Coursing on

The university was started in March this year by Nitin Paranjape one of the founder-members of Abhivyakti: Media for Development,Manish Jain the founder-coordinator of Shikshantar Andolan and Reva Dandage. Dandage,who is also the Program Coordinator says,“This is a celebration of sorts. All the people who feel the urge to do something new,cut off from the world of mainstream ideas and want to feel at home with like-minded people are welcome.” The University’s unique take on education focuses on youth leadership,sustainable living,social activism and green entrepreneurship.

A unique concept about the university is the fact that the students here are called khoji’s or learners and not students. Sakhi Nitin-Anita,one such khoji at the university,had never appreciated the current education system and was home-schooled since the seventh grade. She says,“One of the reasons that I chose to study at Swaraj was its liquid frame-work. Here,I have the option to explore my interests and have space to question or even to just express myself.” The learners are encouraged to un-learn their old and limited ways of thinking and to explore their own calling so as to create viable new enterprises that are socially or ecologically relevant.

Anant Singh,another learner at Swaraj,was inclined towards exploring the possibilities of alternative energy resources and organic farming. About his reasons for joining the program he says,“I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my real passion in the current education system.”

Some of the ‘green enterprise’ areas that learners would delve deeply into include,(but are not limited to),Organic Farming,Zero Wastecrafts,Community Media and Publishing,Self-healing,Eco-building,Alternative Energy,Alternative Schooling Techniques and Natural Fabrics and Fashion. And as far as the course fees are concerned students here have to pay for the lodging and boarding expenses,for the various trips that they go for,during the duration of the course.

According to the founders the university is open to anyone over the age of 16 who believes in giving back to the community and wants to do something different in life. The university doesn’t offer any certificate to the learners at the culmination of the course and hence real zeal for just the learning process is important here.