Students of contemporary era exhibit curiosity of pursuing a shining career in the field of Management and Computer Application, where aspirants embark on their academic journey without determining their interests and goals. This lack of inclination turns into a major roadblock in an academic journey and attainment of goal for students. Besides, the adjustment in a new milieu, peer pressure, expectations of parents and their close supervision, competition, increasing workload and responsibilities and above all individual aspirations shake the spirit of students. Consequently, ample number of promising students suffers from deterioration in their academic performance and some of the students may also turn into dropouts. To aid students overcome this despicable entity, it is the need of the hour to have proper orientation through induction program. Emphasizing on the remedy to these problems, AICTE introduced Induction Program and announced it mandatory for all colleges. Aurora’s Induction Program is an attempt to meet the directives and standards set by the AICTE.
Aurora is always keen about bringing together bright and young minds into an congenial academic environment that ensures maximum student development through designated systems and processes, that let them learn, enhance and grow into accomplished professionals with high intellect and morals. When new students enter an institution, they come from variety of backgrounds with diverse learning experiences, thoughts, backgrounds and preparations. It is important to help them adjust to the new environment and inculcate in them the ethos of the institution with a sense of larger purpose. A one week induction program for MBA and MCA Students entering the institution has been in practice at Aurora from the past three years. The Program mainly focuses on making the students feel comfortable in their new environment. It encourages the students to get to know each other and to become acquainted with the institution, staff, facilities and services. The one week induction program commences with a diagnostic test that estimates the knowledge levels and provides them with the mentor support for further activities of the program as well as for supporting all future needs of the students. The list of activities included in the induction program are Bridge courses that bridge the skill gaps of the students, Physical Activities like sports, yoga and exercises, Creative Arts like painting, carving, performing arts like dance, music, drama etc., Training on Universal Human Values, Interaction with eminent people through lectures and interactive sessions, workshops and training programs on relevant areas, visits to local areas and extracurricular and extension activities through NSS and other student clubs. Feedback from the participants and facilitators is obtained and corrective measures is implemented accordingly. Report on the activity is prepared and displayed in the website and published in the newsletter also for information to all the stakeholders.
The induction program that has been in practice from the last few years is found to have note worthy impact on students. The students got easy acquaintance with the system and are able to adopt themselves quickly with the environment. The bridge courses are of much help and student mentoring is appreciated by the student and parent communities. The students are able to showcase their talents through sessions in creative arts and other extracurricular programs organized during the program.
Implementing the modules for the large strength of students of the institution with point to point time schedule has become a practical problem. Inviting eminent experts from industry and other fields of activity is also another problem that was encountered while implementing the week long induction program.
Efforts are required to involve concerned Departments/agencies, besides other social organizations/NGOs. Unanticipated changes in the academic almanac cause delay in conducting the service activities as per the preplanned schedule.
Service-Learning plays an important role in students’ self-development. The community-based learning combines traditional classroom instruction with community-service to enhance the learning of the students and civic participation. Community improvement and engagement connects academic program with community service so that students, faculty and community partners can forge linkage between theory and practice, between knowledge and action and between the resources of institution and the community development. Aurora aims to explore students’ potentials, to encourage them to apply their professional expertise, and to nurture them as the future leaders for the community. . It focuses on the integration of the curriculum learning and voluntary service, encourages the students to develop their leadership potentials during such learning, servicing, retrospection, and sharing, helps them to understand their individual uniqueness and their own development direction and ideals. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched a programme called Unnat Bharat Abhiyan to create a virtuous cycle between society and an inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and practices for emerging professions and to upgrade the capabilities of both the public and the private sectors in responding to the development needs of rural India. The Village Adoption Project under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is a very good example of such Service-Learning.
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an inclusive India. The mission is conceptualized as a movement to enable processes that connect institutes of higher education with local communities to address the development challenges of rural India through participatory processes and appropriate technologies for accelerating sustainable growth. To implement UBA, Aurora’s PG College (MCA) has taken initiatives to spread the message of various government schemes. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Cell has been formed for implementation of ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’ with Faculty and Students as coordinators. To undertake the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Aurora PG College (MCA) have adopted 5 villages in consultation with the district administration of Medchal under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan. To undertake Village Survey and Household Survey as per the guidelines of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan a visit to Edulabad village was carried by the UBA volunteers who interacted with the village council members. Gram Panchayat representative, Mr. Kaleru Suresh provided the data about village and issues faced by the residents. The UBA volunteers of the institution were divided into 30 groups for conducting the house hold survey. As a part of Swachhata Hi Sewa- "plastic-free-village" campaign the distribution of cloth bags to each household and collection of all plastic bags that are being used by them is carried out at the village. Plants distribution camp was organized by the students in the adopted villages.
The Students have satisfaction beyond any scale that they are able to serve the people of adopted village to the extent possible. The impact of all above activities is remarkable.
Efforts are required to involve concerned Departments/agencies, besides other social organizations/NGOs. Unanticipated changes in the academic almanac cause delay in conducting the service activities as per the preplanned schedule.
