BITS alumni try to do their bit for Pilani's development

Pilani, a nondescript village in Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan is the birth place of the Birlas, and is famous for the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS).  

Though the institute has produced world class technocrats and scientists, the village has remained mostly untouched by scientific discourse and research, feel the institute’s alumni.

Realising the importance of empower the community and the village, BITS Alumni Trust was established in 2005 on the silver jubilee reunion Year of the 1975- 80 batch with the purpose of giving back something to their alma mater and the village.

Projects

The project Atma Nirbhara or self reliance is the first big project of the trust.
Under the project, it has launched a Pilani Resource Centre to provide social and community services to the people in the area.

“The Pilani Resource Centre is the key initiative that has taken a few years for development.

“The goal is to provide sound infrastructure for community development for the rural population in and around Pilani.

“The emphasis is on rural education and employability,” said Sunil Nanda a member of the trust.

“The centre will host a number of activities for the local community which include vocational training in partnership with Pritham a non-government organisation under the curriculum of national skill development centre.

Planned

“Supplementary teaching for under privileged children in association with another NGO, Physiotherapy care and medical camps for senior citizens, a rural BPO training centre in collaboration with Harva and infrastructure for womens’ self help groups have been planned,” said Sanjiv Lodha, another trustee of the organisation.

Dr Raghurama G, director of the institute said, “Our endeavor is to create a Desert valley on the lines of the Silicon Valley adjacent to the Stanford in the US. This would act  as a catalyst for social and economic change.”

Dr B N Jain vice chancellor of the institute expressed the hope that the centre would
provide a platform for the alumni to come together and craft ideas that would shape a bright future for the local community.

Directors of the other Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences centers, and a large number of alumnus were present on the occasion.