More than 500 schools to be addressed under ‘Parivathana 2013 – Friends of Police’ initiative
On 3rd of October 2013, SCMS Group launched its annual CSR initiative – Parivarthana. This month-long activity, conducted every year by students of SCMS Group of Institutions, is credited with sensitising school children about numerous social issues. Parivarthana 2013 is aimed at building a friendly image of the Kerala Police in the minds of young school-going children.
“Parivarthana means transformation,” says, Prof. Dr. Radha Thevannoor, Director-MBA. “It enables change and upliftment for the welfare of our society. This year, the theme selected is ‘Friends of Police’. This is aimed at bringing an attitudinal change in society towards the Police. We want to spread the message among the future generations ‘Do not fear the law enforcers – respect them and be friendly towards them’.”
“There is a general perception that the police force contains bad elements as well as good. We agree. But one must understand that the police is also a part of the society it protects, and it cannot be completely impervious to that which ails society at large,” pointed out Mr. K. Padmakumar, IPS, IG – Central Zone, Kerala Police, at the meeting organised at SCMS COCHIN School of Business, Kalamassery. He was speaking at the meeting held to kick-start ‘Parivarthana 2013 – Friends of Police’ on the 3rd of October 2013. “If people are clearer about the role and duties of the police, and how the police force functions, maintaining law and order will become a lot easier”, He said.
As per the traditions of Parivathana, the script of the programme was handed over to the core Parivarthana team members by the Chief Guest. This was followed by a performance of a street play, ‘The Fence and the Magical Lamp‘, by the core team. The audience was thereafter engaged through an open quiz, which made way for a group action song. The inaugural session of Parivarthana 2013 concluded with the administering of the Oath – “I am the custodian of my body, my mind and my soul. I shall promise to protect it, preserve it and to enhance it.”
For administrative purposes, the entire task force of 285 student volunteers has been organised into 6 batches – 3 from the PGDM and 2 from MBA and one from MCA. Each batch has been further sub-divided into 3/4 groups of 13-15 students each. Starting 4th of October, 3 to 4 groups from a batch are being sent to two schools each every day, thus addressing 6-8 schools on a daily basis. Every group spends one hour each in the allocated schools.
The first school to be addressed by the students of SCMS-Cochin School of Business under the ‘Parivarthana 2013 – Friends of Police’ initiative was the SRV School, Ernakulam. In the last few years, Parivarthana has sensitised school children on subjects’ likes traffic rules, AIDS, and do’s and don’ts of Internet and mobile technologies. In 2012, Parivarthana reached out to more than 10,000 students. This year, the month-long social responsibility programme is spreading the message of the basic role and duties of the police force to the school students in and around Kochi.
SCMS Group of Institutions 