Prayagraj: With the aim of working for the development and progress of select villages of the state, Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU), has decided to adopt five more villages of Prayagraj.
These will be in addition to the two already adopted villages by the open university.
UPRTOU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Seema Singh said, “The university had earlier adopted Chak Kriparam village in Chaka development block in trans-Yamuna area, and Bari village in Soraon development block in trans-Ganga area of the district.
The university has been carrying out different educational and developmental initiatives in these two villages from time to time.” “Now, we have decided to adopt five more villages including Matadeen Ka Purva in Phaphamau, Gohri, Lehra and Jaitvardeeh villages in Soraon development block, and Chandi village in Naini,” added the VC.
A team lead by Prof Ruchi Bajpai had visited Jaitvardeeh village on Wednesday and interacted with the village folks.
The coordinators of the Women Study Centre of the university and Prof Bajpai met the village’s head ASHA worker and informed about the mandate of the study centre, and how it would help the female populace in the fields education, health and employment.
Meanwhile, the VC said that the university has also asked all its 11 regional centres located in Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Lucknow, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Azamgarh and Agra to also adopt two villages each which are located near them.
“The UPRTOU team will work for providing better health facilities, sanitation services and education to the residents of these villages, and also strive to increase the green cover with local support.
Our team will also motivate all the villagers aged above 18 years to take the Covid vaccine shots on priority.
Women and child health will also be a key focus area for us as part of this initiative,” said Prof Singh.
The teams would work for the empowerment of the rural women, sensitise them about women rights, and also help them fight social evils like dowry system and sexual harassment, she said.
“We will also undertake a massive year-long plantation drive of Peepal saplings in these two villages, with the help of locals who will be involved in nurturing these plants,” she shared.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to plant 30 crore saplings during the Van Mahotsav (afforestation festival) beginning in the first week of July this year.
For this, it has sought support from all, including the universities of the state.