President Pranab Mukherjee asks NIT students to adopt villages

NEW DELHI: The call of President Pranab Mukherjee for adopting five villages around engineering colleges has enthused the students who are aiming to solve problems in the areas like electricity, water and sanitation using the knowledge earned by them during their course.

About 17 students selected from National Institute of Technology from across the country got a unique chance to spend a week as a part of first 'In Residence' programme for students during which they got to know the working of various central ministry.

The students were given a chance to interact with the officials of these ministries where they shared their vision to transform villages into model ones.

"President has asked the students of National Institutes of Technology (NITs) to adopt five villages and develop it, into a modern village," said Suresh Yadav, OSD to President.

The programme is a part of overall effort made by the President to open Rashtrapati Bhavan to public. The students got to interact with MEA officials, HRD minister and others to get an insight into the functioning of the country, said Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President.

The students appreciated the suggestion by the President to adopt five villages and are looking forward to develop a modern village with their skills.

"Every NIT is going to adopt five villages nearby. On the lines of Prime Minister's initiative according to which each MP has to adopt a village, President also asked us to adopt five villages," said Pooja Agrawal from NIT Raipur.

Agrawal said that she and her friends have planned to form communities of students from different disciplines.

"Since I am from civil engineering, I will be looking at the civil part. If someone is from architecture or mechanical, he will be looking to that", she said.