Birsha University staff to provide phones to poor students

Kolkata: In a bid to help the economically backward students, the stakeholders of Sidho Kanho Birsha University (SKBU) have started raising funds to provide smartphones to the students. The university has already identified 200 students of the first semester, who will receive the smartphones.

"All our teachers, officers, non-teaching staff and alumni have come forward. We have started contributing towards the fund. Vice Chancellor of our university Dipak Kar has himself contributed Rs 50,000," said Rajkumar Modak, head of the department Philosophy, who is also in-charge of the online study committee of the university. There are around 800 students in the first semester. Out of which, 200 couldn't attend the virtual classes because of their financial constraints.

SKBU in Purulia has remained closed since the third week of March. Classes are being held online. The university that had started its journey in November, 2010 presently has 20 departments.