Chronicles of the Psychology Alumnus

2020 - 2021 PAGE 96 MENTAL HEALTH AND GRACEFUL AGING 5 March 2021On the notable day of, the Regional Resource and Training Centre (RRTC) in Association with the Department of Psychology at R.D. National College organized a Webinar on Mental health and graceful ageing . Over 100 participants participated in the webinar, the event was also dignified by some very esteemed and renowned speakers. With their knowledge and experience enlightened us on some important topics regarding ageing and its effect on mental health. The webinar began with the delighted inauguration of this momentous program by Adv. Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar, Ex-Mayor of Mumbai Chief Functionary Dr.RRTC CSSC. It was followed by Meghna Basu Thakur, Head of Dept. of Psychology, who then welcomed our first speaker- Dr. Mrinalini Purandare, Hon President of EMDR Association, India. She is also the Former Head Professor of Dept. of Psychology at SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai. She started of with discussing the impact go Covid-19 on the ageing population and their vulnerability to the virus. She further gave us an insight into the true definition of mental health and the warning signs of compromising mental health. It included guidelines for improving mental health of the senior population. Not only was it beneficial for the ageing population but also the younger population as it gave an understanding of how they could also look out for these signs. It ended with how one could lead a mentally healthy, positive and graceful life.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 97 MENTAL HEALTH AND GRACEFUL AGING Dr. Satish KumarThe second esteemed speaker of the event was , who is the Head of Dept. of Applied Psychology at University of Mumbai. Dr. Kumar was welcomed with kind words and a short background on his multiple achievements. He then proceeded with his presentation, delving into multiple interesting facts and statistics about the aging population. He spoke enthusiastically about the concept of mental health and holistic well-being, and stressed on their importance to the elderly population. He maintained throughout that positive psychology can lead to positive aging. He introduced a number of research studies in order to bring a more practical outlook to his explanations as well. He provided plenty of tips that can aid in aging gracefully and help an individual to keep flourishing. Dr. Kumar then pointed out the lack of government policies in favor of the old age population in our nation. Lastly, he concluded his talk by suggesting a number of movies that fall into the areas of interest of the webinar held. After his delightful presentation, he then went on to answer a few questions put up by the audience.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 98 MENTAL HEALTH AND GRACEFUL AGING One of the students of TYBA Psychology of R. D. National Supriti EpiliCollege,, added a fun twist to the program by dazzling everybody with her talented singing, which she related to the different life stages of individuals. To conclude the event for the day, Mrs. Nilima Yetkar, the Project Coordinator of RRTC and CSSC, offered a vote of thanks and provided the closing remarks. The webinar was a successful event, having enraptured everyone’s attention and provided valuable inputs from all the speakers.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 99 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MARCH 2021

2020 - 2021 PAGE 100 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 8th March 2021On the eventful day of, the Department of Psychology of R.D National College organized an Intercollegiate International webinar to honor International women’s day. Over 100 participants from all over the world participated in the webinar, the event was also graced by successful women who enlightened us by sharing their life experiences . The webinar commenced with joyous inauguration of this momentous program by none other than Dr. Meghna Basu Thakur, Head of Department of Psychology, who then welcomed our Chief Guest Dr.Dilkhush Kishanchandani founder of “SAI hospital” and a Consulting Obstetrician and Gynecologist. She began with a story of Mahatma Gandhi and then continued giving us a tour of different discoveries in science, new laws that happened across these years. Her talk made the students realize how much we have evolved as a society.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 101 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY The first speaker of the day was Dr.Gitanjali Chaturvedi she is a Gender specialist and Ex senior social development specialist.She spoke about her life experiences about breaking the glass ceiling and also expressed how she overcame discrimination done by the society. She has worked with UNIDO in the field of renewable energy. She is truly an inspiration for everyone out here facing such challenges. The second speaker of the day was Mrs. Pinkky Rajgarhiya. She was MRS. ASIA 2017 Brand Ambassador, and founder of NGO “Chingari Shakti Foundation”.“aise shakti hai chingari joh badal sakti hai duniya sari aaea sur gaaon anaitikta ko dur bhagao” is the tagline of the Ngo.Not letting your dreams die was the key message she conveyed .Her mantra for success is hard work and consistency.she believes that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 102 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Our last session of the day was elevated by Dr. Meena Vankawala who is a Gynecologist and Traithete . She started her career in traithete when she was 40 years old. She was asked often that wasn't the emotional pressure enough that she has succumbed to physical pressure as well ? She used to laugh it off.She emphasised on the importance of sports and how it increases self-esteem. We all ended up feeling motivated by her talk. Thereafter, a short video created by the students of the department of psychology that portrayed an important message regarding the importance of women. Without the relentless efforts of Dr. Meghna Basu Thakur towards the Department of Psychology and the support of our principal Mrs. Neha Jagtani our eventful program would not have been a fruitful one.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 103 INCLUSIVE RAMP WALK MARCH 2021 8th March, 2021 in collaboration with ADAPT

2020 - 2021 PAGE 104 INCLUSIVE RAMP WALK MARCH 2021 On the eventful day of 8th March 2021, Adapt organized an inclusive ramp walk online event to celebrate international women’s day in collaboration with R.D National College department of psychology. Over 100 participants all over the country were part of the event, and various other women were part of the event who shared their journey of struggles to success. Adapt is India’s first special school for children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities. The name ADAPT stands for Able Disabled All People Together. At Adapt, children with multiple disability are provided education. They guide in the development of an assessment and early intervention procedure for at-risk children. They also provide help in developing home management techniques, to empower and train parents to implement effective programmes at home and ensure that children are prepared for regular schools as in inclusive schools.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 105 INCLUSIVE RAMP WALK 8th March, 2021 in collaboration with ADAPT Women’s day is celebrated to spread awareness among the people regarding women's rights and gender equality. This day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Also, to encourage the women out there that no hurdles can stop them from accomplishing their dream For this event a video was made by few of the students of department of psychology with students of adapt wherein the students were dancing and ramp walking. It was a fun element for the event and it also gave a chance to the students of adapt to participate and contribute to the celebration of women’s day.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 106 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS WITH THE ANNUAL FEST PSYCHOMAGICUM MARCH 2021

2020 - 2021 PAGE 107 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS WITH THE ANNUAL FEST PSYCHOMAGICUM On the momentous day of 20th March 2021, the Department of Psychology of R.D National College organized an Intercollegiate Webinar to honor International Day of Happiness. Several people were a part of this webinar. The event began with a video created by the students of department of psychology displaying the charity drive they organized to spread happiness among children by distributing food packets around the city of Mumbai.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 108 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS WITH THE ANNUAL FEST PSYCHOMAGICUM Moving forward, the event was inaugurated by Mrs Bhavna Thadani who is a core team member of Team spreading smiles. She curates motivational content for them. She shared the efforts and actions that Team Spreading Smile takes and inspired the audience to be happy and share it with those around them everyday. Dr. Harish ShettyThe first speaker of the day as who is a practicing psychiatrist in Mumbai. He has also worked as a consultant at the Sevadhan De-addiction Center. He spoke on the importance of self acceptance in respect with physical appearance. He highlighted the role of joy in one's life by stating that joy was a by-product of peace. He also expressed his views on the joy of giving and sharing which was truly inspirational as well as encouraging.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 109 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS WITH THE ANNUAL FEST PSYCHOMAGICUM Dr. Harish Shetty The second speaker for the event was RJ Glenn Saldanha who is a well- known Radio Jockey as well as a Podcaster. He spoke on the human tendency of wanting more which results in lower levels of happiness. He also stated on the importance of feeling blessed and grateful in order to experience happiness and contentment in one’s life.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 110 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS WITH THE ANNUAL FEST PSYCHOMAGICUM Gaurav AherOur Event was then continued by two comedians and Karthik PK. Gaurav Aher is a full time comedian performing regularly in different cities and venues for over 3 yrs now, and also working in the comedy environment in habitat and onenest. We also stand uphad Karthik who is an energetic young, Mumbai based comedian, finding humour from the most minuscule parts of society and performing all over Mumbai. They delighted the event by their comedy sets, it included various jokes and puns. Their sets gave a fun and entertaining element to psychomagicum. It made the celebration of International Happiness day truly joyous and a segment of laughter for the participants.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 111 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS WITH THE ANNUAL FEST PSYCHOMAGICUM The last segment of the event was a dance performance by two Ankita Nivikaextremely talented dancers and . Ankita Naik is a talented 21 year old Bharatnatyam dancer. For the past 15 years she has been learning Bharatnatyam. Nivika Anup who is also a trained Bharatnatyam Dancer with over 14 years of experience in the field. They graced the event by their fun and rejuvenating performances to various songs. Their act was extremely energetic and entertaining and it brought a smile to everybody’s faces. Dr.To conclude the event little bit of body text for the day, Meghna Basu Thakur offered a vote of thanks and closing remarks. Psychomagicum successfully celebrated the International Day of Happiness with great joy and efforts.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 112 VOLUNTEERED FOR THE XXVIII BOMBAY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE MARCH 2021

2020 - 2021 PAGE 113 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY APRIL 2021

2020 - 2021 PAGE 114 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY Psychology is a growing field which has been seeking great demand from students nationwide. With the rising demand of this field of work, students are now seen to be generating curiosity about the same and need guidance to pursue their interests. To help students navigate their path through in-depth knowledge of experts in the field, the Department of Psychology took the initiative to organize an event for 30ththe same.On the eventful day of April 2021, the Department of Psychology of R.D National College organized a National Webinar to provide in-depth information about the aspiring careers of psychology. The event was graced by knowledgeable experts from across the nation, who provided insight on the various career alternatives and courses under the domain of Psychology. The event garnered views from over a thousand participants from colleges nationwide. Over 720 registrations were made for the event by students from more than 35 Colleges and Universities from Mumbai such as St. Andrews, Wilson College, Nagindas Khandwala College, Royal College of Arts, Commerce and Science, TISS, SIES College of Arts, Science and

2020 - 2021 PAGE 115 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY Commerce, K.C College, Amity University, Smt. Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, V.G. Vaze College, Sophia College, Kirti College, Thakur College, Swami Vivekanand College, Viva College, St. Xavier’s College and several other colleges outside Mumbai, Maharashtra such as RBBM College-Muzaffapur, T.D.P.G. College- Jaunpur, Amity University-Kolkata, Gandhi High School, Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University-Jaunpur, National Forensic Sciences University, AMC College, Government Arts College Bhesan- Junagadh, Uma Arts and Nathiba Commerce Mahila College-Gandhinagar, Fergusson College-Pune and others also participated in the webinar through online mediums such as Zoom and YouTube Live which had over 1,500+ views. Videos of the same were uploaded on various media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube to provide future reference. Click here to watch the Webinar on YouTube

2020 - 2021 PAGE 116 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY Dr. Rajesh Kharat, Dean of Humanities, University of Mumbai (MU), was the Chief Guest of this event. However, he was unable to join the event due to unforeseeable circumstances. The webinar commenced with joyous inauguration of this momentous program by none other than Dr. Meghna Basu Thakur, Head of Department of Psychology, who then welcomed our first speaker - Dr. Deepti Puranik. The first speaker of the day was Dr. Deepti Puranik, the Assistant Professor at AMITY University of Behavioural Science. She shed light on the domains of Forensic Psychology. She provided an insight on the field of Criminal and Forensic Psychology and criminal profiling, the various techniques adopted by Forensic Psychologists and the courses available nationwide. The information provided in this session was extremely beneficial for the aspiring Forensic Psychologists.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 117 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY The second speaker of the day was Mrs. Mayuri Jain, a Clinical Psychologist from AIIMS and Neuropsychologist at KEM Hospital, Mumbai. Through her session ‘Studies and Career in the field of Neuropsychology’, she illustrated the various aspects of Neuropsychology, its importance and scope as an ever-growing domain of Psychology. She also explained how Cognitive Psychology comprises assessment, diagnosis, predicting outcomes, tracking and much more. She also emphasized on the role of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology in rehabilitation, Neuropathology and Neuroanatomy. The third speaker of the day was Ms. Maurelle D’sa, Co-founder of GRIT Sport and Exercise Psychology Consultancy. Ms. D’sa put forth the domain of Sports Psychology. She stressed on the technical skills, the process on and off field, psychoeducation, performance anxiety and the crucial role of Sports Psychology in today’s world as a progressing field full of opportunities.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 118 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY The fourth speaker of the day was Mr. Joshua Tivade, a Wellness Coach at Accenture. Mr. Tivade explored the domain of Clinical Psychology in his session ‘Counselling Psychology in the Corporate World’. He elucidated on how as psychologists we should make it our utmost priority to add value and contribute to our surroundings. He also emphasised on how essential practical application of psychology is in the corporate sector. The fifth speaker of the day was Dr. Anuja Deshpande, Asst. Professor at Maniben Nanavati Women's College, Mumbai. Through her session ‘Insight on Counselling Specialization at Maniben Nanavati College’, she explained the eligibility criteria for the Counselling Psychology and Clinical Psychology specialisation provided by SNDT Women’s University. She also provided a detailed overview of the subjects like Micro and Macro skills of Counselling, application of theories, covered by the courses and the internships provided by the college in order to provide a concrete foundation for the aspiring psychologists.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 119 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY The sixth speaker of the event was Ms. Vishakha Punjani, Clinical Psychologist at Bombay High Court; co-founder of Astitva Mental Health Clinic, Mumbai. Ms. Punjani accentuated on Clinical Psychology through her session, ‘Domains of Clinical Psychology’. She accentuated on the contents of the specialisation and its domains - Education, Practise and Research. Ms. Punjani also asserted on the importance of MHA and NEP guidelines for Clinical Psychology and various courses offered both, nationally and internationally. The seventh speaker of the day was Dr. Nilesh Thakre who is the Head of Industrial Psychology Department at SNDT Women's University and has a deep knowledge base in Industrial Psychology. With his knowledge and expertise about this area of work, he attempted to form a clear idea about the basis of I/O Psychology and its regards. Thakre also provided in-depth answers to the queries put forth by the students and furthermore elaborated on the student-centric methods used in MA Psychology at SNDT University. This detailed overview proved to be of immense help to all industrial psychology aspirants.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 120 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY The eighth speaker of the day was Ms. Neha Bhansali, who is a Consultant Psychologist and also works as Asst.Professor at Maniben Nanavati Women’s College. Ms. Neha has immense knowledge about Clinical psychology which she tried to extend to the students willing to know more about clinical psychology than just the generic hospital settings. She spoke on the topic of Betterment through Psychological development. She also educated the students about the Maharashtra State Laws in accordance with the field, and shared her opinions on the RCI and NEP licensings. The ninth speaker of the day was Dr. Satishchandra Kumar who is the Head & Professor, Applied Psychology and Counseling Center at University of Mumbai. Dr. Kumar provided an in depth view about the world of industrial psychology under the University of Mumbai and also clarified doubts presented by the students. He also shed light on the practical components, semester structures and placement opportunities. His detailed elaboration about the course, successfully helped students gain insight about the same.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 121 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY The tenth speaker of the day was Dr. Vivek Belhekar who is a Personality & Conservation Psychologist and also functions as Associate Professor of Advanced Applied Psychometrics and Data Analysis at University of Mumbai. Dr. Belhekar provided an in-depth understanding about the different alternate careers in the psychological universe and shared his knowledge about the area of his expertise. He shared helpful details about Behavioral economics, Data Science, Conservation Psychology, Culture and Psychology and the various Psychological public policies. This sparked curiosity amongst the students about newer alternatives that they could opt for. The eleventh speaker of the day was Dr. Aparna Joshi, who functions as Asst. Professor at TISS Mumbai while also being the Co-ordinator & Project Director at iCall Helpline, with her experience and wisdom, provided great insight on the Psychology courses at TISS. She also elaborated on the short-term courses that have garnered a lot of interest from many students. She explained the various populations that are included and further spoke about the various internship opportunities that are provided.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 122 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY The twelfth speaker of the day was Ms. Genis Fernandes who is an alumni of Dept. of Psychology, R.D. National College and is currently pursuing her Masters in Sports Psychology in the UK. With her experience of moving abroad, she helped students navigate the pathways to their dreams of studying abroad as well. She further provided insight on the various topics covered in the course base in Sports Psychology and elaborated on the essay based paper system. This helped the students who were trying to figure their path towards studies abroad and helped them gain clear insight about the same Dr. Ninad PatwardhanFinally, the last speaker of the day was who has completed his MSC in Psychology and currently functions as Asst. Professor of Psychology at FLAME University, Pune. Dr.Ninad, with his refined knowledge about the field, spoke about the several fundamentals of psychology. Moreover, he also successfully clarified student queries about the life of a psychology student at Christ University, various courses, selection process and details of the domains under the university. His first-hand experience provided unfiltered answers to the students that would help them skim through their alternatives and reach their desired goal.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 123 ASPIRING CAREERS OF PSYCHOLOGY LIVE IN GROWTH: A LOOK IN VARIOUS CAREER PATHS IN PSYCHOLOGY Without the relentless efforts of Dr. Meghna Basu Thakur towards the Department Principal Mrs. Nehaof Psychology and the constant support of our respected Jagtani our eventful program would not have been a fruitful one. This event was indeed an insightful experience for the students who aspire to have a successful career in the field of psychology.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 124 RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATIONS BY STUDENTS

2020 - 2021 PAGE 125 RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATIONS BY STUDENTS

2020 - 2021 PAGE 126 RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATIONS BY STUDENTS

2020 - 2021 PAGE 127 RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATIONS BY STUDENTS

2020 - 2021 PAGE 128 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Special thanks to Dr. Meghna Basu Thakur, Head of the Department of Psychology, who orchestrated every event and without whom no programme could have taken place. Her contributions and dedication towards the department are immeasurable and extremely valuable. A very gratuitous thank you to R.D. National College headed by I/C Principal Dr. Neha Jagtiyani, for providing resources for each event and wholeheartedly encouraging the same. A special thank you to all of the wonderful resource persons from all of our events for bringing each event to life and taking the time to share their valuable knowledge and experience as well as teach each and every person present some very valuable and unforgettable skills. Last but not least, thanks to the department's students for their enthusiastic participation and immense efforts in bringing each of these events to light.

2020 - 2021 PAGE 129 CONTRIBUTIONS BY Arshiya Supriti Aaliya Nandish Niyomi Khan Epili Virani Kuwardiya Joshi Mahek Jeena Kashish Bhavana Rudra Vatnani Vettiparambil Gwalani Ghadigaonkar Galvankar Vaishnavi Melissa Kashish Tanya Rayna Tawade Ferrao Mishra Puthawala Lobo Dilkhush Aditi Misbah Riddhi Vaishnavi Yukta Mistry Shirke Rupani Pandey Golvankar Shirgudi [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

2020 - 2021 PAGE 130 CONTRIBUTIONS BY Amruta Arabhavi Anvita Walia Bhakti Chheda Bhavi Doshi Elvin Kothiya Fariya Khatib Hetvi Shah Jidnyasa Vetal Lata Bhatt Laxmi Bera Muskan Lakhani Nikita Bhat Pallavi Bidkar Priya Kewalramani Rabab Maskawala Rida Maniar Rida Sheikh Saara Ansari Vishwa Gangan