Criterion 7 AQAR 2021-22

7.1.1 – Measures initiated by the Institution for the promotion of gender equity during the year 

Gender equity is a significant parameter of national progress which measures an attitude, involvement, and socio-cultural formation of the society. The institute has always taken measurable steps to have gender sensitization on the campus and in the classroom. All teachers have regular discussion how they can invite the collaborative engagement without any bias. Some eminent speakers are invited by the departments and the subject teachers to sensitize the teaching staff and the students through special talks, subjects taught, NSS, Sports & Cultural activities.

The institution follows ethical standards in this regard and is committed to maintain the same.

Following activities have been the central of the action plan of gender sensitization:

Gender Sensitization Action Plan:

At the outset of the academic year, academic calendar was planned, which included annual gender sensitization action plane to be carried out through guest lectures, activities, visits to be conducted by the various departments and subjects’ teachers. NSS, Sports, Women Development Cell and Cultural department have their activities of participation and talks by eminent speakers. 

Specific facilities provided for women:

Safety and Security

1. Committee against harassment and violence against female students was established and instructional boards with due information, committee names and contact details for complaint were hung on the wall in the premises. Same information was shared to all students at the college to make them aware of the safety and security for the female students.
2. A friendlier atmosphere was maintained by the teachers so that students should share their issues freely.
3. Female students are instructed time and again for how they should think this place as secured for them. Female students attended all the lectures until they ended at 10 pm.
4. Counselling
5. Women Development Cell worked for them through different activities, counselling them how they would be strong-minded, alerted and fearless whenever they had such situations.
6. Grievance Redressal Cell of the college had their words with students, teaching, and non-teaching staff members.
7. NSS and WDC had their sessions on the following:
8. Human’s Right
9. Women’s participation in different government agencies
10. Preparation of Competitive Examination
11. Gender Justice and Gender Equality
12. Laws of Inheritance of property and girl’s right for share
13. Health check-up session
14. Health awareness talks

Common Rooms

• Common rooms have been allocated for female staff and students to have their meetings and reading.
• Well-furnished and hygienic washrooms have been made available for female staff and students.
• In all the courses of the respective programmes, students were taught how they should be gender sensitized and what they should do in due situation.
• Foundation Course is especially committed to make aware of gender equity through its course contents.
• Business Communication have their special focus on gender free communication at workplace and how each one should a leader having skills of negotiations and decision-making.
• NSS camp is organised for seven-day and during this stay, a gender equity awareness is brought into reality as girls and boys live together on the campus, they cook their meals and breakfast with cooperation, they wash and clean the utensils together and keep the campus clean and well-decorated. This is highly engaging activity for students who understand and have the sense of gender equality. Also they visit in the surrounding villages and present their skits based on social issues making aware of the people about cleanliness, girls’ education and ‘save girl’ slogan importance.
• Use of LED bulbs/power efficient equipment

Use of LED bulbs/ power efficient equipment

Since ours is a night college, the college has installed LED bulbs and tube-lights which has contributed to save power consumption, and this proves an initiative in the service of the nation and an awareness among our students.

Solid Waste Management:

As part of college premises, classrooms other places, solid waste are collected and cleaned by the housekeeping persons. To maintain the cleanliness and hygienic atmosphere, all possible efforts are taken and brought into effect. Through NSS Swatcchhata Abhiyan, volunteers paste wall poster with instructions to the students and they conduct awareness drive in the college. All the solid wastes are segregated properly and compiled separately in ‘solid garbage’ dustbin, which are later collected by the municipality garbage collected vehicle.

Liquid Waste Management:

Liquid waste is the part of washrooms, toilets and washbasin in the college, occupying sewage waste. All the teachers, administrative staff and students are instructed to clean the area with their careful habits, so that other should have hygienic use in the premises.

E-waste Management:

Non-functioning computer, printers, photocopier machines, cartridges, cables and wires and other electronic equipment are recycled properly through the policy of buy-back or exchange and others are sold to e-waster collector vendors.

College has installed RO machine for drinking water, and students, teachers and other administrative staff are instructed to use water properly with care and concern for the natural resources. Water used in washrooms and toilets are taken care to not have any waste by anyone.

The college has tried to make awareness against the use of plastic not only in the premises but in their day-to-day life. NSS volunteers made bags made of paper and cloths and distributed in the adopted village. Also teaching and non-teaching staff decided to not to use plastic bottle for drinking water.

Plant pots of various plants have been installed in the corridors of the college beautifying the college campus with sense for greenery and its importance from environment point of view.

The institution offers the access of lift for the differently abled students and during the examination, scribes are provided to the needy students to write their answer papers.

Institute has always focussed to have harmonious environment in and outside the classroom. It has the democratic policy toward students, in which their minds are trained how they should be broad and open minded in living in the society and respecting other cultures and religions. Through Foundation Course and Business Communication, they are trained in communication with the spirit of ‘Live and Let Live’.  Celebration of Dessehra, Diwali, national days, birth anniversary of great leaders and other invited talks are organised inculcating the spirit of equality and harmony intending the national and cultural spirit of India.

Institute has Students’ grievance redressal cell and women grievance redressal cell to resolve the issues without any consideration of caste, culture, and background.

Through NSS, Cultural and Sports activities and participation, students irrespective of culture, caste and religion are motivated to participate and the platform is made available for their potential qualities.

The college is very much committed to inculcate such constitutional values to make our students responsible citizens. NSS and Cultural department always strive to shape the personality in this direction. Through several activities organised by the departments, they are made aware about their fundamental rights, duties, legal and constitutional ways of dealing any kind of socio-cultural crisis and other constitutional values and obligation as their attitude towards cleanliness, social-service and social harmony, right of voting and its importance, equality and equal opportunities etc. They are made aware of the fact that though our nation has diversity regarding language, caste, religion, region and resources, the constitution is the only thing which is at the edge which bind them together for their development and bring national unity.

1. Independence Day, Republic Day, Constitution Day and the like are celebrated aiming at inculcating the spirit of oneness and togetherness.
2. Foundation Course has inclusion of such constitutional values in the syllabi, through which students understand the framework of constitution.
3. Guest lectures or invited talks are organised on such topics to persuade the students for democratic thinking.
4. Activities like essay competition, elocution competition, one-act-play, skit presentation and adoption of village form the part of the learning and inculcation of constitutional values and duties as responsible citizens.

Teachers through their syllabi always take care to be democratic in spirit and make them aware of their rights and avail of opportunities in career choices.

The college organizes and celebrates national and international days in order to sensitize students towards their significance in our life and how all these lead us to have our identity and fellow-feelings not only in the society but it sends the message to each generation.

Following are the days celebrated in the college:

Independence Day, Republic day, Constitution day, International Yoga day, World Environment day, International Women’s day, Teachers Day, Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Sawitribai Phule, Swami Vivekanada, and other great leaders, etc.

KEY INDICATOR – 7. 3 INSTITUTIONAL DISTINCTIVENESS

7.3.1 Portray the performance of the Institution in one area distinctive to its priority and thrust withing 1000 words:

Provide web link to: • Appropriate web in the Institutional website.

The Institute is a night college affiliated to University of Mumbai and ours is the first night college in Mumbai approved by University of Mumbai. Our students are of working class and they are from very poor strata of the society. They are working on monthly salary ranging from  Rs. 6000 to Rs. 40000 and they have no future dream, except to complete their graduation. They are not interested in knowledge or specific choice of subject, but they just want to pass their exams every year. Considering this trend of our students, we have taken it a challenge and converted into opportunity with an intent how the institute can do differently and distinctively. Though our efforts have not got the full-fledged success, we are satisfied the way we are going ahead step by step and inviting our students involvement and participation which would have been zero if not tried. Some of the aspects we could mark as below:

1. NSS Unit:

This unit tries its level best to make students aware about their rights, cleanliness, health and other social services, by which we get satisfaction when students themselves give feedback that they had not thought earlier about such personality improvements. Because of this activity, they express themselves that college life can be a great game changer in their thinking and personality.

• Lecture Series and Study Visits:

Expertise lectures are conducted in subjects available in the college for students and when students listen these talks, they develop their imagination for their career choices, for their betterment of life and for their life skills. By the Accountancy, Marathi, Political Science departments, study visits are conducted which bring them first-hand experience of learning and interaction. Though this is not new or distinctiveness for other colleges, it plays very vital role for our student having the background as said above.

• Teachers’ Role as Facilitator and Guide:

Our teachers come down to the level of students while teaching so that their learners should be interested in their subject. Teachers treat them friendlier way and interact them enquiring about their personal and professional background and change their mindset for their future life and profession. Considering their potentials and abilities, teachers direct or guide to join some other professional courses for their better prospect. All these activities have really brought institutional distinctiveness to our notice as we see our students change their profession, do some course and think high about their career and we have got the result accordingly as our students have become CAs, Bank Managers, Police Officers, Trainers and Talathi, Gramsevak etc. Really this has been a very welcome step and honour for the college that students who simple wanted a degree without any future, have started thinking differently.