Best Practice -1

MEDITATION CUM PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT CELL (MPDC)

1. Objectives:

1. To foster mental strength and stability through meditation.
2. To invite resourceful personalities to share lived experiences.
3. To develop and prepare the students to be responsible citizens.

2. Underlying Principles:

1. Decline of values in absence of value-based education.
2. MPDC as a centre for value-based education.

3. The Context

Challenging issues:

1. Adolescence is the transitional period of life, wherein anxieties, worries, conflicts and complexities are observed. Adolescents are prone to emotional instability and frequent mood changes.
   
   
2. Physical facilities were not adequate in 2013. Separate room with an infused look was necessitated for the program.
   
   
3. The curriculum for BSc program was already experiment based. Students could hardly afford extra time for a seemingly unnecessary activity.

4. The Practice

The program aims at involving the students and was to be held once/twice weekly. A large Hall fitted with ICT facilities is assigned to conduct the MPDC programs. The Hall is arranged in an unconventional manner with framed photographs of renowned personalities of national/international fame. The dais for the invited guests is 2 feet high fitted with mattress whereas the audience will sit on mats laid over the tiled floor in a disciplined manner.

On arrival of the dignitaries, the Co-ordinator of MPDC shall start the program with a chant of the “Aumkar”. Then, following the felicitation, the Resource Person begins his/her deliberations providing the students important lessons for character building. Students have an interactive session too.

The concept is to provide the students an interactive and active platform for value-based learning along with routine academic activities. In the absence of moral education, most students find it difficult to distinguish the right from the wrong, the good from the evil. Cells like MPDC can play the catalyst and help in making amends.

5. Constraints:

1. Selection and availability of Resource Persons for such unique programs is always a challenge.
2. Since the college offers only science education, there was always dearth of time for the teachers and students amidst their busy schedule.

6. Evidence of Success

1. Students of the college have taken initiatives, planned and executed a Street Play program by the name “Manuhe Manuhor Babe” on Superstition at different neighbouring places/schools.
2. In the Awareness cum Voluntary Blood Donation Camp was organised on 14 June 2022 at the college, a lot of students voluntarily donated blood.
3. ‘Youth Will’, an NGO run by a few alumni, is extending its services to the society under the able leadership of Mr. Rituraj Pegu, a former member of the college’s Students’ Union Body.

7. Problems Encountered and Resources Required

1. New induction and unique concept: The technology and social media crazy generation can hardly be lured in to unconventional activities.
2. The activities of the MPDC had to be halted. First, in 2020 due to Covid-19 endemic and secondly in 2021 for lack of space due to introduction of Post Graduate Programs in Botany and Zoology under Assam Science & Technology University, Guwahati.

Best Practice -2

Title of the practice:

Orchid Temple: An endeavour to shelter & conserve diverse species of orchids for sustainability.

1. Objective of the practice

1. Conservation and propagation of wild orchids.
2. Conduct training/ workshop/ seminar on conservation and propagation of orchids.
3. Rapid propagation of rare and endangered orchids through Micropopagation techniques.
4. Establish a hub of orchid germplasm centre for academic & research purposes.
5. Maintain a green and beautiful college campus.

2. The Context

The Silapathar Science College has been working for nature since the time of establishment as the college is located in biodiversity hot spot region of Eastern Himalaya. The college has established an orchid temple (orchid house) to preserve the indigenous and hybrid orchids (beautiful gift of nature). Orchid temple and other wings of the college have been trying to make green environment of the college and neighborhood areas through conservation, plantation and conducting awareness programmes. Orchid Temple has taken various initiatives for conservation and propagation of rare and rescued wild orchid species of Assam.

3. The practice

• Green house / orchidarium (Orchid Temple) was established in college campus and has been preserving varieties of common, endangered and rare orchids. Rescued orchids are being conserved in Orchid Temple for regeneration and some are mounted on trees in the campus.
• Members of Orchids temple engaged to clean and beautification though regenerating and mounting of orchids on host trees in the college campus.

4. Initiatives of Orchid Temple to make a green & beautiful college campus

• Orchid temple constitutes a team of 20 active members from the department of Botany for taking part in conservation works, plantation, mounting of orchids in orchidarium and host trees of the college campus. The team of orchid temple is also involved in rescue of wild orchids from deforested areas.
• Orchid Festival -2021 organized to aware the people for conservation of orchids.

1. Three shade house established in campus for preserving rescued and other rare orchids for propagation and regeneration.

5. Evidence of Success 

• Indigenous, rare, common and hybrid orchid were identified and being preserved in established Orchid Temple.
• Mounted orchids on every trees of the campus are growing in very healthy condition.

The Orchid Temple is linked with the state level NGO (Orchid society of Assam) and head office of the NGO is situated in college campus. Conservation, Plantation propagation rescue and awareness programme on orchids are functioning from the head office in collaboration with Orchid Temple members.

6. Problem Encountered and Resource Required

• Facing problem in micropropagation of rare and endangered orchids due to unavailability of well equipped tissue culture laboratory.
• Inadequacy of skilled manpower for maintenance of adverse climate sensitive orchid species.

7. Notes

1. Orchid house will be transformed in to an orchid germplasm centre/hub with well equipped tissue culture laboratory, spacious rescue centre and all academic and research facilities.
2. Create massive awareness among students of school, college and University level to preserve amazing orchid species before its extinction.