Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women · 2019. 12. 17. · Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan Unnat Bharat...

INSTITUTIONAL VALUES AND BEST PRACTICES

Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women, Chandigarh

Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women Sector 36-A, Chanidgarh (U.T.)


Practice I: Skill-based Learning: The New Age Mantra

Goals

• Skill Development among students can play a significant role in bridging the gap

between industry, entrepreneurship and employment.

• It can enable the stakeholders to be entrepreneurs and empowers them with requisite

skills to stimulate their personal and national growth.

• Initiatives in this direction can enable the learners to utilize their time productively

and make an optimum use of the institutional resources.

Context

Academic education falls drastically short when the students enter a competitive job market.

With the existing vacuum in employment opportunities, skill development is the need of the

hour. The contemporary world, with its own national and international socioeconomic

challenges, requires individuals who can look beyond the immediate and the local. The Skill

Development Initiatives at the college aspire to fulfil this need by imparting skills that enable

young women to create an identity for themselves and be a pillar of strength to others as well.

Practice

Various skill-based initiatives were undertaken to acquaint the students with the challenges

which they might face after completing an academic course. These included courses on



Cuisine, Organic farming, Interior Designing and Decoration, Website Development,

Painting and Photography. All these courses were well received by the stakeholders. Besides,

the College set a precedent for others to follow by starting a series of Workshops during

Summer Holidays (June 2019). This initiative has added the essential components of soft and

technical skills along with confidence building to the academic potential of the student.



Evidence of Success

• These programmes evoked enthusiastic response from the students and other

stakeholders. A few of them got professional assignments which clearly vindicates the

very purpose of this initiative.

• The feedback given by the participants displays the positive role played by such

workshops in honing their practical skills and boosting their confidence for encashing

the opportunities offered by the industry.

Challenges Encountered

• Arranging for suitable Resource Persons from diverse backgrounds.

• Squeezing in the schedule of the workshops along with the regular classes during the

semester.

• Skill-Based Workshops organised during Summer Vacation were well timed and well

attended but the boarders could not avail of this opportunity.



Practice II: Sustainable Development: Our Mission

Goals:

• The Institution remains committed to the cause of propagating Sustainable

Development so as to contribute meaningfully to the planet Earth.

• Involvement of the youth is crucial to this cause and therefore it is important to

involve their active participation in the conservation of the environment.

Context

In view of the increased pollution and climate change, there is a growing concern about the

planet being choked due to the nonbiodegradable nature of various pollutants. Therefore, an

integrated effort with mass involvement is the need of the hour.

Practice

Sustainability is a multi-pronged endeavour at MCM and various facets are covered under its

ambit. Some of the initiatives promoting sustainable growth are listed here.

1. Biodiversity Survey: This Survey

was undertaken to assess the level

of biodiversity of flora and fauna

in the College, with an aim to

quantify the area covered by

vegetation. It also assessed the

diversity and magnitude of habitats

which could support a variety of

species. This has instilled more environment consciousness among the stakeholders

2. Solar Panels: To tap the

renewable energy resources, the

College has installed Grid

interactive 360 kWp roof top

mounted solar photovoltaic power

plants out of which 235 kWp was

installed in 2018-19. It has

resulted in the reduction of

electricity bill. The power generated by the system interacts with the utility grid and

feeds the power into the electrical panel of the college building. It meets partial load

requirements of the building and feeds the surplus to the grid. A Power Backup of 1.5

KWP was generated by the Solar Heating panels which are being used to electrify 32

lights in the hostel premises.



3. Biogas Plant: Bio Gas Plant, an alternate source of energy remains indispensable to

saving the environment for the posterity. The last stage of setting up of a biogas plant

in the College campus was completed in November 2017 under the aegis of RUSA.

This initiative has been taken to manage all the leftover and raw mess food waste

generated in the college hostels.

The hostel messes along with other

food kiosks in the campus generate

around 80 kg of solid food waste per

day. The installation of biogas plant in

the campus helps to save LPG fuel up

to 8 Kg/day and per month LPG

produced is 230 Kg. By changing

“Waste to Energy‟ through this project, money required for 12 LPG cylinders is

recovered.

4. Compost Pits: The slurry from bio gas

plant is used in the composting pits to

augment the degradation of garden

waste. The bio gas reactor generates

about 2500 kg of manure per annum.

This has reduced the financial burden

of Rs. 7800/ per annum to buy 2400 kg

fertilizer from the market, required by the college to maintain its green areas.



5. Rain Water Harvesting:

Realizing the importance of

conserving water by harvesting

rain water, the college put in place

a permanent system to collect and

divert it into a well, constructed

within the hostel premises to

replenish the ground water in the campus.

6. Air quality monitoring: To

monitor the quality of air and

sensitize the students about their

responsibility to maintain a clean

and healthy environment, a Real

Time Indoor and Outdoor Air

Quality Monitoring System was

installed in the campus, a first of its kind in the country. The daily data stored in the

system can be used for conducting research on the changing quality and levels of

pollution in the air we breathe in.

7. Artificial Forest: First of its kind

in the region, it is a move towards a

cleaner, greener and a healthier

environment. To facilitate the

mission of Clean and Green MCM

and take a step towards Swachh

Bharat, the Botany Department and

NSS volunteers planted about 40 plants of medicinal and economic relevance.

8. Sustainable Urban Farming: A

series of workshops on „Organic

Farming‟ were organised in order

to acquaint the students about the

need to go back to roots and avoid

consuming vegetables which are

grown with high level of pesticides.



9. Oyster Mushroom Cultivation Project: Under the initiative of adopting solid waste

management practices, BSc.(MFT)

students and faculty of the

Department of Food Science

optimized and successfully

cultivated highly nutritional

variety of edible mushrooms

referred to as “Oyster mushroom”

scientifically called “Pleurotusostreatus” using combination of agricultural and

domestic waste in used and thrown away plastic bottles. With this aim, our next

research project has already started, aimed at producing Biofortified Oyster

mushrooms rich in essential nutrients such as zinc and potassium.

Evidence of Success

• Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women, Chandigarh secured First position in

the country in Swachh Campus Ranking (Residential College Category) 2018 of

MHRD, Government of India. In an award presentation ceremony held at New Delhi,

Sh. Prakash Javdekar, Union Minister of Human Resource Development and Dr.

Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development felicitated the

top ranking Swachh educational institutions of India. MCM Principal Dr. Nisha

Bhargava received the award on behalf of the college.



• The Institutional Project Waste Management of Dry Garden Leaves through Oyster

Mushroom Cultivation for Sustainable Development was awarded the Third Best

Citizen Led Initiative by the Union Ministry of Urban Housing and Planning in 2019.

• The institution was felicitated by the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh for Solid

Waste Management on 26th January 2019.

Problems Encountered and Challenges

• Resource Crunch: Initial cost of setting up Solar Photovoltaic Panels is enormous and,

therefore, our institution‟s resolve to be a fully solar powered campus will take a

considerably long time.

• Academic Schedule: As these programmes are time consuming, the involvement of

faculty and students in these projects is restricted due to their academic

preoccupations.



Practice III: Youth Engagement in Community Outreach Activities

Goals

• As a nation with sociocultural diversity, it is imperative to engage the youth in the

process of nation building and community outreach is a vital step in this direction.

• As young and vibrant citizens, youth need to be sensitized about their role in uplifting

the lot of the less privileged and marginalized sections of our society.

• Training at this stage will pave the way for their long term sensitivity and consequent

participation in an all-round development of the nation. Context

• The College has the locational advantage of being in a modern urban center but it also

has villages and low income colonies in the peripheral area of the city. Therefore,

students are well aware of the problems and hardships faced by their less privileged

counterparts.

• The Institution extends a helping hand to various government and non-government

organizations to participate productively in the noble cause of social welfare.

Practice

Students are consistently involved in social outreach activities through College

committees, cells and clubs which organize events to promote social and community

service. Some of these groups and their activities are listed below:

1. National Service Scheme (NSS): Motto of NSS „NOT ME BUT YOU‟ expresses the

essence of democratic living. It upholds the need for selfless service and appreciation

of the other‟s point of view, and underlines the fact that the welfare of an individual is

ultimately dependent



NSS at MCM:

Units: 2 (200 volunteers)

Programme Officers: 2

Adopted Village: Badheri, U.T. Chandigarh

The flagship programmes of the college under NSS include:

Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

Swachhta hi Seva

Poshan Maah

Environment Awareness Programme

Anti-Drug Campaign

Energy Conservation Programme

Anti-Ragging Programme

First-Aid Training Programme

Skill development

27 student volunteers from MCM DAV got registered for Swachh Bharat

Summer Internship 2018 and completed their summer internship in June 2018 in

the selected villages namely: Kishangarh, Dhanas and Kaimbwala of Chandigarh

(U.T.), Balongi of Mohali, Seenk of Haryana, Haripura of Rajasthan, Athanm

Bagh of Uttarakhand, and Ghaneiewala of Punjab.



2. Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the national vision of transformational change in

rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the

architecture of an Inclusive India. As part of this initiative, the College students under

UBA conducted various activities in Attawa, Badheri, Kajheri, Malloya and Buterla.



The volunteers undertook various activities to foster a new dialogue within the larger

community on science, society and environment to develop a sense of dignity and

collective destiny. They sensitized the villagers about modern and scientific waste

management like segregation of wet and dry waste.

Volunteers of UBA also participated in the Swatchh Bharat Summer Internship

Programme 2018 along with NSS volunteers.

3. Rotaract Club

The Rotaract Club organizes events all the year round to help and support

marginalized sections of the society. With a vision to foster national sentiment, love

for humanity and spirit of service, the members of the club organize a variety of

events such as Health and Nutritionl Programmes for the poor, Blood Donation

Camps, Environmental Awareness Drives.



Evidence of Success:

The Community Outreach

initiatives of the College have

been recognized at the

national level. The team of

Satvikaa Singh and Vaishali

got First position at the State

level and received a cash

award worth Rs. 51, 000 from

MHRD.

• The College was bestowed with the Best Unit Award 2018-19 by the

Department of NSS, Punjab University, Chandigarh.

Challenges Encountered

• Faculty members in charge of these activities have to plan and successfully

organize these programmes which takes a toll on their Research and

Teaching-time.

• Academic preoccupations do, sometimes, interfere with the students‟

commitment to their outreach programmes as semester system followed by

the universities leaves little time for such activities.

• Management of resources to arrange safe transportation and refreshment of

the students to villages for field work.



Practice IV: Holistic Development of the Learners through Vedic Values

Goals

Deeply rooted in Vedic values, our institution lays emphasis on an all round

development of the students.

In the present times, students need to connect with their inner self in order to

reconcile the challenges of a highly competitive world. Self-discipline, poise

and high self-esteem are the virtues inculcated through Havan, Shaloka Recital,

Meditation and Self-expression.

Deep sensitivity towards fellow-beings and one‟s surroundings aims at

enriching the perspective of our stakeholders so that they grow up to be more

responsible and conscientious citizens of the society.

Context

Technology-driven world brings numerous challenges for the youth today.

Distractions, insecurities and peer-pressure are the natural corollary of a fast-

paced competitive society. Diminishing filial bonds, crumbling social structures

and intermittent bouts of self-doubt affect the mental well-being of students who

desperately need an anchor to cling to. Retreat to the perennial human values

reaffirms their faith in themselves and they emerge stronger and more resilient.

Institutional support proves to be immensely valuable to them in such a scenario.

Practice

Havan and the chanting of hymns make an auspicious beginning of the session.

This practice has been followed ever since the inception of the institution and



gives a glimpse of the rich Vedic legacy which continues to guide us. This

practice connects the students to their surroundings and instils in them a deep

sensitivity towards all creations.

Every month Havan is performed and a burning issue is taken up for discussion

by way of spiritual discourse. With a mission to generate awareness about

nurturing human values, saving Water and reducing the use of plastic, for

example, various speakers share their views with the audience.

This practice is a distinct feature of the institution and a group of students have

been inducted into Arya Yuvti Samaj and a host of programmes are conducted to

generate awareness and inculcate moral values among students. Rishi Vatika, a

serene and calm ambience, has been created to make the students feel that silence

has a music of its own and soul‟s symphonies are the sweetest in the universe.

Inspired by the great visionaries of AryaSamaj, our students undertake activities

like teaching the underprivileged sections of society. A Sewing and Stitching

Centre is being run by the institution at the sector – 16 AryaSamaj.

Evidence of Success

This practice has initiated our students into Vedic philosophy and their moral

vision is very inspiring for their fellow students.

Their commitment to the cause of social reform through education exhorts other

students to join the cause of transforming our social spectrum.

47 students of Sanskrit Department appeared in „Naitik Shiksha Pratiyogita‟ on

Jan 29, 2019. This exam was conducted by „Arya Vidya Sabha‟ New Delhi.

Problems Encountered

1) Time Constraint

Moral and ethical aspects of education need to be incorporated in the system

itself so that the institutions can implement this vision smoothly. Constraint of

time is very challenging during the semester as the academic schedule is

designed by the university and adhering to those guidelines leaves very little

scope for undertaking these activities at a more comprehensive plane.



2) Resource Crunch

As the practice is purely philanthropic in nature, resource crunch is acute,

particularly because students aspire to contribute to the well-being of the society

in a more organised way. Institutional resources need to be supplemented by the

govt grant so that more such activities can be planned.

WEBLINKS

1 http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/nss/

2 http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/unnat-bharat/#1566298490198-285abb01-f32a

3 http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/swacchta/

4 http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/women-development-cell/

5 http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/rotaract-club/

http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/nss/

http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/unnat-bharat/#1566298490198-285abb01-f32a

http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/swacchta/

http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/women-development-cell/

http://mcmdavcwchd.edu.in/rotaract-club/

Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women · 2019. 12. 17. · Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan Unnat Bharat...

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