Shadow Correspondent
SAMBA, SEP 09:
As part of its ongoing 02-weeks Enforcement-cum-Awareness Drive against traffic violations involving two-wheelers, Traffic Police Rural Jammu, in collaboration with Shri Pandit Prem Nath Dogra Government Degree College (SPPND GDC) Samba, today organized a symposium themed “Road Safety Begins with Responsibility, Not Enforcement” in the College conference Hall.
The programme commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by SSP Traffic Rural Farooq Qaiser, the Principal of the College, Prof. (Dr.) Nirlape Kour and other distinguished guests.
Convener Road Safety Club Prof. Mala Bhasin welcomed the guests, faculty members and students. She highlighted that the primary objective of the programme was to generate awareness about road safety, promote responsible road-user behavior and foster a strong sense of responsibility towards preventing road accidents and saving lives among students and the community.
Interacting with the students, SSP Traffic Rural discussed the prevailing scenario of road accidents and major causes of road crashes. He emphasized the importance of observing traffic rules, responsible driving and developing a strong sense of civic responsibility among young people. He gave a powerpoint presentation, elaborating the local accidents data which formed the basis for initiating the drive.
According to him, 699 accidents have taken place between January to July 2026 in the four Districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Samba and Kathua in which 88 people died and 1001 were injured. However, a disturbing trend is the fact that out of 699, 309 i.e 44% of the accidents are those in which two wheelers are involved.
Further, out of 88 dead, 39 are those who were either driving or riding a two wheeler. Moreover 27% of the victims are below 25 years of age.
The symposium was judged by Prof. Smriti Manchanda, HoD English, Dr. Banpreet Kour, Convener IQAC and Dr. Anupama Sharma, HoD Hindi, who evaluated the performances of the participating students.
The Principal of the college stressed the need for greater youth engagement in promoting road safety awareness. She underscored that road safety is a shared responsibility and called upon students to follow traffic rules diligently and encourage others to do the same. She further emphasized that responsible behavior on roads is essential for building a sustainable culture of safety.
Ritashi Gupta, Danish Bhagat and Madhur Chadgal secured the first, second and third positions, respectively. The winners were felicitated by SSP Traffic Rural Jammu with mementos, recognitsing their outstanding performances. Besides, mementos were also given to the Principal and Jury members in recognition of their gracious support in organizing the programme.
A pledge calling for observance of Traffic rules was also administered to the participants.
