Students for Development (SFD) initiated in 1990 to promote the need for sustainable development in its right form. Not just the environmental issues such as water conservation and management, plastic recycling, ban on plastic usage, forest conservation, etc. but also the issues related to the development in holistic sense that are concerned with the cultural, economic and physical (materialistic) development of person, society, nation and mankind are also dealt with so that the meaning of ‘Development’ is understood by the people in its right spirit. Then the question arises: what is ‘Development’? How to understand the right meaning of ‘Development’? SFD is initiated to make, understand, promote and disseminate the right concept of ‘Development’ to all people in General and students in specific.
During the colonial rule over India, the policies were purely exploitative, were implemented with the sole perspective of India as a huge market. The principles of western economics were foisted upon us. During the independence struggle, a collective attempt resulted in the movement of Swadeshi, the principles of self-reliance. Emphasis was given on "Gramodaya" or development of villages and small scale cottage industries. Post-independence, till the 90's, our rulers were still confined to western and colonial so called modern economic concepts. Adding to this, an unholy blend of Russian Socialism and American Capitalism, which had no relevance to the Indian context, was followed. Since the 90's the Concept of globalization has created a false impression of development. Rise in unemployment, rapid urbanization, unfocused educational policies, absence of self-reliance, humongous environmental degradation, loss of national pride are the fallouts of recent directionless policies. We are wrongly assessing our economic and developmental progress.
Our Projects
River Rejuvenation
Campus 2 Community
Lake Conservation
Solid Waste Management
Public Health
School Bell
Main Objectives of these Projects
1) River Rejuvenation - as in case of Narmada river SFD took a 23 day long yatra to create awareness about impeding pollution of tte river sacredly referred to as Maa Narmada.
2) Campus-2-community, an internship program was initiated by Students for Development (SFD) aiming to engage students from campuses in community activities.
3) Lake conservation team is a part of Campus 2 community, an internship programme of Students For Development (SFD), which works on conservation of lakes. It was initiated in Bengaluru.
4) Waste-management is one of the topmost crises that our cities are facing, in spite of the number of measures taken up by city administrations.
5) Public Health project is based on the study of sanitation issues in the selected areas like sewa basti, slums, ghettos in our cities.
6) School Bell - initiated in Bengaluru but now replicated by many other states, is a campaign to make education of primary schools vibrant through improvement of infrastructure and by using the voluntary efforts of college students in teaching of Maths, Science and English.
For more details, visit sfdindia.org