Allahabad :

It started as another MSc course in September last year at the botany department of Allahabad University but has grown into something bigger. Since 14 students of this innocuous PG course in rural technology and development adopted it, Ramapura village of Bahadurpur block hasn’t looked back.

The course, a brainchild of head of the department Prof Anupam Dikshit, includes adoption of a village to give practical experience to the students. When Ramapura was picked, the idea was to develop it along the lines of of Punsiyari village, the state-of-the-art village in Gujarat’s Samarkata district.

“Our students visit this village at least twice a month and their efforts in making the lives of the villagers easier are showing results,” said Dikshit. For one, the students, alongwith active participation of village folks and Sri Satya Sai Seva organization, UP, are ensuring cleanliness and better roads in the village.

With their work, the village which had just two toilets has been sanctioned funds for 50 more. It has also been given 10 solar lights.

“We plan to design a mobile lab for soil, water and pathological tests,” Dikshit added.

“Our aim is to use this course to develop villages of Allahabad using latest technology and techniques. The course will help in promoting rural entrepreneurship which would, in turn, check migration of rural populace to urban areas,” he said.

Village head Ram Murti Yadav is all praises for the team. “Students’ efforts are commendable as they haven’t only helped us with basic amenities but are also educating our women and children on several issues that would go a long way in developing the village further,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / by Rajeev Mani / TNN / April 28th, 2016