CHENNAI: With access to education becoming difficult owing to sky-rocketing school fees and other finances around it, it is organisations like the Rajasthan Youth Association that cater to those requirements for the betterment of the community. To further aid this cause, the RYA aims to provide textbooks, free of cost to college students.
The RYA’s book bank project has aided 1.40 lakh college students to date. According to Rajesh Kumar, managing trustee of RYA, says, “This book bank project was an initiative by just a group of 25 people who were attending college at that time in the year 1963.”
The organisation is currently offering free textbooks for Arts, Science, Commerce, and Engineering courses. Rajesh adds, “Currently, we are not providing free textbooks for medical students as the students failed to return the books on the basis that they need them for the consecutive years of their courses and wouldn’t be able to return after each academic year is completed.
Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled into the organisation at any given time, including 3,000 first-year to third-year students for courses in business, arts, and science, and third- and fourth-year engineering students for whom the organisation’s book bank services are needed.”
Unlike other book banks and libraries that focus on making profits in the education field, RYA is not a profit-making organization Rajesh shares. “Our only motto is to issue textbooks of zero cost unlike other people who sell them for 3000 rupees and ours is the oldest and largest book bank for providing free textbooks.
This year, we are planning to target at least 5000 new students by offering books for almost 100 colleges in Chennai. We would also personally like to go visit colleges outside the city such as Chenglepet and Valarmathi and make a note of the authors that need students need and provide them free textbooks.”