The Gujarat Vidyapith, which has been organising ‘Gramjivan Padytara’ around Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary (October 2) every year, is planning to replace it with ‘Swavalamban Yatra’ covering around 50 lakh students of secondary and higher secondary schools across 18,000 villages of the state. The rural outreach programme will not be held on foot (padyatra), instead vehicles will be used. “The Garmjivan Yatra has been scheduled between November 10 and 15. The logo of the yatra-Swavalamban Yatra-will be officially launched by President Droupadi Murmu during Gujarat Vidyapith’s 71st convocation on October 11. We are aiming to reach out to 50 lakh students of secondary and higher secondary schools in Gujarat covering all 18,000 villages,” Gujarat Vidyapith Vice-Chancellor Harshad Patel told The Indian Express. The yatra is planned to cover villages across the state, spreading awareness about Gujarat Vidyapith, Swavalamban (self-reliance) and Swadeshi along with celebrating the 100 years of university’s alumni association, Snatak Sangh, which was established on December 1925 by Acharya Gidwani, and 150 birth anniversary Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Since 2007, when the padyatra was launched, students and teachers of Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by Mahatma Gandhi on October 18,1920, had been visiting villages on foot to experience the rural life as well as to spread awareness on literacy, de-addiction and cleanliness besides other principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Authorities said that in order to cover maximum secondary and higher secondary schools out of a total number of around 17,000 with an estimated enrolment of 1 crore students in Gujarat, the yatra will be conducted on vehicles. In 2024, the 'gramjivan padyatra', held after a gap of two years from October 21 to 26, was a mega affair with students and staff members spreading out to nearly all villages across the state with a special theme — natural farming. The exercise was preceded by a special training lecture by Governor Acharya Devvrat, the Chancellor of the University. It was a combination of a roadshow and footmarch to different villages. The Vice Chancellor said that a detailed schedule of the yatra will be planned by the organising committee after the convocation. Students, divided into groups, will be led by faculty members to cover all villages. This academic session, the university has seen a 27 per cent increase in admissions, from 850 last year to nearly 1,080, driven by new programmes and flexible offerings. The university is aiming to reach an enrolment of 3,000 by 2030, a criterion the university needs to fulfil to stay deemed as per the new National Education Policy rules. This year, the students will not only visit villages but also schools and colleges across the state to reach out to students in order to promote about Gujarat Vidyapith, swadeshi and self-reliance. Murmu to be chief guest of Gujarat Vidyapith convocation on Oct 11 President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest at Gujarat Vidyapith’s 71st convocation to be held at Pranjivan Vidyarthi Bhavan on the university campus at 5 pm on October 11. The convocation was earlier scheduled to be held in June. The event will be presided over by Governor of Gujarat and Maharashtra Acharya Devvrat, who is also the Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith. He will also deliver the convocation address. The Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will be the Special Guest. The convocation traditionally is held on the foundation day of Gujarat Vidyapith – October 18. However, recently after the management change, it was held in July last year. Murmu will be the seventh President to attend the Vidyapith’s convocation. The first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, who also served as the Vidyapith’s Chancellor, attended the convocation of Gujarat Vidyapith four times.
