HIT Kolkata: Eight consecutive talks by luminaries on Breaking Boundaries

Heritage Institute of Technology Kolkata hosted a TEDX event on 7 July 2023. The theme of the event was Breaking Boundaries. Eight luminaries were brought from across the country to share their experiences with the students of the institution at TEDX HITKolkata.

Speaking with Edugraph, Dr Kunal Sarkar, renowned cardiologist and President of the Calcutta Debating Circle, said that it was important to connect with the energy of the youth, because "if our society thrives on anything, then the substrate that we are thriving on today is both the physical and intellectual equity that comes from the young of the society."

Dr Sarkar hoped that the energy of the youth would rub off on those that are not-so-young, but are not afraid to communicate and to learn. He ever so humbly stated "I am speaking to somebody who at an average base level is 20% more intelligent than I am. So if I even half try to sermonise, I am only defeating myself. You (the students) have taken the effort and identified the issues through which chaps like us who have spent a little bit more time on the surface of the planet can share our experiences and inputs. I hope that benefits your generation, because without a shadow of doubt, it is not from the point of view of alliterations and feel good factor, but the future of society lies in your hands."

Being the inaugural speaker, Dr Sarkar took the stage and delivered a very insightful talk on the state of women's healthcare in our country. He was followed by Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee, actor and musician, who spoke of gender roles and discovering ourselves.

Dr Paramita Mitra Bhowmik was the next speaker, giving the audience a reality check on the myths regarding mental health issues. For the following speaker, Music Composer and RJ Nilayan Chatterjee, it was about multi-tasking and making choices. Belting out his song, Obosheshe, he made the audience sway at the end of his segment.

Google Developers Expert (GDE) Anubhav Singh, inspired the audience with his journey of overcoming hurdles into the world of tech and was followed by HIT alumnus Shuvro Ghosal, founder of The Bridge, whose company worked towards giving lesser-known sports and sportspersons recognition with the help of tech.

A motivating speech by young entrepreneur Uttaran Nayak later, the final speech of the day was delivered by actor and thespian Anindya Sengupta, who said in no uncertain terms, "Nothing can be a better teacher than life. You are not to be credited for the opportunities you get, but how well you use those opportunities, that is on you."