IAS Officer, Dr. M. Verrappan Calls for Responsible Use of Social Media at SRMIST 2026 Short Film Awards

Under the national Beti Bachao Beti Padao Scheme, the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department and the District Project Office (ICDS), Chengalpattu, in partnership with the Department of Visual Communication, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Business Studies at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), hosted the award ceremony for the District Level Intercollegiate Short Film Contest. Centred on the theme of "Safety, Protection, and Empowerment of Women and Children", the event drew more than 300 students from 20 colleges across the district. The formal proceedings began with an institutional welcome from Dr. Poarkodi N., Head of the Department of Visual Communication, who highlighted the power of visual storytelling in generating social awareness.

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Inaugurating the function, Chengalpattu District Collector Thiru. Dr. M. Veerappan, I.A.S., urged the youth to use social media platforms creatively and responsibly to educate society on critical social issues and emphasised the importance of building a drug-free society through collective awareness and responsible citizenship.

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Dr. A. Vinay Kumar (Pro-VC, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Business Studies, SRMIST) highlighted the importance of women's empowerment. He detailed how structural and data biases historically overlook women's perspectives even in daily innovations. He challenged filmmakers to use media and visual communication as powerful instruments to disrupt these biases, champion gender equality, and influence positive societal transformation.

The event was graced by Prof. Dr. A. Duraisamy, Dean, and Prof. Dr. S. Albert Antony Raj, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Business Studies; T. Brahma Vidya Nayagi, District Social Welfare Officer, Chengalpattu; S. Sangeetha, District Project Officer, ICDS, Chengalpattu; and Jury members Kavitha Bharathi (Film Director), S. Karthikeyan (Self-taught Artist and State Awardee), and T. G. R. Babu (Philanthropist and President, Sports ExNoRa). Further administrative support was echoed by S. Sangeetha, District Project Officer, ICDS, who highlighted the necessity of sustained efforts towards the safety and empowerment of women and girl children.

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From 21 shortlisted films evaluated on creativity, technical excellence, and social messaging by the jury comprising Director Kavitha Bharathi, Artist S. Karthikeyan, and Philanthropist T. G. R. Babu, the competition honours were awarded with cash prizes of Rs. 15,000, Rs. 10,000, and Rs. 5,000, respectively, alongside medals and certificates:

• First Prize: Theetu – Directed by Gayathri Ranganathan (S.I.V.E.T. College of Arts and Science)

• Second Prize: Seed – Directed by Murali Karthick M. (Tagore College of Arts and Science)

• Third Prize: Puthiya Vidiyal – Directed by Yogesh (Tagore College of Arts and Science)

• Poster Making Winner: The Quaide Milleth College for Men, Chennai

• Photography Winner: SDNB Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai

The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. Rajesh R., Professor in the Department of Visual Communication, who expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, jury members, participants, and volunteers for making the event a grand success.

SRM Faculty of Liberal Arts and Business Studies (FLABS)

The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Business Studies (FLABS) at SRMIST, Kattankulathur, is a premier academic division dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and managerial excellence. Offering a comprehensive suite of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across liberal arts, humanities, science, commerce, and business management, FLABS equips students with future-ready skills to excel in the global corporate and social landscape. More details are available at www.srmist.edu.in.

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About SRMIST

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) is a multidisciplinary university recognised with an A++ accreditation by NAAC and classified as a Category I university with 12B status by UGC/MoE. In the 2024 NIRF rankings, SRMIST secured the 12th position nationally and holds a global ‘4 Star’ rating from QS, along with the India-centric QS IGAUGE Diamond rating. Driven by a commitment to academic excellence, research innovation, and global outlook, SRMIST-KTR has emerged as one of India’s most vibrant knowledge ecosystems. With over 500 active labs, Rs 270+ crore in external funding, 600+ funded projects, and more than 53,000 research publications, SRMIST is a research-intensive institution.

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