As many as 15,000 students (aged above 18 years) from 132 colleges, including engineering, polytechnic, law and others, in 10 districts from Srikakulam to Eluru under the Visakhapatnam-based Andhra University Regional Coordinating Institute (AURCI) are striving to develop 660 adopted remote villages under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). UBA is a joint flagship programme of the Union Ministry of Education.
Their duty is to visit the adopted villages of their colleges (five villages per college) and study the infrastructure, public health, education, government services and identify problems and provide solutions. Students seek support from local government officials, including Collectors to volunteers of village secretariats.
AURCI Nodal Officer G. Nagaraja said, “A total of 7,683 colleges under AURCI from 10 districts are eligible for this programme. So far a total of 302 colleges have consulted, but 132 of them have been officially registered. This is an ongoing programme till the year 2047.”
For each registered college, the government will provide ₹50,000 and this amount can be used by individuals including college staff and students for their work of the UBA.
AURCI Coordinator B. Pavani said, “A total of 12 colleges out of 132 colleges have received ₹50,000 and received additional grants too like ₹2 to ₹4 lakh each for taking the UBA to the next levels. Students also take the support of village volunteers in each village and their support is an asset to the UBA programme.”
Speaking to The Hindu, V. Deekshitha, a civil engineering student of SRKR Engineering College from Bhimavaram, said, “We joined UBA as a summer internship. Samples of drinking water sources in five villages were tested and defects were identified and solutions were suggested to the local authorities. Now villagers feel happy. The response of the villagers gave us immense satisfaction.”
Another student S. Renuka Devi said, “We are participating in voluntary work, that too in remote and underdeveloped villages, which will give good results to our career after completion of studies, and society as well.”
AURCI Chief and AU Vice-Chancellor P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy said, “A total of 40 institutions in the country, including two in Andhra Pradesh, (one of them Andhra University) have been selected for UBA. The programme has been going well for the past year. We welcome more students and colleges to be part of the programme for society and student development.”
