From dancing and singing to watching movies together, 50 students from Classes X, XI and XII from Baikuntapur village in the Sunderbans bonded with St. Xavier’s College students over the three-day Prayas Camp 2018 organised by the NSS department of St. Xavier’s College. The camp held in June is a part of the ‘college-to-village and village-to-college’ project, which was started in 2006 as an endeavour to encourage higher education among rural students. 

“We are happy that we could bring so many students from the village to St. Xavier’s College. The aim is to inspire and motivate them and make them realise the importance of education. All of them have been given an open invitation to study at our campus in Raghabpur and St. Xavier’s University,” said Father Dominic Savio, the principal of St. Xavier’s College.

The camp included a guided tour of the Park Street campus, classes on writing General Diaries (GD) and First Information Reports (FIR), presentations on historic monuments, screening of the Rani Mukerji-starer Hichki, games and sharing stories. The students were taken for a city tour to the Indian Museum, Victoria Memorial and Birla Planetarium. They also visited the Raghabpur campus of St. Xavier’s College. The camp came to an end with a collaborative performance by the volunteers and students. 

“The aim of Prayas is to bridge the gap between the urban and the rural. Year after year, the success of students attending the camp in entering higher education bears testament to the college living up to its vision and purpose,” said Father Felix Raj, the vice-chancellor of St. Xavier’s University, who was also the chief guest at the closing ceremony.

“Prayas began as a project, transformed into a movement, and today it stands as a social outreach model for all other colleges. If every college can initiate this movement, it will have a great impact on the social structure of our country,” said Cheryl Francis, director, social work and NSS department.

20Bengal Battalion NCC, in collaboration with St. Xavier’s College, organised a Combined Annual Training Camp (CATC–IV) at Raghabpur campus, the rural wing of St. Xavier’s College from June 4 to 13. Cadets from nine colleges, 10 schools and other battalions participated in the camp. Seventeen army personnel, eight ANOs (Associate NCC Officer) and one GCI (Girl Cadet Instructor) were working under Colonel S.K. Chakravartty, commanding officer of 20 Bengal Battalion NCC and administrative officer Lt. Col T. Das. Aloke Chatterjee, group commander of Calcutta NCC headquarters, was present on the first day.

A day at the camp would start with physical training, followed by drill, weapon training and theory classes on various military and non-military subjects. Trained professors and teachers from various schools and colleges working as ANOs took classes on multi-disciplinary subjects. The evenings saw sports, social service activities and cultural events.
They also organised an NCC rally addressing social issues like human trafficking, drug abuse and dowry.