Best Practice

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Title: PLANTING A SAPLING BY FRESHERS

Objective

The main objective of tree plantation is to save the endangered environment and to beautify our life. Trees are valuable gifts of nature. They are known as the best friends of human beings. At the same time, aim of planting tree is to restore native forests around village to protect water supplies. We have endeavoured to preach that Planting of trees is a holy act. One tree is equated to 10 children. Students have been made aware of the urgency of planting trees because

1. It reduces carbon dioxide, a principal greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Planting tree increases oxygen level in environment, the most essential gas on globe.
2. When one plants a tree, one is creating habitat for other species.
3. One is starting a food source for human and animals.
4. One is stabilising soil to prevent erosion.
5. One is creating natural water filters

Thus, tree plantation is recognized today as a noble social work. The objective of the practice of the college is to make the students socially responsible citizens. The affiliating university has included Environmental Studies in the curriculum of Undergraduate studies.

Contextual features or challenging issues of the practice:

The on-going Four Lane Construction of NH-37 has uprooted all the trees on both sides of the Highway. There is an urgent necessity of the construction for development of the nation but cutting down the trees on both sides of the highway have caused an unrepairable damage to the nature. However, Govt. of Assam made planting a sapling mandatory for students who seek fee waiver on account of their poor financial condition. The college considers this as an opportunity and made it compulsory for all students who seek admission into B.A. 1st Semester and H.S. 1st Year irrespective of Below Poverty Line or Above Poverty Line. Every year nearly 500 entrants are there in the college and 500 of them plant a tree: what else can be a better practice than that if 50% of the saplings remain alive and grow.

To follow the practice, the following resolutions were taken in the Governing Body meeting held on 14-6-2017.

1. The Committee made it mandatory for every student taking admission into B.A 1st semester and H.S. 1st Year to plant a sapling at his/her home/village. He/she has to submit the photo of planting a sapling at the time of admission. The responsibility of rearing the sapling was entrusted on him/her.
2. The committee made it compulsory for every student to submit the photo of the same sapling planted by him/her at the time of his/her subsequent admissions into the next odd semester.
3. The committee also made it compulsory for every student to attend the college on the: World Environment Day” and participate in the sapling plantation programme.
4. Mrs. Dipali Neog , Principal I/C of the college has been asked to form a Committee on Plantation comprising Responsible Employees of the college to keep the record of the photos in an album year – wise and to submit Annual Report on Plantation after admission process.

Evidence of success:
The Committee on Plantation is as the following:
Chairperson: Mrs. Dipali Neog, Principal –I/C
Coordinator: Mr. Jayanta Gogoi
Members:
Mr. Mohesh Chetia
Mrs. Anjumoni Chiring Phukan
Mrs. Aparazeeta Sharma
Mrs. Lakshee Dutta

The Committee have been very sincere since its formation to make plantation scheme a grand success. So far the record of success in planting a sapling by a fresher shows that the college is quite successful in its endeavour. The data of Fresher with photo of planting a sapling is shown below:

The Committee have been very sincere since its formation to make plantation scheme a grand success. So far the record of success in planting a sapling by a fresher shows that the college is quite successful in its endeavour. The data of Fresher with photo of planting a sapling is shown below:

During the academic years : 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, the process could not be continued on account of Covid – 19 pandemic However, the committee motivate the students to plant saplings as soon as classes resume. Under the guidance of IQAC, the committee with the help of Assamese, English and Education Departments took the initiative of planting medicinal plants, flowers and important plants in the campus. The committee also resolved to plant trees surrounding the campus as soon as construction of Four Lane gets over.

The results indicate

1. There has been growing awareness among the students towards environment degradation and importance of tree plantation.
2. A sense of social responsibility has grown among the students.
3. Local people have been motivated for plantation.
4. Students are concerned about Silviculture, i.e., the practice of controlling the growth, composition / structure, and quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. 
5. Students are concerned about global warming.

Problems encountered:

1. All the students cannot find healthy and good species of saplings at the time of plantation. They have to take saplings from District Forest Department. But saplings in the concerned department are not available at the hour of need.
2. The students plant saplings either at their homes or in their respective village. Many saplings die due to negligence of the students (lack of fencing or watering) , heavy rain or dry weather, soil erosion, flood, cattle , etc.
3. Students lack knowledge of managing the weeds before they take over.
4. Students lack knowledge of protecting Plants from pests.
5. College as a whole are not aware of identifying and treating Plant Diseases
6. The committee are not in a position to keep record of the growth of the plant in the succeeding semesters on account of lack of proper planning in the beginning and Covid-19 Pandemic situation put almost to a halt to the ongoing process.

BEST PRACTICE 2: SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE GLORIOUS ACTIVITIES OF LACHIT BORPHUKAN IN THE CAMPUS ONCE IN A MONTH

Objectives of the Practice

The spirit of patriotism is a great unifying force for the youth. To save the students from common distractions, Bir Lachit Borphukan College has instilled the Glorious Activities of Lachit Borphukan among the students, an epitome of Patriotism. The practice becomes more effective when done among students at least once in a month. It helps the students in achieving their goals in unison with the lessons on:

1. The determination that Lachit Borphukan exemplified in the Battle of Saraighat.
2. Diligence that Lachit Borphukan embodied when the protection wall against the enemies was not constructed on time.
3. Courage and patriotism that Lachit Borphukan personifies.

The objectives of the practice are to inspire the students how an ordinary man can become an extraordinary person by dint of his hard work and love for his motherland.

The Context

When we admire and eulogize figures like Subhas Chandra Bose, Rashbehari Bose, Khudiram Bose, and their likes, many other figures with equal or more bravado, Lachit Borphukan was a commander of the Ahom forces and an icon of Assamese nationalism. He has remained hidden in the crevices of dark and the country knows very little about them. In the battle of Saraighat in 1671. Lachit Borphukan put a halt to Aurangzeb’s desire of “expanding his empire” into Assam. It was one of the greatest achievements of the Ahom Kingdom ever and a sheer epitome of tactical brilliance, perfect use of terrain, guerrilla warfare and intelligence gathering. He was also the inspiration behind strengthening India’s naval force and revitalising inland water transport. In fact, Assam was the only state in India which defeated 17 successive attempts of Mughal invasion. Lachit Borphukan slayed his maternal uncle for negligence of duty during the preparation of Saraighat Battle and became an epitome of sacrifice for the generations to come. In light of the above, the college was established in the name of great national hero.

Hence, shedding light on the hero has become a moral obligation on the part of the organization and to inspire students while admiring and eulogizing him.One of the challenging issues is scarcity of sources on life of the hero. Only reliable source is Surya Kumar Bhuyan’s “ATAN BURAGOHAN AND HIS TIMES”.Secondly, with the implementation of CBCS into the curriculum since 2019, celebration of Lachit Divas on 24th November has not been a grand success as the Semester Exams run in the month. However, monthly lecture among the students by a faculty assigned, Slogan and Poster competitions on Patriotism do compensate that challenge.

The Practice

To commemorate Lachit Borphukan’s exemplary deeds, the LACHIT BORPHUKAN GOLD MEDAL is awarded to the best cadet. The medal was instituted in 1999 to inspire defence personnel to emulate Borphukan’s heroism and sacrifices. Thus, the youths of the day are motivated to join defence forces of the country.

On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated in the college to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan. Various lectures on patriotism and valor, competitions in the same line surely encourage and motivate the students to become a responsible citizen of the country.

1. Various lectures on patriotism:
2. Lachit Borphukan and Patriotism.
3. Epitome of Sacrifice and valor : Lachit Borphukan
4. Guerrilla warfare and intelligence gathering of Lachit Borphukan
5. Naval strategies of Lachit Borphukan
6. Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal etc.
7. Patriotic Songs once in a month at 9 am through Public Address System in the campus.

All the above, surely throws light on the purposes of higher education. The acts of Lachit Borphukan encourage students towards - sacrifice: always Nation first, indomitable spirit to fight for independence, how to lead a successful life, aware of one’s duty and responsibilities. These are very essence of higher education.Among the constraints, paucity of sources on Lachit Borphukan , observation of Lachit Divas during the exam. Seasons are notable. However, monthly lectures among the students by a faculty assigned, Slogan and Poster competitions on Patriotism do compensate the challenges.

Evidence of Success

Some of the students admitted to 1st semester B.A. and 1st year of Higher Secondary, at times, appear to be unruly. This is quite natural, may be, on account of change of environment, i.e., from school/ Higher secondary to College. As the time passes by, college notices change in the behavior of students and attitude towards life. The collective responsibility borne by Students’ Union Body and then engagement of some of them in social and political life certainly bear evidence of success. Among the placement of students, good numbers of them are either in police service or in defence. Engagement of majority of our alumni in private companies for a long period surely calls for dignity of labor and thirst for knowing the unknown. In addition, successful entrepreneurs are no way less inspired by the acts of Lachit Borphukan. We claim the higher percentages of placements in the said services are on account of shedding light on the glorious activities of Lachit Borphukan in the campus once in a month.

We also claim that none of our alumni have any record of criminal offence. There is unity among them at the hour of crisis. There are ample evidences of helping each other when one suffers from severe illness or one is unable to perform final rites of their parents.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required

• Majority of the students do not reach college before 9 am.
• Loves for patriotic songs by some of the students are not satisfactory. They appear to be attracted towards modern songs.
• Interrupted power supplies at times, distract the attention of the students.
• The traffic on the four-lane cause noise pollution.
• Observation of Lachit Divas during the exam. season is a great impediment.