Pilani Atmanirbhar Resource Centre (PARC) is a Pilani based NGO. Founded in 2012, PARC aims to improve the lives of people that live in and around the BITS campus. Dr. V K Dube, the director of the organization, explained that PARC provides an interface between the alumni and the people of Pilani. A student chapter of PARC called Team Atmanirbhar was established this semester, to encourage students to help and drive future projects. The team, still in its infancy, also endeavors to improve facilities on campus. The current plans of the team include installing rainwater harvesting facilities and encouraging the segregation of waste.
PARC workes in education, vocational training, health & wellness, and environment.
PARC is unique in the sense that it is not an NGO in itself—it is a conduit between the locals and other organizations. PARC locates organizations and works with them to solve the issues that the locals face. For example, many schools in and around Pilani had no science labs for demonstrations. PARC enlisted the help of an organization that provided buses decked out with scientific equipment. PARC also has a Digital India Center, which seeks to increase digital literacy among the rural population and keep them updated with the world.
PARC also has programs to educate people without a formal higher education to help them find employment. It seeks to help the applicants by teaching them soft skills and making them better suited for their desired jobs. With the aid of alumni, PARC has established a physiotherapy center to cater to the needs of those who need its services. For a nominal fee, the center promises good service for all.
Helping the environment is a major facet of PARC’s work. It has initiated programs to plant fruit trees and made every planter promise to give seeds of the tree to at least three others in the future. In association with PARC, Dr. BP Agarwal, a recipient of MIT’s Sustainable Technology Award, helps villages in the nearby region by introducing rainwater harvesting to combat water shortage. Dr. Dube mentioned the invaluable contributions of Senior Professor Dr. Rajiv Gupta in this project.
Dr. Dube explained that BITSian alumni, faculty, and staff are all highly supportive of the locals and are usually willing to help in any way possible. For Dube, achievements in terms of statistics and large numbers are not his primary concern. Every person helped and every life changed is meaningful to PARC.
PARC’s efforts have borne fruit due in no small part to the contributions and support of countless many faculty, who have contributed to projects undertaken by the organization, and the many students have contributed towards the smooth functioning of the organization. Dr. Dube is thankful to those that have helped PARC’s vision become a reality, and hopes that future generations of BITSians realize the mission of the organization. He also has high hopes for the student team, to increase PARC’s presence and awareness amongst students.