Colleges and institutes are going that extra mile to look for innovative ways to encourage students and faculty to upgrade their skills — go for research activities or even help them opt for unconventional job options. Take the example of Delhi University’s Hindu College that applied for research funding under the Star College Scheme of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) where it was selected on the basis of presentations made by the faculty.
The Star College Scheme is a DBT initiative to improve infrastructure and academic capabilities in undergraduate colleges in order to promote research. Under the scheme, four departments of the college: physics, chemistry, bot-any and zoology — will receive research funding from DBT, which functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
“We are thrilled to get the Star College status. This would probably help us enhance the quality of our projects,” says Priyanka Singh, a second year B. Sc student. Similarly, in an endeavour to build a generation of socially responsible leaders, SOIL (The School of Inspired Leadership), Gurgaon recently came up with an initiative to financially support its students who wish to work with any recognised NGO. Accord-ing to the initiative, students of SOIL who are recruited by them, will receive from the B School an incremental amou-nt taking the remuneration package up to `5 lakhs, for their first year of work with the NGO.
Says Aparna Chowdhry, a Business Leadership student at SOIL, “The need of the hour is to have socially responsible leaders. This step will help bridge the requirements of NGOs (who are in need of talent) and the aspirations of young change leaders. This initiative will help many of us come out of our inhibitions and walk the path of change.”