Patna, June 24: Ravi Shankar Sinha, the secretary of Bihar Pensioner Samaj, may have taken retirement from professional life but that never stopped him from working for future generations.

He is not alone. Sinha, along with other members of the organisation, has managed to help students carve a niche for themselves. For this purpose, the organisation has been running a certificate course in hardware and networking, affiliated under Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University, Patna, on the organisation’s premises at Patliputra Colony since last year.

Sinha, 78, said: “We are happy that we are able to do our bit for society. In the first batch, 27 students had enrolled for the course. They were given theoretical and practical training according to the syllabus of the university. They appeared for the examination in April-May. Some of them have even got jobs.”

The organisation charges Rs 8,500 from students. Those belonging to Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes get a 30 per cent concession.

“We are all financially sound people and do not want to make this a commercial enterprise. We charge far less than other private institutions,” Sinha added.

The course includes training the students in manufacturing details of computers and different operating systems, rectification of defects of computers, including formatting and installation of antivirus.

On the reason to start such a course, Sinha said: “We already have a computer training programme for the members where they are taught the fundamentals about operating computers. It is a 20-day course where they can learn to operate computers, open files, open email accounts, communicate with near and dear ones through Skype or Yahoo Live, operate Internet banking and others. We used to have a computer for official work but decided to install more to train the pensioners. The local MLA gave five computers and 15 were bought through donations from the members. Once the vice-chancellor of Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University visited our campus, he gave us the idea to open a knowledge resource centre affiliated to his university and we started the course. A non-government organisation also provided us 20 students.”

Sanju Kumari, 24, a student of the first batch, said: “I had a great experience and was proud to learn something that is considered unconventional for girls.”

Thirty-year-old Ashwini Kumar Dwiwedi, another student, said: “The faculty is really good at the institute. What surprised me was the stamina of these 60-plus pensioners who arranged everything on their own. I wish I can be as active as them when I am their age.”

The organisation members, now, are also ensuring placements for their students in companies like HCL and Microsoft in New Delhi and Hyderabad respectively.