All for a noble cause

High scores and handsome pay packages aside, premier institutes of the state are encouraging their students to work hands-on with the underprivileged section of the society.

So, it comes as no surprise when National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has a design studio dedicated to exhibit the works of traditional artisans and craftsmen from Surendranagar or students from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) enact plays to support the cause of the girl child.

Institutes are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to providing a base for interaction between future millionaires and the below-poverty-line (BPL) category through projects or the curriculum itself. The exchanges, mainly to enhance the creative talent of the underprivileged, is looked upon as an opportunity for the students to chanelise their expertise. And the students return highly enriched with the unique experience of sharing space with the deprived section of the society.

The students' initiative, supported by MICA, looks at convincing parents to send their girl child to school from the Shela village, where MICA is situated. Gautam Raj Jain, senior professor, MICA, says, "The students, as part of Sankalp, the theatre club at MICA, promote the importance of educating the girl child. The students sensitise parents to let their girl child study beyond class IX.

It is also an effort to understand the social dynamics behind not letting the girl child study."

Similarly, the students of Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A) have also contributed to development by forming a voluntary group to teach children from slum areas through a voluntary organisation called Prayas. Besides, a programme to identify, network and disseminate creative innovations from the remotest part of the country has been etched in the curriculum.

Anil Gupta, professor at IIM-A, says, "It is very important to engage the students in such projects. If 600,000 students take up a project each and atleast one per cent sincerely wishes to address the problems of the underprivileged, then we can have atleast 5,000 problems solved.

If doctors are required to work in rural areas as part of their academic programme, why shouldn't management students be? In fact the students should not be handed their degree or diploma certificates without the experience of working in rural areas."

While some institutes prefer to promote a cause, there are others that work towards providing a platform to add their expert touch to make traditional crafts commercially viable. NIFT is working on a Rs 300-crore project, that has 75 per cent funds from the Centre and 25 per cent from the state.

The project involves reviving the traditional crafts of 2,000 artisans and craftsmen and making it commercially viable. The project mainly aims at training, skill upgradation and design development for the artisans and craftsmen from Surendranagar in Gujarat.