HYDERABAD: After directing universities and affiliated colleges to go for cashless functioning, the UGC (University Grants Commission), upon directions from HRD Ministry, has decided to involve students from higher educational institutions in a promotion campaign.
Accordingly, “Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan (Visaka)” will be taken up all over the country from December 12 to January 12. Also, as part of institutional reforms, all shops and establishments on the campus will have to go digital by using PoS machines or m-Wallets or mobile banking etc.
As part of the Visaka campaign, student volunteers will be identified who will be given training on digital payment system by bank staff and teachers. This will be done from December 10 to 19. From December 20, students will take up the awareness campaign in households and establishments nearby. This drive will last for nearly three weeks.
Post January 12, students and their mentors should upload photos and progress reports of their campaign on www.mhrd.gov.in/visaka.
According to UGC secretary Prof. Jaspal S. Sandhu, participation of students from higher educational institutions was highly relevant because they would be the main beneficiaries in creating a digital economy free of corruption and black money.
Hence Heads of all institutions and teaching faculty should encourage students to join as volunteers for this campaign, he stressed. The NSS (National Service Scheme) and NCC (National Cadet Corps) units in each institution were told to identify one nearby mandi or market to transform it into a digital market place, where all shops, establishments and traders are enabled with digital payment systems. Mr Sandhu said another important component would be to ensure all campuses become completely cashless.
