Govt launches Vidyanjali school volunteer programme

To boost community participation in government schools, the HRD Ministry on Thursday launched Vidyanjali scheme, inviting volunteers to hold public speaking, story-telling, play acting sessions and participate in other co-scholastic activities.

Speaking at an event here, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said 21 states and 2,200 schools will be participating in the pilot launch of the programme and hoped that by December it will be expanded to include every school in the country.  Officials said in the run-up to the launch of Vidyanjali, eminent personalities, including Union ministers Rajyavardhan Rathore, Babul Supriyo and Kiren Rijiju, author Ruskin Bond, cricketer Anil Kumble, footballer Baichung Bhutia and actress Twinkle Khanna, have already visited schools to interact with children. Besides them, chief ministers of several states have also done the same, they said.

Speaking of the initiative, Irani said Vidyanjali is to convey to the children studying in government schools that “they are not alone but are a part of ‘Team India’.”  Vidyanjali will also cover initiatives under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).