IIT Madras students introduce Social Campaign of Saarang – its annual cultural festival
Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students introduces Social Campaign of its annual cultural festival, Saarang. As the students’ gear for another edition of Saarang, the organizing team of students has taken ‘Education’ as the cause. LEAP – Learning and Education Accessibility Project, will be the official social campaign of Saarang 2019.
As part of the campaign, the team has distributed 1600 eco-friendly notebooks made from recycled paper in a Government School in Korattur, among others. The material was collected through donation boxes placed in schools across the city. The team also visited these schools and interacted with the students. Saarang committee is also planning to organise multiple book donation campaigns in the Institute and in and around Chennai. This will be coupled with collection drives for recyclable paper.
Speaking about Saarang 2018, Prof. Nandita Das Gupta, Cultural Advisor, IIT Madras, said, “Like the previous years, this year, too, the students have put in a lot of efforts for Saarang 2019.”
There are many children in our country whose futures are curbed because the tools and resources they require for learning are not within their reach. This prevents them from securing a quality education. The aim of LEAP is to create awareness about the stark reality as a first step and to eradicate illiteracy and empower the underprivileged by bridging this gap through sustained efforts.
Speaking about this initiative, Mr. Aniket Kamthe, Core of Sponsorship and PR, Saarang 2019, IIT Madras, said, “Our Team has always tried to do our best in creating awareness about the pressing issues in our society. This year we have decided to focus on Education with a unique concept to include as many people as we could by urging them to donate waste paper. After the first phase in schools, we recently did a collection drive in the Campus of IIT Madras. We are working towards doing collection drives throughout Chennai making this a citywide movement.”
To generate awareness for the cause, guest lectures by pioneering activists, scholars and social entrepreneurs, and creative learning-oriented activities for schoolchildren in collaboration with NGOs working in the education sector will be organized. The students are in touch with NGOs who are helping them in making this activity possible.
Some of the past social campaigns of Saarang are – During 2017-18, they promoted water conservation through Boondh, received a Limca World Record in the process. In 2016, they worked with NGOs like Make A Difference, CRY and PETA on ‘child welfare campaign’ – Sukriti. From 2013-15, under the theme Eunoia, they worked towards spreading cancer awareness, welfare for children in orphanages and animal rights.