October 14, 2022, New Delhi, Vidyanjali Initiative: The University Grants Commission (UGC) is looking for volunteers for the Vidyanjali scheme, a volunteer programme which was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Education. The initiative aims to bring in volunteers from all over India to aid in improving the overall educational infrastructure of Indian government schools.
In a recent development, UGC has written to universities asking the concerned authorities to spread awareness about the volunteer programme and encourage their staff and students to participate in the initiative.
Students who are interested in registering as volunteers can do so on Vidyanjali’s official website: vidyanjali.education.gov.in.
Under this initiative, schools submit their requests on the Vidyanjali portal and volunteers interested in that particular programme can get in touch with the respective school authorities.
Vidyanjali Initiative – Details
- The Vidyanjali project is launched to improve the infrastructure and educational quality of public schools.
- It connects the community, society, and volunteers with schools in both urban and rural locations by allowing non-governmental and private players to take part.
- Government data from August 23, 2022, shows that 3.38 lakh schools have already signed up to use Vidyanjali’s portal.
- Additionally, over 90,000 volunteers have also registered for the initiative, and over 7 lakh students have benefited from this programme.
- The Vidyanjali programme accepts contributions from volunteers in the form of services, goods, or equipment.
- A volunteer can also offer services by teaching arts and crafts, yoga, sports, vocational skills, and languages.
- Volunteers can also be teaching assistants for children with special needs and can provide nutritional support.
- Volunteers can also sponsor trained counsellors, special educators, sporting and cultural events, medical camps, self-defence training, and other things to aid in improving the infrastructure of a particular public school.
Vidyanjali Initiative – Objectives
- The Vidyanjali project aims to strengthen the quality of education, co-curricular activities, fitness and mental well-being of students and infrastructure in public schools.
- It aims to reduce the burden on schools and administrations by inviting participation from the private sector and society.
- It also aims to encourage participation from individuals, communities, and organizations through volunteerism and increase their contribution towards the holistic development of public school students.
- It aims to promote communication among all stakeholders, including volunteers, the government, schools, administrative bodies, and students – to achieve a mutual goal.
- It aims to co-create inclusive school communities with adequate quality access for children with special needs.
Vidyanjali Initiative – Who Can Volunteer?
- Serving and retired teachers
- Serving and retired scientists
- Government or semi-government officials
- Retired armed forces personnel
- Self-employed and salaried professionals
- Alumni of educational institutions
- Homemakers
- Any organisation, institution, company or group registered in India
Sponsorship Services Volunteers can Provide
- Volunteers can sponsor trained counsellors and special educators.
- They can sponsor trained counsellors to provide physiological support to students.
- They can sponsor special classes by experts.
- They can sponsor medical camps with doctors.
- Volunteers can also sponsor health and cleanliness resources.
- They can sponsor additional manpower for housekeeping for at least one academic session.
- They can sponsor special remedial classes for students taught by qualified teachers.
- They can sponsor self-defence training for female students.
How to Register for the Vidyanjali Initiative?
- Interested volunteers must first visit the Vidyanjali portal: vidyanjali.education.gov.in.
- Then, they are required to click on the “Become a Volunteer” option from the homepage.
- Next, applicants must click on the “Volunteer Registration” tab.
- Then, they need to fill in all the required information and click on the “Submit” button.
- Finally, they must save their login credentials for future reference.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What is the Vidyanjali Initiative?
The Vidyanjali scheme is a volunteer initiative which was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Education. The initiative aims to bring in volunteers from all over Indian society to aid in improving the overall educational infrastructure of government schools.
Who can volunteer for the Vidyanjali programme?
Only serving and retired teachers, serving and retired scientists, government or semi-government officials, retired armed forces personnel, self-employed and salaried professionals, alumni of educational institutions, homemakers, and any organization, institution, company, or group which is registered in India can volunteer for the Vidyanjali scheme.
When was the Vidyanjali scheme launched?
The Vidyanjali scheme was launched in June, 2016.
