Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s National Executive Council meeting, held in may every year has been postponed due to the covid-19 outbreak. The meeting, an important one for the organization, is where agendas for the coming session are decided, with resolutions being passed on academic and contemporary subjects. The National Executive Council witness’s participation of 448 representatives from all states of India.
ABVP has also decided to postpone all of its 42 State level Abhyas Vargs organized in Month of June- July till further notice. The state level Abhyas Vargs witness the participation of about 10,000 volunteers from 736 Districts in 42 provinces (as per ABVP Organisational Structure). It is the first such instance after emergency that ABVP has postponed these events integral to the organization.
ABVP has been active during the nationwide lockdown, working round the clock for students’ issues. On 31st March a memorandum was submitted to the Minister of Human Resource and Development by ABVP, raising various concerns pertaining to the interests of students, including the forthcoming academic session, activities related to the ongoing academic session, release of scholarships and fellowships amount. ABVP will also submit memorandums to all the Chief Ministers and the Education Ministers of states across India, bringing to their attention the issues facing the students, asking for their immediate redressal. Memorandums will also be submitted to the Vice-Chancellors of 900 Universities for redressal of grievances of students.
ABVP calls upon the students and the youth of this nation to donate to the PM-CARES fund and to inspire their friends to do so, contributing in this fight against COVID-19.
ABVP volunteers have been distributing masks, sanitizers, ration and cooked food in collaboration with local administration, making sure that helps reaches every nook and corner of the nation. Masks, cooked food and ration have been distributed by volunteers in Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir while a list of ABVP student volunteers who can be enlisted to work with the local administration in relief work has been shared with the administration in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. In Bihar, along with mask and sanitizer distribution, ABVP has reached out to landlords who have provided accommodation to students and has appealed that they forego their rents and provide for food etc. wherever necessary. ABVP has been receiving calls on the helpline for students from Northeast and has made efforts to provide for all the essential requirements of students who have been stranded in Dehradun, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Pune, Delhi etc. through local ABVP units.
The medical dimensions of ABVP, namely Medevison and Jigyasa have been working with the local administration, Red Cross in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Bikaner, Bengaluru, Kerala, Gujrat and Haryana. Free Medical Aid is being provided by empaneling local doctors.
ABVP led Delhi University Students’ Union, of its own initiative, has started remedial classes for various academic subjects. ABVP has also initiated dialogue with educational institutions in West Bengal (Kolkata), Jharkhand, Karnataka and other metropolitan cities asking them to come up with online classes. Coaching centers in Jodhpur have also been requested to run online classes to aid the preparation of students.
To keep students in involved in academic and creative activities, ABVP has adopted digital mediums like video lectures, seminars on contemporary subjects through Facebook Live etc. ABVP has also been organizing competitions like online poster and video making, creative writing and activities like ‘Read a Book’ challenge, fitness challenge etc. which have witnessed student’s participation in larger number.
ABVP calls upon the members of civil society, especially the youth and the students to donate blood in lieu of the shortage of blood being witnessed by blood banks because of the nationwide lockdown. ABVP also request everyone to follow appropriate Physical distancing measures, maintain cleanliness around them and to follow the lockdown. During these tough times ABVP stands with students to resolve any problem faced by them.
