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The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Conference on yoga and youth health conducted
The Government Ayurvedic Research Centre, Mysuru, in association with Yuvaraja's College, University of Mysore, conducted a conference on Yuva Arogya Yoga Mahotsava -2025, here on Wednesday. N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore, said in his presidential address that while the State has made commendable strides in education and health care accessibility, youth-specific health indicators and increase in life-style diseases were a cause for concern. Citing various studies, the Vice-Chancellor said there were worrying trends of obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension, and growing incidents of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders among the students. He flagged excessive screen time leading to digital fatigue, affecting both physical and cognitive well-being. Prof. Lokanath, substance abuse including tobacco and synthetic drugs were also prevalent but on the positive side there an increase in interest in yoga, fitness, and wellness programmes. This, he said, reflects a shift towards a more conscious and preventive health mindset. Underlining challenges to youth health, Prof. Lokanath listed poor dietary habits and inadequate physical activity, peer pressure and social media influencing unhealthy behaviours and self-image, limited access to youth-friendly health services in rural areas, fragmented approach that treat symptoms but ignore the causes etc., as having a bearing on the general health of the youth population. In this context, the Vice-Chancellor said yoga was India's timeless gift to the world and it held great promise. India's traditional wisdom like yoga, unani, siddha, etc., and modern medical understanding could be synthesised to provide integrated, sustainable and effective solutions, he added. Shekar Naik, Head, Department of Food Science, Yuvaraja's College and others were present.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- The Hindu
Libraries becoming gateways to digital learning and space for community dialogue, says Mysore varsity V-C
N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore, said here on Saturday that libraries across the world are transforming and becoming gateways to digital learning and space for community dialogue. Speaking at the inauguration of a seminar on 'Turning Pages and Beyond: Recalibrating Librarianship for a Connected and Creative World', Prof. Lokanath said people question whether libraries were needed in this age of smartphones. 'But when we look closely, we realise something deeper: the need for credible, organised, and ethical access to information, and it has never been greater. If anything, librarianship is not in decline but is in transition,' he said. Prof. Lokanath said there was a tremendous scope for libraries to strengthen its existing services and meet the growing demands of research and innovation. Prof. Lokanath called for investments in systems that support faculty in accessing global scholarly resources, publishing high quality journals, and pursuing intellectual property filings. The Vice-Chancellor said the quality of a university is not judged by its teaching but also by its scholarly output, citations, and contributions to innovations. Libraries have a foundational role to play in that journey, provided they are empowered, modernised, and aligned with the academic goals, he said. He said that library and information professionals have a role to play in ensuring equitable access to knowledge in safeguarding digital rights and privacy and in promoting truth and trust in the face of misinformation. Library professionals should be positioned as strategic partners in academia and not just support staff, he added. M. Chandrashekar, chairman and dean, Department of Studies in Library and Information Science, and others were present.
