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Adoption of the family of jawans
National College felt that symbolic gestures like
the human chain and peace marches, however well meaning, were
short term measures and that something longer lasting needed
to be done. Hence, when the news item appeared, at the height
of war, about the death at Tiger Hills of Lance Naik Shankar
Shinde from Pingori near Pune, the college quickly collected
around Rs. 26,000 and a team went to Pingori and met Chaya
Shinde, the wife of the martyred jawan, and his family.
From then started a beautiful relationship between the college
and the Shinde family. Soon this relationship extended to
the family of Sepoy Ramesh Shinde, who died in the IPKF operation
in Sri Lanka.
The college takes care of the educational needs and guidance
of the children. It donated a computer to the school in Pingori
(a village with a jawan in each family), held NSS camps where
the students did social service in the village like paving
the roads, painting the school building, building toilets
etc.
Every year the families of Chaya and Nanda (wives of Shankar
and Ramesh respectively) come to Mumbai on Independence Day
and unfurl the National Flag. Regular visits of staff and
students takes place to Pingori on festivals and a warm contact
is established so that Pingori and the Shindes have become
an extended family of National College.
Reform of non-teaching staff suffering from alcoholism
Alcoholism is rampant among the non-teaching staff in all
colleges. They become non-performers, are served memos and
rebuked, their families suffer, their health deteriorates
and they soon become vegetables. However, at National’s,
a very sympathetic attitude was taken towards alcoholism and
it was treated as a social disease. Taking this into consideration,
the “Kripa Foundation” was approached. Mr. Simon,
the counselor and Dr. Mehta, the doctor in charge of patients,
were extremely cooperative and happy that the college had
taken an initiative.
Four peons have been successfully treated over a period of
two years and today they are a motivated lot, happy with their
work and family. Their families have blessed the college for
taking such pains and showing them the right way, instead
of condemning and shunning them.
Mediclaim
It was noticed that the non-teaching staff was reeling under
hospitalization bills in case sickness attacked them or their
families. They would borrow money at high interest rates or
avoid treatment, thus harming themselves. The college decided
to educate them on Medical Insurance. However, the initial
response was not too good because they could not really understand
the concept. So the college decided to cover Mediclaim for
all non-teaching staff for Rs. 25,000 each and the premium
of nearly Rs. 40,000 was sanctioned by the Alumni Association
at its General Body meeting. The peons have now realized how
important the Mediclaim is and are willing to contribute for
their families.
Loan facility from the bank
Non-teaching staff was borrowing at heavy interest from private
parties to meet their unforeseen needs like marriage, house
repairs and religious ceremonies. Negotiations began with
the New India Cooperative Bank across the college and loan
facility of Rs. 50,000 has been arranged. This has really
relieved the tension of the non-teaching staff as they can
plan their repayment without any problems. Nearly 80 percent
of the non-teaching staff has availed of the loan facility.
Counseling Centre
A college without a counseling centre is like a house without
furniture. Students go through several problems while growing
adolescents have typical problems of adjustment, high expectations,
disappointments and failures and go into depressions which
need to be tackled immediately. A counseling centre is being
run by a professional group called CASP (Counseling and Suicide
Prevention) led by Farookh Buchia and Nimisha Kamat. Many
students use this counseling centre.
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