Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 24: The 2-day 17th Prakriti International Documentary Film Festival, organised by the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), New Delhi, was concluded here today.
The event was organized in collaboration with the University of Jammu as the Grand Finale partner.
The 17th edition featured 8 selected documentary films centred on themes of Environment, Development, Human Rights and Swachh Bharat, sensitising students and stakeholders to pressing social and environmental concerns.
The valedictory function was graced by Padma Shri awardee Lalit Kumar Mangotra, president, Dogri Sansthan, as the chief guest.
The ceremony was attended by Prof (Dr) Parikshat Singh Manhas, Director, CEC; Prof Umesh Rai, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu; Prof Neelu Rohmetra, Dean, Research Studies; Dr Neeraj Sharma, Registrar; Dr Sunil Mehru, Joint Director, CEC.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof (Dr) Parikshat Singh Manhas, Director, CEC expressed his gratitude to the University of Jammu for graciously hosting the 17th Prakriti International Documentary Film Festival.
Congratulating the participating filmmakers for their compelling narratives, he shared his vision of steering CEC towards producing impactful audiovisual content under the guiding tagline, “Cinema for Change.”
Prof Manhas highlighted the importance of the stories shared through each filmmaker’s unique perspective and CEC’s continued commitment to strengthening educational outreach through meaningful audiovisual content.
Prof Umesh Rai, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, observed that such festivals extend learning beyond classrooms.
He appreciated the initiative for bringing socially relevant narratives to young audiences and commended CEC for creating a platform that bridges academia and society through cinema.
In his address, Padma Shri awardee Prof Lalit Kumar Mangotra appreciated CEC’s steadfast commitment to promoting value-based education aligned with national development goals.
He further observed that initiatives like the Prakriti Festival not only raise awareness but also inspire youth to take action, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.
The organizers awarded the winning documentaries and presented the documentary makers with a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each, along with a trophy and a certificate.
A Certificate of Appreciation and a trophy were also presented to the students of the Design Your Degree (DYD) programme at the University of Jammu, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the festival.
The students staged an impressive 70-minute theatrical adaptation of “Rashmirathi”, the celebrated epic poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, which significantly enhanced the grandeur and cultural richness of the event.
The event witnessed enthusiastic audience participation and concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Prof Neelu Rohmetra.
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