NIT, Durgapur launches fundraising campaign to help poor students

KOLKATA: National Institute of Technology, Durgapur has launched a fundraising campaign to help students of poor economic background to continue with their online classes as the institute has gone completely online for the 2020-2021 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said.

A statement by the institute said on Saturday this decision (completely online) has posed a great challenge to the current batch of young students, many of whom come from poor economic backgrounds, and cannot afford to buy laptops/ smartphones and avail net connectivity. "NIT Durgapur is trying to do its best to provide all kinds of assistance to these students to get the required IT hardware and broadband/net connectivity and also to pay their tuition and other fees so that their education continues," the statement said.

The institute said it is very important to bridge the digital divide that is threatening the future of many students in the present pandemic situation. "Due to lack of resources and facilities at the institutional level for imparting distance education and learning to our students as none of us ever expected this kind of an unprecedented situation beforehand, it is high time we set up a Centre for Digital Learning in our institute to facilitate the new normal online/ digital mode of education more effectively," the statement said.

It said the institute has begun the fundraising campaign - #NITDAlumni4edu, the NIT Durgapur urged its alumni to come forward and "donate to a cause that will ensure that every student continues to learn, and his/her economic condition doesn't become a barrier in fulfilling his/ her dreams." "We would also welcome CSR funds, and not to mention, any small or big donation would also be highly appreciated," the statement said. Those alumni members "who are in the telecom service sectors" were urged "to help out students who are struggling with poor connectivity at home," it added.

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