As per the UGC declaration that if the higher education system has to discharge its responsibilities to the entire educational system and to the whole society, it must assume extension as the third important responsibility and offer the same status as given to research and teaching. Keeping the UGC policy in view, higher authorities of the Institution felt the need to establish an Extension Activities committee by combining different cells, societies, committees and departments working to extend
community services.
The UGC policy statement of Extension primarily aims at establishing links with the community to identify their needs and problems so that science and technological knowledge, ethics and morals, politics and administration, business and trade development generated in higher education institutions is best utilized in fulfilling public demand and resolving their problems. The word extension in the educational context means “reaching out to a wider clientele through a process of extending knowledge, beyond the four walls of the Institution”.
Extension Activities Committee is working at two levels: extension education and extension service. These two levels of the extension are interrelated, simultaneously maintaining their separate identity as the NSS extension work provides a learning experience to student volunteers and service to the community at the grassroots level.
However, the fundamental objective of the committee is to develop the rural people economically, socially and culturally by means of education. The committee renders their social services to the community under the “Village adoption Program” by adopting two villages. Students of NSS, NCC and members of other cells and clubs actively participate in extension activities. In addition, outreach programmes and invited lectures are also given to the society.
Objectives
Here are the main objectives of the Extension Activities committee.
1.To establish the necessary linkage with the community to foster social change by offering need-based and relevant educational programmes that may ultimately facilitate self-reliance.
2.To disseminate knowledge in different segments of the population to enable individuals and groups to fill up the gaps in their intellectual growth, professional and technical competence and understanding of contemporary issues.
3. To cater for the needs of all sections of society especially the needs of the underprivileged sections in order to secure effective participation in the development process.
4. To assist people in mobilizing available resources.
5.To provide an opportunity to the faculty and the students to an exposition of field experiences and to sensitize them with the problems and realities.
6.To escalate faculty and student’s participation in Extension Research and Action Research in selected areas in relation to major problems of development in cooperation with Government agencies.
Impact
Through extension and outreach programs, the Institution sensitize the students to develop social values, widespread their responsibilities and knowledge in societal issues and problems by making their real involvement with the community. The committee established a good relationship with NGOs and local community organizations to serve society.
Every year, the volunteers engage themselves in a variety of activities such as rallies, awareness programs, seminars, cleanliness drives, tree plantation, blood donation camps, surveys, visits to villages, blind schools, orphanages, old age homes, slum areas, etc. Under the able guidance of Dr. Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, College Principal, Incharge Extension Activities Committee Dr Harpreet Kaur (Asst. Prof. in Botany) along with team members and the student volunteers of the committee are tirelessly striving towards bringing a positive change in the society.