In March 2020 the Pandemic hit India. The whole country was put under lock-down.
Soon, the whole country was shaken by seeing pictures, day after day, of immigrant workers from the urban areas walking back to their far away villages in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh etc. As they had lost their jobs and very limited food. As there was no transport, they had to walk back with their family including parents, young children. The consciences of the urban people including us at the college, were stirred. Immigrants were used as cheap labour for their development, without caring for the workers’ welfare.
The Hon. Prime Minister announced “Atmanirbhar Bharat” under which the rural India would be made self-reliant. The infrastructure in the rural areas would be improved, job creation opportunities within the villages would be created, thereby reducing the need for migration. There were many more schemes. We in the College, picking up the thread of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, decided to take up three villages and bring about change. Two villages are typically rural villages and one village is semi -urban village.
The aim was to make students aware of the social problems, to which we normally turn the blind eye, and make them socially responsive architects.
For 7th semester, students have identified catalyst for development of the villages to boost the economy of the region and to reduce migration to urban areas in search of employment. For 5th semester, housing is identified to tackle the issues of reverse migration and rental housing. Skill development becomes important to make the nation Aatmanirbhar. For 3rd sem, skill sets are identified on the basis of village study and centres are proposed to make people employable.