“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls”.

-Rabindranath Tagore.

These immortal lines by Tagore have been etched in our collective conscience when it relates to dealing with issues of education and human dignity as potential enablers of social and intellectual emancipation. Prime motive in imparting education at Plassey College has always been man-making, to help learners manifest his human and divine qualities through which he can live with holding his head high in a world with universal brotherhood and fellow-feeling. Transcending the boundary of college campus, Plassey College aims to disseminate education and human values in adjoining areas and also at the adopted village Champai.

Plassey College was established in the year 2010. The demand for a degree college in the area with the prime objective of spreading light of knowledge to pupils who remained excluded from the rubric of education for generations led to the formation of the college. The college has a threefold responsibility which reflect its distinctiveness: firstly, to create opportunities for first generation learners by opening the door of the college for them, secondly, to ensure that students from minority and other oppressed communities must not get excluded from education and thirdly, to look after the female students by ensuring their completion of study in college. Besides being one of our best practices, women empowerment is also a distinctive character of the institution. The notion of social justice enshrined in Indian Constitution assumes a significant character in such a scenario. It is only through education and knowledge that we can create a sense of equity. Since its inception, the college has been painstakingly making endeavors in realizing these visions and remains committed to these principles.

Riding on the pillar of success in achieving the desired goal of becoming the platform for first generation learners within a decade of its coming into being, the college is morally bound to augment its social responsibility by extending its outreach activities in the neighbourhood. In doing this, the college through its NSS Unit has adopted a nearby village called Champai on 17th December 2021. Champai is a pre-dominantly an Adivasi village.

Motive behind adoption of Champai: Champai village is located in Kaliganj block. It is 6 kilometres away from Plassey College. The motive behind adoption of this village is deplorable backwardness of the village. Most of the tribal villagers are daily wage earners. They work in brick lanes, leaving their wards to play under the open sky with the old family members. The villagers even do not have properly built houses, they live in poorly built thatched houses. There are no drainage systems; even the villagers do not have functional toilets in their homes.

Most of the boys and girls above ten years of age have given up their studies and joined their parents in work and the children have little hope to be acquainted with education. Under these circumstances, Plassey College decides to take active measures in order to develop the village in matters of health and education. It is decided that Plassey College will take special responsibility with respect to education of the wards of the villagers and their health. Children and students of the village will be provided all kinds of assistance in their education and health. Books and game equipments were all provided free of cost. Any student from the village who will be admitted in Plassey College will be waived from all kinds of fees for pursuing studies in Plassey College.

Other programs organized at the village:

25th February, 2022 Educational Awareness Camp:

On this day text books, reference books, and football jerseys and 3 footballs were distributed to the needy students of the village. Principal of the college assured the villagers in all kinds of assistance in the field of education.

4th August 2022- Special Literacy Program:

NSS Program Officer Chandan Barman and Rakesh Chakroborty conducted a Special Literacy Drive att the adopted village Books, exercise books, pens were distributed to the children and they were taken specal classes. After end of the classes they were provided with foods.

18th August, 2022 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav:

Special feature of the program was in the Children’s pleasure in showcasing small flags to feel the joys of freedom. They were provided books, slates, pencils for study and were practised the alphabets.

Special Drive at for School Drop-out Students:

On finding out a drop out boy NSS took active measure to return the boy to school. His school leaving certificate were collected from the school and steps were taken to get him admitted for further education.

Special Camp (20th March– 26th March):

Apart from the Program Officer and some other teachers, 50 NSS Volunteers participated in the Special Camp. In the Special camp almost all the villagers were benefitted. The NSS Volunteers aided by the Experts made the villagers aware in different fields like cleanliness, Literacy, Fitness Program. The response of the villagers is remarkable. The NSS unit of the college has conducted a 7 days Camp in the village in March 2022 in an attempt to augment its presence in the village through a gamut of activities. Notwithstanding its limitations, the college is also contemplating to broaden its level of engagement by taking responsibility of few Adivasi children’s education till they attain college/university degrees.

Details of the Special Camp (20th March– 26th March:

1. 20th March - Monday: Clean Champai, Divine Champai Campaign
2. 21st March - Tuesday: Mass Literacy Drive
3. 22nd March - Wednesday: Medical Camp
4. 23rd March - Thursday: Program on Adivasi Culture & Art
5. 24th March - Friday: Program on AIDS and Viral Diseases Awareness
6. 25th March - Saturday: Fitness Programme including YOGA
7. 27th March - Monday: Cultural Programme

Plassey College desires to continue the welfare measures undertaken in the field of health and education at the Champai village for their benefits.

Supporting Document for Institutional Distinctiveness