Panjab University students to adopt villages

In a first of its kind initiative,students of departments related to social sciences and community development at the Panjab University,will be catalysts of actual social development of village population. With an aim to provide first hand practical experience to students and also uplift the people residing in the rural areas,the Panjab University will adopt eight villages surrounding the city.

The initiative will include the department of Community Education and Development,Women’s Studies and Development,Centre for Emerging Areas in Social Sciences and Population Research Centre. The villages already identified included Nayagaon,Sarangpur,Dhanas,Kaimbwala,Palsora and Halo Majra. Two more villages will later be included in the list.

“Many other departments have internship programmes for student. This is a unique kind of programme,where students will adopt villages and will be associated with them throughout their course. Apart from regular visits to these villages,students will work on various projects aimed at upliftment of people,directly or indirectly,” said PU Vice-Chancellor Prof R C Sobti.

Students,meanwhile,are excited about the initiative. “This will be a very challenging and fulfilling experience. Reading books and theories is not sufficient. This will give an opportunity to interact with people in rural areas,understand their problems and try to help them,” said Richa Sharma,a student of the Centre for Emerging Areas in Social Sciences.