Past Events

Over the past two years, PRIA (in alliance with Chetana Child and Women Welfare Society, Raipur and Shikhar Yuva Manch, Bilaspur) has been intervening in 7 slums of Raipur city and 9 slums of Bilaspur to strengthen civil society voices on urban poverty. Through meetings, focused group discussions and community participation, slum dwellers have been organized into Slum Improvement Committees (SICs) at the slum level. Capacities of SICs have been built through training and orientation about different central as well as state government schemes available for the urban poor. SIC members have been motivated to develop rapport and good relations with each other to enable them to share their knowledge and settle problems on their own initiative. Several joint meetings have been held to share information and raise awareness of common problems, and to find collective solutions. The stage came when members of the SICs demanded an interface with other stakeholders in the city planning process so as to share their issues and problems. It is in this context that PRIA organized the city consultation on 9 May 2013 at Vrindawan Parisar in Raipur. The consultation brought together representatives of both cities (Raipur and Bilaspur) on a common platform. The consultation was attended by Dr. Kiran Mayi Nayak, Mayor of Raipur, Commissioners of Zone 3 and Zone 4, Mr. Manoj Singh and Mr. D.K. Banswar, and representatives of various civil society organizations working on the issue of urban poverty. The main issues discussed by the slum dwellers in the consultation were the right to tenure, demand for in-situ development (i.e., not to be shifted out) of slums settled on government  land, and including slums settled on railway land into RAY (Rajiv Awas Yojana). To read media clippings, click here To participate in discussions and know more about the work done, visit Terra Urban (http://terraurban.wordpress.com/)

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Teachers are the back bone of any educational system and play a very vital role in shaping the destiny of the country.  Calorx Teachers’ University is established by “Calorx Foundation” with a mission to train teachers who will be “Teachers by choice”.  The University aims to be a centre of excellence in education and is networking with the temples of learning in India and abroad to train teachers par excellence. Calorx Foundation is a not for profit, professionally managed, self – sustaining, autonomous institution with excellence in K-21 education and teacher education as its main objective, through innovation and absorption of latest techniques and technology. Over the last 17 years, the Foundation has grown by leaps and bounds adding one institution after the other.  Its aim being no child should be deprived of education; it caters to all strata of the society with a school to choose from the many.   The memorial lecture has been instituted in the name of Dr. K. R. Shroff (1921 -1987) who received his MRCP (Member of Royal College of Physicians) at London in 1950 before returning to India. He was associated with Civil Hospital at Ahmedabad as an honorary physician and associate professor for over 25 years. Apart from being a fine clinical teacher, he was a generous human, helping poor patients and medical students. Considered one of the top 3 leading physicians of his time, he had an uncanny ability to diagnose ailment accurately that earned him tremendous respect from his patients, peers and friends. He has also authored a book in Gujarati for general medicine. This annual memorial lecture series by Calorx Teachers’ University is a tribute to the hall mark of this teacher who even after two decades of his death, is remembered with great reverence and affection by his students. He was a unique reservoir of knowledge, an outstanding teacher and a mentor.     Dr Rajesh Tandon, Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair on Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education and President, PRIA, will deliver the 4th Dr. K.R. Shroff Memorial Lecture on “Life Long Learning and Global Citizenship”. 

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Exploring the many aspects of the social responsibility of universities in a global environment The modern university has multiple intertwined missions in the global knowledge economy.  First and foremost, the university is charged with development of the talent of their students in such a way that they can be productive and responsible citizens. The creation and communication of new knowledge from research contributes to the education of students as they have their own impact on society. The themes of the first and second International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education (IECHE) were world class university systems and teaching as a key academic activity. This year’s conference examines the social responsibility of the university to society at large in the sense of the impact universities have through their organization and activities on the social engagement of their graduates. Often this is labeled as the service role of the university or the “third mission.” This element of higher education is a critical part of a university’s commitment to the larger society and to the educational experience of each student. There are many dimensions to the role of service. The most important service universities render to society is the quantity and quality of the graduates. The contribution of research to national economic development is also highly relevant. This includes collaboration with government and industry to improve technology, assistance to industry to improve practice, support for the integration of new technologies, and the direction of new knowledge towards societal advancement. The 2013 International Conference on Higher Education focuses more on the “soft side” of the third mission—the social responsibility of graduates and the role universities take in cultivating it. Presenters will discuss models for promoting social entrepreneurship and for fostering the civic and community involvement of students to encourage the continuing effort of graduates to improve the quality of life of all sectors of society. Encouraging broad-based participation in civic society and the development of the skills and attitudes of a socially responsible graduate is of central importance to higher education. Speakers will discuss innovative mechanisms for linking universities to the societies that host them through curriculum and related projects, as well as the importance of committing faculty to the notion of a socially responsible (and highly productive) graduate. Also, universities must demonstrate their social responsibility in both policies and practices, for example, by promoting institutional sustainability in their various operations. Dr Rajesh Tandon, Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair on Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education and President, PRIA, will be attending the conference to make a presentation on “Mainstreaming Social Responsibility in Higher Education Institutes”.

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PRIA has been conducting a participatory research, supported by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, to facilitate a critical analysis of multiple vulnerabilities of tribal women in areas of unrest in Dumka and Jamtara districts of Jharkhand. The analysis includes how the unrest affects the lives of tribal women, especially in accessing health services for themselves and their family, education services for their children in 6-14 years of age group and other welfare services provided by the government; the barriers in accessing health services; and suggestions for ensuring more effective access to all the services. Over the past 6 months, PRIA has conducted field work with tribal women as partners in 10 villages across two blocks of Jamtara and Dumka districts. The use of participatory research methodologies such as focused group discussion and  semi-structured interviews, community mapping, venn diagram and transect walks has facilitated the active participation of these tribal women in the data collection and analysis process. Apart from village level data collection, block level and district level officials' views and concerns regarding the execution and implementation of health, education and entitlement related services have also been captured.   Venn Diagram (left) and Community Map (top) prepared by the tribal women participatory researchers Between 12 and 17 April 2013, the PRIA project team will travel to Dumka and Jamtara to share the draft findings of the research with the community and government officials and get their feedback. The visit is also expected to help discuss joint follow-up of this research with the tribal women partners.

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The Chhattisgarh Water Centered PESA Awareness Campaign launched on 5 April 2013 in Korba district, was flagged off in Kanker district on 11 April 2013. At the inauguration, Mr. Keshav Shori, Director, DISHA shared details of the campaign and its coverage in Kanker district. The President of Kanker District Panchayat, Ms. Shiro Komre, flagged off the Jagrukta Rath to inaugurate the campaign in the district. Even though a number of schemes and acts have been framed for villagers, in the absence of information/awareness, they are unable to access the benefits provided for under these schemes. In her speech, Ms. Khomre highlighted PESA, which had been enacted in 1996, but the common man was still not aware about the various provisions of the Act 17 years later. She hoped this campaign would help bring awareness about PESA and the importance of gram sabha in water management. She emphasized that elected representatives, the government and civil society organizations need to make regular effort to make citizens aware about acts/schemes. Representatives from other civil society organizations and the local media were present at the event. The first campaign meeting was organized in Hatkacharam panchyat at 2:00 pm on the same day. The sarpanchs from four other panchayats – Charbhatti, Risewada, Umradaha, Chawad and Nagar – of Narharpur block, and the president of Narharpur panchyat participated in the meeting where IEC material was distributed to the community. The campaign in Kanker will cover 10 panchayats (Hatkacharama, Charbhatti, Risewada, Umradaha, Chawad, Badepinjodi, Belodi, Kolyari, Tumasnar and Fufgaon) in two blocks, Narharpur and Antagarh. Various communication methods like songs, community meetings and dissemination of IEC material (posters and pamphlets) will be used during the campaign.   The Chhattisgarh Water Centered PESA Awareness Campaign is a joint initiative of PRIA, Arghyam, SROUT  (Social Revival Group of Urban Rural and Tribal), DISHA Samaj Sevi Sanstha, Path Pradarshak and Jankalyan Samajik Sansthan. Read more about the campaign at http://www.pria.org/events/general-events/details/148-chhattisgarhwater-centered-pesa-awareness-campaign2013-chhattisgarh-jalkendrit-pesa-jagruktaabhiyan2013 To read media reports of the campaign, click here  

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