ICFAI univ rolls out edu plan for rural kids

Ranchi: The ICFAI University on Friday launched ‘Vidyadaan’, a social outreach plan to provide education and inculcate information technology (IT) skills among the students in villages.
The plan also envisages distribution of books, magazines and sponsorship of two newspapers, including the Times of India and a vernacular daily, for the panchayat offices in its vicinity.
Launching the scheme in the presence of university faculty members, students and the rural children, the vice-chancellor O R S Rao said that the scheme is being implemented in five villages — Simaliya, Daladali, Gutua, Tilta and Pundag — under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan plan of the Government of India. He added that the scheme was planned after a survey conducted by university students in the locality.
Professor Rao said that the university faculty would take hour-long remedial classes for rural students of Class VIII and above in mathematics and physics on the university premises during working days.
One computer set would be provided at each of the five panchayat offices where rural students can learn IT skills, he said. “The institution would send library on wheels to the villages every Sunday for providing text books and magazines to students,” he said.
Rao also said that a summer camp was held by his institution where 70 local students were taught IT skills, general knowledge, newspaper reading, yoga and dance.
A student of Class XI, Ragini Kumari of Kathal Tola, said that her dream of being computer savvy will be fulfilled. Manisha Kumari of Class VIII said, “I am looking forward to take part in the education programme.”