Saarthi Project

During the 2013 application cycle of the provision of Section 12 (1) (c), RTERC conducted its first student volunteer- led awareness campaign wherein students of the institution spread information about the benefits of the policy and application process among eligible population. They further assisted applicants with filling application forms and preparing documents required for application to the provision.

During the 2014 and 2015 application cycles the Saarthi project took a more systematic approach to the creation of a volunteer network. The centre partnered with colleges and universities across the city, trained student volunteers on specifics of the provision, eligibility criteria, and the application process, and assigned them to government-hosted help centres (where application forms were filled out and submitted by potential applicants). The student volunteers assisted government officials posted at the help centres throughout the application process.

In 2015, the Saarthi project was expanded to include an additional arm of the student- volunteer network who were assigned to anganwadi centres (government-run centres for care-taking of health and nutrition of children between 3-6 years of age), to raise awareness about the provision. Volunteers held events at the anganwadi centres, inviting households from the feeder areas of the centres, who would be eligible to apply for the provision in the upcoming application cycle (in 2016). Volunteers presented key information about eligibility criteria, document requirements, benefits of the provision, and the application process to invited households. This was followed by telephonic and personal assistance provided to households who later chose to apply to the provision.

The video showcases the work of Saarthi volunteers in 2014