Extension work and service to society

Jadavpur University has a record of extension work and social service, to provide both higher education and technical services to the less priviledged sectioned of society. Since its inception in the days of the National Council of Education, Bengal, the University has had a prominent tradition of extending education at the proper age. It played a pioneering role in providing evening classes for degree courses to persons in employment. At present, evening classes are held in 14 subjects including 7 in the Faculty of Arts.

The constant source of programmes aimed at the social uplift and alleviation of poverty and other modern vagaries of life. The program includes:

• Vocational Courses for Unemployed Youth, Rural Women, Street Children, Women in Urban Slums.

•Continuing Education Courses either in Collaboration with Industry or on Need based Courses.

• Literacy and post Literacy Continuing Education.

• Special Education Programme for the Mentally challenged, Drug addicts, Visually challenged, Hearing impaired, Physically handicapped.

•Apart from these JU in a Joint Venture with IDBI has been involved in projects titled Safe Drinking Water Programme, Afforestation Programme, Alternate Energy Promotion Programme, Women Empowerment.

• Legal Literacy, Human Rights, Gender Sensitisation and the like.

Equally notable is the provision of short-term courses in various fields, of both academic and practical nature. The greatest number of such programmes is provided by the Adult, Continuing Education and Extension Centre (ACEEC), but a number of other departments, Schools and Centres also run such programmes. The ACEEC also conducts rehabilitation and post-literacy programmes within and outside the university, including slums, villages and institutions for the handicapped. The School of Educational Technology is about to launch an ambitious on-line distance education programme in collaboration with the Government of West Bengal, availing of the state-wide link being set up by the Government.