Vijay Singh
Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], September 26: On the occasion of World Peace Day 2026, Parul University organized “Choose Your Response”, a university-wide experiential activity by the Universal Human Values (UHV) Cell and Ekagrata – Center for Mindfulness and Behavioral Studies, which urged students to think beyond the discussion of peace and consider how conscious responses can influence everyday interactions. Based on the theme “Take a moment. Comprehend. Decide. Respond.”, the initiative immersed students in real-life situations that required reflection, emotional awareness, and thoughtful decision-making.
The first round of the classroom quiz saw the participation of nearly 5,000 students, making it a university-wide engagement across participating institutes as part of the initiative. The five-level format started with a live classroom quiz where students responded to provocative real-life scenarios using a Google Form. The elected participants moved to Group Discussions, followed by a Real-Life Reflection Video Round where they reflected on situations where they had responded impulsively or ineffectively, and thought about how they could have responded more consciously.
The journey continued with a Finale Quiz Round to test the participants’ knowledge on World Peace and their involvement in it. The Top 10 finalists then had their final panel interaction where they were presented with real-life, provoking situations on the spot and were given one minute to prepare their responses. They were evaluated by the panel on clarity of thought and thought process, emotional awareness and understanding, and practicality and appropriateness of response. The panel judging was out of 90 marks and an audience poll out of 10 marks, making a total of 100 marks.
The finale concluded with the announcement of the winner of the 1st place, Sujal Ajay Dhatrak, Faculty of Ayurveda, 3rd Year, followed by the winner of the 2nd place, Karena Janvee, Faculty of Applied Sciences, 2nd Year, and the winner of the 3rd place, Shah Divya Tejasbhai, Faculty of Homeopathy, 3rd Year. The winners were presented with medals, certificates, and books in appreciation of their performance.
The initiative was led and coordinated by Mrs. Nimisha Pancholi, Nodal Officer – Universal Human Values, Happiness Coach & Manager – Ekagrata, Ekagrata – Center for Mindfulness and Behavioral Studies, Parul University, with active support from UHV Committee members of the participating institutes. The Ekagrata team contributed in conceptualizing, planning, and executing the activities and finale.
Dr Geetika Madan Patel, Vice President and Medical Director, Parul University, on the initiative said, “Peace begins with the choices we make in everyday moments. Our students were encouraged to stop, think and respond more thoughtfully through ‘Choose Your Response.’ When students learn to understand before they react, human values become lived values, part of daily life,” she added.
Parul University, with “Choose Your Response,” brought the message of World Peace Day to the everyday realities of student life, reinforcing that peace starts not only with what we believe, but also with the choices we make in the moments that test us.
