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20 Feb 2009, 0432 hrs IST, Naveen Kumar, TNN
VARANASI: There are no high-tech class rooms nor are the state-of-the-art workshops to attract some of the most talented engineering students of the country. But, there is an abundance of generous gesture and helping attitude on the part of the students belonging to the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU) that has brought a silent educational revolution in Lahartara slum area of the city.
The initiatives of the IT students have already ensured around six poor students in the area qualifying for the prestigious 'Navodaya' school entrance examinations every year since 2004, a feat that has motivated other students in the area to match their efforts.
"So far, as many as 25 students, including more than six girls, have qualified the Navodaya entrance examinations," said Abhinav Bansal, a second-year IT student and active member of 'Kashi Utkarsh (KU)', a non-formal social and voluntary organisation of IT students that had spearheaded the education revolution apart from taking initiatives for employment generation in the region.
"Every IT student contributes Rs 20 on a monthly basis and funds and contributions to the tune of Rs 30,000 annually from IT alumni ensures school uniforms, books and other amenities for 220 poor school children studying in three different schools (all up to class VIII) in the area," he said. "Besides, we also bear the cost of tuition fee and school uniforms to promote higher studies of girl students, as there is a high drop-out rate of girl students in the area. We also help meritorious students in getting admission to English medium schools and sustain their studies," he added.
While every IT student makes a contribution, a pool of as many as 30 active students spend more than 10 hours on weekends to help these children to hone their skills, especially in maths, science and English, providing them with inputs to crack the entrance examination.
According to Prof BB Bansal, senior IT professor and patron, KU, the efforts of the students are not restricted to only imparting education as recently IT students distributed sewing machines to poor women in slums for making them self-employed. Other activities like health camps (with the support of the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU) and extracurricular events such as sports competitions, quiz and other cultural programmes are also organised to build the all-round personality of the students and instil confidence in them, he added.
But, what sets the endeavour of IT students apart from other organisations working in the area is the non-formal approach that they desperately want to preserve. "It gives us the freedom and space to work in the desired area and we want to hold on to it as long as the organisation works," Ved Prakash, another IT student associated with the organisation, said.
It might be mentioned here that KU was established in 1997 by IT-BHU and had recently organised blood donation camp on the Valentine's Day at Rajputana hostel (one of the IT hostels) of the university, dedicating it to the cause of conversion of IIT status to the institute.
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Varanasi 221005, UP
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July 15, 2009 8:29 PM