Under the aegis of Rukmini Educational Charitable Trust (RECT), REVA University has an array of University Social Responsibilities taken up year after year with various schools. The Trust is driven by the larger goal of nurturing students who are in pursuit of quality education. Some of the USR activities include Abhivriddhi, Jagruti, REVA Vanamahotsava and Education on Wheels. These activities allow students to improve their understanding of sustainable development goals and sensitise them to community needs and play an important role in understanding the importance of giving back to society.
The second phase of Jagruti –towards Global Warming as a part of the University’s Social responsibility saw the culmination of it’s year long activities on the 19th of June, 2020. The programme was held at the REVA Rangasthala with strict observance of social distancing. On the day the souvenir which chronicled the various activities conducted under the second phase of the campaign was released by the Chancellor, Dr. P. Shyama Raju.
Jagruti
The brain child of Dr. P. Shyama Raju, Honourable Chancellor, REVA University, Jagruti is a cause that is close to everyone’s heart at REVA. 2018 saw the conception of RELA- REVA Electoral Literacy Association, an organized effort to spread a sense of civic responsibility towards voting among citizens and thereby inducing their democratic sensibility. Thus was born Jagruti, its first programme. The main focus currently is the constituency of Byatarayanapura in Bengaluru.
An awakening! A rise to action, a quiet revolution that could only be fostered amidst a growing intellectual community like REVA. In spite of an energetic cosmopolitan population, Bengaluru has been moving backward in terms of participation in the democratic machinery of the country.
The overall aggregate voting enrollment and participation from urban India has been rather poor, as observed through the country. This disappointment strongly points towards the eminent failure and loss of faith amongst this populace in the ideals of democracy, so arduously built by the freedom struggle and the architects of our constitution. A large democracy naturally translates to a large voting population due to its sheer size. However, our country here needs a step up, not just in active involvement but also in being equipped with the right knowledge. This precipitation needs a boost. REVA Electoral Literacy Association (RELA) is a convinced endeavor by the University, faculty and students, to conscientiously evoke in citizens the awareness, knowledge of and need for ideally functioning democratic processes. The essence and vision of RELA is aligned with empowerment of the citizens for better participation in the electoral democracy in voluntarily registering and ethically voting in every election.
REVA has been conducting interactive activities in the University campus to impart electoral education to students. The students have actively immersed themselves in a consolidated foregrounding required for this enterprising and enriching task. In order to inform and expose students to Indian General Elections, RELA had organized and ensured their participation in debates, essay writing competitions, Nirvachitra- a film show, celebration of National Voter’s Day, Democracy Wall and elucidation of the electoral history of the Country.
The campaign was inaugurated on 16th November 2018. Sri Sanjiv Kumar, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka was the Chief Guest of this event. Sri Sreenivasachary, IAS (Retd.,), State Election Commission was the Guest of Honour of this event and Dr. P. Shyama Raju, Hon’ble Chancellor, REVA University presided over the event. This event witnessed the oath taking ritual for all at REVA to uphold independent India’s democratic values. The Guests and other dignitaries shared their thoughts on the growing need for democratic values to come into play for the betterment of our society. Student volunteers also exhibited a play which proclaimed the importance of voting.
As part of this initiative, REVA has adopted 10 government schools located around Bengaluru North (Yelahanka and Devanahalli constituencies) in the fringes of the city.
The pilot of ‘Abhivriddhi’ was launched in August 2020 and the core committee members of Abhivriddhi have conducted several in-depth surveys over the last five months to ascertain the requirements, challenges, and other details of the adopted schools.
‘Abhivriddhi’ is launched with a mission to aid quality education at government schools and aims to overhaul the learning experience at these schools. Currently, around 1000 students are learning in these schools, but due to the closure of schools as a Covid-19 protocol, have remained home during the pandemic.
Abhivriddhi
To transform this chain of government schools as ‘Model Schools’
REVA University has categorized its developmental activities into three categories – Akshara, Ashraya, and Adarsha - 3A MANTRA– aimed to upgrade the quality of education, civil infrastructure, and the overall education quality and disciple of a student. The CSR initiative will be taken up under different phases, spanned over the next few years.
In August 2021, REVA University launched ‘REVA Vanamahotsava’, a novel initiative of REVA University to plant 15,000 saplings in the state. Under this Initiative, the institution launched the ‘One Student, One Tree’ campaign, which aims to build a clean and green environment with the active involvement of students. The initiative, with support from students and faculty, is REVA’s commitment to environmental conservation and the reduction of global warming. Additionally, the AICTE recommends that every institute conduct should plantation drive.
As part of REVA University's "One Student, One Tree" programme, Vanamahotsava aims to organise a tree-planting drive in schools and villages. Its goal is to have each REVA University student plant a sapling. For at least the first two years following planting, students should take care of these plants.
The REVA Vanamahotsava, which was started with a goal of planting 15,000 saplings in 2021–2022 and one seedling for every new student admitted to REVA University starting in AY 2022–2023, has advanced the social effort by planting more than 16000 saplings to date.
Education on Wheels (EOW) is an integrated approach to improving the quality of education for underprivileged children. It seeks to ensure pre-primary and primary education for all children up to the age of 14 leading to their overall development.
Education on Wheels, a student outreach initiative was launched to provide immersive learning experiences to students of community schools in rural areas.
The University takes modern education to the doorsteps of the students through a mobile lab with a 15-seater facility, equipped with learning infrastructure like a projector, computers, wi-fi connection, and SMART TV, among other facilities.
The lab also introduces students to basic and advanced learning in emerging domains like block coding, designing, and other areas. It envisions providing comprehensive skills to students through the lab and fostering the holistic development of students.
REVA University believes quality education is the right of every child, and to empower them with modern education, ‘Education on Wheels’ has been launched. Through this initiative, students will gain free access to digital learning and will be trained in certification programmes.
REVA Krushi Tech Project, an embodied vision of Chancellor Dr. P. Shyama Raju, is portrayed as the promotion of education and ecological sustenance. The project, which encourages green life and sustainable agriculture and fosters a culture of self-reliance in food security, aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). RKTP was inaugurated at REVA University as part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations. The Chancellor Dr. P. Shyama Raju officially launched the Grow Bag planting and vertical modular agritecture on the campus.
Through RKTP, REVA University promotes hands-on experiential learning, research in sustainable agriculture, and community engagement in food security measures. This University project aims to bridge the knowledge gaps serve as an educative tool and establish an interdisciplinary initiative that fosters innovative learning experiences in agriculture advances and connects with the local community.
REVA University recognizes the importance of growing fresh, healthy produce involving the students’ community. To cater to this need and contribute to the larger goal of sustainability, REVA University has organised a series of activities under the project. Chancellor Dr. P. Shyama Raju officially launched the Grow Bag planting and vertical modular agritecture on the campus.
Grow Bag Cultivation
On the launch day, around 300 grow bags were planted as part of REVA University’s commitment towards building a greener and sustainable world. Besides inspiring everyone to grow their fresh vegetables in grow bags, it also helps to learn about sustainable agriculture, share knowledge and enjoy the benefits of home-grown produce. The grow bag vegetable cultivation approach is designed to provide an ideal environment for plant growth, and it offers several benefits like space efficiency, water conservation, and portability. The grow bags of about 300 seedlings of potatoes, tomato, capsicum, chillies, and brinjal are planted by the students and will be individually allotted for their peer learning and nurturing.
Vertical gardening or Vertical Agritecture
Vertical gardening or Vertical Agritecture takes advantage of vertical spaces, transforming walls, fences, and even indoor areas into lush green gardens. The vertical modular agritecture is a wall-mounted structure in a soil-less medium and uses recycled resources. It is a blend of orientation (vertical) and agriculture with elements of architecture. This method offers several advantages like maximized space utilization, enhanced aesthetics, improved air quality, and biodiversity. It is a pilot model, with an eco-friendly vertical structure with an exotic vegetable demonstration unit.
As part of the expansion, the team plans to organise a series of other activities in the future. Among them, Aeroponics, a soil-less plant-growing method is of top priority. The Aeroponics method involves suspending plants in an air or mist environment and offers various advantages like efficient water usage, accelerated plant growth and reduced pesticide use. Besides it promotes faster growth and efficient nutrient absorption. REVA University is also planning to promote Hydroponics, another soil-less farming technique which is an efficient, controlled environment for plant growth. It promotes sustainable agriculture in both urban and rural settings, contributing to food security and reduced environmental impact. It also helps to save water and allows year-round cultivation. REVA also plans to install roof gardens and photo voltaic gardens which are eco-friendly and energy-efficient methods of cultivation with the active participation of students.
REVA University is one of the few multidisciplinary Universities that uphold the culture and heritage through its various social outreach initiatives. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and NEP policy, the Department of Sports & Physical Education at REVA University has come up with a unique initiative called Khel Khoj, which is an attempt to bring to modern society the importance of traditional games and bring them back as a component of the Indian Knowledge System.
With time, we have not only lost the zeal for indigenous games but also there are fewer playing spaces for children and students. In this modern era, it is always a challenge to find new ways to play traditional games in limited spaces. As pioneers in higher education and a Social Impact University, REVA, in alignment with UN SDGs, NEP 2020 and G20 India has initiated Khel Khoj to promote and revitalise indigenous sports. By doing this, REVA aligns with the Ministry of Education, Government of India and its mission to bring back traditional games from different Indian states.
The name Khel Khoj means ‘Search for Games’. India has a rich culture and tradition and has always included sports and games with some ancient games dating back thousands of years. NEP 2020 talks in detail about how Universities must take the lead to bring innovative changes in our curriculum, by incorporating its suggestions and making a creative change in the education policy. This is where REVA University opened its door as pioneers in the country to conduct various events to uphold the culture and tradition. Khel Khoj is one of these many initiatives started by REVA.
Khel Khoj event will kickstart at the REVA campus on February 11, 2023. The event will be held in Saugandhika, REVA University Sports ground and the open pathways inside the campus. As a part of this, REVA has identified more than 35 indigenous games that have their roots in various Indian states. In its initial phase of Khel Khoj, REVA focuses on field sports, martial arts, and indoor / board games, with intentions to expand on this with additional native games from different parts of the country. Each School will take up two indigenous sports and showcase them by exhibiting under various categories like the history of the sport, the values each game inculcate and showcasing the sport with various costumes, equipment and pictures. Additionally, there will be an activity where students and others can participate in games or experience a portion of the game
Depending on the sports or games, there will also be team-building activities, research on the history of the games, coordination with associations of each sport, procurement of materials and eventually the execution of the games.
Email: khelkhoj@reva.edu.in
Contact No: 9845403168
Under the aegis of REVA University, Bengaluru, the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is hosting SWATANTRA: THE FREE PRESS (REVA Editors’ Guild) with the objectives of protecting the freedom of media, for raising the standards of editorial leadership of media, and for building a stronger relationship between the student community and different media. The Department of Media Studies of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences has conceptualised the event SWATANTRA: THE FREE PRESS in alignment with our honourable Prime Minister’s vision of the free flow of information in the country.
REVA University has in alignment with the NEP 2020 built the road map of the University; focusing on four SDGs of prime importance: SDG IV, SDG V, SDG XX and SDG XVII reflecting the aspirations of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modiji for the progress of the country. As a pioneer in Higher Education and with the potential and capability to bring about changes, REVA University has taken it upon itself to disseminate media literacy in this digital era. SWATANTRA: The Free Press is a platform for media professionals to deliberate on key aspects of the media and entertainment industry ranging from topics of gatekeeping in media, manufacturing of consent, agenda-setting, media in a globalized world and many more. The event will bring together students from various Higher Education Institutions pursuing their studies in the domain of Journalism and Mass Communication across the country to witness these deliberations and take part in the event.
The event will be tentatively held on March 11, 2023 at Kuvempu Auditorium, REVA University. The event will have eminent personalities, editors, and budding media professionals who will deliver lectures and talks on different topics. There will also be panel discussions during the event that will host editors of various media and budding media professionals from across the country.
Pañcavaktraṁ is a production by the School of Performing Arts & Indic Studies of REVA University that highlights the five faces of Śiva – Sadāśiva and elaborates on them through significant stories from Indian mythology.
As a part of the first phase of our campaign, we will be performing in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, and Varanasi. In Hyderabad( November 11th), Bengaluru ( November 16), New Delhi (November 26), Chennai (December 9), Guwahati (December 20), the event was held in front of a packed audience. The venue will house more than 2000 audience. There will be chief ministers, eminent gurus, and celebrities as guests for the programmes. The local art and artists will be felicitated in each City. There will be special seating arrangements for the press and media. The School of Performing Arts and Indic Studies will have a special stall that features various courses and other facilities available in the school.
For more details about the programme, you can contact Datta Pasumarthi: +91970370831.
There will be Chief Ministers, eminent gurus, and celebrities as guests for the programmes. The local art and artistes will be felicitated in each city. There will be special seating arrangements for the press and media. The SOPAIS will have a special stall in each venue that features information about various courses and other facilities available in the school.
REVA is one of the few Multidisciplinary Universities that uphold the Indian culture and heritage through the SOPAIS. The Performing Arts, comprising music, dance, and theatre, are in demand as career choices, like never before. SOPAIS offers unique, challenging Performing Arts and Indic Studies programmes that prepare artistes for the future. These courses aim to bring a holistic view to the performing arts education system in India. NEP 2020 talks in detail about how art institutions must take the lead to bring innovative changes in our curriculum, by incorporating its suggestions and making a creative change in the education policy. This is where SOPAIS at REVA University opened its door as pioneers in the country to conduct various courses and events to uphold the culture and tradition.
In alignment with the SDG goals and NEP policy, SOPAIS has taken up the initiative of bringing up this unique production called Pañcavaktraṁ which is a commitment towards society. It creates an awareness about the art and helps revive our age-old tradition and culture.
Pancha means five and Vaktra means faces. The five faces are Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpuruṣa, and Eśāna and they are embodied through the five elements of nature or the Pañcabhūta - Bhūmi, Jala, Agni, Vāyu, and Akāśa. This production is of tremendous significance in the contemporary context. Our ancient treatises and texts chronicle a progressive and “woke” India that is gender-sensitive. The fact that the Lord Siva as Ardhanārīśvara encompasses the male and the female as two halves of the ultimate whole, the total of which is an all-embracing concept of gender and sexuality that existed long before these genders were separated brutally. The piece showcases the confluence of the five elements of Nature that are an integral part of the Indian spiritual identity. Our Vedic gods themselves were incarnations of different aspects of nature.
The production showcases how the five elements superimpose each other with ease in their existence and movement creating harmony and balance in nature. Humans, unaware of the importance of ancient thought have time and again interfered with this balance. This production bridges the gap between the audience who live amidst the smog of global warming, extensive urbanization, and natural resource depletion, and the age-old tradition that has enlightening tales of sustainable development, harmonious living, and the importance of nature.
Under NEP, arts in education is a must and also promotes Indian languages, arts, and culture. REVA University is an interdisciplinary university that offers courses in Performing Arts. To empower teachers and overcome the challenges post-pandemic, the School of Performing Arts and Indic Studies has curated a unique certification course named ABHIVYAKTI for K 12 teachers.
The objective of ABHIVYAKTI is to enhance the non-verbal communication of teachers in the post-pandemic era through facial expressions, gestures, and Natya techniques of Indian knowledge systems. The program includes arts, storytelling, the power of expression, dance and expressions, artificial intelligence in understanding the emotions of today’s students, and the importance of verbal communication in teaching-learning in the post-pandemic era. The certificate program will be delivered by an expert faculty team of the REVA School of Performing Arts along with an online session by an expert from an International University. The program will be organised for all CBSE/ICSE/State Board government and private schools as part of the Outreach program and Teacher Empowerment Strategy of REVA University.
Day 1 of Abhivyakti featured a lecture demonstration by Prof Manvita on the topic Bhāva which spoke of effective communication through facial expressions. We had teachers from various schools come for the event and engage wholeheartedly in the entire event as Prof. Manvita took them through a series of exercises and games on effective methods of communicating and from someone with such a body of experience in the field of education backed by her strong background in psychology and the performing arts, the advice shared was invaluable.
Day 2 of Abhivyakti featured a talk by noted dancer/academician, Dr. Viji Rao on the module of Angika. She highlighted the use of Angas (major limbs) and Pratyangas (ancillary limbs) in teaching. Her lesson for relevant and pertinent for all teachers but also included some key aspects of dance that can be utilised in teaching methods that help faculty maintain agility and energy while standing on their feet and delivering lectures. With her wealth of experience she was able to equip the attendees with useful tools for their work.
Day 3 of Abhivyakti was about Dhwani, voice modulation and projection with two interesting sessions. The first session was conducted by Prof. Kavana, Carnatic Music specialist who spoke about the different variations in voice that can be applied by teachers. She was able to address many questions by the participants on the importance of modulation in conveying the true intent of the lesson to the students. Prof. Akshar, a versatile theatrician, conducted an interactive session on the importance of Voice projection as a teacher in order to be able to have command over and the attention of the class. It was a lively and intriguing session for all participants.
Day 4 of Abhivyakti was conducted by Prof. Deepa Pillai and by Prof Anusha. The lecture was about storytelling. The speakers spoke about the tool of storytelling being very powerful and its impact on children. Storytelling is an essential part of teaching as the elements of Katha, when incorporated into teaching can transform dry subject matter to impactful and intriguing lessons.
Day 5 of Abhivyakti featured a talk by Mr. Hareesh, founder of Luminous, an illuminator of Science and Humanity, Preventia house, Bengaluru. His module was based on Varnana, or narrative elements which are particularly significant for teachers. He captivated the minds of all attendees with important pointers on narration that can be used in day-to-day teaching.
Prof. Subhobroto from a neighbouring K12 school opined that there were a lot of important take-aways for him as a teacher in a school dealing with multiple age groups and he also spoke about how it would impact his teaching methodology going forward.
Indian Knowledge System is extremely rich in providing various skill sets that one can learn and put into practice these skill to overcome the challenges and become good communicators. The School of performing Arts and Indic Studies is facilitating the process of adapting the skill sets that are clearly propounded in ancient Indian knowledge systems related to performing arts.
The 5-day intensive training programme for teachers of K12 schools for non-verbal communication culminated on the 30th of September with a ceremony presided over by Honourable Chancellor, Dr P Shyamaraju. Teachers from different schools shared their experiences and feedback over the workshop and were presented with certificates by Honourable Chancellor sir and Director, School of Performing Arts & Indic Studies, Dr Vidya Kumari S who spearheaded this event.
As socially responsible citizens and an institution committed to civic responsibility, we at REVA University, have started a movement ‘Pragna’ to raise awareness on road safety and road discipline. The neighbourhood is home to a number of schools and colleges apart from our University and hospitals. It is a common occurrence during rush hours for students to struggle to cross the street and arrive at school/ college on time. Women in particular are having trouble making it to their destination in a timely manner when they are walking on the footpath. Additionally, there are a number of hospitals in the area, making it challenging for emergency patients to get there on time owing to road indiscipline. As the stakeholders of REVA University, it is our responsibility to ensure that the safety on roads is kept up to par. It is in this juncture REVA has initiated ‘Pragna’ campaign in association with the traffic police, NSS, NCC, and the neighbouring educational institutions.
REVA will run this campaign from October 2022 to November 2022. During this time, we will also create civic awareness at strategic points through the use of placards with safety messages, personal connect with larger institutions, appeal for cooperation, and ensure due publicity is given to generate awareness.
REVA University embraces gender equality as a way of our life. Like Maya Angelou, we believe that it is our priority “to teach young people early on that in diversity, there is beauty, and there is strength” and we practice this whole-heartedly.
Aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal V – Gender Equality - the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, REVA University, is proud to host Karnataka Rajyotsava awardee Dr. Akkai Padmashali, well-known transgender activist, at REVA University on Thursday, 10th November 2022. The event will witness a solo theatre performance by Nayana J Sooda, written and directed by Belur Raghunandan, on the life of Dr. Padmashali. The performance will be followed by a talk on ‘Gender, Sexuality, Inclusivity, and Diversity’ by Dr. Padmashali.
The event is OPEN TO ALL and we welcome all interested to visit our campus and be a part of this programme. Click on the QR code below to register for the event and buy the ticket, priced at 100/- INR. It is a charity event and the amount collected will be handed over to Dr. Padmashali’s human rights organization, Ondede, which works towards advocating the rights of children, women, and sexual minorities.
Register & Pay: https://payment.reva.edu.in/
Note: Registered participants are required to send an email confirmation to dir.ah@reva.edu.in and attach the proof of payment.
The term ‘Nyaya’ refers to Justice and ‘Darshana’ means vision. The School of Legal Studies, one of the prestigious law schools in the country at REVA University has come forward to bring in a social awareness campaign, especially among women, who are comparatively fewer in number in the domain of law. Nyaya Darshana is a series of events that contributes to the social development and betterment of society in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals IV, V, and XI.
“Nyaya Darshana” is an initiative of the School of Legal Studies to imbibe moral and ethical values along with the study of law, and to ensure a sense of social responsibility in the students- aligning the goals of providing quality education and holistic development to the students with the Sustainable Development Goals.
In Greece, the meaning of the word justice is “to each his due”. It means that every person gets what they deserve with moral, ethical, and legal considerations. In Roman society, the law was considered to be fair and just. The Representation of Lady Justice comes from a Roman society where she is the Goddess of Justice.
In India, the representation of the Indian symbol of Justice is represented with a balance scale to show evidence must be weighed neutrally, while the representation of the blindfold shows impartiality to those in front of justice and the sword represents swiftness and finality of justice.
Nyaya Darshana is aligned with SDG goals IV, V, and VII which signifies bringing awareness of justice to the rural and urban sectors, encouraging more women to participate in Nyaya Darshana, and collaborating and partnership with judges, political leaders, and advocates through legal aid centre of the School of Legal Studies respectively.
The main objectives of Nyaya Darshana are:
As part of the Nyaya Darshana, Probono clubs, lecture series, and panel meets are organised. This includes Pro Bono legal general services, lecture by learned judges and eminent advocates as well as legal aid to villages.
REVA Electoral Literacy Association
