GUWAHATI: The propagation of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, is a real paradigm shift of the learning process of higher education institutes of the country, said Prof. V. K, Vijay, National Coordinator, UBA, IIT, Delhi.
He was speaking in a webinar on August 7, organised by the IQAC Sonapur College of Kamrup Metro district, Assam, on the theme “Fostering UBA, a commitment of HEI’s beyond campus: Issues and challenges”.
Stressing upon the necessity of doing welfare centric research, Prof. Vijay said that the UBA, launched in 2014 as a flagship programme, have provided an opportunity to the faculty and the students of higher education institutes to learn the real-life challenges and the traditional wisdom of the rural people. The students and the faculty members of more than forty five thousand HEIs can contribute to find out the sustainable solutions to the plights of the rural people by utilizing the innovative technologies, he said.
In the webinar, attended by large number of faculties and other participants from across the country, Prof. Vivek Kumar, Co-Coordinator, UBA, also from IIT, Delhi, presented some magnificent success stories of UBA attributed to different institutes of the country including IIITs.
Deliberating on the topic, Prof. Kumar said that the UBA is mooted on the fundamental ethos of science and technology intervention, research reorientation, participatory approach and the convergence of funds and knowledge.
The webinar was held under the Chairmanship of Prof. Sashindra Kr. Kakoty, Regional Coordinator, UBA, IIT, Guwahati, who also deliberated on the issue with the help of a power point presentation on some successful initiatives of his institute towards rural transformation. After the presentations and deliberations of the resource persons there was an interactive session on the theme where Prof. Kakoty dealt with the quarries of the participants appropriately with his skill and wisdom.
Earlier, Dr. Biman Patowary, Coordinator, IQAC, Sonapur College introduced the resource persons and spoke about the background of the webinar whereas Dr. Devabrot Khanokor, Principal of the host college delivered the welcome address. The vote of thanks was offered by Dr. Sinam Iboton Singh, Coordinator of UBA Cell of the college.