NEW DELHI: An ambitious programme, involving retired government officers, teaching professionals, ex-servicemen and even homemakers to hold public speaking, story telling, play acting sessions and participate in other co-scholastic activities in elementary schools was launched on Thursday.
The programme christened Vidyanjali has already seen the likes of Anil Kumble, footballer Baichung Bhutia and actress Twinkle Khanna, visiting schools to interact with children.
Besides them, Chief Ministers of several States have also done the same, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said during the launch of the programme.
Under the programme, volunteers, including Indian diaspora, retired persons, government officials, defence personnel, professionals and women who are homemakers, will offer their services for co-scholastic activities for children from class I to VIII.
Irani said 21 States and 2,200 schools will be participating in the pilot launch of the programme and hoped that by December it will be expanded to include every school in the country. Other figures like Union Ministers Rajyavardhan Rathore, Babul Supriyo, Kiren Rijiju and author Ruskin Bond will also join the initiative.
Under the scheme, schools will be able to contact people who are willing to volunteer for their services to children through an app. During the event, Irani also interacted with some Indians in Indonesia through video conferencing and accepted a suggestion made by one of them that performing arts be included. Vidyanjali will cover CSR initiatives.
Of particular interest would be the active involvement of the Indian diaspora who have expressed their willingness to partner with the mission.