SES-REC Certificate 05 Sep 2020 [PDF]
Gokhale Memorial Girls' College, Kolkata (GMGC) has formed, under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), a Social Entrepreneurship Swachhta & Rural Engagement Cell (SES REC), recognized by Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education, to work for improved conditions in the areas of Sanitation, Hygiene, Energy Conservation, Water Management and Waste Management, not just within the college campus but outside in the local community, along with the purpose of promoting Rural Entrepreneurship and Social Engagement among the students.
The ultimate goal of SES REC of GMGC is the realization, even if on a smaller scale, of the twin visions of Swachh Bharat (a programme launched in 2014) and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (launched in 2020) - visions envisaged not only by the country's planners and but by every citizen of our great country. India lives in its villages. We hardly need to be reminded that the ideas of Swachhta (Cleanliness) and Aatma Nirbharata (Self-Reliance) have been an integral part of India's tradition for ages.
For Mahatma Gandhi, the secret of reviving India's economy, impoverished by British colonial rule, lay in the economic resurgence of the villages, in the blooming of the rural entrepreneurship, and in the rigorous practice of self-reliance, that is, to rely on the country's own resources and not on the precarious foreign assistance. Furthermore, the term "Swachhta" for Gandhi meant not just cleanliness of body or hygiene, but spiritual purity. Today, we go back, once again, to Gandhi's ideas, in the hope of ensuring a minimum standard of living for all, a peaceful coexistence between man and nature, and a sustainable development of our economy. One step in the right direction would be promotion of social entrepreneurship by the institution. Social entrepreneurship is a humanitarian alternative to profit-oriented business set-up and seeks to create employment and boost small-scale industry. At the institution level it harnesses the creative talents of students to foster enterprising activity among them.
If Calamities like COVID -19 and Amphan have taught us anything, we need to prioritize issues of health and hygiene and restoration of natural balance above all else and immediately. We, as a family of co-learners and co-workers, as an academic institution, have received a lot from our community, and it is high time we started giving back to the community little by little. Though our institution is located at the heart of the metropolis of Kolkata, we believe we can do a lot for the local community, especially for the slums, in matters like sanitation, personal health and hygiene, and supply of clean drinking water, all the time trying to uphold our college campus as a model in this regard. We also believe that there are a number of budding entrepreneurs among the ranks of our students, who dream of making a name for themselves in future, not just by doing business and earning huge profits, but by becoming able and responsible members of their society.
Social Entrepreneurship and Rural/Community Engagement programmes will aim at inspiring, guiding and supporting the students to fulfil their dreams of becoming successful entrepreneurs. Students would be encouraged to come forward with their innovative ideas under the guidance of the Social Entrepreneurship Swachhta & Rural Engagement Cell (SES REC) of the College. The Cell will undertake programmes as declared by MGNCRE from time to time. It will organize observances and celebrations to commemorate special events and thereby instil a sense of self-confidence and shared heritage and create a sense of both institutional and national pride among the students. It will organize awareness drives, workshops and seminars that will promote environmental awareness and community engagement.
MGNCRE Manual - Swachh Campus [PDF]
