A group of senior government officials have formed a volunteer group to lend a helping hand to students severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns across the country.
The initiative, put together by 2017-batch Indian Revenue Service officer Shashank Shekhar Singh, focusses on students whose studies have been hit, Indian Forest Department (IFS) officer Ramesh Pandey said on Friday.
"In the second wave of COVID-19, students studying in different states of the country faced economic, social and mental stress following Coronavirus infection among their family members or because they have been trapped away from home due to the lockdown. This has hit their studies the most," he said.
Pandey is currently posted as the director of Delhi zoo. Previously, he had been field director at the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Bahraich and the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Lakhimpur.
Messages were sent to schools, colleges, hostels, coaching centres, professors and teachers in various cities across the country to apprise the needy students of the initiative, he said.
Initially, the demand was mostly for medicines, rations and food, but later, the students spoke about problems of books and study materials, Pandey said.
"With the help of our fellow officers, the needs of the students are being fulfilled as much as possible. Books and study materials have been sent online and this process is on. Our colleagues present in the districts are helping in every way possible," he added.
Speaking about the work done by the group, Singh, currently posted as Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax in Ghaziabad and Noida, cited the example of a Class 10 student in Bahraich whose father is a school van driver.
"When the schools were closed in the lockdown, her father lost his job and her studies appeared to be at risk as her school fees of Rs 3,000 could not be paid. We came to know of this through social media and help was sent to her," Singh said. The student has been assured of more help if needed, he added.
Among other cases, the IRS officer said Poonam, a civil service aspirant in Manesar, and Farhan Ali, an inter student in Bihar's Bhagalpur, required books worth thousands of rupees for their studies, and these were arranged and sent to them.
So far, we have provided books and study materials to around 700 students, besides medicine, rations and food to 1,000 more, Singh said.
"When the havoc of the second wave of COVID-19 was at its peak, there was a lockdown in many cities. Appeals for help were being made on Twitter and Facebook from all over the country. All voluntary organisations and social workers were coming forward for their help.
"Most of us (officers) have studied in hostels away from homes and so, we are well aware of the problems faced by the students," Singh said "We are also aware that students hesitate in seeking help from their parents on realising that expenses increase under such circumstances," he added.
Singh said several officials of the IFS, IRS and the IAS cadre were part of the volunteer group.
Medicines, food and other necessities, books, study materials and money, where needed, is being sent to coronavirus-affected families using the contacts of these officials across the country, he added.
Asked about the initiative, Bahraich Income Tax Officer Awadhesh Narain Srivastava said, "Everybody helps their own people but understanding the problems of students all over the country and extending help to them needs to be praised by all.
