RONO HILLS, SEP 10:

Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) organised the Youth Festival–Red Run 5 Km Mini Marathon-2026 under the banner of its Red Ribbon Club and National Service Scheme (NSS) Cell, in association with the Arunachal Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS), to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, drug-abuse prevention and healthy lifestyles among the youth.

More than 100 RGU students and NSS volunteers participated in the run, highlighting the university’s focus on health, fitness and social responsibility.

The programme began with a welcome address by RGU Assistant Professor Dr Avicha Tangjang, followed by the felicitation of dignitaries.

The mini marathon was flagged off by RGU Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) Prof SK Nayak, who urged young people to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, stay away from drug abuse and adopt healthy habits while prioritising their physical and mental well-being.

The event concluded with a prize distribution ceremony. Winners in the boys’ and girls’ categories received medals and certificates, while other participants were given participation certificates. Institutional-level winners will be eligible to participate in State, Regional and National-level competitions, as applicable.

In the boys’ category, Lanzi Elo of the Department of Sociology secured first place, followed by Arjun Chetry of the Department of History and Kaling Apung of the Department of Hindi. In the girls’ category, Joti Mane of the Department of Physical Education stood first, followed by Nasili of the Department of Political Science and Meena Ragyor of the Department of Agricultural Entomology.

The programme was attended by senior faculty members and university officials, including Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences Prof Sambhu Prasad, Deputy Registrar (Bill/DDO) of IISYD Gomar Basar, Assistant Professors Dr Vivek Kumar Singh and Dr Bhaskar Jyoti Chutia, and Dr Tage Monju, Organising Secretary.