The cultural programme and felicitation ceremony for Founder’s Day was held in the Main Auditorium on February 14, 2024, from 5:00 PM. The event involved performances by sixteen cultural associations, each showcasing parts of their state’s heritage. The evening began with a speech about the history of the institute and its founders, its roots, the current administration, curriculum and infrastructure. A video showcasing the various branches of BITS, BITS School of Management, and BITS Law was displayed. Following this, the anchors for the event invited the chief guests for the lamp-lighting ceremony and introduced the cultural segment of the programme which featured various performances. Before each performance, an introductory video showcasing the state’s culture, architecture and famous personalities was played.
Maurya Vihar, the association for Bihar and Jharkhand, was the first to perform. The members danced to songs such as ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Ghagra’ in succession, ending with all the dancers coming on stage to perform ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’. This was followed by Kannada Vedike, the cultural association for Karnataka. The members performed a short dance involving cartwheels and human pyramids. Utkal Samaj, the cultural association for Odisha, was the third act of the evening. They showcased a tableau narrating the story of the historic Bali Jatra, aided by props and Odissi dancers. They concluded with a dance celebrating the trade fair. The next segment was by Marudhara, the cultural association for Rajasthan. Their display involved a flute performance after which the members danced to various songs such as ‘Tharki Chokro’.
Following this, the Instructor in Charge, Institute Functions, was invited to coordinate the felicitation ceremony, where the instructors as well as the non-teaching staff who had been with the institute for the past 25 years were lauded for their service. The cultural programme was then resumed with Moruchhaya, the association for West Bengal. A medley of songs, both in Bengali and Hindi, was sung by the students. This was followed by a dance. The sixth part of the cultural segment was by the Maharashtra Mandal, whose members danced to songs such as ‘Apsara Aali’ and ‘Maay Bhavani’. Capitol, the association for Delhi and NCR, performed next. Starting with a dance to ‘Beedi’, they followed with a performance by the male members in dupattas. This act was greeted with raucous applause by the audience. Their segment concluded with a singer-guitarist duo covering various Hindi songs. The eighth performance for the evening was by the Haryana Cultural Association, featuring covers of a Hindi and English song, as well as a classical Kathak dance to the song ‘Shape of You’. The compères then continued with the felicitation ceremony, now celebrating the non-teaching staff who would be retiring in July 2024.
The next performance was by the Punjab Cultural Association, whose members danced to various Punjabi songs in groups. After that, Kairali, the cultural association for Kerala, put on a mime show for the attendees. The skit attempted to tell the story of the average BITS student, adding twists and exaggerating for comedic effect. Following this, Gurjari, the cultural association representing Gujarat took the stage. The members of Gurjari danced to various songs such as ‘Khalasi’ and ‘Dholitaro’, incorporating dances such as dandiya and garba.
The next association to perform was Madhyansh, the cultural association for Madhya Pradesh. The act started off with a devotional song which was followed by both group and solo dance performances.
The next part of the ceremony recognised the contribution of the non-teaching staff. The best performance awards for non-teaching staff were established to identify, recognise and appreciate individuals for their outstanding achievements and significant contributions made to the functional administration of the institute. Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai was invited on stage to distribute the awards to the selected non-teaching staff members. Along with Prof. S.K. Verma and Col S. Chakraborty, seven members were awarded the Best Performance award. Furthermore, fifteen members were awarded certificates of appreciation.
Subsequently, Andhra Samiti, the cultural association of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, performed. Their concert started with a group of boys in suits dancing to classic Hindi songs, followed by girls dancing to classical songs. This was followed by an intriguing performance of a melody with contrasting genres of music. A group of boys wearing white shirts with red overshirts and girls wearing black kurtas and red dupattas performed a final dance to conclude the act.
Next up was Sangam, the cultural association of Uttar Pradesh. Their performance began with a solo act featuring a girl wearing a lehenga, dancing to the song ‘Satranga’ from the movie ‘Animal’. This was followed by a voice-over drama about placements and another solo performance to the song ’Lollypop Lagelu’.
Following this, PTM, the cultural association of Tamil Nadu, took the stage. Their performance, marked by their modern outfits of flannel shirts and suits, concluded the occasion.
Dr Shilpi Garg then elocuted the vote of thanks, which was followed by the national anthem. The event ended around 8:00 P.M. when she requested the faculty to head towards the institute cafeteria and the student participants to Malviya hostel.