IIM Bodh Gaya fosters a culture and curriculum whose sole purpose is to create socially responsible managers and emotionally mature leaders. Aligning with the vision of the institute, PRAGATI – The CSR Committee organized Swachhata Pakhwada, a campaign to raise awareness of cleanliness.
Maintaining cleanliness is essential for having a healthy mind and body. It plays a crucial role in building the character of an individual. Cleanliness, starting with an individual, will significantly impact society and help the present and future humanity enjoy a healthy environment. The Pragati team of IIM Bodh Gaya has taken the initiative to spread the message and importance of “Swachhata”.
Swachhata Pakhwada, which began in April 2016, aimed to engage villages, local people, schools, and their students in their respective areas of responsibility and bring a fortnight of concentrated focus on the problems and practices of Swachhata. This year, under the guidance of the Chairperson of the CSR Committee, IIM Bodh Gaya – Dr. Amit Srivastava, several cleanliness awareness drive events were held between September 3 and September 12, in two phases.
In the first phase, the team went to Domuhan’s Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya. With the assistance of Mrs. Foto Kumari Niral, the principal of the school, they engaged with the students to make them aware of the importance of cleanliness and various forms of hygiene with real-life examples. The CSR team also held a poster-making competition among students on cleanliness, mother earth, and the environment. The winners were felicitated by Dr. Amit Srivastava and the teachers of the school. The team installed dustbins in various parts of the school and provided cleaning equipment like brooms, sanitisers, and liquid hand washes to the school authorities.
The village of Bapunagar hosted the second phase with the help of Mr. Rajeev Ranjan, the sarpanch of the village. The CSR team performed a Nukkad Natak to educate the villagers about the importance of clean water based on the Falgu River. To set an example, the students performed cleaning activities in the village. The insights about waste segregation were shared with villagers. For better disposal of waste in the town, dustbins were installed in the different parts of the village. They shared their knowledge of personal hygiene and problems caused by open defecation. A 7-step hand washing procedure was also demonstrated to the kids of the village. The event was concluded by a tree plantation drive, led by Dr. Amit Srivastava and Dr. Sreelekha Mishra, Chairperson, Student Affairs, IIM Bodh Gaya.