Mangaluru: 'Expert Day', the annual day of Expert PU College, Valachil for the academic year 2015-16 was held in an atmosphere reverberating with euphoria and nostalgia, as the occasion also marked the inception of the Expert Group of Educational Institutions, 29 summers ago.

Dr Vinay Hegde, chancellor, Nitte University was the chief guest and presided over the programme, while Prof Dr Ganesh Pai, medical director, Skin and Cosmetology Centre, Mangaluru was the guest of honour.

Dr Vinay Hegde, in his presidential address, admired the mindboggling infrastructure of the college and reiterated the importance of unremitting hard work and unwavering concentration. A seasoned veteran with loads of wisdom about the changing world, Dr Hegde quipped that the younger generation accords more importance to the 'brain' rather than the 'heart'. He advised the students not to allow any disconnect to creep up between them and their parents.

Prof. Dr. Ganesh Pai, in his address, appreciated the quality of education being offered at Expert and paid tributes to the unbridled enthusiasm of the chairman and the effervescent charm of the secretary. Dr Pai noted that Expert ingrains the sense of excellence amongst students and inspires them to give their best. He also exhorted the students to fulfill the aspirations of their parents but not to use them as ladders.

Prof Narendra L Nayak, chairman of Expert Educational and Charitable Foundation, in his introductory remarks, reminisced about the stupendous growth of Expert Institution in the last 29 years and the milestones set by it. He stressed the fact that Expert offers a judicious mix of academics and co-curricular activities in its pursuit of excellence. Never the one to get complacent at tasting success, Prof Nayak made a humble confession that a lot needs to be done yet and urged the teachers to be role models to the students.

Usha Prabha N Nayak, secretary and correspondent of Expert Educational & Charitable Foundation, in her address apprised the gathering of the fact that Expert is a home away from home in the true sense, with the management donning the role of foster parents to address the needs of the students and assuage their anxieties or apprehensions.

Ankush N Nayak, alumnus of Expert PU College, traversed down the memory lane to share the cherished experiences at his alma mater. He imparted life skills to the students and urged them neither to take things for granted nor believe people at face value.

The distinguished presence of S S Nayak, advisor; trustees Dr G Premkumar, Prof P Shantharama, Ustad Rafique Khan, Adv Amrith Kini, B Manjunath Kamath and Suresh Pai, Jaganath Kamath, auditor; Prof Ramachandra Bhat, principal, Expert PU College, Kodialbail and a whole galaxy of other luminaries added veritable charm to the programme.

The formal programme began with the college anthem and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp.

Prof Dr N K Vijayan, principal of Expert PU College, Valachil presented the annual report of the college for the year 2015-16.

The success of Expert Group of Educational Institutions lies in the remarkable accomplishments of its gifted students. "Team Expert" is obliged to give due recognition to any pursuit of academic excellence - be it competitive exams, board exams or the routine term-exams. Accordingly, about 20 rank holders of 2014-15 and 27 proficiency prize winners of 2015-16 were felicitated on this momentous occasion. These rank holders of Expert will continue to receive merit scholarship for a period of four years from Expert Educational and Charitable Foundation.

Subramanya Udupa, Maths faculty and programme director, Expert Day welcomed the august gathering while Avin, president of Expert student parliament proposed the formal vote of thanks.

The formal programme was followed by 90 minutes of cultural extravaganza by the students. The show offered a rich tapestry of diverse tastes and sensibilities of young Expertians. A mini-exhibition of traditional Tuluva artefacts and agricultural equipments arranged near the dais was an added attraction.

The day’s proceedings kick-started much earlier in the day, in the form of a special assembly wherein the College flags of both Kodialbail and Valachil campuses were unfurled. Prof Narendra L Nayak, chairman and Usha Prabha N Nayak, secretary and correspondent of Expert Educational and Charitable Foundation hoisted the respective flags.

Ankush N Nayak, alumnus of Expert PU College; Prof Ramachandra Bhat, principal, Expert PU College, Kodialbail; Prof Dr N K Vijayan, principal of Expert PU College, Valachil and N Gurudutt, vice-principal were present on the occasion.

After the flag hoisting ceremony, various competitions were held for students as a part of Expert Day celebrations and the winners of these competitions were felicitated. Prof Narendra L Nayak and Usha Prabha N Nayak gave away the prizes.