Nihil Ultra
CSOP is an important unit of SXUK that acts as the main social outreach wing of the university. CSOP focuses on formulating, designing plans, implementation and appraisal of social outreach initiatives. At SXUK, the CSOP has been entrusted with the overall responsibility of ensuring effective implementation of the Non Academic Credit Programme for UG Students in compliance with standards being specified by the University Grant Commission (UGC). Under the Non-Academic Credit Programme, every student is encouraged to spend at least 30 hours (over a three-year period) to contribute to various social outreach activities which are conducted in nearby adopted villages. Activities of CSOP ranges from sustained community level programmatic interventions to organizing in-house events on social issues.
St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) organised Sishu Mela on December 19, 2023 at the Kulberia Primary School with pomp and ceremony.
The celebration was organised specially for the children, their parents and other stake holders from four adjacent villages namely Kanthalberia, Kulberia, Dharmatala-Panchuria and Jirangacha.
The event included various activities for children to participate in, like drawing, dancing, singing and a fancy dress competition, etc. Game stalls for critical thinking and logical reasoning were also there. Children found the event highly enriching.
Parents of the children and panchayat members of these villages also found the event highly interesting. SXUK, since its inception, has been maintaining a sense of belongingness and ownership among the community members with regard to the university’s initiatives to provide them with scopes for attaining a quality life.
Sweta Banerjee
In a humble effort to empower rural women, Centre for Social Outreach (CSE), a unit of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) in association with Seva Kendra, Kolkata started a 10-day workshop on tailoring from June 12, 2023 in the university campus.
This workshop aims to promote the economic condition of rural women from the neighbouring villages through imparting hands on training on tailoring. It would continue upto June 23, 2023.
While inaugurating the programme, Father John Felix Raj, S.J., Vice-Chancellor of SXUK said, “This is one of the many programmes we plan to conduct. A university as a temple of knowledge must always be in touch with neighbouring villages. 15 sewing machines will be handed over to the participating women after they complete the training programme.” He further added, “Such workshop will continue for the women of the nearby villages.
Experienced trainers from Seva Kendra would conduct the workshop. All the participants will receive a training completion certificate. SXUK has a plan to set up a vocational training centre for the rural women in the second phase.
The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) sponsored the project as a part of their CSR initiative. Fr. Anthony Rodrigues, Director, Seva Kendra and Mr. Subhasish De, Regional Manager, WBSEDCL were present in the inaugural programme.
Thanks to Mr. Sukhendu Bank, Coordinator, CSE, SXUK and student volunteers for their active and efficient organisation of the programme.
Dr. Somak Sen
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UVVU is one of the major flagship projects of the university under which the students of the University visit neighboring villages and impart quality education to marginalized sections of the society. As a part of this initiative, supplementary educational support in the form of remedial classes is provided to children who are pursuing their primary level of education in government sponsored and aided schools.
Such education support includes effective and outcome oriented teaching and learning sessions, adoption of appropriate activity based joyful teaching and learning methods, developing effective Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs), providing students with one-to-one support and conducting group activities on subjects like Mathematics, English & Bengali.
In order to create scope for creativity and innovative thinking among students, various avenues of productive engagement are being created under which volunteers of CSOP are conducting trainings session on domains like singing, dancing and also art, at the community level. Keeping in parity with the prevalent need of this present digital era, volunteers of CSOP are also conducting
sessions on digital literacy for these students. Under this initiative, they are being provided with training on various basic functions related to computer applications. This initiative has been initiated in four primary schools spread across four villages namely Kathalberia, Kulberia, Dharmatala-Panchuria and Jirangacha located under Bhangar-II block of South 24 Parganas district and has so-far benefited about 800 children.
As a part of the UVVU programme, a Community Library & Computer Centre has been established at Kathalberia Village. This structure has been established with an objective of ensuring access among children with regard to books beyond their
curriculum /textbooks and also providing children with a scope for computer literacy. Under this initiative, volunteers of CSOP are not only promoting reading habits among children, but are also facilitating training sessions for such children on various basic functions of computer applications.
In order to ensure an enhanced level of awareness and understanding among the community about the utilities of quality education and also triggering a positive social and behavioral change, trained volunteers of CSOP are organizing street places in various public places, on issues related to quality education and its importance.
Under the UVVA programme, training sessions on Spoken English and Personality Development courses are being facilitated by volunteers of CSOP, for youths from the nearby villages. This training sessions are being organized by CSOP on weekends,
within the premises of the SXUK where such rural youths can also access the state-of-the-art learning facilities and resources that are available with the university. This initiative enhances existing level of employability and career prospective of rural youths.
Since its inception, CSOP has been organizing Sishu Mela (Children's fest) as one of its major annual events with an objective of building strong rapport and trust between the community people and university
authorities. Under this initiative, children along with their parents and school teachers, visit the university campus for one day. During this event, various activities ranging from amusement games, critical thinking, and cultural activities to various competitions are organized for children. As a result of this initiative, a sense of belongings and ownership is being developed among members of the community with regard to the university and its initiatives.
To commemorate the contribution of the martyrs to save the honour of the mother language in East Pakistan, the Bhasha Diwas (International Mother Language Day) was celebrated by CSOP on February 21, 2022, in collaboration with the XAVECOS, the Economics Society of the University. On the same day, CSOP also
celebrated the World Day of Social Justice. As a part of this celebration, various cultural events ranging from group songs and drama to dance performances were organized. Furthermore, as a part of this event, a debate competition on the Union Budget – 2022 and a quiz competition on current affairs were organized at Fr. Albert Huart Hall of Arrupe Building. During this event, active participation was ensured on part of the students, faculty members and other officials of the university.
CSOP celebrated the Children’s Day on November 15, 2021 in the university premises. During this event, a group of thirty (30) children along with their parents from the neighbouring
villages visited the university campus. During the course of this event, such children were engaged with various productive and amusement oriented activities. As a part of this initiative, volunteers of CSOP visited three neighboring villages whereby they distributed gift-hampers to around 400 children.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic situation and the unprecedented scale of challenges being faced by the community, CSOP with its volunteers was at the forefront of COVID combat response. Referring to emergent needs of families being severely affected by this pandemic, basic ration (food materials) and blankets were distributed among 1500 families. Initiative related to community level awareness generation and mask distribution were also organized. As a part of COVID-19
response strategy, a number of webinars were organized by CSOP on various issues related to COVID-19 as a disease and its preventive measures like hand and respiratory hygiene, social distancing, emergency response, etc. In consideration with the fact that during this pandemic situation, the education of children was severely affected; special virtual classes were organized by volunteers of CSOP for children of nearby villages.
As a part of its broader programmatic strategy, CSOP had initiated a feasibility study in some of the nearby adopted villages. This study was conducted with objectives of assessing training needs and aspirations of rural youth with regard to vocational education, the viability of various short term training programmes and also identification of potential beneficiaries for
a project which are being planned for rural youths, in the domain of Skill Development and Livelihood Generation. Under this initiative, a survey has been conducted in the nearby adopted villages. As a result of this initiative, critical information and insight were gathered with regard to the training needs and aspirations of rural youth, viability and market feasibility of various short terms vocational training programme and 100 potential beneficiaries were also identified.
The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways; but at its core, there is an approach to development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as a society.
changes in global climate resulting from our dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources. The longer we pursue unsustainable development, the more frequent and severe its consequences are likely to become. Mr. Sukhendu Bank
Deputy Director (Acting),
Center for Social Outreach Programme (CSOP)
St. Xavier's University, Kolkata
Phone: 033-66249874
Email:
socialwork@sxuk.edu.in
St. Xavier's University, Kolkata 30 Mother Teresa Sarani (Park street),
