Joining the nation-wide activities to celebrate the `National Unity Day’, the students and the staff of Chembur-based VES College of Pharmacy on Friday took out a rally to spread the message of unity, apart from taking the pledge.

The students of the leading pharmacy college, who gathered together despite being the holidays, also joined the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ by cleaning the streets, staging street plays and teaching the children in the slums the safe hand-washing techniques.

Vivekananda Education Society (VES), which runs 26 institutions including the pharmacy college and having over 18,000 students, also organised online poster and slogan making competition on the theme of national unity to mark the day.

While leading the students and staff for the pledge, college principal Dr Supriya Shidhaye urged the youth to involve actively in activities for promoting national unity, integrity, security and cleanliness. “With 65 per cent of the population being in the age group of 15 and 35, India can be the most dynamic and enthusiastic country by 2020. The contribution from the youth is crucial, whether it is cleanliness or national unity,” she pointed out.

Addressing the students, VES trustee in-charge B L Boolanji called for further spreading the concept of PET bottle burster that is already being promoted by the students in the nearby localities to check the harmful effects of plastic. This burster works on the principle of converting plastic into ready-to-recycle granules.

Public Health Officers (PHO) Cell of the college performed skits during the rally to promote “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, apart from demonstrating the safe hand-washing techniques to the people in the nearby areas of the college.

The college also organised competitions for debate and elocution on themes like national integration, women safety and participation of youth in politics. A documentary on national unity was also shown to the students.