writings that have been a subject of study and a great source of motivation for the youth. Seventeen participants spoke on the topic “The bigger the struggle, the better the triumph will be.” The competition was judged by Dr. K.S. Purohit, a renowned Gastroenterologist, Dr. Chetan Bhatt, Principal, Government MCA College, Maninagar and Dr. H. D. Sikh, Principal, Saraspur Arts and Commerce college. The winner Raxit Suthar from C.U. Shah Science College was awarded trophy, certificate and cash prize. The 2nd and 3rd winners Jhanvi Patro from GLSBBA and Raj Virani from L.D. Arts college respectively were given cash prizes and certificates. Miss Kajal Shah from GLS Law College and Yashvant Kumar Shrimali from C U Shah Arts College were given consolation prizes. The competition was coordinated by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria.

• NISM PRESENTATION

On 20th December, 2018 Faculty of Commerce organized presentation on training sessions with regards to Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Capital Market module of NISM (National Institute of Securities Markets) for UG and PG girls students. The presentation was given by Mr. Vishal Gada, Director, Financial Planning Academy, Mumbai. The basic motive of such training module with relevance to Mutual Funds is to provide guidance and help them to be self dependent with knowledge of financial planning. Further sessions and examination will be conducted at the institute level.

• DATA ANALYSIS WORKSHOP

Faculty of Commerce B. Com. (Hons.) organised a two day Data Analysis Workshop on 11th and 12th of December 2018 with an objective to acquaint the students about data, its analysis, interpretation and its business prospects in the near future. Dr. Ashwin Purohit, Dean, Faculty of Commerce encouraged the students to attend such kind of workshops and said that in today’s world Data is increasing rapidly through thousands of users, businesses and industries as a whole. Visualising, modelling and interpretation are the major aspects of data analysis and students need to understand the intricacies of the methods of Data Analysis through various Statistical tools. 45 students enthusiastically participated in the Workshop in which they were taught to do trend analysis of the data using Moving Average Method in MS Excel, Correlation between the groups of data, Forecasting using Method of Least Squares and Regression Analysis. This workshop enhanced the research skills of students at under graduate level. The entire workshop was conducted by Dr. Devyani Chatterji.

• INTERNATIONAL IMMERSION PROGRAMME @ AUSTRALIA

GLS University has designed an International Programme wherein participants will be immersed in the international environment for a Two week program based in Curtin University, Australia and University of Newcastle, Australia in the month of Jan/Feb 2019.

Dr. Dharmesh Shah Registrar, GLS University and Dr Shefali Dani Controller of Examination, GLS University delivered a very encouraging talk at Faculty of Commerce on 5th December, 2018 to enlighten the students regarding the International Academic exposure and benefits of participating in the International Immersion programme. Participating in the International Immersion Programme will provide students with international experience and should broaden the perspective on the world and professional networks. These immersion programmes will also include industrial visits, social services as well as several sight-seeing trips and cultural excursions.

• INQUISITIVE MINDS

Faculty of Commerce B. Com. (Hons.) organised a National Level Quiz Competition – Inquisitive Minds on 30th July, 2018 in which 90 students had participated. The Quiz was a mixed bag with questions on General Knowledge, Reasoning, Mathematical abilities and Communication Skills. On this occasion, Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit opined “The objective of organising such competitions is to facilitate a copious flow of knowledge and ideas among the students while ensuring that the students learn through all possible ways- not just through books and classroom teaching. Such activities help the students to sharpen their intellect and hone their skills.”6 students in a team of 2 were selected for the city level which was held on 1st November 2018. Teams selected for the city level were Rishabh Jain & Tirthesh Bohra; Pratik Periwal & Arhum Sancheti; and Saniya Memon & Aliasgar Rahi. Rishabh Jain and Tirthesh Bohra stood second and were selected for the finals which was held in Mumbai on 4th November 2018 and secured the fourth position. They were awarded with a cash price of Rs. 2000. This event was coordinated by Dr. Devyani Chatterji.

• FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

Faculty of Commerce, GLS University organised a one day National Seminar on “Financial Planning for a Better Tomorrow” on 20th October, 2018 wherein 200 academicians and professionals participated. Dr.Ashwin Purohit, Dean, in his welcome speech, gave a brief introduction about GLS and GLS University. Explaining the significance of this seminar, he mentioned that as a part of the institute’s mission to march towards academic excellence, Faculty of Commerce has been organising such seminars. The Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker of the seminar was Shri Mukesh Patel, an International Taxation expert, who gave 5 points of Investment Advice so as to sustain and have stable earnings from the market. Mukeshbhai suggested that ‘Savings is a good habit and with planning, investing and tracking it, we can maximize wealth to make a better tomorrow.’ Experts from Mumbai were invited for the panel discussion whereby Mr.Sandip Raichura, an experienced and qualified economist guided the delegates on how small investments can be multiplied over a long period so as to have huge growth in investments, and Mr. Deepak Chellani, an expert International investment advisor, explained the diversification of investment in order to gain maximum benefits from the market.

Another keynote speaker was Mr.Vikram Kasat, a professional financial analyst talked about various options of investments and suggested tips for investment in different companies for short term and long term period.

The main motive of the seminar was to educate and help individuals on how to manage and grow their wealth through proper financial planning. Expert guidance was imparted on few essential topics like ‘Investing for income and potential growth in a periods of low interest’, ‘Preventing inflation from eroding your savings’, ‘Safeguarding your money’ & ‘Protecting family’s finances through Tax Planning’.

The delegates gained great knowledge and a better understanding of key personal finance principles, including budgeting, savings, investing etc. The seminar was co-ordinated by Dr.M.E.Jokhi.

• AN AUTHOR’S AESTHETICS: A TALK WITH A WRITER UNDER READING AND ENGLISH CLUB

Faculty of Commerce, GLS University organised an Interaction Session with an upcoming teenage writer of the book ‘Shadows of Northlands’ – Vishwesh Desai on 12th October, 2018, Saturday. He discussed about his journey as a writer, his reading habits and how he got his first book published at the age of 14.The session was quite interactive as the students as well as the faculty members indulged in lot of discussion and a question answer session with Vishwesh Desai. At the end, the students felt motivated to develop reading and writing habits and to pursue them seriously. The event was co-ordinated by Dr. Gitanjali Rampal.

• INTERNATIONAL IMMERSION PROGRAMME @ USA & CANADA

GLS University has designed an International Programme wherein participants will be immersed in the international environment at world’s most developed nation’s i.e. USA and Canada. It is a three week program based in California Baptist University, USA or Georgian College Canada in the month of May/June 2019.Dr.Dharmesh Shah Registrar, GLS University delivered a very encouraging talk at Faculty of Commerce on 11th October, 2018 to enlighten the students regarding the International Academic exposure and benefits of participating in the International Immersion programme. The program consists of International Academic exposure as well as several sight-seeing trips and cultural excursions.

Participating in the International Immersion Programme will provide students with international experience and should broaden the perspective on the world and professional networks. These immersion programmes will also include industrial visits, social services as well as several sight-seeing trips and cultural excursions.

• “MANTHAN:A Thought Provoking Mission”–An Inter-Class Elocution Competition 2018

Under the auspices of English and Reading Club, Faculty of Commerce organized “Manthan: A Thought Provoking Mission”, an Inter – class Elocution competition with an aim to remove stage fear and improve oratory skills of the students. It is an event which is “For The Students, Of The Students, By The Students” .The Primary level competition was conducted on 25st of July 2018 in their respective classes wherein 135 students participated enthusiastically. 50 Winners of Primary Round participated in the Intermediate Round on 13th August 2018. Finale of Manthan was held on 12th September 2018. Dr.Mona Kelshikar, Principal H.L. College of Commerce and Dr.Hiten Parikh, Principal, R.J.Tibrewal College of Commerce judged the Finale of an Inter-class Elocution Competition. The Event was coordinated by Prof. Rupa Pariyani and Dr. Gitanjali Rampal. The winners of Intermediate and Finale rounds were awarded with certificates. The winners of the Finale were also awarded with trophies.

• VICHAR VARTUL

Faculty of Commerce, GLS University have knowledge sharing sessions on regular basis under the auspices of ‘Vichar Vartul’ which has been conceived by Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit for the faculty members and staff. In one of these sessions, Shri Vadibhai Patel, Dean, Student Welfare, GLS University, delivered a lecture on ‘World Peace’ on 6 August 2018. In his engrossing address, Shri Vadibhai started how on this day in 1945, at 8:16 a.m. Japanese time, an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the world’s first atom bomb, over the city of Hiroshima. The city has not only lost thousands of lives but is still suffering from its after effects as mentioned in a letter by the fourth generation victim of the bombings. He traversed through world politics and explained how the month of August has been quite revolutionary for many countries of the world. In India, the Quit India Movement, or the India August Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule of India. He put forward the history of British Rule in India right from the formation of East India Company to Independence struggle and finally formation of Indian Government. Throughout the session, the continuous undercurrent of the discussion was whether ‘War for Peace’ or ‘War or Peace’ as today more than ever the world strives for ‘World Peace’ amidst terrorism, political power struggle and nuclear weapon states. He ended on a very poignant note that if the third world war happens, the fourth would be with stones and bricks.

• ROCK-O-NOMICS 2018

Faculty of Commerce organized in house event named as “ROCK-O-NOMICS” on 31st August 2018. This event was conducted under the Economics Club. It was a one day event based on interesting economic games. It was consisting of three levels such as ECO FREAKO (Finding basic economic terms in the given creative puzzle), BLIND ALLEY (collecting money through given and maximize your budget) and ECOTIONARY (Make your team identify the term through your strategy). The main objective behind this event is to cultivate interest among commerce students for economics subject. The Economics Club is brainchild of Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit Sir. Under his guidance, ROCK-O-NOMICS 2018 was organized by Prof. Anjali Trivedi with the help of college students.

• STUDY ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP AT AMA

Faculty of commerce organized a ‘Study Enhancement Programme’ – One day workshop at Ahmedabad Management Association on 23rd July,2018 in order to provide valuable knowledge inputs on Essentials of lateral thinking , Branding and Building Image and out of box thinking . The renowned speaker and corporate trainer Mr. Vikas Chawda gave their insights on the above topics. 75 students participated in the workshop. The programme was coordinated by Dr. Krupa Bhatt and Dr.Devyani Chatterji.

• GUEST LECTURE AND CERTIFICATE DISTRIBUTION OF COMPREHENSIVE BANKING AND INSURANCE PROGRAM

Faculty of Commerce organized a Guest Lecture by Mr. Anil Shrimali, Deputy General Manager (HR), The Kalupur Bank Ltd., for the students of Comprehensive Banking and Insurance Program on 20th July, 2018 at the Institute. He discussed in detail ‘Employable opportunities in Banking and Insurance Sector’ followed by questions and answers session. He discussed the nuances of appearing in the interview sessions as well. It was a knowledge gaining session for the students who aim to pursue Banking Career. The lecture was followed by distribution of certificates to the fourth batch of Comprehensive Banking and Insurance Program. As a part of successful completion of the course, 50 students were awarded certificates by Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit and Mr. Anil Shrimali.

• PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 2018

With the objective of grooming students and acquainting them with the skills required to grow and sustain in the corporate world, Faculty of Commerce B.Com. (Hons.) organized Personality Development Workshop on 18th, 19th and 20th July 2018. Around 90 students attended the workshop. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Ashwin Purohit, Dean, Faculty of Commerce. In his inaugural speech, Dr. Purohit urged the participants to make use of the workshop to the maximum extent possible in order to enhance their communication skills and to groom their personality. On the first day, Ms. Smriti Joshi, a soft skill trainer and Image Consultant conducted sessions on Motivation and Communication Skills. The trainer explained five ways to stay self motivated and also explained in detail verbal, non-verbal, formal and informal communication. On the second day, Ms. Rini Bahal Purohit, a renowned Corporate trainer delivered sessions on Body Language, Grooming and Power Dressing. Students were given tips on personal grooming, voice projection, articulation, pace and fluency, body postures, eye contact, and gestures, presenting technical information clearly, concisely, and persuasively to develop an impressive personality and to master the art of expressing their thoughts and feelings in the most desired way. On the third day, Dr. Manroop Dhingra conducted sessions on Resume/CV writing and the Interview Skills. In the valedictory program held at the end, a few participants gave their feedback explaining how the workshop helped them improve their communication skills, Interview Skills, Etiquettes, Confidence and overall personality. In his valedictory address, Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit congratulated the participants and the trainers for delivering sessions successfully and requested the participants to constantly improve upon their skills and competencies for their personal and professional growth. The program ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria. The workshop was coordinated by Dr. Bhumika Ansodaria.

• GST SEMINAR FOR B.COM AND M.COM STUDENTS

Faculty of Commerce, GLS University organised a seminar on Goods and Service Tax i.e., GST for students of Third Year B.Com and M.Com on 18th July, 2018.The seminar was conducted by CA Dhaval Gandhi. He is a certified trainer by National Academy of Customs and Indirect Taxes. He has authored a book on Indirect Tax Laws. He is a visiting faculty at well-known Universities like Nirma (Ahmedabad) and Christ (Bangalore). He has given many guest lectures at Ahmedabad and Rajkot branch of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Dhaval Sir started off the seminar by giving an Introduction about Goods and Service Tax, its origin, and its implementation in the country. He talked about the types of GST and filing returns on GST. He informed the students about The Seamless Set of System being followed by India which has been a great advantage for GST and The National Anti-Profiteering Body being developed in the country.

• CIMA SEMINAR

Faculty of Commerce, GLS UNIVERSITY organized a seminar with CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accounting), UK on 11th July, Wednesday in GLS AUDITORIUM. Parents and CIMA aspirants attended the seminar in huge number. Representative from CIMA-UK Mr. Satish Mistry, Associate Manager Markets India (West) conducted the seminar in the presence of Dean Dr.Ashwin Purohit, Faculty of Commerce, GLS University to give an insight about CGMA Qualification. Faculty of Commerce, GLS University, being the only educational Institute in the state of Gujarat has signed an MOU with CIMA-UK, the first Global Accountancy Body to pioneer a combination of computerized assessments. On the completion of this course students will be awarded CGMA- Chartered Global Management Accountant qualification.

Academic Activities

• COMPREHENSIVE BANKING AND INSURANCE PROGRAMME

Faculty of Commerce offers a one-year Comprehensive Banking and Insurance Programme, since 4 years, to make the student industry ready for the job market in the Banking and Insurance sector as soon as a student completes graduation. This course is designed in such a manner so as to create a balance between theoretical and practical aspects of modern banking and insurance services. It also prepares the student to appear in all the arenas of competitive exams (IBPS and IRDA). In the current year 2017-2018, 50 students have completed the course successfully.

• WORKSHOP ON INTERVIEW SKILLS AND GROUP DISCUSSION

To prepare the students to face the corporate world and to make them industry ready, a guest lecture session was organized at Faculty of Commerce, GLS University on 12th March, 2018. The first session was conducted by Ms.Radhika Chaubal, Cluster Relationships Leader, Vice President, Yes Bank. She delivered a lecture on ‘Building a career in Digital Banking’ and explained the nuances of Banking and Insurance career by explaining the importance of maintaining cordial relations with clients. The second session was conducted by Ms. Preeti Nakhat, a Corporate Trainer, on ‘Developing Interview Skills’. By various audio-visual clips she taught students how to face group discussions and personal interviews.

• RESEARCH PROJECTS 2017-2018

Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. It describes, predicts and controls the observed phenomenon by identifying, analyzing and verifying the general or hypothesized principles, structures or processes. The strength of research is to find out the research problems, build arguments about ideas and concepts and to find evidences which can convince people to accept the research arguments.

The Research Group under Faculty of Commerce aims at balancing between quality and quantity by keeping pace with the current flow of information and knowledge. In the academic year 2017-2018, due the constant motivation of Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit following students have submitted their research projects in various areas under the guidance of Dr. Devyani Chatterji and Dr. Kruti Shah:

• ENIGMA: The Quiz Competition 2017-18

The Quiz Club of Faculty of Commerce, GLS University is designed as an innovative and interactive programme to facilitate a copious flow of knowledge and ideas among the students packaged in exciting rounds. ENIGMA: The Quiz Competition 2017-18 organised a Preliminary Round on 6th September 2016in which39 students participated from them the first 15 students were selected for the Finale. Finale was held on 29th January 2018 which was conducted by the Quiz Master Dr. Alpesh Upadhyay who has rendered his services as a Quiz Master in many Youth Festivals in Inter-College Saptadhara Quiz, Inter-District College Quiz at BISAG and so on. The event was coordinated by Dr. Devyani Chatterji.

The winners of the Finale of ENIGMA: The Quiz Competition 2017-2018 are:

• WORKSHOP ON INTERVIEW SKILLS AND GROUP DISCUSSION

Faculty of Commerce organized a two day workshop for the final year students on 22nd and 23rd January, 2018 to make them ready to face the corporate world. On 22nd January the first session was conducted by Ms. Surabhi Pillai, Associate Professor and a columnist. She guided the students for ‘CV Writing’. The second session was conducted by Ms. Harsiddhi Shah, a soft skills trainer. She trained the students for ‘Interview Skills’ and facing ‘Group Discussion’. On 23rd January the first session was conducted by Ms. Vama Rajpal, an Image Consultant on ‘How to build a Professional Image’. The second session was conducted by Ms. Rini Bahal Purohit, a corporate trainer. She enlightened the students on ‘Attitude and Confidence Building’. Around 120 students participated in the workshop.

• CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS CIMA-UK

In today’s competitive environment, every parent wishes that their child successfully obtains a professional qualification at a very early age. Obtaining professional degree of CA/CWA/CS is the prime goal of any commerce students but we at Faculty of Commerce not only believe in overall development but also to provide a platform for various professional opportunities rather than degree centric education. Under the leadership, guidance and motivation of our visionary Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit, we at Faculty of Commerce believe to provide education beyond the four walls of classroom.

Apart from B.Com and M.Com programmes, we at Faculty of Commerce, GLS University have chalked out a road map for the future. Our tie-up with CIMA has given a PAN India recognition to our Institute. In India we have good opportunities for obtaining professional educational qualification but with IFRS already entering few countries and knocking the doors of India, Accounting sooner or later is going to become a global language and to learn the language in a proper and apt way the need for the day is to have global qualification like CIMA. Established in 1919, CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants is world’s largest professional body of Management Accounting with 218,000 students and members across 177 countries.

• CIMA qualification has following four levels
  • Certificate level
  • Operational Level
  • Management Level
  • Strategic Level

In certificate level, out of four papers, student is required to give only one paper of Fundamental of Management Accounting as exemption is provided for other 3 subjects by mapping our university syllabus with CIMA syllabus.

Following 3 students secured ranks in top 20 at national level

• BRIDGE COURSE

Faculty of Commerce successfully conducted Bridge Course to develop English Proficiency skills for the Semester 1 students. 62 students enrolled for the course and were given training of English Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills. They also appear for the SCOPE examination at the end of the course.

• INTERNATIONAL IMMERSION PROGRAMME @ USA & CANADA

GLS University has designed an International Programme wherein participants will be immersed in the international environment at world’s most developed nation’s i.e USA and Canada. The program consists of International Academic exposure as well as several sight-seeing trips and cultural excursions. It is a three week program based in California Baptist University, USA or Georgian College Canada in the month of May2018. Participating in the International Immersion Programme will provide students with international experience and should broaden the perspective on the world and professional networks. Dr. Dharmesh Shah Registrar, GLS University delivered a very encouraging talk at Faculty of Commerce on 5th January, 2018 to enlighten the students regarding the International Academic exposure and benefits of participating in the International Immersion programme.

• INTER-COLLEGIATE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ELOCUTION COMPETITION 2018

To celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and to pay rich tribute to this great sage and thinker, Swami Vivekananda Youth Club of our institute organized an Inter-collegiate Swami Vivekananda Elocution Competition for undergraduate students of different colleges of Ahmedabad on 12th January 2018. Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit delivered the welcome address and talked about the principles and values preached by Vivekananda. Nineteen participants spoke on the topic “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”- Vivekananda’s call to the nation. The competition was judged by Dr. K.S. Purohit, Gastroenterologist, Dr. Nilam Trivedi, Dean, Faculty of Education, GLS University and Ms.Naomi Mistry, Communication trainer. The event was graced by Dr. B.H. Joshi, Provost,GLS University. He talked about nurturing the feelings of nationalism and patriotism among students by organizing such events in educational institutes. The winner Priya Pandey from J.G. College of Commerce was awarded trophy, certificate and cash prize. The 2nd and 3rd winners were given cash prizes and certificates.

• COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP

Faculty of Commerce, GLS University organized Communication workshop for its Semester 2 and Semester 4 B.Com students on 4th and 5th January, 2018. The eminent Communication and Soft skill trainers Ms. Rama Mundra, Ms. Isha Shah, Mr. Pratik Dholakiya and Dr. Mahima Bhatt delivered sessions on Confidence Building, Etiquettes and Grooming, Public Speaking & Presentation Skills and Basic tips on Hair and Skin that guided and trained students for the areas which help them to grow professionally as well as personally. Around 185 students from F. Y. and 180 students from S. Y. attended the workshop.

• ECOFEST 2017

Under the Economics Club, Faculty of Commerce has organized “ECOFEST 2017” (in house event). It was conducted on 12th December, 2017 and 13th December, 2017. On 12th December, ‘Polychromatic’ and ‘Outlook’ both events had taken place. ‘Polychromatic’ event was based on identification of different economic concepts through economic diagrams and analyzing Global Financial crisis. And, ‘Outlook’ was based on solving economic problem of a country. On 13th December, ‘Jeugos Economicos’ event had taken place, which was based on the fun economic game covering thinking caps and modulacion economic sectors. The main objective behind this event was to cultivate interest among commerce students for economics subject.

• NSE FinQuiz 2017

Faculty of Commerce hosted NSE FinQuiz 2017 – A National Level Quiz Competition on 24th November 2017 with an objective to provide platform for hidden talents. The quiz was based on World of Finance, Trivia and General Information in which 80 students participated in a team of two. Following teams were the winners and will appear for the City round:

Team 1: Mr. Pratik Periwal(Sem 4) and Mr. Dhruv Patadiya(Sem 4)
Team 2: Miss. Trushali Chauhan(Sem 2) and Miss. Nidhi Gupta(Sem 2)

• FACULTY OF COMMERCE REPRESENTS GLS UNIVERSITY OVERSEAS…

With a view to expand its horizons beyond the international borders , GLS university’s Faculty of Commerce organized an International Conference on ‘Emerging Trends in Global Accounting ,Finance and Corporate Annual Report Presentation ‘ in collaboration with CIMA, in Colombo, Srilanka on 2nd November, 2017. Sri Sudhir Nanavati, President, GLS University displayed yet another gesture of his love for the Faculty of Commerce and kindness by flying all the way from Ahmedabad to Colombo to grace the occasion. Mr.Bhasker Ranjan Das, Head of CIMA, South Asia, and Prof.Samanthe, Head, Faculty of Accounting, Jayvardhane University, Colombo, were among the other dignitaries.

There were around 55 delegates from India and Srilanka to make this conference a successful and fruitful event.

Addressing the conference, Shri Sudhirbhai congratulated the Dean and staff of Faculty of Commerce for organising such a conference and briefly introduced GLS and GLS university to the delegates and the guests from Srilanka. He emphasised on the significance of such platforms for the academic as well as cultural exchange to facilitate the augmentation of knowledge at global level. Sudhirbhai said, the discussion and deliberation among the academic fraternity and the exchange of views with each other enhances the knowledge experience and enriches the research scenario globally. He also shared the pleasant news about the MoU between GLS University and CIMA and shared the details. Expressing his happiness about the MoU, Sudhirbhai said that such MoUs are extremely beneficial to the student fraternity and it is the need of the hour as with the dual qualification along with the global recognition, students of GLS University shall have a cutting edge over their counter parts in the employment market internationally. The MoU between GLS University and CIMA, UK shall allow the students attain not only the valuable graduation degree from GLS University,but also a globally recognised certification from CIMA which is recognised in around 179 countries. He expressed his wish to organise another such conference at Ahmedabad, on a bigger scale and invited CIMA, Srilanka to India.

Dr.Ashwin Purohit, Dean, Faculty of Commerce, emphasised upon such platforms to bring the academic views together globally for the benefit of global academic scenario. He thanked all those who contributed in making the conference a great success.

Delegates from GLS and other universities had been on a tour of Srilanka for attending this conference. The team of Indian delegates also enjoyed a good tour of Srilanka and witnessed the glimpses of the nature and culture of Srilanka.

• GUEST SESSION IN BRIDGE COURSE

Bhowmik Saikat, Assistant Manager – Marketing at IDP EDUCATION was invited to deliver session on International English Language Testing System to Bridge Course Students of our institute on 12th September, 2017. He explained the students about various English Proficiency tests to be taken in order to enter into foreign Universities and then focused on the Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking Skills of IELTs. Students were given important tips to enhance their English Proficiency skills.

• GUEST LECTURE AND CERTIFICATE DISTRIBUTION OF COMPREHENSIVE BANKING AND INSURANCE PROGRAM

Faculty of Commerce organized a Guest Lecture by Mr. Samir Joshi, Zonal Training Head, DCB Bank West and Mr. Dhaval Mandaliya, Zonal Administration Head, DCB Bank West for the students of Comprehensive Banking and Insurance Program on 11th September, 2017 at the Institute. They talked on the topic ‘Emerging Job Opportunities in Banking Sector’ followed by questions and answers session. It was a knowledge gaining session for the students who aim to pursue Banking Career as their future. The lecture was followed by distribution of certificates to the third batch of Comprehensive Banking and Insurance Program. As a part of successful completion of the course, 50 students were awarded certificates by the Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit, Mr. Samir Joshi and Mr. Dhaval Mandaliya.

•  GST SEMINAR

Faculty of Commerce organized a seminar to acquaint the final year Commerce students with the much debatable topic GST (Goods and Services Tax) on 19th August, 2017. The function began with a welcome speech by the Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit who gave his insight on the topic as well as showed his inquisitiveness to know more about the impact of GST on various fields. The first speaker of the seminar was Mr. Uday Bhayani, Class-I Accounts Officer, EDP Cell, Directorate of Accounts and Treasuries, Finance Department, Government of Gujarat. Being the in-charge of e- PAO GST office meant for Accounting of GST Receipts of Government of Gujarat, he shared detailed information regarding the procedure and the documents to be submitted for GST. He also explained the GSTN (Goods and Services Network) comprehensively. The second speaker for the day was Shri CA Aniket Talati. Being the youngest ever Chairman of Ahmedabad Branch of ICAI, he gave a vivid description of various provisions of GST right from its levy to the definition of Supply and the place at which GST will be applicable. His lucid examples on CGST, SGST and IGST gave a lot of clarity to the students to understand the nuances of GST. He explained the complexities of GST in a simplified manner. Dr. M. E. Jokhi informed that the students of GLS University will be the first lot of students in the entire state of Gujarat to appear in University examination wherein they will attempt the question of GST as GST is already included in the syllabus of B.Com at GLS University. The function ended with question-answer session wherein Mr. Talati addressed to the queries and doubts of the students.

• STUDY ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP AT AMA

Faculty of Commerce organized a ‘Study Enhancement Programme’ – One day workshop at Ahmedabad Management Association on 4th August 2017 in order to provide valuable knowledge inputs on Essentials of lateral thinking, Branding and Building Image, Introduction to business promotion and Excellence in Marketing. The renowned speakers Mr. Kamal Dabawala, and Mr. Sanjay Chakraborty gave their insights on the above topics. 44 students participated in the workshop. The In charge faculties were Dr. Krupa Bhatt and Prof. Devyani Chatterji.

• “MANTHAN: A Thought Provoking Mission” – An Inter-Class Elocution Competition 2017

Under the auspices of English Club, Faculty of Commerce organized “Manthan: A Thought Provoking Mission”, an Inter – class Elocution competition with an aim to remove stage fear and improve Oratory skills of the students. It is an event which is “For The Students, Of The Students, By The Students” .The Primary level competition was conducted on 21st of July 2017 in their respective classes wherein 183 students participated enthusiastically. 45 Winners of Primary Round participated in the Intermediate Round on 2nd August 2017. Finale of Manthan was held on 18th August 2016. Dr.Geeta Mehta, Principal B.D.Arts College and Dr. Neerja Arun Gupta, Principal, Bhavans College judged the Finale of an Inter-class Elocution Competition. The Event was coordinated by Prof. Rupa Pariyani and Dr. Gitanjali Rampal. The winners of all three rounds were awarded with certificates. The winners of the Finale were also awarded with trophies. Manthan Finale round winners were:

1. Kunal Gidwani
2. Karan Raghani
3. Devanshu Vakil

• “READERS ARE LEADERS”: ‘FOR THE STUDENTS, OF THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS’

“READERS ARE LEADERS” presents a motivating thought and a new word to everyone on the campus through White Board placed outside of G1 Classroom. This Whiteboard communicates to the masses and spreads the knowledge. A well said thought churns the mind of every reader and a new word is added to the vocabulary of every passerby everyday. Students with full dedication and enthusiasm write a new thought and a new word on the board and other students eagerly await the new arrivals. This entire activity is coordinated by Prof. Rupa A. Pariyani.

• CAREER GUIDANCE SEMINAR
                   CIMA- UK
  Chartered Global Management Accountant

Faculty of Commerce, GLS University started CIMA-UK Professional Qualification leading to CGMA designation. Established in 1919, CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants is the world’s largest professional body of Management Accounting with 2,18,000 students and members across 178 countries. Tie-up with CIMA-UK has given aPAN India recognition to FOC- GLS UNIVERSITY. On 18th July, 2017, Faculty of Commerce conducted an awareness session for its Semester 1 Students, with an aim to provide the students an opportunity to study the most relevant international professional qualification CIMA. Mr.Saifuddin Lokhandwala, Regional Business Manager at CIMA conducted the session wherein he talked about an opportunity to undergo a professional qualification which is internationally recognized and having global employment opportunities. Around 200 students and parents attended the seminar.

Academic Activities

• COMPREHENSIVE BANKING & INSURANCE PROGRAM

• BRIDGE COURSE

• ACCOUNTING TALENT HUNT 2017

• ENIGMA: The Quiz Competition 2017

The Quiz Club of Faculty of Commerce, GLS University is designed as an innovative and interactive programme to facilitate a copious flow of knowledge and ideas among the students packed in exciting rounds. ENIGMA: The Quiz Competition 2016-17 organised a Preliminary Round on 31st January 2017 wherein 33 students participated out of which the first 15 students were selected for the Finale. Finale was held on 1st March 2017 which was conducted by the Quiz Master Dr. Alpesh Upadhyay who has rendered his services as a Quiz Master in several Youth Festivals, Inter-College Saptadhara Quizzes, Inter-District College Quizzes at BISAG etc. The whole event was conducted and coordinated by Dr. Devyani Chatterji and Dr. Krupa Bhatt.

The winners of the Finale were:

First Position: Pratik Tanwani, Dinesh Thawani and Nikunj Gohil
Second Position: Pratik Periwal, Arhum Sancheti and Kunal Gidwani
Third Position: Srushti Patel, Avinash Sachdev and Harsh Anandani

• CIMA STUDENTS’ FELICITATION FUNCTION

• GLS UNIVERSITY’S INTERNATIONAL IMMERSION PROGRAMME

• INTER-COLLEGIATE SWAMI VIVEKANAND ELOCUTION COMPETITION 2017

• E-LAUNCH OF PRISM MAGAZINE

• WORKSHOP ON INTERVIEW SKILLS AND GROUP DISCUSSION

• A Day at IIM-A

Faculty of Commerce Management Club students represented the college in one day workshop “one day @ IIM at Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Ahmedabad on 2nd of October 2016. A contingent of 9 students experienced a full day program. Students got the insight of modern subjects of management and interacted with the faculty of IIMA.

The students had sessions on the following topics:

The sessions were followed by interactions on significant topics. The optimistic vibes were felt by the invited students in the workshop. Students were taught the management lessons with practical implications and strategies. Two surprise elements were organized by IIM students of which one was in regards to “A Report Writing of The Topic Emotional Intelligence” and the other was “A Quiz Related to Current Affairs in Corporate World.” ‘The surprise element’ and ‘The interaction with PRAYAS kids’ acted as a value addition in the overall experience.

• GUEST LECTURE AND CERTIFICATE DISTRIBUTION OF COMPREHENSIVE BANKING AND INSURANCE PROGRAM

• PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

• WORKSHOP ON CASE STUDY IN ACCOUNTING

• ECO-FEST 2016

FOC had organized ECO-FEST 2016 with more than 150 members of Economics club on 09th August and 10th August 2016. This Eco-fest was divided into two days event. On 9th August, 2016 the first event was “IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES of Economics (DUMB CHARARDES). In this event, the student explained the Economic term or name of the Economists with the help of acting or by drawing a diagram or figures on the board. The main objective behind this activity was to create interest in the students towards Economics subject and gather some information about the theory and theorists who have given important contribution in subject.

On 10th August, the Eco-fest was followed by the second event as “OPTIMUM SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEMS OF INDIAN STATES”. In this event, the Power Point presentations were done on different states of India, by representing different economic problems with their current situation and optimum solution of that problems and suggestions on that in a group of students of Faculty of Commerce. This second event was organized with a goal of making students aware about the different kinds of economic problems of the Indian states. These events were conducted under the guidance of Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit and coordinated by Prof. Anjali Trivedi, with a view to make students more interested in such a theoretical subject in a modern era.

• “MANTHAN : A Thought Provoking Mission” – An Inter-Class Elocution Competition

Under the auspices of English Club, We organized “Manthan: A Thought Provoking Mission”, an Inter – class Elocution competition with an aim to remove stage fear and improve Oratory skills of the students. It is an event which is “For The Students, Of The Students, By The Students” .The Primary level competition was conducted in their respective classes wherein the students participated enthusiastically. Best three students were selected for the Finale. Finale of Manthan was held on 08th August 2016.Dr. Kavita Patel, Head of English Department Smt. Sadguna C.U. Shah Arts College of Girls and Dr. Tejal Jani, Assistant Professor in Communication Skills GLSIBA judged the Finale of an Inter-class Elocution Competition. The Event was coordinated by Prof. Rupa Pariyani and Dr. Gitanjali Rampal. The winners of both the rounds were awarded with certificates. The winners of the Fiinale were also awarded with trophies. Manthan Finale round winners were:

1. Devanshu Vakil (Semester 3)
2. Riya Rani (Semester 3)
3. Rishabh Sandariya (Semester 1)

• “READERS ARE LEADERS”: ‘FOR THE STUDENTS, OF THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS’

• CIMA Seminar

• Study Enhancement and Development Workshop at AMA

• Financial Literacy Seminar

• FOC launches CIMA-UK Professional Qualification

Academic Activities

• WORKSHOP ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCIES

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) in association with GLS Institute for Professional Studies organized a Workshop on Professional Communications Competencies from 17th to 19th March, 2016 at H. H. Auditorium(GLS). The objective of the workshop was to equip the students with excellent communication skills to enable them to have a competitive edge and be a winner in their career. Eminent corporate trainers Mr. Rushiraj Patel, IIMA alumnus and Management Consultant, Yash Saxena, Co-founder of Openfuel covered several important topics like ‘Resume/Curriculam Vitae Writing’, ‘Body Language’ and ‘Interview Techniques’ to acquaint the students with present corporate scenario.

• Creative Writing Workshop

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organized a ‘Creative Writing Workshop’ on 23rd and 24th February, 2016. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Shweta Rao Garg, Asst.Prof. in Communication, DAIICT, a Sahitya Academy Award winner. Around 50 students participated in this workshop. The students not only learned how to use English Language creatively but also learned about various genres of literature and wrote haiku, screen play and short stories. It was quite a learning experience for the commerce students.

• ENIGMA: An Inter-class Quiz Competition

ENIGMA – The Quiz Club of S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce is designed as an innovative and interactive programme to facilitate a copious flow of knowledge and ideas among the students packed in exciting rounds. ENIGMA’s Quiz Contest 2015-16 organised an Elimination Round on 21st August 2015 where in all 70 students participated from them the first 24 students got selected for the Semi-Finals. Semi-Final was held on 15th September 2015 among 8 teams. 4 teams were selected for the Finale. Finale was held on 22nd February 2016 which was conducted by the Quiz Master Dr. Alpesh Upadhyay who has rendered his services as a Quiz Master in many Youth Festivals in an Inter-College Saptadhara Quizzes, Inter-District College Quizzes at BISAG and many more. The competition was coordinated by Prof. Devyani Chatterji and Prof. Krupa Bhatt.

The winning teams of the Finale are:
First Position: Sarthak Shah, Mo. Aamir Tirmizi and Pooja Modi
Second Position: Maulik Patel, Dhara Shah and Atit Shah
Third Position: Dhaval Mapara, Rajdeepsingh Bunait and Heet Malde

• “Manthan : A Thought Provoking Mission”- An Inter-Class Elocution Competition

Under the auspices of Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) English Club, Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organized “Manthan: A Thought Provoking Mission”, an Inter- class Elocution competition for semester –2 students of GLS University. The primary level competition was conducted on 19th January 2016, in their respective classes wherein the students participated enthusiastically. Best three students were selected for the finale. Finale of Manthan was held on 19th February, 2016.Dr. Suhasben Jhala, Principal, Sadguna C. U. Shah Arts College for Girls, Dr. R. V. Mehta, Principal, I. M. Nanavati Law College and Dr. Sanjay Vakil, Principal, H. A. College of Commerce judged the finale of the Inter-class Elocution competition. The winners of both the rounds were awarded with certificates. The trophies will be awarded to the winners of Finale in the Annual Day Function.

• ACCOUNTING TALENT HUNT 2016

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) and Indian Accounting Association, Gujarat Branch organized ‘6th State Level Accounting Talent Hunt 2016’ on 16th February, 2016 in the college premises. Approximately 550 students from various Higher Secondary schools (Commerce Stream) and undergraduate (BBA & B.Com) colleges participated in the competition. The competition intends to hone the accounting skills of the students and raise the status of accounting both as a discipline and as an important tool for managerial decision making. The students will be awarded with cash prizes, trophy and certificate.

• Inter-Collegiate Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition 2016

To commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce organized an Inter-collegiate Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition for undergraduate students of different colleges of Ahmedabad and the institutes of Gujarat Law Society on 12th January 2016.

Twenty four participants spoke on the topic “Swami Vivekanand’s views on emancipation of women”. On this occasion Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit said “The most meaningful and longest social movement continuing in the present day is the emancipation of women. Though the main purpose for women empowerment is to enhance the quality of life for women, but it has deep ramifications in social, economic and political scenario.”

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) has been organizing this competition for the last four years. The Competition was judged by Dr. Rajendrasinh Jadeja, Director, C. N. Vidhyavihar, Shri Shrikant Namjoshi, Active member of Ramkrishna Mission and Ms. Bela Mehta, Principal C. U. Shah Primary School. The winner institute H. L. College of Commerce was awarded trophy, certificate and a cash prize wherein the 2nd and 3rd winners were given cash prizes along with participation certificates.

• Personality Development Workshop at Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC)

With the objective of grooming students and acquainting them with the skills required to grow and sustain in the corporate world, S.M. Patel Institute of Commerce in association with GLS Institute for Professional Studies organised Personality Development Workshop from 28th to 30th December 2015 for Bridge Course students. Ms. Rini Bahal Purohit, a soft skill trainer and Ms. Preeti Nakhat, a corporate trainer delivered sessions on Body Language, Grooming , Interview Skills and Decision Making. Approximately 70 Students actively participated in different activities conducted in the workshop.

• E-COMMERCE WORKSHOP

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organized a Two Day workshop on E-Commerce on 22nd and 23rd December, 2015 for the Semester-2 B.Com students to familiarize with practical aspects of their subject E -commerce at H. H. Auditorium (GLS).The workshop was co- ordinated by Prof.Krupa Bhatt, Prof.BhavnaParwani ,Prof.Bhavik Swadia and Prof.Jaimin Patel. In the workshop distinguished personalities from business world like Mr.Vatsal Shah, Founder, Pragmatic Consultancy & DIMC, Mr.Surendra Sharma, associated with IIFS, AMA & TMI e2e Systems and Mr.Prakhar Gupta, Prog. Manager and Head, Domestic Business, Build a Bazaar from infibeam.com imparted knowledge about operations and applications of E-Commerce and even shared their invaluable industry experience with the students. Around 300 students attended the workshop and were enriched with the knowledge about E-Commerce, the booming business of 21st century.

• Students and Faculty Exchange Program

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) undertook Students and Faculty Exchange Program on 28th September 2015 at B. J. Vanijya Mahavidyalaya, Vallabh Vidyanagar. Around 30 students along with Prin. Dr. Ashwin Purohit and 6 faculty members visited BJVM campus. S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce has entered into MOU with BJVM for sharing infrastructure and learning resources and student-faculty exchange program. The purpose of the visit was to discuss various teaching -learning methodology and different curricular and co- curricular activities of both the institutes. An interactive session between students and faculty members of both the institutes was held. Students showcased their talents by performing various cultural events at BJVM Campus.

• ISBN PUBLICATION

Adding one more feather to the crown, Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) on 26th September 2015 released two maiden ISBN publication titled “ Provisions of Companies Act, 2013 & Corporate Social Responsibility” Edited by Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit and C.A M.E Jokhi and “ Development Dynamics of Gujarat – Growth opportunities and Potential ahead” co- authored by Dean Dr Ashwin Purohit and Dr. Mala Sharma. The occasion was graced by Shri Sudhir Nanavati, President, GLS University, Dr.Bhalchandra Joshi, Executive Director, GLS University and Dr. Hitesh Ruparel, Director General, GLS University.

• Seminar on ‘Concordia Experience’ at Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC)

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organized a seminar on ‘Concordia Experience’ on 26th September, 2015. SMPIC has signed an MoU with Concordia College, New York for a Transfer Program and a Faculty Exchange Program of academic study at Concordia College. As per the agreement, Students can complete 6 semesters at commerce colleges of GLS and do 2 semesters with Concordia College to earn a Bachelors American degree and proceed to earn a Post Graduate degree in One year instead of two years. Moreover, Students who are accepted by Concordia College will be offered a minimum tuition scholarship of USD 10,000 per annum. Mr. Immanuel R. Kumar, Head of India operations, Concordia college made the presentation and briefed all the details to the students and parents regarding Concordia experience. Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit encouraged the students to pursue the dual degree program offered by Concordia college explaining its benefits. The entire seminar was coordinated by Prof. Bhumika Ansodaria.

•  Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) SIGNS MoU WITH SAYEN

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 25th September, 2015 at Ahmedabad between the South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN) and Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) (SMPIC). The College in partnership with SAYEN Secretariat proposes to set up an Eco Club involving the students of the college in environmental and sustainable development programme. The MoU is being entered into in this context by Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit and faculty Dr. Kavita Dave with Mr. T.K.Balappan C.A.O and Ms. Madhavi Joshi of SAYEN Centre for Environment Education.

South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN) is supported by the UNEP Regional Office, Asia and the Pacific, SAYEN is linked to TUNZA, UNEP’s strategy for engaging young people in environmental activities and in the work of UNEP. CEE hosts the Secretariat for SAYEN, which has membership from all the SAARC countries. An organization in each of the SAARC country has been identified as the National Focal Point (NFP) for the network. The number of SAYEN members in each country ranges from 20 to 100 with over 1500 youth organizations, individual, national and international agencies including Government in the region associated with SAYEN. The NFPs facilitate SAYEN activities in their respective countries.

SAYEN shall guide Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) Eco Club in terms of environmental awareness and action, and hold periodic interactions with club members at the college.SAYEN will feature updates and activities of the Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) Eco Club in its newsletter and website.

•  LAUNCH OF STATISTICS DIGEST FOR SEMESTER 1:

  ‘FOR THE STUDENTS, OF THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS’

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) is the first college of its kind in which Statistics Forum students started with an innovative academic practice of preparing young minds to write book on their syllabus in statistics subject.

This forum is the brain child of Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit of Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC), GLS University and Dean of Commerce of GLS University. The forum is co ordinated by Dr. Kavita Dave, Ph.D Gujarat University and GLS University.

The objective of this practice is to provide platform to read, learn and understand the fundamentals of the subject in the better way.

A Statistics Digest for semester 1 has been prepared by the team of 25 students which consisted of more than 300 solved questions with brief summary and short cut methods of solving examples.

The book was launched on 23rd September 2015 in which more than 120 students participated and the event was graced by the renowned statistician Dr. Rajshriben Bhatt, Head of Statistics Department Gujarat University, President of Lions Club former member of Senate, Syndicate of Gujarat University and Ex Chairperson of Board of Studies of Statistics of Gujarat University.

•  Economics Club

Economics is the mother of all the subject of Commerce. S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce inaugurated “ECONOMICS CLUB” on 7th September, 2015 with the first session on ‘Basics and Practical application of Economics in Real World’. Shree Vadibhai Patel, a senior Economist and Coordinator of GLS, was the speaker of the session. He briefed about the origin and history of Economics in the global world. He expressed his views on the utility of subject in practical life. Around 100 students along with the faculty members were enlightened with his excellent oratory skills. The main objective behind launching Economics club is to generate interest among students towards the subject and motivate them to participate in various activities like quiz, debate, practical application of economics through presentation on different current aspects, animation videos, visiting research institutions etc. This inaugural session of Economics Club was coordinated by Prof. Anjali Trivedi under the guidance of Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit.

•  EDUCATIONAL VISIT AT IIMA-OPEN DAY INITIATIVE BY IIMA

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) successfully participated in an educational visit organized by The INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AHMEDABAD on the 22nd of August 2015. A team of 15 students from Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) participated in this visit.

The first session was on Organizational Committee followed by a session on Marketing Management with case study and lastly a seminar by Harward faculty on General Management and Leadership skills. There was a case study of ‘SABKA-COLA’ resulting in death of 3-4 children wherein we as a student were selected as a member of Organizational Committee which includes CEO, CMO, CFO etc. At last there was a seminar conducted at the RAVI.J.MATTHAI auditorium where in more than 570 students from different colleges like MICA, NIRMA, SEPT, NID, XAVIERS etc. participated and our student Shruti Patel of Semester 3 was selected as one of the BEST SIX CMO by IIMA.

•  Educational Visit to The Stock Exchange Investor’s Protection Fund

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organised a Two-Day Educational Visit of 120 students on 4th and 5th August 2015 to BSE Investor Service Centre, Ahmedabad with an objective to create awareness amongst the prospective investors about the Capital Markets and the safeguards that they need to follow while dealing in stock market. The program covered different aspects of Stock market activities like Clearing and Settlement, Investor’s Grievances Redressal Mechanism, Working of the Stock Exchange, Do’s and Don’ts for the investors; followed by Question-Answer Sessions. The sessions were conducted by Mr. Mahesh Pandya, Secretariat Investor Protection Fund and Ms. Seema Srivastava, Centre Manager, BSE Institute Ltd. Professor in charges: Prof. Krupa Bhatt, Prof. Devyani Chatterji and Dr. Bhavik Swadia.

•  READING CLUB WORKSHOP

A two day Reading workshop was organized on 6th and 7th August, 2015 at Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC). A renowned faculty, Prof. Amar Gargesh was invited to conduct the workshop.

The workshop covered the topics like creative thinking, lateral thinking, knowing you, personality development, communication skills and mind- mapping. In audio-visual presentation, Prof. Gargesh briefed about current updates in the technological field. He also conducted various creative activities relevant to the topic in which all the students actively participated.

These activities helped the students to bring out their hidden potential. He further emphasized on ‘out of the box thinking’ for eg. how to think differently considering various aspects which would be considered as lateral thinking.

Overall, the sessions conducted were interactive which helped the students to build confidence and come up with their own creative and innovative ideas. The students got a chance to know themselves better. This workshop helped in changing and enhancing their thought process, attitude and approach towards life.

•  Study Enhancement and Development Workshop at AMA

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organized Study Enhancement and Development Workshop at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) on 28^th July 2015 on Interview Skills, Creative Thinking, Branding and Image Building in which 84 students participated enthusiastically. They learnt to sharpen their creativity and build strong self-image. The workshop was coordinated by Prof. Krupa Bhatt and Prof. Devyani Chatterji.

•  WORKSHOP ON COMMUNICATION

Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) organized a four day ‘Workshop on Communication’ under English Club from 14^th July, 2015 to 17^th July, 2015. 84 students of Semester-1 participated in the workshop.

The workshop aimed at enhancing and polishing their English Language skills. The introductory session was conducted by T. J. Purani, Director,C. N. Vidyavihar. He acquainted the students with nature of language, taught them the nuances of ‘correct English’ and set the tone for the remaining sessions of the workshop. The students were awarded participation certificate at the end of the workshop.

•  COMPREHENSIVE BANKING & INSURANCE PROGRAM

With a view to impart knowledge beyond the four walls of the classroom and to move out of the prescribed academic syllabus, Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) conducts a Certificate Course in Banking and Insurance. With a vision to make the student ready for the job market in the Banking and Insurance sector as soon as student completes graduation, this course is designed in such a manner as to balance between theoretical and practical aspects of modern Banking and Insurance. With lot of avenues opening up, the second batch of 53 students is ready to face the challenges of Banking and Insurance arena.

•  BRIDGE COURSE

Faculty of Commerce successfully conducted Bridge Course to develop English Proficiency skills of the Semester-1 students. Around 101 students enrolled for the course and were given training of English Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills. They also appeared for the SCOPE examination at the end of the course.

• “READERS ARE LEADERS”: ‘FOR THE STUDENTS, OF THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS’

“READERS ARE LEADERS” presents a motivating thought and a new word to everyone on the campus through White Board placed outside of G1 Classroom. This Whiteboard communicates to the masses and spreads the knowledge. A well said thought churns the mind of every reader and a new word is added to the vocabulary of every passerby everyday. Students with full dedication and enthusiasm write a new thought and a new word on the board and other students eagerly await the new arrivals. This entire activity is coordinated by Prof. Rupa A. Pariyani.

•  PRISM RELEASE FUNCTION

The 14th issue of Annual College magazine ‘PRISM’ was released on 20^th June, 2015 by Shri Sudhir Nanavati, President, GLS University. Educating students is the primary mission of every educational institution but through PRISM, Faculty of Commerce(SMPIC) provides a platform to students for expressing their creativity, ideas and original thoughts. Dean Dr. Ashwin Purohit acknowledged the hard work and congratulated TEAM PRISM.

Academic Activities

•  Accounting Talent Hunt 2015

SMPIC and Indian Accounting Association, Gujarat Branch organized ‘5^th State Level Accounting Talent Hunt 2015’ on 25^th March, 2015 in the college premises. More than 250 students from various commerce colleges participated in the competition. The competition intends to hone the accounting skills of the students and raise the status of accounting both as a discipline and as an important tool for managerial decision making. The students will be awarded with cash prizes, trophy and certificate.

1. First Prize : Rs. 3,000 cash + Trophy + Certificate
2. Second Prize : Rs. 2,000 cash + Trophy + Certificate
3. Third Prize : Rs. 1,000 cash + Trophy + Certificate
4. Five Consolation Prizes: Rs. 500 each.
5. Certificates of Ranking will be given to Top 50 students.
6. Certificate of participation to all participants.

•  SMPIC signs an MoU with Concordia College, New York

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Shri Sudhir Nanavati, Executive Vice President, Gujarat Law Society and Mr. Viji George, President, Concordia College, New York, USA in the presence of Dr. Ashwin Purohit, Principal, SMPIC and Mr. Immanuel R. Kumar, Head of India operations, Concordia college on 7th March, 2015, between S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce, Ahmedabad and the Concordia College, in Bronxville, New York, for a Transfer Program and a Faculty Exchange Program of academic study at Concordia College. The MoU provides an opportunity to pursue student and faculty exchange activities in order to promote understanding and goodwill and strengthen cultural ties and broaden student as well as faculty experience and horizons. SMPIC students who have completed three years of full-time academic work at the graduation level are eligible. Under this program, GLS students will be benefitted to a great extent as they will earn two international degrees in just two years. As per the agreement, students can complete 6 semesters at commerce colleges of GLS and do 2 semesters with Concordia College to earn a Bachelors American degree and proceed to earn a Post Graduate degree in One year instead of two years. Moreover, Students who are accepted by Concordia College will be offered a minimum tuition scholarship of USD 10,000 per annum. Concordia College and S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce propose to also actively plan and implement a staff and student exchange programme between the two institutions. A Presentation Program was arranged on 7th March at GLS Auditorium wherein President of Concordia College Mr. Viji George made audio-visual presentationto brief the students about Concordia Experience. Prof. Bhumika Ansodaria co-ordinated the Presentation Program.

•  BJVM institute’s Visit to SMPIC

Around 25 students along with the faculty members and the Director from one of the prestigious Commerce institutes of Central Gujarat, BJVM institute, Vallabh Vidyanagar visited SMPIC on 25th February, 2015. The visit was a part of the students and faculty exchange programme between the two leading institutes in the field of Commerce and Management.

The guest students were enriched with a scholarly session on Banking by the Manager of Kotak Mahindra Bank. The session was followed by an interactive session wherein the guests from BJVM were officially welcomed and acquainted with the activities and achievements of SMPIC. Following the introduction of the Faculty by Prof. M.E.Jokhi, Principal Dr.Ashwin Purohit addressed the gathering and informed about the glorious past and present of SMPIC.

The formal session was followed by an informal interaction between the students of both the institutes. The BJVM students were also taken on a tour of the college and the campus. Finally the visit got concluded over lunch with a sense of satisfaction on both the sides.

• Two Day Personality Development and Communication Skills Workshop   at SMPIC

S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce in association with GLS Institute for Professional Studies organised Two Day Personality Development and Communication Skills Workshop on 18th and 19th February, 2015 at GLS Auditorium. The objective of the workshop was to groom students and acquaint them with the skills required to grow and sustain in the corporate world. Various tools and techniques were used by eminent corporate trainers to enable the participants to have a competitive edge and be a winner in their career. The workshop covered several important areas that added value to the students. It included ‘Introduction and Insights of Communication’ by Prof. Amar Gargesh, visiting faculty MICA, ‘Developing Entrepreneurial Streak’ by Shri Rohit Swaroop, Director Xplora Design. Student were exposed to the language of ‘Verbal and Non-verbal Communication’ by Ms. Rupa Sukhadia, Communication Expert followed by a comprehensive presentation on ‘Visual Communication’ by Prof.Subhas Tendle, MICA. The second day opened with discussions on ‘Presentation Techniques’ by Prof. Amar Gargesh with emphasis on utilising existing & external tools and resources. Prof U. T. Rao of MICA shared information about ‘Creating Opportunities through Entrepreneurship’ and incubation facilities available in India and globally. Ms. Sukhadia guided students on aspects about ‘Grooming and Etiquettes’ for better impression and impact. The workshop ended with a demonstration of ‘Interview Techniques’ through mock interviews with a panel and expel feedback and comments by Ms. Jyoti Jumani, a Communication Expert.

• ‘MINDOTSAV 2015’

S.M. Patel Institute of Commerce organized ‘Mindotsav 2015′, first of its kind, on 14th and 16th February 2015. In spite of Valentines day, theevent received overwhelming response. More than 100 students registered for various competitions. Competitions includedinnovative Ad-making, creative Power Point Presentations, Brain storming Quiz and thought provokingGroup Discussion. SMPIC Alumni were invited to judge all events. Suggestions given by them were valuable. Entire event was solely organized and managed by students. In the Prize Distribution Function, looking at the enthusiasm shown by the students, Principal Dr.Ashwin Purohit announced that the event will be organized every year to bring out students’ hidden talent.

THE WINNERS OF THE FOUR EVENTS ARE AS UNDER:

AD MAD EVENT WINNERS

PPT EVENT WINNERS

GROUP DISCUSSION EVENT WINNERS

QUIZ EVENT WINNERS

• Educational Visit to Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research (SPIESR)

On 3^rd February 2015 an educational visit was organized by the students of Statistics Club at Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research; a leading Social Science Research Institute in India. The students were imparted information about the significance of research, training and extension by the director Prof (Dr.) Niti Mehta. Prof. (Dr.) Kalpana explained career opportunities for the students having Masters in Economics and Statistics. The students also got an opportunity to visit Harivallabhdas Kalidas Library of the Institute, a specialized library with more than 50000 books and hundreds of journals.

• 16^th National Conference of the Association of Indian College Principals

The 16^th National Conference of the Association of Indian College Principals on “Perspectives of Higher Education in the 21^st Century” was organized by GLS. S.M.Patel Institute of Commerce and H.A.College of Commerce coordinated the conference, wherein more than 250 delegates participated from seventeen States all over the country. The conference was inaugurated by Smt. Vasuben Trivedi, Hon. Minister of State for Education, Gujarat, in the presence of Shri Sudhir Nanavati, Executive Vice-President, GLS; Dr. M.N. Patel, Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Shrigurkar, Chairman, AICP and Prin. Subhash Brahmbhatt, President, AICP. Sadhu Shri Brahmavihari Swami enraptured the audience about the realities of education and the need to create a sense of responsibility in Principals and students. The valedictory function of the conference was held on the 31^st of January wherein Shri Bhupendrasinhji Chudasma, Hon. Minister of Education, Gujarat, was the chief guest and Shri Sudhirbhai Nanavati was the guest of honour.

• SWAMI VIVEKANAND YOUTH CLUB

Through various activities, Swami Vivekananda Youth Club shares Swami Vivekananda’s progressive ideas of power, glory, goodness and purity with the students and also imprint on the young minds the idea that installing Swamiji as the living ideal in their lives make for them a glorious future. Regular monthly meeting is conducted where Prof. Bhumika Ansodaria, Convener of the Club and invited guest faculty shared with the students the character building ideas of Swami Vivekananda. Books on Swami Vivekananda are purchased in the library.

• Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition 2015

To commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce organized Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition for undergraduate students of different colleges of Ahmedabad and the institutes of Gujarat Law Society on 12th January 2015. Eighteen participants spoke on the topic ‘The Role of Youth in Shaping the Destiny of Our Nation’. Under the valuable guidance of Principal Dr. Ashwin Purohit, SMPIC has been organizing this competition for last four years. The Competition was judged by Shri T. J. Purani, Director, C. N. Vidhyavihar, Smt. Sunanda Shah, Principal, N. R. Secondary and Higher Secondary School and Prof. Brijesh Bhatt, C.U. Shah Commerce College. The winning institute Shri Narayana College of Commerce was awarded trophy and a cash prize and cash prizes were given to the 2nd and 3rd winner along with participation certificates.

Winners:

• FORUM ON GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY

To impart Gandhian principles and values among students, SMPIC holds various activities like Guest Lectures, Discussion Forums and Essay Writing competitions, Book Reading Sessions on relevance of Gandhian Philosophy. Number of books were purchased on Gandhiji for this purpose. Regular monthly meeting is conducted where Prof. Vijay Tripathi, Convener of the Forum and invited guest faculty; briefed students about Gandhian way to resolve conflicts in their day to day life.

• Para Legal Training at Gujarat State Legal Services Authority

It was a great learning experience for the batch of Sem-6 students to attend the Para-Legal Training Session at the Old High Court complex. The information provided regarding the technicalities of various legal aspects were indeed very interesting and informative.

The areas covered by the speakers were the Hindu Marriage Act and Provisions relating to the Juvenile System pertaining to Minor. The students actively participated in the group discussion conducted after the session. Around 60 students attended the training session where they could relate the topics being discussed with their academic curriculum.

The facilities made available at the centre were highly appreciated by the Students and the Faculty members. The authorities have further ensured us to conduct more of such sessions on various legal topics which will be of interest to the younger generation.

• Bridge Course

SMPIC successfully conducted Bridge Course to develop English Proficiency skills of the first year students. 63 students enrolled for the course and given training for English Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills. They also appeared for the SCOPE examination at the end of the course.

• Reading Club ‘Vichar Vartul’

To inculcate spirit of reading from varied subjects and thus developing the healthy reading habits among students, Prof. Aashal Bhatt, the convener of the club organized various activities in Reading Club. SMPIC Reading Club organized a Reading Workshop by Miss Jolly Kotecha, Head of Mind Gym with a view to enhance creative reading skills amongst students. It was a six day workshop on ‘How to Develop Reading Comprehension Skills’.

• “READERS ARE LEADERS”

‘For the students, of the students, by the students’

This activity presents a new thought and a new word to everyone on the campus through Black Board placed at the entrance of college. This Blackboard communicates to the masses and spreads the knowledge. A well said thought which churns the mind of every reader and a new word is added to the vocabulary of every passerby. Our students with full dedication & enthusiasm write a new thought & a new word on the board and other students eagerly await the new arrivals.

Principal Dr. Ashwin Purohit, in spite of his busy schedule, takes keen interest to promote and support such knowledge empowering activities and gives valuable suggestions.

• Certificate Course in Entrepreneurship and Family Business :

SMPIC launched a Certificate Course in Entrepreneurship and Family Business. The program is designed to develop skills of the students in successfully initiating, expanding and developing the Business Enterprise. This programme is helpful to students coming from business class family and even to those who want to establish their own business enterprise.

• COMPREHENSIVE BANKING PROGRAM

With a view to impart knowledge beyond the four walls of the classroom and to move out of the prescribed academic syllabus, SMPIC has started a Certificate Course in Banking. The vision of Prin. Dr. Ashwin Purohit is to make the student ready for the job market in the Banking sector as soon as student completes graduation. This course is designed in such a manner so as to balance between theoretical and practical aspects of modern Banking. With lot of avenues opening up, the first batch of 60 students will be ready to face the challenges of Banking arena.

• NAAC Peer Team visit at FOC (SMPIC)

The Peer Team from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) visited our institute on 8th and 9th of October, 2015. The three members Peer Team consisted of Prof. Vunnam Venkaiah from Hyderabad as the Chairman, Prof. Kalpana Mathur from Jodhpur as the Member Co-ordinator and Dr. Kiran Reddy from Bangalore. The team thoroughly assessed and appraised all the infrastructural, academic as well as para academic aspects of the institute. At the Exit Meeting, The Chairman of the Peer team Prof.Vunnam Venkaiah presented his reflections analytically and appreciated the achievements and academic practices of the institutes along with a few suggestions for improvement. At the end, the Peer Team handed over the PTR (Peer Team Report) to the Dean.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON
‘PROVISIONS OF COMPANIES ACT,2013 & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY’

S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce in association with Indian Commerce Association(Gujarat Chaper) organized One day National Conference on “PROVISIONS OF COMPANIES ACT,2013 & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY” on 27^th September,2014 at H. H. GLS Auditorium. The Conference aimed to disseminate the knowledge on various dimensions of Corporate Accounting and Law in the 21^st Century. The recently enacted Companies Act, 2013 has introduced several new concepts of governance with the aim of achieving higher transparency, greater clarity and accountability in India’s corporate sector. Such developmental issues play a significant role in academics and this explains the rationale behind the selection of the theme for the Conference and its national relevance. Papers were received from delegates from various universities of nation.

Shri Sudhir Nanavati, Chairman, Gujarat Law Society presided over the function. CA Sunil Talati Former President ICAI was the key-note speaker of the function. Dr. N. D. Shah, Dean of Commerce Faculty, Gujarat University was the Guest of Honour to the function. The conference was also graced by the Directors and the Principals of various GLS institutes. Dr. Ashwin Purohit Principal, SMPIC delivered the welcome address and discussed the impact of the new provisions of Companies Act,2013 on India’s Corporate Sector.

Shri Sudhir Nanavati congratulated SMPIC for organizing Conference on the current issue. As an eminent lawyer he also discussed the intricacies of properly implementing the new companies act. He also mentioned that there are many windows in the new companies act that are required to be taken care so that undue advantage is not taken by corporate sector. He focused on Corporate social responsibility and motivated the participants and delegates to interact with the Keynote speakers and gain the maximum from their expertise and experience. CA Sunil Talati talked about the recent changes in the field of Accounting & Law. He was one of the committee members for drafting the new companies act. He highlighted the positive changes in the new companies act. With his extraordinary knowledge and oratory skills he discussed about the decisive changes in India’s corporate law regime in view of changing economic and commercial environment and for an alignment with other Indian regulations. Dr. N. D. Shah motivated all the delegates to conduct substantial research work. Conference secretary Prof. M.E.Jokhi proposed vote of thanks.

In the first technical session, two keynote speakers delivered their address. CA Dhinal Shah, Partner at E&Y, Central Council Member, ICAI very meticulously explained the intricacies of Empowered SFIO, Accounting & Auditing standards, enhanced disclosure norms, accountability of management and protection of minority shareholders. Shri Upen Shah, Company Secretary, Cadila Healthcare talked about Investor protection and shareholders empowerment, CSR & good governance, E governance initiatives and independent directors.

Total 87 papers were received. The second technical session of paper reading was chaired by Dr Hitesh Ruparel Director, NRMBA and Professor CA (Dr.) N.V.Suchak, Associate Professor R.J.T.College. About, 186 participants attended the conference, papers were received from Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Raipur, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and places across nation.

The conference ended with the Valedictory function, where Dr. B. H. Joshi, Registrar, Gujarat Law Society and Dr. Sandip Bhatt, Joint Secretary of Indian Commerce Association, Professor at PG department of Business Studies, Vallabh Vidhyanagar graced the dais and addressed the audience. Dr. B.H.Joshi acknowledged the efforts of SMPIC for organizing such conference. Dr Ketan Upadhyay, Professor at M.S. University and Dr Hitesh Shukla Professor at Saurashtra University expressed their views.

Overall, the Conference not only helped the participants to gain a greater understanding of the latest trends, issues and challenges in Accounting & Law but also provided an important forum for the interaction to distinguished academicians and researchers and lay the foundations for even deeper investigations into these subjects.

• CIMA partners with S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), founded in 1919, is the world’s leading and largest professional body of management accountants, with over 218,000 members and students operating in 177 countries, working at the heart of business. CIMA members and students work in industry, commerce, the public sector and not-for-profit organisations. CIMA works closely with employers and sponsors leading-edge research, constantly updating its qualification, professional experience requirements and continuing professional development to ensure it remains the employers’ choice when recruiting financially-trained business leaders. CIMA has a joint venture with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) to establish the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation. CGMA is the global quality standard that further elevates the profession of management accounting. CGMA designation recognises the most talented and committed management accountants with the discipline and skill to drive strong business performance.

CIMA announced its partnership with the prestigious S.M Patel Institute of Commerce (SMPIC), on 20^th Sep 2014 in Ahmedabad, with an aim to provide the students of Ahmedabad an opportunity to study the most relevant international professional qualification for business. Under this partnership, CIMA and SMPIC will launch a study centre at the SMPIC campus that will offer CIMA qualification to the students.

An awareness session was conducted by a senior CIMA member Shrikant Koundinya along with Saifuddin Lokhandwala, Regional Business Manager at CIMA, where the students were addressed at SMPIC campus.

Principal Dr Ashwin Purohit motivated the students to undergo CIMA qualification which is internationally recognised and makes them more employable. CA M.E.Jokhi co-ordinated the awareness session.

• EMPOWER WEEK AT SMPIC

S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce organized three day lecture series called ‘EMPOWER WEEK’ from 26th to 28th August, 2014 at GLS Auditorium. The entire event was organized and managed by the students under the guidance and motivation of Principal Dr. Ashwin Purohit. He opines that such type of lecture series help students to develop leadership skills and equip them professionally as they gain practical knowledge from the experts of the real life world. The experts like Mr. Jagdip Bhatt, Mr. Vivek Nehlani and Ms. Rini Bahal Purohit were invited to deliver sessions on ‘Corporate Communication Skills’, ‘Stress Management and Goal Setting ‘and ‘Presentation skills’.

Mr. Jagdip Bhatt laid emphasis on Communication skills to be successful in the corporate world. In today’s scenario we see that youngsters have Hurry sickness, hypertension and stress related problems. To address these issues,Mr. VIVEK NIHALANI gave some practical points for DESTRESSING. He emphasized that how EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE and good health can make students’ life calmer and smoother.To give direction and bring focus to the lives of students and channelize their skills, the second part of the session made GOAL SETTING a more achievable thing. Ms. Rini Bahal Purohit focused on the importance of presentation skills and discussed how to deal with podium panic, how to maintain eye contact with the audience, importance of Body Language and visual aids. Overall, students received important tips to be successful in their professional life.

• Study Enhancement Programme at AMA

S M Patel Institute of Commerce ,organised Study Enhancement programme at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA), on 12th Aug 2014. Fifty four students alongwith two faculties attended the programme. The programme was divided into two modules. The first module was conducted by Mr. Paresh Pandya on Job hunt and Interview techniques. The session lasted for 2.45 hours. The second session was conducted by Mr. Ritesh Ambastha on digital marketing (E marketing). The students enriched themselves in terms of valuable inputs from the renowned faculties and were awarded a certificate from AMA.

• GUEST LECTURE BY SHRI RESHMIKHANT PANDYA ON

“SIGNIFICANCE OF STATISTICAL TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES IN DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS”

On 15th July 2014 a guest lecture by Shri Reshmikhant Pandya, Ex. Director of Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Gandhinagar was organized at SMPIC with an objective to make students aware about the importance of statistical analysis and methods used for data collection. Shri Reshmikant Pandya in his session explained to students the significance of statistical analysis and data collection by framing practical examples on it. He also discussed need of good statisticians and various job opportunities in the field of statistics.

Mr. Pandya encouraged the students to take practical project from the industries if they want to make their study more fruitful. Overall it had been an enlightening experience for the students and the faculties. He had not only shown interest to help students to get statistical research based project from the industries but also guided them to carry out the same. The event was conducted by Dr. Kavita Dave under the Statistics Forum of SMPIC.

• Celebration of Gurupurnima on July 12 2014

SMPIC marked its beginning of events of the Academic year 2014-15 on an Auspicious Day of “Gurupurnima”, with the Celebration of “Gurupurnima”, which was entirely managed & conducted by Students of SMPIC with full enthusiasm & affection towards their “Gurus”. The ambience of the institute was so pious, as it was reflecting Students’ complete Devotion & Respect towards their Gurus when they worshipped them by enchanting mantras, doing their “Puja”. This celebration manifested that the traditional values are still alive among modern age students. All the Faculty members were also delighted with such warm celebration & showered their blessings upon students.

Shri Sudhir Nanavati, Executive Vice President of GLS visited the Institute & presented Rs. 1 lakh on “Guru Purnima”, as a token of appreciation, to the Faculty Members of SMPIC for their commendable services towards the Institute & Students, as SMPIC secured the third position among India’s Best Emerging Commerce Colleges -2013 in an annual survey conducted by India Today.

Academic Activities

SYMPOSIUMS AND PRESENTATIONS BY SMPIC STUDENTS ON 2^ND APRIL 2014
AT TWO DAY MULTIDISPLICINARY NATIONAL SEMINAR ON

 DISCOURSES ON INDIAN POLITICS: POST COALITION ISSSUES OF DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

State Level Accounting Talent Hunt 2014

LITERARY ACTIVITIES

Inter Collegiate Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition organized at SMPIC

1^st Prize  Abhilash Nair  (Sir L A Shah Law College)

2^nd Prize Prakruti Pandya ( H.A.C.C.)

3^rd Prize Mukesh Chauhan (C.U. Shah Arts College)

EMPOWER WEEK

Management Lecture Series 2014

The first session was conducted by Mr. Vivek Nihalani, a soft skill facilitator on Communication @etiquettes.com. He discussed techniques to enhance communication skills and bring clarity, creativity and enthusiasm while communicating with peers and professionals. He also laid emphasis on basic etiquettes and manners necessary to succeed in corporate world.

The second session was conducted by Mr. Yash Pal Singh Kanwar, Head of Corporate Relations, Nirma University on “Building People, Building Organisations As India Goes Global.” He discussed that Man, Machines and Materials are the three pillars of organizational excellence and stressed on the importance of training people in organizations as India goes global. He also talked about the challenges and opportunities as we move towards a borderless world.

The third session was conducted by Mr. Hamish Patel, CEO Azoi Inc. on “Entrepreneurship.” He spoke about the ingredients required for becoming a successful Entrepreneur. He asked the participants to find the gap in society, come up with innovative ideas, take charge, get to gather a team and have faith in their endeavours. He said “ Entrepreneurship is an ongoing journey in which success with your product launch is just one milestone. What you do with that success and how you build upon is up to you and all part of the same journey!”

He also emphasized on the fact that one can not get instant success but has to adopt a trial and error method and settle for nothing less than great.

English Club

Bridge Course

Personality Development Workshop

Study Enhancement Programme at AMA

UGC sponsored State Level Seminar On “Development dynamics of Gujarat- Growth opportunities and potential ahead” 29th Sept. 2013

Guest lecture

All India Essay Writing Event-2013

Lecture on ‘Man ni Pankhe’

Academic Activities

LITERARY ACTIVITIES

Inter Collegiate Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition organized at SMPIC

To commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, SMPIC organized  Inter Collegiate Swami Vivekanand Elocution Competition for various Commerce/Arts/BBA and BCA  colleges of  Ahmedabad on 12^th January 2013. Around 18 participants spoke on the topic“The Indian Youth of Today…a lost generation or a promising one”. The competition was judged by Prof. Arun Yardi and Dr. Pranav Joshipura. The winning institute was awarded the rotating trophy.

1^st  Prize  Urvi Kansara (Smt. L. & C. Mehta Arts College)

2^nd  Prize Keyu Shah ( Som-Lalit College of Commerce)

3^rd  Prize Vandna Devnani(GLS(J P Shah) Institute of Business Administration)

State Level Accounting Talent Hunt and Commerce Talent Hunt 2013

S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce and Indian Accounting Association (Gujarat Branch) jointly organized  3^rd state level Accounting Talent Hunt for college students and  2^nd state level Commerce Talent Hunt for higher secondary commerce students on 9^th February,2013. Nearly 500 students across the Gujarat state participated in this competition.

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

AMA Workshop

Study Enhancement Workshop at AMA by SMPIC

SMPIC organized study enhancement program at AMA on 31^st July 2012  on Branding and Advertising, Self Awareness and Success, Goal setting and Power of positive thinking in which fifty students from the institute participated.

Management Lecture Series 2013

As per our tradition, S. M. Patel Institute of Commerce organized  the Management lecture series in the last week of February. The purpose behind organizing such lecture series is to bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the students and to cover areas and subjects which are not included in the UG Commerce curriculum but are essential for professional success. Around 250 students participated in this lecture series.

SMPIC organized the Management Lecture Series from February 26 to 28, 2013. The idea behind organizing this series is to bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the students. The subjects covered this year will prove to be instrumental in upgrading the skills of the students for a changing world.

On February 26, 2013, Mr. Paresh Pandya, a management psychologist, corporate trainer and consultant, spoke on the topic ‘Success is a choice-get success’. He motivated the students to develop a positive attitude, focus on the desired goal and take the necessary steps to be successful. He inspired the students to take responsibility of their actions and pointed out that knowledge, skills, desire and purpose are essential to get success.

On February 27, 2013, Mr. Vivek Randeria, a corporate trainer in the field of soft skills and organizational development, spoke on the topic ‘First step to the corporate world’. He discussed at length all the nuances involved in getting into the corporate arena including self-evaluation, qualities required to achieve  excellence in professional life and hard core realities of the corporate world.

On February 28, 2013, Prof. Nina Muncherji, a management psychologist, corporate trainer and consultant, spoke on the topic ‘Team building’. She explained motivating factors of team building like cohesiveness, shared leadership, conflict resolution and reward. She also emphasized on the importance of team work in an organization and the method of effective team management.

English Club

Bridge Course

SMPIC successfully conducted Bridge Course to develop English Proficiency skills of first year students. 45 students enrolled for the course and given training of English Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills. They also appeared for the SCOPE examination at the end of the course.

Personality Development Workshop

More than 150 students participated in three days personality development workshop organized by the English Department of SMPIC on 18th, 21st and 28th Sept. 2012. The speakers of workshop Mr. Vivek Randeria, Ms. Rajika Kacheria and Ms. Ankeeta Rao discussed various topics of personality development like leadership skills, public speaking, youth and goal setting, raising self esteem, balanced diet, grooming, hair and skin care.

Creative Reading Workshop

The English Club of SMPIC organized a three days workshop in the month of August. It was conducted by Ms. Jolly Kotecha.

STATISTICS CLUB

Educational Visit For Students Of Statistics Club Of SMPIC

Orientation program and Industrial visit were organised for the students on 21st September, 2012 by SMPIC Statistics Club. Students got acquainted to use of various statistical concepts used in SPACE SCIENCE at ISRO where as at BEAURO OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS they got acquainted to the various statistical tools used for data collection, classification and analysis.

SMPIC Industrial Visit

With a view to provide industry exposure, this year 54 students of our institute were taken to Amul, Anand and Angoor Industries,Vasad on 24th March, 2013 where they had the opportunity to interact with the employees and the management of the industry. They also got the firsthand knowledge of working of the industry.

Career Guidance Seminar and Prize Distribution Ceremony

SMPIC organized Career Guidance Seminar for 12^th Std. and undergraduate students on 2^nd April, 2013 at GLS Auditorium. Shri CA C. F. Patel sir talked about CA as an attractive career option, Dr. Harish Oza gave information about CS course, Dr. Hitesh Ruparel talked about MBA as lucrative career option, Mr. Chandramauli Pathak informed the students about Entrepreneurship. Around 300 students participated in the seminar. It was followed by Prize Distribution ceremony for the winners of 3^rd State Level Accounting Talent Hunt and 2^nd State Level Commerce Talent Hunt.