Nanded Annual Day - 2026

A Report - Written by Ritesh Gonde, GEF Student, 3rd Year, BTech, SGGSIE & T, and Arpana Jadhav, GEF Volunteer

“Failures come along and make you stronger as you move forward on your path to success,” these motivational words were spoken by Mr. Shashikant Gowda, Indian Police Service probationer, Nanded, at the Annual Day held on March 7, 2026. The purpose of the GEF annual days is to provide motivation and inspiration to the beneficiaries so that they are rightly guided on their career paths.

Alongwith Mr. Shashikant Gowda, Dr. Vishwadhar Deshmukh, Professor of Marathi at Yashwant Mahavidyalaya, Nanded, and Mr. Pralobh Kulkarni, Principal of Zilla Parishad School, Pennur were the chief guests. The interaction with the chief guests was interestingly conducted by the students who interviewed the guests who shared their experiences and learnings.

Mr. Shashikant Gowda shared his journey which included instances of conquering failures, before entering the Indian Police Service. He also informed about the advancement in his field and the use of technology in improving work efficiency. Dr. Vishwadhar Deshmukh, who has completed his Ph.D in Comparative Literature/Translation Studies/ Adaptation Studies spoke about the teachings of Lord Buddha. He highlighted the difference between a Guru and the modern, ‘Sir’. He also shared many examples of successful people and their journeys.

GEF students Omkar Rasal and Shital Bhadre welcoming Shri Shashikant Gowda

Prof. Pralobh Kulkarni also spoke about his experiences and also about the importance of technology in shaping the development of the students. He also explained the role of GEF and the SCRATCH programme in the holistic development of students.

The programme was interspersed with several other interesting events such as the Power Point Presentation on GEF by Priti Sanghai, Poetry recitation by Tanvi Pawase, Ice-breaking and Networking activities conducted by GEF students Dnyaneshwar Haral, Rushikesh Deshmukh, and Ram Shrikanthe.

Krushna Bhule and Nikita Bhavar introduced the guests. Omkar Rasal and Shital Bhadre interviewed Mr Shashikant Gowda, while Aliya Sheikh and Sujata Chavan interviewed Mr. Pralobh Kulkarni. Interesting games were conducted by Dimple Mangrulkar, Shaurya Deshmukh, and Ayush Kadale. The entire programme was effectively anchored by Ms. Diksha Vhadade and Ms. Durga Khire.

One for keeps ... a group photo of the participants and organizers with GEF mentors, chief guests, and dignitaries from SGGSIE & T

GEF students and alumni who played a major role in the organisation and successful execution of the Annual Day included Ritesh Dilip Gonde, Bhakti Suryawanshi, Shreya Nandgaonkar, Harish Wakde, Vaibhav Chavan, and Amit Adsul, Ram Shrikanthe, Digambar Wagholikar, Nishikant Kamble, Rajat Poojari, and Niraj Kumbhar.

Dr. Pradeep Waychal, Dr. Lalita Deshpande and Dr. Dilip Chhatre provided constant support, mentorship and encouragement to the students in putting forward an excellent show.