Vidyanjali initiative: Dispur directs schools to mobilise support, facilitate contributions

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: In a bid to strengthen community participation in school education, Samagra Shiksha Assam (SSA) has directed all District Mission Coordinators to step up the implementation of the Vidyanjali initiative by ensuring maximum registration of volunteers and mobilising support from individuals, institutions and corporate organisations.

The directive follows instructions from Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu, who has called for greater emphasis on the Vidyanjali programme to enhance volunteer engagement and facilitate contributions of educational resources and infrastructure to government schools.

In an official communication, SSA asked district authorities to identify and encourage a diverse pool of volunteers, including DIET faculty members, retired teachers, educationists, young entrepreneurs, professionals, artists, theatre personalities, sportspersons, writers, content creators, YouTubers, local celebrities, alumni, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups.

The volunteers are expected to contribute through mentoring, career counselling, life skills education, academic support, motivational sessions, exposure programmes, sports coaching, cultural activities and other need-based interventions aimed at enriching students' learning experiences.

The communication also urged districts to encourage individuals, organisations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partners to support schools by donating books, learning materials, sports equipment, digital devices, furniture, teaching-learning materials and other essential resources through the Vidyanjali portal.

District administrations have further been instructed to raise awareness about the initiative among schools, alumni associations, community organisations and CSR partners, facilitate volunteer registration, and ensure that schools upload their specific requirements on the Vidyanjali portal to enable targeted support.

Earlier, Assam made significant strides in implementing the Vidyanjali 2.0 initiative and continues to be among the leading states in its implementation, both in terms of volunteer engagement and contribution of assets and services.

Out of 52,161 government/provincialised schools, a total of 42,097 schools were onboarded on the Vidyanjali portal. A total of 65,364 volunteers registered for the initiative, including 65,233 individuals from India, 20 NRIs, 73 NGOs, and 38 CSR partners. Through their contributions, schools have received 66,269 assets and materials benefitting over 16 lakh students. In addition, 9,145 activities have been undertaken, directly impacting the learning experience of 1,21,971 students.

Further, through the Vidyanjali scheme, the community, NGOs, organisations and individuals have contributed 1,01,046 ceiling fans, 7,769 exhaust fans and nearly 20,000 other items, including solar panels, water tanks, hand wash counters, play materials, computers, books, science kits and safety aids. Volunteers have also supported 8,832 basic infrastructure facilities such as additional classrooms, toilets, boundary walls, solar panels, water tanks and hand wash stations.

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