The Meditation cum Personality Development Centre is an addition in the phases of up-gradation of the college. Housed in the New Building along with the Aryabhatta Science Centre, this facility promises to foster in a new phase of innovative induction to the edu-friendly environment of the institution. It will cater to the various aspects of the co-curricular needs, starting from edutainment, such as presentation of info-rich videos, to elevated issues like meditation for inculcation and rejuvenation of almost lost values of moral and ethical nature, for the all-round development of the students. Provisions are also there for arranging Career Counselling by Experts. Classes for the same are held on a regular routine based pattern as arranged by the Committee appointed by the college authority.

Objectives:

1. To foster the students’ ability to meditate, thereby boosting their concentration and memory power; and mental strength and stability.
2. To invite various personalities of different background and share their knowledge/experience in order to ignite the young minds.
3. To provide and function as a platform to transform the young minds into morally, ethically and culturally rich human beings.
4. To develop the individual personalities of the students and prepare them in to responsible citizens of future.

Underlying Principles:

1. At present, in educational institutions, more emphasis is placed on materialistic values like securing good grades, career placements, and training of competitive and managerial personnel. Due to the lack of stress on value-based education, there has beena decline of values among students.
2. Meditation and Personality Development Cell (MPDC),set up in 2013,aims at providing value-based education. It invites Resource Persons with variedlife experiences, conduct programs, provide exposures to the students to showcase their hidden talents and channelize their unfathomable energy.

The Context

1. Juvenile Delinquency:Adolescence is the transitional period of life whenone passes through rapid revolutionary changes in one’s physical, mental, moral, spiritual, sex and social outlook. They become emotionally unstable and frequent mood change is observed. It is the period of anxieties, worries, conflicts and complexities.
2. Physical facility:In 2013, the college was a “venture” institution. It was run with the limited fund it could generate. Financially, it was notin a position to provide a room for conducting a course which was not a part of the curriculum. The room needed to be redecorated and infused with a charismatic look to attract and to keep the students focused to the activities that were not a part of their academics.
3. Being a science college, the curriculum was already experiment based. Students could hardly afford extra time for a seemingly unnecessary activity.

The Practice

The program aims at involving the students, especially, the 1st Semester students. A program to be held once/twice weekly is included in Class Routine.

A large Hall fitted with ICT facilities, in the UGC funded A/T building adjacent to the College Library, is assigned to conduct the MPDC programs. The Hall is arranged in an unconventional manner in order to provide it with a charismatic aura. The inner walls of the room are showcased with framed photographs of renowned personalities of national/international fame in their varied walks of life. The dais in front of the hall is 2 feet high fitted with mattress so that the invited guests can sit comfortably. Students as well as the teachers present will take a mat each and take their seats on the tiled floor of the Hall maintaining proper distance and discipline.

On arrival of the dignitaries, the Co-ordinator of MPDC shall start the program with a chanting 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 where they can ask the Resource Person and clarify their doubts that might have crept in.

The minutes of every program is suggested to be recorded in a Proceeding Book and a Guests’ Comment Book; and both serve as records for future planning and development of the program..

The concept of the activities to be conducted by the MPDC wasinnovative and unique as far as education in Higher Educational Institutions is concerned. Providing the students an interactiveand active platform for value-based learning along with routine academic activities. Due to lack of moral education in school level, most of the students tend to be at loss as they fail to distinguish the right from the wrong, the good from the evil. Amidst such a scenario, Cells like MPDC can play the catalyst and help in making amends.

Constraints: 

1. Availability of Resource Persons: Being a unique kind of program, it was not easy at first to manage the availability of Resource Persons.
2. Science Education: Since the college offers only science education, there was always dearth of time for the studentsamidst their laboratory-oriented courses.
3. For an institution with lots of students, like us, it is not possible to make the programs available to each and every student.

Evidence of Success:

1. Academic Result:The academic results of the studentshave been satisfactorily successful in the bygone years. It is hoped that better success rate of the students in academics can be achievedif all the students can be attracted in to the activities of the Cell.

2. Students’ Extension Activities: Students of the college have taken initiatives, planned and executed a Street Play program by the name “Manuhe Manuhor Babe” on Superstition at different places/schools in and around the Silapathar area. 

3. Blood Donation Camp: On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, 2022, an Awareness cumVoluntary Blood Donation Camp was organised on 14 June 2022 jointly by Lions Club of Silapathar Greater and Silapathar Science College in collaboration with Blood Bank, Dhemaji Civil Hospital, Dhemaji.The theme “Donating blood is an at of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives”drew a large of students to the program and a lot of themvoluntarily donated blood.

4. Responsibility towards Society: The effect of the activities of the cell is very explicitly evident in the works of our students who after completing formal education are continuing their goodwill for the society at large. “YouthWill” is such a commendable NGO run by a few alumni of this institution and they are extending their services to the society under the able leadership of Mr. RiturajPegu, a former member of Silapathar Science College Students’ Union.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required

1. New induction and unique concept: It is really a challenge to draw the students in to the MPDC room. The technology and social media crazy generation can hardly be lured in to unconventional activities. But it is hoped that the programs can envelop each and everyone..
2. The activities of the MPDC had to be halted in 2020 and 2021 mainly due to two reasons. Firstly, the COVID-19became endemic in 2020 making human proximity dangerous. And secondly, the introduction of Post Graduate Programs in Botany and Zoology under Assam Science & Technology University, Guwahati made the authorities use the physical facilities up to its optimum level. After the requirement of physical facilities was meted with, the activities of the Cell have been restarted.

Modern men’s hankering for material pursuits has turned human beings into machines with lop-sided development. Cells like MPDC should be considered a must in every institution from the Primary level. More emphasis should be given on developing people with humane values rather than producing only materially successful ones.

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