The University Grants Commission (UGC) has written to its affiliated universities asking them to encourage staff and students to participate as volunteers in the Vidyanjali initiative, an Ministry of Education project. The letter by UGC has directed the universities to disseminate information about the initiative.
The Vidyanjali initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE) was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. The initiative aims to strengthen the infrastructure and improving education quality in government schools. It is a unique school volunteer management programme that provides volunteers from communities and organisations to connect with schools in both urban and rural areas by allowing the private sector to participate.
“Envisioned in NEP 2020, Vidyanjali upholds the spirit of volunteerism and community participation in transforming the education system of India" reads the UGC letter.
A volunteer can contribute through the Vidyanjali initiative either by providing services or assets/material/equipment. Under ‘services’ a volunteer can provide subject assistance, assistance for teaching art & craft; yoga sports; vocational skills; languages, teaching assistanance for children with special needs, providing nutritional support in addition to mid-day meals, etc.
Whereas under ‘assets/ materials/ equipment’ participants can provide sponsorship of trained counsellors, special educators, sponsorship of sports and cultural events, sponsorship of medical camps, sponsorship of self-defence training, and so on. The scheme, however, mentions that asset contribution can not be in the form of any monetary support.
Under the scheme, schools post their requests on the Vidyanjali portal and volunteers interested in the programme can connect with them online, as the Secretary’s letter has specified.
According to August 23, 2022, data, Vidyanjali so far has 3.38 lakh schools on-boarded on the platform. Moreover, it has more than 50,000 volunteers. With this scheme, around 49,486 students have received assistance.
Earlier, the Union School Education Secretary has written to all government secretaries asking for their help in encouraging, contributions by Public Sector Units (PSUs) in basic infrastructure for government schools across the country.
