Best Practice – 2

1. Title of the Practice

            Self help Groups   under  ‘Swavlambi Bharat Abhiyan’

2. Objective of the practice

         The objective of this practice is to make the students skillful, independent and confident individuals. That’s why we have established 05 Self Help Groups of the students functioning since October 2022 at our college. These groups are as under:

1) Self Help Group-1- Tuck Shop/ Stationery Shop

2) Self Help Group-2- Students’ Canteen Counter

3) Self Help Group-3- Girls Entrepreneurship/ SESRE/ VENTEL Cells

4) Self Help Group-4- Campus Bazar/ Exhibitions

5) Self Help Group-5- Students Help Desk

3. The Context

These Self Help groups are working very efficiently and effectively at our college. The context is not only to enhance the moral and confidence of the students but through these groups they are earning money also which is making them Self Help. These groups are working under the mentorship of different faculty members but the investment and income generated through the sales and services is solely belongs to the students only. Students are becoming innovative and responsible through this process.

4. The Practice

We have already mentioned that our college has 05 Students Self Help Groups. The above mentioned VENTEL (Vocational Education-Nayi Taaleem, Experiential Learning), SESRE (Social Entrepreneurship, Swachhata and Rural Engagement) and  REDC (Rural Entrepreneurship Development Centre)  are functioning and in operation at our college since October 2022. In the beginning of the session 2022-23 we started this initiative by following the National Education Policy (NEP) – 2020. All these cells are working for the vocational development of the students especially girl students of our college.

Self Help Group -1- is our sales counter -The Tuck Shop run by the students ,where they have a Sales Counter of Stationery and other useful items. Because the college is situated outside the town on Sagwan Road, the college students face great problem to visit the market again and again to purchase the items. This Stationery Shop serves the purpose by providing all these items on the campus on a fare price having superior quality.

Self Help Group-2- is Students Canteen Counter at our College Canteen. However the college canteen is being professionally run by an outsider contractor who is dealing in general canteen items such as Tea, Coffee and Snacks etc.  Our students run a special Canteen Counter independently for the students and staff of the college. The unique items such as locally produced seasonal Fruits and Vegetables such as plum, muskmelon, watermelon, mango, jamun, cucumber, kheera etc. are being sold along with the home made special dishes like churma, suhali, gulgule, shakkarpare, chhach etc.

Self Help Group-3- To empower our girl students and making them skillful and independent of by way of getting them engaged in various cells such as Vocational & Experiential Cell, Social Entrepreneurship, Swachhata and Rural Engagement Cell (SESRE) as well as Rural Entrepreneurship Development Cell (REDC) etc. we have a separate hall at our college in which all these skillful girls from the rural area of Tosham doing the jobs such as Stitching, Weaving, Mehandi, Bangle Making and Preparation and sales of Home Decoration items. All these girls and other students are experts of their fields that’s why they are earning money and enhancing their skills.

Self Help Group-4- India is Country of Festivals and this area in which our College is located is a rural, backward area. But, the native villagers are very laborious and dedicated and same Sanskars have been transmitted in the Wards of these villagers.  Our students belonging to this area are not only healthy, physically & mentally but they are also very talented and skillful.  At our college campus we use to celebrate various festivals like Deepawali, Holi, Teej etc. by organizing various activities such as Festival Bazaar, Exhibition & Melas

Self Help Group-5- Earn while Learn is not merely our Slogan but we also practice this rich custom at our college. A Students’ Help Desk is operative since the beginning of the session 2022-23 at College Library. Various student oriented help is available on this Desk on a justifiable and fair price such as Computer Job Work, Filling up of University Examination and Other Competitive Examination Forms, Photostat and General Help etc.

5. Evidence of Success 

 Our self help groups are working efficiently and effectively resulting in productive results. The students involved in these self help groups are independent and confident enough to run their own enterprises. A few examples are like our students are running students canteen corner, tuck shop, amazon shop, girls enterprises for banggle making and stitching etc. We have many success stories like one of our students Priyanshu is running his own online business and earningin lacs of rupees per month. 

6.Problem Encountered and Resources Required

The college is situated in rural backward area and the students of this college are not having sufficient financial resources to continue their studies and fulfill their dreams. They  need to be independent and confident, so that they can earn while learning. Swavlambi Bharat Abhiyaan enlighted us to incorporate the idea of Aatmanirbhar groups to fulfill the financial and social needs of the students. Further these groups are inculcating the skills of entrepreneurship and self dependence among them. The college provides them the infrastructure, space, furniture and fixtures etc. along with the guidance of the outside experts and their mentors at the college. The earnings and minimal investments exclusively belong to the students however a mentor/ teacher takes care about the activities of these cells regularly. That’s how we are fulfilling the objective of the Vocational Education, Experiential Learning, Rural Entrepreneurship Development effectively.