National Service Scheme (NSS) IIT Kharagpur

[ Four videos giving details from the field, are available at the end of this post. ] About one year back, proposals were asked by Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) Office of IIT Kharagpur to improve the condition of the people in our neighbourhood villages. For each project, maximum Rs. 1 Lakh of support was assured. Pariapara Unit of NSS, IIT Kharagpur took one project to improve economic condition of the villagers by demonstrating before them some alternative means of livelihood. The assessment of the village showed that water is a scarcity but farmers there did not know anything other than paddy cultivation which requires relatively large amount of water. Many a household there were found to have cattle. Two pronged strategies were thought. After lots of discussion and persuasion, some came forward to try something other than paddy. Technology input and other helps were provided to cultivate peanut and sweetcorn. There were more acceptance to try vermi-co

We planned a blood donation camp, that has now become an annual event, on 21-03-2015. We discussed it with Kharagpur Voluntary Blood Donors' Organization (KVBDO) long back. The idea was to have staggered blood donation so that there is never an excess, neither the blood banks around us allowed to go dry. Team from Midnapore Blood Bank came. Venue selected was Transit Hostel, opposite to our B C Roy Technology Hospital. Needless to say that we got due cooperation from our own hospital. The campaign started with emailing, putting up banner etc. The blood bank requirement was of 75 units. And we had no choice to stop registration on this count after 80, but took care not to dishearten all those who were there in queue. There were UG students, PG students, faculty members, husband-wife coming together for donation. Truly, it looked like a festival, a festival where we celebrated joy of giving. But, aren't there still a lack of awareness, a fear of needle-prick, or a general

[This post has 4 videos and 40 pictures to give a visual walk-through of the medical camp. A short report describing our experience is given below.] [ One new video is added at the end as follow up activity of yesterday's medical camp. This is of Smt. Sharma Tudu from Keshiashole village after she gets back her vision on successful completion of operation by visiting Kolkata medical team at Prembazar eye hospital. ] We had an ennobling experience today when Unit 11 of our NSS, IIT Kharagpur team conducted a medical camp on 28-02-2015 at Hiradih Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra (M.S.K.). We saw a conflence of goodwill where besides us, IIT Kharagpur and Prembazar Eye Hospital medical team we had members of Kharagpur Voluntary Blood Donors' Organization (KVBDO) and local community leaders to make the camp successful. A total of 103 residents of Hiradih and adjoining Kesiashole village took medical service from the camp. Local community leaders helped us identifying the needy among